Shonny Vanlandingham
“I have been asked on several occasions what would make our sport grow with the youth. And my answer is always, continue to support and grow mountain bike programs such as the Nova Youth Cycling Foundation. These types of programs are few but are slowly growing in number. Nova Youth Cycling Foundation provides invaluable guidance and motivation for the up-and-coming junior mountain bikers in the country” 
Shonny Vanlandingham
Luna Chix Mountain Bike Team/2004 National Champion

"Team Nova is a wonderful program that gets young riders involved in racing. Because cycling is not supported throughout many schools, this program is a great opportunity to show young riders what racing is about and how to get involved. Cycling is a great sport that can be enjoyed throughout their
entire life. If we want to succeed and be competitive at international racing it is important to to get younger riders involved in racing.

I wish I would known about racing when I was younger. I had no idea that cycling was such a great sport till I was in my twenties. It has taught me so many lessons that I will be able to use in real life. If only I knew these lessons when I was younger. “ 
Kelli Emmett 
Specialized Mountain Bike Team   

“Team Nova is an invaluable program in the development of young cyclists. Kids love to ride bikes. Getting them interested in racing, however, is a challenge. Team Nova has done an amazing job of getting kids interested in the sport, showing them what racing is all about, providing the support they need, and instilling in them a sense of confidence and accomplishment. It is a wonderful program and an important part of the cycling community.” 
Alison Dunlap
Luna Chix Mountain Bike Team
2002 World Cup Champion • 2004 U.S. National Cross Country and Short Track Champion • 2004 NORBA National Series Short Track Champion 

"As the years went on, the experience changed for me as I was engulfed in the bureaucracy of bike racing. All of a sudden I was worrying about my results, overtraining, dietary supplements, and expensive parts. My days of pre-race campfires, team camaraderie, the Huffy Toss, and dad’s homemade “pasta con pesto alla butane stove” were over. What happened to BMX lake jumping the night before the state finals? Coaxing teammates up steep hills by offering a can of coke and a marshmallow at the top? Skidding contests on the team Huffy? As I approached the pro class, I found myself in desperate need of a mental health makeover. How could I rejuvenate my interest in the sport that led me in the right direction during my childhood? Sometimes answers come in the most unlikely places. Mine came in a field near my home in Arizona where I stumbled upon the NOVA team trailer at a local race. I came to talk to Jerry Sieve, the NOVA team director against whose son I raced in my younger years. I left with an opportunity to race with a “back-to-what-matters” team, some new friends, and a girl who I one day hope to call my wife. 
In the two years following that encounter I was able to go back to what I was missing in racing. The team camaraderie was back, as were the feelings of appreciation, simplicity, and the good old days. With a strong infrastructure of moral, mental, and financial support, Team NOVA was able to mask the intimidations of racing and make it fun again. When I finished last by over five minutes in my first Pro race, the team was there to cheer me on over the last hill and let me know that it wasn’t my finish that mattered, but the fact in itself that I finished when so many others hadn’t. The team gave me the same level of support a year later when I finished half-way up on the field in the same race. The real test, however, came after I had departed from the team and moved to Europe. 
While living in Wales in 2003, I was set to represent the USA in a cyclocross World Cup in Germany. Just three weeks before the race the UCI banned the bike that I was to be riding and I suddenly found myself in a predicament with no reprieve. When it seemed that all was lost, Team NOVA stepped up from half-way across the world and answered the call. My former teammates and colleagues took up a collection for a new bike, and 3 days later a new team cyclocross bike was in the mail. Despite my contract having expired, the team acted selflessly and showed that there was more to our relationship than a signed piece of paper. They helped me live my dream, and that was enough to prove to me that this was much more than a cycling team. Even though I have technically moved on from team NOVA, I still consider them to be my teammates and friends for life. "
Brad Van Orden
Former Team NOVA Member ~ Pro