The prize is not always in winning
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Carlos Sastre / July '08
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| © Photos: Tim de Waele |
Due to printing schedules, I was asked to send this article in during the second week of the Tour and I chose Tuesday 15th, the first “rest” day of the race to write it. So, I ask the reader to make a special effort to wind back to that day with me, when we had half the Tour under our belts, we had done the Pyrenees, Evans was leading the race and my team mate Frank Schleck was just a second behind him, followed by: Vandevelde, Kohl and Menchov. I was in sixth place, 1.28 behind the Australian rider. Nothing lost but nothing gained either. The press raved about Piepoli’s victory, the “decline” of Valverde and Pereiro, Cadel’s leadership and set about rewriting their predictions for the future, placing me in the short list of favourites together with Evans and Menchov.
The press is fickle, like the race itself, and has to adapt to events as they unfold. A good friend of mine who happens to work in the press often says that a journalist should analyse what they are saying and not forecast what is supposed to happen, because by doing that, there is a good chance of getting it wrong. And he is not wrong. If it is difficult for me to predict the outcome of the race, when I am aware of my body and my limitations, pedalling inches away from my opponents - who I can even hear breathe, what do people who adventure to put “favourite” labels on riders base their predictions on? And I’m not talking predictions now, half way through the Tour, but a week before the race had even begun.
Even though you, dear reader, will know by now what happened in the second part of the Tour, you must bear in mind that I wrote this article with the apprehension leading up to the following stages. I’m awaiting these stages with the doubts and fears that always plague sportspeople, but with the determination gained over the years and the peace of mind of having put in everything I can to compete in this race in the best possible physical and mental state – as both are necessary to take on this race and guarantee an outcome.
After an intense day of speaking to a thousand journalists, I did a short, relaxed training session with my team mates, passed through the comforting hands of the physio and spoke to my family. Now I just have to finish this article and get into bed to charge my batteries before resuming the race tomorrow. In these moments, in the peace and quiet of my room, alone with my thoughts, I think back over my whole sporting career, which started when I was 8 years old, thanks to my father, when I dreamt of being a cyclist. And it moves me to think that I have the best pack team at my service, I am in a privileged situation to try and win this race, which I have always dreamed of, and according to the specialised press, I’m in with a chance of winning the race (let’s hope they get it right this time).
I don’t know how the Tour will conclude, but believe me, that's not the most important thing. What's most important for me is that in the end, after years of hard work and suffering, I have learnt how to enjoy cycling. And that’s enough to keep me satisfied.
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