I am under the impression that he was a fairly accomplished cyclist even before 1980. I know that same year he qualified as the Olympic alternate for the Kilo in Moscow; which we boycotted. I guess everyone knows that he went on to win the U.S. Pro road championships as well as start the Tour de France; which he crashed out of.
He came to Long Island several times with the 7-11 team. I remember him winning the criterium at Oyster Bay at least twice and the one in Babylon once. These races where contested by all the top national caliber teams at that time... Us local-yocals were hangin on for dear life!
While we are on the subject; Greg LeMond came to a race in Point Lookout, Long Island in the fall of 1979. He was the reigning Junior World Champion and he had just turned pro with Renault. He flew into town for the race. The promoter who was supposed to pick him up at JFK didn't show up, so he called a cab to take him to the motel. When he got there he discovered that his room was not paid for, as promised, by the promoter. He rode his bike over to the race venue but refused to ride. He watched the pro1,2 race from turn 3 leaning against his bike. There was only one other spectator there... me. I had gotten 6th in the cat 4 race and was hanging out trying to act cool in my Addiletes. Would you believe that I stood there for a couple of hours and never had the nerve to say hi? Later some guy came over and started chatting with Greg and I took their picture...
Jamie Swan - Northport, N.Y.
Raoul Delmare wrote:
> Remembering , after seeing the television coverage of him winning all of
> those Olympic medals , hearing him being quoted on national television as
> saying something fairly close to , "I never want to put on another pair of
> skates."
>
> Then , not too much later , remember watching him closely in what was
> traditionally the first spring-time race of the Texas cycling season , "La
> Primavera" criterium race , in Austin , Texas .
>
> He finished towards the front , but I don't think he led the race once .
> He was working hard , trying hard . And he clearly was trying to learn
> how to do something fairly new to him .
>
> Raoul Delmare
> Marysville Kansas
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Faulkner" <dfaulkne@arb.ca.gov>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>; "brad stockwell"
> <brdstockwell@yahoo.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 10:27 AM
> Subject: [CR]Eric Heiden's whereabouts
>
> > CR List and Brad Stockwell --- Brad Stockwell asked about Eric Heiden
> current haunts. Local rumor, strongly supported by the Pacific Bell
> telephone directory, has it that Eric Heiden is an orthopaedic surgeon here
> in Sacramento, California.
>
> >From Pac Bell:
>
> Heiden Eric A MD orthopedic surgery UC Davis Medical Group Office
> 4860 Y Suite 3800 ..................................734-5883
> Appointments .........................................734-2700
> Sports Medicine 2825 J Suite 400 ............734-6805
>
> > Maybe he's that guy who whooshes past me on the Amertican Rive Bike Trail
> on Sunday mornings . . .
>
> --- David Faulkner,
> breathing hard from trying to catch him in
> Sacramento