The Colavita Cycling Clubs are amateur racing and recreational programs that comprise the largest competitive cycling organization active in the US. Along with Colavita USA’s (www.colavita.com) sponsorship of the professional women’s pro team, Colavita supports the 15 or more regional club teams with over 600 members in more than 20 states across the country. Colavita Norcal Racing, the regional club in Sonoma County, originally started in 2005 as a race club pulling like-minded individuals together to race as a team in the USA Cycling sanctioned races held in the Northern California/Nevada Cycling Association territory.
The goal of the club is to encourage and support all riders who want to participate and develop their skills. Colavita Norcal member activities encompass the entire range of the sport, with racing, triathlon, long-distance endurance, recreational fun and fitness rides appealing to different club members. While at their core Colavita Norcal Racing is a racing club, they feel that the club should be open for anyone who loves the sport of cycling. Club members ride road, gravel, cyclocross and mountain bikes, depending on the activity for the day.
Members are a mix of women and men living in Sonoma County, stretching from Petaluma to Cloverdale and as far west as Sebastopol. Team members are Phil Heiman- team manager, Lidia Alcazar, Michael Boehme, June Bootier, Joe Bootier, Shawn Burrell, Melanie Collins, Christine Culver,
Tracy Daly, Gary Daly, Jim Davies, Rich Desmond, Charlie Gesell, Jon Giacomini, Steve Gossett, Laurel Green, Ben Harlin, Caroline Hughes, Mike Houston, Steve Kirby, Melissa
Lawrence, David Maciel, Brian Martin, Chris Olhiser, Brian Padgett, Aiden Padgett, Paul Patterson, Jean Ridgway, Blake Ridgway, Chris Rossow, Matt Spadia, Bob Stender, Sofia
Veniard and Rusk Whipps.
Some ride most weekends, depending on interest and time. They come together more as a team for events such as the Tour de Fuzz, Levi’s Grandfondo, the Grasshopper Adventure Ride series and the Sonoma Wine Country Senior Games in and near the Santa Rosa area. They also participate in out of the area events such as the Lost and Found Gravel Ride held in Portola, CA, the Sacramento Cyclocross Series races, the Rockville Cyclocross Series in Fairfield, CA and others. The Covid-19 pandemic and now the smoke from all fires, have put a pretty severe crimp in their normal riding activities in 2020.
They’ve ridden from Windsor to Calistoga, up Ida Clayton, Pine Flat, the Geysers Loop starting from Healdsburg and through Cloverdale, Chalk Hill Rd, Canyon Rd, Dutcher Creek, Rockpile Rd., through the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek, West Dry Creek, Eastside, Westside, out to the coast via King Ridge, Hwy 116 and Coleman Valley, all over the 2 Rock Valley west of Petaluma, down to Novato and back.
