Second Annual Grand Prix Brings Out Flurry of Activity

Sunday brought a boom of activity to Scotts Valley, and the blustery weather did nothing to stop the gathering of cyclists from Santa Cruz County and beyond in the second-annual Scotts Valley Grand Prix. 

Under foreboding clouds and light rain, the races closed down Scotts Valley Drive from El Pueblo Drive to Carbonero Way, running a mile-long circuit with the start/finish line falling right at 4900 Scotts Valley Drive. Though it fell on the same day as the first leg of the famous stage race, The Amgen Tour of California, Sunday’s cycling offered up a whole different kind of racing with this criterium-style race. Racers zoomed by at speeds greater than 20 mph, as onlookers cheered and rang cowbells every three minutes in the spectator-friendly race. 

There were 10 races in all, starting at 1 p.m. and going until the final, the Men’s Pro 1 and 2, at 7:50 p.m. Each race had different criteria for the competitors as well as the length, generally beginning as a set amount of laps, then moving on to timed races as the day went on. 

It was an important event for the area, the center of the cycling mecca of Santa Cruz County, and is just the first of a few races set up nearby. Race director Mark Davis of Syzygy Sports Group is in the midst of planning two other local races, the first being the Strawberry Crown Invitational in downtown Watsonville in early August  and a recently approved race in Capitola coming up in the near future.

Last year’s first-annual Grand Prix garnered a reputation for supporting women cyclists, awarding more prize money to them than their male counterparts. That was just one of the reasons that convinced Winona Hubbard to volunteer at the first race last year, and then to go back to work on the publicity for this year’s race. 

“It’s not exclusively a women’s race, but it’s a step in leveling the playing field,” said Hubbard, a Santa Cruz resident and an accomplished cyclecross racer herself.

A huge advocate of women’s cycling, Hubbard was excited to be involved in something that can encourage fitness as well as fun.

“We wanted people to come and get inspired to get on their bikes, to see that this is something that they can do too,” she said.

The event was completely family friendly, offering a kids’ area with bike safety rodeos, music and activities, as well as races on the actual course for children ages 3-9, all free of charge.

Booths for local vendors such as Mint Fine Living and Fresh Bites, Aunt Lali’s mobile café and Brian’s Bird Houses offered delicious food and wares.

“It is a wonderful community event,” said Lauren Kates of Aunt Lali’s. “We definitely hope for a third.”