Watching the Cape Argus yesterday, which is South Africa’s most popular cycle race (109 km) reminded me of a book i’ve just finished reading called “Full Engagement” which is all about keeping your energy levels maximised.

The most memorable part of the book was a section discussing what makes the top tennis player in the world stand out from the Top 50. The conclusion? It’s not about talent. It’s about how much you recuperate between points. That 10 seconds of energy recuperation during points adds up to a massive amount of energy over a 3 hour game, and seperates the greatest tennis player with the greats! They give the example of Ivan Lendl - he wasn’t the most talented, but because he knew how to recuperate energy between points, he was number 1.

So I’m guessing it’s the same for the cyclists using the slip stream - the more they conserve their energy during the race, the better they sprint at the end.

As I arrived at the finish line at around 8.30 am, I saw a pack of riders whizz past. I found out a few minutes later that Lance Armstrong was one of them. And then I heard that he finished the race, jumped on a motorbike, sped off to the airport, jumped on his private jet, and was halfway to Europe (and that’s not an exaggeration) while some of the other cyclists were still finishing the race! Now that’s jetsetting!!