Peterson cycling after a dream
June 12, 2008
By Administrator
North Bend product quickly becoming one to watch on pro circuit
Tom Peterson will watch this year’s Tour de France from the sidelines, just as he has the previous 10 years.
Except, this year, he’ll do so with a certain thought in the back of his mind – his time is coming.
The North Bend native is a rising star on the professional bicycling circuit. And, thanks to his finish in a few recent races and his joining up with a prestigious team, an endless stream of possibilities now sit on the horizon.
“They tell me that, according to what they think I can do, that I could be on the Tour in two or three years.
I’ve always seen those races and thought they were incredible,” Peterson said. “It’s looking pretty hopeful, so far.”
Peterson, a graduate of Mount Si High School, started out as a skiing enthusiast, before dropping that sport for mountain biking when he was 15 years old.
By the time he was 18, he had a choice to make – go to college to learn business, or attempt to make cycling his full-time profession.
In the three short years since, Peterson seems to be well on his way with the latter. He placed first at the 2004 U.S. Junior National Championship Road Race, was third overall at the 2005 Tour of Taiwan and was named the Best Young Rider of the 2006 Tour of California.
He recently became one of the 25 members of Slipstream-Chipotle Sports, a team which competes in most of the major tours around the world, including this week’s Tour de France.
Only a handful of the team members – usually more proven, veteran riders – will compete at the Tour de France, but just being a part of a team involved says a lot about Peterson’s chances for the future.
“The team knows throughout the year who they want for what race. They basically just look at what you’ve done and what you can accomplish,” Peterson said.
“I’ve done some pretty good races so far and there was a bit of pressure. I was constantly thinking about how it was going to be all-out and insane, but then I finished and realized it wasn’t all that bad.”
Peterson’s year took a bit of a tumble in March during the Paris-Nice in France. He was involved in a large crash and suffered a fractured shoulder, causing him to miss several weeks of action.
“It was the second race, it was raining and wet and cold and everyone just hit the deck at once,” he said. “I was sliding forever, like I was surfing on my back. Finally, I ended up on a patch of grass and someone landed on my back and twisted up my shoulder.”
That’s just one of many sacrifices Peterson has made for his career. Because of the need for better practicing conditions, he also lives half of the year in Girona, Spain, which is about 100 kilometers north of Barcelona in the far northeast corner of the country.
Peterson does it all – the grueling practices, the crashes, living abroad – simply because he knows how special he is when he’s on a bike.
“The biggest reason I do it is because I’m good at it. If I wasn’t good at it, I don’t know, because you’re on a bike three to five hours a day and there are these crazy races where you do 150 kilometers each day,” he said. “It’s a hard career to pick, if you’re just going to do it for fun.”
But Peterson certainly isn’t just going for joy rides everyday. He’s come a long way so far and, at age 21, could still be 10 years from his abilities reaching a peak.
“I think it’s going in a good direction. I couldn’t be more optimistic about what the future holds,” he said.
“I think it’s possible I could win a race this year and go on a winning spree. But, even if that doesn’t happen, everything seems to be pointing in a good direction.”
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434
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