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At Speed
Mark Cavendish is quite simply the biggest thing in cycling and the biggest thing in British sport. With his self-belief and smouldering competitive fire, Cav has turned the animalistic hunger to win into an art form. As L'Equipe call him -- the Mozart of the 12-wheel cog.
Since Cav's first book, Boy Racer , was published in 2009 his career has advanced at a lightning pace. Boy Racer covered his early years to his first experiences in the Tour de France. Since then Cav has clocked up another three record-breaking years in the Tour, becoming the first Brit to win a jersey in 25 years and the first ever to win green. He won green in Spain's Vuelta and in 2011 became the first British cyclist in 50 years since Tom Simpson to win the World Championship road race.
And yet every sign points to 2012 being even bigger. On top of another Tour de France we have the massive focus of the London Olympic Road Race -- one of the most eagerly anticipated gold medal chances for Great Britain. There's been a tremendous upsurge in interest in the sport over the last couple of years, mostly due to the success of riders like Cav, and all eyes will be on him as he competes for glory this summer.
Since Cav's first book, Boy Racer , was published in 2009 his career has advanced at a lightning pace. Boy Racer covered his early years to his first experiences in the Tour de France. Since then Cav has clocked up another three record-breaking years in the Tour, becoming the first Brit to win a jersey in 25 years and the first ever to win green. He won green in Spain's Vuelta and in 2011 became the first British cyclist in 50 years since Tom Simpson to win the World Championship road race.
And yet every sign points to 2012 being even bigger. On top of another Tour de France we have the massive focus of the London Olympic Road Race -- one of the most eagerly anticipated gold medal chances for Great Britain. There's been a tremendous upsurge in interest in the sport over the last couple of years, mostly due to the success of riders like Cav, and all eyes will be on him as he competes for glory this summer.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 25, 2013
35 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
July 17, 2021
Uh, gee, if you're watching the Tour de France this year, and you're not ... hmm ... obsessed, intrigued, fascinated ... and well, moved by the return of Mark Cavendish, well, I'm not sure I'm recommending this....
But, if you're open to reading about bike racing, and, if earlier in his career, you read Cav's Boy Racer, which was pretty good for a young athlete's autobiography (obviously, with some assistance....), if you've been following the Manx Missile for now more than a decade, if you love him or hate him, ... and ... whether or not you started paying attention earlier this year at the Tour of Turkey (where Cav won four stages in an eight-day race) ... and, like so many of us ... started asking ... is Cav, ... well, ... back? ... and then, at the eleventh hour, ... https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mark... .. yeah, the eleventh hour, saw Cav head back to le Tour ... and you didn't know what to expect, ... but you didn't expect that, uh, gee, I guess, well, Cav is back, ... then, hey, why not read another one of Cav's books?
Not much life changing information in here, but a fun, quick, light read that was perfect background for the 2021 Tour. And, sorry, Pog, nothing personal, but this year's Tour is gonna be remembered as Cav's comeback....
Chapeau, Cav. Chapeau!
But, if you're open to reading about bike racing, and, if earlier in his career, you read Cav's Boy Racer, which was pretty good for a young athlete's autobiography (obviously, with some assistance....), if you've been following the Manx Missile for now more than a decade, if you love him or hate him, ... and ... whether or not you started paying attention earlier this year at the Tour of Turkey (where Cav won four stages in an eight-day race) ... and, like so many of us ... started asking ... is Cav, ... well, ... back? ... and then, at the eleventh hour, ... https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mark... .. yeah, the eleventh hour, saw Cav head back to le Tour ... and you didn't know what to expect, ... but you didn't expect that, uh, gee, I guess, well, Cav is back, ... then, hey, why not read another one of Cav's books?
Not much life changing information in here, but a fun, quick, light read that was perfect background for the 2021 Tour. And, sorry, Pog, nothing personal, but this year's Tour is gonna be remembered as Cav's comeback....
Chapeau, Cav. Chapeau!
February 23, 2020
For a while I avoided autobiographies but working on the assumption the author makes a difference, I'd seen this was ghostwritten by Daniel Friebe so thought I'd give it a try. This only covers a few years of his career, from when he was the undisputed fastest sprinter to being overtaken by Greipel and Kittel, but his famously detailed descriptions on sprints ensured it was more than a catalogue of results.
The descriptions of certain stages were the best bit for me, and even though in real time it all happens so quickly, on the page you really do get a sense of the nuances of bunch sprints. Cavendish is keen to argue that they are just as good a spectacle despite organisers' fondness for mountain stages, but I think he misses the point that genuine complexity and spectator excitement are not necessarily the same thing. A Formula 1 qualifying lap requires a lot of concentration and adjustment, but is dull to watch, and while stages' circumstances are different, the same winner does get boring. It is interesting too that for all the planning for his 2011 Worlds title, in the end it was his instinct to join the Australian train that won him the race, despite the detailed GB plan.
He is also a difficult figure to understand, serious enough to vocally challenge the team in training when standards drop, but also expressing a preference for the less clinically professional attitude of Quick-step compared to Sky. He is generally quite egocentric, at times surprised that other people might have their own motivations for signing a longer contract when he wants to hold out, or not moving with him to another team. Crashes are always the other rider's fault, when it is the pattern of incidents that suggest he might be the common factor, even if individual incidents can be explained away.
He did voice his displeasure of Sky and it does seem understandable in many ways, but the tone while he describes the team is noticeably more detached, and other than Geraint Thomas there is not the same affinity that comes across while talking about Eisel or Brammeier. It is almost as if he has written off that year (combined with the disappointment of the Olympics) when a less fawning discussion of the team could have been interesting.
Coming a couple of years after his World's win, it was hard to see what had prompted the book. Cavendish was not up to his previous level, and he hadn't had the winding down of his career to produce a more complete reflection. Parts were very interesting, but others came across as gripes, and it was often the subtext that was intriguing, rather than the content itself.
The descriptions of certain stages were the best bit for me, and even though in real time it all happens so quickly, on the page you really do get a sense of the nuances of bunch sprints. Cavendish is keen to argue that they are just as good a spectacle despite organisers' fondness for mountain stages, but I think he misses the point that genuine complexity and spectator excitement are not necessarily the same thing. A Formula 1 qualifying lap requires a lot of concentration and adjustment, but is dull to watch, and while stages' circumstances are different, the same winner does get boring. It is interesting too that for all the planning for his 2011 Worlds title, in the end it was his instinct to join the Australian train that won him the race, despite the detailed GB plan.
He is also a difficult figure to understand, serious enough to vocally challenge the team in training when standards drop, but also expressing a preference for the less clinically professional attitude of Quick-step compared to Sky. He is generally quite egocentric, at times surprised that other people might have their own motivations for signing a longer contract when he wants to hold out, or not moving with him to another team. Crashes are always the other rider's fault, when it is the pattern of incidents that suggest he might be the common factor, even if individual incidents can be explained away.
He did voice his displeasure of Sky and it does seem understandable in many ways, but the tone while he describes the team is noticeably more detached, and other than Geraint Thomas there is not the same affinity that comes across while talking about Eisel or Brammeier. It is almost as if he has written off that year (combined with the disappointment of the Olympics) when a less fawning discussion of the team could have been interesting.
Coming a couple of years after his World's win, it was hard to see what had prompted the book. Cavendish was not up to his previous level, and he hadn't had the winding down of his career to produce a more complete reflection. Parts were very interesting, but others came across as gripes, and it was often the subtext that was intriguing, rather than the content itself.
August 21, 2024
I enjoyed this honest account from Cav. It’s been interesting reading it now, after his efforts in the this year’s Tour. He comes across as a top man.
May 1, 2019
I went into this book not knowing much about mark cavendish. After reading it he is instantly one of my favorite riders with his great (sometimes controversial)personality on and off the bike.
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August 24, 2025The most anticipated sports autobiography of the year from Britain's most exciting athlete.
Mark Cavendish is quite simply the most exciting thing in world cycling. With his self-belief and smouldering competitive fire, Cav has turned the animalistic hunger to win into an art form. Cycling bible L'Equipe has responded to his staggering success by naming him the best sprinter in the history of Tour de France.
In Boy Racer , published by Ebury in 2009, Cav told of his early years, culminating in his first experiences of the Tour. Since then his career has advanced at a lightning pace. He has clocked up another three record-breaking years in the Tour, becoming the first Brit to win a jersey in 25 years and the first ever to win green; sailing to final-stage victory on the Champs-Elysees for an unheard of four consecutive years. He won green in Spain’'s Vuelta in 2010 and spent the 2012 season in the World Champion’'s rainbow jersey; making him the first British cyclist in 50 years since Tom Simpson to win the World Championship road race. As well as being one of Britain’'s most successful sportsmen he’'s also the most popular, winning half the votes to become the BBC’'s Sports Personality of the Year in 2011.
But no one has ever claimed that being one of cycling’'s elite is easy. In 2012 Cav joined Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome at Team Sky. Still relentlessly ambitious, he had to learn his role within this hugely talented team, even at the expense of his own individual interests. And despite Team Sky'’s success at the 2012 Tour, Cav had to contain his disappointment when events conspired against them in the Olympic Road race a month later.
Cav tells his very personal story of the journey to the top, and gets to the heart of the pain and the passion, and the guts and the glory of professional cycling.
June 2, 2018
It likely goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that unless you're into cycling you may not have heard of Mark Cavendish and you almost certainly won't enjoy this book because 'Cav' has (wisely in my opinion) kept this autobiography firmly in the realm of his professional, rather than personal, life.
That said, while it does open up what life is like in the peloton, the competitive nature of the sport, coupled with Mark's personality brings this book alive.
More than anything his personality really shines through - and you can't help but warm to what is obviously a difficult, complex, but ultimately honest and true-to-self personality. Most of all it's hard to miss that the 'prima donna' alpha sprinter is actually a vulnerable, anxious person easily racked by self-doubt and worry, along with a dose of paranoia and a keen (perhaps overkeen) sense of how the behaviour of others may affect him ... but who never denies or hides that from himself. And ultimately is a good guy and devoted family man who needs affection and encouragement.
The chronological stream of his pro-life story (focussed on the 6 years 2008 - 2014, rather than his early life) is also interspersed with some opinion diversions (a large section of the doping scandals and related for example)
Quite a page turner. Recommended.
That said, while it does open up what life is like in the peloton, the competitive nature of the sport, coupled with Mark's personality brings this book alive.
More than anything his personality really shines through - and you can't help but warm to what is obviously a difficult, complex, but ultimately honest and true-to-self personality. Most of all it's hard to miss that the 'prima donna' alpha sprinter is actually a vulnerable, anxious person easily racked by self-doubt and worry, along with a dose of paranoia and a keen (perhaps overkeen) sense of how the behaviour of others may affect him ... but who never denies or hides that from himself. And ultimately is a good guy and devoted family man who needs affection and encouragement.
The chronological stream of his pro-life story (focussed on the 6 years 2008 - 2014, rather than his early life) is also interspersed with some opinion diversions (a large section of the doping scandals and related for example)
Quite a page turner. Recommended.
April 16, 2023
Pretty simplistic writing, but I feel like the cyclist in me needs to know more about the history in this sport and the major players. I can tell that Cavendish is a bit cocky, defensive, and definitely a controversial dude- but I can also see what made him the best in the world. I think my favorite parts about the book were the small bits of philosophical ponderings amongst his race recaps- two of them really hit hard.
The first was about a fellow rider who crashed and died during a stage in the Giro- this is part of our sport, we take these risks, we look at death in the face, we accept it all on the daily. When things like this happen it lets the thoughts creep: it worth it? But then we re-immerse into the crazy lives we live, “The only explanation was that love, our love for the sport, was deaf and blind”.
The second was his reflection on winning the world championships. “There was a certain hollowness to the joy at having realized an ambition that I’d held for so long.” I’ve felt this before too. And I think it’s a blessing to have this knowledge.
The first was about a fellow rider who crashed and died during a stage in the Giro- this is part of our sport, we take these risks, we look at death in the face, we accept it all on the daily. When things like this happen it lets the thoughts creep: it worth it? But then we re-immerse into the crazy lives we live, “The only explanation was that love, our love for the sport, was deaf and blind”.
The second was his reflection on winning the world championships. “There was a certain hollowness to the joy at having realized an ambition that I’d held for so long.” I’ve felt this before too. And I think it’s a blessing to have this knowledge.
November 14, 2019
It’s only quite recently that I’ve discovered how amazing Mark Cavendish has been over the years... as it’s only really been over the past 3-4 years that I’ve gotten more and more into cycling and particularly the Tour de France, so unfortunately I’ve missed his best years (although his recent form on the track hopefully boads well for next season).
Anyway, this book encapsulates a short period in his career, but a lot certainly happen during those few years... good and bad! He doesn’t hold back with his criticism of certain individuals and organisations, but he also dishes out praise to an equal measure. He’s always come across as arrogant, individualistic and cocky, but I think this book shows that at times he lacks confidence, has a good family bond and is very appreciative of his fellow riders (who often sacrifice themselves for him and his need and ability to win).
Anyway, this book encapsulates a short period in his career, but a lot certainly happen during those few years... good and bad! He doesn’t hold back with his criticism of certain individuals and organisations, but he also dishes out praise to an equal measure. He’s always come across as arrogant, individualistic and cocky, but I think this book shows that at times he lacks confidence, has a good family bond and is very appreciative of his fellow riders (who often sacrifice themselves for him and his need and ability to win).
July 13, 2021
Cav is class. So is this autobiography which I’m re-reading given his current renaissance at this years Tour De France. This book followed on from Boy Racer and I can’t help but think his current performances may mean we see the third book coming in the not too distant future. If you love cycling and love Cav, this is a brilliant, brilliant read.
March 22, 2017
Cav is a unique personality and is, by his own admission, not the type of "textbook" racer that would have been predicted to go on to achieve the results he has. I read this immediately after reading The Climb by Chris Froome and enjoyed the contrasting styles of writing and personalities, as well as the different perspectives on the same big races. This book is probably a little more focused on Cav rather than telling the story of the teams or races. Sure Cav has an ego, but in his case it's probably justified.
October 4, 2017
Tried to read this a few times and really struggled. I am a big fan of Cav but not the easiest of books for me
November 2, 2017
A great book.
May 12, 2018
‘When Brad spoke I could feel a tingling sensation run down my back...’ Need I say more?
October 25, 2019
3.5/5 Gifted to me by Craig Steyn. Inside look at cycling from a sprinters point of view.
December 16, 2019
Did not disappoint
Sometimes funny and brutally honest,in my opinion cav is the greatest sprinter of my generation and this was a brilliant read and did not dissapoint
Sometimes funny and brutally honest,in my opinion cav is the greatest sprinter of my generation and this was a brilliant read and did not dissapoint
January 2, 2020
Really interesting book and about a topic I’m quite a fan of. A really good read with lots of description. Jumps of the page and into your head.
January 5, 2020
3.5 stars. My opinion of Cav hasn't changed very much. I liked him before and I like him now.
May 21, 2021
Very interesting read great family person too.
July 18, 2024
A book written in 2013 ends with him worrying if his best sprinting days are behind him. 11 years later, and he wins his 35th TDF stage - and breaks the stage wins record. What a legend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2024
Sincere, honest, straightforward.
January 20, 2019
After seeing and hearing about Cav I had already prejudged him and didn't rate him very much. After delving into this book I was instantaneously proved wrong. I found it difficult to read at first but once mid way through was drawn to the story a lot more. I like the way he is totally honest with everything and sometimes big headed, but he is quick and that's a fact that cant be hidden. He comes across as a real family man and values that tremendously.
Committed, dedicated and hard working proved to pay off, I even like his OCD and the way he makes his coffee. He Values all his current and past team mates and shows that in this book.
Committed, dedicated and hard working proved to pay off, I even like his OCD and the way he makes his coffee. He Values all his current and past team mates and shows that in this book.
April 3, 2019
2014:This book won't win the Booker Prize but is clearly written and gives an interesting insight into life as a professional cyclist in the 'post-drugs'era. His comments on Lance Armstrong are especially interesting. Cavendish is a hard to please perfectionist who has a big ego but his results make his actions necessary & justified.. His talent and ability to suffer are unquestioned. He still finds it hard to accept that Team UK 'blew' the Olympic RR by stupidly sticking to a plan with no flexibility or spontaneity.Why didn't Cav or Brad or anyone go with the break on Box Hill if they felt able to do so? It'll be interesting to see how he develops at OPQL in the future and just how many races he wins, especially with such alternative talent in the team as Boonen. The most important lesson from the book is less to do with cycling and more to do with the thought the every 'bad boy' eventually needs a good woman and a family to calm him down and give added purpose to life.
2019: A frank and sometimes brutal assessment of Life in the Fast Lane by a cyclist who is a perfectionist. I found myself wishing he is a bit more laid back but maybe what drives him leads to his success or maybe he would have won even more if he had slowed down his approach to life and made more considered decisions. It is an easy and interesting read, a non-cyclist would be amazed at what professional cyclists have to endure. I look forward to his next book, how is he coping with illness and the decline as he gets older? What will he do when he retires?
2019: A frank and sometimes brutal assessment of Life in the Fast Lane by a cyclist who is a perfectionist. I found myself wishing he is a bit more laid back but maybe what drives him leads to his success or maybe he would have won even more if he had slowed down his approach to life and made more considered decisions. It is an easy and interesting read, a non-cyclist would be amazed at what professional cyclists have to endure. I look forward to his next book, how is he coping with illness and the decline as he gets older? What will he do when he retires?
March 9, 2015
I really enjoyed this book but I am a big Cav fan!
I have always enjoyed his end of year interview show with Eurosport and when he sprints for the line he gets me at the edge of my seat like no other rider. A guy with a hugely distinct personality and I purchased this book on the day of release.
I loved the story of how GB masterminded the quest for the Rainbow Jersey, was astonished at how Bradley Wiggins let him down during the Beijing Olympics, The story behind the V sign in the Tour of Switzerland, The head butting match between Mark Renshaw & Julian Dean, the politics behind the last days of HTC and the fall out of Team Sky and the frankness of how he describes his relationship or lack of with Sean Yates.
Most of all I loved catching up on the antics of the 2010 Tour when he should have won the Green Jersey as I had been working abroad and missed that years Tour so it was like catch up TV.
This book is no modern classic like Amstrong's "It's not about the bike" or Millar's "Racing through the darkness" but is a good read from a British Sporting Hero who's CV boasts being The First British Rider to win the TOUR de France Green Jersey, the Second Brit to become World Champion, the only Brit to have won the points competition in all three grand tours, the 2011 Sports Personality of the Year and currently 25 Tour De France Stage wins and counting.
With a CV like that, a book I'd certainly recommend
I have always enjoyed his end of year interview show with Eurosport and when he sprints for the line he gets me at the edge of my seat like no other rider. A guy with a hugely distinct personality and I purchased this book on the day of release.
I loved the story of how GB masterminded the quest for the Rainbow Jersey, was astonished at how Bradley Wiggins let him down during the Beijing Olympics, The story behind the V sign in the Tour of Switzerland, The head butting match between Mark Renshaw & Julian Dean, the politics behind the last days of HTC and the fall out of Team Sky and the frankness of how he describes his relationship or lack of with Sean Yates.
Most of all I loved catching up on the antics of the 2010 Tour when he should have won the Green Jersey as I had been working abroad and missed that years Tour so it was like catch up TV.
This book is no modern classic like Amstrong's "It's not about the bike" or Millar's "Racing through the darkness" but is a good read from a British Sporting Hero who's CV boasts being The First British Rider to win the TOUR de France Green Jersey, the Second Brit to become World Champion, the only Brit to have won the points competition in all three grand tours, the 2011 Sports Personality of the Year and currently 25 Tour De France Stage wins and counting.
With a CV like that, a book I'd certainly recommend
February 23, 2014
I enjoy watching Cav race but I can't say I enjoyed his second book very much. Sure, an ego is required for his position in the pelaton but that doesn't make hearing all about that ego very enjoyable. He mostly gives insight to many of his awkward interviews and outlines all the backstories of his career and it's trials and tribulations. Although I appreciated the insight into all that was happening in his life and on his team's bus I don't feel that the book provided enough of a story or message to justify an entire book. The book ends bluntly with an odd thought about what might be written on his tombstone and how "family man" should be included. I will continue to enjoy watching Cav mix it up in the sprints, but I don't feel like I know him any better than I did before I read his book. Maybe the book feels like a letdown compared to more book-worthy stories like Tyler Hamilton's book, David Miller's book, and of course Bradley Wiggin's book. Naturally, the first two were more scandalous in that they were tell-all drug conspiracy books, and the Brad's book outlines his painful, lonely journey to yellow in the Tour de France and gold in the Olympics. Hey, I'm just realizing I've read a lot of cycling books...
May 29, 2014
Big fan of Cavendish, obviously an intelligent guy who seems to look at his sport from a different angle to his peers. It's quite evident that he sees it as a short term career and one that he therefore needs to maximise commercial exposure from; it is for this reason I have given two stars, the boom is well written and there are some nice extracts/chapters....I can't however get away from the fact that, for a guy known for his personality and forthright views, the book is quite dry and often boring...it's as if it's been written with that commercial payday and exposure in mind.
April 14, 2020
Took me a lonnng time to finish this book. I'm like a bee when it come to books, pollinating from one to another. Truthfully though, the interest-factor was often low. I like the author but this book didn't pull me in completely. I eventually resorted to skimming parts that were not interesting to me -his disagreements with a multitude of people and the media. However, the parts in which he talked about training, racing and his family helped me move through the book.
June 26, 2014
I'm a bit of a sucker for sports biographies and especially cycling ones so was glad to pick this up. Finished it in 3 days and enjoyed it very much especially some of the key moments in Cavendish's career. He is a complex character and this is covered well in the book. I knew a lot about him already but good to read his perspective on his career, fellow pros and that year at Team Sky.
September 27, 2014
Better than expected. It does not focus on the tactics and chasing around during a stage, which Bradley Wiggins has done very well in his Book 'My time'. 'At speed' is about the life of a cyclist off the bike and in his mind. During the book he tells the story from how he went to the fastest man on two wheels to the sprinter who realises he now has competition.
January 24, 2014
Very interesting but didn't really deliver on its promise of personal insights, too light on emotion. Fascinating on the technical and tactical facets of racing at the top level. I am sure we will learn much more once he retires and can be more candid about tactics and feelings.
April 22, 2014
Loved it. As a sprinter he has to be a bit of a firebrand with a short fuse, but he is a far more complex character being underlain with periods of self-doubt when the wins don't come. A very enjoyable read and a worthy sequal to 'Boy Racer'.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews