Get to know the tall, the strong, Jacob Rathe of Garmin-Barracuda
To say Jacob Rathe rolled on two wheels before he walked on two legs is a bit of an exaggeration — but just a bit. Rathe’s life on a bike began, according to an interview in the Oregonian, “at age 3, when he taught himself to stay up on two wheels: picture him riding circles on the back deck.” Just 20 years-old at the time he signed his new contract, Jacob Rathe is the youngest rider on Team Garmin-Barracuda’s roster in 2012.
A member of Team Chipotle development squad (now Team Chipotle-First Solar) last year, Rathe ascended to the Garmin-Barracuda World Tour team for the 2012 season with development teammates Raymond Kreder and Alex Howes.
Jacob Rathe (photo by Pat Malach/Oregon.CyclingAction.com)
About Jacob Rathe
A native of Portland, Oregon, Rathe first rode competitively at age 12 or 13, finishing well as a junior in cyclocross, road, and track disciplines. Like his teammate Raymond Kreder, Rathe is a former national track champion; he won the Junior U.S. scratch race in both 2006 and 2007. He also likes to mountain bike.
Rathe first experienced racing in Europe in 2007 as part of the USA Cycling Junior National team, and told BicyclePaper, “Overseas racing has been invaluable to my riding.” In 2007 he won the Junior Orroir Kermesse in Belgium. Also as a junior he competed in the Giro di Basilicata in Italy in 2008 and the 2009 Junior Men’s World Championship Road Race in Moscow.
An all-around rider, Rathe shows strength in sprinting and climbing, as well as finding the breakaways like he did in the 2011 Volta a Portugal and 2011 U23 U.S. road race championships where he finished second just behind his teammate, Rob Squires.
Rathe has named Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders as career objectives. Given Rathe’s 3rd place in 2011’s Paris-Roubaix Espoirs event, Rathe could be another secret weapon for Team Garmin-Barracuda in the 2012 Spring classics.
Just prior to the Junior Worlds in Moscow, Rathe’s coach, Oliver Martin, said Rathe “always rides to win.” Martin said that in 2009; it still holds true. On February 6th in the 2012 Tour of Qatar, Rathe rode to a team time trial victory with Garmin-Barracuda in his first race of the season.
Career details
Born: 3/13/1991
Race results highlights:
- 2011 1st stage 9 of Volta a Portugal, 1st stage 4 of Rutas de America, 3rd in Paris-Roubaix Espoirs, 2nd in U23 US road race championships
- 2010 2nd Sea Otter Classic Road Race Under 23
- 2009 1st stage 1 of Rothaus Regio Tour and a slew of domestic race victories
- 2008 1st Tour of Red River Gorge
- 2007 and 2006 US Junior National Track champion in scratch race.
Teams: 2004 – 2007 Beaverton Bicycle Club; 2008 -2009 CMG Racing; 2010 Jelly Belly p/b Kenda; 2011 Chipotle Development Team. 2006 – 2010 USA Cycling Development program junior and U23 national teams.
[With gratitude to Pat Malach/Oregon.CyclingAction.com for use of his excellent photo of Jacob Rathe. Oregon.CyclingAction.com offers regular coverage of Rathe and other Oregonian cyclists.]
ProVéloPassion 