Like most teachers out there, I love July! But it's not just because I get to spend more time with my wife and kids; I love July because of my love of cycling and the Tour de France. July signals an opportunity for me to ride my own bike more and then come home and watch the race every day
That's me in the pink in one of my final races in 2021 before my kids arrived.
for 21 glorious days! Growing up I cycled a lot: I even raced in Europe and have many fond memories of pinning on numbers in races across Northern Europe. I spent a good bit of time as a teenager training and racing with elite riders such as Sam Bennett, the Irish sprinter who won 2 stages and the green jersey in 2020’s edition of ‘le Tour.’ So, for me, watching the race I love, in a country I adore, with people that I’ve raced and trained alongside is one of the highlights of my year.
So what has ‘le grand boucle’ got to do with teaching? Well, I would argue that there are many similarities, and I’ve narrowed them down to 4 key areas:
Most people who’ve never been in a cycling race may not fully appreciate the team aspect of it, as it looks from the outside like a solitary sport with individual ambitions. In fact, each team consists of 8 riders, each with a specific task and role within the team. These roles may be as a leader, a sprinter, a road-captain, a diesel engine to sit on the front on the peloton for hours on end (that was normally my role!) or even as a ‘domestique’ who goes back to get bottles, rain jackets, extra food or to pace their leader back to the bunch if they’ve had a mishap. Each role within the team is distinct but they are all there to perform one task: to ensure that their team is as fast and successful as possible.
The long, hot days of the tour reward the riders that are, above all, efficient. Millions of pounds are spent testing the aerodynamic capacity of each rider to help them cut the smallest hole possible through the wind in front of them. Every year companies come up with new ways to help their riders - whether it’s aerodynamic bottles, ceramic bearings, waxed chains, dimpled jerseys and (my personal favourite from this year) aerodynamic nose covers! Similarly, their bikes and clothing are created to help riders be as efficient as possible and to preserve their energy so that, when the race really kicks off, they’re able to follow the attacks and fight it out for the win.
Everyone can see the hard work etched on the riders’ faces as they climb Alpine summit after Alpine summit. TV audiences and fans cheer on those riders dropped by the peloton, willing them to make it to the finish line before the dreaded ‘time cut’ to make sure that they are not eliminated from the race and can start the following stage. What most people don’t see is the riders spending weeks upon weeks, away from their families at high altitude in the lead up to the Tour to make sure they’re in the best possible form for cycling’s biggest stage. Every cyclist knows there is no shortcut to victory. There is no substitute for hard work.
The sacrifice involved in the Tour de France is evident, but so too is the reward. Just look at the faces of the victor each day crossing the finish line - whether it’s Sir Mark Cavendish’s 35th Tour de France victory or Biniam Girmay’s first ever win stage win, the feeling of satisfaction is the same. And then look at all the riders as they finish the race this year in Nice, sipping champagne as they relax on the Promenade des Anglais. There is not one disappointed face. Whether they are 1st, 2nd or the ‘lanterne rouge’ at the end, the intrinsic reward felt by each rider to have completed cycling’s toughest challenge is immense.
So, I’ll come back to my initial question; what does the Tour de France have to do with teaching?
The answer? Everything. In a sector full of exhausted teachers locked in the noble pursuit of excellence, I see an opportunity to apply my own hard-learnt lessons from cycling - to help teachers face the challenges of parent-teacher meetings.
Nothing quite encapsulates all the nuances of teaching in the way that cycling does: the teamwork, the need for ever-improving efficiency, the hard work associated with driving standards and ultimately, the immensely rewarding feeling of knowing that you invested in young people in a way that will have a lasting impact. That’s why teaching and cycling (in my eyes at least) are intrinsically linked. The feeling that I get as I cycle into school each morning and wave to pupils who have long-left my classroom; that’s the feeling of reward that makes teachers want to come back year and after year and to look for new and innovative ways to create the best environment that they possibly can.
If you’re interested in how Equipple can help you and your classroom practice this year, then please get in touch. One of our team would be delighted to talk to you.