Marjorie Rinaldo Signs with Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28

Navy veteran, and time trial specialist set to impact 2026 campaign

ROANOKE, Virginia — October 10 , 2025 Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 is proud to announce the signing of Navy veteran Marjorie Rinaldo (USA) for the 2026 season. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska and now based in Tucson, Arizona, Rinaldo is a trusted teammate and a rising time trialist with solid national-level results, including strong rides at the Tour of the Gila and consistent performances in U.S. time trials. Her team-first mentality and composure were forged during five years of service in the U.S. Navy as a heavy equipment operator.

“My time in the Navy taught me to adapt on the fly,” Rinaldo said. “When a race turns chaotic, that mindset helps you make clear decisions quickly and leave emotions for later.”

A lifelong athlete, Rinaldo built her endurance and power through high-school swimming and track & field—and in the weight room alongside her dad—sparking a lasting love of sport. After her daughter’s birth in 2011, she moved into triathlon, earned her professional license in 2019, and began racing at the pro level in 2021. Her growing strength on the bike led to a full transition to road racing in 2022, where she has quickly established herself in the U.S. domestic peloton.

“I’m thrilled to join Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28. The team’s high standards, supportive environment, and purpose-driven mission are exactly where I want to grow as an athlete and teammate. I’m excited to learn from experienced riders like Marlies and Sofia, and with the velodrome opening here in Tucson, joining a program that truly embraces the track was a natural fit. I’ve been clawing my way up the Pro Nationals TT each year, and my biggest goal is to stand on that podium in the next few seasons—while helping the next generation of young athletes on the team rise with us.”

“Marjorie pairs experience with a genuinely generous competitive spirit,” said Nicola Cranmer, Founder and General Manager. “Her steady ‘diesel’ will pay dividends in time trials and overall team execution, and her presence will guide our younger riders. I don’t think she’s come close to her ceiling yet, and we look forward to supporting her growth at Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28.”

Photo below: Marj served in the U.S Navy as a heavy equipment operator.

Meet Marj

• What sparked racing? Moving to Tucson and doing the Shootout—that first ride flipped the switch.
• Biggest influence: Her dad—positive, hard-working, always having fun.
• Best training-day meal: A juicy cheeseburger from Graze.
• Why she loves racing: It takes her to places she’d never go otherwise.
• Proudest athletic thread: “I keep clawing my way up a level each year.”
• Favorite race: Tour of the Gila, “a hometown race at heart.”
• Off the bike: Snuggles with Duke (dog) and Etta (cat), pool days with Alaina, lifting in the garage, walks.
• One tip for new racers: “Make a friend who knows more - and listen.”
• Daily keys to success: Sleep and eating enough quality food.
• 10 days anywhere: Any sunny beach with loved ones.

Warm-Up Playlist

1. Paranoid — Ozzy Osbourne
2. No More Tears — Ozzy Osbourne
3. Enter Sandman — Metallica (I think a Virginia Tech game is on the cards :)
4. War Nerve — Pantera
5. Paranoid — Avenged Sevenfold

“My dad taught me to work hard and have fun while doing it. Every time I line up, I’m carrying that forward.”

Marj lost her father and recently shared this wonderful poem on social media.

“Your dad would be so proud of you.”

Those words undo me.

They melt me because I want to believe them.

But they pain me because he’s not here to say them himself.

He should be the one calling to tell me how far I’ve come.

He should be the one bragging about me to anyone who would listen.

He should be the one standing beside me, telling me he’s proud.

Instead, I have to settle for echoes through other people’s voices.

And I nod, smile, swallow the lump in my throat… while inside I’m aching.

Because no matter how old I get, there’s still a little girl inside of me who just wants to hear her daddy say,

“I’m so proud of you.”

And losing him means I’ll always carry both things at once

the warmth of knowing he would be… and the heartbreak of knowing he can’t be.

By Sasha Gautreaux

Gratitude to our 2028 Partners

Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge, Virginia is for Mountain Lovers, Zwift, FELT Bicycles, Cotton Sox Sports, Violich Farms, Berglund Automotive, Domestique Foundation, Precision Hydration, Oakley, PACE Ranch, Velo Saddles, Training Peaks, Arundel Cages, Presta Cycle, Seasucker Racks, Sock Guy, Zipp, SRAM, The Original Stick, USA Cycling Foundation, Victory Circle Graphix, KX3 Performance Coaching, City Space/Riverdale Roanoke. Pro Cyclist Foundation,

About TWENTY28 Pro Cycling

When the team was formed in 2005, the goal was to create a pathway for athletes to the 2012 London Olympics. In 2009 the team name became TWENTY12 changing every 4 year cycle, followed by TWENTY16, TWENTY20, TWENTY24 and now TWENTY28 representing the LA 2028 Olympics.

The TWENTY28 program is responsible for developing many of the most successful American female cyclists to date. Creating opportunities for elite, junior development and para-cycling athletes. TWENTY28 has established a consistent athlete talent pipeline for road and track cyclists and additionally providing opportunities for athletes who excel in the virtual world of Zwift eSports and the new dynamic discipline of gravel racing. 

What We Do

Develop high-performance athletes and the next generation of competitive cyclists. Success in aligning student-athletes with college scholarships through cycling. Support of the multi-discipline athlete. Adaptive, dynamic, versatile, resilient and committed to growing diversity in the landscape of women’s cycling.