Racing to the finish

By Christopher Drexel

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008 | midnight

Louie Amelburu didn't begin competitive cycling until he was an adult, but has since turned it into a lifetime sport. At age 44, the Mike O'Callaghan Middle School teacher is still riding strong.

Amelburu is an eight-time national champion (2000-2007) in the USA Cycling Masters championship series, a two-time Pan American gold medalist in road racing and time trials (2001) and has stood on the winner's podium for various races 34 times in 2008 alone.

The East Las Vegas resident will bring his cycling season to a close when he races in the USA CRITS Finals at Mandalay Bay on Sept. 25. There, thousands of the nation's best cyclists will race for 90 minutes around a 0.6-mile course set up around the hotel's parking lot.

"It's a way for me to exhibit my skills in front of my hometown against the big boys of the sport," Amelburu said. "The best riders in the country are coming to Las Vegas to race under the lights. We are the city of lights so it doesn't get any better than that. "

About 16 years ago, Amelburu never imagined he would be in this position. At age 28, he rode in his first organized bicycle race, a charity event for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, with his brother. To his surprise, Amelburu finished 21st out of about 600 riders.

With his interest sparked, Amelburu later tried other charity races. During one, he saw a team of racers pass him and became motivated to match their speed.

"I became obsessed with it," he said. I started doing research on how to get better and on nutrition. I lost weight. It was a whole process just to get their level, to stay with that team."

Amelburu learned the team was Falcon Racing, a team that started out of Las Vegas in the early 1990s by Bruce Balch, a former elite triathlete. After seeing Amelburu's interest, Balch soon gave him a jersey and invited him to join the team. Then Amelburu started building his resume.

Since joining Falcon Racing in 1994, he has been on the winner's podium more than 300 times, including more than 160 first-place finishes.

"He is one of the most dedicated people that I've ever ridden with," Balch said. "He keeps getting stronger each year. He has an overall understanding of his body and what he has to do. So age isn't really a factor with him. I would say he has achieved the most of anybody in cycling out of Las Vegas."

Balch, 46, retired from cycling in 2000. After that, Falcon Racing began to disband. So Amelburu and other locals joined a team out of California called Labor Power. But after a few years, Amelburu led the Las Vegas residents of Labor Power to break away and form their own team in 2003.

Amelburu was able to get race car driver Paul Tracy — who regularly cycles to keep in shape — to sponsor the group, hence its name Paultracy.com racing.

Amelburu still leads the team today. He bikes anywhere from 300 to 400 miles every week, despite his teaching schedule, to stay in top shape.

During racing season between February and September, Amelburu is out of town about every other weekend to participate in various races, most of which last more than 100 miles. On weekends when he is in town, Amelburu rides for about five hours on both Saturday and Sunday on the mountains surrounding Las Vegas.

It makes for a hectic schedule, but Amelburu said he plans to cycle as long as it remains fun.

"Cycling is a passion, an obsession," he said. "It's a way for me to feel good and stay in shape. And it's a longevity sport. It enables me to eat a little more because of the calories I burn and has me feeling fit and strong. I'm 44 and my students think I'm 27."

Christopher Drexel is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-8929 or [email protected].