The "Secret race" is the best book I have ever read. And I am not a cycle fan. Thank you Mr. Hamilton.

Tyler was always one of my favorite cyclists. He was raised similar to myself by an old school no nonsense father. Always felt he and Greg L were two of the best. Thanks for sharing Mr Hamilton. I hope you have a long and healthy life.

So true about corporate cheating and lying. I’ve sat in those meetings in the past, and when the time came to continue to lie I chose to not agree with the leaders of that company. When you sit in an office with the president of a billion dollar organization and he asks you “Do you respect me” I thought about my time in the military and I replied “sorry I don’t and I never will” a month later he showed up with HR and fired me for no cause. It was the best day of my life, having to work and represent a culture of lying and egos is hard on you’re moral being.

Sounds and seems ruthlessly candid... Track and field is still looking for someone like you that calls things as they are.

None of us can change the past, but we can own it and share our story. You have done that and more. "I had spent the last 14 years protecting a culture not worth protecting." Then the truth set you free. Wow - what a story. Thanks for sharing!!

Bravo Tyler,you did your duty!Feel proud that you are helping so many young ones by telling your story sincerely.Thanks.

Thank you very much Tyler for your humility and honesty. Your still facing pain head on in a really awesome way. Keep up the good work and the good fight. This world could use more good folks like yourself!

A 'must see' for every student, politician, employee, priest, director, partner, president, banker, commissioner, athlete, in fact… anyone. This crystal clear speech of Tyler Hamilton is powerful. You may think it is about cycling, but it is far more ánd deeper. Situations of yes-or-no | in-or-out. And we all recognize these situations. Crossroads: crucial choices that you do and do not see coming. And there is one universal rule: you have to choose, often in a splitt-second. And you can never decide ‘backwards', only forward. Think about it when you are confronted with “the little red eggs” in your own life, as Tyler Hamilton clearly explains. Chapeau for this man. I think this timeless speech deserves a large audience and many (re)views.

I'm an even bigger fan of Tyler Hamilton now than ever.

Excellent talk. He seems deeply haunted by his decisions during his career, wearing the emotional scars quite visibly. It's very noticeable how he slowly and reflectively nods after every sentence, almost an affirmation that how he has corrected his life following his admissions was truly the right thing to do, not only for himself, but for those around him whom he obviously feels he let down massively. I started following cycling in the mid 80s, and the 90s was probably its heyday for me. But it is indeed a sport with large and macabre clouds hanging over it, probably even to this day - methods of evading detection becoming more and more sophisticated and keeping one step ahead of the authorities. Respect to the man... it takes fortitude and soul-searching to go about relieving yourself of heavy burdens of conscience. It leads you down dark paths but also out into bright light at the other end. In an age of duplicity, dishonesty and lack of integrity, certainly in big business and politics, it is refreshing to see a man confront his demons and lay his soul bare, accepting the responsibility for the results of his actions, and even welcoming them as part of his own catharsis. We could do with more it in this wasteland of morals we currently inhabit. Hats off to you, Tyler.

Tyler, if you ever read this, I would like to commend you for your actions and words not only in this video but for all sport-enthusiasts out there who ever thought that "their sport is a clean sport" because you dis-spell that theory in this video. As a fan of you and your sport of cycling in the 90's, it doesn't shock me that you doped. However your words renew my faith in the human spirit which combats lies and deceit. You purposely confront the competitive notions of winning at all costs and secretive selection societies to "come clean" and speak about the lies and internal strifes conflicting with what was happening in the past. I totally respect you more NOW, than I ever did THEN!

For a lifelong fan, I appreciate your open commentary on the problem that is destroying the sport I live. Knowledge is power.

In my opinion, very deep thoughts by Tyler Hamilton. Not just to think about cycling and sports. Thanks a lot, Tyler.

Great to see Tyler. He looked like a young kid when he joined Tour but now a adult with giving great speech. He was one of best climber in Tour and assistance of Lance that time.

Good for you! Because of your honesty your real self is shining through. Thank you!

Thanks for Oxford Union for hosting this event and thanks for Tyler for what I hope are some honest answers. As a rider for the past 35 years, I've seen at amateur level some of the things that go on and I don't think that it was much different for the pros. Fame and fortune sometimes force people to cross the line that they normally wouldn't and many would criticizes them for that but riders who are that driven don't see things the same way that even regular aspiring athletes would, let alone the general public.

Thank you for your honesty Tyler. Enjoyed this video.

Excellent video. Thanks for posting. He's right about the GT's teams should be pared down to 7, or even 5 riders, and the races need to be easier overall. I think having two rest days is also important. But I still think there should be one epic day in any GT. In the old days that often separated the true leaders, and brought out winners.

This is one of the best speeches I've heard. Man the wisdom in this dude.

Just awesome … wish I could say I’d do the right thing under that pressure 😮 This man is to be admired with his humility🙏🏻

A powerful testimony about the dangers of compromising one's own standards. No one believed Tyler in the beginning. Then it became clear he was really telling the truth.

Finally read The Secret Race after wanting to read it for a few years. Finished it in less than a week. Such a great book and amazing story

Tyler, this speech took courage to share. Well done. Redemption and the truth are always at hand.

A little man with a big heart! thank you tyler!

I read his book and enjoyed it quite a bit.

You're a great man TH. I like to remember the highs, they were amazing says.

Amazing truthfulness and clarity. I salute you.

"Is it possible to return to a level of trust in cycling again?" - No. I love cycling, I follow the TdF. But when Froome puts on massive speed from seemingly nowhere I think to myself, "Wow. That's just like Lance." And at the end of every stage, when the winner crosses the line I'm all, "That's so cool! Good for him! ......He's probably on drugs." I really appreciated Tyler's honesty in answering that question. What a stand-up guy.

Tyler was a tough S.O.B. as a rider. He once crashed and then continued to race with a broken collar bone. The story has it that he gritted his teeth so hard, he ground them down.

wish someone had asked about that climb with the broken collar bone - that was gnarly

I remember so well. Followed closely. We met in Mass, years earlier, at SRP. Thank you. Took a lot of courage.

Respect to you Tyler. You have done a important job with opening up this dirty side of cykling.

Secret race is a great book. I root for you Tyler, ur the man with a big heart and that what matters the most.

16:10 "... I lied. Professional cycling was a brotherhood. We lived by the omerta, a code of silence we all understood. We protected each other. We protected the system. Lying and denying was what I was supposed to do. You get caught -- you say nothing. You take one for the team. That's how it was done. " 18:18 "The more I talked the more I realized, I had spent the last fourteen years protecting a culture that was never worth protecting. In the end the truth saved me. While my story happened in cycling, every industry has its unwritten rules. It's own secret race. Corporate corruption is widespread. Academic cheating is at an all time high. And a growing number of people in the work place feel they have to bend the rules to get ahead. Whether the rewards are money, fame, power, personal validation, a promotion, or a scholarship, the pressure to excel has taken its toll." 22:06 "Back when I started everyone was,.. you know, the whole peloton was doping." 34:37 Question: Was the culture perpetuated by the team leaders? Answer, about culture, to 35:53 particularly informative. Worth listening to entirely. 52:47 "It wasn't possible to win the Tour de France clean. Not even close. Not even close." 54:24 "But I do think it's important to talk about it. If we don't really figure out what happened in the past, ..how it happened, ..and why it happened, we're going to have to go through the same thing again."

I have read Tyler's excellent book and commend him for his honesty. I wish you well. 👍

that was the most honest and humble confession of his experience .Great interview

I read his book, then bumped into him in a supermarket in Montana. What a lovely man he is. He made a mistake and he’s sorry.

His monologue was very well done and enthralling. His answers in the Q&A session left a lot to be desired.

Massive respect for your honesty, I presume it must have been a difficult thing after all those years. Grtz from Belgium, take care Tyler!

Thank you, Tyler. You’ve done the necessary and done it well for the future of cycling.

Very candid, and brutally truthful gentleman.........don't be so hard on yourself Tyler, you are free from the chains that bound you. Go now and do what is right. And may peace and happiness surround you. Don't forget those who you journeyed with reach out to them, make peace and help them if you can. If not go away with your head held high for your a really good and honest man.

Tyler said it, “it was about keeping up” If you didn’t dope, you didn’t win.

Thanks Tyler, important to get this out, and for your own benefit.

tyler hamillton was a great racer and a great teammate to those guys. he was young and carried massive weight. he rode broken to do his job. this guy is someone i would like to meet someday. i love cycling and that era was insane with the highest level of competition. none of those guys backed down from a fight .

"I don't consider myself a victim.." That's probably the best line I ever heard.

It’s a shame the adverts kept getting interrupted by some cyclist talking. More adverts next time and less padding please

I enjoyed that ! Thanks for the upload 👍

Respect for this man.

respect

I have read every book in that room. Except that brown one...

your courage to tell it all is inspiring

What an awesome talk! Great job Tyler.

I do like Tyler's transparency of the whole cycling sport. I wish more people would reveal there experiences. Maybe when more of them retire?

Powerful stuff...goes way beyond the world of cycling and into how society works

Superb speech and interview. History will look favorably upon you, Tyler.

Comptemplating Chris Froome decision that he won doping case for TDF 2018. Tyler you are an amazing man and athlete. All respect. Thank you.

Respect to you Tyler!

"I wish I knew then, that giving back an Olympic gold medal would feel better than winning it" - that is one hell of a line. TH seems like a complete legend - thank you for your honesty and for what you have done for the sport in the past decade. Chapeau

That was definitely a great series of questions

I came to this from reading his book "The Secret Ride" It is gripping! What a humble and genuine guy

We found about about the extent of doping in cycling……… ALL other sports have still to be revealed….. This is a culture in Professional Sports not just cycling . Having said that Tyler Hamilton has came out of it all a winner in my eyes. The guy was formidable during his time.

Well done Tyler and good for you speaking the truth

Thank you Tyler.

For Tyler, there are good and tough questions. He seems a good guy.

I hope these students know just how hard this bloke was when he cycled

Now I'm a Tyler Hamilton fan. Thanks man :)

What a hero this guy is to me.

Tyler is not just speaking about his own experiences but the archetypal athlete who will do anything to win. He is speaking about the transformation of the person who is honest with his/her ideals. If you cheat, whether or not anyone discovers or not, you have to live with it, and according to Tyler cheating is not worth it! I will be showing this video to my athletic/sporting son when he is old enough so that he can learn from those who have come before him that cheating is always wrong. The question you will asks is what about those cheaters who win and get away with it? This is why we need to continue actively pursuing cheaters in sports, and those that get away will ultimately live with the consequences for ever, living diminished, weak lives. Spread the word and lets create a world of athletes who respect their futures and the ideals and concept of sport. Our biggest enemy are the money makers of sports (corporations and cheating Nations of the world) who don't care about the individual, only corporate profit.

I like Tyler, still have a hat he signed for me at TOC. Good luck to you.

I'd liked to ask a question of that "class" of Oxford students. How many of you use drugs? How many have used stimulants to do an all-nighter to finish a paper or cram for a exam? How many smoke dope? George Harrison and John Lennon dropped acid for the very first time at Harrison's Dentist's home. The next day Harrison and Lennon wrote a hit song about the experience. there's an interview on UKposts of Harrison telling the story, performance enhancing drugs are more than just in sports. And to boot artists are revered and rewarded for doing such things. I really don't care much one way or the other but I do have a problem when one sector is singled out. Lance Armstrong is a pariah. If they tested most athletes (and not just pros) they'd find a great many guilty. College, High School, and even masters amateurs.

Great video of someone accepting their fallibility and providing a cautionary tale for the rest of us. If he had said "no" when he was first offered PEDs, then we'd have never learned his name. He'd have quietly exited the top echelon of the sport and never attained the results or notoriety that we've come to know. Instead, his replacement or his replacement's replacement would have said "yes." And then years later perhaps that someone would be telling the tale. Perhaps I was one of those who never got to the levels Mr. Hamilton achieved because I never was given that choice. Not that I have any regrets, but I do now know that I was competing directly with top amateur and pros who were most definitely doping. Without a doubt. So perhaps I'm that person you never heard about because I never had the chance to be tempted by the lure of the results PEDs promised back then. Such a shame that cheating is rampant at the top levels of almost everything. College scandals, sex scandals, financial scandals, you name it. And unfortunately as the slice of the economic pie gets thinner and thinner for Americans, many more will feel compelled to cross the line to achieve advantage or success.

Really enjoyed that. Thanks Tyler

Thankyou Tyler for your honesty and humility. You should be very proud of all that you have done. I respect you very much. You may have testified against friends but you did not do this to destroy people but just bring out the truth. Lance on the other hand set out to destroy people. Greg Lemond, Betsy Andreou and Frankie, his masseuse Emma O'Reiley, David Walsh.

That takes more courage than winning Olympic gold ten times. Bravo to you young man, YOU are a true hero.

The '98 Festina incident told me everything that I needed to, with regards to drugs in cycling.

those days I was such a fanatic of cycling as sport to watch (I'm still quite passionate and I'm an amateur rider). I still remember italian TV commentators (who were full of anecdotal) when they told us spectators about Tyler's dog death before a Tour stage and how sad he was. R.I.P. his beloved dog

One point not made when Tyler is asked which sports are most suspect is that sports where endurance and/or sheer power are supremely required are the ones most at risk of doping. Running and swimming, cycling (any distance), soccer (due to the sheer amount of running and number of games played), lifting, jumping, throwing, wrestling, MMA, boxing, cross country skiing, etc. Sports that are more skill-based like driving, golf, darts, and ping-pong, benefit less from doping assistance. Sports like tennis, baseball, cricket, and basketball are in between.

That's got to be intimidating, to be standing so close to a large group of people baring your soul and secrets without even a pedestal for an emotional shield.

Very powerful and enlightening speech.

Tyler, thank you for being honest. Being on the right part has no price.

Great video! Tyler seems like a really genuine and down to earth rad dude.

he should have narrated the audio book version of the secret race himself, he tells the story very articulately

THANKS👍

Well done Tyler.!

I'm spanish and i'm constantly blamed when I say that long before Armstrong and his team were doped, doping in cycling was and still there. I can't proove Indurain was doped, surely he was the best and a beast, but winning 5 tours and 2 Giro's in a row is the result of an exceptional cyclist+doping. Ever since, the real race is between teams and their "doctors" and the UCI capability to detect doping. My nephew (actually 24 y/o was a real beast at cycling being only 16, he began to have some semi-professional offers and all of them included a diet control (which is something natural to progress into top level) and a "medical additional improvement". My sister decided since in those days that he could cycle as a hobby.

Good speaker.

A shot out to Tyler...You're a good man. What up from tha Bay Area~

what a fantastic and honest presentation.

The governing bodies in sports are just as guilty as a doping sportsman. The International Cycling Union (UCI ) knew what was going on for years, but turned a blind eye to it. Hamilton mentioned himself that some sports don't think they have a problem, which clearly can't be the case. Doping will never go away, but educating the younger generation better will help in a small way but, sadly, it will never go away.

I knew a sportsman back some years ago who had full access to all types of medications and performance enhancers. He had rugby customers, footballers, gymnasts, Gaelic footballers, tennis players and even a golfer calling for supplies. None of these were the elite level. None were even the 'elite' in the local city where I lived. That's how widespread doping is.

tyler is a great speaker.

Wow. Blood transfusions are pretty full on.. Respect to you for telling the truth.

31:30 mark... VERY interesting! And YES I believe it IS STILL prevalent. Why? $$$!

Doping has more appeal in cycling because a grand tour is BONKERS. Im a half decent cyclist and if i rode one day in the tour i would be toast for a week. They barely get to that point at the end "they should make it easier". That wont be a popular idea but ya, pretty much. Nobody is trying to do 5 ironmans in a week.

and the truth shall make you free. Greetings from Poland Tyler.

He looks like he's about to cry tears any moment

local fitness centers are a easy source for performance enhancing drugs. lots of people using , not only the pros.

It just hit me: Kelly Leak from the Bad News Bears!

Yeah! That's a great question...

The gel cap Tyler is talking about at 6:15 is Andriol. Testosterone, taken orally, is reabsorbed through the portal vein and immediately deactivated by the liver and thus produces no results. Testosterone Undecanoate in Andriol, however, is reabsorbed from the intestine through the lymphatic system, bypassing the liver and thus becoming effective. Liver function is in no way affected by this process of reabsorption.