Mara Abbott

Last updated

Mara Abbott
Mara Abbott 2011 Tour of the Gila.jpg
Personal information
Full nameMara Katherine Abbott
Born (1985-11-14) November 14, 1985 (age 39)
Boulder, Colorado,
United States
Height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) [1]
Weight115 lb (52 kg) [1]
Team information
Current teamRetired
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider type Climbing specialist [2]
Amateur team
2015LA Sweat
Professional teams
2007 Webcor Builders
2008–2009 HTC-Highroad Women
2010 Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12
2011 Diadora-Pasta Zara
2013 Exergy TWENTY16
2014 UnitedHealthcare Women’s Team
2015–2016 Wiggle High5
Major wins
Stage races
Giro Rosa (2010, 2013)
Tour of the Gila (2007, 2010, 2013–2016)
Vuelta a El Salvador (2014)

One day races

National Road Race Champion (2007, 2010)

Mara Katherine Abbott (born November 14, 1985) is an American former women's bicycle racer. In 2010, Abbott became the first US cyclist ever to win the Giro d'Italia Femminile, one of the Grand Tours of women's bicycle racing. Abbott retired after the 2016 Olympic Games road race. [3]

Contents

Early life and amateur career

Abbott was born in and, as of 2016, still lives in Boulder, Colorado. [1] She was a competitive swimmer, primarily specializing in distance freestyle races, at Whitman College, which is where she took up road bicycle racing as a springtime activity. [4] After competing for Whitman in two straight National College Cycling Association Division II championships, where the team won back-to-back championships in both the team time trial and the team omnium, and Abbott won back-to-back championships in the road race and also won the criterium and the individual omnium in 2006, Abbott placed fifth in the USA National Championship Women's Road Race. She also won back-to-back championships in the Mount Evans Hill Climb in 2005 and 2006.

Professional career

Abbott turned professional in 2007 and joined the Webcor Builders team. [5] In addition to a repeat of her college successes, she won one stage and the overall title in the Tour of the Gila and the 2007 National Cycling Championships women's road race championship, defeating former champions Kristin Armstrong and Amber Neben in a sprint to the finish. [6] She also continued to swim for Whitman in the fall and graduated with a degree in economics from Whitman. [1] [7]

Abbott joined the HTC-Columbia Women's Team in 2008 and began to excel in European races, winning a mountain stage in the Giro della Toscana. [8] The next year, she won stage 3 and the King of the Mountains jersey in the Giro d'Italia Femminile, finishing second overall. [1] In 2010, Abbott joined the Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 team and repeated her victories at the Tour of the Gila and the USA National Championship Women's Road Race. [1] She won two more stages and the overall championship at the Giro Donne, which was the only women's Grand Tour event held in 2010. [9] [10] That same month, she won one stage and the overall title at the Cascade Cycling Classic. [11] She also won one stage and finished second in the Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin. [12] [13]

For 2011, Abbott moved to the Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan team. [14] She won one stage and finished second overall in the Tour of the Gila, behind 1996 Canadian Olympic medalist Clara Hughes. [15] [16]

In 2013, Abbott won her second Giro Rosa. [17] Later that season it was announced that she would join the new UnitedHealthcare Women’s Team in 2014. [18]

On October 7, 2014, Wiggle High5 announced that Abbott had signed with them for the 2015 season. [19]

On September 20, 2024, Abbott rode the Mountain to Desert Classic in Southwest Colorado

Off the bike

In addition to cycling, Abbott is a yoga instructor. [20] She is a freelance writer published in the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colorado as well as the Wall Street Journal and espnW. As of March 2021, she works for Ceres, a sustainability organization based in Boston. [21]

Major results

Source: [22]

2005
3rd Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships
2006
3rd Overall Mount Hood Classic
2007
1st MaillotUSA.PNG Road race, National Road Championships
1st Jersey red.svg Overall Tour of the Gila
1st Stage 2
2nd Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
1st Mountains classification
1st Stage 1
2nd Overall Nature Valley Grand Prix
2nd Overall International Tour de Toona
1st Stage 1
2nd Montréal World Cup
8th Overall La Route de France
9th Overall Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile – Memorial Michela Fanini
2008
1st Stage 4 Mount Hood Classic
1st Stage 1 Tour de Feminin-Krásná Lípa
2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
2nd Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
1st Prologue
2nd Overall Giro del Trentino Alto Adige-Südtirol
1st Young rider classification
3rd Overall San Dimas Stage Race
1st Stage 1
4th Overall Gracia–Orlová
7th Overall Giro della Toscana
1st Stages 1 (TTT) & 3
2009
2nd Overall San Dimas Stage Race
1st Stage 1
2nd Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
1st Jersey green.svg Mountains classification
1st Stage 3
3rd Overall Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira
3rd Boulder Criterium
4th Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
4th Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria
7th Overall Giro del Trentino Alto Adige-Südtirol
7th La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
8th Overall Giro della Toscana
10th Grand Prix Elsy Jacobs
2010
National Road Championships
1st MaillotUSA.PNG Road race
3rd Time trial
1st Jersey pink.svg Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
1st Stages 8 & 9
1st Overall Cascade Cycling Classic
1st Stage 3
1st Jersey red.svg Overall Tour of the Gila
1st Stage 1
2nd Overall San Dimas Stage Race
1st Stage 1
2nd Overall Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Stage 4
6th Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
2011
2nd Overall Tour of the Gila
1st Stage 1
10th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
2013
1st Overall San Dimas Stage Race
1st Stage 1
1st Jersey red.svg Overall Tour of the Gila
1st Stages 1 & 5
1st Jersey pink.svg Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
1st Jersey green.svg Mountains classification
1st Stages 5 & 6
1st Stage 3 Redlands Bicycle Classic
3rd Overall Cascade Cycling Classic
5th Philadelphia Cycling Classic
2014
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Vuelta a El Salvador
1st Stage 4
1st Jersey red.svg Overall Tour of the Gila
1st Stages 1 & 5
1st Grand Prix de Oriente
3rd Grand Prix GSB
3rd Grand Prix el Salvador
4th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
7th Philadelphia Cycling Classic
2015
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
1st Stage 3
1st Jersey red.svg Overall Tour of the Gila
1st Mountains classification
1st Stages 1 & 5
2nd Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
1st Stage 9
2016
1st Jersey red.svg Overall Tour of the Gila
1st Mountains classification
1st Stages 1 & 5
1st Jersey polkadot.svg Mountains classification Tour of California
4th Road race, Summer Olympics
5th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
1st Stage 5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mari Holden</span> American Olympic and World Champion cyclist

Mari Kim Holden is an American Olympic medalist and World Champion in the sport of cycling. She won a silver medal in the 2000 Olympic Games time trial in Sydney, Australia and the world time trial championship later that year. She also won six U.S. championships, becoming the first American woman to win three consecutive U.S. time trial championships (1998–2000) and scoring a double by winning the U.S. time trial and road championships in 1999. In 2016 she was inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame as a Modern Road and Track Competitor and presently works as a community director at USA Cycling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amber Neben</span> American racing cyclist (born 1975)

Amber Leone Neben is an American racing cyclist, who most recently rode for UCI Women's Continental Team Cogeas–Mettler–Look. Neben won the UCI world time trial championship in 2008 and 2016 as well as the U.S. national road race championship in 2003 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Horner</span> American road bicycle racer

Christopher Brandon Horner is an American retired professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 1996 and 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judith Arndt</span> German cyclist (born 1976)

Judith Arndt is a retired German professional cyclist, who last rode for the GreenEDGE-AIS cycling team. She won the bronze medal in the 3000 m pursuit event at the 1996 Summer Olympics when she was 20. In 2004, she won the world road race championship and came second in the Olympic road race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Pate</span> American racing cyclist

Danny Pate is an American retired professional cyclist, who competed professionally in road racing, cyclo-cross and mountain bike racing between 2000 and 2018 for the Saeco–Valli & Valli, Prime Alliance, Health Net–Maxxis, Jelly Belly–Pool Gel, Garmin–Transitions, HTC–Highroad, Team Sky and Rally Cycling teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristin Armstrong</span> American cyclist (born 1973)

Kristin Armstrong Savola is a former professional road bicycle racer and three-time Olympic gold medalist, the winner of the women's individual time trial in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Before temporarily retiring to start a family in 2009, she rode for Cervélo TestTeam in women's elite professional events on the National Racing Calendar (NRC) and UCI Women's World Cup. She announced a return to competitive cycling beginning in the 2011 season, competing for Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 at the Redlands Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giorgia Bronzini</span> Italian cyclist

Giorgia Bronzini is an Italian former professional racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2003 and 2017. She won the women's road race in the UCI Road World Championships in both 2010 and 2011 and the women's points race in the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Lichtenberg</span> German racing cyclist (born 1985)

Claudia Lichtenberg is a German former professional cyclist, who now works as a coach for German amateur team RSV Irschenberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ina-Yoko Teutenberg</span> German racing cyclist

Ina-Yoko Teutenberg is a German former road bicycle racer, who competed professionally between 2000 and 2013 for the Red Bull Frankfurt, Saturn Cycling Team and Specialized–lululemon teams. She took over 200 wins during her career, including 11 stages of the Giro Rosa, the 2009 Tour of Flanders, and being part of the Team Specialized–lululemon team that won the World Team Time Trial Championship in 2012. She now works as a directeur sportif for UCI Women's Team Lidl–Trek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochelle Gilmore</span> Australian cyclist (born 1981)

Rochelle Gilmore is an Australian former racing cyclist, and former owner and manager of the defunct professional cycling team Wiggle High5. Since retiring from professional cycling she has been involved in sports commentating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiffany Cromwell</span> Australian cyclist

Tiffany Jane Cromwell is an Australian road and gravel cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Canyon–SRAM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alena Amialiusik</span> Belarusian cyclist (born 1989)

Alena Vasileŭna Amialiusik is a Belarusian road bicycle racer, who rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam UAE Team ADQ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisa Longo Borghini</span> Italian racing cyclist (born 1991)

Elisa Longo Borghini is an Italian professional road cyclist, who rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam Lidl–Trek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Guarnier</span> American cyclist

Megan Guarnier is an American former racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2010 and 2019 for the Rabobank–Liv Giant, Boels–Dolmans and Tibco–Silicon Valley Bank teams. She was made a member of Phi Beta Kappa at Middlebury College in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flávia Oliveira</span> Brazilian cyclist (born 1981)

Flávia Maria de Oliveira Paparella is a Brazilian racing cyclist. She competed in the 2013 UCI Women's World Championship Road Race in Florence, as well as the 2014 UCI Women's Road World Championships in Ponferrada. She competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro where she finished in seventh place, the highest placed finish for a Brazilian rider in any Olympic cycling event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah Kirchmann</span> Canadian cyclist

Leah Kirchmann is a Canadian racing cyclist, who rides for National Cycling League team Denver Disruptors. She competed in the 2013 UCI women's road race in Florence. At the 2014 Global Relay Canadian Road Championships, held in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, she won the road race, time trial and the criterium, becoming the first woman to win all three titles in the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling (women's team)</span> American cycling team

The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Women's Team was a professional women's road bicycle racing team, managed by Momentum Sports Group and based in the United States. The team was principally sponsored by UnitedHealth Group. Its most notable signing was the 2013 Giro Rosa overall winner, Mara Abbott. The team made its debut at the inaugural Tour Femenino de San Luis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia's Blue Ridge–TWENTY24</span> American cycling team

Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY24 is a professional Women's road bicycle racing team based in the United States. The team's most notable riders are 3-time Olympic time trial champion Kristin Armstrong, 2013 Giro d'Italia Femminile overall winner Mara Abbott, and 3-time Olympic medalist Jennifer Valente.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Hall (cyclist)</span> American bicycle racer (born 1987)

Katharine Hall is an American former professional cyclist, who rode professionally between 2014 and 2020, for the UnitedHealthcare, and Boels–Dolmans teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evelyn Stevens (cyclist)</span> American racing cyclist

Evelyn Lee Stevens is an American retired professional road cyclist.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mara Abbott". USA Cycling. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
  2. Frattini, Kirsten (April 15, 2016). "The who's who of elite women in American bike racing". cyclingnews.com . Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  3. "Mara Abbott announces retirement from professional cycling". September 20, 2016.
  4. "World-class cyclist credits Whitman for start". Whitman College. July 23, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  5. "2007 Biography of Mara Abbott". Webcor Builders. Archived from the original on August 22, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  6. Press release (August 30, 2007). "National Magazines Turn Spotlight on Whitman Cycling Phenom". Whitman College. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  7. Press release (September 27, 2007). "Mara Abbott '08 places ninth in Italian stage race; prepares for World Championship race". Whitman College . Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  8. "Mara Abbott Biography" (PDF). HTC-Highroad Women. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  9. Press release (July 11, 2010). "Mara Abbott 1st American to win overall Giro Donne". USA Cycling . Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  10. Caley Fretz (July 11, 2010). "Mara Abbott becomes first American to win Giro Donne, Shelley Evans takes final stage". VeloNews. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  11. Brian Holcombe (July 25, 2010). "Abbott and Sutherland secure Cascade Cycling Classic wins after final road race". VeloNews. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  12. Greg Johnson (May 18, 2010). "Abbot victorious in Osseja". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  13. Stephen Farrand (May 23, 2010). "Emma Pooley wins Tour de l'Aude". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  14. Ben Atkins (September 23, 2010). "Transfer News: Mara Abbott signs for Safi-Pasta Zara". Velonation.com. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  15. Kirsten Frattini (April 27, 2011). "Abbott, Mancebo prevail on windy Mogollon stage". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  16. Cycling News (May 2, 2011). "Mancebo wins final stage and overall at Gila". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
  17. "Mara Abbott clinches title in 2013 Giro Rosa". VeloNews.com.
  18. Weislo, Laura (September 7, 2013). "Abbott, Tamayo and Powers to headline new UnitedHealthcare women's team". cyclingnews.com . Retrieved November 16, 2013.
  19. "Mara Abbott and Anna Christian sign for Wiggle Honda in 2015". wigglehonda.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014.
  20. Kris Thompson (March 23, 2010). "Yoga with Mara Abbott". 303cycling.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
  21. "Staff". Ceres. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  22. Profile at Cycling Archives; Profile at Cycling Quotient