Riding high

Whitefish's Opel finishes 3rd in his age group at U.S. Junior Cycling Championships

WHITEFISH - Sixteen years old, hundreds of miles from home, staying with family friends, sleeping in the back of a car.

Does this sound like a dream trip?

Just thinking about his recent vacation brings a wistful smile to the face of Whitefish resident Marshall Opel.

That's how Opel, with the permission of parents Gordon and Jessie - spent most of July - riding his bike in Boulder, Colo.

"I drove down by myself, slept in the back of my car," he smiled.

"The riding in Boulder … you could ride forever. The roads are … big shoulders, smooth asphalt, clean.

"Cycling there is huge. It's like there's a 'cure for cancer' ride every day. If you're a pro cyclist, there's a really good chance you live in Boulder. It's really inspiring, because of the great riders. There are Tuesday night rides with 70 guys," he said.

Dream trip? No?

It was for Opel. But he's one of the top junior racers in the U.S.

Opel, who will be a junior when school opens this fall at Whitefish High School, is ranked 37th nationally among 15- and 16-year-old boys. Last month, he placed third in his age group at the U.S. Junior Cycling Championships in Seven Springs, Pa.

In addition to congratulations from family and friends, that showing got him his second invitation to the Aug. 13-19 National Identification Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

If he has does well, Opel could qualify for the 17- and 18-year-old national team - which would mean he'd spend a good part of next spring cycling in Belgium.

If that's not enough, he's also an accomplished Nordic skier - he was sixth in the nation in his age group last year.

But it's still summer and Opel is concentrating on the bike.

He says he owes his start in cycling to Lance Armstrong.

The Opel family - Marshall is the youngest of three children - began subscribing several summers ago to the channel that carries the Tour de France.

Watching Armstrong - and the overall beauty of the race - was enough for the then 11 year old to pull out his mom's old road bike.

Opel admits he wasn't good at first.

"I was so small. I was tiny. I tried to race, but I was never very good," he said.

But he loved it.

"I love all aspects of the sport. I like the traveling. I like the flashiness. I love the feeling of being in amazingly good shape - to see just how good you can get," Opel said.

"The tactics of racing. It's like a chess game. It's not just skill and it's not just power.

"I love that each race is different. It's 100 percent the most grueling sport in the world - it's harder than anything you could think of.

"I love the fact the strongest guy doesn't always win," he said.

The rest of his family, long into Nordic skiing, took wholeheartedly to Marshall's new sport.

His parents have become so enamored, they have each purchased a new road bike - and the family sometimes rides together.

But the racing "is my thing," he added.

"I feel very supported. But I don't feel pushed," he emphasized.

They also took their 2004 vacation in France to take in the Tour in person.

"I got (Armstrong's) autograph," Opel said. "I snuck under some police lines and saw him in his team bus."

And Opel got better over time. Much better.

He rode everywhere, eventually pedaling himself to membership on the Montana Junior Cycling Foundation team. Today, when he races in Montana, he does so as a member of the Flathead Cycling Club.

His July race in Seven Springs was "definitely my best results and the most rewarding moment," he said.

"The level of talent at nationals is amazing. I went in hoping for a top 10. It came down to a really tactical race. I felt I played out the race very tactfully. I raced a really smart race. Total sense of accomplishment," he smiled.

"Endorphins to the max."

But coming so close to first place, would he ride the same race differently a second time?

The winner finished about 80 seconds ahead of Opel and just over a minute before the second place finisher.

"Sometimes, I wonder. But the way it played out, it was pretty optimal," he said.

He's also looking forward to this week's Colorado Springs camp.

Some of the riders there may very well be American entries in the Tour de France in another 10 years or so.

A second year invitee, Opel expects about 20 other riders. He also expects to do well. He finished in the bottom half of the group last year, but says he's more prepared both physically and mentally this year.

"There's a huge difference between 15 and 16. I made a big jump in overall growth and strength," he said.

"This is a big step up in seriousness. It's not a job, but it's a big deal … which I think I'm ready for," he added.

One thing he's not sure of yet is whether or not he'll eventually ride in the Tour himself.

He is sure the Tour will still be there - although some in the sport have expressed some doubt about whether the 104-year-old event can survive the recent doping scandals.

"It's a sad scene this year," he acknowledged.

"But the Tour de France is the biggest and the best. They've survived 100-plus years, and a couple world wars."

The doping scandal is the result of better testing, he said.

"Any other sport (the doping) is just as bad. (Cycling) is the most rigorously tested of any sport. The cool thing now, the testing is getting a lot more advanced. It's really catching up.

"Maybe this is exactly what cycling needs," he said.

But Opel isn't planning on making a career decision just yet. For one thing, he'd like a college education, although he's unsure what - or where - he'd like to study

"(Cycling) is not the most glamorous life. There's a lot to it - the amount of training is mind boggling. So, I don't know. It could be a scary jump.

"I've got a lot of years left. Right now, I focus on where I'm at. I'm really hoping to take small steps."

He still enjoys Nordic skiing, too.

"I'm pretty good at both. I think I'm a better skier."

"One of these years, I'm going to have to choose. But I'm having too much fun with both of them," he added.

And Opel always makes sure he's having a good time.

"As easy as it is to take it seriously, at the end of the day, I really am having fun."