Mike Stranders’ Post

🚴♂️🌟 Discover the truth behind the Tour de France with in-depth analysis! 🌟🚴♀️ Peter Hersh, PhD delves into the dynamics of today's cyclists and their performance. This piece really resonated with me as it explores whether the athletes are truly at the top of their game or if there are underlying factors influencing their success. A famous quote said it best, "The beauty of data is that it allows us to dig deeper and uncover the stories behind the numbers." 🔗 Read the full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/gkhZXSFx This article is a fantastic reminder of how data is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. By leveraging data, we can uncover truths, challenge assumptions, and drive meaningful improvements across various fields, from sports to healthcare to business. 📊✨ The beauty of data lies in its omnipresence and its potential to foster betterment in human life. Whether it's enhancing athletic performance, improving patient outcomes, or optimizing business strategies, making sense of data is crucial. Join me on this journey of exploration and see how data can transform perspectives and lead to breakthroughs. Together, let's harness the power of data to achieve excellence and innovation. #DataAnalysis #TourDeFrance #Cycling #SportsScience #DataEverywhere #Innovation #PerformanceImprovement #JMPAnalysis JMP ZhaoBin Wang Melisa Muhamed Raveewan Techaworapatana Jeremy Tee Amanda L.

Don't sweat the small stuff... try telling that to Sir Dave Brailsford. In 2003 Dave was hired as British Cycling's new Performance Director. Prior to Dave's appointment Great Britain had only won a single gold medal at the Olympic Games, and no British cyclist had won the Tour de France... ever. Dave quickly went about implementing a strategy he referred to as "the aggregation of marginal gains," which was the philosophy of searching for a tiny margin on improvement in everything you do. With his coaching staff he implemented all the changes you might expect from a young, ambitious leader. They redesigned the bike seats to make them more comfortable and asked the riders to wear heated overshorts to keep their muscles at the optimum temperature while riding. But they didn't stop there. They tested different massaged gels to see which led to the fastest recovery times. They hired a surgeon to teach the riders the best way to wash their hands to reduce the risk of catching a cold. They even painted the inside of the team truck white to help them spot little bits of dust which could degrade the performance of the finely tuned bikes. As a result of the team's dedication to the marginal gains philosophy, between 2007 and 2017, British cyclists won 178 world championships, 66 Olympic or Paralympic gold medals and five Tour de France victories. As Dave said, "The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything that goes into riding a bike, and then improved it by 1%, you will get a significant increase when you put them all together." So next time someone tells you not to sweat the small stuff, remind them of Dave Brailsford and what can be achieved when you do the little things a little better. #marginalgains #smallchangesbigimpact #continuousimprovement #1percentbetter

"Marginal Gains - 1%" The fate of British Cycling changed one day in 2003. David Brailsford had been hired to put British Cycling on a new trajectory, who introduced the "aggregation of marginal gains,” which was the philosophy of searching for a tiny margin of improvement in everything you do. Brailsford and his team continued to find 1 percent improvements in overlooked and unexpected areas. Just five years after Brailsford took over, the British Cycling team dominated the road and track cycling events at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where they won an astounding 60 percent of the gold medals available. Lesson:- 1. Identify the area, where you need improvement. 2. Improve by marginal %age. 3. Be consistent. 4. Observe the performance. 5. Maintain patience. Improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable—sometimes it isn’t even noticeable—but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. The difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. For ex:- If you learn only 1 new word everyday, by the end of the month you will have 30 new words in your vocabulary. #Shashi #LnD #SIRCLE

THEORY OF MARGINAL GAINS Sir Dave Brailsford transformed British Cycling by applying theory of marginal gains, focusing on continuous improvement in various aspects. From aerodynamics to hygiene, the team made small enhancements, achieving remarkable success. He revolutionized British Cycling, leading them from minimal success to dominating the sport. As head of British Cycling, he secured seven out of ten gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and repeated this feat in London 2012. Brailsford also spearheaded Britain's first professional cycling team, winning three of the four Tour de France events. His approach centered on three pillars: strategy, human performance, and continuous improvement. By analyzing event demands and athlete capabilities, they bridged gaps and prioritized critical success factors. Brailsford emphasized the importance of ruthless decisions, focusing on podium potential. Moving from the track to the Tour de France, they learned the harsh lesson of balancing marginal gains. Overemphasis on peripheral aspects led to initial disappointments. Identifying critical success factors became crucial. Brailsford highlighted the cultural impact of marginal gains, creating enthusiasm and teamwork. For success, unanimous team commitment was essential, fostering mutual accountability and eliminating fear of criticism. This approach, can extend beyond sports…..

It's the time of year when trail runners start looking at the events calendar and booking in races (or entering lotteries in some cases) for the upcoming season. This is my 3rd year of competitive trail running, and I got ahead of the game by organising a solid programme taking me from April to September (details of the races below if you're really bored!) I've selected a few "marquee" events like Le Marathon du Mont-Blanc and MCC, part of UTMB® week, plus a selection of new events (for me) in the Haute-Savoie region, including the Trail des Cretes du Brevon, X-Trail Courchevel and the Ultra Trail du Haut Giffre in Sameons. There are also a couple of events where I feel I have unfinished business, particularly the Trail du Tour des Fiz 5 Refuges in which I had a pretty spectacular meltdown in the heat last summer. All the events are between 30km - 70km & 1,700m - 4,100m vertical, so nothing ridiculously long this year. I'm hoping to get my 100km race index in place via the X-Trail, with the current plan to enter the ballot for the UTMB® main race (170km / 10,000m vertical ascent) in 2025 😥 Talking of filling up calendars....... (*cringe*) I noticed that LinkedIn has a new 'Custom Link' feature. I've added my Calendly link in there, so if you want to have a discussion about your Market Intelligence, Competitor Intelligence or Pipeline Generation requirements, please book in some time for a chat (also happy to spend time to discuss all things Trail Running 😁) Check out https://lnkd.in/dTY6zmqQ for services we can provide to our B2B clients. Race Calendar 2023: April 7: Trail des Hauts du Lac (Entrelacs) - 37km / 1,700m https://lnkd.in/dJGPE7CP May 19: Trail des Cretes du Brevon - 35km / 2,600m https://lnkd.in/dj5sQx8z June 15: Tour de Bostan (Ultra Trail de Haut Gifre) - 33km / 2,150m https://lnkd.in/d-kd-Shw June 30: Le Marathon du Mont-Blanc - 42km / 2,540m https://lnkd.in/djKutb_5 July 13: Trail du Tour des Fiz 5 Refuges - 34km / 2,330m https://lnkd.in/dd55pAcp August 4 - X-Trail Courchevel - 66km / 4,100m https://lnkd.in/dyNGYgSu August 26 - MCC UTMB® - 40km / 2,300m https://lnkd.in/dFsZy5_i September 29 - Trail des Aiguilles Rouges - 53km / 3,800m https://lnkd.in/ds9jrKYJ

Open to all athletes in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Cycling Road & ITT National Championships 🏆 , presented by The Catalyst Group, offer a stage that promises to bring together the best riders in the Cayman Islands 🇰🇾 , all competing for the highest cycling honour. On June 16th, it's time for the National ITT Championship. Athletes from all categories will take on a single lap of the challenging 19-mile East End Circuit , pushing themselves to their limits as they set off at 1 minute intervals. It's a race against the clock ⏱ to see who can cross the finish line with the best time – and there's no doubt we'll see some intense rivalries in action! Then, on June 17th, things are set to get even more electrifying during the Road Race Championship. With staggered distances designed for different categories, there will no doubt be fireworks as the athletes navigate the circuit. Elite Women (23+yrs) & Juniors (16-18yrs) will take on two laps of the Circuit, covering 38 miles. Meanwhile, the U23 (19-22yrs), Elite Men (23-39yrs) & Masters (40+ yrs) will be tested with three laps – 57 miles of pure adrenaline – leaving nothing to chance as they give it their all on the road. You won't want to miss a single second of these elite athletes battling it out, producing another memorable event in Cayman’s cycling history. Come out and earn your stripes! Registration is now open at https://lnkd.in/eFJjWR39. #caynationals #earnyourstripes #caymancycling #teamcayman #caymanislands The Catalyst Group Union Cycliste Internationale @c0paci @Caribbeancyclingunion

👇 👇 👇 #BDOVELO's opening event of the cycling season was held at the excellent VIA-atelier store last night. Former Women’s Endurance Podium Coach at British Cycling, now pro-cyclist with Team Coop - Repsol, Monica Greenwood (Monica G. ) gave an inspirational talk on her career. Answering questions from Chris Grove (BDO) and ex-pro Natalie Creswick (Iconic Cycling Events) and with thanks to Richard Best for organising, three takeaways for business leaders to consider: 1 – Determination and hard work are the foundations for success 2 – Balancing when to be tough and when to be loving (when managing people) 3 – Having the ability to deal with different types of people (lesson from working in a sweet shop). #businessnetworking #lovecycling

Final race for our boys in 2024 MTB Youth Championships in Sweden 🇸🇪. Today, 140 best European cyclists aged 15 started the race under sunny conditions. Leon, based on his time trial and relay races in the days before, earned himself 40th start position (you can easily spot him in the video, the only one in the Croatian 🇭🇷 national jersey). In the first lap he was already able to push through in the first 20 or so. Then, it started showering, somewhere in a rocky garden another cyclist stopped suddenly, hitting hard on breaks, Leon avoided him crashing into a tree. Himself with some scratches (bike with some more), breaking his bike seat and could not continue the race. So many life lessons learned today and through sport in general. Leon, being the oldest in our team and a captain, acted as a true leader and a proper athlete, after this incident. Not for a second did he loose temper or lowered his spirits, nor did he put blame on the other athlete or the weather conditions. It happens. People do (and say) things for various reasons. Leon knows he cannot control everything and everyone, and that life brings many other opportunities to shine. He got up, picked up the broken pieces and moved on. This week he got plenty of time to enjoy and challenge himself on a very technical course in Huskvarna. Mom washed his brand new Croatian 🇭🇷 national champ jersey, and life continued just fine. Luka had his final race yesterday competing with 97 boys aged 13. Hi did not have the best race, the quantity of mud did require for an extra grip in tires, but he managed well in the first half placing around 40th place. This is what is means to compete with true competition. Many however stay in their village and rule till death. We came to Sweden champtionships and saw what better ones do and how they do it. Mud and showers were there for everyone. No-one had it easy. Can't wait to tell you about Swedish progressive decentralised educational system! Yet, knowing that we can copy the system, all the practices and strategies, I know we cannot copy the culture, or the culture's level of thinking. That my friends, is 100 years ahead here. Perhaps the fact that it dawns here around 3:50 AM makes all the difference. 😎 #sports #cycling #stamina #grit #perseverance #leadership #resilience #growth

What does ‘good’ look like? Or ‘great’ even? This is often a surprisingly hard question to answer. Take for example cycling and the current Tour de France – how do you determine who is the best? Is it someone like: 🚀 Mark Cavendish, who has won more stages than anyone else? 🎯 Biniam Girmay, who has the greatest consistency of high place finishes? ⏱ Tadej Pogacar, who has the lowest total cumulative time? 🌍 Mathieu van der Poel, who won the World Championships? 📣 Jonas Abrahamsen, who has showcased his sponsors the most? You could make a strong case for all of the above, and many others, which is part of what makes cycling really interesting as a sport. What links them all though, is that every one of them made a choice to specialise in one area, and then be the best at that. If you spread yourself too thin, and try and do everything, then you often end up just being average. A jack of all trades, master of none. The same is true in business. That’s why indieVelo chooses to work with other companies rather than compete against them. By specialising in just a few narrow, but vitally important, areas such as credibility and tactically interesting racing, indieVelo can focus on doing what it does best, and let others do what they do best – together we can then create something truly great. #CyclingEsports #CommunityDriven #VirtualSport

The future is bright in Wales.