41.The day before the tournament opened，a meeting was held to boost the athletes.Mr.Zhang，the manager，delivered a long speech in which he gave a boost to the morale of the team.Kama and Gongbu，who sat at the back row，began to complain in whisper，"Mr.Zhang is ****** such a prolonged speech.He rambles from international situations to China，from Iraq to Afghanistan..." A trouble-maker sitting beside said impatiently in a sarcastic tone，"What an able manager，being so eloquent in the right time！" "Do you think our manager is good for nothing but eating and sleeping？An eloquent speaker absolutely he is.If some other leaders were not to give their speeches，he would talk about the universe，the moon and the Mars，UFOs and space exploration." Mr.'s words sent the athletes around him into laughter.Zhang realized that he talked too much，so he took the chance to put an end to his speech，"That's all I have to say.Thank you.Now let's welcome Mr.Pierre to talk about the tactics for the game.Clap up！"
42.In the enthusiastic applause Pierre walked up to the rostrum，adjusted the microphone and sat down.His usual seriousness was gone and he spoke with smiles，"People，the tournament will begin tomorrow.And now I require every contestant remember three words： follow，stick and surpass."
43."First，to follow.You must closely follow the best opponents so that they can't get rid of you.Second，to stick.The second-string should stick to the main players of the opponent team，hindering and impeding them by all kinds of techniques and tactics，as I have done you." He paused，took a look at Kama and then he continued，"In this way，you will assist our main players to achieve a good place.Third，to surpass.That means you should try to surpass our opponents by whatever tactics you can find.Try to defeat them and win the game.To surpass our opponents，we firstly need overall competence，which decides who survives and who is eliminated.To surpass our opponents，we should surpass ourselves first.In order to surpass our opponents forever，we should surpass ourselves continuously." After a brief pause he proceeded，"Here I would like to talk about my own experience.When I was a boy，I believed cycling is a sport free from the poison of money.It is so pure，so different from the filthy football gambling.And that is why I chose cycling as my career."
44."Besides，I believed that cycling gives man a decisive role to play regardless of science and technology.In an age of globalization，the bicycle manufacturing technology is almost equally available around the world.Asia and Latin America can make bicycles as perfectly as Europe.So，it is the players that determine the results of a contest.Bicycling，therefore，is much better sport than yachting and Formula Racing，which involve machines.Bicycling is the only and most ideal sport in which human beings carry out a speed exercise by means of a very ****** device.With this knowledge，I found my goal of life，a right cause that I would fight for.And I have been fighting for it ten years.Ten years around！"
45.He cleared his throat and went on，"Bicycling is universally acknowledged as one of the best sports for it is economical and free of environmental pollution.It does save large facilities or big capital.Besides，bicycling is a fair sport.I hope you love it and pursue it as your lifetime career just like me.Now，Kama，would you please tell us how you feel about the Tour of Qinghai Lake？" He asked Kama unexpectedly.Kama stood up and answered almost without thinking： "I will do whatever I can to glorify my nation." "And Gongbu，how do you feel about the event？" Pierre asked Gongbu."Qinghai Lake is my mother lake and I will love the Tour of Qinghai Lake as my life." Pierre nodded his head in approval，"Good，good.Very good！"
46.Just before he continued his speech，he was interrupted by Gongbu，who asked，"Mr.Pierre，I would like to know how you feel about the Tour of Qinghai Lake？" Pierre was not surprised at this question at all because he knew them well and he knew that they would ask him a question in return.He hadn't，however，expected that the question would come so early.
47.He stood up gently and remained silent there while so many eyes were watching him and eagerly，expecting him to utter something.He stood there，however，still without a word.The athletes began to wonder and suspect，whispering to each other.At last，Pierre opened his mouth again，but this time he spoke in French，"Je l'aime，prendre soin et de consacrer ma vie au sport tout comme ma fille bien-aimée" He said something like reading a poem and then explained it in his influent Chinese，"I have answered that question in my mother tongue.I said I will love，take care of and devote my life to the sport just as my beloved girl.Love it heart and soul！Love it for my life！"
48.Before he finished his words，the room burst into applauses.Very quickly Kama and several other athletes rushed to the rostrum and hurled Pierre high into the air again and again.The meeting arrived at a climax and Haichu flushed with shyness at the back row.
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49.The 2008 Tour of Qinghai Lake drew to a close after fierce competitions of seven days.At the closing ceremony，big hot air balloons could be seen floating almost 100 meters high in the sky.From the balloons were drooping colored scrolls which looked like gigantic columns towering among the banners.While manager Zhang was holding the champion medal up to celebrate their victory，however，Pierre，Kama and Gongbu had left behind the rat-tat-tat of firework and the beating drums in the car to the Snow Treasure Mountain.