Cyclist is definitely up to the Chase

SALT LAKE CITY — When he regained consciousness in the back of a Canadian ambulance, he didn't know where he was, how he got there or what the future held for him.

All Chase Pinkham knew was he was in a world of pain, far from home, and a major chunk of his face had been sliced nearly off when a car cut in front of him while he was on a training ride, preparing for the Tour l'Abitibi — one of North America's premier bike racers for junior cyclists — in Quebec.

"I was riding along a road minding my own business," Pinkham said of the 2008 accident, "and the next thing I knew, I was riding in an ambulance."

The accident was catastrophic for the youngster. Then only 17 and still a student at West High, Pinkham had taken up the sport less than two years prior but had made a remarkably fast ascension from a novice to one of the state's up-and-coming stars.

Then, the accident in Canada happened and nearly derailed his dreams of becoming a professional cyclist.

Like many cyclists, Pinkham's concern wasn't his physical condition immediately after the accident.

"The first thing I did when I woke up," he said, "was ask my dad, 'How's my bike?' "

A summer of recovery followed by a winter of serious training, though, left him hungry to race. And when he finally got back on his bike to line up against the best competition the state had to offer, he more than held his own.

In fact, Pinkham's summer of 2009 was as good as any cyclist around. He quickly received his Cat 1 upgrade and caught the eye of professional teams with his performances in regional races against the best competition the nation had to throw at him.

After a strong showing in the Tour or Utah, where he was the top cyclist under 20 and finished 43rd overall, Pinkham was approached by the Trek-Livestrong team — a U-23 developmental team owned by Lance Armstrong — and was offered a contract.

"That was like, 'Maybe this pipe dream isn't such a pipe dream after all,' " Pinkham said. "It was like my hard work really paid off. I couldn't believe it."

Just before Christmas, Pinkham — who had just finished his first semester at the University of Utah — joined Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and some of the best cycling talent in the world for a training camp. Pinkham's Trek-Livestrong team and Armstrong's new Radio Shack squad met in Arizona for a long weekend of training rides, getting fit for new bikes and instruction from legendary cycling experts such as Johan Bruyneel and Axel Merckx — a former teammate of Armstrong's and the son of legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx.