Tonight I am proud to announce that Firefighters Cycling is relaunching with a new leader, and an updated version of our 2014 Kit.
In 1996 Scott Crowell and Johny Macharis formed Firefighters Cycling in St Pete, FL as a Club as well as a vehicle for their Bike Shop FastTrax. Scott’s dream was to build a Firefighters version of the Chevy LA SheriffsCycling Team.
In 2009 we rebooted Firefighters Cycling to bring attention to 9/11 Firefighters & First Responders who were suffering from a multitude of illnesses caused by exposure to the toxins at Ground Zero.
That reboot became not only a club, but a Development vehicle for a number of riders who ended up racing on UCI teams over the past decade. Firefighters Cycling Pro Development Team raced around the world, and even spent a season as part of a UCI program based in Sweden. That year ended the run for Firefighters development team, and would soon end the second iteration of Firefighters Cycling.
But during that second period there was one District of the program that thrived, and that was the Mid-Atlantic District run by Sam Zara, a federal firefighter in New Jersey, and former World Tour level cyclist in the early 1990’s.
Sam’s dedication to the program never wavered even when the club had become dormant… prior to Covid 19 we discussed a reboot, and Sam leading the charge.
This is why tonight I am handing over the Chiefs Bugle to Sam.
Firefighters Cycling is officially returning, and I am confident Sam is going to make it the club Scott dreamed of way back in 1996, and the one I worked to build into the mid twenty teens.
Please Help me congratulate Sam Zara on being the new Director of Firefighters Cycling!
Sam, you are the Chief now… lead us, Brother!
Allen Wahlstrom
Past Director- Firefighters Cycling PDT
Firefighter Cycling 