Friedman back for second crack
Cyclist has vivid Longsjo memories
For a professional cyclist who lives in Spain and has competed in Qatar and France this year, the enthusiasm in Mike Friedman’s voice as he spoke about his next race was undeniable.
Undeniable, and somewhat unexpected considering its not-so-exotic locale.
“Coming back to Fitchburg is just fantastic,’’ Friedman said Tuesday by telephone from western New York, where he was visiting family prior to today’s start of the 50th Fitchburg Longsjo Classic. “It brings back some vivid memories for me.’’
It doesn’t take long to realize Friedman is someone who not only rides for a living, but enjoys the ride that life is. His stories range from a return to cycling to meeting the president (twice) to competing in the Olympics.
And, oh yeah, riding in the Longsjo for the first time.
Friedman, a Pittsburgh native, had just made the transition from BMX to road cycling when he came to Central Mass. to compete as a junior 11 or 12 years ago. He doesn’t recall where he finished in the four-stage race, but remembers how one of his first road races went downhill on an uphill.
“I was riding solo off the front and kept looking back,’’ Friedman, now 26, recalled, pointing out those over-the-shoulder peeks were counterproductive and the result predictable. “I got caught on the last climb up Wachusett Mountain.’’
Friedman overcame that setback to make a quick climb to the top of American cycling scene. At 18, he became the youngest person to win the under-23 national road race championship.
Not long after that, Friedman put the brakes on cycling after he started dating a woman. That relationship ultimately ended and Friedman soon resumed his love affair with riding, joining the club team at Penn State, where he was studying biology.
“I did it for fun, but in the back of my mind I had this thought of going to the Olympics,’’ he said.
To facilitate that seemingly far-fetched dream, Friedman left college three semesters short of graduation. It was a move that raised the eyebrows of family and friends.
Friedman only opened eyes after winning the team pursuit at the national championships in 2004 and ’05. Those results led to him landing a spot on a pro team and earning an invite to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
Things took a turn for the worse late in 2006 when doctors discovered blood clots that resulted in Friedman’s right lung being permanently damaged.
However, he returned the following year to win a gold medal in a track event at the World Cup in Beijing.
Friedman earned a return ticket to China for the Olympics last summer and before leaving for the Games was one of 16 US athletes invited to the White House to meet President Bush. A month later, Bush addressed the American contingent prior to the Opening Ceremonies.
“He actually remembered me,’’ Friedman said of Bush. “He comes up and said, ‘Hey, Mike, how you doing?’ It was crazy. It was the president of the United States. Those are the memories you can’t get in school.’’
The Olympic experience was also crazy in other, more forgettable ways.
Friedman and three other US cyclists created an international controversy when they were photographed wearing masks to protect them from smog upon their arrival in Beijing in early August.
The group was publicly castigated and ultimately apologized despite revelations by the New York Times that the US Olympic Committee had issued the masks and advised its athletes to use them.
“That whole fiasco was so negative,’’ Friedman said. “It was ridiculous . . . It was kind of a sour way to begin [the Games].’’
The racing wasn’t so sweet, either.
Friedman and race partner Bobby Lea, who is also part of this year’s Longsjo field, got off to a promising start before finishing last in the field of 16 in the 200-lap Madison event. It was a day when both riders needed to be on, and one happened to be off.
“You have to understand what goes into it,’’ Friedman said. “Things happen and you take it and learn from it.’’
A member of
“I figured I might as well see my family and race a little,’’ Friedman said. “I’m on a mini-vacation from racing even though I’m still racing. I’m coming to Fitchburg to race and have fun.’’
Friedman remembers his first Longsjo experience, being a kid and getting brushed off by the pros he looked up to. An autograph? A word of advice? A bit of encouragement? No, no, and no.
So this time Friedman has asked Longsjo race organizers if there’s anything he could do to help out the junior racers.
“Why not give something back,’’ Friedman said. “That’s what we’re here for. It’s all about racing and the show.’’
As always, the enthusiasm in Friedman’s voice was undeniable. 