This is the story of what it takes for young Americans to make it in professional cycling. Only thirty-six Americans have competed in the Tour de France since the world's greatest bicycle race began in 1903. That's not too many more than the twelve Americans who have walked on the moon. It's far fewer than the hundreds of Americans who have reached the summit of Mount Everest.

But rising stars such as Lawson Craddock of Texas, Benjamin King of Virginia, Taylor Phinney of Colorado, Daniel Holloway of California, and Tyler Farrar of Washington state are doing just that as they endure crashes, cold rain, cobblestones, crosswinds, and culture shock on their road to cycling stardom, which starts in Belgium.

This is the story of the next generation--of riders not yet tainted by drug scandals, of riders still bursting with hope and potential. This is the story American cycling fans need right now.

Daniel Lee is a passionate journalist and cyclist. In his early twenties, Lee raced his bike across Kentucky horse country, through mountains in Germany and over cobblestones in Belgium. He was even a professional cyclist--for one race--in 1991. He has worked as a reporter with theIndianapolis Star.