By Jim Montecalvo

Staff writer

jmontecalvo@observer-reporter.com

Was it a freak accident, or was it fate? Could it have been just a momentary lapse in concentration, or was it meant to be?

Mike Friedman might never know exactly why, as a middle schooler, he took a serious spill on his BMX bike and broke his collarbone.

Friedman, a 2001 graduate of Peters Township High School, does know this: He's glad it happened.

"I decided to ride my father's cycling bike on an indoor trainer after that," he explained. "I rode more and more and eventually became OK at it."

Friedman took his new style of bike to the road and before long, he was traveling around the state, then the country and finally the world to compete in cycling events.

Now, Friedman is an elite-level cyclist and he has an excellent chance to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Friedman currently is living at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he is training for high-level competitions that will enable him to become part of the U.S. cycling team that competes on the velodrome, a steeply-banked oval track. Standard Olympic velodromes are at least 250 meters in circumference and racers can reach speeds near 40 mph.

There are trials through which Friedman can make the team, and he also can qualify through the world championships next spring or an Olympic qualifier after that. Finally, he could be added as a coaches' selection.

Before any of that can take place, the United States has to secure a spot for its team in the Olympics through a points system controlled by the International Cycling Union, the governing body in world cycling. Countries gain points through a series of World Cup events in the fall and the top 18 earn a berth in the Beijing Olympic Games.

For now, Friedman is taking advantage of his time at the training center.

"It's surreal. It's the ultimate environment for training," he said. "Everything is provided for. The room and board is paid for and there's physical therapy if you get hurt."

Friedman's specialty involves the endurance races on the track. For the Olympics, he is focusing his efforts on two in particular: the Madison and the points race.

Friedman also participates in other races. In addition to the Madison, he won the individual pursuit and the team pursuit at the 2006 national championships. Those victories, along with quality performances at other elite-level contests, merited an invitation to Colorado Springs.

"I'm living the dream and I'm very thankful to be here," said Friedman, 24. "But it's been hard work. You race and they scout you and take you to competitions.

"It's a full-time job. From 8 in the morning until 8 at night, you're going. It involves everything, from what you eat for breakfast to the training. It's all about training and tranquility. You have to be able to train hard and rest as well."

Friedman, who wrestled and ran track at Peters Township, was only one semester from completing a degree in biology at Penn State when he decided to become a full-time cyclist in 2004. That choice came with other sacrifices as well - Friedman only sees his family a few times each year - but he feels it will pay off.

"I've put my whole life on hold for this," he said. "Right now, I'm taking a leave of absence from Penn State. But I'm getting paid to ride my bike. I had this opportunity and couldn't pass it up."

Friedman spends about half the year in Europe competing and training for road races. His team, Slipstream Sports, has apartments in Girona, Spain. Friedman also spends time training for track events while overseas, but sees the value of road racing.

"Because of that road program," he said, "I've been able to excel on the track. It's given me a great endurance base."

Though he doesn't live in the area, Friedman wouldn't mind riding locally. He said the rolling terrain of Western Pennsylvania offers a more realistic look at a competitive road course than does that of Colorado.

"Surprisingly, the Pittsburgh area is great for cycling," said Friedman, who added that there are many good cycling clubs in the area. "It's a good place to train because of the undulation. There are so many roads in Pennsylvania where you can go out and just get lost."

Training, however, is something Friedman hadn't been doing much of until recently.

Last October, Friedman was driving across the country after competing at the Elite Track Nationals when he began to feel pain in his calf muscle. He dismissed the discomfort as an innocuous cramp, but about a month later, Friedman collapsed - unable to breathe - and was taken to a hospital. A CT scan revealed the pain was caused by a blood clot that moved from his calf to his lung.

Friedman had suffered a pulmonary embolism, which can be deadly. He was treated with anticoagulants for six months, greatly reducing that risk. Further testing found Friedman was genetically predisposed to the condition, eight times more likely to clot than the average person.

He was out of commission for about eight months, but now Friedman is back training for the sport he loves.

"It was a hard road coming back," Friedman said. "It's been a whirlwind, but it's such an honor to represent the U.S."

For his early success in cycling, Friedman credits his father, Bram, and Don Mosites, who owns the bicycle shop, Trek of Pittsburgh.

"Don supported me in many, many ways," Friedman said. "He was my mentor. He took me under his wing and got me started in the sport when I was 14."

Some aspects of those early years weren't always pleasant.

"I wore spandex and rode my bike to school," Friedman said. "It's funny because I was the guy getting picked on. But I didn't mind being different. I enjoyed doing what I was doing."

Nobody is making fun of Friedman now.

At last year's world championships, he and teammate Brad Huff were entered in the Madison without prior preparation and finished 11th in the 18-team field.

And Friedman said the CEO of USA Cycling, Steve Johnson, told him, if he stays healthy, he has a 90-95 percent chance to make the Olympic team.

Before he can worry about the Olympics, though, Friedman has a busy schedule in the near future. It includes criterium road races around the country and a stage race in Ireland. He'll also compete in the Tour de Toona later this month. The six-day event takes riders through Central Pennsylvania and into Altoona.

Friedman will shift his focus back to the velodrome when he competes in the track nationals Oct. 7-9. There also are World Cup events in Sidney, Australia; Manchester, England; Los Angeles, Calif.; and Beijing, China starting in November. Friedman will try to attend all four.

In the meantime, he's simply enjoying each day.

"To wake up at the Olympic Training Center and see the Olympic rings and the clock counting down the time until the 2008 games," Friedman said, "it's an amazing feeling."

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