Terpstra uses Tour of California to prepare for a potential sixth Tour de France start

Paris-Roubaix winner Niki Terpstra has been racing the Tour of California this week for his first race back in the peloton since taking a short break after the Classics. The 29-year-old Omega Pharma-QuickStep rider said he's recovered "a little bit" and is using the stateside race to prepare for what could potentially be his sixth Tour de France this July.

Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake. He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009, as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America. Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland, Oregon, with his imaginary dog Rusty.