Lesson 4 The Spirit of Sports
From a Kid to a Champion
My name is Bliksem, which means “____.”
My ____ named me this because they wanted me to be faster than anyone else.
Born in the Netherlands, a country with more bicycles than people, I learned to ____ a bike almost as soon as I could walk.
I loved feeling the breeze in my ____.
When I was eleven, a junior bicycle ____ was held in our small town.
I ____ the race as the youngest rider.
____ the race started, I looked around the crowd, and I couldn’t believe my eyes!
My hero, Gabriel Martinez, the cycling world champion, was ____ there!
I ran over and asked, ____ Gabriel Martinez, right? Can I have your autograph?”
He smiled and ____, “If you win, you can.”
Excited by what he said, I pedaled harder ____ ever.
I came in first and Gabriel was ____ at the finish line.
As promised, he handed me his autograph ____,
“You outran the ____ by two laps! You’re a real racer, kid!”
Since ____, Gabriel has been my mentor.
When I turned nineteen, he brought me into his professional team, where only the most skilled and passionate ____ came together.
I felt small and ____.
I could sprint the fastest on flat ____, but I always fell behind in mountain races.
The Netherlands is mostly flat, so I had rarely cycled up steep ____ before.
Gabriel was from Bogotá, Colombia, which is high up in the ____.
He had a lot of experience in riding on hills and mountains, so he was always the ____ to arrive at the top.
He would say, “Riding uphill is ____, but the view at the top is fantastic. Never stop pedaling, kid.”
Motivated by Gabriel’s encouragement, I participated eagerly in all the ____ courses, especially the uphill ones.
Soon after, my efforts ____ paid off in one of the mountain courses.
As a domestique, ____ supports the leader and the team during a cycling race, I was riding in front of Gabriel to shield him from the headwind.
Our team was far ____ of the others.
Everything was going perfectly ____ I crashed due to a crack in the road.
All four of us fell in the crash, and the other ____ passed us by.
I was just slightly wounded, but Gabriel’s ____ was more serious.
He urged me to ____ on his behalf.
But there were a couple of more steep slopes ahead, and I ____ we had a chance.
____ read my mind and yelled,
“Remember the view at the top. Never stop pedaling whatever it ____, kid. Now go!”
Pedaling with all my strength, I finished second in that ____, but I felt a sense of guilt for my fellow team members.
I should ____ been more careful.
If I had not ____, Gabriel would have come in first place, and our team would have won.
Surprisingly, Gabriel gave me a gentle hug and ____,
“I ____ you could do it. I’m so proud of you!”
For several years,
For several ____, I assisted Gabriel in races as a domestique.
As we cycled together, our team’s ____ flourished.
____ the time came for his retirement, Gabriel asked the members if I could lead the team in his final race.
He said he could no longer ride ____ than me in the last sprint to the finish line and insisted that I ought to be the team leader.
I was ____ touched and felt a burden on my shoulders.
I was determined to make ____ proud.
Gabriel’s final race was the Paris-Roubaix, a 250 km race famed for its ____ sections.
These ____ roads were a true test of endurance, talent, and mental power for every cyclist.
As the race started, I focused on my strategy and my desire to ____.
However, the rocky and cobblestone track caused a flat ____ and I could not continue.
Gabriel offered me his bike without hesitation, ____,
“I remember your finishing the race two laps ahead of everyone when I first met ____.
Never stop pedaling, kid. ____ catch up.”
The rest of the members ____ me on and we continued, pushing ourselves to our limits.
When there were ____ 10 km left in the race, Gabriel caught up with us on a new bicycle.
He ____ in front of me and said,
“Save your energy now for the ____ sprint. We’ll help you to the finish line.”
Our speed increased as we approached the finish line, and my teammates worked hard to ____ me.
When the finish line came into ____, I began my final sprint with a rush of adrenaline, and our rivals were right on my tail, fighting for the same victory.
Finally, I crossed the finish line ahead of my competitors by a ____.
The crowd roared ____.
They ____ on me since I was the first to cross the finish line.
As I ____ on the podium holding the trophy high, I felt like the glory should go to Gabriel.
____, when I looked over, I could see the pride in his eyes.
He said, “That ____ is yours, Captain.”
It was the first ____ he had not addressed me as “kid.”
My teammates approached me as tears welled up in my eyes, ____,
“We’re counting on ____, Captain.”