The Froome Factor

Every year I spend 21 sleep deprived nights watching the greatest bicycle race on the world pro cycling tour and every year I am left inspired by the extraordinary efforts of elite athletes who push themselves to the limit to achieve their goals. The winner of this year's Tour de France is one such athlete.  

British cyclist Chris Froome from Team Sky demonstrated what it takes to be a champion and three time winner of the TDF.  Despite my own team and country loyalties, it is hard not to be impressed and inspired by the way Froome approached and executed his race.  His teamwork, toughness, tenacity and tactics is what earned him the victor's podium in Paris after three weeks of spectacular racing and the admiration of cycling fans all over the world...

TEAMWORK

Froome is the leader of a strong team that is well resourced, committed to a common goal, and who ride as a single unit to support their leader.

TOUGHNESS

Froome got back up after every crash and pushed on through the pain demonstrating unshakeable physical and mental strength.

TENACITY

Froome abandoned his broken bike after interference from the crowd, running up the hill with sheer determination to hold onto his overall lead.

TACTICS

Froome surprised everyone by his risk taking tactics to attack the peloton on the descent after a tough climb, resulting in him winning the yellow jersey.

5 Lessons To Achieve Your Goals

At the conclusion of another grand tour on the international cycling calendar, the Tour de France provides an endless source of inspiration and life lessons from three weeks of endurance and intense competition by elite cyclists.  As I approached the Tour de France this year, I didn't want to just be a spectator from afar but a participator in my own cycling context.  So, I set myself a challenge...21 Rides in 21 Stages!

My challenge was to go on a bike ride during every stage of the Tour de France in my local area, aiming to cycle routes that offered similar terrain to each stage of the Tour.  For example:  Stage 1 was a 13.8 km individual time trial, so I rode 13.8 km around our local criterium track; Stage 4 included stretches of cobblestones, so I included some gravel roads in my ride; Stage 8 was up in the Pyrenees Ranges, so I went for an epic ride through the Dandenong Ranges; Stage 20 was over the famous Alpe d'Huez, so I rode up a popular local climb known as "The Wall"; etc...  The distance for each ride didn't matter.  The point of the challenge was just to ride, regardless of the conditions, each day of the 21 stages of the Tour de France!

How did I go?  I achieved 22 rides, 759 km in 21 stages.  Challenge accomplished!

While I am far, far, far from being an elite cyclist and cycled in far less exotic surrounds than the picturesque countryside and breathtaking moutains of France, my own little 'TDF 21 Rides in 21 Stages Challenge' offers some life lessons that may be a source of inspiration for anybody else setting goals or pursuing their own challenge.

Life Lesson #1 - Avoiding DISRUPTIONS

Embarking on such a challenge immediately collides with existing family and leadership responsibilities.  There is something always competing with my time and for my attention.  To avoid allowing the everyday disruptions, the expectations of others and the unexpected from derailing my goals, planning ahead was crucial.  This involved scheduling rides into my diary in advance of each day and treating them as important as anything else on my calendar; not at the expense of things needing to be done, but alongside them.  Planning ahead made time for this challenge rather than hoping to find time to fit it in.

Life Lesson #2 - Overcoming DIFFICULTIES

This challenge fell in the middle of one of the coldest and wettest winters in Melbourne for a long time, presenting some pretty nasty riding conditions.  You need to know that I am a sook in the cold which made these conditions very difficult for me!!  Unfavourable conditions often present themselves in many forms in life and can quickly demotivate you from achieving your goals.  I chose to embrace these difficult conditions as a part of the adventure, adding another dimension to each stage of the challenge.  What could be viewed as a nemesis can become an ally; for example, I once heard another cyclist refer to 'head wind' as his training partner!

Life Lesson #3 - Facing DANGERS

During stage 12 of the challenge I came off my bike in the middle of heavy traffic, landing hard enough on the road to break my helmet.  The reality for any cyclist is it is dangerous on the road!  Rarely do I come back from a ride without a near miss or incident involving another road user.  Risk is a part of life and leadership!  We can mitigate some risks, manage others, but we should never abandon our goals out of fear or avoidance of risk.  Courage to face inherent dangers builds confidence to navigate through any challenge and to pick yourself up and keep going when you fall down.

Life Lesson #4 - Dealing with DISAPPOINTMENT

About half way through stage 4 I stopped along a gravel road to take a photograph of my surroundings.  Unfortunately, my phone battery went flat and I was unable to continue recording my ride on the Strava App on my iPhone, losing the last 15 km of my ride!  Now, this may not sound like a big deal to most, but to lose data in the middle of a challenge was a major disappointment for me.  No matter how trivial or big the disappointment, it is too easy to allow it to distract you from the original purpose of your challenge.  Disappointment needs to be right-sized and not permitted to overshadow your goals.

Life Lesson #5 - Going the DISTANCE

Twenty-one days is a long time to commit to a challenge, given the variables of a busy lifestyle.  There were several points along the way when it was tempting to skip a day or give up on the challenge altogether.  There is a well ridden hill in Adelaide called 'Mengler's Hill' that has the words "Pain is Temporary, Victory is Forever" painted on the road about half way up the climb.  These words echoed in my mind while climbing 'The Wall' during the final stage of my challenge.  The battle was as much mental as physical to push through the pain barriers and go the distance to reach the summit.  

Bailing on any challenge, at any stage of the journey, robs you from the immense satisfaction of not only achieving your goals but developing the resilience required to pursue even greater challenges in the future.  However, avoiding DISRUPTIONS, overcoming DIFFICULTIES, facing DANGERS, dealing with DISAPPOINTMENT, and going the DISTANCE positions you for future success!

Le Tour Lessons

As we approach the final stage of what has been an exciting year at the Tour de France, there are many life lessons that can be learned from these extraordinary athletes. I've sat up and watched each stage into the early hours of the morning marveling at the physical endurance, mental toughness and team tactics of cyclists putting everything on the line for a podium finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Amidst the phenomenal efforts by these professional cyclists at the top of their sport have been suspicion of doping, horrific crashes, over zealous fans and controversial tactics.  While it would be tempting to allow these distractions to overshadow the achievements of this event, they do provide some challenging insights worth considering.

1. Suspicion of Doping - It is a tragedy that the actions of drug cheats in any sport robs spectators and sporting heroes of the joy of simply enjoying a victory, without being suspected of cheating.  Chris Froome hit out at reporters who questioned his amazing acceleration on Mont Ventoux saying, "To compare me with Lance is wrong - Lance cheated, but I'm not cheating. End of story."  If only it was that simple!  The reality is we do not live in isolation of other people's actions.  It is naive to think that we can live our lives, our way, without consequence to the lives of others.  Maybe if we took more notice of the classroom discipline method of punishing the whole class for the behaviour of one student society would be less individualistic and hold a greater value for community accountability.

2. Horrific Crashes - When you ride at high speeds within inches of the rider in front of you, accidents are inevitable.  Pushing limits and taking risks are a necessary part of the equation of winning.  No cyclists who have played it safe have ever won the Tour de France, just as no person who has lived a risk free life has ever accomplished anything of significance.  To see cyclists get back on their bikes and continue to race with injuries is inspiring and challenges us to never give up, no matter how hard we fall.

3. Over Zealous Fans - Throughout the Tour I have been frustrated and at times angry at the way spectators have been in the face of the competitors.  They have ran alongside them screaming and yelling, put obstacles in their way, risking their own safety and the safety of the riders.  Yet, despite the obvious aggravation by some competitors, they have remained focused on their goal and have not allowed themselves to be distracted.  The paradox is that I admire the raw passion of the crowd, even when it is idiotic, and I respect the determination of the riders that is unshaken by the crowd.  Passionate people inspire greatness not only in the Tour de France, but in every arena of life!

4. Controversial Tactics - The desire and pressure to win can drive teams to adopt questionable tactics that can seriously damage the reputation of riders and the sport. Riding across the line of another cyclist in a sprint or taking on food after the exclusion zone on a hill climb may win short term gains, but diminishes the value of the advantage at best or results in penalties at worst.  Either way, when the character of a rider or team takes a hit, the focus on their competence becomes blurred.  Many successful sporting stars, executives or politicians are remembered for all the wrong reasons because they allowed winning at all costs to compromise their integrity.

Beyond the insights gained from these distractions, the real appeal of the Tour de France is the pinnacle of human achievement that pushes through pain barriers over three weeks of grueling riding through the stunning countryside of France.  Vive le Tour!