Team On The Run: The Inside Story of the Linda McCartney Pro Cycling Team (Mainstream Sport) [Paperback]

Unfortunately, the book mirrors the experience of the team and disappointed this reader, a keen cyclist and avid reader of many books on the sport. Why is that?

First, it is not particularly well written. The writing style is casual to the point of lacking any real structure or narrative thread. Many episodes and anecdotes are related without any obvious relevance to the overall story. Occasionally we are told that what is about to be recounted is very funny, rather in the manner of a pub bore telling a joke (which you know will be rather unfunny).

Second, a reader coming to this book without a fairly detailed knowledge of race cycling might well be lost in parts of the story, as no attempt is made to explain what is going on to the lay reader. Draughting, attacking, the structure of the peloton, the different roles of climbers, sprinters and so forth, none of these are made clear, although at times they are important to understanding what is happening. Deering assumes a good knowledge of the sport from the very first page.

Finally, the greatest weakness of all is the story itself: it is an interesting magazine article but does not support a good book. Essentially, a team was formed. Then the composition of the team changed over time, as riders were dropped or hired. The team did well in some races and less well in others. Having all the press releases describing how Max did well to come seventh in the Far East or how Tim was going really well and clinched twelfth place in Italy is not a particularly inspiring read. And then the most interesting part of the story is crammed into the last twenty pages, as the money runs out and team goes bust, having either been mislead or at least given far too optimistic an impression by their own manager.

And that's it: team formed; won a few races, lost some others; team went bust. End of story...

This book demonstrates how fleeting the life of a cycling team can be. The McCartneys rose out of one man's spontaneous dream, and imploded in an all-too-familiar fashion. Sadly, team implosions are happening a lot in cycling these days, with many good riders scrambling for a place in a well-financed squad.

The McCartneys followed in the footsteps of the ANC team that imploded just as spectacularly in the late-1980s. Here's hoping that Britain's NEXT pro team takes it a step higher than its less-than-stellar predecessors. Thank's, Deering and Yates, for making this book possible.