July is here and that means it is summer time. A major international sporting event that happens every July is the Tour de France. It is the most important bike race in the world, and it is brutal. It always has been. Basically, 200 bike riders race all over France until the winner is declared. This year the race includes 21 different stages that cover over 3500 kilometers. The graphic above shows even more statistics about the race. I like the Tour, and enjoy watching the race, even though cycling is generally boring. Just a bunch of bike riders peddling around the countryside. One of the reasons I enjoy the tour is that it teaches many lessons that you can apply in life. Here are three that come to mind.
Life is a team sport
Many people think that the Tour de France is an individual event due to the fact that there is a single winner. The overall winner is awarded the coveted yellow jersey. The reality is that every rider belongs to a team, and it takes a team to win. No single person will outperform everyone else. Instead, you need the help of your team whether it is drafting off them on the flats, or following behind them on the climbs. I think life is a team sport also. You will need help along the way, and be willing to help others. To go it alone would be a tragic mistake, and lead to misery. Life is tough. Don’t go it alone.
Keep peddling, especially in the mountains
The Tour is a really long race. Day after day the riders have to cover hundreds of miles. Some have compared riding the Tour de France to running a marathon every day for three weeks straight. Ouch. One of the things that make the Tour so difficult is the mountain stages. All the riders have to navigate up and over towering mountains to include rides in the Alps and the Pyrenees. I have driven a car over some of these mountains and they are really tall – up in the clouds. Some riders specialize in climbing, but these stages are tough for everyone. If you are a sprinter, the mountains are especially difficult, but they still have to ride over them. They are not allowed to skip these stages and wait for the next flat course. I have watched these stages for years, and I remain amazed that anyone can make it through the mountain stages.
I think there is a parallel in life in that we all will face tall mountains, obstacles that we have to get over. How do riders get over the mountains – they just keep peddling. They use different techniques, different gears, and different approaches to make it over. It is not always pretty. In fact, for many, it is rather ugly, but they make it. Sometimes we have to do the same thing in life – head down and just keep peddling. Don’t quit, keep moving forward, dealing with what life throws at you. The easy way out would be to quit. Many people do. But, I want to encourage you to keep peddling, even when it gets ugly. You will find joy after you reach the peak, and enjoy the ride down the back side of the mountain.
Play by the rules
It is well known that cycling has experienced many scandals over the years. The most famous is Lance Armstrong, who used to be a hero of mine. Lance “won” the Tour more times than any other rider, and became a sporting legend around the world. But, the reality is that all those victories are tainted. They were taken away because he cheated to win. He broke the rules repeatedly, lied about it, and was finally caught years later. He has been dealing with the shame of these revelations the past few years. Many years ago, I was a big Lance fan. I wore a live strong bracelet, read the books he wrote, and really enjoyed watching him ride. But all that admiration was based on a lie. Learn a critical lesson from Lance, and that is to play by the rules. No victory is worth breaking the rules, and cheating to win. In life, you will be tempted to cheat, to bend the rules in your favor. The reality is that many cheaters don’t get caught. Even so, don’t fall into this trap. It will take away the joy of victory, and you will always know what you did, even if others never find out.
For anyone not familiar with the Tour this video helps provide some context about why it is the most challenging bike race in the world.