There was John Patterson, riding his bike so fast and so well on Rowan County roads as a teenager that he traveled up and down the coast to compete against adults.

And he won.

There was Patterson, going wheel-to-wheel with a rising star named Greg Lemond.

And he won.

There was Patterson, entering junior national championships and other elite races.

And he won.

"He was an amazing talent," said Jim O'Brien, who ran a bike shop here from 1975-1985 and now owns the Right Gear in Kannapolis.

"The fact that he was on the national team and did what he did in pro races, that he went to Worlds and raced in Europe, none of that meant anything because he was so early at it," O'Brien said.

"I don't think anybody really appreciated just how good he was."

Patterson will return to Salisbury Thursday night to race in the Giordana Crossroads Classic downtown.

His pro career long over, Patterson will race at 7 p.m. in the "masters" category for riders 35 years and older. The pro race begins at 8:45 p.m.

"I would never have believed they would ever have a bike race in Salisbury," said Patterson, now married with children and living in Charlotte.

"When I started, I was such an oddity because nobody rode racing bikes in Salisbury."

Before Patterson picked up a race bike, he excelled at other sports.

"He had insatiable desire," local attorney James Davis said. "He was doggedly determined and a precocious athlete."

As teenagers, Davis and Patterson worked out together at the YMCA.