S.B. Team Cyclist Dies in Race

Suzanne Rivera, a member of a Santa Barbara-based cycling team, died Sunday from an accident during the Mariposa County Women’s Stage Race.

A statement from the B4T9 team said that that Rivera, a 48-year-old Bakersfield athlete, was a new member. It described her as “an amazing, fun, spirited woman” and said, “We as a team and as individuals are heartbroken, devastated and sad beyond words that could be written at the loss of Suzanne.”

Rivera died after slamming into a parked support vehicle during a twisting downhill descent, according to a report in the Bakersfield Californian.

B4T9, coached by Jill Gass, is a team of women cyclists competing in USA Cycling Master’s events. It arose from the Kalyra Racing Team that was formed in 2004 to participate in the Race Across America and other challenges. The team’s name refers to its members having been born before the Title IX law was passed.