One of the things I find most fulfilling about bike riding is what it teaches you. I’ve had countless experiences off the bike that have been made all the easier to handle from experiences that I’ve had on it. Through the course of time it has taught me a lot about state of mind which, let’s face it, is pretty darn important in everything we do. That’s not to say that I have a perfect state of mind 24/7, far from it in fact, but it has certainly given me a means to turn negative consciousness into positive thought and motion. So, if you’re still with me, welcome to fantasy world Micky.

I haven’t raced at Tatchbury Mount for a decade, but I’d heard a ton of stories from my bro, and Team Wheelbase/Cannondale partner in crime, JC mainly referring to it being a running race if the weather turns bad. It’s known for its poor drainage, and having had a deluge of November rain this week the general consensus was that the course was going to be a write off. I’ll openly admit, I hate running when you should be riding. Totally defeats the object of a bike race and I’d even been visualising my very own 1997 TDF Bjarne Riis moment should that potato field out back start twisting my melon.

All week I’d had negative feelings about this course, the late 2pm start left a morning filled with nothing but lethargy until midday when I decided to leave the house and ride out to the race. Within minutes I felt more at ease, the chill in the air helped clear my head and as the playlist turned from mellow to massacre my state of mind took a paradigm shift in line with the insurgence of adrenalin that only some tunes can unlock. I love that feeling.

One practice lap was enough to set the tyre pressure correctly and you know what, the whole course was fast and rideable with a couple of squelchy bits thrown into the mix and one bike to shoulder run up. I’m sure it won’t be long until the mercury really takes a dive for the winter, it’s slowly getting there, testament to the first time the Sportique warm up balm has ventured out of the kit bag. Just the smell of this stuff gets me excited, you know that the time when your heart is furiously trying to bust its way out of your body is just moments away whilst the aroma of essential oils clears the airways, gently warming your muscles and keeping you relaxed.

Second race on the bounce where I’ve managed to get a decent start, keeping it in the green and close to the front. Being at the head of the bunch was a big advantage as, although the racing line was bumpy across these fields, if you had to venture off-piste to overtake then it was like a proverbial mine field. In other words, don’t go there. I knew this was going to be a tough course from practice and my prediction was made pretty evident early on as gaps between riders started to open up almost immediately. Sat in a leading trio once again with Adrian and Crispin there was already daylight back to 4th so I knew we had a good pace going. Sorry, no second lap crash to report on this week either (I know, boring eh?) I was running the tyres at 1.8 bar, the lowest I’ve tried yet, and although on a couple of occasions I completely bottomed the Typhoons out (thinking a definite puncture was on the way) they hooked up well on even the slipperiest sections.

It wasn’t until we started lapping riders that it was harder to negotiate the best line and keep pace at the front. On the final descent and right hand turn before the climb to the finish it was getting more and more churned up each lap. A couple of times I felt my weight shift quickly from left to right as I was caught in a deep tyre track whilst approaching the right hander. I lost a few seconds but managed to get back on terms on the faster sections of the course until Adrian turned the screw just as I was needing a couple of extra seconds recovery from getting back to them. By the bell lap I had around three minutes back to 4th but with both riders ahead still within striking distance the speed needed to be kept high should late fatigue, a crash, or mechanical take grip of either of them. Both are experienced cross-dressers so I didn’t really expect this, finally crossing the line to take 3rd. Round Six of the Wessex at Tatchbury had actually turned out to be a lot more fun and exciting than I’d originally thought with JC powering home in 12th to add his name to the prize list.

Although it’s one of the closest courses to me, my ride home wasn’t to be ‘as the crow flies’. I needed some time to do the post race debrief in my head, look at the areas I need to work on and (in truth) spend a couple more hours back in MC fantasy land. The light was starting to dwindle as the playlist simultaneously took its hold on body and mind. Akala - Electro Livin’, Prodigy - Invaders Must Die, Dan Le Sac - Waiting For The Beat To Kick In, Eminem - Criminal, The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So, Kasabian - Processed Beats, Rage - Killing In The Name… They just kept on coming with more potency than a viral full of Belgium mix in the wrong hands. I think the answer to cycling’s doping problems are held deep within my i-pod. Crack that little bad boy on and within minutes you’ll be pushing out more watts than you thought possible. Totally intoxicating and totally undetectable to the dope testers.

By the time I rolled down the driveway I was sufficiently satisfied with the post race ‘ready to rip the world up’ beating I’d inflicted on myself. The front door closed as I hit the stop button and boom...I was back to reality. A deep breath and I pondered to myself - let’s leave ripping the world up ‘til tomorrow eh? After all, you’ve got two slightly "shop soiled" CAAD9 crossers to contend with first young man...