Le Tour de France

Each July, I enjoy watching le Tour de France. This is the 95th year of the contest. Two thousand two hundred miles through rain, heat, mountains, pain and disappointments. These riders are unquestionably the best of the best in bicycling, and arguably among the most finely tuned endurance athletes who have ever lived. Further, they show us how powerful the human mind and body can be.

As I watch and listen to the commentary, I am astonished at how the methods of these teams and their riders relate to our businesses.

• The contestants in the race are part of a team, and while each may win individual honors, each rider is committed to the team effort. One of the striking things about these teams is that their objective is to get their captain to the finish line in Paris ahead of all other riders.

  To a man, they all have the same objective, and their individual opportunities are secondary. Some of the riders are dedicated to pacing their captain in the mountains; others are dedicated to pacing their captain in the flats. To watch these teams compete in the team time trials is to observe the very definition of “teamwork.”

• Skill acquisition and development for these teams has been a critical element of their success. Each member has been selected for a purpose, the essence of which is to compliment the different strengths of other riders on the team. After the acquisition of these skills, the team has funded further development of the skills and the riders are eager to apply themselves.

• The mental game of these riders is unshakable. Neither weather conditions, competitors, fans, news media, poor performance of a teammate nor any other factor seems to distract them (individually or collectively) from doing the thing they do. Their focus is amazing.

• They have applied technology wherever it can provide an advantage. The detail to which they have used technology is interesting. For example, they spend time and money with wind tunnel testing. They not only consider details like tires, spokes, wheels, clothing, helmets and body positions but they even consider the place on the jersey to pin their number. That attention to detail may seem over-the-top, but in a contest so important and evenly matched, it can make the difference in the outcome.