Fort Collins resident and professional cyclocross racer, Amanda Miller, announced this morning that she’ll be skipping the 2017 cyclo-cross season. The Mediapolis Ia, native has predominantly lived in Fort Collins, with a brief stint in Colorado Springs, since 2007. Miller who most recently raced for the Boulder Cycle Sport / YogaGlo Cyclocross Team has raced all over the world at the highest level, both on the road and in ‘cross. With the exception of track and enduro, Miller races and finds success in all types of cycling. She was 2nd in 2017 USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross Nationals, won 2015 Fat Bike Nationals and won the circuit road race at Cascade in 2015. Read her full announcement below.
Amanda’s Facebook announcement:
“Life’s a dance – you learn as you go” – John Michael Montgomery. (What can I say – I’m a country music fan.)
Hey all. For those that know me, I’ve never sought out attention or the limelight. But out of respect for everyone who has put their faith in me, believed in me, and supported me up front and behind the scenes, I feel I owe this to you.
After racing professionally since 2009 – on the road and more recently in cross – I am officially announcing I won’t be racing cross professionally this year. Am I officially “retiring”? I don’t know yet – maybe. Maybe not. A lot of things are up in the air and I don’t have a concrete answer to that. But in truth, it just wasn’t in the cards for this year.
I was fortunate to have transitioned from road to cyclocross, and to have found success over the past few years – racing against the top women in the sport in World Cups, World Championships, and finishing ranked 11th in the world at the end of last year.
Could I race again this year? Sure. But I feel I had a successful year this past season, have no regrets at all, and want to move forward with my head held high.
Professional racing – both as a sport and a business – is an extremely difficult endeavor. One that cannot – nor should not – be taken lightly. It takes an extreme amount of dedication and commitment to be truly competitive at this level. I’m fortunate enough to say and feel I’ve accomplished that, and it was more than worth it. I was able to experience so much. Certainly not without the support of those who believed in and sponsored me along the way – Boulder Cycle Sport Pro Cycling and the numerous others both in road and cross who have contributed to my success.
But it’s time for me to step back, assess what the realities of this sport are, and consider my next steps – both within and outside the sport. It’s time for me to seriously look at the next chapter in my life. It’s a future filled with uncertainty on what I’ll do next, but also one filled with hope and promise that the next adventure will be just as rewarding as my cycling career has been.
Thank you to everyone who believed in me, supported me, and encouraged me to follow my dreams. You mean more to me than I can express, and I hope I find the same level of support in what life has next in store for me – whether it be in or outside of professional cycling.
Love always.
– Amanda
