Professional cycling is most certainly the toughest sport in the world. In a recent article in the Walrus, Richard Poplak calls cyclists modern-day ascetics, working in open-air monastery of the mountains of Europe, with helmets as tonsures, spandex as robes.

To race bicycles is to drink greedily from a bottomless chalice of agony.

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Vijay Sathe

We can learn lessons from these champions. A career is a bit like a Tour de France- a long gruelling road with mostly flats and rolling hills, occasional steep ascents and unexpected setbacks- illnesses, crashes and injuries.

1^st lesson: You cant win it alone. Tour de France winners are part of a cohesive team that works to protect the leaders from the wind and other cyclists and bring them water bottles when thirsty. These domestiques are an essential element of stage cycling. The same applies in business. You cant succeed alone in the long run. You must surround yourself with colleagues with whom you can exchange ideas and share the workload.

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2^nd lesson: Learn to enjoy the pain of pushing yourself to your limit. The difference between racers and recreational cyclist is the addiction to pain that comes from repeated attempts to outpace your opponent. These guys are not only in top physical shape, they are incredibly determined. Similarly, there are times in a career that call for exceptional efforts and sacrifices to achieve worthy goals.

3^rd lesson: You cant go at full speed all the time. Tour champions spend over 95% of the race hidden in the peloton. They take advantage of specific events, a steep climb or a time trial to steel a few precious seconds from their opponents. Most of the time they are quite happy to ride with the pack, sheltered from the wind, they conserve their energies for crucial tactical moments. Not only is it impossible to perform at 100% all the time at work, it is also a sure way to a burnout. Learn from the pros- choose your moments to make the extra effort required to win over the long run.

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