Meet Sang Vu: A 51-year-old cycling enthusiast and father of two who currently represents the Davis Phinney Foundation Masters Cycling Team. Sang's passion for cycling is rooted in his family’s legacy, as his father, uncle, and siblings were all competitive cyclists in Vietnam. He raced professionally from 1989 to 1993, representing the Vietnam National Team before moving to the United States. After arriving in the U.S., Sang’s love for the sport led him to found TRU Cycling, a non-profit that featured many notable names on the team while promoting a healthy lifestyle and making cycling accessible, especially for juniors. Today, Sang continues to compete in road, criterium, and gravel races, and he joins local hard group rides before completing his century for the day.

His most notable accomplishments this year include the Waffle BWR Triple series, where he finished 3rd in Utah, 8th in California, and 2nd overall.

1) Tell us about yourself. What’s your background and how did you get into cycling?

My name is Sang Vu, full Vietnamese name Vu Quang Sang. I’m 51 years old and a father of two. I work as a consultant (Principal Physical IC Layout Engineer) for my own company. My biggest hobbies are cycling and photography. Currently, I represent the Davis Phinney Foundation Masters Cycling Team, racing road, gravel, criterium, and circuits.

I grew up in a well-known family of cyclists in Vietnam. My father and uncle raced and made their names in the 1960s, followed by my brother and cousin in the 1980s. Naturally, I picked up cycling at an early age. Around 13 or 14, I began taking training more seriously. After school, my next brother (I have five older brothers) and I trained on the highway at noon during the hottest hours. I started racing professionally when I was 15. In my very first race, a week-long stage race, I finished 2nd on one stage.

Cycling Background:

I raced professionally in Vietnam from 1989 to 1993 before moving to the USA and represented the Vietnam National Team in 1992 and 1993. Here are some highlights:

• 1993 SEA GAMES 17 in Singapore: 5th in 100KM TTT
• 1993 HTV Cup: 2nd overall (among national riders and foreigners)
• 1992 GC winner of DBSCL Cup (9-day stage race)
• 1992 GC winner of SGGP Newspaper Cup (2-day stage race)
• 1992 National Team Time Trial (100km): 3rd place
• 1990 Tour of Vietnam (3-week stage race): 5th overall and Best Young Rider

I also won several stages and Best Young Rider awards throughout those years.

2) What does “endure” mean to you personally, and how does it reflect in your cycling journey?

It means hard work, but in cycling, hard work alone is not enough because everyone else is working hard, too. Mindset is key. A better cyclist sees hard work as a joy, loves to endure, and has the will to push their limits every time they’re in the saddle.

3) What challenges have you faced in your cycling career, and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenges for me were the lack of guidance and experience. But as they say, you live and learn—and I’m still learning!

4) What role does community play in your cycling experience, and how has it influenced you?

Community is where you learn, give back, and grow together. I returned to cycling in 2006 after starting a family. By 2009, I was more involved in the cycling community, helping a Vietnamese cycling forum to pass on experience and information to cyclists in Vietnam, hosting weekly training rides, and founding a cycling club called TRU Cycling.

5) Tell us about TRU Cycling

TRU Cycling was founded in 2010 to promote a healthy lifestyle and help people get into the sport of cycling and improve. It operated as a non-profit organization, with one of its key goals being to make cycling more affordable, especially for juniors. Junior members didn’t have to pay for memberships, team kits, or race registrations.

TRU stands for Trust, Respect, and Unity, a message meant not only for members but also for others in the cycling community. We started with just a couple of juniors and masters, but the team quickly grew. By 2013-2014, there were more than 90 members, with over 40 of them racing in categories ranging from P1-2, Cat 3, 4, 5, Masters, to Juniors.

When we first started, I had my friend in Vietnam make 10-12 kits with my own money. At that time, I was racing as a CAT 3, with one member in masters and another in CAT 4. I was training and mentoring the juniors. Before TRU Cycling, I hosted Sky Park Circle training on Tuesday and Thursday nights, which attracted more juniors and other riders. Each year, the team grew bigger.

By the following year, we had a full CAT 3 team. That year, we had about five juniors, and two of them started winning right away, eventually competing internationally. In the first two years, we raced locally with little funding, relying on a couple of business friends who sponsored us. I prioritized the juniors, so they didn’t have to pay for race fees, kits, memberships, or even bikes. By 2014-2015, the CAT 1-2 riders received the same benefits, including bikes. At the time, there weren’t many amateur clubs with that kind of financial support. Although I wanted to continue this, managing proposals, reports, and meetings with sponsors required a lot of work, and I handled it all myself.

The key to TRU Cycling’s success was the non-racers, who provided the support needed for the racers. For example, when we needed $2,000 to send juniors to international competitions, parents pitched in, and it added up. We also hosted fundraising events, such as "$1 a mile," where we rode 100 miles within the club to raise money for cancer for a team member’s sibling. Members brought their family, friends, and companies to help. The bond within the team was strong, and we did everything together.

It wasn’t until 2015-2016 that we had a bigger budget from membership fees and fundraising. Unfortunately, in 2016, due to personal circumstances, I couldn’t keep TRU Cycling running when my kids began traveling for tennis competitions every weekend.

Full gallery of TRU Cycling's epic journey: https://www.facebook.com/trucycling/photos_albums