--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's always the first Tour that is the…" description: "\"It's always the first Tour that is the most difficult to win.\" — Eddy Merckx" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/eddy-merckx-7014_always_it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-m_2459277.jpg" --- # It's always the first Tour that is the most difficult to… ![“It's always the first Tour that is the most difficult to win.” quote by Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/eddy-merckx-7014_always_it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-m_2459277.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/eddy-merckx-7014_always_it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-m_2459277.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/eddy-merckx-7014_always_it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-m_2459277.jpg) > “It's always the first Tour that is the most difficult to win.” [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The initial competition is often the hardest because everything is new and expectations are high. **In simple terms:** First contests are toughest. Key Takeaway Embrace early challenges. Themes sports competition mindset Mood determined optimistic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - first race - new team - career debut - training camp Key Concepts psychology performance pressure Questions to Reflect On - How do you prepare for the first big challenge? - What mental tricks help you overcome initial difficulty? A Different Perspective Even after the first win, sustaining success can be harder. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-win-637053/) [Finish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finish/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Tour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tour/) [Tour Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tour-difficult-637052/) [Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win/) ## Related quotes > [I do think about and do occasionally take my wife and son out with me on tour. It's difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-draiman/i-do-think-about-and-do-occasionally-take-my-wife-and-son-out-with-me/) [David Draiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-draiman/) > [It's got to be harder in real life to win a World Cup. But depending on if you play World Class level on FIFA,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/landon-donovan/it-s-got-to-be-harder-in-real-life-to-win-a-world-cup-but-depending/) [Landon Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/landon-donovan/) > [If I am not playing at one hundred percent, it is going to be very difficult for me to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/if-i-am-not-playing-at-one-hundred-percent-it-is-going-to-be-very/) [Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/) > [Ferrari is very political, at Ferrari everything is difficult. So if you win you have a lot of pressure and if you don't win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-massa/ferrari-is-very-political-at-ferrari-everything-is-difficult-so-if/) [Felipe Massa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-massa/) > [Majors are difficult to win whether Tiger's there or not, and it's not like there will be an asterisk by the winner's name in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-casey/majors-are-difficult-to-win-whether-tiger-s-there-or-not-and-it-s-not/) [Paul Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-casey/) > [La Liga has the best teams, who fight for all the European trophies, so it's very difficult to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-busquets/la-liga-has-the-best-teams-who-fight-for-all-the-european-trophies-so/) [Sergio Busquets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-busquets/) > [It's always difficult to win matches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-luiz/it-s-always-difficult-to-win-matches/) [David Luiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-luiz/) > [Sometimes it's difficult to win even if you are the best team. If you're not, it's more difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurizio-sarri/sometimes-it-s-difficult-to-win-even-if-you-are-the-best-team-if-you/) [Maurizio Sarri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurizio-sarri/) > [What we've been trying to do is difficult. You know it's difficult to win one, to win two. Madness to win three. But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cody/what-we-ve-been-trying-to-do-is-difficult-you-know-it-s-difficult-to/) [Brian Cody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cody/) > [It is always difficult, if you win against City, everybody expects it to be an easy win, but it will not be easy. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emre-can/it-is-always-difficult-if-you-win-against-city-everybody-expects-it/) [Emre Can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emre-can/) > [It's very difficult to win a title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bruce/it-s-very-difficult-to-win-a-title/) [Steve Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bruce/) > [It is difficult to win the heart of a Sagittarius but once you have it, it's yours for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-difficult-to-win-the-heart-of-a-sagittarius-but-once-you-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's not that difficult to win. It's more difficult to win consistently and stay on top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-otto/it-s-not-that-difficult-to-win-it-s-more-difficult-to-win/) [Jim Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-otto/) > [It's a reality here. We're a team that at this time of the season, with teams trying to get to the playoffs, it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-mcmillan/it-s-a-reality-here-we-re-a-team-that-at-this-time-of-the-season-with/) [Nate McMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-mcmillan/) > [When you lose a couple of times, it makes you realize how difficult it is to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steffi-graf/when-you-lose-a-couple-of-times-it-makes-you-realize-how-difficult-it/) [Steffi Graf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steffi-graf/) ## More by Eddy Merckx > [You need talent as a rider and I think I had that in my genes. But I think I also had a talent for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/you-need-talent-as-a-rider-and-i-think-i-had-that-in-my-genes-but-i/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Absolutely, in stage races, Froome is better than Eddy Merckx. Maybe he can win five, six Tours de France, but my focus wasn't only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/absolutely-in-stage-races-froome-is-better-than-eddy-merckx-maybe-he/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I didn't win any bunch sprints. But I won in solo breakaways, I won time-trials, I won in the mountains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-didn-t-win-any-bunch-sprints-but-i-won-in-solo-breakaways-i-won/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I always had and I still have that special desire in me to be the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-always-had-and-i-still-have-that-special-desire-in-me-to-be-the-best/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I'm not saying that every time I race I go to the very limit of my strength. But when the opportunity appears I consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-m-not-saying-that-every-time-i-race-i-go-to-the-very-limit-of-my/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I can tell you I preferred my era. Yes, they make much more money now but I preferred my cycling. The passion for racing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-can-tell-you-i-preferred-my-era-yes-they-make-much-more-money-now/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I sleep very well, thank you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-sleep-very-well-thank-you/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Doping has to be fought, cheats must be unmasked, abuse should be punished but all this should remain human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/doping-has-to-be-fought-cheats-must-be-unmasked-abuse-should-be/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [It's difficult for him, carrying the name. But Axel is doing what he likes to do, and for me, if Axel's happy, I'm also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/it-s-difficult-for-him-carrying-the-name-but-axel-is-doing-what-he/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Cycling is a good school for life. It makes you hard and gives you ambition, but you can never say you've arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/cycling-is-a-good-school-for-life-it-makes-you-hard-and-gives-you/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [The most important thing is that you're the best of your generation and I can say that I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/the-most-important-thing-is-that-you-re-the-best-of-your-generation/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Sometimes it's strange being me. I travel the world meeting people, I'm surrounded with friends and my life is full, but all the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/sometimes-it-s-strange-being-me-i-travel-the-world-meeting-people-i-m/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [I think I was three or four when I first rode and four when I first crashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/i-think-i-was-three-or-four-when-i-first-rode-and-four-when-i-first/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [No sport is 100 per cent clean - I think 95 per cent of the cyclists are clean. In the normal world, not everybody is clean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/no-sport-is-100-per-cent-clean-i-think-95-per-cent-of-the-cyclists/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) > [Miracles can sometimes happen in cycling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/miracles-can-sometimes-happen-in-cycling/) [Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) [Explore all 95 Eddy Merckx quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's always the first Tour that is the most difficult to win.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eddy Merckx" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-most-difficult-to-win/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-most-difficult-to-win/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/eddy-merckx-7014_always_it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-m_2459277.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/eddy-merckx-7014_always_it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-m_2459277.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a12/eddy-merckx-7014_always_it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-m_2459277.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's always the first Tour that is the most difficult to win.” — Eddy Merckx", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eddy Merckx", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's always the first Tour that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-most-difficult-to-win/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/it-s-always-the-first-tour-that-is-the-most-difficult-to-win/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```