American Pride and Cycling

Why does American Pride Automotive talk about cycling so much?  And what’s with all the pictures of kids on bikes we post on Facebook?

American Pride Automotive takes great pride in the communities it serves and strives to give back whenever possible.  We also believe that cycling is an activity with the potential to change the world by making both people and communities healthier.  In 2010, owner and cyclist Charlie Marcotte, decided to take on the primary sponsorship of the local cycling team, James River Velo Sports.  JRVS is a co-ed regional team of recreational and competitive mountain and road riders from around the Hampton Roads area.

Team member Paul Croft, a Canon Virginia employee and family man, began mountain biking to improve his own fitness and joined JRVS in 2007.   He started bringing his wife Melanie, daughter Emily, and son Adam along on rides for family fun.   They started riding in local races, but soon the kids races were no contest and both Emily and Adam were out-riding many adults.  Fast forward to 2012 and they are junior stars on the east coast cycling scene.  USA Nationals were held last week in Augusta Georgia, where Adam (now 11) won the National Championship Road Race and Time Trial, and Emily (now 13) placed 8^th in the Road Race. Adam also won his time trial and placed 3rd in the criterium.

Their accomplishments on the bike are many and they are beginning to be noticed outside our region. National team Garmin/Slipstream recently added Adam to their Junior Development Team roster, which means many more races at the national level. And Emily won her second consecutive Virginia High School Mountain Bike Series and placed first in the adult women’s sport race at the Massanutten HooHa in Harrisonburg, VA last month.

Their athletic accomplishments are impressive on their own, but they are also polite, well spoken, and humble about their achievements. Both plan to pursue cycling as far as they can professionally and American Pride is going to be cheering them on all the way!

Interested in cycling? Check out James River Velo Sport online and on Facebook for resources and local rides.