4 

     But they didn't go down the course. They pedaled up the steep concrete incline. And when the race was finished, Thompson was the winner.
     Thompson's mother, Jeaninne, offered that final piece of information. She sat in an adjacent chair. "He's a climbing maniac," she said with motherly pride. And it's a good thing she was there.
     Without Jeaninne's delicate coercion, Justin may not have revealed the extent of his cycling prowess. Like the fact that he had just won the New England regional cyclo-cross championship race two weekends ago. "It was no big deal," Justin said.
     Justin was very modest when it came to talking about his success. He almost avoided the questions, looked away. Maybe Justin is simply reserved or shy. But it seems more likely that he's developing the quiet determination of a true champion - to let your performances speak for themselves.

Rise to the top

     Maybe Justin's speechless about his success, as surprised as the rest of the biking community at his own rapid rise to the top of the sport. He's only been riding competitively for about three years. And he's only been doing cyclo-cross for a few months. And already he stands among an elite quintet of American cyclo-cross racers preparing to challenge the best in the world. That's certainly a long way from his earliest memories of riding bikes.