Portland, OR — Katheryn Curi Mattis has announced she’ll be dusting off her cleats for the women’s cyclocross race at CrossVegas on September 14th. Curi Mattis is a perennial threat in any contest she enters, but she will certainly have her work cut out for her — CrossVegas attracts some of the best cyclocross racers in the world and has become a regular highlight of the bicycle industry’s annual trade show.
The former Geelong, Australia, Road World Cup winner, U.S. Elite Women’s National Road Champion, and Most Aggressive Rider at the 2010 UCI World Road Championships will be racing in support of Bikes To Rwanda, a Portland, Oregon, based non-profit that provides specially designed cargo bikes to Rwandan cooperative coffee farmers.
“I don’t compete that often any longer, but what Bikes To Rwanda is doing in providing transportation for basic needs and the delivery of coffee beans by farmers to market is a cause I wanted to help out in some way,” said Curi Mattis, who has scaled back her race schedule since her days on the Webcor Women’s Professional Cycling Team and the US National Team.
Curi Mattis will be wearing a Bikes To Rwanda Cycling Team kit and piloting Ritte van Vlaanderen’s steel-and-carbon Steeplechase ‘cross model. Ritte, which is a sponsor of the Bikes To Rwanda team, is entering its third season in business and has fast made a name for itself with frames loaded with performance, value and personality.
“We’re really excited to have such a quality rider representing us in CrossVegas,” said Bikes To Rwanda’s executive director Brian Gilmore. “I’m hoping this will help raise Bikes To Rwanda’s profile with other riders and the public and that we can pick up some support for our efforts.”
Gilmore is attending Interbike to cheer on Curi Mattis at CrossVegas and to meet with new and existing sponsors at the trade show. Bikes to Rwanda team jerseys, which were designed and manufactured with support from Giordana , are available for sale at www.Pedalr.com, and all proceeds go towards the cause. Those interested in corporate donations or program sponsorship are encouraged to contact Gilmore directly.
