What is it really like to be a racer?What is it like to be swept along at 60kmh in the middle of the pack?What happens to the body during a high-speed chute? What tactics must teams employ to win the day, the jersey, the grand tour?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.This is a book about youth and age, fresh-faced excitement and hard-earned experience.It is a love letter to cycling. 'Cycling has always been about a great deal more than its winners, and The Racer is quite a ride' Spectator