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Stuart O'Grady: Battle Scars
Stuart O'Grady is an inspirational but very human sports hero, and Battle Scars is an enthralling read for anyone interested in elite sport.
In 2007, when Stuart O’Grady abandoned Stage 8 of the Tour de France after crashing on a descent and fracturing eight ribs, a shoulder blade, collarbone, three vertebrae (not to mention puncturing his right lung), cycling seemed over for Stuey. But ‘Mr Indestructible’ – who had become the first Australian to win the Rock of Roubaix earlier that year – got back on his bike.
By 2013 Stuart O’Grady had competed in 17 Tours; secured Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals; been named Australian Cyclist of the Year, and Australian Male Road Cyclist of the Year; won the inaugural Tour Down Under; and earned an Order of Australia Medal in recognition of his contribution to the sport. But then came the worst time of his life, when he announced his retirement after such an impressive cycling career and revealed that he had used the performance enhancing drug EPO before the 1998 Tour de France – a Tour marred by widespread doping.
In this up-front and honest autobiography Stuey reveals all. This is his story: as candid and down-to-earth as the man himself.
In 2007, when Stuart O’Grady abandoned Stage 8 of the Tour de France after crashing on a descent and fracturing eight ribs, a shoulder blade, collarbone, three vertebrae (not to mention puncturing his right lung), cycling seemed over for Stuey. But ‘Mr Indestructible’ – who had become the first Australian to win the Rock of Roubaix earlier that year – got back on his bike.
By 2013 Stuart O’Grady had competed in 17 Tours; secured Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals; been named Australian Cyclist of the Year, and Australian Male Road Cyclist of the Year; won the inaugural Tour Down Under; and earned an Order of Australia Medal in recognition of his contribution to the sport. But then came the worst time of his life, when he announced his retirement after such an impressive cycling career and revealed that he had used the performance enhancing drug EPO before the 1998 Tour de France – a Tour marred by widespread doping.
In this up-front and honest autobiography Stuey reveals all. This is his story: as candid and down-to-earth as the man himself.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 25, 2014
Easy to read account of the career of a cycling hero. He's just a freckly kid from Adelaide - who spent his waking hours busting himself open on his bike. I guess there's not much time to study ethics out there - his slip up is very forgivable. A good guy and a great athlete.
November 19, 2014
I'm giving this book four stars, not because of any literary merit - it is written very much as the author speaks, plain and direct - but because of the story it tells.
With more crashes than an F1 race, more injuries than a Bruce Willis movie and more amazing comebacks than John Farnham, Battle Scars is an exciting and enjoyable read. I highly recommend it to cycling fans for the first person accounts of the best and worst moments of cycling in the past thirty years.
Although the blurb paints the picture of a career brought low in its final moments by revelations of doping, in fact the book is written chronologically, so what it really tells is the story of a career at its lowest moment in 1998 as a young man making the stupidest decision of his life. After twenty years of riding hard, and crashing hard, and riding even harder, the book ends with Stuey's brave decision to come clean about his doping.
The real ending of the story, though, is the one in the reader's mind after closing the book: after the retirement, the confession, the media mess that surrounded cycling in 2012 and 2013 Stuart O'Grady capped his career as a professional cyclist by writing a book in which he takes full responsibility for his own actions, blaming nobody but himself for his stupid decision, and describing his own shame and guilt when he finally told his teammates and his family.
I particularly recommend this book to kids as the story of a man who made a really stupid mistake early on, and fought very hard to achieve so much riding clean. Stuey is determined, tough, loyal to his teammates and has something good to say about everyone, even the people he had disagreements with or maybe didn't get along with. By the end of his cycling career he was highly respected as a smart team captain, a generous mentor to younger riders and a nice guy off the bike.
With more crashes than an F1 race, more injuries than a Bruce Willis movie and more amazing comebacks than John Farnham, Battle Scars is an exciting and enjoyable read. I highly recommend it to cycling fans for the first person accounts of the best and worst moments of cycling in the past thirty years.
Although the blurb paints the picture of a career brought low in its final moments by revelations of doping, in fact the book is written chronologically, so what it really tells is the story of a career at its lowest moment in 1998 as a young man making the stupidest decision of his life. After twenty years of riding hard, and crashing hard, and riding even harder, the book ends with Stuey's brave decision to come clean about his doping.
The real ending of the story, though, is the one in the reader's mind after closing the book: after the retirement, the confession, the media mess that surrounded cycling in 2012 and 2013 Stuart O'Grady capped his career as a professional cyclist by writing a book in which he takes full responsibility for his own actions, blaming nobody but himself for his stupid decision, and describing his own shame and guilt when he finally told his teammates and his family.
I particularly recommend this book to kids as the story of a man who made a really stupid mistake early on, and fought very hard to achieve so much riding clean. Stuey is determined, tough, loyal to his teammates and has something good to say about everyone, even the people he had disagreements with or maybe didn't get along with. By the end of his cycling career he was highly respected as a smart team captain, a generous mentor to younger riders and a nice guy off the bike.
August 17, 2019
Having had a interest in Aussie cycling since I rode as a Junior for Hamilton Amateur Wheelers (regrettably known as the "HAWs"), I thought I knew Stuart O'Grady's story. I was wrong and this book surprised and enlightened me.
It's a straight-forward piece of first-person sports journalism written "with" News Ltd sports journo, Reece Homfray. This sort of sporting auto-bio can often be a rather monotonous, even if impressive, litany of wins and losses, pain and triumph, but O'Grady and Homfray do a great job of interspersing Stuart's first-person narrative with the point of view of the many people he rode and worked alongside. Thus we get some light and shade, and different voices, in the narrative and it works well to create an easy and enjoyable read.
Much of the book, particularly at the end, is concerned with O'Grady's explanation, defence of, and rationalisation of his decision to try EPO one time in 1998. Doubtless some of us lump all drug cheats together but O'Grady's indiscretion is a tiny infraction compared to the systemic dishonesty of Lance Armstrong and some others. Given the culture of the sport at the time, and the consequences for people like O'Grady, I found it easy to say "I understand" and "Let's move on."
In the history of cycling there have been and will be few with the endurance and success of Stuart O'Grady. I admire his selflessness and sporting achievements without qualification.
It's a straight-forward piece of first-person sports journalism written "with" News Ltd sports journo, Reece Homfray. This sort of sporting auto-bio can often be a rather monotonous, even if impressive, litany of wins and losses, pain and triumph, but O'Grady and Homfray do a great job of interspersing Stuart's first-person narrative with the point of view of the many people he rode and worked alongside. Thus we get some light and shade, and different voices, in the narrative and it works well to create an easy and enjoyable read.
Much of the book, particularly at the end, is concerned with O'Grady's explanation, defence of, and rationalisation of his decision to try EPO one time in 1998. Doubtless some of us lump all drug cheats together but O'Grady's indiscretion is a tiny infraction compared to the systemic dishonesty of Lance Armstrong and some others. Given the culture of the sport at the time, and the consequences for people like O'Grady, I found it easy to say "I understand" and "Let's move on."
In the history of cycling there have been and will be few with the endurance and success of Stuart O'Grady. I admire his selflessness and sporting achievements without qualification.
October 22, 2017
Morsom biografi fra en av sportens hardeste negler.
November 20, 2018
Honest and enjoyable read about one of the true legends of Oz cycling.
July 8, 2014
I find it difficult to review autobiographies; I don't think I should be critiquing somebody life story (unless they're a complete knob) but the writing style is usually heavily influenced by editors and/or ghost writers.
I have been a huge fan of Stuey O'Grady since the KL Commonwealth Games where he bled his way to the finish line of the Time Trial. I was so disappointed to find out that he had taken EPO and I wanted to know what happened and why. This book provided some answers and some perspective so my rating is based on that.
I have been a huge fan of Stuey O'Grady since the KL Commonwealth Games where he bled his way to the finish line of the Time Trial. I was so disappointed to find out that he had taken EPO and I wanted to know what happened and why. This book provided some answers and some perspective so my rating is based on that.
June 3, 2014
A warts and all account of pro-cycling from an honest and affable man who had his fair share of ups and downs through the course of his outstanding career. Lets hope that his experience and knowledge is drawn on by Australian cycling well into the future.
November 12, 2015
A big fan of the man and the book!! If you enjoy cycling and watching The Tour de France - this book tells it all. Stuart really explains the toughness required, both physically and mentally to compete at a professional level. A great gift idea for any cycling fanatic.
December 21, 2016
Very easy and enjoyable to read. This book
Gives a really good account of his career, good points and bad. As someone who didn't know a lot about him when starting the book, I really enjoyed getting to know his story.
Gives a really good account of his career, good points and bad. As someone who didn't know a lot about him when starting the book, I really enjoyed getting to know his story.
June 15, 2014
Great story about a great Australian achiever. Thanks for taking the time to write it Stuart.
July 10, 2014
I want to believe him, seems like a decent bloke who is scared by his past. But I can't forgive him.
April 6, 2015
An easy and very interesting read
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews