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.