Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling is delighted to announce that the team’s 2016 roster will be completed by Mara Abbott, who has renewed her contract for a second year. The former US National Champion, and two-time Giro d’Italia winner came close to taking a third victory in women’s cycling’s Grand Tour in 2015, and this will be her main focus in the coming season.

“I am really grateful to have the opportunity to stay with the team and honoured to be able to say that I was a part of such a successful year,” Abbott said. “It is pretty special that so many girls are going to be returning, so I am really excited to be able to build on 2015.”

The first half of Abbott’s 2015 season saw her riding in support of her teammates in the hillier races of the calendar, including the support of Italian Elisa Longo Borghini’s podium places in both the Strade Bianche and the Philadelphia Classic. During this time the America also raced for herself in the United States, taking her her first ever Redlands Classic, and fifth edition of the Tour of the Gila; the latter riding for the Amy D Foundation, set up to remember the late cyclocross rider Amy Dombroski, who tragically died in 2013.

The Giro d’Italia - the Giro Rosa - was undoubtedly the focus of Abbott’s season, however, where a final stage victory at the top of San Domenico di Varzo saw her come so close to unseating race leader Anna van der Breggen.

The emphatic nature of her stage victory, underlining her status as arguably the greatest climber in the current women’s peloton, gives the Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling confidence to support her one hundred percent in next year’s race.

“We have a big job to achieve with Mara next year. We’re hoping to assist her in winning her third Overall Giro Rosa title. We’re proud to have another potential Giro winner on the team.

“Mara and the team will use every opportunity this season to discuss methods and strategies to use in winning the Giro Rosa in 2016; the most prestigious women’s race on the calendar.”

The confirmation of Mara Abbott’s contract renewal brings the 2016 Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling line up to sixteen, which includes thirteen of the current 2015 team. Rejoining the American climber are Britons Amy Roberts, Anna Christian and Olympic Champion Dani King, Australians, Chloe Hosking, double Track World Champion Nettie Edmondson and National Road Champion Peta Mullens. The team has also confirmed the renewals of Italians Elisa Longo Borghini and Giorgia Bronzini, Japanese Champion Mayuko Hagiwara, Belgian Champion Jolien D’hoore, Spanish Champion Anna Sanchis and French time trial Champion Audrey Cordon-Ragot

Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling has made three new signings for 2013, in Swedish Champion Emma Johansson, Dutch all-rounder Amy Pieters and former two-time Junior World Champion Lucy Garner.

Giro Rosa Photo Credit: Sonoko Tanaka