The Evolution of American Bicycle Racing: The Glorious History of American Cycling and Its Flourishing Future
Lance Armstrong is a household name the world over. But how could a cyclist from the United States so dominate the world’s most grueling sporting event—an event Americans weren’t even invited to compete in just decades earlier?\ In this revolutionary book, Lou Dzierzak explains how key races and landmark events brought American cyclists out of obscurity and made them internationally dominating competitors.\ Six-day races, road racing, track racing, and legendary cycling performances at home...
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This book not only documents the glorious history of American cycling but also its flourishing future. Included are chapters on six day races, road racing, track racing, BMX, mountain bike racing, triathlons, cyclo-cross, and a step over the pond to some famous European classics being won by an unprecedented number of Americans, including the Tour de France. Good visual support from each era of cycling with historic and current photography. Sidebars containing oral history from key players in all specialties.
Americans in the Tour de France\ \ The world's most recognized bicycle race started in 1903. Expect for disruptions cased by world wars, the Tour de France captivated the attention of European bicycle racing enthusiasts.\ For decades, America's best racers stayed home. The United States cycling governing bodies downplayed the importance of international racing events and provided little financial or logistic support for the handful of American racers who wanted to test their skills against the best in the world.\ Year by year, the legends of the Tour de France grew. For three weeks in July, racing enthusiasts from France, Belgium, Italy and Spain would turn their focus to the flatlands of France and the Alpes and Pyrenees mountains.\ The greatest riders of their time raced in the Tour. Two French riders, Jacque Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, won five yellow jerseys. They shared that record with Belgium's Eddy Merckx and Spain's Miguel Indurain.\ Seventy-eight years passed before the first American rider entered the Tour. Five more years were needed before an American wore the yellow jersey awarded to the winner of the Tour.\ By 2006, thirty three Americans stood with the peloton on the first day. One hundred years after the Tour de France began, an American racer matched the performances of Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault, and Indurain. And he would not stop there.\ After Lance\ For seven years, America's growing interest in professional bicycle racing followed the arc of Lance Armstrong's success at the Tour de France. Television ratings at the Outdoor Life Network soared to record levels and corporations negotiated multi-million dollar endorsement contracts with Armstrong. Even the most casual sports fans debated Armstrong's chances to repeat from year to year.\ At the edges of the bright media spotlight, another set of riders prepared to take Armstrong's place when he retired. After long careers supporting Armstrong, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, and Floyd Landis were leaders of their own teams.\ As Armstrong's career came to a close, new professional racing teams were formed, a new American stage race was launched, and for the first time in eight years, a new American racer stood on the podium in Paris.\ Building the Next Generation of American Racers\ \ If winning the Tour de France is the measure of success for professional bicycle racers, American riders are on top of the world. Greg LeMond, Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis captured 11 yellow jerseys in the last 20 years. LeMond and Armstrong have retired and Floyd Landis faces an uncertain future, hampered by hip replacement surgery and doping controversy. In their mid-thirties other leading Americans George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer and Bobby Julich are closer to the end of their careers than the beginning.\ For amateurs, an Olympic gold medal on the road or track is the ticket to million dollar endorsement deals and professional contracts. Stepping on an Olympic podium requires years of hard work, dedication and financial support.\ Where will the next generation of elite American racers come from?
Comments John Howard Wayne Stetina Michael Aisner viiAcknowledgments viiiForeword Phil Liggett ixIntroduction 1Timeline 4The Early Years of American Bicycle Racing 10Bicycle Racing's First Stars 11Who Is the Fastest American Cyclist? 11Early Heroes 12Track Stars 15The Six-Day Grind 18The Racers Take Control 25The World War II Era 26The Tour of Somerville 28Fitchburg Longsjo Classic 34The Rebirth of American Bicycle Racing 36Champions of the Road 37Road Racing Returns to the Front Page 38The Business of Cycling 40The Growth of International Competition 41Americans at the World Championships 44The Numbers Skyrocket 55The New Professionals 59The Shimano Team 59The Rebirth of Track Racing 60The 1970s Bring Changes 69Olympic Dreams on America's Bicentennial 71The Rising Stars of the Late '70s 73The Rise of Sponsorship 79The Decade of Firsts 79The Tour of Texas 80The Sponsorship Game 82Redlands Classic 87Tour of the Americas 90The Fight for Control of Professional Racing 92Olympic Dreams Lost and Found 97America's Golden Olympics 97Blood Doping Scandal 98Back to Reality 99The Pursuit of Olympic Gold 100Administration and Insurance 115Bicycle Racing in the Modern Era 118America's Growing Competitiveness 119The World Takes Notice 119Andy Hampsten and 7-Eleven 120Hampsten il Conquistatore 121Americans in Paris 123The Pan American Games Come to Indianapolis 125The Pan American Games 125America's First Homegrown Racing 135The Coors Classic 136The "America's Tour" 137Turning Pro 147Racing for the Stars and Stripes 147The CoreStates USPRO Cycling Championship 148The USPRO Championships 149The Tour de Trump 156The Tour DuPont 158The Pros in the '90s 162The Women's Challenge 164The Lance Armstrong Era 173A Rising Star at the 1991 National Championships 173Corporate Teams 174Races of the Early '90s 175The Fight for Control of Professional Racing 178Americans in the Tour de France 181Lance Armstrong's Saga 207Racing in the Next Millennium 217Dark Shadows 217Doping, Drugs, and Scandals: Searching for a Competitive Edge 218New Sponsors 225New Races 227New Heroes 229Afterword Jonathan Vaughters 233Index 235About the Author 245
