At age 86, Dave Blase isn’t slowing down. And his life has been quite the ride.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — There’s a big anniversary in Bloomington this weekend: The 75th Running of the Little 500.

It’s the largest collegiate bike race in the country, made famous by the 1979 film “Breaking Away.”

A cyclist who won the Little 500 five decades ago became that movie’s inspiration. 

At age 86, Dave Blase isn’t slowing down. And his life has been quite the ride.

Most of us can pinpoint a moment we pedaled through adversity and came into our own. For Blase, it literally happened on a bike. In Bloomington, with an unexpected hobby, then a race that transformed him.

“I grew in self-respect because of what I put myself through, and so it was like an epiphany,” Blase explained of cycling. “I learned that the real competition in life was not against others but against yourself.”

In his Indianapolis home, surrounded by trophies, Blase flipped through photo albums from his college years, recalling the race in 1962 that started it all.

He rode 139 of 200 laps to win the Little 500, the iconic Indiana University bicycle race that’s now in its 75th year.

Cyclist who was inspiration for ‘Breaking Away’ reflects on Little 500 victory



































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“What was it like to win the race? Oh it was euphoric,” Blase said. “That’s all everyone talked about the whole semester long! Winning that was more than winning an NCAA championship in another sport.”

If some of those photos look familiar, it’s because you’ve seen them immortalized in the Oscar-winning, coming-of-age film “Breaking Away”.

Blase was the movie’s inspiration. One of his teammates and fraternity brothers, Steve Tesich, wrote the screenplay.

RELATED: 75th Little 500 brings strong family ties to historic race

The film combines a story of teenage townies navigating their way into adulthood, with Blase’s triumph in the Little 5.

“I get the call from Steve,” Blase said about learning of the screenplay. “He says ‘Hey Blaser, we’re down here in Bloomington. We’re making a movie. We want to use your name as the main character!'”

The movie couldn’t use Blase’s full name because it wasn’t a true biopic, so the character was named Dave Stoller. The IU Archives still has footage from when Hollywood crews came to Bloomington and shot on campus in 1978.

Blase is actually in the movie. He had a cameo as a track announcer. Now, decades after the film made his college story famous, he’s still cycling — and singing. Just like in the movie, opera on the road.

Blase loves classical music, especially opera. He had an “Italian phase” in college, which was incorporated into the movie.

“When I was out in the countryside around Bloomington, it just seemed like it almost commanded you to have to sing,” Blase said. “Birds are singing and the dogwoods are blooming. The redbud and everything – it’s almost commanding you to sing something. The beauty is so great.”

Unlike the movie, Blase wasn’t a Cutter, wasn’t a Bloomington native. He’s actually from Speedway. And his passion for cycling didn’t start right away. As an IU freshman, he struggled with insecurity and self-image.

“I hadn’t reached a point with having any peace and serenity within myself,” Blase explained.

In fact, when a student invited him to try cycling with a potential of racing the Little 500, Blase hid out in a bathroom instead of meeting the guys. Eventually running out of excuses, he relented, was convinced to ride and found his niche. This sport changed him.

“It helped me to develop self-respect that I had never had before,” he said. “So in a kind of way, it saved my life! The essence of it, well, ‘breaking away’ from childhood!”

Every April, Blaser goes back to Bloomington. Sits in that stadium. Cheers on the teams. He also reflects on the race’s impact all those years ago. The moments when he learned to dig deep and find that something extra he didn’t know he had.

It’s why he still cycles.

“It’s like a rite of spring,” Blase said of biking. “It’s like being reborn again, going through that … struggling up the hills, descending the hills.”

His only goal now: Enjoy the ride.