Mike McCarthy got his first taste of bike racing at the Kissena Velodrome. After a few years away from racing he picked it right back up at 14 years old. This time he began riding and racing in Central Park in New York City. By 1983 he got an invite to a junior winter camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He eventually became a 4 year resident at the OTC. In 1986 he won a national championship. By 87 he was a Pan Am Gold medalist in the team pursuit. The next year he did the Olympics and got 9th in the team pursuit. In 1990 he won a bronze medal in the pursuit at worlds. 1992 Mike is world champion in the pursuit at 5k. He beat Shaun Wallace for the jersey. 93 was a wash because of Epstein Barr Virus. 1995 hit and he was back on track and riding for Saturn till 98. In between that time Mike rode another Olympics in 96 and won stages in Redlands, Tour de Taiwan, Tour of Japan, Boulder and multiple crits. In 1998 he smashed the Goodwill Games in his hometown and eventually retired. I'll admit it, I'm a fan of Mike's just like I'm a fan of Jame Carney, Mike Creed to Erik Saunders. I hope you enjoy the interview because I sure did.
