Mara Roldan’s comeback trail: ‘So hungry for the challenges ahead!’

Back in November, Whitehorse native Mara Roldan told us the lousy news.

“This isn’t the update I wanted to share,” The Picnic–PostNL rider began an Instagram post. The talented 21-year-old had been recovering from a brutal crash at the Tour of Britain in June, just a day after her first WorldTour win in Stage 2. “One moment I was celebrating my first women’s WorldTour win, the next I was in a hospital bed, wondering if I’d ever ride again this year. It was terrifying,” she said.

The early recovery was grueling. “Even bending my knee or wiggling my toes took so much effort,” Roldan said. Support from her team’s medical staff and physiotherapist was crucial. She progressed from crutches to walking unaided, slowly regaining mobility and strength through physiotherapy, light cycling, and short hikes.

Mara Roldan after her crash in Britain: ‘Heartbroken’

But recovery hit another rough patch. “A few weeks ago, I tried to run for the first time… it led to the hardest setback of my recovery,” she posted. Inflammation developed into pain in her hip and nerve issues, leaving her frustrated and unsure of how to move forward. “Mentally, it was one of the hardest parts of this recovery yet,” she said.

Recovery turning a corner

Now, three months later, the tide has turned.

“Things have progressed really well over the last few weeks! My second surgery brought so many complications, but once everything finally healed, it began to go well,” Roldan said. She was cleared to ride outdoors just over a month ago and was thrilled to join her team for training camp in early January. “It was the nicest feeling to just be back amongst my teammates and in that environment again,” she said.

Each week, she’s feeling stronger. Her left leg remains weaker than her right, but she’s gradually increasing training with easy efforts to rebuild strength. “Finally next week I can start doing harder efforts, and if all goes well, I’m planning to start my season in the coming month,” she said.

While her exact race schedule isn’t quite nailed down, her focus is clear: regain fitness, build confidence, and enjoy riding again. “There will be no pressure to perform at the front—just getting comfortable in the peloton and rediscovering my rhythm. I’ve missed it so much! Even with more hard work ahead, I feel ready for these challenges and I’m sooo hungry for it!”