"A lot of guys are jealous that I have a wife who supports cycling so much," Lofgran said. "Other wives don't like it or don't show up at races."

Said Taunya, "People wonder why we would do this. I love it. I have so much fun out there. Especially now that I know what's going on.

"The deal we made is that I will support him as long as I see there is potential and growth. I really think he can do it. I told him at the start that he can't make a decision (about quitting) based on one bad race. He must wait till the end of the season."

Lofgran plans to travel to Belgium for six weeks next summer to take part in a rigorous training and racing camp designed for cyclists who are trying to break into the European racing circuit. A good performance can mean a pro contract. Cost of the camp: About $5,000.

"It's tough," Lofgran said. "Some guys go there and then come back and sell their bikes. They hardly finish a race. I'll get my butt kicked, but I'll come back stronger. I'll come back here and dominate and get picked up by a U.S. pro team."

Cycling is a grueling business. Lofgran, who is a spare 5-foot-11, 150 pounds, has been in the thick of the inevitable crashes, one of them at 45 miles per hour that left him with a cracked helmet and others with broken collarbones, broken arms and a broken neck. This is to say nothing of the simple pain of racing exertion.

"It's painful enough that almost every race I wonder why I'm doing this," he said. "I want to throw up."

Who knows where all this will lead. Coach Smith believes Lofgran can be a good stage racer despite the late start.

"He can realistically make pro level in the U.S. in a couple of years," said the coach. "Europe is more difficult. A lot depends on whether he has the opportunity and finances to get to the highest level. But he's the only guy I know who has the attitude and dedication and willingness to do anything he can do to be the best he can be. The only other one I know like that is Zabriskie."

Most U.S. pro teams want half of their riders to be 26 or under, which means additional pressure on Lofgran to improve quickly. As committed as he is to cycling, he thinks it's not enough.

"It's really scary to realize that by the end of the season, if I'm going to make it by 25 I'm going to have to lay it out even more — take a year off from school, cut back work."

No worries, said Taunya. "We're young. We have time to invest."

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E-mail: drob@desnews.com