{"id":428401,"date":"2026-02-16T09:14:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/428401\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T09:14:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:14:16","slug":"pez-bookshelf-wheel-life-3-cycling-recollections-of-the-1990s-2000s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/428401\/","title":{"rendered":"Pez Bookshelf: Wheel Life 3-Cycling Recollections of the 1990s & 2000s"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bike racing has, historically, found its greatest events and adherents in Western Europe.\u00a0 One thinks of France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany as traditional hotbeds of competition.\u00a0 The sport has become far more international in nature, although the primary stage remains highly traditional and European.\u00a0 There have been Grand Tour winners from Ecuador and Colombia and somehow tiny Slovenia has become a mighty power on the road while Norway is moving up the ranks.\u00a0 But one of the most interesting, albeit more gradual, developments has been that of Australia over the years.<\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

In his fascinating book, \u201cWheel Life 2,\u201d which we reviewed HERE<\/a> and rated as one of our favourite books of the year, author Ben Schofield provided reminiscences of Australian cycling in the 1970s and 1980s.\u00a0 For many of this it was a look into an unknown world, covering domestic racing on the road and track and the first real visibility on the road in Europe.\u00a0 In 1981 Phil Anderson became the first non-European to don the Yellow Jersey and lead the Tour de France.<\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

Now Ben Schofield has continued his labour of love with \u201cWheel Life 3,\u201d which covers the 1990s and 2000s, when Australian cyclists made huge inroads into European racing.\u00a0 The culmination must be Cadel Evans winning first the UCI World Road Championships and the Rainbow Jersey in 2009, followed by the Tour de France GC in 2011.\u00a0 Australian men have won the Rainbow Jersey five times in time trialling and once on the road.\u00a0 And in 2022 Jai Hindley became the first Australian to win the Giro d\u2019Italia.<\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

As mentioned, \u201cWheel Life 2\u201d was kind of the warm-up for what was to follow.\u00a0 The establishment of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1981 was a response to the perceived poor showing at the 1976 Olympics.\u00a0 AIS started its track cycling program in 1987, followed by a men\u2019s road cycling program in 1991 and women\u2019s in 1993.\u00a0 Historically, particular emphasis was given to the Commonwealth Games as well as the Olympics and results soon followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWheel Life 3\u201d is, like its predecessor volume, set out as a series of interviews with well-known Australian cyclists, covering both the road and track disciplines for both men and women.\u00a0 The author set out a series of questions, asking about how the riders began, their equipment, memorable races, overseas experience, their heroes\/inspiration, and current activities.\u00a0 One great question was about \u201cthe most amazing thing they had seen\u201d and if the question wasn\u2019t so great many of the answers were!<\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

Some of the riders had fairly short careers so might not be so well-known at this point outside of Australia a decade or two later but nonetheless have lots of interesting things to say.\u00a0 One of my favourites was Billy-Joe Shearsby, who only raced for five years but in that time managed a World Record as well as World Championship in the Team Pursuit on the track.\u00a0 He is now a bicycle mechanic and perhaps appreciates what he accomplished more now than he did then but he has a lot of entertaining stories.<\/p>\n

Some of those interviewed are fairly brief while others, notably those who shifted from racing to becoming commentators, have clearly honed their knack for the well-told tale.<\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

Five years for Billy-Joe and on the other hand we have Stuart O\u2019Grady, who started in 17 Tours de France, winning two stages and wearing the Yellow Jersey in two editions.\u00a0 He won Paris-Roubaix in 2007, as well as the Madison track race at the Athens Olympic.\u00a0 Currently the Race Director of the Santos Tour Down Under, he may be the biggest name interviewed in the book and his comments appear throughout it, as do those of Simon Gerrans.<\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

\u201cWheel Life 3\u201d not only includes these interviews with racers discussing their careers but also has sections in which they talk about other riders not interviewed directly.\u00a0 Names that come up include Cadel Evans (to me the least media-savvy, or interested, of any pro rider one recalls), Robbie McEwen, Baden Cooke, and Bradley McGee.\u00a0 Oddly, there is no reference anywhere to be found to Michael Rogers, who won the UCI World Time Trial Championships for three consecutive years between 2003 and 2005.\u00a0 Among other accomplishments, Rogers will be remembered by Canadian fans for victory at the 2002 Tour de Beauce!<\/p>\n

Much admiration is directed towards businessman Gerry Ryan.\u00a0 He was the moving force to get a dedicated Australian World Tour team together and is the godfather of road cycling at the highest level.\u00a0 His GREENEdge Cycling squad began in 2012 and continues today under the name Jayco-AlUla.<\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

These lively voices contribute to chapters on the Tour de France, the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games, riding on outdoor wooden tracks, dedicated training in European venues like Buttgen and Cottbus in Germany, which had indoor tracks, and Varese for road work.\u00a0 There are sections about the domestic Australian scene, including classic races like the Bendigo Madison, the Warnambool and the now-moribund Sun Tour.\u00a0 Non-Australian readers are reintroduced to Australian handicap racing and the tactics of \u201cthe Chop\u201d and \u201cthe Joke.\u201d\u00a0 And of course, this being about Australians, there is a final chapter on nicknames.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

Today Australia boasts 27 male riders at the World Tour level, with 15 women competing.\u00a0 This ranks the country 9th in World Tour presence for men and 6th for women.\u00a0 Impressive but perhaps not so surprising given Australia\u2019s general enthusiasm for sports in a land where training all year around is straightforward.\u00a0 Australian sportsmen and women who compete in Europe must make considerable sacrifices in their personal lives today and two decades ago it would have been even more difficult.\u00a0 The pleasure they take in telling their stories\u2013sometimes humbly, sometimes with surprise and usually with humour\u2013makes \u201cWheel Life 3\u201d such a great read.<\/p>\n

\"Wheel<\/p>\n

\u201cWheel Life 3\u2013Cycling Recollections of the 1990s and 2000s\u201d by Ben Schofield<\/p>\n

Pictures by Graham Watson, Ray Bowles and the Author<\/p>\n

313 pages, illustrated<\/p>\n

Published by Ben Schofield, December 2025<\/p>\n

ISBN 978-1-764-3861-2-8 (e-book) \/ 978-1-7643861-1-1 (paperback)<\/p>\n

The book is currently available in electronic format or print-on-demand and may be ordered here<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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