2025 TLI Races

2025 TLI Lincolnshire Road Race League

23.04.25 TLI Ashby

 First race of the season on my favourite course (only because it has a very short hill and long straights).  I would start the season again in group one which suits me just fine.  This was a great workout, taking my turns as usual, and then when the time came being strong enough to jump on the passing train.  At the top of the hill, there was still a kilometre to go, and as I battled other Wheelers I was able to launch a long kick for home and managed to just about crawl over the line for 21st place.

21.05.25 TLI Brattleby 

Group One which I was happy to see, but 8 laps which meant that I would be climbing Brattleby Hill 8 times (9 with the ride up to the start).  It was a pleasant evening and with last night's TT in the legs I wondered how I would go. All seemed well and on the first lap I found I was particularly strong on the sweeping descent down to Ingham - I also got a scalding for that.  I was better up the climb this year and by lap 3 I had broken away for a lap in a group of 5 only to be reeled in at the bottom of the climb. We stayed together for another 3 laps and then on the start finish straight the scr=tach group caught us. Some of my group got on and they carried us to the bottom of the climb. Regrouping as a smaller unit at the top, the next samll fast group came past and it was all I could muster to ride fast downhill and just get on - I hit 44.9mph doing so and the reward was again being carried along to the bottom of the climb. Comig up that on tired legs for a 20th place finish on the night. 

18.06.25 TLI Skillington

Best result ever - this was the Grantham road race course that I'd ridden around 2015/2016 so I knew it better than I thought I did. It was a crazy warm evening and in group 1 we were given 8 minutes over the 2nd group which was crazy and we took full advantage - the 7 of us working very well and then on the last climb to the finish I found myself toward the front and I managed to hold a good effort to the line and finish 3rd which was my best ever result.

16.07.25 TLI Great Limber

On the baclk of low numbers, and my result the previous race, I was given group 2 to go with (a promotion or demotion - the jury is out).  We worked well for the first lap, and then on the second time up the big long climb, we were caught by scratch and 3, and that was it, I battled back on ,. but another surge emptied the talent meter.  I solo rode for the final two laps making a couple of spots, but the main group was well gone !

13.08.25 Brattleby 2

The last one in the series , and again moved up to group 2 against my wishes and protestations at sign on. In actuality I likely am a group 2 rider as I stuck with the group , and then only got dropped when the faster groups caught us and the group 3 riders that had sandbagged their way into two rode off with them.  I'd say I finished around 20th and around halfway down my group.  In the overall competition, I finished 7th overall and bagged - £20 - maybe that now makes me a paid pro ! 

June 2025 - quieter than usual.... faster than usual too

 Just the four TTs this month as away on holiday in Spain during the first week and some last minute marshalling at the last TT. In between, there was a road race third place and a really fast C2C2C so all was not lost...

10.06.25 Wheelers Ingham TT 21.59 

Good start to the month and a win. Struggled with the wind direction on this one and seemed to be unhelpful both ways, I did judge the out and inward efforts badly and again left myself too much to chase on the return.

12.06.25 Wheelers 15 Champs 40.33

Not really a rec with the following 10 just two days later - this was a VO2 max affair, race done on road bike with 2 x 5 minute intervals thrown in.

14.06.25 Hemel Hempstead 10  20:20

My fastest 10 mile TT since 2017 and my second fastest of all time. I really paced this one the best I could and maturely rode the poor roads and pushed at the right times. Backwind to first turn, then headwind for next stretch with a nice backwind to finish. Road surface poor in places and cross wind down the hill - front wheel behaved perfectly. Another 30 seconds to find for the club record.

17.06.25 Wheelers Ingham TT  21.50

Fastest Ingham TT in god knows how many attempts over the years. Despite a windy night, I was able to find another 10W somehow and this translated into a better margin win. I still don't know where those watts came from or indeed how that night became so quick for me. Series win and maximum points in the season long competition.

May

... and the month started off with...a nice shortened course !

06.05.25 Wheelers 5TT  (4.06m) 9:02 

This was supposed to be a five with wild conditions which would see mostly headwind. Temporary traffic lights on the course which saw the organiser shift to a shortened course that took out the majority of the headwind - it was a fraction over four miles and I was strong enough to take the win and the series by 6 seconds.

17.05.25 West Pennine 10   20:55 

My very first go at the fast 10 course at Levens. It is one heck of a trek from Lincoln taking about 6.5hrs as a round trip - it was worth it though as even though it was a day where the wind was strong 14mph and blew down the course where I would say a light southerly would be most advantagious.  I applied the watts well and think there could be more to be fair - I really enjoyed that one !

20.05.25 Wheelers Ingham TT  22:08

Back on the Ingham and a course I don't think I've ever felt like I've mastered. All of last year I battled to try and get under 22:30 - this year and I'm trying to get into the 21's. I failed tonight, I was slow clipping in off the line and it was a cross - I'm hoping to have some better rides over the remainder of the summer.

25.05.25 Kettering CC 15   32:39

Sleep on the sofa, up at 3.30, drive down to Wellingborough, ride the only DC 15 course I could find this year, get wet,  get a 40 second PB, miss the club record by another 40 - at least I got halfway there, just hope for some more 15's next year.

 

April - We're back !

 The winter of solely bike training has paid off and 2017 Andy has re-appeared....

29.03.25 Coalville Whls 10TT 24:21

The first of the season - the new position is fab, I seem to have a few more watts, and have matured (mostly) with course management. This was as tough as it usually is with the wind entirely in the wrong direction ! Felt out the watts to know where I roughly am over 20 mnutes

01.04.25 Wheelers Road Bike 5 - 12:16

Great first club outing and club win.  One of only a few riders to be faster than the opening weekend last year which tells you what you need to know about the conditions ! 

05.04.25 Kings Lynn 25  - 58:20

The fastest I've been in four outings on this course - brutal cross wind both ways, and likely the only 25 I'll ride this year. At halfway I thought it was slow, but managed a good controlled return leg for a course best.

08.04.25 Wheelers Road Bike 5 12:04

The form continued with a course PB on my second outing on the course !

12.04.25 Melton Olympic 10TT  21:02

The quickest ten I'd ridden since 2018. This one I got wrong though as knew the first 5 miles were wind assisted but I still went too hard to the turn and then suffered on the way back - good indicator that I've got a 20 in me this year...

15.04.25 Wheelers Road Bike 5 12:12

Finished off the three race series with another win and the trophy for the competition overall which was a great start to the season long competition. I have to keep doing well in these as it is my number one focus for this year.

18.04.25 City RC Hull (trike)  27:05

Oh dear - this was the silver trike back on the road, and with this course being so poor, and my handling being ropey, this was an exercise of getting home safely.

22.04.25 Wheelers 5TT  11:05

5 mile TT bike - I'm not a fan of 5 milers but I seem to have done well all year so far over that distance - this was a win on the night but not the 10 something that I craved.

26.04.25 VTTA EMids 10  20:45

.... and there it is - this time I got the pacing right and managed the quickest time since 2017 - it was a great day and so chuffed to have a 20 again.

29.04.25 Wheelers 5TT  10:48

A 10 was received on a stunningly fast 5 course tonight - 4 riders under 11 mins of which I was second behind our fastest road racer on a road bike !  10:48 though - that's a course PB for me and it's still April.

2025 and it's March... and you know what that means !

 A long hard winter that has been , so dark and so cold, but before we've known it, we have bounced into March and does mean that RACING STARTS AGAIN THIS MONTH !! 

TT specific season this year, so the following races will fill the weekend calendar with effect from 29th March :

29/3 Coalville Wheelers 

5/4 Kings Lynn 

12/4 Melton Olympic 

18/4 City Road Club Hull 

26/4 Cambridge CC

That should be a good solid start to the year and should tell me if winter has done me any good or if I need to go out and buy some watts :)

Finishing off 2024

 It's been a bit quiet really if I'm to be honest.  My last running race was the Yorkshire 10 mile on October the 20th and since then, I moved house, and boxed up all my running gear.

Since 2009, I've just mixed up the sports, and whilst time trialling is probably my strongest suit, I have diluted it into a pot of long distance everything - so this coming year will be just all about time trialling with no distractions - that'll be no running and again, no swimming.  Off the menu will be Triathlon (unless in a relay), and Duathlon (for this I've got to work out when I need to put in a qualifying performance for 2026 euro and world champs and work toward that near the time).

For now, I'm happy using the garage at the new place to tap out quality sessions using Rouvy, and of course going out on the road to do tempo and endurance rides.

At the time of writing this, I'm covid positive and have been off the bike since 22nd December - it is a blessing I suppose to get a dose out of the way in the hope I can be unaffected for what I hope will be a good year of time trialling and road racing action.

Happy New Year !

Andy

Chester Marathon 2024

 I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I have decided to have a year off running in 2025, and the reason for this is two fold - firstly, I have had this tendon injury that has been managed with acupuncture since June 2023, and secondly, there has been a decline in my time trialling ability, and I'd like to solely concentrate on the bike for the first winter in 16 years and see if it is reversible.

Therefore, there was just this race and an end of season Yorkshire 10 mile to complete before I sign off. This report is how I found Chester Marathon 2024....

Pre Race - stayed at Travelodge at Knutsford Services that was 35-40 minutes away from Chester. Pasta party at Park Gate inn which had great food, and then left the hotel at 7 to arrive at the car park opposite the Racecourse at 7.30 - it got very busy thereafter so perfect timing. Sat in the car for a bit and then headed over for bag drop and find the others for which I failed.  Weather was overcast and there was rain as we lined up for the start. A good 5000 runners or so but all things nicely managed and easy enough to navigate.

Race time... 

Having done Yorkshire Marathon in 2022 at 3:18, I knew I was not quite in that form, and with a tougher course, I set out to be between 3:20-3:30, to achieve this I would mark the 3:15 pacers until about mile 16, and then if the pace dropped in the second half, then I would be able to control a sub 3:30 finish. I lined up, and started directly next to those pacers and all was well.....

... for about half a mile, and then the pacers I saw no more, they had gone up the road, not because I was off the pace, but because they were well ahead. My first few miles ticked off at 7:20/7:13/7:19 - so I knew I was on for pace knowing that 3:15 pace is 7:27 per mile and in fact the first 12 miles only saw one mile above that level and that had a climb in it - therefore felt good as we hit half way where I was inside 3:15 pace by a handful of seconds.  It was biting though, and with the field stringing out there were less and less runners to draft and at that stage I started to put in miles that were 20 seconds above my first half pace - I figured that would be OK though. At mile 16/17 we hit a climb that I thought was Heartbreak Hill but know I know there are two more late on and I'm still not sure which it is.... anyway, I conservatively climbed the first one and at the top of that saw my pace drop to just above 8 minute miling  for 5 miles, putting in 8:06/8:08/8:06/8:06/8:09 up until and including mile 22. 

The last 4 miles averaged 8:30 as my legs really started to tighten up and running became ungainly and uncomfortable - I was nearly empty and could feel that my feet were very sore and blisters had formed. Hobbling back into Chester I managed each mile at a time and avoided the wheels completely falling off. Finishing in 3:24:07, that was a more than acceptable way to sign off from my last competitive run for a good while. 

Finishing stats :

750/4587

MV50 53/293