When we see any incredibly gifted person, it's always tempting to believe that talent alone made him successful. To think that is to buy into a lie. Nobody does anything great alone. What made the difference is the winner's inner circle.
Lance Armstrong is one of the most talented athletes on the planet. Because of his physical gifts, he has been called a freak of nature. His sport, cycling, is perhaps the most gruelling. The Tour de France, which he has won an astounding seven times in a row, has been compared to running twenty marathons on twenty consecutive days. Racers cover approximately two thousand miles of often mountainous terrains in a three -week period. On peak race days, they consume as many as ten thousand calories to provide the energy they need.
Armstrong had become a legend as the conqueror of the Tour de France. Writer Michael Specter provides perspective on Armstrong's ability :
"Three types of riders succeed in long stage races like Tour de France :those who excel at climbing but are only adequate in time trials, in which a cyclist races alone against the clock; those who can win time trials but struggle in the mountains ;and cyclists who are moderately good at both. Now there appears to be a fourth group :Armstrong. He has become the best climber in the world. .....And there is no cyclist better at time trials"
Clearly, Armstrong is in a class that few others can approach. His determination is unquestionable. His training regimen is unmatched. His talent is extraordinary. Yet without a team, he would not have won a single Tour de France.
"Cycling is a team sport, though it may not seem that way to the casual observer. During his Tour de France run, Armstrong had an incredible team. Anchoring the team were Carmichael, his coach and Johan Bruyneel, an ex-cyclist who functioned as his team's sport director. ........."- Trek, Nike
YOU NEED A TEAM OF LIKE MINDED PEOPLE TO SUCCEED. GO GET ONE!
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