Cycling: Youngster chasing dream all on his own

We should cherish a character like 20-year-old Roman van Uden.

Not only because he braved the mean streets of Auckland to launch a cycling career.

Not only because he just beat a few cycling stars, including Lance Armstrong, to win a stage during a race in the southwestern American state of New Mexico.

Not only because he had a victory ride with Armstrong in support - an unknown from New Zealand chatting rider-to-rider with the legendary Tour de France champion.

We should cherish the Roman van Udens of this world because they dare to chase dreams their own way, taking chances rather than taxpayer dollars, reminding us of those old-school athletes who had home-made recipes that brought this country a lot of sporting success.

Van Uden's dream is to be a pro cyclist and he's not even that fussed on chasing an Olympic road riding spot, nor that sure where he stands with Commonwealth Games selection.

The man who just won on a New Mexico loop feels out of the loop back home.

It was none of the free tracksuits, coaching gobbledegook or pleasing a variety of masters for van Uden. By accident and design, it was just about riding.

"I've never really been involved with Bike New Zealand - I've always gone my own way," he said.

"I never got into the system when I was young. I wasn't that serious a bike rider then.

"I grew up with young riders from Auckland who were spoon-fed and given everything they needed but they fell by the wayside. They didn't do the training and now they aren't riding at all.

"I have an independent spirit. I didn't get a lot of help. I wasn't spoon-fed and if I had been I wouldn't be where I am today having won this stage."

Where he is today is quite different from where van Uden was a week or so ago.

Before starting the five-day Tour of Gila with his Portland-based Land Rover-ORBEA team, van Uden had begun to question life on the road and what the ultra-tough world of cycling had in store for him.

But after taking advantage of two crashes on the downtown Silver City circuit, he roared to victory in the fourth stage criterium, beating a field including Armstrong and eventual Gila winner Levi Leipheimer.

Where van Uden wants to be is clear - on a major team and in the Tour de France.

Which is a far cry from where he is now.

The Land Rover team mission is to raise the profile of young riders as well as raise money for Armstrong's cancer charity work.

It turned professional only this year, the second season van Uden has ridden for them. The youngsters ride aggressively, looking to make a name and one day put more than just a meal on the table.

This is no life of luxury. Van Uden has expenses covered but no pay, although hospital visits to sick children bring a reward of their own.

Winning race cash in New Zealand simply allowed van Uden to pay back his mum Linda for an airfare.

Linda gave her son the cycling bug.

The 51-year-old, a part-time arts teacher, is a long time Ironman competitor with a best time of 10hr 32m in New Zealand and a fourth placing in her age group at the Hawaiian event.

Her son, who was schooled at Epsom Normal and Auckland Grammar Schools, flirted with multi sports but was a battling runner and hated swimming the lanes for hours. The bike won by default and it then became his passion.

"Roman is made for the criterium. He is great at getting through the gaps. I used to get calls from people when he was a kid, saying they'd seen my son weaving in and out of the traffic," said Linda van Uden.

Roman van Uden remembers this and much more about Auckland traffic.

"You would have no idea how much **** you have to take from drivers, cycling on Auckland roads," he said.

"Auckland drivers don't give you the space to be safe. There are a few who have been pissed off at me over the years and I've given them a bit back ... the fact is that cycling is the future, it's environmental and we have every right to be there.

"It's worse in Auckland than anywhere else. Auckland drivers have a serious problem. I think cyclists are an easy way to take out their frustrations with the congestion."

Van Uden's aggressive moves for gaps still draw abuse from fellow riders nowadays, but with a stage win under the belt he is finding his own space in the United States.

His father Tony owns a drainage contracting business so Roman knew how to dig deep for pocket money as a child.

He still does - and needs to for what will be a long, tough and potentially exciting road ahead.

"This is just the beginning. Winning that stage was absolutely huge for me," said the young man from Mt Eden.

"Just racing against Lance Armstrong was an unbelievable experience. It was a dream to do that and the fact that he came out of retirement made it possible.

"The crit isn't his strong point ... but to actually beat him is pretty awesome. It's the sort of result that can help me move up in the world of cycling. I need more results like this."

ROMAN VAN UDEN
Age: 20.
From: Auckland.
Height: 1.9m.
Weight: 75kg.
Team: Land Rover-ORBEA, Portland: with fellow Kiwis Logan Hunn, Mike Northey and Aaron Tuckerman.
Best results: Tour of Gila stage win, New Mexico; 3rd in NZ under-23 road race (2009), 2nd NZ under-23 criterium (2008), Auckland 1000 road race winner (2007), national secondary schools road champ (2006).