ROAD RACING'S LATE-BLOOMING STAR ON A HIGH; SCHUSTER AT THE TOP AT 37.Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Staff Writer For many competitive cyclists, athletic aspirations come first. Strike while legs are young is the basic philosophy; a business career begins after the finish line. Northridge road racer Pam Schuster pedaled a different path. She took care of business first. The dividends have paid off with a fresh outlook for a 37-year-old rider while other competitors have grown tired of the sport or can no longer afford to put professional careers on hold. ``She got out of school at 25 with a pharmacist's degree, worked five years full-time, and in that time period built up equity and savings,'' said Pam's husband of 13 years, Peter, also 37. ``She's already built an economic base, whereas some cyclists have to quit to pursue a real job. She's already finished.'' ``People bring up age,'' he said. ``But she started racing late, at 30, so she's not burned out.'' Besides, many road racers remain competitive into their 40s. The question beckons: How long can Schuster remain in the game? ``That's what I'm going to try to find out,'' she said recently from her Mammoth Lakes condo during a break between races. ``But into my 40s, because it won't be too long until I get there.'' By her recent successes, there appears to be no end in sight. Earlier this month she earned her first championship in the U.S. Elite National Road Race in Cincinnati, all but assuring her a second trip to the world championship in October in Holland. (She finished in the pack at worlds in 1996; a broken hip - her worst racing injury, requiring three months of recovery - kept her from participating in '95.) In March, she placed second in the inaugural women's World Cup The Women's World Cup could refer to either the:
``I would have rather said I won the first ever (women's World Cup), and I tried,'' Schuster said. ``I was in a three-person breakaway and I tried to break away from my breakaway. But I got caught.'' She enjoys a challenging mix of trade-team races (sponsors pay riders to compete) and national-team races (riders have more opportunities for international contests; U.S. Olympic team prospects are selected from this circuit). A national team member this year, Schuster also made the squad in '95 and '96. Twice she failed to qualify for the Olympic team - in '92, because of inexperience, and '96, done in by a flat tire and a crash. However, qualifying for the Sydney Summer Games This article is about the Epyx video game series. For the international multi-sport event, see Summer Olympic Games. Summer Games is a sports video game developed by Epyx and released by U.S. Gold based on sports featured in the Summer Olympic Games. appears realistic, especially considering her World Cup finish. What will it take to be an Olympian? ``A lot of luck,'' Schuster said. ``I'll continue to work really hard, as I have every year.'' Meanwhile, she is off to Europe for the women's equivalent of the Tour de France Tour de France World's most prestigious and difficult bicycle race. Staged for three weeks each July—usually in some 20 daylong stages—the Tour typically comprises 20 professional teams of nine riders each and covers some 3,600 km (2,235 miles) of flat and in August. In the complicated arena of team racing For the style of yacht racing, see . Team Racing is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team. It is owned by driver Phil Bonifield. The team has fielded multiple trucks, usually with sponsorship from Red Line Oil and the Coverall Carports. , Schuster is known as a strong all-around rider. Her forte is climbing. ``I think her strength is twofold,'' said her husband, an accountant for defense contractor Noun 1. defense contractor - a contractor concerned with the development and manufacture of systems of defense armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; Litton Industries Named after inventor Charles Litton Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001. in Woodland Hills and a racer himself who enters more than 50 pro-am events a year. ``Foremost is her mental toughness. And as far as terrain goes, it's her ability to climb. Put the two together and you have a very good racer.'' Depending on a race course's ascents, Schuster might or might not get the call to lead her team. Earlier this month in a race in Italy, she took 12th in a supporting role supporting role n → second rôle m supporting role n → ruolo non protagonista that netted a teammate a second-place finish Noun 1. second-place finish - a finish in second place (as in a race) runner-up finish finish - designated event that concludes a contest (especially a race); "excitement grew as the finish neared"; "my horse was several lengths behind at the finish"; "the . ``Team bike racing is a chess game on wheels,'' said the Greeley, Colo., native and University of Colorado University of Colorado may refer to:
While at home, which isn't often during a racing season that lasts from mid-January to mid-October, Schuster enjoys spending time "Spending Time" is the first single released by Christian artist Stellar Kart. The lyrics describe the band members desire to spend "more time with God". "Sometimes it’s a real struggle to spend time with God. with her two lapdogs - Goofy and Minnie. She also likes Alpine and Nordic skiing Nordic skiing Skiing techniques and events of Scandinavian origin that include cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Nordic events were included in the first Winter Olympics in 1924. See also Alpine skiing. and, in what her husband describes as a ``typecast role reversal In psychodrama, role reversal is a technique where the protagonist is asked, by the psychodrama director, to exchange roles with another person (an auxiliary ego) on the psychodrama stage. The former assumes as many of the roles of the other as possible and vice versa. ,'' taking care of the household maintenance - from fixing broken pipes to rewiring the stereo. Words like ``sacrifice'' and ``jealous'' are completely rejected by Peter Schuster when he is asked about his supportive role to his wife's cycling endeavor. ``It's a choice I'm happy to make,'' he said. Through her sport, Pam Schuster does contribute to the family income, though not as much as she would as a pharmacist - a profession she plans to continue following her racing days. But based on past earnings and present winnings, ``income is not an issue'' in her racing, said Peter Schuster, who moved from Colorado to the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. with his wife in 1989. ``It takes some pressure off. But sometimes she'll have a thought like, `I'm riding my bike and Peter is working.' I don't look at it that way. I enjoy my work, and I enjoy watching her ride and pursue her dream.'' Early to work, late to race has made Pam a success. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) National team member Pam Schuster, 37, of Northridge didn't compete seriously until she was about 30. Tina Gerson/Daily News (2--Color) SCHUSTER |
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