Bike racing is a little like dessert. You know how, even when you’re completely stuffed with food, you can always find a little more room for dessert? Well, that’s the same with racing and cycling. Even when you think, or even know for sure, that you’re as fit and fast as you’re ever going to get, or as skilled and brave… racing comes along and lets you do greater things you didn’t think possible.
The old, traditional road cycling approach to race fitness was to log a lot of steady miles in the winter and then, from early spring onwards, you would literally race yourself fit. It’s certainly true that no amount of training rides, or intervals or skill sessions can quite match the peaks you reach when pitting yourself against the clock or other riders.