Recent midwestern high school graduate Dave is obsessed with bicycle racing. His dream is to compete in the Italian races someday and his immersion in all things Italian is driving his father crazy. Dave and his three best friends fight with the local college kids who look down on them for being “townies.” When the Italian bicycle team comes to their town to race, Dave is disillusioned by their snobbery and the dirty tricks they use to win. So Dave drops his Italian identity and he and his friends enter the university’s bike race and compete with their college student rivals.