Villegas Has A New Fitness Plan

ATLANTA -- Camilo Villegas has no plans to challenge Lance Armstrong, but the

Colombian who won the BMW Championship has caught the rush of cycling.

Featured in Men's Fitness as one of the most finely conditioned athletes on

the PGA Tour, one can imagine golf's Spiderman all decked out in bike shorts

and jersey, hair flying out of his helmet.

"It's a new thing," Villegas explained at East Lake GC, where he goes into

the final round of the Tour Championship in a tie for fourth place. "I went

home five months ago and one of my buddies calls me up. He got a cycle and

said, 'Let's go up the mountain,' this mountain I used to drive up to get to

the golf course. I didn't know if I was going to make it, but when I got to

the top, I said, 'I love this thing.' "

Villegas returned to his new home in Jupiter, Fl., and bought an exotic road

bicycle. Three days later he called the bicycle shop, saying, "Listen, I

need a group to motivate me and get better." Next thing Villegas knew, he

was geared up and part of a cycling club that meets four days a week and

goes on rides up through Jupiter Island and along the coast of Florida for

rides of 35-60 miles, sometimes at upwards of 32 MPH.

"It's not easy," he said. "The first time I went out I was able to keep up

and man, that motivated me so much. I started working to get better, then, I

bought another bike. I sent the first one to Colombia so in Florida I ride

against the wind and in Colombia, I get to go up the mountain. It's so

peaceful. It's pretty sweet."

*--Tim Rosaforte *

(Photo: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)