Hatherly and Azzaro

Come let’s talk while we cycle🚴🚴🚴🚴

Maybe Sundays have become my best days of the week in recent times and maybe not, but certainly, Sunday is a top two for me.

I learnt to ride a bicycle at three, I could ride without supporting wheels at four. By age 5/6 I could ride my older brother’s bicycle but that wasn’t enough experience to be Hatherly or Azzaro.

Last week Sunday, for reasons unfamiliar to me I took an interest in following up on the cycling Olympics finals. Oh, now I remember why I refused to change the channel, the leading person in the cycling race was an African, a South African to be specific. That was the trigger for me. An African man whose name is Hatherly leading the cycling race.

The total race was eight laps and I started watching when it was still the second lap. Initially, my whole attention wasn’t fixed on it because I was having a slight headache, so I stepped out to get something to eat and returned only to turn on the TV and remember that a cycling race had been on before I stepped out.

And this was where it got interesting

So they calculate the gap between the riders in seconds and minutes however it applies and Hatherly was still leading the race even though he had started as number 22 (If I remember clearly).

When it was something around the fifth lap, Mathis Azzaro the 24-year-old French cyclist began to close up with Alan Hatherly the 28-year-old cyclist. It started to get intense, my attention was fixed, and I was glued to the screen watching how all the riders but these two especially grappled onto the brakes with so much skill and grit while surmounting hurdles, rocks and other obstacles that had been intentionally set on their paths.

At each seemingly hard track path of the lap, my heart would skip a bit like I was the rider and seeing them just do it like a walkover was unbelievable

But what did I expect? These guys are professionals.

Somewhere around the sixth lap, Azzaro closed up with Hatherly, but contrary to what I anticipated, Hatherly refused to let him get ahead with a cycling trick, Azzaro kept at it for about 6-7 minutes and the audience kept cheering them on, some supporting Hatherly and some others Azarro.

Surprisingly towards the beginning of the seventh lap, Hatherly pulled on a crazy stunt and got ahead of Azzaro by 14 seconds making it slim for Azzaro to catch up.

Looking closely at this game, I could see Hatherly doggedly fighting on, you could tell that he was getting really weak and his thighs were hurting badly too, you could see the pain and he still pedalled his bicycle, you could see Azzaro trying his best to beat Hatherly’s record, the wearing out was evident but none stopped moving no matter how tired they were.

Same with the other riders who were way behind them.

At the beginning of the eighth lap, it was quite obvious that Azzaro could no longer meet up with Hatherly and that Hatherly was going to be the winner. But as they say, it is not over until it's over.

Hatherly’s energy preserve was incredibly high. And I would later learn that he is a sprint cyclist. (I think they all are, the energy preserve just varies from person to person)

And in case you are wondering

A sprint cyclist is a road bicycle racer or track racer who can finish a race very explosively by accelerating quickly to a high speed, often using the slipstream of another cyclist or group of cyclists tactically to conserve energy.

The commentators were really good too. I must add.

Their remarks and comments added to the liveliness of the game for me.

The finish line is in sight

Hatherly ahead of Azzaro by 16 secs

Gradually he approaches the line

He's almost there

And

He breaks through!

Hatherly! Winner of the 2024 Cycling Olympics. With Azzaro coming second in place.

On October 6, 2024, Alan Hatherly stood on top of the world, securing the UCI Cross-Country World Cup overall title with a resounding victory at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. It wasn't just a win for him or his team, Cannondale Factory Racing; it was a victory for every South African who dares to dream big”.

You can read about Hatherly’s win below.

https://thenewspaper.co.za/alan-hatherly-wins-2024-uci-cross-country/

Now, to the main highlights.

One verse kept popping in my head as I watched that race. The one where Paul spoke about how all athletes in a race all run but only one receives the prize.

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Close to thirty or fewer started the race today, but only one received the price for “Winner”

The next verse that follows says

“And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Pay attention to “temperate in all things”. Persevering of every kind, resilience in every possible way for the goal and sole purpose of getting the grand prize.

They do it for a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.

In this race we are running, it will only take God to help us get to the finish line.

On the way, we will meet distractions and obstacles, we will face hurdles but what matters most is who gets to that finish line.

Another verse that comes to mind as I type is

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I've said it before, God did not promise us a life free of troubles but what is guaranteed is that whatever the storms we walk through He is always by our side.

But! Scripture also says he who loves his life in this world will eventually lose it, but he who does not love his life and takes up his cross will have life.

“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And there's also this verse in Matthew that speaks to us on how we must be willing to take up our cross, (each man to his cross) if we must truly reach that Hallmark of faith, where we'd hear “Thou good and Faithful servant”.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And finally, I pray that we after having preached to others, do not become castaways!

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I pray that these words take root in your heart.

See you next week Dear Sibling

Until then, I love you

TFA💙