How could I forget the Tour de France?
I think you got me there. I, your humble servant, concede my point. But I did make exception with the Iron Man, and the Tour de France is that and more.
Each sport has their own fitness requirements.
My brother used to play small-college basketball. He would play pick-up b-ball games with soccer players, and he was surprised how quickly they got winded. Their bodies were just not conditioned for the quick start/stop of basketball. But my brother knew he couldn’t run with them at their style/pace.
Tennis players and wrestlers are 2 other athletes that I can appreciate, but they have very different fitness requirements.