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Greta Neimanas is racing in the Tucson Bicycle Classic on a lark. She was planning on coming to Tucson from her home at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., to train for this year's Paralympics. When she learned the three-day event was just a day or two after she had planned to leave, she changed her schedule.

For the 19-year-old, the 22nd running of the Classic — which began Friday and ends today — is a competitive way to train for the paralympics.

The Chicago native was born without a left hand or forearm. After beginning to cycle competitively in May 2005, Neimanas graduated from high school in 2006 and attended Indiana University for one semester before being accepted to the Colorado Springs program.

The training program includes free coaching, food and housing. Neimanas enrolled in January 2007, is a member of the U.S. Paralympic Elite Cycling Team and attends Pikes Peak Community College part time.

Neimanas will try to make the Paralympic team in June, when she races in the trials for track bicycling and road racing.

The Star talked to Neimanas about the race, her plans for the future and what it's like to compete with a prosthesis.

A: It really hasn't been too much of a factor. It's the only thing that I've ever known. It's not like I've had to adapt. You just get creative — whether it's how to set up your bike to ride safely, tying your shoes and driving a car.

A: It looks like a stock bike until you look at it really closeup. I have a cable doubler, which takes the two brake cables and turns them into one so I can brake with one lever. I have a bar-end shifter. I shift and break both with my right hand.

A: It's definitely different from what most other 19-year-olds are doing, but it's a lot of fun. I haven't been racing very long — this will be my fourth season. I've totally fallen in love with it. I'm definitely lucky to have the opportunity to just ride my bike. It's what I love to do. It's what I get to do every day.

A: I'm a little bit stronger on the road in the time trials than I am on the track. It's one of the safest forms of racing because the bikes have no brakes and no gears. You know the person in front of you is not going to shift or slam on their brakes. You get up to speed and everybody rides at the same speed. Once you're on the track, as long as you're riding, it's a lot harder to fall off or slide down.

It looks totally ridiculous, even to me, and I ride the track all the time.