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480:, in 1990 where John placed 4th in the downhill. John is well remembered for riding road style drop bars on his Yeti mountain bike at this race which was a noticeable deviation from the other riders. This equipment decision was influenced by his recent experience riding for the 7-11 road cycling team in Europe where he was under contract. Tomac's results and rapid rise to prominence earned recognition from U.S.
29:
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in the inaugural UCI Downhill World Cup and lost out to
Frischknecht again in the XC rankings. This was to be the last season in which Tomac would finish in the top three in the World Cup, but he continued to achieve notable results in the World Championships. In 1997, five years after his last World
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at the age of seven. He began to compete in BMX racing events in and around
Michigan in 1975 and continued competing in this discipline into his teenage years racing against Michigan BMX legends Tony Carnes, Mike Chapman, and Tim Root. In 1984, at the age of sixteen, Tomac won the National Cruiser
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and Dual Slalom championships, Tomac won the overall title of NORBA World
Champion. He was ranked in first place in the Cross-country and Dual Slalom disciplines. The "World" status was a misnomer, however, as the NORBA championships were held only in the
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racing team. Eli Tomac is noted for being the first true rookie pro ever to win his professional motocross debut at the
Hangtown raceway on May 23, 2010, winning the 2012 West Region, the 2013 250cc and 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2022 450cc
507:, and regularly traveled between the two continents to compete in major road and mountain events. Although he failed to win any of the three individual NORBA series, he won the overall NORBA title for the third year in succession.
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model in 1987, which reflected his increasing profile within mountain biking culture. Tomac achieved a few more notable wins during that year, including a second win in the Fat Tire Stage Race and three
National XC Series rounds.
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icon in the late 1980s as the sport began to develop beyond its formative years. At the time of his retirement in 2005, he had won more mountain bike races than anyone in the sport. In 1991 he was inducted into the
393:, and left BMX competition in favour of mountain bike racing. He continued to ride for Mongoose. By the autumn of that year, he had won his first two major mountain bike events: the Ross Fat Tire Stage Race in
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Tomac retained his overall NORBA title in 1989, and also won the NORBA DH Championship for the first time. In a season in which he competed at the highest level on both sides of the
Atlantic, he added the
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and Cactus Cup. He officially announced his retirement from racing at the Sea Otter
Classic in 2000, but would later make an occasional return to competition. In 2004, at the age of 37, he won the famous
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The brand name was later acquired by
American Bicycle Group, which in turn sold it to Joel Smith, formerly a brand manager at Answer Products, in June 2006. He relocated the company to
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503:' factory MTB team and the 7-11 road team, embarking on a busy program of events in Europe and the U.S. To facilitate his road racing career, Tomac based himself in
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and set in place plans to relaunch the Tomac brand with a new model range in 2007. Tomac remains actively involved in the company and the design of its products.
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Between 1994 and 1997, Tomac would win three more NORBA titles – two in DH and one in XC – as well as some notable individual events such as the
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1991 saw a change of teams: from Yeti to
Raleigh and from 7-11 to Motorola. A stronger mountain bike season culminated in UCI World Championship success in
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327:) is an American former professional cyclist who competed from 1985 to 2005. He was a versatile rider who competed in multiple disciplines including;
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756:. Although he failed to win any major road titles in a season in which he entered more than 100 road and mountain events, his schedule included the
1571:
768:. Tomac ended his participation in pro-level road racing at the close of the 1991 season, choosing instead to focus on his mountain biking career.
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in the XC World Cup rankings (though there were two event wins again). An accident in which Tomac struck an errant spectator in the final event at
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title, and added a second NORBA DH title to his 1989 win. The following year, he finished in fifth place at the DH World
Championship held in
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Tomac officially retired from professional competition in 2000, but continued to compete in selected events until 2005.
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John Tomac Appears in "The Great Mountain Biking Video" 1987, Big Bear Lakes, California - Photo by Patty Mooney
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In 1987, John Tomac appeared in one of the first instructional mountain biking videos ever produced, entitled
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In January 1998, John Tomac entered into a business partnership with Manitou founder and suspension engineer
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1988 brought Tomac national title-winning success. By achieving the highest combined points total from the
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bikes later that year. Tomac spent the 1998 season competing on his new prototype design in DH events.
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team. He turned professional in 1985 and spent his last year of BMX competition contesting events as a
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Compete in the Cindy Whitehead Desert Classic, Palm Springs, California, 1989 - Photo by Patty Mooney
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From 1988 to 1991, Tomac dovetailed professional programs in both mountain biking and
995:"Video Guide to Mt. Biking," American Bicyclist & Motorcyclist, March 1989, p. 79
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Championship in 1989. Tomac spent much of 1990 competing in European events with the
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along with the 2020 450cc and 2022 450cc Supercross Championship,.
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2008 Tomac DH bike. Doug Bradbury sitting in the upper left corner.
546:, prevented him from outscoring his rival and retaining the title.
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582:. Then, for good measure, he returned in 2005 and won it again.
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Championship medal, he finished second in the downhill event at
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Champion and was part of the winning team in the USCF National
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In 1986, Tomac made two significant decisions: he relocated to
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produced by New & Unique Videos of San Diego, California.
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and the Supercross Mountain Bike Exhibition race held at the
28:
487:, which voted him the world's best all-round rider of 1988.
16:
Croatian American retired professional cyclist (born 1967)
931:"John Tomac at the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame"
795: USCF National Team Time Trial Champion
291:
272:
1528:
1126:, January 22, 1998. Retrieved on March 22, 2007.
603: NORBA National Dual Slalom Champion
499:XC titles to his collection. In 1990, he joined
253:
975:"John Tomac at the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame"
549:In 1993, Tomac was the runner-up to Germany's
1203:
1141:, June 19, 2006. Retrieved on March 22, 2007.
785: USCF National Criterium Champion
530:, and had to settle for second place behind
701: Silver medal - DH World Championship
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641: Silver medal - DH World Championship
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615: NORBA National Dual Slalom Champion
1096:"Racing My First and Only Giro d'Italia"
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639: Gold medal - XC World Championship
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1572:UCI Mountain Bike World Champions (men)
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691: NORBA National XC Champion
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1173:Monday-conversation-eli-tomac2010.aspx
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867:national championships riding for the
356:and, in 2004 he was inducted into the
1191:
805: 2nd, Thrift Drug Classic
441:National Off-Road Bicycle Association
1223:UCI Mountain Bike World Champions –
358:United States Bicycling Hall of Fame
667: Second place in DH World Cup
655: Second place in XC World Cup
172:Giant Bicycles/Answer Manitou (MTB)
13:
1136:Tomac Brand Licensed to Joel Smith
955:. cyclingtips.com. 10 October 2017
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665: Second place in XC World Cup
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82:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
14:
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736:Tomac racing for Motorola in 1991
645: NORBA National DH Champion
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832:, and launched a range of three
744:. He was the 1988 USCF National
677: NORBA National DH Champion
601: NORBA National XC Champion
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1094:Andreu, Frankie (May 8, 2014).
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1005:MTB World Championship Archives
874:Motocross National Championship
411:The Great Mountain Biking Video
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74:Owosso, Michigan, United States
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721: Mammoth Kamikaze winner
711: Mammoth Kamikaze winner
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1552:Cross-country mountain bikers
1079:2005 US National Championship
1057:2004 US National Championship
1042:Men's Mountain bike World Cup
681: Sea Otter Stage winner
629: NORBA Overall Champion
470:Union Cycliste Internationale
399:Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
373:Class title with the factory
1567:People from Cortez, Colorado
1562:People from Owosso, Michigan
1163:Retrieved on March 22, 2007.
1084:Retrieved on March 18, 2007.
1069:Retrieved on March 18, 2007.
1047:Retrieved on March 18, 2007.
1032:Retrieved on March 18, 2007.
1010:Retrieved on March 18, 2007.
613: NORBA Overall Champion
599: NORBA Overall Champion
368:Tomac first participated in
7:
977:. mmbhof.org. 27 March 2014
774:Major road results by year
643: XC World Cup champion
619: European XC Champion
319:(born November 3, 1967, in
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588:Major MTB results by year
354:Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
164:Tioga/Raleigh Cycles (MTB)
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953:"At Home With John Tomac"
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1557:Downhill mountain bikers
1121:Tomac Forms Bike Company
617: German XC Champion
90:175 lb (79 kg)
859:racer competing in the
679: Cactus Cup winner
403:Tomac Signature Edition
347:racing. Tomac became a
1587:Cyclists from Colorado
1582:Cyclists from Michigan
1547:American male cyclists
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401:. Mongoose marketed a
1030:mtnbikehalloffame.com
897:mtnbikehalloffame.com
819:
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1418:José Antonio Hermida
903:Notes and references
886:John Tomac's History
468:, sanctioned by the
349:mountain bike racing
247:World Championships
241:mountain bike racing
148:7-11 Pro team (Road)
36:Personal information
1288:Thomas Frischknecht
1225:Men's cross-country
1139:bicycleretailer.com
536:Thomas Frischknecht
458:World Championships
391:Southern California
23:
1308:Christophe Dupouey
1178:2010-05-27 at the
1156:2007-03-12 at the
1062:2007-04-06 at the
1025:2007-04-28 at the
855:is a professional
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197:Tomac Racing (MTB)
180:Tomac Racing (MTB)
124:Professional teams
119:Rider/Manufacturer
19:
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1318:Michael Rasmussen
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572:Kamikaze Downhill
567:Sea Otter Classic
456:. The first true
431:, John Tomac and
314:
313:
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299:1997 Château-d'Œx
140:Yeti Cycles (MTB)
100:Current team
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1387:Christoph Sauser
1363:Filip Meirhaeghe
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758:Tour of Flanders
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576:Mammoth Mountain
482:cycling magazine
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95:Team information
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750:Team Time Trial
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1102:. Rodale, Inc
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851:Tomac's son,
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826:Doug Bradbury
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194:1998 onwards
1537:1967 births
1511:Tom Pidcock
1244:Ned Overend
1067:bikemag.com
742:road racing
728:Road racing
560:Switzerland
532:Switzerland
501:Yeti Cycles
443:'s (NORBA)
429:Ned Overend
337:road racing
280:1991 Ciocco
261:1991 Ciocco
1531:Categories
1254:John Tomac
1106:January 6,
865:supercross
801: 1991
791: 1989
780: 1988
717: 2005
707: 2004
697: 1997
687: 1996
673: 1994
661: 1993
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609: 1989
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580:California
540:Mount Snow
329:BMX racing
317:John Tomac
108:Discipline
65:1967-11-03
44:John Tomac
21:John Tomac
1411:2010–2019
1332:2000–2009
1237:1990–1999
1161:tomac.com
889:tomac.com
857:motocross
853:Eli Tomac
746:Criterium
520:World Cup
485:Velo News
379:privateer
304:Downhill
285:Downhill
177:1998–2005
161:1991–1997
145:1989–1991
137:1990–1991
129:1985–1989
1176:Archived
1154:Archived
1151:About Us
1060:Archived
1023:Archived
981:1 August
959:1 August
937:1 August
841:Nebraska
574:held at
497:European
478:Colorado
449:Downhill
375:Mongoose
345:downhill
325:Michigan
132:Mongoose
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505:Belgium
474:Durango
103:Retired
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1008:uci.ch
869:Yamaha
847:Family
760:, the
528:Canada
512:Ciocco
493:German
321:Owosso
239:Men's
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87:Weight
79:Height
1480:2020–
516:Italy
1515:2023
1505:2022
1501:2021
1491:2020
1470:2019
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861:AMA
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