Before he raced as a pro, and long before he set a trend with his facial hair, Steven Cozza was just a kid on California's Team Swift junior development program.

Back then, Swift was a small team. But like Cozza's beard, Swift has grown to become the model for others to follow.

Cozza is a model, too...a model of how a kid from small-town California can grow into a big-time bike racer. The riders in the current Swift program look up to Steven, and back when he was their age, he had his own heroes.

Sadly, many of Steven's heroes have proven to be unworthy. Steven talked to CycleTo about his heroes, and his facial hair, at Team Swift's recent Cycle With Champions ride.

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For more on Team Swift, go here.