Competitors don't bitch, they compensate.
Excuses are rampant.
He beat me because he weighs less.
He beat me because he has a nicer bike.
He beat me because he got more sleep.
He beat me because he has more time to train.
He beat me because he can afford a coach.
He beat me because he regularly rides these trails.
He got the promotion because the boss likes him better.
He got the promotion because he can work longer hours.
He got the promotion because his father works here.
He got a better grade because he kisses the professor's ass.
He got a better grade because he has more time to study.
He got a better grade because his teammate did all the work.
He got a better raise because he took credit for work that wasn't entirely his.
He got into the university because his father is an alumnus.
He got the pretty girl because he's more attractive.
He has more friends because he's funnier.
He's so good because he doesn't have anything better to do.
The list goes on.
I get it. Sometimes genetics and luck and circumstances can provide the edge needed to win out. It happens. Predisposition towards success in a discipline is absolutely a factor. But a majority of the time the loser just got plain out-trained and/or outperformed.
It's as simple as that. The winner trained and performed harder/smarter/[blank]er than the loser and the results showed it.
But there are few rules in these games, and none of them say that losers can't play the same way as the winners. This means that you can weigh less, save up for a nicer bike, sleep more, make more time to train, save up for a coach, ride the race trails more often, research charisma skills, work longer hours, compensate for nepotism, kiss ass, make more time to study, make friends with the smart kids, work harder, work harder, lift/wear nice-fitting clothes/groom properly, and make more time.
Socioeconomic or genetic factors may limit the extent of how far these measures can be taken, but most of them are within the grasp of the average person. Like most things in life, the decision come down to priorities, and those who win have made their priorities clear.
Will you?