My teenage son started asking about mountain bike racing a couple of months ago so this is timely: Scotts Valley Cyclesport and Santa Cruz Pasta Factory have announced a competetive high school mountain bike race team for students in Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley.
I know both of the coaches — Andrew Cavaletto and Katie Holden — and they’re sweet people who work very well with teens. Andrew races downhill professionally and owns Scotts Valley Cyclesport. Katie is the 2010 Women’s Pan Am Champion and loves introducing the sport to new people.
Steve Simonovich, who owns Santa Cruz Pasta Factory, and Andrew been talking about a high school team for a little while. They own small business in Scotts Valley; from a business perspective see this team as a way to give back to their community while bringing more exposure to the town and their businesses. Steve has a high school son who will be on the team.
The Scotts Valley / San Lorenzo Valley team will compete in the NorCal High School Cycling League along with 40 other teams and over 600 student athletes.
Team training starts informally in the Fall, with official practices starting in November. The racing season runs from February through May. A team informational meeting takes place August 25, 2011 at the (brand spanking new!) Scotts Valley Library, 6 PM to 7 PM in the Fireside Room.