National Road Bike TT 2023
(1/10/2023) Today was the RTTC National Road Bike Time Trial, it was a lumpy 18.5 mile circuit starting in Marshfield (Whiltshire) looping round past Castle Combe. I found the course quit hard to settle in and it’s definitely the sort of course that you’d improve on the more you knew the course. I nearly took a wrong turn, but realised just in time 😂.
I finished joint 3rd overall and 1 sec of 2nd. I’ve spent a lot of time on my TT bike recently & didn’t feel as confident in the positioning on my road bike, but overall a good day out and pleased to finish on the podium 🥉
Quick recap as I haven’t updated the blog in a long time - Many of you already know, but for those that don’t 2022-June 2023 was a really tough time me. At the start of 2022 I finished 2nd in my first Junior National of the year, a great start but that was pretty much were it started and stopped.
I was literally ill or recovering from illness the majority of the time, I think the longest I was well for was 5 weeks prior to racing Boucles de L’Oise and even then I left with swollen glands.
I tried to always stay positive and each time I felt good for a few weeks I thought that was it. I had repeated relapses of Epstein Barr Virus (also know as mononucleosis / glandular fever) causing my immune system to be weak with low vit D & low iron levels & then I developed Chronic Tonsillitis & low haemoglobin levels. I would fall asleep a lot, fell drained from doing very little and generally low. There’s not many that understand EBV, there’s so many side effects it can cause and it can be very different from one person to the next.
Thankfully I had a Tonsillectomy in June and this operation has been life changing. Now that my body’s not fighting an Infection every couple weeks this has allowed my immune system to get stronger. Also I can now breathe, eat and sleep properly again 😄
Every day I'm building back, the improvements I’m seeing week after week have been so encouraging for the future.
I’m really thankful to those that have continued to support me and especially most recently to Pedal Potential. It really means a lot.
When something or someone knocks you down, come back stronger.
On the 15th October I’m excited to be racing the UCI U23 event Chrono des Nations in France and I can’t wait! Without the help I receive trips like this wouldn’t be possible 🙏
Recent TT Results
19/7 Goodwood 10 - 19:27, 1st
20/8 Newbury 15 - 29:15, 1st
28/8 A3crg 10 - 18:35, 3rd
10/9 Arrows 10 - 19:35, 1st, Course Record
17/9 Poole Wheelers Craig Weston Memorial 10 19:06, 1st, Course Record
24/9 Paceline 25 - 47:39, 2nd
🩷 Craig Weston’s Memorial TT
