Mara Abbott
Mara Abbott | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 14, 1985 Boulder, Colorado, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Professional cyclist (retired), yoga instructor, freelance author |
| Years active | 2007–2016 |
| Known for | First American winner of Giro d'Italia Femminile |
Mara Katherine Abbott (born November 14, 1985) is a retired American professional cyclist who specialized in women's road racing. In 2010, she made history as the first American to claim victory at the Giro d'Italia Femminile, one of the most esteemed Grand Tours in women's cycling. Abbott concluded her competitive career following her participation in the 2016 Olympic Games road race.
Early life and amateur career
Originating from Boulder, Colorado, Abbott was initially a competitive distance freestyle swimmer during her time at Whitman College. It was there that she discovered road cycling as a springtime pursuit. She played a key role in leading Whitman College to consecutive National College Cycling Association Division II team championships, while also securing individual titles in the road race, criterium, and individual omnium events in 2006. Additionally, Abbott achieved a fifth-place finish at the 2006 USA National Championship Women's Road Race and earned victories at the Mount Evans Hill Climb in both 2005 and 2006.
Professional career
Abbott embarked on her professional cycling career in 2007 with the Webcor Builders squad. That year, she triumphed in a stage and secured the overall win at the Tour of the Gila, along with capturing the 2007 National Cycling Championships women's road race title by outperforming former champions Kristin Armstrong and Amber Neben. Alongside her athletic endeavors, she completed an economics degree at Whitman College.
In 2008, Abbott signed with the HTC-Columbia Women's Team, where she demonstrated strength in European competitions, including a mountain stage victory at the Giro della Toscana. The following year, she won stage 3 and earned the King of the Mountains classification at the Giro d'Italia Femminile, ultimately finishing second overall. Riding for Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 in 2010, Abbott repeated her wins at both the Tour of the Gila and USA National Championship Women's Road Race. She also claimed two stage wins and captured the overall title at that year’s Giro Donne—the sole women's Grand Tour on the calendar. Furthermore, she added a stage win and overall triumph at the Cascade Cycling Classic and placed second at the Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin.
In 2011, Abbott joined Diadora-Pasta Zara-Manhattan, where she secured a stage win and finished runner-up overall at the Tour of the Gila, trailing Olympic medalist Clara Hughes. Her career highlights include a second Giro Rosa championship in 2013 before moving to the newly formed UnitedHealthcare Women’s Team for the 2014 season.
On October 7, 2014, it was announced that Abbott had signed for an upcoming team for the 2015 season. On September 20, 2024, she participated in the Mountain to Desert Classic held in Southwest Colorado.
Off the bike
Outside of competitive cycling, Abbott is engaged as a yoga instructor and freelance author with contributions to publications such as the Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), The Wall Street Journal, and espnW. As of March 2021, she has been employed by Ceres, a sustainability-focused organization based in Boston.
Major results
Source:
- 2005
- 3rd National Under-23 Road Race Championships
- 2006
- 3rd Overall Mount Hood Classic
- 2007
- 1st National Road Race Championships
- 1st 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
- 2008
- 1st Stage 4 Mount Hood Classic
- 1st Stage 1 Tour de Feminin-Krásná Lípa
- 2nd National Time Trial Championships
- 2nd Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
- 1st Prologue
- 2nd Overall Giro del Trentino Alto Adige-Südtirol
- 1st Young rider classification
- 2009
- 2nd Overall San Dimas Stage Race
- 1st Stage 1
- 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
- 1st Mountains classification
- 1st Stage 3
- 3rd Overall Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira
- 2010
- National Road Championships
- 1st Road race
- 3rd Time trial
- 1st Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
- 1st Stages 8 & 9
- 1st Overall Cascade Cycling Classic
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Overall Tour of the Gila
- 1st Stage 1
- 2013
- 1st Overall San Dimas Stage Race
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Overall Tour of the Gila
- 1st Stages 1 & 5
- 1st Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
- 1st Mountains classification
- 1st Stages 5 & 6
- 2014
- 1st Overall Vuelta a El Salvador
- 1st Stage 4
- 1st Overall Tour of the Gila
- 1st Stages 1 & 5
- 2015
- 1st Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Overall Tour of the Gila
- 1st Mountains classification
- 1st Stages 1 & 5
- 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
- 1st Stage 9
- 2016
- 1st Overall Tour of the Gila
- 1st Mountains classification
- 1st Stages 1 & 5
- 1st Mountains classification Tour of California (women's race)
- 4th Road race, Summer Olympics
- 5th Overall Giro d'Italia Femminile
- 1st Stage 5