The course curved gently to the right then moved from the regular road to the smooth, even bike path.
An eager spectator waved to him from behind a protective barrier. “Only two miles left to go!” the girl called out.
“Thanks!” Doug called back. To his shock, he heard another voice echo him. He turned his head slightly and saw a tall figure in a white-and-orange T-shirt move into place behind him. It was Billy. Doug suddenly realized no other bikers were in sight.
Doug knew that if he allowed Billy to continue drafting off him for the rest of the two miles, Billy would be much fresher for the final sprint to the finish line. Was Doug’s time good enough to let that happen?
And even if it is, a little voice inside him said, do you really want to cross the finish line after him?
In answer, Doug veered sharply to one side, slowed, then veered back—behind Billy. It all happened so quickly that Billy didn’t have time to react until it was too late. And then, Doug was watching him so closely that Billy’s attempts at a similar maneuver were ineffectual. Doug had outsmarted his friend fair and square.
But suddenly, Billy took off.
It took Doug a moment to register why. Then he heard the shouts and cheers and realized that the finish line was closer than he thought. Billy must have figured it out, too.
Gritting his teeth, he downshifted and started to pedal for all he was worth. But Billy’s crouched figure was still in front of him. By positioning himself directly in the middle of the path, he was making it difficult for Doug to pull around him.
Doug had to admit that Billy’s tactic was smart. But the race wasn’t over yet.
Pumping harder, he kept a steady eye on the path in front of him, waiting for his chance. The cheers from the crowd were growing louder. A few strag glers were running along the barrier beside them, yelling encouragement.
Then Billy made a mistake. He hugged the inside of a gentle curve too tightly, giving Doug room on the outside. Muscles straining, Doug drew up even with Billy just as the curve straightened.
They were now neck and neck. Even over the roar of the fans, Doug could hear Billy’s steady breathing. The pavement below blurred past. Five hundred yards left. Then four hundred.
With his last bit of energy, Doug urged his legs to move a fraction faster. He couldn’t be positive, but he thought that the front wheel of Billy’s bike was slightly behind his now.
Three hundred yards.
Doug’s T-shirt was soaked with sweat. He could feel the perspiration dripping down from under his helmet. Even his mitts were damp.
Two hundred yards. One hundred.
Doug raised his head and concentrated on the finish line. As he did, he heard a cry that seemed to come from a distant dream.
“Can-non! Can-non! Can-non!”
The sound of it thrilled Doug to his marrow. Then, before he knew it, he was across the finish line and surrounded by congratulating fans.
A hand clapped him on the shoulder. “Way to go,” a familiar voice said.
Doug turned to see Red Roberts grinning at him for ear to ear. Doug grinned back. No further words were needed right now. The winning time on the race clock spoke volumes. He knew his teacher had always believed in him, but he was glad Red had been there to see him triumph all the same.
Doug was attacked from behind in a big bear hug. “That was incredible! I can hardly believe it was you!” Kate cried. Terry was with her and added his hearty congratulations to hers.
Doug finally made his way through the crowd. He looked around for Billy but didn’t see him anywhere. Disappointed and a little bit concerned about his friend, he wheeled his bike to the rack and locked it tight.
“Guess all that indoor practice has sapped my endurance a bit,” a voice behind him drawled. Doug spun around and saw Billy smiling at him.
“Aw, I just got lucky at the end, on that curve,” Doug said. “You had it all the way until then.”
“Hey, I’m not looking for your sympathy,” Billy replied, punching Doug playfully in the shoulder. “Now c’rnon, stinky man, let’s go grab a shower in the locker room before the picnic!”
Doug and Billy grabbed a plate of sandwiches and some sodas, then found a place to sit in the bleachers. Doug saw his and Billy’s parents laughing together a few rows down. Red was chatting with Jack Millman and Jimmy Bannister. All three men looked happy. Doug hoped it was because they had tallied up the pledges and found that they’d collected enough money to complete the bike path.
He didn’t have to wait long to find out. Jimmy motioned for Doug and Billy to join him. So the boys stuffed the rest of their sandwiches in their mouths and tramped down the bleachers.
Jimmy produced a microphone that squealed when he turned it on.
“Well, at least I got everyone’s attention,” he said with a laugh. “I’d like to thank you all for being here today and for your generosity. Because of your donations and the combined efforts of the cyclists from both schools, we raised more than enough money to get that path finished once and for all!”
He held up his hand to quiet the cheers that followed.
“We’ll do what we can before the snow flies, so anyone who wants to lend a hand, please see me over there”—he indicated a booth under one of the goalposts—“after the picnic. But first, here’s a word from the fellows who made this whole thing possible.”
Jimmy tried to hand the microphone to Billy. But Billy hurriedly pushed it into Doug’s hands, then took a step back. Doug’s mouth turned dry, but he faced his expectant audience squarely.
“Uh, I just want to say thanks, too,” he mumbled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Red Roberts cross his arms over his chest and grin. And suddenly the words just started flowing out of his mouth. “But it really wasn’t me who made this happen. In fact, five months ago I would have laughed if you had told me I’d be standing here right now. Back then, I wasn’t too interested in cycling—or anything besides videos and what was for dinner.” The audience laughed warmly. “But thanks to someone, and he knows who he is, I got off my duff and found a whole new person inside of me!”
“So that’s why you were so huge! You were two people the whole time!” Pepper Meade’s unkind words rang out. Doug wasn’t bothered by them. Pepper would always be Pepper until he decided to change. And until then, Doug decided he just wasn’t worth worrying about.
“All I know is, you’re looking at someone who’s ready to follow a dream now. So here’s to making dreams come true!”
The cheers echoed loud and long as Doug handed the microphone back to Jimmy.
Billy clapped him on the shoulder and said quietly, “That dream you were talking about, it wasn’t just the bike path, was it?”
Doug shook his head. “You know it wasn’t. In fact, I think you know exactly what I was talking about, don’t you?”
In reply, Billy stuck out his hand, Doug shook it solemnly.
By now, Red was bearing down on them. Doug looked up at his teacher, coach, and friend and said, “Who says everyone can’t have an Olympic dream?”
How many of these Matt Christopher sports classics have you read?
Baseball Flyhawk
Baseball Pals
The Basket Counts
Catch That Pass!
Catcher with a Glass Arm
Challenge at Second Base
The Comeback Challenge
The counterfeit Tackle
The Diamond Champs
Dirt Bike racer
Face-Off
Football Fugitive
The Fox Steals Home
The Great Quarterback Switch
; Hard Drive to Short
The Hockey Machine
Ice Magic
Johnny Long Legs
The Kid Who Only Hit Homers
Little Lefty
Long Shot for Paul
Long Stretch at First Base
Look Who’s Playing First Base
Miracle at the Plate
No Arm in Left Field
Olympic Dream
Pressure Play
Red-Hot Hightops
Return of the Home Run Kid
Run, Billy, Run
Shoot for the Hoop
Shortstop from Tokyo
Skateboard Tough
Soccer Halfback
The Submarine Pitch
Supercharged Infield
Tackle Without a Team
Takedown
Tight End
Too Hot to Handle
Top Wing
Touchdown for Tommy
Tough to Tackle
Undercover Tailback
Wingman on Ice
The Winning Stroke
The Year Mom Won the pennant
All available in paperback from Little, Brown and Company
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Olympic Dream
Doug Cannon is a video whiz, a decent hockey goalie—and overweight. He is often the butt of his friends’ jokes, but he tries not to let it get to him. That’s before he meets Red Roberts. An energetic cycling enthusiast, Red encourages Doug to help out with the construction of a new bike path and to learn more about the sport of cycling. All summer, Doug struggles against his old habits to become the young athlete Red thinks he can be. At the same time, he looks within himself for the self-respect he had put aside long ago. But does he have what it takes to really go the distance, to reach for an Olympic dream?
Matt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. A resident of South Carolina, he is the author of many books, among them The Kid Who Only Hit Homers. For a listing of all his titles and information on joining the Matt Christopher Fan Club, turn to the last page of this book.