Inigo Cuesta. The wise old man of the peloton.

Ladies and gentleman, Inigo Cuesta, the wise man of the peloton. At age 40 and ready to ride his 16th Vuelta, Inigo Cuesta is a veritable fountain of wisdom.

“I realized what I know about this sport and life, because overnight everything can change. It shouldn’t be forgotten: one day you’re in front and another behind. But we must not surrender,” said Cuesta.

Pause for a moment and let that sink in. The man is Socrates, the man is Maslow, the man is Deepak Chopra. That statement encapsulates everything you need to know about life whether you’re deep in chemo therapy or a clueless teen just beginning to wake up to life’s glorious possibility.

Indigo Cuesta has no need for a 6 month buddhist ashram in India, or a sabbatical at the Vatican, he doesn’t have to read new-age writers like Eckhart Tolle. Maybe he’s just ridden his bike so many thousands of miles that the essential truths were finally delivered to him on some roadside — a mountain summit perhaps, or a feed zone encounter with Jesus or Plato or Lao Tzu.

“Success is the result of the work of many people, not just winning.” These are not the words of some fast pedaling numbskull but someone who’s looked life straight in the eye, without illusion. He knows these truths in his bones and it’s inspiring to hear them said with such simple honesty and conviction.

Inigo Cuesta, we salute you. When you write your book of philosophy we will be on Amazon ready to buy. When your 16th Vuelta rolls around we will be following the big names but constantly searching for your whereabouts. You’ve jumped into the category of “riders we must pay attention to.” You are the sage on two wheels, the guru of Cervelo.

“I maintain the illusion of the first day [on the bike] and so far I can still easily go out and train,’ he said. That, friends is what the Buddha called beginners mind. He’s keeping life fresh and close to the original joy.

Who knew we would find our spiritual guide on a racing bike? Could Lance Armstrong’s people set Inigo up with a Twitter account? Because this is a guy who could provide us with a daily dose of perspective and insight. Is it too late to bring Inigo into the Radio Shack fold where he could dispense his wisdom in a weekly pod-cast?

In these dark, under-funded times we need his steady consul, his unshakeable faith. The cult of Inigo forms as we speak.