Monique “Pua” Mata Signs with Team Sho-Air

3/10/11 - Pua Mata will be representing Team Sho-Air as a sponsored Professional Athlete, she will be involved in all aspects of our sponsorship endeavors, from the US Cup to our club sponsored teams of over 800+ amateur based athletes as well as all other professional and community based projects.  Pua will lead club team rides, participate in training camps for riders ranging from the beginner to the expert level, and make appearances and speaking engagements.

Pua will be competing in endurance based MTB racing for Team Sho-Air; she will concentrate in the newly established USAC Pro EUT and will debut for Team Sho-Air at the first Pro EUT in Hot Springs Arkansas this weekend 03-12-11. She will compete in the Spa City Extreme 6 Hour race with her Team Sho-Air teammate Manuel “Manny” Prado where they will each compete solo in the event. She will also compete in other endurance based events throughout the year.

When Pua was asked about her return to Team Sho-Air she said, “It’s now come full circle, I had a tough year last year and coming back to Team Sho-Air is like pressing the reset button for me.”

Pua Mata, riding for Team Sho-Air in 2011, tries out her new bike.

Mata continues, “Scott Tedro signed me to my first Pro deal and he has consistently been there for me over the years and it feels great to come home. I get to return to my true passion and concentrate on endurance based racing and I know with the backing that I will get from my teammates at Team Sho-Air I will be back on the podium and having a great time doing so. I am also looking forward to racing on my new Specialized S-Works Epic 29r, I had never ridden a 29r bike before until now and after just one ride on my new Epic I was hooked, I expect big things this year, but mostly I am happy to be with a team that supports me both on and off the bike and I am excited to race for the first time in a long time.”

When asked about Pua’s return, Team Sho-Air founder Scott Tedro said, “Pua is a first class person and a very talented rider, and I am very pleased that she will be riding with us again this year.  Over the past several years we concentrated on Pro XC racing and we are now turning our focus to Pro based endurance racing and I believe with Pua Mata and Manny Prado, we have two of the best to represent us both on and off the track.”