Michaela Thompson may only be 22 years of age, but she is already light years ahead of many aspiring off-road racing talents. In 2025, the Colorado native will make her second appearance in the Life Time Grand Prix, the youngest woman among the invitation-only field of 22 by four years.
From a podium at Leadville Trail 100 MTB and top 10 at Big Sugar Gravel, Thompson finished in 10th overall in the Grand Prix for elite women. Her debut placing was significant as she earned a paycheck, with only the top 10 women and top 10 men sharing in the rich $300,000 purse. She also finished seventh at Belgium Waffle Ride Arizona and sixth at Little Sugar MTB.
"The most rewarding event this year was for sure Leadville 100. I targeted that race as my 'A' race. Well, I targeted all of the Life Time races this year as an 'A' race, and that was my 'A-plus' race," Thompson told Cyclingnews with a chuckle.
"I actually worked with my coach really hard on finding ways to motivate my training for the couple months leading up to that. I was finding a lull in motivation, not seeing myself progress personally. That was key, with a lot of drive and excitement, and great fitness too.
"And the day [at Leadville] just turned out better than I could have imagined. I remember in the race being like,'is this actually happening?' Coming to the finish line, [seeing] all the competitors I raced against, having family and friends right there at the finish line. How can a day out there for just over seven hours go so well? It was amazing."
Organisers of the Life Time Grand Prix series announced a new U23 Development Program for 2025, which provides a path for a wildcard entry for the series after Unbound Gravel 200 in early May or a coveted roster spot for the 2026 campaign. The program is open to riders between the ages of 18 to 22 to gain experience in off-road racing, the application open until January 15, 2025. Four starts from among the six US events are required to be eligible for series spots.
Thompson is one up-and-coming rider who can skip that formality altogether. For a second year, she is the youngest female in the already confirmed field that has an age that averages 32. When she started her first race of the Grand Prix at Sea Otter Classic, she was 21 years old.
"I remember going to Sea Otter, it was the biggest event I'd ever been a part of, especially the biggest Expo and so many people with drones going around. The fields are so stacked. I remember saying, 'I'm a part of this', like wow," she told Cyclingnews.
"I definitely grew a lot this year as an athlete and a person. I don't compare myself too much to other people I race against, because that's very easy to do. I learned a lot about what's best for me, both mindset and physically, to help me perform. The biggest thing of the Life Time Grand Prix this year was being part of a high performing group of girls, and these big races. It was finding balance through all of it – huge training days, travel, a long season."
Thompson is a mountain biker at heart, having competed at the collegiate level with Fort Lewis College, where she is studying Business Administration. She has won a pair of short track titles at US Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals the past two seasons. On the road, she has twice finished third in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic. She mixes in cyclocross as well, but has been hard at work before graduation as a gravel privateer.
"I have my own program that I started [in 2024] – my own personal sponsors, my own kit. I don't work with an agent, I personally am in touch with all my supporters and bands, and I really value these connections," she said, noting that Orange Seal, The Feed and Shimano would return for 2025.
For the new season she said she would like to race a couple of the Gravel Earth Series events, such as The Rift in Iceland and return to the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder.
"I'm someone who doesn't like to chase the numbers. I like putting everything out there and doing my absolute best with what I can control. I'm happy with a race day where I laid it all out there, went my hardest, and did my best fueled the best I could. Anything else is outside of my control."
This year her plans to repeat training in a warmer climate in Spain were halted a few days after Christmas when she rolled her ankle when standing up too quickly and became light-headed. The result was a torn tibiofibular ligament of the left leg. No surgery was required, but the constricting boot on her left foot and ankle won't fit on a pedal.
"This is for sure a detour in my plans, but all I can do is take it day by day. I was planning on heading to Spain on Tuesday for eight weeks, but maybe this happened for a reason," she posted on Instagram. "I haven’t really processed what’s happened yet, but I’m feeling luckily it’s nothing worse. Taking this detour as a mental challenge."
Thompson gave Cyclingnews an update on her injury on Sunday, saying she hoped to be back to solid training in February, which would keep her on schedule to compete at the Sea Otter Gravel event to start the Grand Prix season. And in the meantime, she was learning how to crochet and trying new recipes for baking and cooking.
"One of my 2025 goals is to bring more flavours into my cooking," she said from her home in Durango.
"In terms of my ankle today, I'm making progress with physical therapy thanks to Mercy Sports Medicine, along with proper rest and my wonderful community here in Durango. I should be good to get back to training in five weeks, hopefully even sooner!"
