New Blog

http://www.amandamiller.missingsaddle.com/

Check it!

Team TIBCO's new website is up and running. Check it out ---> http://www.teamtibco.com/

Also, order your 2010 Team TIBCO calendar for just $19.99. I got mine in the mail the other day. It's super sharp! Go here to get yours today! --- > http://teamtibco.myshopify.com/products/team-tibco-2010-wall-calendar

Announcements

Check out this article on cyclingnews.com ---> http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/team-tibco-to-the-top-bolsters-2010-roster

Congrats to my new teammate, Ruth Corset, for winning the Australian National Road Race with the help of my other new teammate Emma Mackie! Nice team work girls! :)

2009 season in review (overdue...sorry)

Now that I've become the biggest slacker in Blogger land, I figured I'd give all my readers (if you're still out there) a season recap. I'll also fill you in on what I'm doing for 2010. So here it goes!

January
Several of us CSU Rams headed to Santa Barbara, CA for a 9-day training binge. It was an awesome trip! Nothing but clear skies, great riding, and awesome company. We spent our fair share of time on the beach too.

The group with our AWESOME hosts, Sierra and Anna. Thanks girls for a great time!

The view from one of the popular climbs - Gibraltar.

February
I did lots of training this month. Since I took the semester off from school, all I did was work and ride my bike. Ah the life :). I went snow shoeing a few times too. It's a great cross training activity. My first big race was Valley of the Sun in Phoenix, AZ. A good friend of mine and I made the journey and drove straight through both ways. This was a great race. Awesome weather and fun courses. I picked up my first win of the season with the overall title after getting two 2nds and a 3rd that weekend.


March
My first voyage over seas took place most of this month. I left for Limoux, France in early March. Best experience of my life. I was given the opportunity to race with the U.S. National development squad. It was a 4 week block, with races on the weekends. Chris Georgas was our director. There were 3 of us for the first 2 weeks, and 3 more joined the last 2 weeks. I got to see amazing places, make some wonderful friends, and experience European racing. There's too much to talk about this trip, so if you are interested, check out my archives.

Checking out they Pyrenees. Awesome views!

The team, plus our director - Chris Georgas.

April
My Europe trip came to an end in early April. It was hard to leave. I even tried to arrange to stay longer. But I knew I had to come back and face reality. Once I got back, I picked up my new LipSmacker gear. My first big race back was Tour of the Gila. This was a brutal stage race in Silver City, New Mexico. Lots of climbing and long days in the saddle took it's toll on me for sure. I was off the front for a little while on the first stage. Team LipSmacker tried to be as aggressive as we could. Anne picked up a 4th place on Stage 3. Carla took the win in the criterium on Stage 4. As a team, we finished 4th overall. We had 3 in the top 20 overall G.C. This was an awesome stage race and really opened my eyes up to a lot of things. I was glad to have experienced it.

The morning routine at "The House". Oh...craziness.

The LipSmacker Tour of the Gila squad.

May
Collegiate Nationals was held in Fort Collins again this year. It was weird not racing it, but fun to go out and spectate. I headed back to Iowa for the Memorial Day weekend races. Awesome racing, once again. The attendance seemed lower this year for some reason, which was a bummer. I finally picked up the W on Snake Alley. I picked up a 2nd at Melon City and a 4th at Quad Cities. It was fun racing for sure. My teammates Kate Ross and Toni Bradshaw made the journey, as well as my coach Meredith Miller. It was fun to be back in the local racing scene for the weekend. The end of the month was Tulsa Tough. 3 hard, fast criteriums with a huge prize list. Team LipSmacker threw down some attacks and went for some primes. We aren't a crit specific team so we just tried to play aggressive in the racing.


June
I spent a month on the road, starting with the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, PA. That race is awesome. It's a one day circuit/road race. Some brutal climbs, international competition, and awesome spectators. Unfortunately, I had one of my worst races of the season there. Bummer, but I guess it happens. From there, I headed to Minnesota for the Nature Valley Grand Prix. I had my best race here. I won the overall best young rider and got 4th on the final stage (the Stillwater Criterium). I love the NVGP. It holds a special place in my heart. It was my first stage race ever doing. I did it in 2008 as part of a composite team for collegiate riders. From Minnesota, I headed to Wisconsin to do some of the America's Dairyland Tour. My teammates Toni and Kate joined me. Good times were had by all. We got to do some awesome riding, team bonding, and learned more about racing with each other.

The jersey winners at Nature Valley Grand Prix.

The jerseys after winning the first day of the Tour of America's Dairyland - the Blue Mounds Road Race.

One of the many crazy days in Wisconsin. Kate, I miss you!

Ah, my month roommate, Toni. I miss you too!! Hope all is well in Kiwi land!

The funniest picture of the trip, thanks to peloton-pix.com.

July
From Wisconsin, we headed to Fitchburg, MA. Another fun stage race with some killer courses. Evie Stevens guest road for us, and pulled off the overall win. Working for the yellow jersey was a great learning experience for me. After Fitchburg, I went back home to Colorado for a few weeks. It was great to relax for a little while. I was able to attend the Specialized Dealer Show in Snowbird, Utah during this time. I got in some great mountain biking. The next big race was Cascade in Bend, OR. Another great stage race. Some super killer courses and great racing. I didn't have one of my best races here, but learned a lot from it and still enjoyed the experience. After Cascade was Elite Nationals, which was also in Bend. First was the road race. I had some bad luck and flatted coming through the feed zone for the 2nd lap. I chased for a lap, almost catching the pack once. I decided to call it quits though and save it for the time trial the next day. My coach, Meredith Miller, pulled off a sweet victory in the road race though! It was awesome to be able to watch her win the national title.

On the rivets one of the many times during the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic.

The team with the yellow jersey at Fitchburg...yay!

Self portrait during one of my adventures in the back country around Snowbird, Utah.

Beautiful scenery in Bend, Oregon.

August
The season started winding down after Nationals. I headed back to Iowa for one of my good friends wedding. I was a bridesmaid, and yes I wore a dress! After the wedding was Criterium Nationals in Downers Grove, IL.

The heels came off as soon as we got outside after the wedding.

September
The last race was in St. Louis at the Gateway Cup. Good times were had by all. It was great to see what has happened to the women's races here. I've done these crits since I started racing. This year there was world class competition. Brooke Miller of TIBCO took the overall. It was some great racing and fun to catch up with old friends. I also spent a week in Las Vegas for Interbike. It was my first time in Vegas, and quite an experience. I had a good time though.

The strip for the roof of our hotel (The Rio).

October-December
During these months, I laid pretty low. I took some time off the bike and got out on the mountain bike quite a bit. It helped me refocus. I did some hiking/snowshoeing. I've still been working at the bike shop in Fort Collins (Peloton Cycles). That pretty much sums up my year. I hope you enjoyed the pictures and recap. Check the archives for a more detailed blog if you'd like.

2010
I'm excited for the 2010 season. I signed with Team TIBCO for the year. They are a UCI team and will be doing a block of racing in Europe this spring. I don't have my race schedule yet, but should soon. It's going to be a great season! Here's the roster:
Alison Rosenthal
Alison Starnes
Amanda Miller
Brooke Miller
Devon Haskell
Emma Mackie
Jo Kiesanowski
Kristen LaSasso
Megan Guarnier
Meredith Miller
Rebecca Much
Ruth Corset
Samantha Schneider

I hope all is well!! Thanks for stopping in. I hope to blog more in 2010 :)
-A

Still Alive

I'm working on a season re-cap. However, I don't think it will be published by the end of the year. I'm leaving for New York City tomorrow AM. Going to spend New Year's Eve in Times Square! Look for me on TV :). I'll try to get another post up ASAP. Sorry for the lack of updates! Thanks for checking in!

Dia de los RioSwap

Hey all you Fort Collin(ers), and Northern Colorado Folks. Be sure to check out the bike swap at The Rio restaurant in Old Town, Fort Collins on October 17th. It's held in the Agave Room from 6:00-10:30. More information can be found here ---> http://www.yourgroupride.com

P.S. Look for a season recap in the near future....maybe. Thanks for checking in!
-A

What's up?

Wow, I really suck at this lately. Sorry for all you who actually check this thing any more. I spend most of my time on Facebook or Twitter, so look me up there! Here's a brief update. I'll try to write a season recap in the near feature.

Downer's Grove came and went. Nothing too special for us there. We stayed upright and had a good time. Gateway Cup was a blast. It was great to see some of the nations top competitors there. This was huge for women's cycling. Mad props to all involved in putting on the races this year!

Things have come to end in road season. I'm heading to Vegas tomorrow for Interbike. Should be a good time. As for next year, it should be a great season. I signed with TIBCO. I am excited about it! Ok, enough for now. It's time to get on the mountain bike!
-A