Missy Giove

Melissa 'The Missile' Giove (born January 20, 1972) is an American professional downhill mountain biker. Throughout her career she won 14 NORBA downhill titles and 11 world cups. Giove's other accomplishments include three overall NORBA downhill crowns, two World Cup overalls, and the 1994 World Championship title. She has also been featured as a playable character in the 2003 racing video game Downhill Domination on the Sony PlayStation 2.

Career

Giove was born in Manhattan, NY. She raced for Yeti Cycles, along with other racers: Myles Rockwell, Jimmy Deaton, John Tomac and Johnny O'Mara, managed by former owner of Yeti Cycles, John Parker, the Volvo-Cannondale USA cycling team.

Giove raced wearing the desiccated body of her deceased pet piranha, Gonzo, around her neck,

2016, Giove was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.

2022, Giove is a main character in the book, Pressure: A Memoir by Eric Canori.

Legal troubles In 1999, Giove, along with Amazon Inc., filed a lawsuit against Cannondale and Dirt Camp, Inc. over a 1999 Cannondale Product Catolog and sought $2 million in damages. During the summer and early fall of 1998, while Giove was still a member of the team, Cannondale designed, published, and distributed its 1999 products catalog with several photographs of Giove. Subsequently, Giove and Team Sports Mountain Inc. (TMSI) failed to renegotiate a contract, and the TSMI/Amazon contract expired on December 31, 1998. Cannondale continued to distribute the 1999 catalog containing Giove's photographs after the TSMI/Amazon contract expired.

In June 2009, Giove was arrested in Wilton, New York on charges of conspiring to possess and distribute 174 kilograms (384 pounds) of marijuana found hidden in a car trailer during a routine traffic stop. The case netted over $12,515,738 assets seized in the conspiracy. Giove pleaded guilty in the case and was sentenced to 5 years on probation and 6 months under house arrest.