John Tomac was a versatile rider who competed in multiple disciplines, including BMX racing, cross-country, road racing, trials riding, and downhill racing.
23 Facts About John Tomac
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John Tomac first participated in cycle racing at the age of seven.
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John Tomac 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.
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In 1984, at age sixteen, John Tomac won the National Cruiser Class title with the factory Mongoose team.
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John Tomac turned professional in 1985 and spent his last year of BMX competition contesting events as a privateer.
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In 1986, John Tomac made two significant decisions: he relocated to Southern California, and he left BMX competition for mountain bike racing.
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John 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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Mike Chapman 8.
John Tomac was ranked first place in the Cross-country and Dual Slalom disciplines.
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The first true World Championships for XC and DH, sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale, were held in Durango, Colorado, in 1990, where John Tomac placed fourth in the downhill.
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John Tomac is well remembered for riding road-style drop handlebars on his Yeti mountain bike at this race, a noticeable deviation from the other riders.
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John Tomac retained his overall NORBA title in 1989 and won the NORBA DH Championship for the first time.
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An accident in which John Tomac struck an errant spectator in the final event at Mount Snow, Vermont, prevented him from outscoring his rival and retaining the title.
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In 1993, John Tomac was the runner-up to Germany's Jurgen Beneke in the inaugural UCI Downhill World Cup and lost out to Frischknecht again in the XC rankings.
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John Tomac officially announced his retirement from racing at the Sea Otter Classic in 2000, but later made an occasional return to competition.
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From 1988 to 1991, John Tomac dovetailed professional programs in both mountain biking and road racing.
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John Tomac was the 1988 USCF National Criterium Champion and was part of the winning team in the USCF National Team Time Trial Championship in 1989.
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John Tomac spent much of 1990 competing in European events with the Motorola team.
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John 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 January 1998, John Tomac entered into a business partnership with Manitou founder and suspension engineer Doug Bradbury, whom he had known since the 1980s.
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John Tomac spent the 1998 season competing on his new prototype design in DH events.
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John Tomac remains actively involved in the company and the design of its products.
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John Tomac's son, Eli John Tomac, is a professional motocross racer competing in the AMA motocross and supercross national championships, riding for the Yamaha racing team.
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Eli John 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 the 2017,2018,2019, and 2022 450cc Motocross National Championships along with the 2020 450cc and 2022 450cc Supercross Championships.