At the start of this year, I spent a small part of the winter in Calp, Spain – a small town on the Costa Blanca that’s become a cycling haven. I went out there for the usual reasons, better weather, quiet roads, solid base miles. But I came back with more than just fitness, that time in Calp gave me clarity. I realised I didn’t just want to race and see how far I could go whilst balancing everything else. I wanted to take the next step. Go all in, full time racing.
That decision was the turning point. Back home I kicked off the season with some National B races across the UK. I was finding my legs, slowly building form and picking up a few top 20 finishes. Nothing crazy, but enough to show I was on the right track.

Then came Belgium – six weeks fully immersed in the Kermis scene. Racing two, sometimes three times a week. The depth of the field, the chaos, the speed – it was everything I had hoped for. A real crash course in race craft and resilience.
one of the highlights was a strong ride in Ursel, where I managed to grab 4th. that one showed me I could hang on with the best on their turf. It gave me confidence that the work was paying off.
The momentum carried me to Luxembourg, where I raced the UCI Gravel World Series and managed to qualify for the Gravel World Championships. It was a huge moment….but also a tough one. Two punctures took the wind out of my ride and I ended up finishing the last 10km on a flat tyre. Frustrating, but also motivating. I’d earned the ticket, now I just had to make the most out of it next time.

Back in the UK, I turned my focus to MTB for a 4 week block. It didn’t start great – a disappointing result at the National opener – but I knew I needed to dig in. I stayed up in Scotland for two weeks, training on some of the best trails in the country and it changed the game.
At the Welsh champs I rode to a 3rd place finish, and then followed that up with 4th at the National MTB Champs at Woodys bike park – the highlight of that block and a reminder that persistence works.

Then it was back to Belgium for the Vlaams-Brabant, a huge 5 day stage race. Huge thanks to DLS Invigo for making that possible. It was intense, aggressive riding from start to finish and I managed a couple of top 20’s along the way. A crash on day 4 left me pretty scraped up, but that’s racing – and I still got up, pinned a number on and kept going.
What’s next: Ronde van Oost—Vlaanderen, a U23 5 day stage race. This one’s going to be fast, tactical and brutal – but I’m ready for it!

Looking Back, Looking Forward
If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be racing two of the biggest stage races in Belgium for a club rider I wouldn’t have believed you, it’s great to see something for all the hard work!!