Fast Talk 403: Celebrating American Cycling Success in 2025, with Jim Miller
Dec 25, 2025
In this conversation, Jim Miller, Chief of Sports Performance at USA Cycling, shares insights on America's cycling triumphs in 2025. He discusses the critical roles of talent identification and development across multiple disciplines. Jim highlights the impressive performances of emerging athletes and the importance of leadership in fostering a winning culture. He also addresses challenges like talent scouting in a dwindling domestic race scene and how AI is transforming decision-making processes. Listeners will gain an understanding of the future of American cycling and the promising talents to watch.
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High Performance Is Organizational Work
- The high performance director role runs like a general manager, focusing on budgets, processes, and program standards.
- Jim Miller spends most of his time on systems that shape selection, budgets, and program decisions.
Resource Limits Force Strategic Focus
- USA Cycling balances scouting raw talent and long-term development across five disciplines with limited resources.
- Scarcity forces laser focus, planning, and clear midpoints to decide where to invest or stop.
Measure Success Across Development Stages
- Jim assesses success across juniors, U23s and elites in five disciplines, not just headline wins.
- He values progression and pipeline health as much as elite medals when judging a season.