END OF SEASON REPORT 2022

 Winter was a typical recent Winter, training as per normal to instruction, generally, with enthusiasm for the forthcoming season.  I even contacted Mr Bigham on advice on whether to have a fresh aero session (my only one was 2016) - the response was a categoric definitely, as technique and kit had moved on so fast. I booked a session with WattShop for April.

Started off typically steadily in first three races, and pretty much on target..then had a serious crash in training that hospitalised me, very lucky it was not more serious. Inside 4 weeks I had a race, and even managed silver in the National VTTA 50 Champs in Wales...but something was lost.

I cancelled the Wattshop session, I had no enthusiasm for it...and my attitude was my current setup had got me where I was anyway, with the super fast times under my belt...but deep down, I already considered this could really be my last season.

Later in the season, although I never skipped on training, and put my all into it...there were occasions where my heart was not in it prior...eventually same in racing on warm ups, although again I tried my best in the race. 

In retrospect although my physical state was fine, I think that slight dip in my psychological fortitude, just took the edge off some of my later performance. The power was not quite there - typically doing 350w for a 10 instead of 360, and sub 330w for a 25, when I'd expect high 330s.

But still the final scores on the doors were still pretty good!

Altogether 22 open races:

• Three outright wins
• Nine top 5's
• Nineteen top 10's

National VTTA Championships

• Champion 25 mile
• Champion 30 mile
• Champion Circuit Champs (South)
• Silver 50 miles

National RTTC Championships

• National Age Gold Medal 10 mile

Regional Awards

• North Midlands Open Champion 10 mile
• North Midlands Open Team Champions 10 mile
• North Midlands VTTA Champion 10 mile

Fastest Times 

• 10 miles - 20-17
• 25 miles - 51-01
• 50m miles - 1-45-34

Records 

• North Midlands VTTA 10 Record
• North Midlands VTTA 15 Record
• North Midlands VTTA 25 Record
• North Midlands VTTA 30 Record
• North Midlands VTTA 50 Record

National SPINDATA / RTTC Ranking

• Finished the season on A11 (A to E; 1 to 20) affectively top 11%

Rather modest fastest times, but that was due to circumstance rather than form. I went to Newmarket twice for a decent 10, but both times the elements were against us...as a consequence this was the first year since 2016? that I broke no National Age Records.

By the end of the season, I knew that was the end...a contributing factor was my retirement from work. I simply had too much time and too many other activities I wanted to do...racing and the training required was holding me back, it did not help my mental state either, because I needed that variation and that freedom.

National Ranking at A11 was actually the lowest end of season ranking I've attained since they began (A7 my highest in 2018 / 2019) but standards have definitely increased post COVID with initially no other bike racing and then minimal road racing, so many road boys were switching to TT, so performances not much less if any since 2019...and after all, still top 11% - not bad for an old boy!

At time of writing (November 2022) I have just returned from Mallorca and Andalusia - and there is no return, I'm missing nothing at all about the racing...next chapter!