SHARING SUCCESS

There’s no mightier influence on your fitness than fellow cyclists — friends and foes. Sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry identifies five archetypal riders who could prove pivotal to your progress

If comparison is the thief of joy, as the quote suggests, then cyclists should be pretty miserable. As well as the race results and club ride sprints, we have Instagram, Facebook, Strava and Zwift constantly in our face highlighting other people outperforming us. We see the newbies who have already beaten our FTP and grind our teeth at the guy who seems to have all the free time in the world to collect new Strava segments.

Comparing our cycling successes to others’ usually ends in tears; the envy we feel makes us no faster, only bitter. Checking out our rivals, stalking their Strava accounts and constantly considering their form actually means we lose one of the biggest benefits of being a cyclist — the brilliant people we meet. So, instead of feeling grumpy and second best, perhaps we can embrace others and compare ourselves in a systematic, helpful way. We found five archetypal rivals — and instead of only trying to beat them, let’s find ways to join them.

1 The hero pro

While most of us don’t have the physiology or ability to join the pros, we can copy their attitude and effort. The most relatable pros are not those who are head-down, winning at any cost, but those whose passion shines though and regularly shows their appreciation of how lucky they are to be paid to ride their bike. Trying to emulate their positive, mastery-driven traits can help us put our riding in context so we develop tenacity to keep on trying even when we hit a setback, helping us work hard day after day, as well as aiming to inspire others.

Richie Thorpe, 41, from Middlesex, has admired Geraint Thomas since the Welshman’s early days on the track. He became a true fan, though, when he met his hero out on a training ride in Nice in November 2014.