---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you weren't a risk-taker, you were…"
description: "\"If you weren't a risk-taker, you were always going to be a step behind. You could be the best cyclist in the world, but if you weren't a risk-taker, yo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/tyler-hamilton-15370_always_if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-alw_1980555.jpg"
---

#  If you weren't a risk-taker, you were always going to be a…

![“If you weren't a risk-taker, you were always going to be a step behind. You could be the best cyclist in the world, but if you weren't a risk-taker, you weren't going to win the Tour de France.” quote by Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/tyler-hamilton-15370_always_if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-alw_1980555.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/tyler-hamilton-15370_always_if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-alw_1980555.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/tyler-hamilton-15370_always_if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-alw_1980555.jpg)

> “If you weren't a risk-taker, you were always going to be a step behind. You could be the best cyclist in the world, but if you weren't a risk-taker, you weren't going to win the Tour de France.”

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Risk‑taking is essential for achieving top performance in competitive fields.

**In simple terms:** Risk leads to success.

Key Takeaway

Embrace risk.

Themes

competition risk achievement

Mood

motivational cautious

Type

advice inspirational

When to use this quote

- professional cycling
- entrepreneurship
- investment

Key Concepts

sports psychology strategy

Questions to Reflect On

- What risks are worth taking?
- How do you manage fear?

A Different Perspective

Risk can cause severe consequences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cyclist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cyclist/) [France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/france/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Risk Taker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-taker/) [Win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/win/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [The stronger you are as a unit, the more you can control a race. The strongest cyclist in the world isn't as strong as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cavendish/the-stronger-you-are-as-a-unit-the-more-you-can-control-a-race-the/)

[Mark Cavendish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cavendish/)

> [When I won my first Tour, the second-placed rider was some 18 minutes behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-merckx/when-i-won-my-first-tour-the-second-placed-rider-was-some-18-minutes/)

[Eddy Merckx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddy-merckx/)

> [The idea behind the Anti Tour was people asking me how I would top the 'Aphrodite' tour... I thought the best option was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-minogue/the-idea-behind-the-anti-tour-was-people-asking-me-how-i-would-top/)

[Kylie Minogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-minogue/)

> [“...(he) had his own set of rules: "ride clean and ride fair." Asked by reporters how he managed to keep calm despite the attacks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesa-cline-ransome/he-had-his-own-set-of-rules-ride-clean-and-ride-fair-asked-by/)

Lesa Cline-Ransome

> [“It shouldn’t be a surprise—and it pleases me no end—that Beckett was an avid cyclist. “The bicycle is a great good,” he once wrote.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-weber/it-shouldn-t-be-a-surprise-and-it-pleases-me-no-end-that-beckett-was/)

[Bruce Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-weber/)

> [Lance Armstrong, the famous cyclist and more importantly, cancer survivor, has said 'if you ever get a second chance for something, you've got to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-n-castle/lance-armstrong-the-famous-cyclist-and-more-importantly-cancer/)

[Michael N. Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-n-castle/)

> [I certainly had no natural ability as a cyclist!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hoy/i-certainly-had-no-natural-ability-as-a-cyclist/)

[Chris Hoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hoy/)

> [“In a very simple way the amount of pain that a professional cyclist goes through, even on a normal day, far exceeds what most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charly-wegelius/in-a-very-simple-way-the-amount-of-pain-that-a-professional-cyclist/)

[Charly Wegelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charly-wegelius/)

> [“I remember that one day, when we were in a car tooling along at top speed,we crashed into a cyclist, an apparently very young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-bataille/i-remember-that-one-day-when-we-were-in-a-car-tooling-along-at-top/)

[Georges Bataille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-bataille/)

> [I'm kind of against car culture - I've always been a cyclist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-needles/i-m-kind-of-against-car-culture-i-ve-always-been-a-cyclist/)

[Sharon Needles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-needles/)

> [“First was a lone cyclist, in a red jersey, toiling intent and confident out of the westering sun, passing to the melody of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/first-was-a-lone-cyclist-in-a-red-jersey-toiling-intent-and-confident/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [It's a risky business being a cyclist in the UK, there are a lot of people who really dislike us. It's the Jeremy Clarkson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-pendleton/it-s-a-risky-business-being-a-cyclist-in-the-uk-there-are-a-lot-of/)

[Victoria Pendleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-pendleton/)

> [“I don't encourage blasting through stop signs or riding like an idiot. I want to make that clear. But given the number of riders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-petersen/i-don-t-encourage-blasting-through-stop-signs-or-riding-like-an-idiot/)

[Grant Petersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-petersen/)

> [I am kind of like a diesel. It is the cyclist in me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-hughes/i-am-kind-of-like-a-diesel-it-is-the-cyclist-in-me/)

[Clara Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-hughes/)

> [I've always been a keen cyclist, I'm very close to the world of cycling. Not just cycling really - also walking, adventures, being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-ve-always-been-a-keen-cyclist-i-m-very-close-to-the-world-of/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

## More by Tyler Hamilton

> [“Here’s what I was learning: secrets are poison. They suck the life out of you, they steal your ability to live in the present,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/here-s-what-i-was-learning-secrets-are-poison-they-suck-the-life-out/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [“a faster cadence put less stress on the muscles, transferring the load from the physical (the muscle fibers) to a better place: the cardiovascular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/a-faster-cadence-put-less-stress-on-the-muscles-transferring-the-load/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [“Slowly, inch by inch, I felt myself recovering. After a few weeks, the darkness began to recede; my appetite for life returned. Haven was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/slowly-inch-by-inch-i-felt-myself-recovering-after-a-few-weeks-the/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [“You can tell a rider's fitness by the shape of his ass and the veins in his legs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/you-can-tell-a-rider-s-fitness-by-the-shape-of-his-ass-and-the-veins/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [“One day I'm a normal person with a normal life,” he said. “The next I'm standing on a street corner in Madrid with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/one-day-i-m-a-normal-person-with-a-normal-life-he-said-the-next-i-m/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [“losing weight was the hardest but most efficient way to increase the crucial watts per kilogram number,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/losing-weight-was-the-hardest-but-most-efficient-way-to-increase-the/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [Lies suck; they tear you apart from the inside out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/lies-suck-they-tear-you-apart-from-the-inside-out/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [“truth is a living thing. It has a force inside it, an inner springiness. The truth can’t be denied or locked away, because when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/truth-is-a-living-thing-it-has-a-force-inside-it-an-inner-springiness/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [Once in a while, when I was younger, I'd lie, then tell the truth, and I'd feel better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/once-in-a-while-when-i-was-younger-i-d-lie-then-tell-the-truth-and-i/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [I discovered Boulder not through cycling but skiing. I was recruited by the university for the ski team, and in my opinion, it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/i-discovered-boulder-not-through-cycling-but-skiing-i-was-recruited/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [I'd never really experienced the West before moving to Colorado. The East Coast, where I grew up, has a lot of big cities, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/i-d-never-really-experienced-the-west-before-moving-to-colorado-the/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [“What people don't understand about depression is how much it hurts. It's like your brain is convinced that it's dying and produces an acid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/what-people-don-t-understand-about-depression-is-how-much-it-hurts-it/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [They've pushed me down a big ravine, but I'll get back up to the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/they-ve-pushed-me-down-a-big-ravine-but-i-ll-get-back-up-to-the-top/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [Boulder was my U.S. base for the better part of 20 years, and it will always have a special place in my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/boulder-was-my-u-s-base-for-the-better-part-of-20-years-and-it-will/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

> [“Then there’s the superstition about spilling salt. One night midway through the Tour of Italy, my CSC teammate Michael Sandstød decided to risk breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/then-there-s-the-superstition-about-spilling-salt-one-night-midway/)

[Tyler Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

[Explore all 43 Tyler Hamilton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/)

## 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

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If you weren't a risk-taker, you were always going to be a step behind. You could be the best cyclist in the world, but if you weren't a risk-taker, you weren't going to win the Tour de France.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tyler Hamilton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-always-going-to-be-a-step-behind/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Always"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-always-going-to-be-a-step-behind/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/tyler-hamilton-15370_always_if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-alw_1980555.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/tyler-hamilton-15370_always_if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-alw_1980555.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/tyler-hamilton-15370_always_if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-alw_1980555.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If you weren't a risk-taker, you were always going to be a step behind. You could be the best cyclist in the…” — Tyler Hamilton",
                "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": "Tyler Hamilton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hamilton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If you weren't a risk-taker, you...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-always-going-to-be-a-step-behind/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hamilton/if-you-weren-t-a-risk-taker-you-were-always-going-to-be-a-step-behind/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
