A Tale Of Two TTs!

With my enthusiasm for bike racing back to a certain extent, I had entered a 10 mile TT for the weekend but this was cancelled due to roadworks. There was still time to change to a different event, so I went for a local 25 on a course I’d been interested in trying before. I wasn’t sure I was ready for a 25, so at the last minute I entered the Cambridge CC club 10 on the Weds evening to get a bit more practice in. Catenary team Julia was already doing it and I suggested to Freya (she says ‘bullied’) that she give it a go as I was expecting it would be quite a quick night.

This was very far from the truth, with a gusty northerly wind and cold temperature meaning it was much harder, and slower, than expected. I hadn’t ridden the Bottisham 10 course since 2017 (when it was one of the first ones I did!). You have to go hard on the hill over the main road, especially on the way out, and my legs were suffering before I had an enforced rest by being held up behind traffic and other riders. After the turn it was a question of holding on as best I could, which I managed to, getting an average power slightly over my target. The time was a course PB, while not being as fast as I had hoped.

Just a few days later, it was time for the 25. I was pretty nervous about this, as I hadn’t really got enough longer ride and efforts in, and wasn’t sure what my (reduced) power capability was going to be versus 2-3 years ago. It was a warm afternoon but surprisingly windy, with a gusty breeze that made the tough section of the course even tougher, and the two main sides of the course quite tricky with crosswinds. As an additional kicker, while the course is roughly two laps, you get to do the hardest section three times! I managed to do the first lap roughly as planned but after doing the hard section for the second time my legs (and motivation!) were really struggling and my power dropped off markedly for lap 2, with the spectre of having to do the hard section for the third time. I also realised partway round lap 2 that I wasn’t going to manage sub-hour, which was rather depressing. I gave it everything for the last section and was grateful to roll across the line and crawl back to HQ. I’m disappointed with the result but at least I got it done.

Tim Phillips

Cambridge CC 10 TT and Finsbury Park CC 25 TT, 9/12 Apr 2025

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