The last TT of the season and back to a ‘sporting’ hilly course - actually the same course we lapped 3 times for the National Circuit Championships in 2021 (probably my worst ever TT performance!). This time we were just doing one lap for a 10 mile TT and so it was a chance to ride it better (hopefully!) than last time. It was a nice sunny and dry day but with a strong and chilly wind. The course has a fast, mostly downhill section with some corners, followed by a turn into the main hill on the course, directly into the headwind, followed by a village, an exposed section past an airfield, a few more turns and another downhill before the final drag (now with a tailwind) towards the finish. I did a pretty much maximum effort up the main hill and along the airfield section, and tried to pace all the other parts. I was perhaps overcautious through the village but apart from that rode it as well as I could in the conditions. I was a little disappointed with the time and the placing (below the Spindata prediction), after a series of good results.

Spindata score improving over the season (lower is better!)

So that was it for the season, which was pretty successful overall: 13 Open races started, one DNF (puncture), two DNS mid season (illness and injury), no podiums but 4 top-5 placings and some decent times considering no properly fast days. It’s also the most Open TTs I’ve done in a season! This doesn’t include the Tour of Cambridge TT (disappointing) and the club TT series (very satisfying with the overall and Vets wins, and 3 times under the 22 minute mark which I have previously failed to beat!). Lastly, I managed to improve my Spindata ranking to an A20 (in the top 20% of timetrialists nationally), which was very satisfying!

Tim Phillips

NDCA 10m hilly TT and season review, 17 Sep 2022

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