June 17, 2020

1990 US Professional Road Cycling Championship

June 17, 1990...30 years ago today, holds a special place in my personal cycling history. This was the day I won the title of United States Professional Road Cycling Champion in Philadelphia, PA. Up until 1985, only amateur road tiles were awarded in the US, but that all changed 1985, when the first USPro road championships were held in “Philly” and won by Eric Heiden (that result may have been different if Tom Schuler’s shoe hadn’t come part in the final sprint, look it up). Tom did get his in 1987!

From the moment I read about that race, the course, the crowds and the European riders that participated, I put it on my radar. I heard the stories and could only imagine racing my bike for 156 miles (Monument distance), vying for the title of US Pro Champion on a route lined with hundreds of thousands of fans. Realize that back then, there were only a handful of US professional riders, definitely not enough to fill an entire peloton, so Dave Chauner and his staff at Threshold Sports lobbied for and received permission from the FICP (preceded the UCI, look it up) to allow foreign riders to compete in the US Professional Championships, to fill the field and bring more prestige to the race. Add to that the largest cash prize list for any one day bike race in the world at the time ($110,000) and we had a bike race, the likes that had never been seen in the US.

1990 was the second time I lined up in Philly, 1989 was reconnaissance as I saw it, getting my feet wet so to speak.  Back then, all one had to do to obtain a “Pro” license was write a check to USPro, which was run by Jack Simes, and BAM!, one was issued a pro license and could race Philly, so that is what I did. Why wouldn’t I?

I finished in the top 50 in ’89, and I know this because the payout went 50-deep and I got paid a little for that effort. Training log entry for that day (yes, I still have all my old training logs from 1983 on forward, but that is a story for another day) “Not as hard as I would have thought. Bad mechanical luck at the end” (had multiple wheel changes that day and dealt with a broken spoke in the crucial finale).

30-years on from Philly 1990 and 38 years in “cycling”, I’ve had time to reflect. I have learned a lot…about cycling, and racing, and how those experiences have shaped my life perspective and I continue to learn and evolve, I hope. Not too long ago, the realization came to me that the title I earned that day was just as much a testament to the time, effort, discipline, belief in myself and work I put in as it was a huge thank you to all those who journeyed with me up to that day.

Growing up on the central coast of California, we were fortunate to have a very robust and accepting cycling/bike racing community. The more established and experienced riders were always there to lend a helping hand, offer their perspective & support, give advice and basically nurture the newbies. These “OGs” came from all walks of life, different parts of the country and the world and had one commonality, cycling. No yelling or screaming at the younger riders when we did not do the “right” thing. We were taught safe pack riding, group etiquette, pedaling technique, proper bike fit and offered training advice. If this environment had not existed, who knows if I or any of my fellow junior racers would have continued in the sport?

Speaking of those junior racers, that core group of us that grew up on bikes, may not have known at the time or even realize it today, but bike racing kept a lot of us out of trouble. So many that I grew up with, chose a different path at certain forks on the road of life and many of them are not with us today. Part of the decisions I made had to do with cycling and part with upbringing. Ultimately I loved, and continue to love, being outside, pedaling and taking it all in.

We had weekly training rides, every day of the week, carpooled to events and hung out together. When the opportunity came up to go party and there was a race or training ride the next day, nine times out of ten we chose to get good sleep in order to be our best for what the bike would bring the next day. Bike racing was community, camaraderie and friendship. It became a driving force in my life.

Back to Philly. In 1990 I raced for the American Commerce National Bank team out of Southern California, managed by Pablo Abrahams. There were just four of us on that team for Philly, including my brother Derin (DS), Kenny Adams (The Flying Sausage) and Peter Gylling. Philly was just part of “The Summer of ’90” as DS, The Sausage and I like to refer to it. We left California on June 7th and were on the road through July 29th, racing along the east coast and midwest during that time. “The Summer of ’90” is a story for another day, there is so much material.

Regarding the race, Philly was traditionally a hot one with high humidity, not something a bunch of guys from Coastal California were adapted to. Being a small team, we had no support; no mechanic, no soigneur, no team vehicle. We worked on our own bikes, mixed our own bottles, managed our own logistics and relied on support from the race organization for neutral feeders in the feed zone. Racing for 156 miles in high heat and humidity called for a lot of liquids and not having the option of getting feeds from a team car made those feed zone passes so important each lap. The neutral feeders nailed it as I recall. That, combined with the four of us all doing what we referred to as “hydration loading“ in the days leading up to the event made for nutrition and hydration being a non-issue, which allowed us to be more focused on the racing.

Don’t recall a lot of the specifics regarding the race. I do know that being outnumbered by the big teams of the day, 7-Eleven and Coors Light, as well as Spago and AC Pinarello required us to be very patient and calculated in our efforts. In other words, we did not have any matches to burn in the first 3/4 or so of the race if there was a chance to be there in the finale. Turns out that the two aforementioned BIG teams were so concerned with each other and getting the numbers just right for any breakaway to succeed that several of the smaller teams were successful in employing the same technique and making the final selection.

I do recall knowing that being right up front each lap going through Manayunk and making the right turn onto Levering St would be key to saving energy for later in the day. Being able to carry momentum through the right/right/left and onto the Manayunk Wall was something I managed to do at least eight or nine of the ten times through that section. Also recall that the finishing circuits at that time did not include Lemon Hill, we completed laps up and down Benjamin Franklin Parkway circling Eakins Oval and Logan Circle at opposite ends. 

Even with that flatter finishing circuit, coming up on six hours of racing in the heat and humidity of Philadelphia had taken its toll on the field. In the end, a group of 12 made the final selection that included Kenny and myself, 50% of our 4-rider team made the final selection. 

So there I was at 6 hours and change, 156 miles of racing in my legs coming to the line in a small group for a sprint finish, dead straight, screaming fans lining both sides of the road, it was surreal. I often did well in this situation, using my biggest gear and going from farther out than most, accelerating all the way to the line. I knew the Americans and knew I was the fastest of them all. I did not know the European riders, but liked my odds. 

Those last several hundred meters were the only point where I felt I made an error the entire day. I came off Logan circle in great position and was ready to go from way out, only problem was there was a rider on my right side blocking my path to a clear shot at the finish line. “No problem” I thought, just give him a good bump or two and get to the right side of the group and go. Unfortunately for me, there was a problem, the rider was John Tomac, probably the best bike handler in the group and equally as solid on the bike. When I bumped Johnny T he didn’t move, I tried again and got the same result. At that point I decided to back out of that spot and go around him. Simultaneously, the others launched their sprints and I played catch up all the way to the line. I recall there being a bike throw for first and second with Paolo Cimini getting the better of Laurent Jalabert. I crossed the line for third (first American) and remember passing both of them after the line with a head of speed, just too late. 

In the end it was a little bittersweet. I earned the title of US Professional Road Champion and the honor of wearing the stars and stripes for the next year, but I knew I had the goods to win the race and came up short…but that’s bike racing.

I feel very fortunate to have raced during that era and made many friendships through training and racing that I cherish to this day. I still love to ride my bike and to offer the knowledge I have accumulated over the years to help others enjoy cycling.

Thanks for reading and Enjoy the Ride!

~KS