Dave Blase

Dave Blase is an American cyclist whose story served as the inspiration for the film Breaking Away.

However, eligibility rules for the race were changed to require transferring team members to sit out one year.

Blase continued to ride in outside races waiting to become eligible to ride for Phi Kappa Psi, a move which precluded him from competing the following year when a new rule was enacted requiring those who participated in outside races to wait one year to become eligible.

[1] Breaking Away was written by Steve Tesich, an Indiana University graduate who served as an alternate rider on the Phi Kappa Psi Little 500 Team in 1962.

He was teammates with Blase and used him as an inspiration for the Dave Stohler character in the film, and for the overall story.