As I have written in previous occasions, bike riding is equal parts part physical strength and mental toughness. Feeding the physical engine is simple enough: eat the right foods in the right proportions and your body will be ready for the challenges of a hard ride.
Feeding the mental engine, however, is a bit trickier. There is no one standard “mental fuel” to keep the mental engine in fine fettle as it wills the legs to keep on turning the pedals long after the body has decided to give up.
Some riders feed the mental engine with music; other riders feed the mental engine with meditation. I am not a very religious person, but I find the following passage from the Old Testament to be particularly inspiring, especially when I am climbing a hard hill. The idea of soaring like an eagle and running and not getting tired is particularly powerful.
Those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
Isaiah 40:31
Today, French rider Thomas Voeckler rode his bike up the mountains of the Pyrenees as if he had wings like an eagle. After winning the maillot jaune on Stage 9 of the Tour (same stage that our friend Arc will ride this Sunday) Thomas Voeckler was expected to quickly lose yellow jersey on the next following stages.
It seems, however, that someone forgot to tell the tough little French rider that the experts did not have much faith on his ability to hold on to the yellow jersey. Since winning the yellow jersey, Voeckler has beaten back every effort to take the leader’s jersey away from him.
On today’s Stage 14, the pre-race favorites Schleck brothers (Andy and Frank) launched one vicious attack after the other. Assisted by their teammates in the multi-talented and powerful Belgian Leopard-Trek team, the Schleck brothers tried to destroy the peloton and pull the maillot jaune from Voeckler’s back. With pluck and determination, Voeckler responded to every attack as he rode to the top of Plateau de Beille. At the end of the day, Voeckler remained in yellow for one more day making his French compatriots delirious with national pride.
Allez Voeckler. Toi etes un coureur cycliste sans paraeil.
Speaking of “un cycliste sans paraeil,” remember that this Sunday, July 17, our friend Arc will be riding L’Etape de Tour - 129 miles (208 km) from Issoire to Saint-Flour. Keep him on your thoughts (and prayers if you prefer) as he mounts up on wings as an eagle and climbs to the top Col du Pas de Peyrol (La Puy Mary) and later on to the top of Col du Perthus.
Allez Arc!
1 comment:
Good luck Arc.
Forza!
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