Sports-Pictorial.com
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Hitting
the
Big
Time
with
Schroeder
Iron
Story
and
photos
by
Jaime
Nichols
(Click
images
for
full
size)
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The
big
news
in
Philadelphia
is
that
the
now
18
year
old
USPRO
Championship
this
year
sees
its
largest,
strongest
field
ever,
with
200
riders
from
20
teams
taking
the
start
in
a
top
drawer
international
field
that
is
slated
to
include
USPS
Classics
man
George
Hincapie,
current
USPRO
Champion,
Domo’s
Fred
Rodriguez,
along
with
full
squads
from
European
teams
like
Mapei
and
Lotto,
and
a
full
roster
of
the
best
of
the
best
in
the
American
peloton.
All
of
America’s
top
teams
will
be
there,
and
so
will
Schroeder
Iron.
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Schroeder
Iron
is
a
first
year
pro
team
that
started
this
winter,
featuring
15
year
racing
veteran
Jamie
Paolinetti,
along
with
a
rollover
of
many
of
his
NetZero
teammates
from
last
year,
and
a
contingent
of
Neo
Pros
from
the
San
Dimas,
California,
based
Schroeder
–
Incycle
club.
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The
association
of
Schroeder
Iron
and
the
Incycle
club
began
when
Frank
Schroeder
stepped
in
to
bolster
sponsorship,
found
that
the
organization
"lacked
a
cohesive
management
structure,"
and
was
contacted
by
the
riders
to
help
manage
the
team.
Frank
says
the
hands-on
approach
wasn’t
exactly
what
he
was
looking
for,
but
he
was
"determined
to
see
that
my
sponsorship
dollars
were
used
to
the
fullest
extent."
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A
few
months
later,
Frank
was
talked
into
joining
the
road
club
to
race:
"Yeah,
right!
Me
race?"
But
he
decided
to
humor
them.
"In
January
2001,
I
couldn’t
make
it
through
a
100
mile
ride,
much
less
race,"
but
Frank
got
in
there,
supporting
the
teams,
and
"met
great
guys
like
Ken
Toman
and
Jacob
Erker,
who
really
motivated
me
to
get
in
shape."
By
April,
Frank
had
entered
his
first
race
and
"hung
in
there."
He
had
the
bug.
He
made
some
changes
to
his
diet,
spent
a
lot
more
time
in
the
saddle,
and
got
"a
lot
of
advice
from
the
elite
team."
By
August,
he
had
won
his
first
race.
Since
then
he’s
moved
up
the
ranks
to
CAT
3,
and
has
won
4
races
already
this
year.
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As
last
year
was
drawing
to
a
close,
Frank
was
realizing
that
the
team
just
wasn’t
marketed
correctly
to
potential
corporate
sponsors,
and
knew
that
he
would
have
to
step
up
again
to
keep
the
team
alive.
"I
didn’t
want
it
to
be
just
another
elite
team.
No
matter
how
hard
you
try,
an
elite
team
gets
little
or
no
recognition."
Frank
agreed
to
double
his
sponsorship,
but
if
"we
were
going
to
do
it,
we
had
to
be
pro."
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Before
long,
it
became
clear
that
doubling
his
money
wouldn’t
be
enough,
and
when
the
team
cut
a
deal
with
Jamie
Paolinetti,
it
was
time
to
double
it
again.
Jamie
"brought
legitimacy
to
the
team,"
making
it
possible
to
attract
his
old
NetZero
teammates
Michael
Johnson
and
Hilton
Clarke.
"Now
we
were
cooking!"
Frank
says.
"In
order
to
protect
the
investment,
I
agreed
to
help
manage
the
team.
My
business
sense
would
be
of
help
as
the
season
progressed."
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Since
then,
Frank
has
spent
thousands
of
unbudgeted
dollars
to
keep
his
team
on
the
road
and
"get
these
guys
to
Philly
week."
This
past
month,
Frank
had
to
out-of-pocket
wheels
for
the
team
when
their
sponsorship
fell
through.
"That’s
a
big
hit,"
says
Frank,
"but
I
want
these
guys
to
have
every
chance
they
can
get
to
do
well."
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Why
does
he
do
it?
"Fitness
and
motivation
are
my
main
reasons
for
being
involved
with
the
team,
but
also,
if
I
don’t
do
it,
who
will?"
he
asks.
"There
is
a
serious
lack
of
support
for
cycling
in
the
US.
I
want
to
create
this
pro
team,
and
hand
it
off
to
corporate
America."
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Ken
Toman:
33
year
old
Rookie
at
USPRO
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Ken Toman
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The
team,
according
to
lead
rider
and
Director
Sportif
Jamie
Paolinetti,
"really
has
a
wide
range
of
talent
and
experience.
For
some
of
these
guys,
they’ve
been
racing
forever,
but
this
is
really
their
first
year
in
the
game."
For
Ken
Toman,
one
of
Schroeder’s
neo-pros,
this
will
be
his
first
time
lining
up
in
Philly,
and
his
path
to
that
start
has
been
long
and
arduous.
A
thirty-three
year
old
pro-rookie,
Ken
has
been
racing
since
he
was
in
high
school.
Always
an
athlete
with
a
keen
competitive
drive,
Ken
took
up
cycling
as
part
of
a
cross-training
program
for
his
high
school
cross-country
team,
and
"fell
in
love
with
the
sport
immediately."
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Cycling
suited
Ken.
"I
was
good
at
it
right
away,"
he
says.
"It
favored
my
strengths
as
an
athlete:
endurance,
a
mild
amount
of
explosiveness
and
a
lot
of
leg
strength…
and
I
definitely
got
off
on
the
speed."
He
participated
in
local
Midwestern
races,
and
when
he
went
to
college,
he
rode
for
the
Boston
University
collegiate
squad.
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In
1989
and
1990,
Ken
went
to
Spain
to
study
abroad
and
rode
for
Spanish
amateur
teams,
but
returned
to
Boston,
amid
mixed
feelings
to
keep
a
promise
to
his
parents
to
finish
college,
and
tried
to
continue
riding
in
the
states,
but
found
life
as
a
bike
racer
full
of
struggle
without
the
organization
he
was
used
to
with
the
Spanish
teams.
"I
was
spoiled,"
Ken
says,
"I
didn’t
have
a
car,
and
I
was
having
to
get
myself
to
races,
buy
my
own
clothes,
pay
my
own
entry
fees…
it
all
seemed
so
bush-league,
and
I
just
quit."
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Ken
thought
he
could
pour
his
competitive
drive
into
a
career,
and
threw
himself
into
his
work
for
a
Boston
printer
and
then
later
a
litigation
group,
but
his
desire
for
sporting
competition
did
not
subside.
He
skied,
he
played
basketball,
but
the
bike
called
him
back,
and
he
didn’t
want
to
compete
if
he
couldn’t
aspire
to
the
highest
level.
"Cycling
was
really
all
that
was
left
for
me
to
compete
seriously,"
Ken
says,
and
by
1996,
he
had
quit
his
job
to
focus
on
racing
again:
"I
had
it
in
me
to
go
one
last
shot."
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On
October
9th,
1996,
Ken
was
on
a
training
ride
in
Belmont,
Massachusetts,
when
he
was
hit
by
a
car
turning
into
a
street
he
was
crossing
on
his
bike.
He
stood
up
to
give
the
woman
who’d
hit
him
a
piece
of
his
mind,
but
couldn’t
balance
and
looked
down
to
see
his
ankle
and
foot
on
his
right
leg
were
lying
on
the
ground
at
a
right
angle
to
the
rest
of
his
leg.
It
was
horribly
broken,
and
the
"pain
was
mounting
in
unbelievable
waves."
A
man
at
the
scene
told
Ken
to
calm
down,
to
think
of
himself
as
an
athlete
and
be
ready
to
tell
the
EMTs
what
they
would
need
to
know
to
help
him.
"I
was
sitting
on
the
curb,
and
my
leg
felt
like
it
was
5
meters
away;
not
even
part
of
me
anymore.
I
couldn’t
look
at
it.
All
I
could
think
was
how
difficult,
and
what
an
amazing
amount
of
work
it
would
be
to
come
back
from
this."
|
|
Ken
spent
three
days
in
the
hospital.
Both
the
tibia
and
the
fibula
were
broken
just
above
the
ankle.
Because
of
the
severity
of
the
break,
they
couldn’t
join
the
bone
together,
and
a
titanium
rod
was
inserted
to
support
it
and
recreate
the
length
of
the
leg.
"The
atrophy
began
immediately,"
Ken
says.
On
his
last
day
in
the
hospital,
they
changed
his
cast
and
the
difference
in
size
from
one
leg
to
the
other
was
already
noticeable.
|
|
For
the
next
four
years,
rehabilitating
the
leg
would
be
a
long,
slow
process.
Ken
returned
home
to
Nebraska
and
trained
with
physical
therapists
at
the
Nebraska-Frappier
Sports
Acceleration
facility.
"The
leg
still
didn’t
feel
part
of
me,"
Ken
says,
and
it
took
him
the
better
part
of
four
years,
and
the
removal
of
the
titanium
rod,
to
regain
it
completely.
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When
he
did
come
back,
it
was
with
a
very
successful
2001
season
with
the
Schroeder
elite
amateur
team.
"I
kept
choosing
cycling,
and
it
kept
choosing
me,"
says
Ken.
He
won
some
races
against
stiff
competition,
and
turned
a
few
heads.
In
December
of
2001,
he
got
a
call
from
teammate
Ryan
Cady
who
told
him
they
were
going
pro.
|
|
Cycling
is
one
of
the
most
demanding
sports
in
the
world,
and
Ken’s
commitment
to
it
is
absolute.
Ken
has
made
a
lot
of
personal
sacrifices
to
pursue
his
dream
of
racing
professionally,
but
he
says,
"The
main
thing
I’ve
given
up
is
my
fear
of
falling
behind
in
other
things:
career,
financially,
etc.
I
had
to
give
up
the
distractions
that
kept
me
from
totally
focusing.
I
had
always
had
so
many
things
I
was
doing,
none
of
them
at
100%,
and
they
just
never
added
up.
You
work
like
that,
and
you’re
never
better
than
average.
I
realized
that
I
had
to
focus
only
on
cycling
to
be
successful,
so
I
scaled
down
my
life
to
only
accommodate
cycling."
|
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"When
I
think
about
sacrifices
I’ve
made,
I
really
only
think
about
the
fact
that
I’m
doing
exactly
what
I
want
to
do,
and
that
I
wouldn’t
trade
my
life
for
anything
else.
I
am
so
fortunate
to
be
here,
and
this
is
exactly
what
I
want,
so
I
am
giving
it
everything."
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Ken
Toman
at
Irwindale
Speedway,
California
|
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Hilton
Clarke:
Born
in
the
saddle
|
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Hilton
Clarke,
ready
to
rumble
at
Pomona,
California
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Hilton
Clarke
has
been
racing
bikes
since
he
was
9
years
old
and,
with
the
exception
of
doing
an
apprenticeship
as
a
carpenter,
something
to
fall
back
on,
he
has
always
been
a
cyclist.
Hilton’s
father
was
an
Olympic
track
sprinter,
and
both
his
older
and
younger
brothers
are
both
racers,
too.
Hilton
started
on
the
track,
but
soon
switched
to
the
road.
"I
like
the
team
aspect,"
he
says,
"and
getting
paid
to
do
what
I
love.
There
are
so
many
Olympians
who
are
track
riders,
but
they
just
don’t
get
paid.
It’s
win
an
Olympic
medal
and
get
nothing
for
it,
or
join
a
pro
team
and
get
paid
to
ride
a
bike.
That’s
a
big
part
of
what
drew
me
to
the
road."
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Hilton
started
racing
individually
on
the
road
in
Australia,
and
got
scouted
by
Mike
Tillman
and
Graeme
Miller
of
NetZero.
"I
was
thinking
of
coming
to
America
for
the
experience
and
I
was
racing
in
the
Bay
Criterium
Series
and
talking
to
Graeme.
He
had
just
signed
a
contract
with
NetZero
and
thought
I
should
come
on
board
as
well.
I
think
he
really
pushed
for
me
and
took
me
under
his
wing."
Hilton
had
a
successful
year
with
NetZero
doing
a
lot
of
lead
out
work
for
Miller,
but
when
the
team
folded
at
the
end
of
the
season,
he
had
nothing
in
the
works
at
all,
and
went
home
to
Australia.
"I
trained
really
hard
all
my
winter
that
year,
and
was
riding
really
well,
and
really
hard,
because
I
had
nothing.
I
got
good
results,
came
in
second
in
my
national
criterium
title,
and
ended
up
contacting
Jamie.
He
said
he
had
a
new
team
in
the
works,
and
straightaway
he
wanted
me
on
board.
I
was
all
right
with
that."
|
|
Jaime
Paolinetti
calls
Hilton
a
"legitimate
superstar
in
the
making.
He’s
only
22,
and
he
has
a
mental
grasp
of
the
sport
that
I’ve
only
seen
in
the
best,
and
world
class
physical
ability.
His
dad
was
a
superstar
on
the
track
in
Australia,
he
grew
up
in
a
racing
household…
he
just
has
that
kind
of
mind.
He
could
go
to
Europe
right
now,
and
with
the
right
training
and
support,
win
big
races."
|
|
When
he’s
feeling
good,
Hilton
loves
racing
and
finds
clarity
of
mind
on
the
bike.
"When
I’m
going
well,
and
I’m
on
form,
I
don’t
think
of
anything
except
winning
the
race.
If
you’re
not
on
form,
it’s
tougher
and
there
are
distractions.
If
you’re
just
hanging
on,
being
under
pressure,
keeping
up
with
the
bunch
are
distracting,
but
when
you
aren’t
under
that
pressure,
you
can
think
clearly,
and
just
about
winning
the
race."
|
|
This
year
Hilton
has
been
given
the
job
of
winning
races
for
his
team.
It’s
a
role
he
relishes,
even
if
there
is
more
pressure.
"I
feel
great
about
it,"
he
says,
"Last
year
I
was
trying
to
help
Graeme
win
races,
being
more
of
a
lead-out
man,
but
this
year
the
team
has
put
more
pressure
on
me,
and
looked
to
me
for
the
finish,
which
is
exciting.
When
I
have
all
my
teammates
around
me,
and
they’re
putting
their
faith
in
me,
it
just
makes
me
want
to
try
harder."
|
|
Hilton Clarke leads Jamie Paolinetti and
US Track Champion Mike Tillman in the
Barrio Logan Criterium
|
|
Schroeder
Comes
to
USPRO
|
|
Expectations
for
Schroeder
at
USPRO
are
like
the
range
of
experience
on
the
team.
For
Ken
Toman,
it’s
a
dream
come
true
to
line
up
in
Philly.
"For
me,
it’s
a
tremendous
honor
and
challenge
as
a
bike
racer
and
a
person
to
qualify
for
this
race,
by
being
on
a
pro
team,
and
then
being
selected
by
my
team
to
come.
It’s
a
huge
achievement
for
me.
People
are
coming
from
all
over
the
world
for
this
race,
and
they
aren’t
chumps!"
Ken
hopes
he
can
help
his
team
to
victory.
"I
want
us
to
win,"
he
says,
"and
I
want
to
add
to
that
effort.
Even
if
I’m
not
strong
enough
to
deliver
Jamie
into
a
winning
break
on
lap
8,
there
are
a
million
ways
I
can
help,
and
position
myself
and
my
bike
so
that
I
can
let
a
gap
open
up,
or
get
in
someone
else’s
way,
or
chase
down
a
move
so
that
Jamie
or
Hilton
or
Michael
Johnson
don’t
have
to."
Ken
has
confidence
in
his
teammates.
"Hilton
Clarke
is
fast
and
is
feared
by
many
teams.
Michael
Johnson
is
incredibly
strong
right
now,
and
Jamie,
when
he
sets
his
mind
on
a
race,
is
very
hard
to
beat
because
of
his
incredible
tenacity."
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"I
don’t
harbor
any
illusions,"
says
Ken,
"But,
I
want
to
see
my
team
successful.
I
just
want
to
be
able
to
follow
instructions
and
be
there
when
they
need
me.
I’m
really
just
trusting
my
teammates,
and
this
is
my
first
time,
so
I’m
giving
it
100%."
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|
For
Hilton,
this
will
be
his
second
time
in
Philadelphia.
Last
year
he
"did
average.
I
got
dropped
on
the
second
to
the
last
lap.
Basically,
when
Fred
Rodriguez
and
George
Hincapie
wanted
to
start
racing,
I
started
getting
dropped,
and
I
was
struggling
before
that.
Last
year,
I
told
myself
‘I
could
never
win
that
race!’
but
times
change.
I
don’t
count
myself
out."
Still
Hilton’s
focus,
like
Ken’s,
will
be
on
helping
his
team
to
victory.
"I
almost
don’t
feel
that
I
deserve
to
win
that
race
at
this
point
on
my
career,"
says
Hilton.
"It
takes
years
to
get
there,
and
you’ve
just
got
to
chip
away…
get
a
little
better
every
year.
I
think
that
as
long
as
I
can
stay
with
Jamie
all
race,
and
he’s
talking
to
me,
coaching
me
through
it,
I
hope
I
can
be
there
at
the
finish
to
take
some
of
the
attention
off
him."
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Jamie
Paolinetti
will
be
starting
in
Philadelphia
for
the
ninth
time
in
his
15
year
career.
In
1992
and
1993,
he
was
the
third
American
over
the
line,
finishing
6th
and
8th.
Now
39
years
old,
Jamie
is
racing
in
Philadelphia
for
the
last
time,
and
he
would
love
to
make
his
long
term
goal
of
winning
the
Stars
and
Stripes
jersey
a
reality.
For
the
past
6
weeks,
his
training
has
mirrored
this
week
of
racing,
and
says
his
condition
is
as
good,
if
not
better
than
it
ever
has
been.
Leading
his
small
team
of
first
and
second
year
pros,
he
hopes
his
mentorship
of
them
has
given
them
the
tools
they
need
to
help
him
make
a
go
of
it
in
Philadelphia
this
year.
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|
"Winning
bike
races
is
really
difficult,"
Jamie
says,
"And
most
guys
never
learn
to
do
it.
It’s
that
moment
of
having
to
perform,
and
making
the
right
decisions
in
that
split
second.
Most
guys
are
so
afraid
of
that
moment,
and
of
having
to
be
there,
that
they’ll
talk
themselves
out
of
winning
some
way.
They’re
scared
to
shoot
that
three
point
shot
at
the
buzzer.
They
don’t
want
the
ball.
When
they
get
a
chance
like
that,
they
don’t
know
what
to
do,
so
they
fall
back
on
what
they
know,
which
is
losing.
Winning
is
a
habit.
It’s
something
you
have
to
learn
to
do."
|
|
Says
Ken
Toman:
"The
onus
and
responsibility
to
make
the
race
will
not
fall
on
us.
We’re
there
to
follow
moves,
and
I’m
there
to
help
my
stronger
teammates
get
into
the
right
breaks.
There’s
a
huge
advantage
in
being
an
underdog."
|
|
Schroeder
Iron
goes
up
against
the
big
boys
in
Philadelphia,
and
The
Daily
Peloton
wishes
all
of
them
good
legs
and
the
best
of
luck!
|
|
Schroeder
Iron
for
USPRO
181
Jamie
Paolinetti,
USA
182
Michael
Johnson,
USA
183
Hilton
Clarke,
AUS
184
Ken
Toman,
USA
185
Jason
Bausch,
USA
186
Pete
Knudsen,
USA
187
Ryan
Barrett,
USA
188
Roberto
Gaggioli,
ITA
189
Mike
Tillman
USA
190
Jacob
Erker
USA
|
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