Li lucky to ride, even in sport's darkest days

Some say he is just lucky. Others think he has no luck at all.

Of the 250 million cyclists in China, Li Fuyu is the only one who competes in the world's top races. But the peak of his career is happening during the darkest days of the sport.

But Li doesn't believe in luck and he knows there is nothing that can hamper his determination at the Beijing Olympics.

"It is not about luck," he said. "It is about the commitment and dreams of an athlete.

"There are always good things and bad things that happen to me and the rest of the people in the world. Now I just want to concentrate on my bike and make the best possible preparations for the Beijing Olympics."

There's no denying Li has been fortunate - when he gets on a bike, he rides a $6,500 customized carbon-fiber Trek rather than the one-speed Phoenixes, Forevers or Flying Pigeons sporting fenders, chain guards, rod brakes, kickstands, bells and back-seat passengers like the rest China's cyclists.

Li, who finished fourth at the Team Sprint Event, will be the first Chinese rider ever to compete in an Olympic road-cycling race.

Throughout 2007 Li was lucky enough to ride for the prestigious Discovery Channel Team - seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong's former team - which also boasts cycling sensations Levi Leipheimer and Ivan Basso.

But while everyone thought Li would be the country's next sports hero like NBA star Yao Ming or snooker wunderkind Ding Junhui, his Tour de France dream lost some of its momentum once the sport became the poster child for abuse of banned substances.

The Discovery Channel Team was disbanded once its title sponsor pulled out after a number of top riders tested positive for blood doping, most notably Michael Rasmussen.

But Li has no regrets and he appreciates the chances the team has brought him.

"There is no need to feel sorry for myself," he said. "I have been improving since I joined Discovery Channel early this year (2007). The team is developing me and has been giving me lots of chances to compete. I hope to have the chance to ride for the team in the Tour de France, maybe in 2009.

"I am starting to get used to high-level competitions. A pro team coach says simple but important things during training, and then it is up to you to implement what you have learned in training. So what I benefit from most on the team is learning how to race my best during fierce competition."

Like most Chinese, the 30-year-old learned to ride early. Even before he was old enough to have his own bike, Li would propel his father's one-speed by pedaling with one leg struck through the middle of the bike's frame, his body pressed against the top bar.

Living in a small town in Shandong Province, Li was recruited into his local sports institute as a runner. In 1994, he asked if he could take up cycling instead. He found he had an aptitude for it,and began splitting his time between the road, mountain bike and track teams.

Although promising Chinese riders are usually pushed into track cycling, Li preferred road racing. In 2005, he joined the Marco Polo Cycling Team, China's first professional squad, which was founded with the intent of giving Chinese riders the training and exposure needed to compete in international races.

After he won the Tour of Thailand in 2006, becoming the first Chinese cyclist to win an international race, he was recruited by the Discovery Channel Team.

"I feel I've come a long way," Li said. "Chinese riders didn't have any chance for international exposure before, so the team and those overseas races really opened a door for me and let me know what is going on in the world.

"Now I want to use all my experience for the Beijing Olympics. It is hard to predict what I will achieve at the Games, but I hope I will give people a surprise. When you have competed in a lot of high-level tournaments, you will have nothing to fear during the Olympics."

Li knows the Olympic course very well, having trained there a number of times. He also knows he is one of the best cyclists in China, but he wants more.

"To be the best Chinese is not enough. I will go further," he said. "I feel I am capable of challenging anyone."

(China Daily 01/04/2008 page23)