Patrick Bevin on USA vs Europe

Apr 23rd, 10. Like every young cyclist, when Patrick Bevin decided to make cycling his career he faced tough decisions - if/when to go overseas and whether to head to Australia, USA or Europe. 

Here's his story.

Patrick Bevin racing and winning in the USA. Photo courtesy ©Pat Malach Oregon Cycling Action

RoadCycling.co.nz keeps an eye on all the Kiwi blogs and when there's a particularly good post we ask permission to republish the story.  

Bevin's post on his decision to race in the US and not Europe, titled "The Romance of Bike Racing" is a good insight into the pressures, preconceptions and choices New Zealand's next pro-cyclists have to make.

"Just some thoughts from a bike rider whose path is slightly different from a large percentage of people in the same position before him," said Bevin.

The Romance of Bike Racing - by Patrick Bevin

As a young cyclist with professional ambitions, the USA is not really the first destination thought of when packing bags and setting sail to have a crack at stepping up the cycling ladder.

Europe is more often than not the first port of call generally for a large number of reasons (myths) shoved down your throat by the 'old school euro dog'.

Sure Europe is the heart and soul of bike racing, but as a young rider who is fresh out of the junior ranks I am believing that the scene in the US is a good direction to go.

To be fair there were a lot of people who gave me advice while I decided how I was going to further my career, and honestly I had to be torn (kickin' and screamin') from a plane ticket to Belgium.

I think I have been here [in the US] long enough now to have a solid understanding of how the scene works here.

The first thing I was told when I announced my plans for 2010 was that 'racing in the US is all crits and is all too easy'. Well I have been here a month and ridden one criterium (Dana Point), and I can assure you that it wasn't easy!

My race calender over the next month – Cherry Blossom Stage race, Tour of Gila and Joe Martin stage race – hmmmmmmm none of which are going to be easy.

Like anywhere there are easy races and hard races. It seems to be that people in cycling circles foam at the mouth as soon as the race is called 'Ronde de Van blah blah blah' or races up 'Mur de nowhere'.  Just because that dodgy Belgy rider chopped you and yelled at you in Flemish doesn't make it romantic...

USA has a funny niche, you're a true amateur but for all races, bar a handful of the top top elite ones, you can line up against any number of professionals. What better way to make a name than bump elbows with the country's best?

I don't know what the future holds – for all I know I may end up in the low lands of the Flanders fields racing my ass off for food and rent next year.

I am not denying that Europe is the holy grail as a professional, just that there may well be more than one way to get there. I do know that I am not going to finish out the year hating cycling and hating the fact that I live in a country whose language I don't speak – and that's got to be a good thing.

I saved the best comment I got until last (and I would have got this a dozen or so times)... 'But Europe is where the money is....'

Yes, and as an amateur anywhere in the world we all earn the same and, to be brutally honest, I am not in this for my bank balance!!

If financial security is what I was seeking I would have gone to university.

Related article

• Kiwi international cyclist's blogs and twitters
• Three wins from three US races for Patrick Bevin

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