Argyle Armada: Behind the Scenes of the Pro Cycling Life
Velo Press, 2012
Agent: Jill Marr
From winter training camp on the cobbled lanes of medieval Girona, Spain, to hard-earned stage victories in July's Tour de France, to flesh-shredding crashes at the Tour of Spain in September, Argyle Armada: Behind the Scenes of the Pro Cycling Life delivers an unprecedented look at America's most celebrated cycling team. Embedded with Garmin-Cervélo for its entire 2011 season, writer-photographer Mark Johnson brilliantly chronicles the team's most intimate personal dramas and its public celebrations.
More than a book about racing, Argyle Armada is a portrait of life as a member of a pro cycling team during a time of painful transition for the sport. Johnson unveils the dramatic forces that Garmin-Cervélo must navigate as team founder Jonathan Vaughters tries to push forward his vision of a reformed sport. Along the way, countless difficult decisions must be made to keep the team competitive in the chase for ProTour points, money, respect, and fame.
With all-access insight and spectacular color images, Argyle Armada offers an unprecedented look inside a team battling for the future of professional cycling.
Reviews:
"Johnson was there, as he puts it, "like a jellyfish" to record a chapter in the life of one of the quirkiest teams in cycling."—Bicyclingmagazine
"A happy medium between writing and photography…An insightful journey."
—BikeRumor.com
"From pre-season presentations through the Classics, Grand Tours and beyond, Johnson goes behind the scenes, beautifully documenting the ups, downs and sideways moments of Slipstream Sports' 2011 season."
—Paved magazine
"Mark Johnson has done a great job portraying an unrestricted view of the inner workings of the annual traveling circus that is pro cycling. Inspirational photography paired with an uncanny recollection of anecdotes makes Argyle Armada a must read."
—Peter Stetina, professional cyclist for Team Garmin-Barracuda
"Argyle Armada brings back a lot of emotion of a long season. It's amazing to see what a full year looks like in photos… Argyle Armada is a great keepsake from a great year."
—Christian Vande Velde, professional cyclist for Team Garmin-Barracuda