Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Tyler Hamilton: The Secret Race: Book Review



The Secret Race, Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle, Bantam Books, 2012.

The Secret Race is a sad story of a poor prodigal son from Marblehead, Massachusetts, a "C" level cyclist who rode Paniagua: (a "Spanish status name for a servant who worked for his board and lodging") but who with increasing improvements in cycling performance was promoted to the "A" squad.  "A" squad riders were considered elite Tour de France riders, and they used large amounts of performance-enhancing substances distributed in white lunch paper sacks under the direction of debased doctors.  Only after Tyler Hamilton was permanently banned from professional cycling for repeated doping violations after years of cheating, did his guilty conscious prompt him to return to honesty with a full confession and disclosure of the illegal doping that was rampant on the United States Postal Service Professional Cycling Team.  The Secret Race summarizes examples of doping during Tyler Hamilton's days with Lance Armstrong on the U.S. Postal Service Professional Cycling Team, but, after the admission by Lance Armstrong to doping, these examples are of secondary importance.  What is of primary importance is the cognition and behavior of Tyler Hamilton, not a cheap and tawdry psychological examination of what may have been driving Lance Armstrong.

We start at the end, not the beginning, at the Cache-Cache in Aspen, Colorado, and we have to ask the question of why Tyler Hamilton and his attorney visited an establishment known to be a favorite haunt of Lance Armstrong after Tyler Hamilton claimed on the news program 60 Minutes that he personally witnessed Lance Armstrong using performance-enhancing drugs?  The answer is not as propounded in The Secret Race as a simple entertainment for friends.  No.  Tyler Hamilton took people along as witnesses to an explosive event he attempted to provoke.  Remember, there was Jeff Novitzky and a secret Federal Grand Jury investigation into possible criminal conduct by the United States Postal Service Professional Cycling Team and Lance Armstrong, and there was a distinct possibility Tyler Hamilton would be called to testify for the prosecution.  A confrontation with Lance Armstrong at the Cache-Cache with witnesses would lay the groundwork for a new theatrical performance Tyler Hamilton desired: The Intimidated Witness.  Predictably, the encounter at the Cache-Cache generated international headlines.  Tyler Hamilton's lawyer claimed Lance Armstrong told Tyler Hamilton if Tyler Hamilton testifies in court to any alleged wrongdoing by U.S. Postal Service cycling teammates, staff, doctors, or other people possibly involved in a doping conspiracy; Lance Armstrong's legal team would "rip his lungs out."  Tyler Hamilton's ploy would have worked to perfection except for one fly in the ointment, no one could clearly hear the conversation.  So there was no absolute proof Lance Armstrong threatened Tyler Hamilton.  Bad Karma.  Undaunted by this flaw in the plan, Tyler Hamilton spun one of the most paranoid delusions in the history of cycling.  Lance Armstrong was everywhere, tapping his phone, hacking his computer, reading his e-mails; the lady who glanced at Tyler Hamilton in the grocery store was one of Lance Armstrong's moles.  When Tyler Hamilton shaved in the morning, Lance Armstrong's grinning face was reflected in the glass.  Tyler Hamilton repeatedly phoned Jeff Novitzky, "Lance is everywhere!"  If Jeff Novitzky would have placed Tyler Hamilton in the federal witness protection program, Tyler Hamilton would have been ecstatic!  But, an unexpected event occurred that derailed Tyler Hamilton's performance.  Suddenly the secret Federal Grand Jury was disbanded and the criminal investigation was terminated!  Tyler Hamilton was so angry at this development he "punched the refrigerator."  Without an indictment of Lance Armstrong Tyler Hamilton expected daily, there would be no trial, thus Tyler Hamilton would not be needed as a prosecution witness, thus there was no reason for Lance Armstrong to continue his intimidation surveillance.  Bummer.

There is a second possible reason for Tyler Hamilton's journey to the Cache-Cache; he went there to deliver a message.  But first we must examine some of the historical record presented in The Secret Race.  Pay special attention when the UCI called Tyler Hamilton to appear at their corporate offices in Aigle, Switzerland, and the subsequent malfunction of Tyler Hamilton's paranoid delusional mind.  Dr. Mario Zorzoli, UCI chief medical officer,* called Tyler Hamilton into his office and informed him blood tests had revealed a double red cell population consistent with a blood transfusion from another person.  Tyler Hamilton called the tests an "impossible" error because he knew he only used autologous blood transfusions of his own blood collected, stored, and modified by Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes.  Tyler Hamilton incorrectly reasoned since there had never been a problem with any of Tyler Hamilton's autologous blood bags, because blood doping had never been previously detected, there could never be a problem.  Dr. Zorzoli stated the possible blood irregularities detected in Tyler Hamilton's blood could be accounted for by other medical reasons, but Dr. Zorzoli warned Tyler Hamilton he was a marked man.  When Tyler Hamilton returned home to Girona, Spain, a letter from Dr. Mario Zorzoli was waiting for him that repeated the warning his blood profiles would be carefully monitored.  Dr. Zorzoli's warning letter was dated June 10, the same day Tyler Hamilton set a personal time trial record up Mont Ventoux and put "1:22 on Lance Armstrong in less than an hour."

Then there was an uncanny number of bizarre circumstances that were misconstrued, but these circumstances would sow the seeds of the eventual destruction of Tyler Hamilton.  Floyd Landis spins a yarn?

"Lance called the UCI on you.  He called Hein Verbruggen after Ventoux.  Said you guys [Team Phonak] and [Iban] Mayo were on some new shit, told Hein Verbruggen to get you.  He knew they'd called you in.  He's been talking shit nonstop.  And I think you have the right to know."  P.211.


Tyler Hamilton rationalizes Dr. Zorzoli's warning in this completely irrational way after the information provided by Floyd Landis:

Now it all made sense: the trip to Aigle, Switzerland, the weird meeting with Dr. Zorzoli.  It all had been because of Lance.  Lance had called the UCI on June 10, the day I'd beaten him on Ventoux, the same warning letter they'd sent to Girona, Spain.  Lance called Hein and Hein called me. P.211.


Talk about an odd coincidence!  The warning letter was based on solid scientific evidence of heterologous red blood cells due to a probable mix up of blood bags by Jose Maria Batres who was an assistant to Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, but Tyler Hamilton has rationalized the whole episode as a set up by Lance Armstrong.

Lance called the UCI on you.  Told Hein on you.  He's been talking shit nonstop. P.212.


Tyler Hamilton reasoned Lance Armstrong was a rat who finked Team Phonak to the UCI.  Tyler Hamilton, the $900,000 Phonak team leader and 2004 Tour de France favorite contender rode up to 'le patron' Lance Armstrong during Stage 1 of the 2004 Tour de France, and when Lance Armstrong opened his mouth to speak, Lance Armstrong was abruptly cut off by a legendary Tyler Hamilton steroid rage infused tirade:

Tyler Hamilton to Lance Armstrong: Shut the fuck up Lance, you piece of shit, shut the fuck up.  I know you.  I know what you did.  I know you've been ratting me out, talking shit about our team.  [Phonak]  Worry about yourself, because we are going to fucking kill you!  P.212; italics added.


Tyler Hamilton thought he would win the 2003 Tour de France going away.  But bad karma intervened again.  He was mixed up in an early stage peloton crash and fractured his collar bone.  His date with destiny to become a Tour de France champion was derailed again, although Tyler Hamilton did finish fourth in the general classification and win one stage of the race.

Back to the Cache-Cache.  Tyler Hamilton went to the Cache-Cache to send Lance Armstrong a message, something along these lines.  Listen you rat.  Me and my new team, Jeff Novitzky, the secret federal grand jury, the Justice Department, Travis Tygart, USADA: worry about yourself, because we are going to fucking kill you!  Like some tragic Shakespearean jester, Tyler Hamilton could not resist singing arias about the certain demise of the king.  He arranged the "accidental" meeting with the deliberate intention of provoking an argument, baiting the bear, savoring the moment.  Tyler Hamilton would finally have revenge on the rat who took away his Olympic time trial gold medal, the rat who foiled his destiny to win the Tour de France, the rat who ruined his life.

And it was all a misplaced paranoid delusion.  The UCI didn't need Lance Armstrong to convict Tyler Hamilton of doping.  Tyler Hamilton was obsessed with his blood bags, even after he, Iban Mayo, and Jan Ullrich all got sick with a high fever during the 2004 Tour de France from the blood that came from the laboratory of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes.  After all, Tyler Hamilton realized he got a bad bag when he urinated dead red blood cells all night during the 2004 Tour de France.  How could a man with such a sophisticated doping education not realize the danger and fit the pieces of the puzzle together, how did such a superb athlete become so dependent upon dope that he failed to reason out the consequences of his behavior?

Easy.  For the same reason these supermen bonk.  The muscles don't need high hematocrit, they don't need steroids, they need glucose; a fact they forget when they are flying high and bonk.  Cheaters need a stable mind and a good amount of luck.  Most of all dopers need a good doctor and people who keep their mouths shut.  Tyler Hamilton was evolving from Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde and eventually, he would have offended someone and been caught even if his precious doping doctor had not gotten careless.

Tyler Hamilton: a man of bad karma, manipulative tendencies, and self-delusions; was an attention seeker who Lance Armstrong in the end refused to entertain.  When Lance Armstrong refused to fight USADA, Tyler Hamilton's influence ended.  Tyler Hamilton was counting on years of arbitration.

Conclusion:

There may be further civil litigation against Lance Armstrong since people are lined up for miles to sue him, so don't despair Tyler.  They may need your services yet.  And you are a despicable enough person to provide them.

Footnote:

*Dr. Mario Zorzoli, chief medical officer of the UCI was fired after he released Lance Armstrong's 1999 Tour de France doping control forms to Damien Ressiot of L'Equipe, during the 2004 research tests done at LNDD that reportedly found recombinant EPO in Lance Armstrong's 1999 Tour de France "B" urine samples.  This "B" sample results Travis T. Tygart later called "flaming positives."  Unfortunately, the confirmation "A" samples were depleted in 1999 and unavailable for testing.  Under WADA Code an adverse analytical finding cannot result solely from the "B" samples.  Travis Tygart exploited the unsophistication of his audience to spin a "white lie."

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