Tara Llanes
Encyclopedia
Tara Janelle Llanes was an American "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
racer whose prime competitive years were from 1990-1993. She later became a champion Mountain Bike (MTB) racer. Her surname is pronounced "Yaw-ness" but for obvious reasons it is often mispronounced "lanes" as in the type of division of a pathway.
Retired: Originally in 1995 to focus on Mountain Bike racing full time. She restarted in late 2006 with an eye toward making the 2008 Olympic Team. See "First professional race result". According to Llanes USA Cycling asked her tor restart her BMX career:
However, an apparent career ending injury in MTB eliminated that possibility for 2008. She has however, stated her goal to be to return to racing competition.
**In the NBL it was/is Supergirls/Elite Women; in the ABA it is Pro Girls.
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
racer whose prime competitive years were from 1990-1993. She later became a champion Mountain Bike (MTB) racer. Her surname is pronounced "Yaw-ness" but for obvious reasons it is often mispronounced "lanes" as in the type of division of a pathway.
BMX racing career milestones
----| Milestone | Event Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Started Racing: | In February 1988 at 11 years old. Her mother took her to a BMX race after she repeatedly asked to stop and watch one at the Orange "Y" BMX track one weekend and she started racing the following weekend. Her name first appears in the Girls California District 3 (CA-03) listing for February 1988 in the May 1988 issue of American BMXer. She had only 4 points, indicating a last place finish in her first race. |
|
| Sanctioning body: | American Bicycle Association American Bicycle Association The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA... (ABA) |
|
| Sanctioning body district(s): | ABA: California District 3 (CA-3) 1988-1995 | |
| First race bike: | CW Racing. |
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| First race result: | |
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| First win (local): | ||
| First sponsor: | Aussie Wear, early April 1989 |
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| First national win: | In 12 Girls at the ABA Supernationals in Jenks, Oklahoma Jenks, Oklahoma Jenks is a city in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, and a suburb of Tulsa, in the northeastern part of the state. It is situated between the Arkansas River and U.S. Route 75. Jenks is one of the fastest growing cities in Oklahoma... on June 24, 1989 (Day 1) |
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| Turned Professional: | 1996 in Mountain Biking. By that time she had retired from BMX competition, doing so in 1994, but in hopes of making the 2008 Summer Olympics US BMX Team she had returned to BMX competition in late 2006 racing in the NBL/UCI's Elite Women division. |
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| First Professional race result: | Fourth place in Women's Elite at the National Bicycle League National Bicycle League The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio... Silver State National in Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous... on November 4, 2006. She had previously turned pro in mountain Bike racing. This was her first race back in BMX competition with an intent to qualify for the then up coming 2008 Summer Olympics 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events... in Beijing, China. |
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| First Professional win: | None in BMX. | |
| First Junior Women* race result: | None. Went directly to Elite Women after return to BMX racing. | |
| First Junior Women win: | See "First Junior Women Pro race result" | |
| First Senior Pro/Elite Women** race result: | See "First Professional race result." | |
| First Senior Pro/Elite Women win: | None. | |
| Height and weight at height of her career (1990–1993): | Ht:5'4" Wt:125 lbs (approximately). | |
Retired: Originally in 1995 to focus on Mountain Bike racing full time. She restarted in late 2006 with an eye toward making the 2008 Olympic Team. See "First professional race result". According to Llanes USA Cycling asked her tor restart her BMX career:
However, an apparent career ending injury in MTB eliminated that possibility for 2008. She has however, stated her goal to be to return to racing competition.
**In the NBL it was/is Supergirls/Elite Women; in the ABA it is Pro Girls.
Amateur/Junior Women
- Aussie Wear Early April 1989-December 1990
- Haro Designs: December 1990-December 1991 The ABA Silverdollar nationals in Reno, NevadaReno, NevadaReno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
held on January 12, 1991 was Llanes's first race for Haro/Cupri. - Haro/Cupri: December 1991-December 1994
Amateur/Junior Women
National Bicycle League (NBL)- 1992 15 Girls Grandnational Champion
American Bicycle Association (ABA)
- 1989 12 Girls and 12 & Under Girls Cruiser National No.2
- 1990 California District 3 (CA-3) Girls No.1
- 1990 13 Girls Grand National Champion
- 1990 13 Girls National No.1
- 1991 and 1992 CA-3 Girls Cruiser No.1
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
- None
Professional/Elite Women
National Bicycle AssociationNational Bicycle Association
The National Bicycle Association , later known as the National Bicycle Motocross Association was an United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Soledad, California that was created by Ernie Alexander in 1973 and ceased operations as an independent body in 1981...
(NBA)
- None (defunct)
National Bicycle League
National Bicycle League
The National Bicycle League is a United States based Bicycle Motocross sports sanctioning body originally based in Deerfield Beach, Florida but after several moves it was based in Hilliard, Ohio...
(NBL)
- None
American Bicycle Association
American Bicycle Association
The American Bicycle Association is a United States-based Bicycle Motocross sports governing body in Gilbert, Arizona created by Merl Mennenga and Gene Roden in 1977. It is the largest sanctioning body in the United States concerning BMX. It has tracks in Canada and Mexico as well as in the USA...
(ABA)
- None
International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
- None (defunct)
Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
- None (defunct)
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
Pro Series Championships and Invitationals
BMX press magazine interviews and articles
- "1990 District Number Ones" American BMXer June 1991 Vol.13 No.5 pg.26 One of several profiles of the ABA's 1990 district number ones written in an autobiographical tense.
BMX magazine covers
----Minicycle/BMX Action & Super BMX:
- None
Bicycle Motocross Action & Go:
- None
BMX Plus!:
- None
Ride BMX Magazine:
Snap BMX Magazine & Transworld BMX:
- None
BMX World
ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer (the official BMX publication of the ABA under three different names):
Mountain Bike Career Record
In 1993 while still racing BMX for Haro Bicycles she asked that sponsor for a mountain bike and to go to mounting bike race. She liked it and soon transitioned from BMX to MTB, with cross country Dual Slalom and after Dual Slalom was abolished by NORBA the 4-Cross Downhill events. During her mountain bike years she acquired the nickname of "T", the first letter of her given name. Unlike in BMX she turned pro in 1996. She almost immediately started doing well on the pro circuit but it was not until 1999 in which she won her first title. In the now discontinued Dual Slalom down hill event of that years ESPN Winter Extreme Games also known Winter "X" Games where she took a Gold medal. She would go on to win a further 14 medals in the next seven years of her career including five championships. During this time she also suffered numerous injuries including punctured lungs and broken foot. Then in September 2007 the most devastating of all; a crash that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She is in rigorous rehabilitation and despite physician's diagnosis of her never being able to walk again, she is determined to not only walk again, but to return to riding a bicycle and even competing. The last chapter of Llanes's racing career is probably not already written in the face of such determination.Mountain Bike career milestones
Started racing: According to her website In 1993 at 16 years old. She asked the BMX team manager of Haro Designs who was sponsoring her repeatedly to try it and he finally relented. but in a May 2007 Mountain Bike Action interview it was Haro Bicycles that asked her to give it a try.Sub Discipline(s): Down Hill, 4-Cross, Dual Slalom and Cross Country
First race result: According to Llanes's website. First in Junior Women in Dual Slalom at the Big Bear Lake, California
Big Bear Lake, California
Big Bear Lake is a city in San Bernardino County, California along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, located northeast of the city of San Bernardino. The population was 5,019 at the 2010 census, down from 5,438 at the 2000 census...
. According to her Mountain Bike Action May 2000 interview it was a 2nd place in Junior Women in Dual Slalom at the 1993 NORBA Finals at Mammouth Mountain Resort in Mammoth Lakes, California
Mammoth Lakes, California
-History:The European history of Mammoth Lakes started in 1877, when four prospectors staked a claim on Mineral Hill, south of the current town, along Old Mammoth Road. In 1878, the Mammoth Mining Company was organized to mine Mineral Hill, which caused a gold rush. By the end of 1878, 1500 people...
.
Sanctioning body: National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA)
Turned Professional: 1996
Retired: Her career has been on hold since her paralyzing injury suffered at the Jeep King of the Mountain finals event in Beaver Creek, Colorado
Beaver Creek, Colorado
Beaver Creek is an unincorporated community in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. Beaver Creek is located immediately south of the town of Avon and encompasses the Beaver Creek Resort and adjacent business, lodging, and residential areas. The U.S...
on September 1, 2007. She is currently under intense physical rehabilitation with the intention of riding a bicycle again.
Amateur/Junior Women
- Haro Bicycles: 1994-1996
- Rotech: 1996-December 1997 She turned pro with this sponsor
Professional/Elite Women
- Rotech: 1996-December 1997
- Specialized: December 1997-December 2000
- Yeti/Pearl Izumi: December 2000-October 2002 The Yeti/Peral Izumi team was dissolved after the 2002 season.
- Giant Bicycles/Pearl Izumi: December 2002–Present Despite her devastating injury Giant Bicycles renewed her contract and they will be working with her on her efforts to recover.
Amateur/Junior Women
Union Cycliste InternationaleUnion Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
(UCI)
- None
National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA)
- 1995 Junior National Downhill Champion
USA Cycling
USA Cycling
USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, BMX and collegiate racing...
Independent Championship race series and Invitationals
Professional/Elite Women
ESPN Extreme (X) Games:- 1999 Biker X Winter X Games Champion (Gold Medal)
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)
- 1999 Bronze Medal Dual Slalom World Cup Champion
- 2000 Silver Medal Dual Slalom World Cup Champion
- 2001 Bronze Medal Dual Slalom World Cup Champion
- 2000 Dual Silver Medal World Champion
- 2001 Dual Bronze Medal World Champion
- 2001 4-Cross World Cup Champion
- 2004, 2005 4-Cross Bronze Medal World Champion
- 2004 4-Cross Silver Medal World Cup Champion
- 2006 4-Cross Bronze Medal World Cup Champion
National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA)
- 2002 Dual Slalom National Champion
- 2002, 2004 U.S. National 4-Cross Champion
- 2006 National Downhill Champion
USA Cycling
- 2006 National Champion.
Independent Championship race series and Invitationals
Significant MTB injuries
- Broke Collar Bone in 1996 at Washington National.
- Broke Collar Bone in the Downhill at the UCI World Cup CanmoreCanmore, AlbertaCanmore is a town in Alberta, Canada, located approximately west of the City of Calgary near the southeast boundary of Banff National Park. It is located in the Bow Valley within Alberta's Rockies. The town shares a border with Kananaskis Country to the west and south and the Municipal District of...
, Alberta, Canada on the weekend of July 3–4, 1999. She came back only a few weeks after the accident, albeit she missed two World Cup events during her lay up. - She suffered two concussions in 2000.
- She suffered numerous injuries during a practice run at the NORBA mountain cross race on Chapman Hill in Durango, ColoradoDurango, ColoradoThe City of Durango is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau said that the city population was 16,887 in 2010 census.-History:...
on August 3, 2002. She crashed on one of the very large double jumps. She suffered a broken left collarbone, three fractured ribs, two partially collapsed lungs one of which was severely bruised, a torn MCL in her right knee. - Suffered a broken left foot in an automobile accident on June 16, 2003 on a road in PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. She was traveling in the Giant Team truck a Ford F350 which was towing the 30 feet (9.1 m) team trailer on her way to Vermont for the third stop in the NORBA NCS series. Rescue had to cut Tara out of the vehicle. Three other occupants in the automobile Jared RandoJared RandoJared Rando is an Australian downhill mountain biker, signed to Giant Bicycles. Rando has competed at every UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships from 1999 to 2009, participating in both downhill and fourcross events. At the 2009 championships, he finished 16th, 6 seconds behind winner...
and Dustin Adams had only minor scrapes. The team mechanic, Matt Duniho who was driving needed stitches. Llanes's foot got jammed under the seat in front of her breaking it. She went to the hospital to be treated and flew back to Southern California the next day while her teammates continued onto Vermont in the team's backup vehicle. Llanes said of her injury:
2007 Spinal cord injury
On September 1, 2007, Llanes crashed at Beaver Creek, ColoradoBeaver Creek, Colorado
Beaver Creek is an unincorporated community in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. Beaver Creek is located immediately south of the town of Avon and encompasses the Beaver Creek Resort and adjacent business, lodging, and residential areas. The U.S...
, host to the Jeep King of the Mountain Finale. The accident happened on the second to last straight down the Dual Slalom course as she raced head-to-head against Jill Kintner
Jill Kintner
Jill Kintner is a professional American "Mid School" Bicycle Motocross and professional mountain cross racer whose prime competitive years were 1995-2002 in BMX; 2004–present in mountain cross...
in the semifinals. Llanes hit an obstacle wrong and the bicycle landed nose first on the ground. She was thrown over the handlebars and onto her head and then landed on her back, suffering massive and severe lower back trauma, suffering a C-7 fracture and L-1 damage to her vertebrae, and paralyzing her lower extremities. She was first rushed to Vail Valley Medical Center and then was airlifted to Denver Health Hospital. She underwent seven hours of surgery but still had no feeling from the waist down. According to the surgeons who worked on her, the condition is most likely permanent. Llanes recalls the moment of the accident:
Llanes continues to undergo intensive rehabilitation and as of late 2008 she could move her left leg. Her stated goal is to get back into competitive racing again. As she stated in an interview with pedalpushersonline.com:
Miscellaneous and Trivia
Llanes's August 31, 2007 blog entry. The last one before her severe accident.External links
- The American Bicycle Association (ABA) website.
- The National Bicycle League (NBL) website.
- eastsidefreeride.com December 16, 2002 interview
- Giant Bicycles bio of Llanes compiled before her September 2007 accident.
- bikesutra.com 2003 interview
- July 12, 2007 interview: "Girl On: Tara Llanes".
- http://www.smithoptics.com/team.html?id=302