Chapter 1: Abu Dhabi
Chapter 2: Yokohama
Chapter 3: Cagliari
Chapter 4: Montreal
Chapter 5: Hamburg
No one recalls all the rockets that crashed
when they see the one that succeeds. Hopes dashed
can be renewed. When mankind took the first
steps on the moon, few words were shared that cursed
the failures of before. The quest to fly
is fraught with cold defeats yet still we try
to soar once more. When the rocket explodes
dreams of the stars carry us through crossroads
of doubt and defy the inquisition
that would otherwise kill such ambition.
Back in Cagliari, Hayden had launched
his greatest rocket yet to at last staunch
his run of defeats to Alex. Back down
to Earth it crashed as the race to the crown
tilted in favour of the Brit. Recall
how broken Hayden looked losing that brawl,
how he made no mistakes yet faced the gall
of another loss and having to haul
himself back to the drawing board. More than
anything, the question concerned the plan.
Hayden possessed the strength, that much was sure,
but that knowledge offered little succour.
Somehow he had to make his move without
Alex seeing until too late. All out
warfare would not succeed; speed of the mind,
and all the cunning that entailed, combined
with his rapid running, maybe that could
see him prevail. Soon, in Hamburg, he would
have his chance to deploy this new rocket,
one designed to sneak like a pickpocket.
On Hamburg’s streets, both men keep their powder
dry in the first bout and are allowed a
respite. Kristian is also close by
and he makes his presence known with a wry
smile as he nudges past Hayden. Unscratched,
Hayden primes his rocket, the plan he hatched,
and relaxes. The final looms and his
greatest rival still blocks his path. The fizz
of the people, of the city, speaks to
the battle ahead but can Hayden do
what he has never done? Early trouble
hits him in the water. Almost double
his pack’s number escape during the bike,
yet he calmly waits. It’s too soon to strike.
Trusting his legs, Hayden recovers and
moves on, keeping quiet what he had planned.
The day takes its toll and ten men remain.
Of course, Alex is there, waiting in plain
sight for the move he believes he again
will overcome. For how long can the bane
of Hayden dominate? At least one day
more, he is sure. The swim is mere child’s play
and the ten band together on the bike.
Kristian sets the pace although, just like
Cagliari, Alex and Hayden guard
one another, primed, ready to bombard
the field during the run. But no, look there,
Hayden attacks early. With brazen flair
he slides around the rest towards the end
of the bike and is clear. The dividend
of his early move is small, but a lead
nonetheless. For this small gap he will bleed
and with perfect skill he buys more seconds.
With his rocket launched, a triumph beckons.
The thrill of flying to the stars comes not
from their great height. It is because the shot
can fail. Failure is what confers meaning
to success, no matter how demeaning
it may feel at times. In Hamburg, Hayden
risks everything in search of a maiden
victory over Alex, attacking
at the moment all could go wrong, cracking
open the race before it was ready.
The old taste of failure and the heady
scent of success mix in his head as fire
courses through his body. Even higher
he reaches, for the stars themselves, but can
he last? Alex and the rest are more than
capable of closing the gap. And still,
Hayden clings on. Excruciating pain
hacks at his will without remorse. His brain
screams for him to stop; in this atmosphere
the air is becoming thin. But he fights,
he strains, he soldiers on as the last rites
are read for his rocket. But no crash comes.
Hayden holds on and the looming win numbs
the agony for long enough to steal
the gold. Behind, Alex cannot conceal
his grimace as he is defeated by
the scantest of margins. None can deny,
though, that Hayden paid for his win in blood.
Whether it opens some kind of new flood
of success remains to be seen but that
does not matter, not while Hayden lies flat,
savouring each second upon the floor.
Success is sweet, of that he can be sure.
Yet success is almost always shaped more
by the pain of failures that came before.
—
(The full race report is available here.)
