May Blog

May has been another strong month of both racing and training. I’ve been getting into a consistent rhythm and really enjoying the flow of racing each weekend. The legs are feeling good, and the motivation is still high.

The month kicked off with the Kerstrand-Brec’h Contre-la-Montre – a race I also did last year. I came into it hoping to improve on my time, and I managed to do exactly that. Not only was I quicker, but I also stepped up in the results, finishing 6th overall. It felt great to be back on the TT bike for my second proper time trial of the year, and even better to come away with a performance that showed real progress.

The following weekend was Plumelin, a fast and demanding race with a huge 200-rider peloton – definitely a test of positioning and focus. It was an elite-level event, and I was happy with how I handled it. I stayed well-positioned throughout the big circuits and rode aggressively, launching an attack early on and again into the finishing circuits. As the parcours got more selective, it became harder to stay near the front, but I held my own and finished 34th. For a race of that calibre, it was a really positive result – especially as I wasn’t sure how I’d perform going in.

Mid-month, I had a bit of a break from racing and went out to spectate the Ladies’ Classic de Morbihan and the Grand Prix de Morbihan, which were held locally. The atmosphere was unreal, especially up the Côte de Plumelec climb. It was great to see pro racing in its rawest form – aggressive, exciting, and up close. As a bonus, I randomly bumped into Marc Madiot on a quiet back road – only in France! That whole day was such a boost for morale.

Shortly after, things took a bit of a turn – I came down with a fever and ended up having to take a week completely off the bike. It was frustrating, but I caught it early and thankfully recovered fairly quickly. I’m now back to training and rebuilding, focused on getting back to full strength ahead of the next block.

One of the more unexpected highlights of the month came from my landlord Philippe, who was over in Dunkirk on business. He’s an artist, and on his trip he created a cartoon sketch of me on a Leclerc wall as part of his project. It was completely unexpected and genuinely made me feel pretty special – to be immortalised in art like that was a real ‘pinch me’ moment.

Looking ahead, I’m heading back to the UK for a short stint to race some National A events in the build-up to the British National Championships. I’ll be lining up for both the time trial and the road race, which I’m really excited about. It’ll be good to reset a bit back home, spend time with family, and hopefully showcase all the hard work that’s gone into this season so far. I’m looking to improve on my performances from last year and really make the most of the opportunity.