Back to the esoteric world of cycling time trials. Recovery from PBP was going well, and I’d snuck in a great 2-minute interval session on Thursday – one of my best ever – so my confidence in a fast, powerful ride was good. The day was a bit cool and breezy, but sunny for all that. High pressure and cooler temperatures are not ideal for fast times, but this is a quick course and I’ve not ridden it for a year or more. I was also more confident in my time trial bike now that the rear-triangle had been re-bonded last winter – it tracks in a straight line at high speed now!
Because there are three distinct hard sections to this course (the F11/10), split by (i) a long first turn, (ii) a downhill and (iii) the final roundabout, it’s a bit of an extended interval session. As a result your average power can sometimes look a bit low compared to a more even course like the F20/10, but on the hard sections here I was pushing on, right up to my limit. My repaired bike was much better on the downhill section this time too and I didn’t get quite so much of a rest as on previous rides here. That’s good though – and surely helped me to a 7-year best time of 20:29. Coming back to the timekeeper under the final overbridge I glanced down at my Garmin and could see 19-something on the clock so I knew I was on a special ride.
I finished 11th overall (although the field was not as strong as it would’ve been earlier in the year), which was pretty good for me. Had the weather been kinder I might have been a few seconds quicker and maybe close to an all-time PB. Happy with that! [Results]
Riding out of the first (long) turn
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