News – Bottrill Bows out Flat

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A puncture for Matt Bottrill (drag2zero) ends his hopes of ending his TT career on a high

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News – Bottrill Bows out Flat

Matt writes … I was hoping to report how I’d finished the season off in style! On Sunday morning, I took part in the National Circuit Series. I’ve already won the series overall but this Final round would decide the out come of the Ron Kitching trophy, for the most consistent rider of 2015. All I needed was to finish higher than 5th place and I would clinch the win.

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Ever since the Worlds at Denmark, I’ve felt quite strong but for some reason all my luck seems to have disappeared. My bike got trashed on both flights to Denmark, then I broke my Ipad a few days later, and I then punctured while in the middle of a set of gruelling intervals So I did think that I must of had my three things doses of bad luck.

So come race day I was well up for finishing on a high and even in the warm up I knew I would be up for a good ride. So I took my start at 12:31, Pushed away from the legend that is John Pick who’s seen all the high and lows of my cycling career.

The riders would cover two laps of a undulating circuit with a few hard climbs dotted around the course perfectly suited to my riding style. So away I went and I felt I was floating. I could see the speed was good and I hardly went below 30 mph.

I was soon catching riders on their second lap but around six miles I took a sharp left hand corner and hit a pot hole-blowing out the front tyre! So it was job done. I’d averaged 31.8 mph until this point and when you think this was on minor roads you can understand how fired up I was to do well.

But there were no big celebrations. I just made my way a further 2 miles up the road to my daughter and my brother and his family who were supporting all the riders racing. It was a great day overall with Josh Williams, just missing out on the win from Matthew Clinton.

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It’s going to be great mentioning Josh, onto his journey of trying to win the National Championships. But for now my time is done at the National championships because I feel there’s nothing left for me to achieve.

But now I can reflect on everything I’ve done over the years. I think its fair to say, I won every race that stands out; National championships from 10-100 miles, all the circuit races, ridden the fastest 25 mile tt at 45:43 and the fastest 50 miles 1:34:43. I also have ridden the second fastest 10 with a time of 17:40.

Nobody will probably remember my road racing days, but winning premier calenders and representing Great Britain over 30 times will always mean something to me. But I feel there’s nothing left for me to achieve.

I can repeat what I’ve done or I can set some new goals and challenges and that’s where it gets exciting with Triathlon. I want to be good I know that, so I’m going to have to go deeper than ever before. But that’s what excites me. I’m driven by not failing rather than winning and always setting the bench mark high. I have no idea if I will adapt, but certainly thinking of setting some of the fastest bike splits ever seen.

The people I have supporting me I know I can succeed. It’s been one hell of a ride and I dont think I’ve finished as this is just the start of the next chapter. Talking of which I best dig out my swimsuit and running shoes.

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