January 17, 2007 – Canadian National Team road racer Amy Moore, 33, of Georgetown, Ont., is stepping back from competitive cycling, after a demanding and memorable 2006 season with the prestigious T-Mobile Professional Women’s Team. “Right now, I don’t think I’m gonna get back into racing,” she said in a telephone interview. “I’m not closing any doors, but I don’t really have the desire to race anymore.”

Formerly a competitive rower, Moore took up cycling in 1997 when she moved to Waterloo, Ontario, as a way to meet people. Since going pro in 2001, she has built an impressive list of accomplishments, including being part of the Canadian World Championships team in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Moore won the 2003 Tour of Okinawa, 2004 Green Mountain Stage Race and reached her ultimate goal of competing for Canada at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia last year. “I’ve done what I wanted to do in the sport,” she said, adding that the Games experience was something she’ll cherish for the rest of her life.

“I’ve had such a wonderful experience, doing big races and being part of a big team,” she said, but “It’s time to move on.”

Moore cites her health as the biggest motivator behind the decision. “I had a very hard year. Racing in Europe was a lot harder on my body than I thought at the time.” Moore found the physical strain of so much racing too stressful physically. She got sick at the end of the season and hasn’t felt 100% since. “I just need to listen to my body and get some rest,” she said.

Her plans are somewhat up in the air. Moore is starting a job with the City of Brampton, and is looking forward to becoming more active in the community. Eager to share her knowledge and experience with young athletes, she is also involved in local Halton Hills Cycling Club.

One of the biggest perks of “retiring” (“I don’t like that word. I still ride my bike,” she said) from competition is that she will have more time to spend with her cyclist husband, Michael. “I would love to start a family,” she said. “Hopefully in the next year or two.”

With two cyclists as parents, “if we have children, they’ll definitely be introduced to bikes,” she said with a laugh.

Although Moore is stepping out of the limelight, she is far from abandoning cycling. She is still actively involved in the sport and looks forward to watching and cheering on her fellow Canadian cyclists from the sidelines.