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Tyler Hamilton book nominated for William Hill prize

By Cycling News

published 15 October 2012

The Secret Race tipped to win Sports Book of the Year

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Tyler Hamilton in 2004(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)

Tyler Hamilton returned to the Tour in 2004 after an incredible 2003. However his form was off and he could never rise to his 2003 level again(Image credit: Sirotti)

Armstrong leads Hamilton in the 2003 Tour de France(Image credit: AFP)

"The Secret Race" - Tyler Hamilton's autobiography, written with Dan Coyle, about doping in cycling during his troubled professional career, has been nominated by the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year, with many expecting the book to win the award in November.

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The William Hill Sports Book of the Year is world's oldest sports literary award, with the winner receiving a £24,000 prize. Previous winners from the world of cycling include "Rough Ride" by Paul Kimmage in 1990 and ironically "It's Not About the Bike" by Lance Armstrong in 2000.

Hamilton's book has been tipped to win the prize because of the current furore engulfing Lance Armstrong and professional cycling following the publication of the USADA investigation findings.

The book tells Hamilton's sordid story but the information is backed up by extensive research by Coyle, who states in the introduction that he interviewed Hamilton more than 60 times and interviewed numerous independent sources “to verify and corroborate Hamilton's account", The result is a bird's eye view of Armstrong's power and influence over even those tasked with governing the sport.

The "Secret Race" is prefaced by an admission that Hamilton had lied throughout his career: "The truth is too big, it involves too many people. You've either got to tell 100 percent or nothing. There's no in-between", He ends the book by saying, "The truth will set you free."

Hamilton's book is currently in second place in the bestseller list for sport books on Amazon in the UK.

The shortlist for the competition will be announced on October 26, with the final winner will be unveiled on November 26.