Ellen Noble announced she is taking a temporary break from professional bike racing due to ongoing health problems that have plagued her for the past three years.

“It’s hard to say out loud,” Noble said in an emotional message on Instagram this week. “But I know that, for me, a step back is the only way forward.”

Noble, 26, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2018. Earlier this year, she suffered multiple fractures of the spine during a crash at her first mountain bike race of the season.

Noble is two-time U23 U.S. National Cyclocross Champion and two-time U23 Pan American Cyclocross Champion.

“In 2018, I was having the best seasons of my career when I began to feel off,” she said. “It seemed as though one day I just lost my spark. My drive to win was gone, my energy was gone. My mood had shifted, and I watched my body change right before my own eyes.”

Despite the setback, Noble vows to continue her junior women’s ENCXQuest and mentorship program.

“I don't want to stop doing any of my non-racing initiatives, and I hope to do even more of them now that I have more time,” Noble told Cycling News magazine. “I have every intention of staying in the sport even if it's not on the race course.”

Noble’s cyclocross camp offers girls and young women opportunities to grow in the sport with a mission to foster inclusivity and health awareness.