Look alive people – we’re going to take a quick rundown of some of the biggest names you’ll see out at the velodrome this weekend for the Grand Prix. We’ve got local stars, national champs, and world-class talents all showing up. This is just a sampling of the excitement to come, so don’t miss out!
SARAH HAMMER (United States of America)
One of America’s fastest racers, Sarah is a two-time Olympic silver medalist. She is also a five-time champion in the individual pursuit and two-time champion in the omnium at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Sarah holds multiple records at the Marymoor Velodrome.
Sarah began cycling at age eight when her father, Cliff, introduced her to the sport. Sarah was a quick study and won her first junior national title in 1995 — the same year that Rebecca Twigg won the last women’s World Championship Track gold medal for the United States. Eleven years later, Sarah put an end to America’s gold medal drought by taking the win and the world champion’s rainbow jersey in Bordeaux, France, in 2006.
Sarah recently won the omnium and the Pan Am games, and returns to Marymoor in exceptional form.
JUAN ARANGO (Colombia)
Juan rides for the professional cycling team Colombia. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, he competed in the Men’s team pursuit for the Columbian national team.
Juan is a particularly gifted track athlete, and has several wins in the multiple-event Omnium at World Cup level. He is also a regular podium placer in the Madison team event.
It’s not only the track where Juan excels, but also the road, where he has won multiple times, including a stage win at the Vuelta Mexico. He is an excellent all-round athlete and we are excited to welcome him to the Pacific Northwest!
TELA CRANE (United States of America)
A Washingtonian native, Tela can remember the first time she sped around the Marymoor Park velodrome. She was 15 and her mother had forced her to take a cycling class, following their doctor’s suggestion that it would help her recover from knee surgery. Although she and her parents had all been avid cyclists for years, Crane resisted the idea the sport could be of much help to her.
It wasn’t long before her efforts returned stand-out results. At 17 years of age, she collected her first two national titles, winning the Time Trial and Sprint. She is a four-time national champion who has collected a total of 18 national championship medals in her career, and has excelled not only on the track but also in cyclo-cross.
It turns out the parents were right, but in many ways Tela ended up giving so much back to the sport. She has been involved in building the youth cycling program at her home track, the Marymoor Velodrome, in starting a junior racing series where 25-30 kids race regularly race on any given night.
ZAC KOVALCIK (United States of America)
Originally a cycle courier from Pittsburgh, Zac tried his hand at the track one night when he relocated to Portland, Oregon, and has been running rings around everyone ever since. Originally a skeptic to the advantages of lycra, he is a multiple National Champion and professional track and road cyclist riding for Black Lodge Cycling p/b Veloforma. Zac often races the European track circuit during the winter months, and is proud to achieve all his success as a Vegan athlete.
JO KIESANOWSKI (New Zealand)
Jo is a road and track racer who is equally successful at both. She placed 6th at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in track and road events, and she placed 2nd in track and 4th in road events at the 2010 Games in Delhi. In Glasgow in 2014 she placed 9th in the road race.
Jo has also competed at 3 Olympic Games. In London she finished 7th in the Omnium, demonstrating her strength across multiple events on the track.
These days Jo spends most of her time road racing, but she is a good friend of the Marymoor Veldorome and we are very glad to see her return for the 2015 Grand Prix.
MAROESJKA MATTHEE (Republic of South Africa)
Maroesjka is a young track cyclist at the beginning of her international journey. Since she started cycling six years ago, she has dominated the track in her home country of South Africa. And earlier this year she took her racing to the next level in winning multiple gold medals at the African Continental Track Cycling Championships.
She is now taking the next step up to the world stage. Maroesjka’s end goal is to qualify and represent South Africa at the Olympics, starting in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Her first milestone in this goal was representing her country at the 2015 world championships, and we look forward to following her career as she reaches her full potential.
MILENA SALCEDO SAMBRANO (Colombia)
Milena is a World Cup winner in the Scratch race in London last December, later going on to represent her country at the world championships this year. Milena also represented her country in the recent Pan Am games in Toronto.
She is looking to improve in world events, and the Olympics in Brazil next year is a huge opportunity for her to shine. We are very grateful she extended her trip in north America to incorporate the Marymoor Grand Prix.
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