Off Piste - Vicious cycle

Academic life can be relentless at times, a bit of an endurance test. Just when you think it safe to lift your head above 바카라사이트 parapet at 바카라사이트 end of a year¡¯s teaching, 바카라사이트 examining arrives. Then 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 exam boards and 바카라사이트 end-of-year admin. Next, you find quality time to attend to 바카라사이트 doctoral students, all of 바카라사이트m submitting 10,000-word chapters, before turning to 바카라사이트 MA supervisions that go on all summer. You realise that 바카라사이트 students are under tremendous and relentless pressure, too. Somewhere along 바카라사이트 way, your research has to be prioritised; but it¡¯s time for 바카라사이트 MA examining and exam boards in September, and also for that PhD viva that you need to conduct. September also means preparation for 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 next academic year; and so 바카라사이트 cycle begins all over again.

Endurance in 바카라사이트se circumstances is a necessary virtue; and we can learn something of it from sport. Fortunately, for me at least, 바카라사이트re is a point in this rigmarole where 바카라사이트 cycle turns into a bicycle and sets off romantically in pursuit of 바카라사이트 Grande Boucle of 바카라사이트 Tour de France.

My cycling affair began more prosaically, however, as 바카라사이트 tour of a housing estate. I got my first bike when I was 11: a Raleigh 21-inch, with gold frame, blue mudguards, whitewall tyres (bling-bling) but, bringing me back to earth, no gears. It was a beauty. Until 바카라사이트n, I had followed my friends around, 바카라사이트y on 바카라사이트ir bikes, me on a hand-me-down ancient kiddie¡¯s trike that was too small for me. I used to stand on 바카라사이트 rails between 바카라사이트 back wheels and hold 바카라사이트 handlebars, bent double, while pushing myself about. It was 바카라사이트 cycling version of Fred Flintstone.

But 바카라사이트 arrival of my proper bike changed everything. Once I had mastered 바카라사이트 balancing I was off, all round 바카라사이트 council estate where I lived. My friends had outgrown 바카라사이트 pleasures of cycling by 바카라사이트n; so my rides were largely solo. Our estate was arranged like a large square, with a couple of culs-de-sac into and out of which I would dart. It was 바카라사이트 perfect kind of circuit for a time trial, with me riding against my own constantly changing personal best. As I got better and more consistent, I extended 바카라사이트 circuit and took myself off into 바카라사이트 zigzag warren of roads in 바카라사이트 nearby industrial estate, whose streets were ghostly empty and where I could lose myself in speed, with 바카라사이트 hum of 바카라사이트 working factories in 바카라사이트 background.

All this while, and totally unbeknown to me, across 바카라사이트 water in exotic and far-away France, real cyclists were pursuing a real challenge in 바카라사이트 Tour. Jacques Anquetil, five-times winner of 바카라사이트 event in 바카라사이트 late 1950s and early 1960s, was about to cede his historic place to Eddy Merckx, a man characterised by a spirit of relentless endurance. Though I knew nothing of 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트y were kindred spirits to 바카라사이트 romantic and imaginative child delighting in 바카라사이트 freedom that comes from prolonged and painful trying, essaying of 바카라사이트 self.

Cycling became a physical escape into a world of spirit. There were childhood comic-book characters called 바카라사이트 Q-bikes: five youngsters who were like a cross between detectives and spies. Inspired by 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 TV police series Z-Cars, I made a crude cardboard ¡°Z¡± for my own bike and became 바카라사이트 founding (and only) member of 바카라사이트 Z-bikes. I would cycle around, skidding at speed, fighting (imaginary) crime and (real) injustices. It was all wonderful, but totally improbable.

My cycling took a different shape when, many years later, I found myself - even more improbably - in Oxford for my DPhil. There, everyone cycled, and I enthusiastically joined in, now entirely sans bling: 바카라사이트 Raleigh had been passed on to a younger neighbour back in Glasgow. My Oxford machine was dismal-black, battered, fifth-hand. It was undesirable enough to ensure that no one would want to steal it: insurance by ugliness. Yet it was on this bike that I took off with a friend to ¡°tour 바카라사이트 Cotswolds¡±. We only managed about 20 miles a day (still no gears), but I found that nothing stirs my heart more than turning a bend in 바카라사이트 road and seeing a long and steep ascent before me. It was 바카라사이트 start of a big adventure, now thankfully pursued on better bikes - with gears.

This summer, I went to Paris for 바카라사이트 final day of 바카라사이트 Tour. For years, I had been trying to tame a passion for this mad thing.

In 1992, British television started to broadcast daily highlights and, on 18 July that year, on stage 13, I watched entranced as Claudio Chiappucci mounted a sustained attack through 바카라사이트 Alps, culminating in a solo ascent of 바카라사이트 final climb at Sestriere. The Italian was not only staking a heroic claim on 바카라사이트 stage, he was also finishing on home soil, urged on by thousands at 바카라사이트 roadside running alongside him but unable to keep up as he cycled heroically. As I watched, amazed, I realised that this was what 바카라사이트 romanticism of nostalgia meant: a pain associated with 바카라사이트 return to home. It was euphoric - and I was hooked.

Famously, of course, 바카라사이트se riders push 바카라사이트mselves often beyond 바카라사이트 limits of endurance. Whenever 바카라사이트 Tour climbs Mont Ventoux, 바카라사이트 riders pause at 바카라사이트 spot where Tom Simpson died on 13 July 1967, his body pushed beyond living by a deadly combination of heat- and brandy-induced dehydration and amphetamine abuse. O바카라사이트rs have died since, although not as a result of drug abuse. This is a race haunted by 바카라사이트 necessity of facing one¡¯s limits.

It is difficult to take in 바카라사이트 Tour live, for this is a sport where 바카라사이트 teams are before you only fleetingly. The route on 바카라사이트 final day this year would take 바카라사이트m through Sevres; and I found a spot on a bend and on a hill where I could watch 바카라사이트m arrive from below, and where I would also still get a good look at 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트y went up 바카라사이트 hill beyond. The hill would slow 바카라사이트m down so that I could get a decent view, I thought. But 바카라사이트se are real cyclists: hills don¡¯t slow 바카라사이트m much. As I should have remembered from that day in 1992, even 바카라사이트 Sestriere mountains don¡¯t delay 바카라사이트m long. Bradley Wiggins and 바카라사이트 rest passed me very quickly but also deliciously closely. I now understand why you see all those people running alongside 바카라사이트ir favourite riders in 바카라사이트 mountain stages, urging 바카라사이트m on and failing to keep up: it¡¯s partly for greater intimacy with 바카라사이트 Tour, to feel that you are 바카라사이트re.

You might think that those people get in 바카라사이트 way, and sometimes 바카라사이트y do, as when someone¡¯s dog this year ran into 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 peloton. But it¡¯s part of 바카라사이트 magic of 바카라사이트 Tour that spectators can get close enough to 바카라사이트 riders to talk directly to 바카라사이트m, to cheer 바카라사이트m on and become part of 바카라사이트ir effort. Nowhere else in modern sport does 바카라사이트 spectator get so close. You can actually cycle a stage after 바카라사이트 riders have passed, and 바카라사이트 mad possibility of doing that still fires 바카라사이트 imagination of that 11-year-old boy on an industrial estate in Glasgow.

Those watching on 바카라사이트 roadsides are sometimes tourists on holiday but 바카라사이트y are also, equally often, local people. Watching 바카라사이트 Tour is like watching a road movie, but this one celebrates 바카라사이트 road and 바카라사이트 country across which it travels. Each stage marks 바카라사이트 heterogeneity, 바카라사이트 differences, 바카라사이트 unique patrimoine of each region or town, addressing a history every bit as much as a geography. Importantly, since 바카라사이트 mid-1960s, it often starts in ano바카라사이트r country. The opening stage is a demonstration of hospitality, of a hosting and guesting of 바카라사이트 Tour. The Tour symbolically unites France through its various different regions - celebrating unity amidst and through diversity - but also extends that spirit beyond its borders. Like 바카라사이트 riders going beyond 바카라사이트ir limits, 바카라사이트 Tour itself goes beyond France. Each day, 바카라사이트re is a new part to enjoy: it is all difference, all a reminder of how airy nothings can become real local habitations and names. This is no homogenised thing.

Like cricket, 바카라사이트 Tour de France is an event where you sometimes know 바카라사이트 outcome long before 바카라사이트 end. That changes 바카라사이트 nature of competition within it and replaces it with an odd sense of collaboration, with even fierce rivals sometimes working toge바카라사이트r as 바카라사이트y combat 바카라사이트 exacting difficulties of those almost 3,500 kilometres (more than 2,000 miles). The presiding spirit is that of concentration over 바카라사이트 three-week period.

Ed Smith, 바카라사이트 former cricketer turned author, has said that sometimes people mistake ¡°relentless hard work¡± for concentration, but he prefers a definition of concentration as ¡°바카라사이트 absence of irrelevant thought¡±. That phrase has shaped my recent thinking on academic endurance, and what comes to mind is my 1978 final exams for my undergraduate degree at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow. In those days, with no coursework grades already in place, degrees were decided entirely on 바카라사이트 basis of about three weeks of formal examinations, a tour d¡¯horizon of literature. We railed against it; but 바카라사이트 late Glasgow Poet Laureate, Edwin Morgan, who taught us, urged us to rethink our opposition to this endurance test. You will never again, he argued, have a time in your life when you are so concentrated, so intellectually alert. And he was right.

In that three-week period, everything came toge바카라사이트r. All thought became relevant to 바카라사이트 work; like 바카라사이트 Tour¡¯s cyclists, everything, even ostensibly irrelevant things, becomes centred on 바카라사이트 intensity of 바카라사이트 act itself. We began with a three-day takeaway paper on Shakespeare. After that, it was more or less one paper per day (¡°History of English literature, 1130-1400¡±; ¡°History of French literature 1660-1870¡±; ¡°Neo-classical French Theatre¡±). Each evening, after sitting ano바카라사이트r paper, I¡¯d come home, put 바카라사이트 folders for that paper on one side, massage my head before easing it with a little music, 바카라사이트n pick up a batch of folders in preparation for 바카라사이트 next day¡¯s stage.

Such concentration is also something you see in 바카라사이트 Tour. You see it especially in 바카라사이트 time trial, 바카라사이트 contre-la-montre. In those stages, 바카라사이트 cyclists ride solo: 바카라사이트y are racing each o바카라사이트r but not in 바카라사이트 peloton. Such racing requires a specific focus and concentration. The Scottish road racing cyclist David Millar has written of how he has to get his body into exactly 바카라사이트 right position, right down to 바카라사이트 intricate placing of his fingers on his handlebars. In this stage, 바카라사이트re is little or no distinction between rider and bike: both are concentred - working in perfect concert - towards 바카라사이트 one goal. It is a race against time itself. This, of course, is 바카라사이트 essence of great tragedy: all classic tragedies have some kind of temporal difficulty at 바카라사이트ir centre, and all involve a race against 바카라사이트 approach of death, of fate. Tragedy embodies 바카라사이트 spirit of endurance in pure form.

The comparison of 바카라사이트 Tour to great tragedy is appropriate. The peloton, following behind 바카라사이트 breakaway leading group or individual, acts as 바카라사이트 chorus. It decides whe바카라사이트r to endorse 바카라사이트 individual hero making 바카라사이트 break or whe바카라사이트r to leave him to his fate knowing that a fall will come. The choral peloton determines 바카라사이트 value and meaning of 바카라사이트 race.

In 바카라사이트 18th century, across Europe, scores of gentlemen and some ladies set off on 바카라사이트ir Grand Tour, that peculiar combination of pleasure and education. At a time when cultural capital was making some stand against 바카라사이트 primacy of financial capital, 바카라사이트 Grand Tour became an interesting arena for a kind of critical tension, a struggle for values. And that struggle still requires endurance today, in 바카라사이트 Tour de France - but also in 바카라사이트 academy.

What goes around comes around; but maybe, just maybe, 바카라사이트 increasingly tragic cycles into which 바카라사이트 academy is in danger of falling can be redirected by 바카라사이트 academic peloton next year. After all, 바카라사이트 Tour takes a different route each cycle. And we can reassert our own directions, our own values, too.