With a little help from his friends — and siblings — Scotts Valley High School senior Ben Gomez Villafañe has pedaled into rarefied air in the world of cyclo-cross racing.
Currently ranked No. 1 in the world for total seasonal tour points, Gomez Villafañe, 17, has his heart set on becoming a household name for cyclo-cross biking.
“I’m more or less living the dream,” said Gomez Villafañe, who moved to the United States with his family from Argentina at 5. “My goal is to become a professional racer at the highest level against the best riders in the world.”
Long a popular sport in Belgium, France and the Netherlands, and more recently the United States, cyclo-cross racing consists of enduring laps around a short track — 1.5 miles long. The courses are composed of pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles. The rider dismounts, carries the bike while navigating obstructions, and then remounts to continue the race.
To say that Gomez Villafañe’s tournament schedule is jam packed would be a understatement. Earlier this week he left for Europe, where he will compete in Brussels, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Traveling about every other week throughout the year, Gomez Villafañe has this year raced in Connecticut, Colorado and Ohio. In January he is set to compete at the USA Cycling National Championships in Reno, Nevada. He will also travel to Sitter, Germany, to be on the World Championship Team vying for the World Cup.
“It’s pretty awesome to represent your country,” said Gomez Villafañe, who said he trains between 10 – 15 hours a week traversing the terrain in areas such as Wilder Ranch, Henry Cowell Redwoods and Lexington Reservoir.
All this is taking place in tandem with his final year of high school. Interested in shooting videos and taking still pictures with his non-digital camera in his precious spare time, Gomez Villafañe — as part of the independent study program — takes his homework with him on the road if he plans to miss more than miss five days of school.
“My personal goal is to keep good grades in school,” said Gomez Villafañe, who maintains a 3.5 grade-point average. “I can see a potential degree in marketing or business.”
Part of Gomez Villafañe’s secret to professional success just five years into the sport comes from his family.
His siblings Matias, 34, Ana, 32, Julian, 30, Carolina, 25, and Sofia, 23, are all avid bicyclists.
Carolina entered Los Gatos High School, and was quickly encouraged by Julian to join the school mountain bike team to participate in the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League races.
It didn’t take long for Sofia to catch the mountain-biking bug. She also joined the high school team her freshman year at Los Gatos High.
“As you would have guessed, it came down to me, chubby Little Ben, whose passion for bikes had been lit up,” remembered Gomez Villafañe.
These days Gomez Villafañe maintains a long-distance coaching relationship with Chris McGovern, coach of USA Cycling cyclo-cross programs in Europe, including the 2017 World Championships team in Bieles, Luxembourg.
But closer to home, Los Gatos-based cyclo-cross racer Tim Cannard plays a major role in Gomez Villafañe’s life.
Cannard and wife Hollie opened Cycleution in 2008 with the goal of preparing athletes for the worst possible situations, yet teaching them to always envision the best situation.
“He’s been there since I started,” said Gomez Villafañe, who refers to his local coach as his “Bike Dad.” “He’s influential in my cycling life and my personal life.”
The teen is part of the 15-rider Top Club Team, which makes its way to meets worldwide with assistance from sponsors, including Spokesman Bicycles, Santa Cruz Bicycles, and Bell Helmets. Donations include money and equipment.
When not racing, the Scotts Valley High senior can still be seen cruising on county roads in his green 2004 Subaru Impreza.
“It’s not too fast but it’s still fun to drive,” said Gomez Villafañe, who especially enjoys taking Highway 1 up the coast from Santa Cruz to Davenport.
People can try to keep up with Gomez Villafañe at his website www.bgvracing.com. As for the cyclist himself, he sees nothing but daylight in the coming years.
“It has been quite a journey to get where I am today,” he said. “And we’re only getting started.”
