The Tour: In the end, despite all the technological advances in the construction of the bicycles, aerodynamic improvements in bike helmets, new formulations in the nutrition bars and gels the riders eat while riding, etc., the only way for a rider to advance and become a better rider is to put in the work. In the end, it all comes down to the individual rider and his abilities.
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The Tour: On a team of 9 riders, everyone has a role. Sprinters are the fast guys…they don’t do mountains. Climbers live for the high peaks of the Alps, the 8 percent gradients and the thin air. All-around riders are good at just about everything, but they can either be a workhorse or the one everyone works for to give him a chance to win the entire race. And then there are the riders who spend three weeks as what is known as “domestiques.” They’re the ones who go back and forth between the front of the group and the team cars in the rear to ferry water bottles and food to the guys at the front. They likely will never win a stage, but without them the winner couldn’t win.
Life: Talk about unity among many parts. And what would we do without the servants among us?
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The Tour: The team leader, the guy with the best hopes of winning the race, historically, cannot win without the support of a team. A road race is technically won by one man, but the race isn’t a solitary activity. The sprinters need the help of their teammates to lead them out the front of the pack, give them a slipstream to follow before they break free and fly to the line. The climbers preferably need a teammate, but will settle for competitors, in the mountains to share the work of the climb. The winner needs a team around him to help him protect him from falls, to sacrifice their own bikes in the event of a mechanical malfunction, to help him preserve his energy by riding in their slipstreams.
Life: While you can go through life as a loner, it’s a lot easier and more enjoyable with help from family and friends, isn’t it?
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The Tour: Teammates will sacrifice everything for their team leader and, ultimately, for the team itself – water bottles, bikes, food, bodies whether by expending the last ounce of energy you’ve got or being the first one to hit the deck at a high speed (never on purpose, but you expose yourself to that danger).
Life: There are people in life that are worth sacrificing for. And no matter how much pain it brings you, sacrificing for those people brings benefits that far outweigh the suffering. And, on the flip side, as the person on the receiving end of the sacrifice, sometimes you have to let people serve you.
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