European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Lachel and Hemgen working out an a itch mar com to As in Sicily. Peddling toward the pros  Mediterranean Bureau Kafir Heidgen and Shell Lachel Are peddling furiously to obtain their  s goal is to become a proclus Shonat bicyclist and ultimately to compelo in Fiance 5 Mon hang tour do Franca lactic wants to become a pro biker Loo but first wants to Fock up wins in Ina halons Boin Momb cos of Iho air Foice s 1lj7li tac missile Wing in corms Sicily Are putting in amazing amounts of Lime Ami lie Ray to realize those goals Heidt Jen. An airman first class who a voids As a fuels specialist for the 487lti Supply so ill the Comiso As Etui so missile Basa trains Lof or competes in Bike races six Days a week. I Only get in about 25 Miles of training a night during Iho week. On weekends i la do a minimum of 15 to 110 Miles a Day. I May 00 slow workouts in tha mornings and work out in the mountains during the bloc Noons said Hidgon 21. Of Batt via ill Heidgen has been racing and a working out will Fasulo Coppi. Art italian racing team in nearby Comiso Sinco shortly after his arrival in the Allol 1935. Recently his Friend Lachel a 23 Yoor old senior airman who works As a medical services specialist at Iho installation also began training with  Asp hmm Shell Lachel and Karl head gun data mined to become Prate Aalona bicyclist. Fasulo Copps. Somo of Hie men seem to Toel threatened by to said Lachel the Only woman with the earn. I tried working out with Iho women s team but they Don t train hard enough. I gel a better workout with the  besides peddling 25 Miles a night alter work she also runs six to 15 Miles a Day Lills weights and conducts aerobics workouts Lor he Basa Liro department. On Days when she can make Lime to get loan Oil base indoor Pool Shell swim laps Lor about an hour. Held Gen has five seasons of racing under his Belt. To started racing in High school and found out to was fast. He longed for a european assignment to get involved in Iho Busy Continental cycling scene. A twist of Lale gave him the opportunely a Guy in tech school had just become a kalhor and did not want to be separated Tram his family. To swapped orders and 1 ended up at Comiso Hidgon said. It s much Bot Lei Riding on the roads Here than in the us in Iho slates people passing by in cats harass you but Here they Don cycling plays a big Lole in keeping to Heio at  with Coler Rains Heidgen will have spent ours years Al the base before he leaves Tho air Force in june of Noel year because of Iha mild weather in Sicily you can keep to a raining schedule the year round .1 thought i was a serious biker in the Stales i thought t was Haid Core there but it was nothing compared to what i be done hero he said there Are More people into the spoil Here and More people � train with ally out the italians on the team say Stierli and to train too hard. They arc consent to stay Amateur. To both want to move up to semipro and then turn proles Siona to Dale hidden is one of his team s tap riders consistently finishing in the top 10 percent or 20 Piceni of the race pack. Although there ate almost 50 liders on his learn he is one of the Hall dozen of them who will go and Theio in Sicily to race on weekends it s a Handicap being tall hut at least i m Skinny said Hidgon. A 151 Pound six looter. Lillo and Light Guys con realty tear you up climbing mountains in 30 to so mile Long races " biking spills can tear up a racer s body As Well As Hidgon s scarred legs mutely Lesliy. To acquired his worst scars a year ago when one of his tires blew out rounding a curve at 30 Mph. I be Only had two crashes in actual races during the last two seasons. In one of them i was forced olt the Road during tha race s last 50 Yards. I hit a Spectator and flew Olf into the crowd. They took him to Tho Hospital but i got up of Hidgon said Hodgen s italian Mude Moser racing machine is Worth about s2.000 and in takes incredible punishment White pounding across cobblestones at More than 35 Mph and hitting go Mph As Hodgen runs Lull out in a pack of riders. He does t gel Many hat tires bul vividly remembers a week when he had five of them. Three of the ills happened on Iho same Day. Finally i gave up and went  a said. Lachel tried for several years to compile in grueling Tiia Thalon competitions bul was frustrated by a spate of training injuries finally last summer everything come together and she competed in a Kia halon held at die naval air Fatton Al Rota Spain in he Competition involving a 1,5-Kilometcr swim a to Kilometre Bike ride and a to Kil melor run in that order she Linis nod second Overak in Tho women s division and was lust in her ago group this summer she Hopes to enter and  summer plans also Coil Tor her and Hodgen to take leave in France and to compelo in Bike racing there while Lochel has put in for an Extension. Hirid gun this Natl up his mind to gel out of Iho service and shoot for a career As a to biker on the european Cuil my ultimate goal is to race in the tour do Fra Rice just to finish thai face would to incredible he said wednesday March 23, 19bb the stars and stripes Page 17