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.