Congratulations to local cyclist for finishing the “Hell of the North”

Written by Steevo Cummings, of the Pittsburgh Racing Blog

Pittsburgh native, Mike Friedman took part in the 107th Paris-Roubaix bicycle race on Easter Sunday, placing 99th, finishing 17 minutes down from eventual race winner Tom Boonen (in his third win).

Paris-Roubaix is often referred to “The Queen of the Classics,” of all the single day classic bicycle races.  The race itself is characterized by its length, 160 miles, and by the extreme conditions of the “roads” winding through northern France.  During the last 100 miles of the race, participants have to endure over 30 miles of cobblestone roads that date back several centuries.  The race is characterized by crashes, extreme mud or dust, and the perseverance of the eventual winner.  After racing for over 6 hours, the cyclists who arrive in Roubaix are often broken men.

Mike cut his racing teeth in Pittsburgh. He attended Peters Township high school, and began racing at the age of 14 with the Allegheny Cycling Association. After high school, Mike attended Penn State University where he raced on the collegiate level.  At the age of 18, he became the youngest American espoir (those under the age of 23) national champion.

Mike took a risk in his senior year of college when he quit to pursue a lifelong dream of being a world class bicycle racer.  He was offered a professional contract in 2005 after winning a stage of the Univest Grand Prix in Souderton, Pennsylvania. He has since been on the Slipstream/Chipolte team run by Jonathan Vaughters, a former teammate of Lance Armstrong.

Mike qualified for the 2008 Olympic cycling team for racing on the velodrome.  Velodrome racing is characterized by short, intense efforts.  Paris-Roubaix is the longest single day classic bike race in the world.  The ability to race both types of events is very rare, even among world class cyclists.

Those who watched the Versus television coverage may have seen Mike in a pre-race interview. Some may have also seen him during one of the most hectic sections of cobbles, after his teammate and 2008 4th place finisher got caught behind a crash. Mike’s job was to attempt to pace him back to the lead group.

He entered the race with little aspirations of winning and worked to ensure a successful race for his team. The race finishes with 1.5 laps on the velodrome in Roubaix. Although it wasn’t shown on American television, when Mike arrived, the last finisher of 190 starters, he was probably smiling.

Mike will probably make a few appearences at the Washington Blvd bike oval this summer, as he has in years past. If you are looking for him, he will be the one driving the argyle car with drawings of burritos on it.

Here’s a clip from the Classic Paris-Roubaix movie, A Sunday in Hell