23 juil. 2013

Tour de France, Nairo Quintana and Psychological Preparation


We have said that the psychological preparation is educational.  The champion needs to be well educated in order to be able to continue learning and improving.  The champion never stops learning.  That is the reason why the real champion can make a jump from sports to other areas of life.  Nairo has several comments that says much about him.  His concept of having a team and what the team has done for him is something that he learned at home: “HE THANKS HIS TEAM MEMBERS EVEN THE ASSISTANTS FOR THEIR HELP.”  This says about the sensitivity lessons learned at home, recognizing that he is the product and a part of many things that we need to take care of them.
"I can't believe what has happened... I had dreamt of this for a very long time, but didn't believe it could come so early. I'm just a 23-year-old boy, but time goes fast, and I could cry out of pure happiness. We thought winning the stage was feasible, but I wasn't as convinced as my DS nor all the team. They're impressive: they help me so much, especially on the psychological side, to cope with such big challenges. Just all of them: the carers, the technical side, all the riders... they all took me here and I wouldn't have achieved anything without them.
“When [directeur sportif] José Luis Arrieta told me, 'You have to take leadership roles in the team', I stood up and said, ‘Of course.' I was ready, there was no problem, but I told them they would have to forgive me should my legs fail, because the Tour is so fast and the stages, so long. They said I just had to do as much as I could... I should be calm and go as far as the legs would let me to.
“What I achieved is the result of lots of work and the class God and my parents gave me. What I achieved is also a result of my team's work: only since a year ago, I thought about contesting the Tour overall - I had just turned pro and was contesting my first big races, showing myself to the world.
“In Colombia they wanted me to conquer the polka-dot jersey, which was always essential to us Colombian riders… I want to take advantage from this moment to salute another Colombian who won this jersey in the Tour and is now at home, recovering after his accident in the 2011 Tour de Suisse: Mauricio Soler. He told me he would take care of me from there, and this is dedicated to him; best wishes of full recovery, my friend, you're an inspiration for me to keep going."

When swimming, biking and running we have to KNOW WHAT KIND OF MOVEMENTS HELP US TO GO FORWARD.  Practicing sensitivity helps to recognize these fine points that make a champion a champion.  An interesting sensitivity point is when he speaks about how Froome tried to play with him.  Remember, Nairo is just a 23-year-old coming from the rural area of Colombia.  Tyson Gay says that he was betrailed by sombody after his doping:
“…He thought I had strength and spoke to me to help him distance Contador and I will win the stage (Ventoux).  But I knew he was lying.” I am translating the yellow highlighted to English.
Por desgracia, Froome me alcanzó después. Está en un nivel superior a todos. El primer ataque fue desde muy atrás y me pilló desprevenido. Le cogí su rueda hasta donde pude y terminé entrando. Él pensaba que yo estaba más fuerte de lo que realmente me encontraba y por eso habló conmigo de que fuéramos hacia adelante para distanciar a Contador y que yo podía ganar la etapa. Pero sabía que era un pacto un poco 'de mentira' porque vi su fortaleza y casi tuve que engañarle un poco para aguantarle hasta donde le aguanté. Él necesitaba sacar más tiempo, yo no estoy a su nivel y aunque no cumplió lo que dijo, le entiendo. Sabía que otro ataque así no lo aguantaría y cuando ha hecho el último demarraje he levantado un poco el pie para respirar y he cogido un buen ritmo hasta meta para perder menos tiempo.
Not lying to ourselves is the sin et quo non of the champion in order to be a champion


Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire