The art of suffering…….

It still amazes me just how little the majority of pro cyclists are paid in relation to other sports. The average, run of the mill pro cyclist earns £30,000 a year and that’s only if they are lucky enough to secure a contract.
When you look at the amount of dedication and training that goes into being a pro cyclist, £30,000 doesn’t seem like just reward when your average Premiership footballer earns £50,000 a week.
You read training schedules for cyclists and they are out in all weathers, practically every day of the year and it’s hard not to agree that it’s the toughest competitive sport.
Part of the attraction for me is the suffering. I’ll be honest, I can suffer, a bit and go back for more but pro cyclists can suffer on a whole different level.
Look at Jens Voigt in the Paris – Nice race last week. Here is a 38 year old man, absolutely punishing his body, pushing himself to keep up with Alberto Contador on a mountain that most of us would struggle to walk up, let alone cycle. Pained desperation on his face to keep the time within contention to retain the yellow jersey and claim the biggest win of his career.
It’s moments like this that keep me hooked on cycling, when you can look into the soul of a human and see exactly what it is that they are made of. See the determination in their eyes as they hit the red zone and then dig even deeper into the depths of despair for the sake of a few seconds or a stage win.
I guess that is the difference between being a professional and an amateur, you have to learn to suffer more and for longer. You have to know when your body has had enough and then use willpower alone to scream at yourself, “I will not be beaten today.”

Suffering is a beauty and art form. For me, last week, Jens was Van Gogh. Chapeau Jens, chapeau……