Croft 10 mile Time Trial, 21 May 2025

The second event of this year’s series and still on a high from the European Middle Distance Championships 5 days previously, I wondered if it was too soon to race again. There was also a question of my football team playing in a European Cup Final which I wanted to watch. I felt good and decided I’d compete, getting to the course early hoping for an early start, early finish and home in time for the football.

I parked the car and walked to registration to find I was number one, first to start. I did wonder whether this was a good strategy. I’d either be a target for those behind to attack, especially for the first lap as I would be alone at the front until I caught up riders who started after me, and before other riders caught up with me. My strategy was the same as last month, even paced laps, but going as fast as I could.

Similar conditions to last month’s event, I went off like a cork from a bottle. I had a belief, stemmed from my European Middle Distance Championship ride and fuelled by the adrenaline that remained, that I was going to do well.

The strategy paid off. With only one rider number 68, overtaking me on the back straight of the last lap. I ended up very close to my target time, which I would have hit, had I not faced the dilemma of a rider in front of me as we both approached the final hairpin, before the home straight and the turn to the finish. He wasn’t going that fast but his line was right in the middle of the track. The question I had to answer was should I undertake or overtake? With a split second to make up my mind, I decided to go outside, the long way round, then sprint and cut in front of the other rider. With hindsight, I chose wrong, I should have undertaken, using my hairpin skills honed on the descents of Pamplona. I’ll know next time.

Still, a most enjoyable ride, my fastest 10 mile TT.

Bryan Harding