Cycling: Injury ends 20 years at the top

A debilitating injury has led to the retirement of cyclist Graeme Miller, after more than 20 years at the top of the sport.

Miller, 42, announced his retirement at the weekend after major surgery failed to relieve a back ailment.

The veteran of four Olympic and five Commonwealth Games came back to New Zealand in August from his professional Mercury team in the United States for the surgery.

After three months of rehabilitation, Miller has decided to end his career as a professional rider.

"It's not the way I wanted to finish," he said.

"I would not wish the last three months on anyone. It's been the hardest and most humbling experience of my life.

"I am still in real pain and have no alternative but to call it quits and move on.

"Cycling has been everything to me for more than half my life and now it's over. That's really hard to deal with.

"I've got no regrets. This is a damn tough sport where many only last a couple of years at the top.

"I've been there for more than 20 years, with lots of highlights to look back on."

Miller first represented New Zealand in 1978. Since then, he has won two gold medals and two silver medals at five Commonwealth Games.

He was also New Zealand's flagbearer and team captain at Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

He has amassed a number of high-profile performances.

He competed in four Olympic Games, highlighted by an eighth placing in the road race in Seoul in 1988.

Miller has won more than 200 races in his career, mostly on the US professional circuit.

He has had stage wins in the British Milk Race, Sun Tour, Tour of Japan and the Tour DownUnder in Australia.

At home, he twice won the Tour of Southland.

He has also won the points jersey in the Tour of Japan twice and the Tour of Langkawi in Malaysia.

Noted for his uncompromising and determined approach on and off the bike, Miller has been embroiled in several controversies during his career, mostly with Cycling New Zealand on issues including athlete support and selection policies.

"I've never been one to take a back step to anyone in my life," he said.

"I don't apologise for that because it's been an attribute that has helped me succeed in this sport at the highest level."

"If I saw things that I believed were wrong, I said so.

" But these issues are only a very small part of my career and I've loved it all.

"You can't survive as a professional cyclist for 20 years without a real passion for the sport."

Miller, a builder by trade, has started a new career in real estate.

- NZPA