Is Lance really that good?
Simon | Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 | No Comments »Is Lance really that good, or did he have some secret drug, that only he had access to, which gave him the winning edge? Cycling enthusiasts love debating whether Lance’s Tour de France victories were achieved with the help of drugs, or purely by hard work, determination and athletic ability.
I don’t know if Lance ever took drugs, but I do know that you can’t turn an everyday 200W cyclist in to a 450W Tour de France winner. Just to make it as a pro requires a big amount of talent and training. That means Lance must be super gifted and that he trains incredibly hard. How else is it possible to become World Champion at the age of 21 looking more like a football player than a Tour de France cyclist?Pro cycling is an extremely hard sport. You have to be willing to suffer for hours each day in all kinds of weather conditions. Thinking back to my racing years, I can remember hanging on for dear life, legs and lungs burning, while my team director threatened me to get to the front or I would be riding home from the race, some 60 miles…
To be the best at a sport so challenging on so many levels takes a huge amount of mental toughness and inner fire – you have to want to be the best really badly. You have to be willing to put yourself through misery in the quest for victory. Lance even at 39 years of age still has a huge inner fire. This fire is why he can win the Tour again in 2010. It makes for a fascinating race come July in France. I can’t wait!
P.S. If you would like to join me on a Tour de France bike tour that promises to be the experience of a lifetime, contact me today. I am taking 2 groups on 2 tours this July.