From Opening Ceremony to Rose Ceremony

Two-time Olympic cyclist Adam Duvendeck didn't tell many people that he was staying home on May 18 to watch the season premiere of ABC's "The Bachelorette.'' If anybody wanted to know, they'd have to leave a message. He kept his phone shut off all day.

It's not that Duvendeck is a closet fan of the reality TV show in which one bachelorette meets up with 30 bachelors until she finds her one true love.

It's because he was one of the bachelors.

"It's funny, I pretty much just shut off my phone that day because I didn't tell a lot of people I as going to be on the show," said Duvendeck, citing the privacy rules of the show.

"Starting from about whatever Eastern Time it would have been showing, between every hour, I was just getting more and more text messages and calls from people."

The 27-year-old veteran of the 2004 and 2008 Olympics had a short run as a reality TV star. He was one of 10 bachelors sent home in the season's first rose ceremony, where the bachelorette gives roses to the bachelors she would like to keep on the show.

But Duvendeck holds no hard feelings for bachelorette Jillian Harris.

"I think a lot is based on feeling and first impressions and just whatever vibe you get from someone," Duvendeck said. "I'm not right for everyone and she's not right for everyone, you just go with your gut instinct."

The seeds for Duvendeck's reality TV debut were set last year when he went to watch U.S. Olympic champion speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno during a filming of "Dancing with the Stars,'' another ABC reality show. While there, a "Dancing'' staff member suggested Duvendeck could star in the next "The Bachelor,'' the reality show that prompted the spin-off,  "The Bachelorette.''

That didn't work out, but the Santa Barbara, Calif., native got a second chance. Early last February, about a month before filming, ABC approached him about being a contestant on "The Bachelorette.''

"You know, having an athletic background and choosing to follow that whole athletic career has kind of altered my course from what you might call a normal lifestyle of graduate high school, going to college and getting a career," he said. "My life has been fairly untraditional and I would put this in line, this is a fairly untraditional way to meet someone.

"I was a bit skeptical about the possibility of meeting that one person and falling in love in six weeks; obviously I didn't have that opportunity, but it was at least interesting to see if I had that possibility and to see where it went."

Duvendeck's time on the show went fast-filming of that episode only lasted one day-and the anticipated rose ceremony came and went faster than he expected. But after watching the episode on Monday, the cyclist said he was pleased by his portrayal, despite the limited camera time. It was his first TV appearance outside of competition.

"I knew the way that I portrayed myself, and you hope that's the way it comes off to everybody else," he said. "It was a long evening and you tend to get a little bit nervous about what's going to be on film. I don't think I was shown very much, but from what was shown I feel happy about it. I don't think I showed myself in a poor way."

Duvendeck made his first impression right when Harris, the bachelorette, arrived at the mansion via limousine. He asked her for the first five minutes of her time, but she declined.

"Things might have been different if that was the case," he said.

With 30 bachelors this season instead of the usual 25, time with Harris was limited. As per the show's policy, Duvendeck wasn't able to say how much alone time he actually spent with her, but in unspecific terms he said it was "not a whole lot."

His limited impression of Harris, a restaurant interior designer from Canada, was positive. But Duvendeck wouldn't necessarily call her a soul mate.

"I didn't spend much time with her so I couldn't tell you if she would have been right," Duvendeck said. "I'm sure that's one of those things; you have to spend more time to know if they are right for you. But she seemed like a very nice girl, and cute, but this one wasn't meant to be."

His short-lived run on the show was in some ways a relief.

"Some of those snippets they showed at the end of the episode the other day make it look like there was a lot of drama going to be on the show," Duvendeck joked. "So maybe it's a good thing I got off early."

Filming of the show also took place right after Duvendeck's cycling season-a time he would have been resting anyway-but a long stay would have forced him to get creative in starting his offseason training program.

Duvendeck hopes to compete at the 2012 London Olympics, but only if he is confident he can make the medal stand. He placed 11^th in the men's team sprint in the 2004 Olympics in Athens and was eighth in the same event four years later in Beijing.

"I have no intention to go to the Olympics just to go," he said. "I've done it twice now and it's an incredible experience, but I don't want to go back unless I have a realistic chance at getting a medal."

The Long Beach, Calif., resident has a bit of a sour taste in his mouth after Beijing. Despite improving on his 11^th-place finish in the team sprint in Athens, Duvendeck said his team didn't feel as though they raced their best.

Duvendeck was pleased with his post-Olympic season last year and said he is "very excited" for the upcoming season.

"So we'll see, maybe in four years, hopefully standing on top of that podium I can laugh about the show then," Duvendeck said. "And maybe Jillian made the wrong choice at that point in time."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Chrös McDougall is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.