RENO, Nev. (BRAIN) — Erica Greif, a member of the ZOCA-Halo Sports Hedrick Women's Racing Team, died Tuesday night in an auto accident on the way to this week's Redlands Bicycle Classic in Southern California. She was 23.
"We have just learned that ZOCA p/b Halo Sports Hedrick Women's Racing Team rider Erica Greif passed away last night in a tragic car accident on her way to join her teammates at the Redlands Bicycle Classic," sponsor ZOCA Gear posted on its Facebook page Wednesday. "We are so sorry to hear of this and our deepest condolences go out to your family, friends and all who knew you. You will be deeply missed. Rest in peace, Erica."
According to her biography page on the Team Hedrick website, Greif had been racing for three years and was set to graduate this spring from the University of Nevada at Reno with a degree in nutrition and dietetics.
"Raised since middle school in Reno, I often used biking as a form of transportation, riding a Huffy until one of my high school friends told me I was embarrassing to ride with," she wrote in her online bio. "After a few years of learning how to do a track stand and painting bikes with spray cans, I landed a job at a bike shop, discovered Lycra, and was encouraged to race locally. In college, I finally ventured 'over the hill' to race in California, and two years ago was formally introduced to the word 'intervals.' Since then I've logged a lot of miles, race days, searched endlessly for one more watt and hope to pursue racing at the highest level."
VeloNews.com reported Wednesday that Greif was a winner of USA Cycling's Edmund R. Burke Grant, which is awarded to promising junior and U-23 racers.
