Imagine for a second that I am a cyclist on the final stage of The Vuelta a Bolivia . I have climbed to the summit of 4,496 metres above sea level, through the high plains of Altiplano, Lake Titicaca and finally La Paz . It is the highest and arguably the most challenging tour on the cycling calendar. When I first arrived, the locals had told me in hand expressions and broken English that the summit climb would make my lungs scream. This morning, I saw Padre Perez anoint every ambulance with holy water. Such is its intensity, I’m told he does it every morning during the tour. I know the task ahead, but knowing this did little to settle my nerves. The apprehension mostly leaves me when I’m on the road. All I can do now is focus on the game plan and the wheel of the man in front. This is the final stage. For all the pain a rider has to push through on a climb at altitude, we always hope the final ascent ...