This week, MTB Girls Magazine is spotlighting Vida Lopez de San Roman from Sebastopol, CA—a powerhouse on both cyclocross and XCO (Cross‑Country Olympic) circuits whose recent performances keep turning heads.
Vida Lopez de San Roman of Sebastopol first stepped into competitive cycling at Wednesday Night Dirt Crits in Santa Rosa’s Howarth Park—a short-track series she joined alongside her brother Ian after a local friend encouraged them to “pay $5, get destroyed” on the dirt circuit. Those fun, intense laps sparked a lifelong racing passion.
While the venues have changed, the results remain the same for the 19-year-old from Sebastopol. In the past year, she claimed national titles in two different disciplines: cyclocross and mountain biking. Her standout 2024 moment came in late August in Andorra, at the World Mountain Bike Championships. Vida was part of the six-person USA squad that won gold in the team relay, a surreal experience she described as “standing on the podium in the rainbow jersey” and hearing her national anthem.
Short Track (XCC) – U23 Women
2nd place – Vida clocked 19:44, just 12 seconds behind winner Elina Benoit—earning 100 UCI points.
Olympic Cross-Country (XCO) – U23 Women
34th place, completing the race in 1:22:33, a powerful learning experience on a notoriously tough course.
These results highlight her explosive power in short-track and tenacity in XCO—evidence of how Leogang further advanced her 2025 campaign.
Season Recap: Cross-Country Olympic Women U23
4th overall – UCI MTB World Cup (Dordogne), 71 points
5th place – Val di Sole, Italy (XCO), June 22, 2025
5th place – Pal Arinsal, Andorra (XCO), July 9, 2025
2nd place – Pal Arinsal (XCC Short Track), same weekend
1st place – Chelva (XCO), February 16, 2025
6th place – Banyoles (XCO), February 23, 2025
Early Cyclocross Stardom
Vida’s rise began with those Wednesday evening Dirt Crits before morphing into U.S. national cyclocross dominance: national junior titles by age 13, first European World Cup victory in Hulst (Dec 2023), and making history in December 2024 by winning Elite Nationals as the youngest champion ever.
Why We Love Vida
From the Wednesday Night Dirt Crits dirt laps in Santa Rosa, California’s Howarth Park to the world stage—from cyclocross to mountain bike gold—Vida Lopez de San Roman continues to prove she’s among the most talented young riders on the planet. Her explosive speed, technical savvy, and fearless racing style across disciplines make her a standout and one to watch in years to come.
Your journey is just beginning, Vida, and we’ll be cheering you on every pedal stroke!
