what's the best way to illustrate an article for a magazine? _ emotional approach

As an illustrator sometimes we have to apply storytelling to articles (this one on sports).
As in a fairy tale, we have to empathize with the plot and beware of  all the ups and downs and shades of grey. what is most important to communicate? 

• The best option to tell a story is to read carefully and know where you're suspense and best moments will be. In an article those moments are dictated by content, but! everything lights up when you are able to
• Be passionate about your subject.
• Find your personal view and tell your story. Leave your fingerprint.

Here's a practical example: I recently draw and did the layout for this 2 spreads in memory of Joaquim Agostinho, who died 30 years ago, on 10th of May while competing in Portugal. 

It was wonderful to read about this legendary athlete through Fernando's words (I guess he is an admirer too) and to be able to negotiate some more space for the image. ;)
So I was passionate about what I've read so i carried out some more investigation just because I couldn't help it! I felt in love with his unbelievable determination:  Agostinho was the kind of man that would fall, crush his bike into pieces and finish the race carrying his bike to the finish line, the kind of warrior that is literally dying and gets back on his bike begging his colleagues to stay close and don't let him fall before the finish line.
An Aries like me!! (empathize? check!), a simple man with a passion for what he did (check again!!), besides all this he started out as a farmer, not a cyclist, but a man that would ride his bike to work on fields. Legend says he would pass the professional cyclist team with no effort, carrying a big pottery, no wait! carrying a pig!! :) and that's how he got noticed.
Now the fingerprint: this is my dad riding his bike, it soon becomes Agostinho going to work on my head, so this photo becomes a drawing and that drawing becomes a homage to both.



I took this photo on vacations in Trás-os-Montes  - my dad rides his bike to keep me company on my morning runs, as you see he wears boots to go into the fields and show me around: the land that on the family for centuries, the small portion he bought to make way for a tractor, how a new tree was hanging up after a graft, where we can pick some fruits and vegetables for a next meal... and how they are hiding from sight. running and hunting for greens!! :D
You can find this article in magazine "Ciclismo a fundo n.º 32"
And here some more about Agostinho: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joaquim_Agostinho