Never Give Up

More often than not, I think it's safe to say, a breakaway group in a cycling race eventually gets caught by the pursuing bunch. And when they are getting caught, one can identify the exact moment they give up. They sit up in their saddles, slow their pedaling cadence, and resign themselves to the inevitable catch.

And all the riders who attempt a breakaway know this. But they also know that there is always a chance. Sometimes, a break makes it all the way. And sometimes, if he doesn't give up, just one rider finds himself fighting for the finish, trying to outlast the chasing horde of riders behind him for a sweet, sweet victory.

Such was the case in the seventh stage of the Tour of Turkey yesterday. Here's a two-minute clip of what happened. Totally worth it (again and again).

Surely that is enjoyable to watch, even for someone not remotely interested in cycling races. The commentator's utter excitement over the events almost guarantees it. A slightly longer version with better quality and a different commentator can be found here. (And for anyone interested in a 12-min clip with context on either side of the event, it is here.)

I wanted to post something about this finish, not only because I found it absolutely fantastic, but because I hope that I will look through my blog in the future and be able to enjoy it again later on. But early this afternoon I realized another reason to post it: I feel that this race's finish corresponded very well to what I just read in Christ's Object Lessons. To me that seems funny, but the more I watch this video and think about the chapter I read, the more similarities occur to me.