Chris Froome's Biblical Secret to Success

After imperiously winning the Tour de France last year, I along with many others have wondered just how Chris Froome did it. Deep down we’re all desperately hoping he’s not another Lance Armstrong!

 

And so with this year’s TDF coming around again I recently read Froome’s autobiography to try and find out just how he did it.

 

Overall it is an entertaining read and a great insight into the life of a professional cyclist. But for me, this paragraph seemed to stick out a mile:

 

‘…back in Nairobi I joined old friends…for parties and nights out. Being teenagers, and fairly affluent, my friends were drinking and smoking joints. I mentioned the nights out to Kinjah (his cycling mentor) and he was not at all impressed. I was surprised at how strict and stern he was with me. That was not the way to go, he said. It definitely made an impact with me. I realised I couldn’t live fully in both worlds. I would have to choose. Being a good sufferer on the bike, the choice was easy (p51)’.

Later on he describes his training rides whilst at boarding school in South Africa; every day he snuck out at 5am into the freezing cold to do a 3 hour training ride with his mate Matt. Yes - every day of the week!

‘As we ride, the air pushes against us and bumps us about. My lips are cracked from the cold…it’s like being dipped in frost. I shiver and shudder down the slope of long dark hills. It’s love though. Every ache and chill. Me and my Colnago and these hills. In love, everybody hurts. If you are serious about bikes and hills, it hurts (p58)’.

This discipline, this single-mindedness is phenomenal. Froome understands that to succeed in this relationship with his bike it requires his all. It means suffering. It means sacrifice. It means discipline.

But as he says later:

‘I found that from the pain came satisfaction, from the suffering, joy’ (p61).

What a challenge that is! Froome is in love with the suffering on his training rides. And he says that the joy of a stage win, and ultimately his glorious Tour de France win, makes it all worthwhile.

In fact, his writing could almost be taken from the Bible:

‘More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…’ (Romans 5:3-4)

This almost-religious language that Froome uses got me thinking.

Can I say the same about my relationship with Jesus?

Will I single-mindedly set aside my comfort and distractions (both unhealthy and healthy) to pursue him?
Even if it means early mornings?
Even if it hurts?
Even if it means sacrifice?

There’s something inside us, and I believe it is God-given, that knows that real joy comes through sacrifice, endurance and suffering.

That is the Gospel.

That is the call to each who trusts in Christ.
There is no easy ride...that is not how God has designed it.

And yet I find myself looking for the easy ride.

I look to side-step the training.
Because it’s hard.
Because it hurts.
Because it’s costly.
Because choosing to live fully in God’s will comes at a price.
Because unlike Froome, I don’t suffer easily.

And yet the joy of finishing this race will mean it is all worthwhile. We find the ultimate inspiration, the guarantee of a glorious finish, by looking at Jesus himself:

‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God’. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

At the end of my earthly race, which has a prize far greater than the Yellow Jersey, I hope that I will be able to say with the apostle Paul:

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7)