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A memoir of a cyclist who won nothing

Jul 27, 2026, 11:12pm EDT
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Domestique: The True Life Ups and Downs of a Tour Pro by Charly Wegelius.

Domestique: The True Life Ups and Downs of a Tour Pro by Charly Wegelius.

Tadej Pogacar won a record-equalling fifth Tour de France over the weekend. What better time, then, to read this 2013 memoir by a cyclist who won precisely nothing?

Cycling teams are built around ensuring one rider wins; teammates ride in front of the star for slipstreaming, set the pace on climbs, or even give up bike parts in case of a breakdown. Wegelius was one such “domestique.” It is a “must-read,” says the biking blog Velominati, and “it is a pleasure to read a book about modern cycling that is not a drug exposé.” Buy Domestique from Amazon.

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