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Riis
Bjarne Riis - engang Danmarks største sportsstjerne, siden udskældt dopingsynder og i dag ejer af et af verdens bedste cykelhold. I biografien Riis fortæller Bjarne Riis for første gang hele sin personlige historie om alt det, ingen vidste og ikke måtte få at vide, koste hvad det ville.
Det er en barsk og ærlig beretning om en svær barndom, kampen for at overleve i professionel cykelsport, skilsmissen, dopingmisbruget, de private op- og nedture og om faldet fra tinderne, som var uundgåeligt, men som også satte livet i et nyt perspektiv. Riis er et enestående indblik bag kulisserne i professionel cykelsport med de store sejre, nederlagene, konflikterne, løgnene, og det er beretningen om en mand, der havde modet til at sætte sig mål og var parat til at gøre alt for at nå det.
Skrevet i samarbejde med Lars Steen Pedersen, forfatteren bag Stig Tøftings bestsellerbiografi.
514 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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124 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 4, 2011
Denmark is a country where people use bikes a lot - both for transportation and exercise. So when Bjarne Riis, a modest man of very few words, in 1996 won the world's toughest cycling race, the whole country went nuts. Huge crowds of people stood along the route he was driven from the airport to Tivoli Copenhagen, celebrating.
Some years later, he admitted to using EPO and other performance enhancing drugs, and just like that he went from hero to villain. Even though everyone riding back in those days, were on EPO and his admission came just shortly after his entire team from those days had admitted to the same. But in Denmark, everyone felt betrayed and it has taken a lot of work for Riis, to get back on the nation's good side.
This book is about his life - from his childhood, riding his bike as hard as he could, partly to be able to spend time with his father, who was partly broken because of the eldest son drowning in the neighbor's pool by accident. The accident also caused the parents to divorce and split Bjarne Riis and his brother up.
We follow him as he fight to become a professional - which is hard work. But he gets some lucky breaks and slowly works his way up as a rider, becoming better and better, finally culminating in the 1996 Tour de France win.
After that, things don't always go as planned - especially not in the 1997 race where we all remember him throwing his specially made bike away after it failed him and it was a de-throned champion who rolled into the streets of Paris that year.
But he stuck to it, rode several years after this and still won some great victories.
And when injury stopped him, he took some time off figuring out what he wanted to do afterwards. Again, sort of by chance, he becomes the owner of his own team and decides to make it the best in the world - and succeed by implementing new tactics, new strategies and new training methods.
Alongside his story of his professional cycling career, Riis tells about his private life, his first marriage with Mette and later, his falling in love with Anne Dorthe Tanderup, one of Denmark's best handball players, whom he met at OL in Atlanta, his divorce from Mette and later marriage to Anne Dorthe - as well as about his 6 sons. I really like how kind he is to Mette, his ex-wife, how kind he talks about her and how he puts all the blame of their divorce on himself.
The book is co-written with a Danish sports journalist who has written about other Danish sports personalities. Especially in the beginning, this is a very uneven book, jumping around from paragraph to pararaph and rather poorly written. This however, improves as the book progresses - or maybe it improves as the events get more interesting. I don't like the use of present tense throughout in the book, especially not since it jumps in time, begins in 2007, then goes back in time and moves up.
Most times, it feels honest account of his life, his professional career, his personal relationships, his successes and failures. But it doesn't all ring all true. He admits to taking EPO, he says it's partly because of curiosity, partly because he wants to test the best out there, partly because it's in the environment all around him. But even though he admits to it, he doesn't really credit the EPO with his victories. Instead he talks a lot about all his hard training and loosing weight and always being at the forefront of new training techniques and that being the cause of his victories, not really crediting the EPO with anything.
I like the extra insights it gives into the professional cycling word, the small psychological tricks the riders use to intimidate each other, how hard it is to make it and how much it really takes if you want to win Tour de France.
The book is interesting because it deals with his entire career and life - that's what gives it 4 stars - definitely not the writing.
Some years later, he admitted to using EPO and other performance enhancing drugs, and just like that he went from hero to villain. Even though everyone riding back in those days, were on EPO and his admission came just shortly after his entire team from those days had admitted to the same. But in Denmark, everyone felt betrayed and it has taken a lot of work for Riis, to get back on the nation's good side.
This book is about his life - from his childhood, riding his bike as hard as he could, partly to be able to spend time with his father, who was partly broken because of the eldest son drowning in the neighbor's pool by accident. The accident also caused the parents to divorce and split Bjarne Riis and his brother up.
We follow him as he fight to become a professional - which is hard work. But he gets some lucky breaks and slowly works his way up as a rider, becoming better and better, finally culminating in the 1996 Tour de France win.
After that, things don't always go as planned - especially not in the 1997 race where we all remember him throwing his specially made bike away after it failed him and it was a de-throned champion who rolled into the streets of Paris that year.
But he stuck to it, rode several years after this and still won some great victories.
And when injury stopped him, he took some time off figuring out what he wanted to do afterwards. Again, sort of by chance, he becomes the owner of his own team and decides to make it the best in the world - and succeed by implementing new tactics, new strategies and new training methods.
Alongside his story of his professional cycling career, Riis tells about his private life, his first marriage with Mette and later, his falling in love with Anne Dorthe Tanderup, one of Denmark's best handball players, whom he met at OL in Atlanta, his divorce from Mette and later marriage to Anne Dorthe - as well as about his 6 sons. I really like how kind he is to Mette, his ex-wife, how kind he talks about her and how he puts all the blame of their divorce on himself.
The book is co-written with a Danish sports journalist who has written about other Danish sports personalities. Especially in the beginning, this is a very uneven book, jumping around from paragraph to pararaph and rather poorly written. This however, improves as the book progresses - or maybe it improves as the events get more interesting. I don't like the use of present tense throughout in the book, especially not since it jumps in time, begins in 2007, then goes back in time and moves up.
Most times, it feels honest account of his life, his professional career, his personal relationships, his successes and failures. But it doesn't all ring all true. He admits to taking EPO, he says it's partly because of curiosity, partly because he wants to test the best out there, partly because it's in the environment all around him. But even though he admits to it, he doesn't really credit the EPO with his victories. Instead he talks a lot about all his hard training and loosing weight and always being at the forefront of new training techniques and that being the cause of his victories, not really crediting the EPO with anything.
I like the extra insights it gives into the professional cycling word, the small psychological tricks the riders use to intimidate each other, how hard it is to make it and how much it really takes if you want to win Tour de France.
The book is interesting because it deals with his entire career and life - that's what gives it 4 stars - definitely not the writing.
November 13, 2025
What a champion! Great book, great career both on and off the bike. Exciting to hear about his junior years and early days of professional cycling. I did have a feeling that the last parts of the book, describing the manager era, seemed a bit shallow compared to the time when he was riding.
March 14, 2014
I did not read this book, I practically inhaled it, unable to put it down and frustrated that it wasn't at least three times longer and more packed with details. Not about doping, but about all the odds and ends of running a cycling team and the chess game that a team manager has to play with everyone and everything around him. I came to cycling too late in the game to know Bjarne Riis as a rider but as a team manager, I have been in awe of the man for years. I've been particularly pleased with the way he's handled Alberto Contador's farce of a doping case and how much he's helped the Spaniard (whom I am immensely fond of) to overcome all the problems, to grow and open up.
Riis seems to be quite the self-taught intellectual, a fine tactician, an even finer psychologist and from this book I can also conclude that he is a great person as well. He should write more, even if it is with professional help, I've enjoyed his author voice very much.
Riis seems to be quite the self-taught intellectual, a fine tactician, an even finer psychologist and from this book I can also conclude that he is a great person as well. He should write more, even if it is with professional help, I've enjoyed his author voice very much.
March 2, 2021
A different read to what I expected, given Riis’ reputation and recent history. The first half of the book is entertaining and thought provoking with regard families, relationships and cycling. However the second half drifts a bit, with too much emphasis on the consequences of doping in cycling, without establishing the facts around the use of drugs within that period and their affect on performance. Yes Riis admits to doping eventually but however you square it, you can’t help but think he sees doping in the same way he does tactics or training regimes, just a means to an end. He fails to address, within the book, any real remorse for cheating and its consequences. He spends the second half of the book, listing his managerial problems, relationships and disappointments as fate. When in fact the root cause of most of his issues are doping related, with regard the riders he manages. You can’t help but think that deep down he accepts doping as part of the sport and works with it, rather than trying to address it professionally, ethically or personally. I suppose like most people he likes to make money.
April 19, 2022
As some of the action is interesting, this one leaves a bitter taste in one’s mouth. Did Mr. Riis really not know his star racers were doping during Lance era? He acts surprised but I find it hard to believe the managment didnt know, or even be a part of it (Tyler Hamilton for instance). Than half of his team leaves him but there is no introspection only pointing fingers. Not sure about him. I may be unfair to the author but having read many cycling books this one does not sound sincere and has no ending. No true king needs to say I’m the king over and over again.
August 3, 2022
Wasn’t a fan of Riis as a rider, but this book really warmed me to him as an individual. Honest about his relationships, there is a question in there about the right to be stripped of titles (Armstrong included) when we will never know how far doping reached across the peloton. Ending is a little rushed and possibly screams a sequel - exploring the fall out of the Contador issues and then Riis’ relationship with the UCI and Tinkov. Forward thinking and discussion about Sky lineup dates the book quickly and could have done with a re-edit
December 15, 2017
Overordnet en flot bog, som giver et godt indblik i "alt det bag facaden" og som også kommer tæt på den sårbare Bjarne Riis som findes bag det lidt arrogante ydre. Bogen fortæller historien fortløbende, men har nogle små huller hvor f.eks. B.S Christiansen pludselig dukker op midt i historien, uden introduktion, eller, hvos Bjarnes far er død uden at vi har hørt omstændighederne. Bogen kunne formentlig have været redigeret kortere, men er også læseværdig som den er.
April 9, 2024
A cautionary sporting story. Only fairly recently there have come out the falsities surrounding many "winners" of varying competitions. In this particular case at least the protagonist seemingly learned his lesson and went on to coach and serve in other aspects of the "game" of cycling.
February 21, 2017
Ok insight
After reading Tyler Hamilton thought this would be a another good expose but if that's what your after you'll be disappointed
After reading Tyler Hamilton thought this would be a another good expose but if that's what your after you'll be disappointed
March 27, 2018
Honest and exciting
I found this well written and fascinating. The start of the EPO doping period, when Bjarne Riis was at the top is very exciting
I found this well written and fascinating. The start of the EPO doping period, when Bjarne Riis was at the top is very exciting
August 11, 2020
Honest book. Get a good picture of how cycling really is without the phoniness of the Armstrong eta
January 10, 2021
A great insight into cycling during his era and also more recent times when he became team owner, misses some things out and can seem a bit jumpy and disjointed at times though.
August 17, 2022
En fin skønlitterær fremstilling af Bjarne Riis, men jeg tror ikke en døjt på ham og slet ikke hans naivitet som holdejer omkring doping.
July 12, 2014
Not bad, as ghosted sporting autobiographies go, but not as gripping or revealing as I had hoped. I thought David Millar's book was better and have just finished Tyler Hamilton's which also gets the nod over "Riis".
Perhaps it's not surprising that "Riis" is a little unengaging - the man clearly has difficulties expressing himself in real life (something he ackowledges). With that in mind, the sections in which he talks about times of extreme emotional turbulence are impressive. I just felt there was something of a disconnect between those powerful segments and the rest of the book.
I felt that there was something missing in Riis' analysis of his behaviour as team manager and the behaviour of his riders and staff. He talks up his approach to team building and personal interest in his riders, and thus makes it sound like a great team environment. But he also describes a high turnover of riders and staff that suggests that it wasn't such a great team environment. Any manager who claims to be building an environment where the team members will be happy but then fails to account for high turnover has to be kidding himself or missing something.
Hamilton's book also rather casts doubt on Riis' claims in his book that, as a manager, he ran his team clean, which rather takes the gloss off the book for me. Still, the book was worth reading.
Perhaps it's not surprising that "Riis" is a little unengaging - the man clearly has difficulties expressing himself in real life (something he ackowledges). With that in mind, the sections in which he talks about times of extreme emotional turbulence are impressive. I just felt there was something of a disconnect between those powerful segments and the rest of the book.
I felt that there was something missing in Riis' analysis of his behaviour as team manager and the behaviour of his riders and staff. He talks up his approach to team building and personal interest in his riders, and thus makes it sound like a great team environment. But he also describes a high turnover of riders and staff that suggests that it wasn't such a great team environment. Any manager who claims to be building an environment where the team members will be happy but then fails to account for high turnover has to be kidding himself or missing something.
Hamilton's book also rather casts doubt on Riis' claims in his book that, as a manager, he ran his team clean, which rather takes the gloss off the book for me. Still, the book was worth reading.
March 1, 2013
An interesting read, particularly in view of the current events in the world of procycling.
I first got into cycling the same time during the time of Riis' procycling career, so I found his story, reflections and thoughts very interesting. With Riis' continue involvement in procycling (& I hope he stays involved)I suspect this book is a selective history of events. I do look forward to the day when people like Riis can openly spill the beans of what really went on without the fear of damaging their own future prospects in the sport, as I believe this is the only way that cycling can truly move forward.
I first got into cycling the same time during the time of Riis' procycling career, so I found his story, reflections and thoughts very interesting. With Riis' continue involvement in procycling (& I hope he stays involved)I suspect this book is a selective history of events. I do look forward to the day when people like Riis can openly spill the beans of what really went on without the fear of damaging their own future prospects in the sport, as I believe this is the only way that cycling can truly move forward.
May 21, 2016
The biography of current cycling team owner and 1996 Tour De France winner Bjarne Riis. Interesting read, he is very unapologetic about the doping that he did, basically because everyone did it. Interesting tales of his moves from team to team until he finally found a home at Telekom where he won his title and helped mentor Jan Ullrich. Particularly enjoyed his tales of Laurent Fignon and how Fignon took him under his win when he was a young rider and his version of the Schleck defection when they took most of the riders, the director sportif and a lot of his staff from Saxo Bank to form Leopard-Trek.
September 27, 2012
This was a good insight into Bjarnie and how he started his career and how he got to where he is today. Having watched "Overcoming" and seen the "Full Gas" documentary, i was left feeling that there was something missing from this book.
Yes there is the drugs saga which is dealt with in a very matter of fact way and Bjarnie is very candid in the way he dealt with his marriage break up, but seeing how articulate he was on film doesn't come across as well in this book.
Interesting, but just left me wanting to know more.
Yes there is the drugs saga which is dealt with in a very matter of fact way and Bjarnie is very candid in the way he dealt with his marriage break up, but seeing how articulate he was on film doesn't come across as well in this book.
Interesting, but just left me wanting to know more.
March 6, 2013
Denne bog overraskede mig meget positivt. Jeg havde ikke forventet at den var så spændende og havde faktisk slet ikke tænkt mig at læse alle 500 sider i første omgang men bare udvalgte kapitler.
Jeg blev fra starten overrasket over at den er skrevet i 1.-person, havde vist bare forventet en slags interviewbog. Fortællingen er meget personlig og man kommer tæt på en person som ellers virker meget fåmælt og indelukket i medierne. Det gør det hele så meget mere interessant at høre hans side af historien.
Jeg vil anbefale bogen til enhver cykelfan.
Jeg blev fra starten overrasket over at den er skrevet i 1.-person, havde vist bare forventet en slags interviewbog. Fortællingen er meget personlig og man kommer tæt på en person som ellers virker meget fåmælt og indelukket i medierne. Det gør det hele så meget mere interessant at høre hans side af historien.
Jeg vil anbefale bogen til enhver cykelfan.
November 30, 2012
Contains some interesting facts, and I'm glad I've read it.
But it isn't exceptionally well written, jumps from one subject to the next, skips some periods and you suddenly realize you don't know what year it is he's just writing about. Even the English language seemed flawed occasionally, but as I'm not a native speaker, it's not for me to comment.
The way he talks about doping does not convince me either...
But it isn't exceptionally well written, jumps from one subject to the next, skips some periods and you suddenly realize you don't know what year it is he's just writing about. Even the English language seemed flawed occasionally, but as I'm not a native speaker, it's not for me to comment.
The way he talks about doping does not convince me either...
October 9, 2012
Very good chapters about EPO and drugs in cycling.
September 14, 2013
Another side of a man with a very tough exterior.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews