I Want To Podium At The Regional Champs Race

Cat-two road racer Michelle Arthurs-Brennan, 30, from Caterham in Surrey, is CW’s SEO supremo

I got my first road bike for my 21st birthday. I didn’t really do any sport before that and was a total novice. Indeed, I chose my bike because it had three chainrings instead of two — I thought more meant better.

My first road bike soon became a triathlon race bike, and I carried on competing in triathlon until running injuries got the better of me. Several years of time trialling followed before the track session at Herne Hill Velodrome taught me the skills to hold my own in a bunch, giving me the confidence for crit racing. My first season of crit racing was in 2016, when I gained my cat-two licence, and in 2017 I did my first road race. The intense nature of road racing gave me the spike needed to push out of a plateau I’d reached in time trialling too, reducing my PB to 56.03 for 25 miles.

It’s proved diffcult to choose a specific goal this summer because women’s road racing doesn’t follow the same format as men’s. The Women’s Team Series (WTS) is similar

Pin-prick tests establish to men’s blood lactate levels National B races — where competition is much higher and results are dominated by riders in established teams. Last year my best WTS race result was 24th; this year I’d like a top 10. At the regional championships, held in August, I was 12th overall and fourth in my region in 2018, so for 2019 I’m chasing a podium.