The racer : life on the road as a pro cyclist

What is it really like to be a racer? at is it like to be swept along at 60kmh in the middle of the pack?

How does it feel to be reeled in from a solo breakaway metres from the line?

What happens to the body during a high-speed chute? What tactics must teams employ to win the day, the jersey, the grand tour?

How does a domestique keep going to the end of a stage once his job is done and his body exhausted?

How does a time-trialist maintain his form when every muscle and sinew is screaming at him to stop? What sacrifices must a cyclist make to reach the highest levels?

What is it like on the bus? In the hotels? What camaraderie is built in the confines of a team?

What rivalries? How does it feel to be constantly on the road, away from loved ones, tasting one more calorie-counted hotel breakfast?

David Millar offers us a unique insight into the mind of a professional cyclist during his last year before retirement.

Over the course of a season on the World Tour, Millar puts us in touch with the sights, smells and sounds of the sport - the barked instructions of a road captain in a sprint chain, the silence of a solo training ride. This is a book about youth and age, fresh-faced excitement and hard-earned experience.

It is a love letter to cycling.