Fred Rodriguez

(image by Frank Steele via flickr)

Who can catch Fred Rodriguez? Over the last two decades, the 34-year-old cyclist known as "Fast Freddie" has gone from being a kid learning bike tricks to one of the top names in U.S. cycling.

Born in Colombia and raised in Los Angeles, Rodriguez was a self-proclaimed BMX daredevil when his father, a bicycle shop owner, gave him a faster, more aerodynamic road bike and introduced his first love: speed. As a child, Rodriguez built strength and endurance by climbing to the top of LA's San Bernardino mountains on his bike – riding alongside his father and siblings. Twenty years after his first race, the lanky sprinter has over five Tour De France appearances and three United States National Road Championships (2000, 2001, 2004) under his belt (cycling superstar Lance Armstrong won the race in 1993).

Always a favorite among U.S. fans, Rodriguez is among a handful of American riders pushing to increase youth participation in the niche sport. He created the Fast Freddie Foundation, a non-profit organization designed to help students balance their schoolwork and the demands of professional cycling. It's a dilemma that he wishes he had confronted differently: "I tried to go to college, I was too scared I wasn’t going to go to the next level because I would miss events, miss training.

Despite being a naturally gifted athlete, Rodriguez insists the key to success is hard work and perseverance: "I look at my whole career, and going back to when I was a junior, I was a talented rider, but there were a lot of guys as talented as I was. The difference is that I always get up and keep coming back."