# Amber Pierce

Amber Pierce (née Rais; born March 25, 1981) is an American professional racing cyclist.
Pierce began her sporting career as a swimmer, breaking state and national records whilst still at high school. She earned an athletic scholarship to Stanford University to compete for their NCAA Division 1 women's varsity swim team. Following a shoulder injury, Amber began cycling and joined the Stanford Cycling Team. She has a B.A. in Human Biology and an M.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University.
After graduating in 2006 with her Master's degree, she moved to Austria, where she lived and raced full-time on the World-Cup circuit in Europe from 2007-2013. Amber became internationally recognized as a respected domestique in the pro peloton and helped her American compatriots earn Olympic berths whilst racing for the US National Team. Upon returning to America in 2014, she continued racing internationally as a pro for both American and European UCI World Tour teams.
In 2018 she retired from full-time road racing but continues to represent and compete for Cannondale. She also co-hosts the Ask A Cycling Coach Podcast presented by TrainerRoad.

## Major results
### 2005

    1st Collegiate National Championship Criterium
    1st Collegiate National Championship Omnium
    1st West Coast Cycling Conference Championship Criterium
    1st West Coast Cycling Conference Championship Omnium
    1st California Cup Series Omnium
    1st NCNCA Criterium District Champion
    1st Mt Hamilton Classic Road Race
    1st Suisun Harbor Criterium
    1st Giro di San Francisco

### 2006

    1st Stage 5, Awbrey Butte Road Race, Cascade Classic
    1st Stage 2, Gibbs Lighthouse Time Trial, Bermuda Grand Prix
    1st Snelling Road Race
    1st Land Park Criterium
    1st University Road Race
    1st Patterson Pass Road Race
    1st Suisun Harbor Criterium
    1st Esparto Time Trial
    1st California Cup Series Omnium
    2nd San Ardo Road Race
    3rd U.S. Women's Prestige Series Best Young Rider Classification
    3rd Stage 3, Mt Hood Cycling Classic
    3rd QOM Classification, Cascade Cycling Classic
    3rd Nevada City Classic

### 2007

    1st General Classification, Tri Peaks Challenge
    1st Stage 1, Mt Magazine Road Race, Tri Peaks Challenge
    1st Stage 2, Epic Road Race, Tri Peaks Challenge
    1st Stage 4, Individual Time Trial, Tri Peaks Challenge
    1st Stage 1, Team Time Trial, International Tour de 'Toona
    1st Cougar Mountain Classic Circuit Race
    2nd Stage 5, Gila Monster Road Race, Tour of the Gila
    3rd Stage 6, Blair County Road Race (Blue Knob), International Tour de 'Toona
    3rd Quad Knopf Exeter Individual Time Trial, Sequoia Cycling Classic
    3rd Stage 3, Tech Criterium, Tri Peaks Challenge
    4th General Classification, Tour of the Gila

### 2008

    1st Stage 2, Inner Loop Road Race, Tour of the Gila
    1st Stage 6, Awbrey Butte Road Race, Cascade Cycling Classic
    1st Chicago Criterium
    2nd Tour de Nez
    Most Aggressive Rider, Stage 2, Nature Valley Grand Prix

### 2009

    1st General Classification, Tour de Nez
    1st Stages 1, Truckee Criterium, Tour de Nez
    1st Stage 3, Northstar Circuit Race, Tour de Nez
    2nd Stage 2, Reno Criterium, Tour de Nez
    4th Individual Time Trial, U.S. National Championships

### 2010

    1st Bischofshofen Kriterium, AUT
    1st Schwaz Strasserennen, AUT
    1st Schwaz Kriterium, AUT
    1st Deutschlandsberg Strasserennen, AUT
    1st Deutschlandsberg Kriterium, AUT
    1st Hans Jöchl Einzelzeitfahren, AUT
    2nd General Classification, Langenlois Rundfahrt AUT
    2nd Stage 1 Einzelzeitfahren, Langenlois Rundfahrt AUT
    2nd Schwaz Bergrennen, AUT
    3rd Stage 2 Strasserennen, Langenlois Rundfahrt AUT
    3rd Rieder Radrennen Kriterium, AUT
    3rd Stage 3 individual time trial, Fitchburg Longsjo Classic USA
    4th Stage 1 circuit race, Fitchburg Longsjo Classic USA
    5th General Classification, Fitchburg Longsjo Classic USA
    15th General Classification, Giro Trentino ITA

### 2011

    1st Tour de Nez USA
    8th Stage 2, Tour of New Zealand

## Sporting Honors

    Shirley Schoof Club Sports Athlete of the Year, Stanford Athletic Department
    Athletic Hall of Fame, Reno High School
    2x Collegiate National Champion, Stanford Cycling Team
    2x Collegiate Conference Champion, Stanford Cycling Team
    NCAA Division I Scholarship Athlete, Stanford Women’s Swimming
    Pac-10 Swimming All-Academic Honorable Mention
    Multi-time State Champion and National Champion, USA Swimming
    Three-time Junior National Champion and record-holder, USA Swimming
    Multi-time State Champion and record-holder, Reno High School Swimming
    Four-time National High School All-American, Reno High School Swimming

## Academic Honors

    Published author of two peer-reviewed scientific journal articles (h-index = 2)
    President’s Scholar, Stanford University
    M.Sc., Stanford University
    B.A., Stanford University
    Valedictorian, Reno High School