Cozza, Garmin / Slipsteam Interview Amgen Tour of California 2009 from scott cozza on Vimeo.
Watch for the Garmin/Transitions boys at the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, May 16-23. The Garmin /Transitions team always brings excitement to the peloton. Lets get out there this year to cheer on Garmin/Transitions or your favorite team. Steven says “Wear the “stache”, boys and girls, men and women, young and old. I’ll have the stache. It gives me super powers! Ha Ha.”

*Permission was granted by KCRA Channel 3 Sports to post this video. They sent the video to Steven’s dad Scott Cozza in 2009. Special thanks to KCRA. Steven hopes KCRA will cover the Amgen Tour of California in 2010

*click the link below. It will take you to VeloNews.com to an article that reflects the courage of a professional cyclist and how love between two people can work magic!

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/03/news/new-column-from-stevens-crash-to-my-crash-course-by-jennifer-caudill_106587

If there is someone out there sticking needles into a voodoo doll of me please, stop. I’m serious. This has been a past two months of insane misfortune. It’s like I got the fortune cookie an elephant pooped out or something.

The list of mishaps is too long and it’s no use harping on the past, but in just the past few days I have had my car broken into and burglarized. We had just filled the car up with goods we needed for our new 1 month temporary apartment until our permanent residence is ready in April. We went to the Hypercore, (a large mall with everything), picked everything from linens to pots and pans, and then parked the car in the driveway of my teammate’s house for the night. We woke up the next day and just about everything was missing – garage door opener and all. I was shattered because of the fact that I had already been ripped off early in January by a housekeeper from the hotel at our training camp in Calpe for about $300.

Well, we carried on and loaded the car with all our belongings and headed right back to the Hypercore to replace the stuff that was stolen. After that. we headed to our new apartment in downtown Girona. Upon arriving, the one way street in the ancient city was blocked at the entrance for the night, so my Spanish friend, David, and I had to back it down the smallest one-way cobbled streets you could ever imagine. We both hit the ancient stone walls several times just trying to get to the front door of the apartment.

Once we made it to the front of the building, we learned that the elevator was broken for the night and that we would have to walk up the 3 stories with every bag Jen and I owned – two cars worth of junk I have collected over the past couple years here. We then went into the apartment for the first time to meet the owners and sign papers and were hit across the face with a horrible burnt-down house smell. That’s exactly what it was. The apartment building had just had a large fire recently and the smell was just overwhelming. The good thing is we are only here for a few weeks till our real apartment is ready. It’s worth the wait that’s for sure.

Getting burglarized and cheated is a real horrible feeling and I don’t believe I deserve it nor does anyone else, but these things happen in life and I am just so thankful I have Jen over here supporting me through these tough times. She is quite the angel.

For a quick injury update. My clavical surgery is healing slowly but surely. I’ve been doing lots of rehab and everything I can to get my arm to work again. After the surgery, it was as if my arm just died instantly. It’s even numb in some spots. I have been told this is because a lot of the muscles in the area shut off naturally to protect the damaged areas.

So now it’s rehab rehab rehab until my arm starts functioning normally again. I am still currently on the indoor trainer and going to the gym. I tried riding outside the other day but it was too much discomfort. I am hoping by the 3rd week (March 4th) post surgery, I can start riding on the road again. The indoor riding is really starting to crack me that is for sure, but I understand it is what I need to do to be at my best come my next race, the Volta Catalunya in mid March. All the pain and suffering will pay off.

I just won’t let these tough obstacles stop me.
Steven

Show your support for Steven and his Race for Kids Fan Club children’s charities by purchasing and proudly wearing a “Never Give Up” T-shirt!

About Cozza’s “Never Give Up” T-shirt…

“We were initially drawn to Steven’s aggressive old school riding style but when we realized he was developing The Race for Kids Fan Club at such an early point in his career we knew we wanted to be a part of it.”

“We became fans of Steven Cozza after watching him ride in The Tour of Missouri in 2007. We loved his grit, his stache and his old school aggressive riding style. Watching Cozza ride took us back to Merckx and De Vlaeminck scenes from Sunday In Hell. His relentlessness and focus are as genuine as his desire to give back to those in need. Steven recently developed The Race for Kids Fan Club, which is a program focused on raising money to help children throughout the world who are disadvantaged because of poverty, physical or mental disabilities, being discriminated against and victims of war or natural disasters. We are giving $3 from each Cozza shirt sold to Race for Kids.”

Erik Schnakenberg
Handlebar Mustache Apparel

Where To Buy?
You can purchase online direct from Handlebar Mustache Apparel. Just click the link below:
http://www.hbstache.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Cozza%5FTee

OR

Please visit one of the following stores:

California

Bici Sport
139 Kentucky Street
Petaluma, CA 94952
707-775-4676
www.bicisportusa.com

Athletic Soles
Athletic Specialty Store (run, walk, triathlon).
49 Petaluma Blvd N,
Petaluma, CA 94952
707-763-0700
www.athleticsoles.com

Spoke Folk Cyclery
201 Center Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-433-7171
www.spokefolk.com

The Bike Store
4025 Watson Blvd Suite 240
Warner Robins, Ga 31093
(478)953-6225
www.thebikestorewr.com

The Bike Store
1305 Linden Ave
Macon, Ga 31207
(478)744-BIKE
www.thebikestorewr.com

Interested in carrying the “Never Give Up” shirt in your store? Contact us!

602nds had a chat with professional cyclist Steven Cozza, whilst at home recovering from collarbone surgery after his crash at the Tour of Qatar.

Steven currently rides for UCI Professional Team Garmin-Transitions. Steven resides in Petaluma California, where he bases himself during the European winter, with the rest of the time he is based with team-mates in Girona. Steven specialises on the road in time trial, climbing, stage RR & the classics.

Steven started racing at 15 years old after breaking his shoulder in a high school wrestling match, and then raced in Europe when he was 16 with an Italian Junior Team and also the USA National Team. He has competed for USA at the World Road & TT Championships as a junior, U23 & Elite rider. In 2005 Steven won the USA U23 ITT Championship. Steven is well known for being a character in the Peloton with his “moustache” taking on its own identity back in 2008.

Hope you all enjoy this 602nds interview with Steven.

602nds: What is the one race you would like to win before you retire from cycling?
Steven: Paris – Roubaix. Every day, I dream of winning that race one day. Last year was my first time competing there and I had a great time racing in the breakaway all day.

 602nds: What is your personal cycling goal for 2010?
Steven: Well now that I destroyed my collarbone in just the first race of the year, my new goal is to come back as strong as possible and as soon as possible before the Belgian Classics.

 602nds: What is your all time cycling moment?
Steven: Oh boy, this is a tough question. I have had a lot of great cycling memories over the years. I would have to say being in the breakaway at the 2008 TOC while my moustache was in top form and seeing a whole family of kids and parents all wearing fake moustaches cheering me on up one of the climbs. I thought that was really cool to see that a family was having a good time watching the race and cheering me on. I love seeing the fans smile as we race by. I really loved racing in the Tour of Poland last year because the fans were just so happy to have us racing through their towns. That really inspires me to keep racing my bike.

602nds: Who/What inspired you to become a cyclist?
Steven: I started racing BMX bikes and then mountain bikes. When I was 15, I broke my shoulder in a high school wrestling accident. I couldn’t ride the mountain bike for a whole year so I rode on the road. This was in 1999 when Lance won his first Tour de France. Since then, I have been in love with the sport of cycling.  

602nds: Do you have a tip for someone who is just started out riding?
Steven: Yes of course, have lots of fun. Never forget that you ride a bike because of how fun it is and because of the way it makes you feel. We all have our bad days and the days we don’t want to even think of touching a bike, but overall, it should be fun. Never quit on your dreams and never count yourself out because of what others may say. Listen to your own heart.

602nds: Do you have a ritual you do before all your races, or a lucky charm etc…?
Steven: I used to have a lot of rituals and superstitions. It started getting nuts and I got too carried away with them all. I just go out now and ride my butt off.

 602nds: If your iPod was broken and it could only play one song continuously. What would it be?
Steven: It would have to be “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred. This song is one of my all time favourites.

602nds: Is there one rider in the Peloton that you always end up having a chat with whilst riding?
Steven: It’s always a good chat with Danny Pate. He talks non-stop.

602nds: Everyone has an opinion on the Footon-Servetto kit, what are your thoughts?   Would you be happy wearing it?
Steven: I’m not sure what this one looks like.  If it’s as weird sounding as their name, I’m sure it’s pretty awful. I think my team definitely looks the best out there in the peloton.

602nds: We know that sports stars all over the world are talked about being “Role Models” for the sport they are representing, the fans & media can’t get enough of the stars when they are at the top.  But, when they fall from grace the media & fans can be nasty & unfair.
Do you think that the term ‘Role Model” should also involve these sports stars private life?  Should there be a line where the fans & media shouldn’t cross?
Steven: It really depends on the athlete himself. We all have our different personalities. If you take a guy like Muhammad Ali, he would have invited the whole paparazzi over for dinner. He loved the attention and he could make people smile by just being himself. I think that is so cool when an athlete of great status opens his doors to the rest of the world. Cycling is one of the only sports in the world where the fans can truly get up and close to some of their favourite athletes. It’s part of the sport of cycling. We all signed up for it when we decided to be professional cyclists.

602nds: We know that you are now recovering from having an operation on your collarbone, what do you do to keep yourself busy all day?
Steven: This is not the only time I have had to come back from injury. I am very good at keeping busy. My girlfriend, Jen, arrived the other day as well to help me out since I only have one arm right now. My days consist of riding the indoor trainer as hard and long as I can. I am also doing workouts in the gym to keep my leg strength as strong as possible.

602nds: Are you a beer or wine man? And what is your Favourite?
Steven: I’m neither a beer nor wine man. I prefer a nice glass of orange juice or a glass of agave nectar mixed with rice milk after a hard training ride.

602nds: You have started the “Race for kids Fan club” on your website, Can you tell us a little about the cause & why you chose to do it?
Steven: The “Race for Kids Fan Club” is something I decided to start to raise money for disadvantaged children around the world. Fans of mine can join my fan club by donating to one of the selected youth charities on my web page and in return they will become official fan club members - as well as receiving an autographed racer card and earning the chance to win cool Team Garmin prizes in our monthly drawings. I have always believed in giving back and helping others in the world. The Race for Kids Fan Club inspires me so much when I am out training 4 to 5 hours a day, rain or shine. My goal is to raise over one million dollars for children charities.

602nds: How can the readers become involved in the cause?
Steven: They can go to my web page (www.stevencozza.com) and become an official member of my Steven Cozza Race for Kids Fan Club.

602nds would like to thank Steven for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish him all the best for the 2010 Cycling Season, and a speedy recovery from his latest injury.

If you want to keep track of  what Steven is up to, you can follow him on twitter or his facebook fan page.

602nds encourages all readers to support Steven’s cause “Race for Kids Fan Club” .

Photo Courtesy of Kristof Ramon

Visit Kramon’s Flickr gallery for more images

Mahatma Gandhi

“We create our own destiny”  Steven Cozza

www.cycling4fans.com

* This interview took place prior to Steven’s injury at the Tour of Qatar

1. What do you think of a prohibition of radios in professional cycling? May you explain your opinion?

Steven: I don’t see a good reason for banning radio use in professional cycling. Racing can be very dangerous and getting warnings on conditions up the road can keep us those of us racing out of trouble. The team’s follow car is our support during the race and the radios just improve the comunication from support car to the racer. Plus, the media could use it to add more excitment to watching cycling races. How cool would that be if the fans watching the race on TV could hear what guys like Christian VandeVelde are saying during the race!

2. Are you already preparing yourself for the time after your cycling career? If so, how are you preparing yourself?

Steven: Yes, I’m preparing by saving as much money as I can. I’m not yet sure what the future holds for me but that’s the exciting part. Right now my focus is 100% on my cycling. Everything else will fall into place.

3. Should professional cyclists play a more important part in cycling politics? If so, how could this been achieved?

Steven: Yes, of course. I think there should be a cyclist chosen from every Pro Tour team to be ambassadors of the sport. I think professional cyclists need to speak up against the doping. I think a two year ban is not enough. The penalty needs to be at least four years for a doping violation and a life ban for a second violation. We also must be careful that a cyclist isn’t penalized if he or she showed positive because of a tainted supplement. We take supplements because the sport is so demanding on our bodies. I’m not sure if that would be possible, but if it is actions must be taken to protect the innocent.

4. How important is tradition in professional cycling of today?

Steven: Tradition is important to a certain extent. I think a lot of the old theories and ways of thinking in cycling are wrong. I’m glad that my team Garmin-Transitions is taking the sport of cycling to a new level with science to help us be our best for races in a clean and healthy way. Our sponsors fully support this. We even have a sponsor called POM that provides us with free radical fighting pomegranate juice.

5. For which fellow cyclist do you have (or had) the greatest respect?

Steven: I’ve looked up to many professional cyclists since I started racing at the age of 15. Since then, they have all tested positive for drug use. I want to guarantee for anyone out there who may look up to me that I will never let them down the way my past heros have. To answer your question, I’d have to say my favorite current professional cyclist is Jens Voigt. I love his racing style and attitude.

6. What has changed in professional cycling since the beginning of your career (or in the last five years)?

Steven: The sport’s attitude has changed. I’d say that the majority of racers now are against any form of doping. My whole team is and we speak out against it. My team has even hired a company to test us for banned substances throughout the year along with a blood passport by USADA and WADA that I already have to give blood to. This winter I was tested over 4 times. That wouldn’t have happened 5 years ago, but its happening today and that’s a great thing.

7. A private question: Are you having a dog and if so, what’s its name?

Steven: Ha. Great question. I love dogs and I really miss my Teddy girl. She was an awesome Australian Shepherd that passed away from cancer in 2008. Someday I will have another dog, but I will adopt one instead of buying one from an expensive breeder or a pet shop.

8. What are your main goals for the cycling season 2010?

Steven: My main objectives for the spring are of course the Classics. I love Flanders and Roubaix. As long as I do my job, whether that is being a support rider for Martijn Maskant or Johan Vansummermen, or winning a race myself, I will be happy. I still have not won a pro race in Europe yet, so that is a goal of mine as well.

9. Which main objective would you still like to achieve in your cycling career?

Steven: I would like to win Paris Roubaix someday. I believe I can. We will just have to wait and see.

10. How are/were you preparing yourself for the cycling season 2010? Where is / has been your training base?

Steven: I spent the winter training in my hometown of Petaluma, California. It’s where my family lives and the training there is the best in the world. My coach, Dario from www.wholeathlete.com, also lives there. He set up a really great training program for me this winter during the base training months. I worked my butt off this winter and now its time to start racing. I look forward to seeing the payoff of all the hard work.

11. How many annual training kilometers do you usually ride?

Steven: Anywhere from 500 to 700 kilometers in a week. It really depends on the time of the year.

12. Your favourite cycling race? Why?

Steven: I like every race I’m scheduled to do.

13. Which is the most difficult and which the most beautiful climb?

Steven: Eroica in Italy is the most beautiful race I’ve ever done. I really look forward to racing that one again this year and would like to win it someday. The dirt sections in the race are awesome. All the races are difficult. I can’t choose one in particular that is the most difficult.

14. Just a little advice for an amateur cyclist: Which nutritional supplements are you – or professional cyclists in general – taking during a 3 week grand tour?

Steven: I say eat healthy. Don’t starve yourself like some cyclists do. It’s important to eat a variety of healthy foods. My favorite is rice, chicken, fish, and vegetables. I don’t take very many supplements because I eat healthy. Since our team worries about us accidentally buying contaminated supplements, we get iron, fish oil and multi vitamins through the team nutritionists.

Steven, wearing his Garmin cycling cap, is in Girona, Spain, icing his injured collarbone. Steven is very serious about rehabing his injury. You can see this by the amount of ice he is using! Go Cozza! Paris Roubaix all the way!

Steven’s girlfriend Jen, kept him warm by sharing the beautiful scarf Steven’s grandma Julie gave her. Jen also took the photo. You go girl!

Steven Cozza (Garmin-Transitions) is keeping a positive attitude in spite of bad luck.

Garmin rider to have plate fitted after third fracture
Garmin-Transitions’ Steven Cozza became the second rider to broke his collarbone during stage two of the Tour of Qatar on Monday after Team Sky’s Kurt-Asle Arvesen’s fracture.
The likeable rider from California hit a pothole in the rough roads and lost control of his bike. Unfortunately he landed on his left shoulder and his collarbone gave way, fracturing in the same point it had during two previous career crashes.
It meant the end of Cozza’s race and he will now travel to Belgium to have a plate fitted on his fracture. It will mean more pain, but the hard man of US admitted he did not even take painkiller after his crash.
“It’s the third time I’ve broken my collarbone and in the same place. I’m getting kind of used to it but it’s not something I want to get used to,” he told Cyclingnews after dinner in the race hotel at the Tour of Qatar.
“I have to get it operated on now because a collarbone never really heals properly. After three breaks in the same place it’s about time I get it sorted out so that it doesn’t keep breaking.”
While Arvesen crashed in the neutralised section of the race, Cozza crashed after 50km when the side winds and high-speed attacks were splitting the peloton into echelons.
“It’s so dangerous out there with all the wind and stuff and it happened when the cross-winds started coming and we started racing hard,” he said.
“It was a like a war zone and it was every man for himself. I think I hit a bump because there’s a lot of potholes out there and my hands slipped off the handlebars. Unfortunately as I went down I took out my teammate Martijn (Maaskant) as well. That’s party of cycling but fortunately he’s okay.”
“It’ll make me stronger for the future”
Cozza was disappointed to have crashed out of the early season race but true to character, he stayed optimistic, saying this latest setback will only make him stronger for the future.
“It’s not that too bad for me. It’s early in the season but fortunately I’ve got the whole month of February to recover and get going again. I wasn’t going to do any other races apart from this and the Tour of Oman. I also trained well this winter, so I’m sure I’ll be able to bounce back pretty quickly,” he said.
“After I get the procedure done I can hopefully be out training in two days. Not hard training but I’ll be back on the bike. I love racing. It’s a shame it’s the first race of the year but getting down about it doesn’t fix anything. I’ve got to stay positive and I know I’ll always come back stronger from these things. Hopefully it’ll make me stronger for the future.”
Cozza is expected to fly back to Europe on Tuesday and probably undergo surgery as early as Wednesday
_______________________________________
*Go to Announcements for updates on Steven’s condition – Scott Cozza

“Never Give Up” from scott cozza on Vimeo.

Please watch the entire 7 minute video. It conveys a powerful message to “Never Give Up” no matter what obstacles we may face in life. Steven says to those with challenges in life to “Never Give Up”, “As human beings, whether a child, teen, or an adult, we will all face difficulties in life. The challenge could be as harmless as trying to learn to read or as life threatening as trying to overcome a serious illness. Hold on to hope by having a “Never Give Up” attitude. When I race, whether I win or lose, at the end of the day I can always walk away from my bike feeling proud because I know I did my best and “Never Gave Up.”