The Price of Gold

August 27, 2012
Olympic gold and silver medalist Nothstein does not mince words. "I may ride a bike faster than any human on the planet," he writes on the first page of this nervy, narcissistic, and aptly-titled memoir. Indeed, Nothstein paid a hefty price to rise to the top of a sport for "which only the Olympics matter," and whose competitors race at speeds approaching 50mph on a steeply banked oval track. Obsessed with being the #1 track cyclist in the world, Nothstein risked his marriage, his health, and fatherhood in the years between his disappointing 2nd-place finish at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and finally claiming gold at the 2000 Sydney games. He trained constantly, rarely resting and becoming, in his words, "downright mean." Now retired from the sport, Nothstein serves as the executive director of the Pennsylvania velodrome where he spent countless hours training. Nothstein and Bicycling magazine contributor Dille write in staccato bursts of narrative energyârecalling intricate details from numerous races, describing Nothstein's aggressive drive to win, and providing an insider's account of the business of racing sponsorships. This unflinching tale of the brutal agonies and sweet triumphs of a world-class athlete will thrill cyclists and sports fans in general.