Chapter 10
The virtuous habits of high performance
The marginal gains approach
Elite athletes invest time not only in physical fitness and the skills and techniques of their discipline. They also work on and get support in almost every surrounding aspect of their lives.
British Cycling, and in particular its performance director Sir Dave Brailsford, is well-known for the mantra of ‘the aggregation of marginal gains’ in which the cumulative impact of a number of tiny improvements can make all the difference between winning and losing. The Tour de France may be competed over many days and stages but the margin of victory is surprisingly tiny. Chris Froome’s fourth victory in 2017 was by just 54 seconds, absolutely tiny if expressed as a percentage ...
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