FF : 3 Time U.S. PRO Cycling Champion

I have been known as Fast Freddie for as long as I can remember. I was always fast on the bike, and one day a local race announcer declared me "Fast Freddie", and since then, the nickname just kind of stuck.

I have been competing on a bike for almost 20 years. It all started back when my father owned a bike shop in Los Angeles. He gave me a used 10-speed bike that had been unclaimed for over a year. At the time I was really into BMX riding. I loved being a dare devil on the bike, doing tricks, hitting the technical courses. But that quickly changed when I got on the road bike for the first time. It was the speed that got me. It wasn't long before I realized that I had a thing for going fast.

My father noticed my interest in riding and took me on weekend rides all over southern California. The only problem, however, was that my Colombian father had it in his mind that Colombian riders can only be climbers. So, from my early days of road riding I thought bike racing was only about going uphill. My dad would actually drive my siblings and me to the base of the San Bernardino Mountains, where we would get out of the car and ride straight to the top. I was 12 years old. But, there was a worthwhile reward after completing the grueling climb, and that was the decent that ensued with speeds topping 50 mph.

I wanted to get a bit more serious about riding. I joined a local L.A. club called the 'Clinchers'. I still remember my first mass start - the fun ride from in Mexico from Rosarito to Ensenada. It was crazy - the number of riders out there all having fun, and working hard at the same time. I remember thinking, "this is pretty cool".

My father noticed I was improving day by day, and suggested I try racing. We went together to sign me up for a racing license for the 12-13 year old age category. In my very first race, I was stunned to find that I was the strongest guy in the raceðbut I was also the most inexperienced, making several mistakes during the day. I had spent too much energy trying to stay at the front that in the last 100 meters of the race, one guy came around me for the win. I was ticked. And to top it off, at the end of the race I was disqualified for riding with illegal gears (I really had no idea I had the wrong gears on my bike). I attributed it to beginner's inexperience and swore I would do better.

People often ask me why do I do what I do. It's one of the hardest sports and one that doesn't forgive when you don't put everything you have into it at all times. My answer is simple, and always the same: I love to win. It is what drives me day in and day out. Everything I do in this sport hinges on knowing that I am able to be the best on any given day, in any given race. And even when it takes 100 losses before I get that one win, the drive never wavers, because the next big win could be right around the corner.

I am very excited about my new team for 2005. The Davitamon-Lotto team is a fantastic organization all around, from riders to management and staff. This group is known for its strength in the Classics and other difficult one-day races, in addition to being possibly the best sprinting team in the Pro Tour. I believe that this team's composition provides me with the perfect setup to continue pursuing my goals of winning premiere international events, including the coveted World Cup races.

Stay tuned with my Web site this season as I'll bring you much more in terms of stories from the road, the Fast Freddie Foundation, my coffee endeavor, and (hopefully) big wins.

Fast Freddie