Progression isn’t always lineal.

Reflecting on the 2025 Race Season

Looking back on the 2025 race season, I can honestly say it’s been a year of some of the highest highs and lowest lows I’ve had in a long time.

I’ve always seen myself as a process-driven person who believes in the power of consistency. I don’t believe in luck, especially in a sport like mountain biking, where there are so many variables to control. That’s why I put so much effort into training, setting up my bike properly, and working on my technique to be the best version of myself when I’m racing.

Last winter, I spent a lot of time in the gym and put in plenty of laps on the downhill bike, trying to be ready for the start of the season. I decided to skip Enduro this year to fully focus on downhill racing.

Round 1 – Carrick

Fast forward to the first round of the IDMS in Carrick. During practice, I just wasn’t getting along with the track. I had a crash and a few sketchy moments in the morning, so I decided to take it easy for seeding. It was only to determine start times anyway, so I cruised down the hill safely and planned to tidy up my mistakes on Sunday.

Race day came, and I still didn’t feel comfortable on the bike or mentally ready to push. Seeing the level the top elites were riding at made me doubt myself. Every time I was on the uplift, I dreaded it. But then, as soon as I dropped in, I’d start enjoying riding again, it was weird.

There was nothing wrong with the track; the problem was in my head. I was having really negative thoughts about racing and putting myself under pressure for no real reason. I felt I couldn’t handle it alone.

Normally, I’m pretty competitive, but that weekend I decided I didn’t want to take big risks or “just go for a spin around the park.” So, I stepped off the track, watched the others send it, and went home to figure out what was going on in my head.

It was tough to pull out, especially with my wife and parents there supporting me, they’d driven two hours to watch the race and, after the last round of practice, I told them and the team I wasn’t racing. It was a hard pill to swallow.

I couldn’t really explain what was wrong, which made it even more frustrating. After such a long winter of training, it felt like I was wasting everyone’s time. But I knew I needed to step away, reset, and figure out why I was feeling this pressure and anxiety.

Taking a Step Back

After that weekend, I decided not to race the next round. Instead, I wanted to see how missing a race would make me feel, would I miss it or would I be relieved? I didn’t know what to expect.

Since the incident at Carrick, I stopped training, stopped focusing on performance, and only rode when I really wanted to. No plan, no intervals, just fun rides with friends on the trails I love, at whatever pace felt right.

When the second race came around, I did miss it a bit but I still wasn’t ready to jump back in. I had a lot of conversations with my wife and with myself, trying to understand why I felt so anxious about racing. I still didn’t have the answer.

A Solo Reset

A few weeks later, I decided to take a solo trip in the campervan to Wales. I wanted to clear my head and just ride for fun, no stopwatch, no pressure. I hit Dirt Farm, Revolution Bike Park, Bike Park Wales, and Dyfi Bike Park. I rode jumps, chilled out, ate good food, and just enjoyed life.

To top it off, I ran into a few good old friends —Glynn, Cato, and Steve— and we had some amazing days riding together. That week was everything I needed: bikes, friends, food and zero stress.

By the end of the trip, I felt refreshed. I had pushed my limits again and, most importantly, rediscovered why I love riding.

Downhill Nationals

When Nationals came around, I decided to give it a go, but with no expectations. I had a clean weekend, felt good on the bike, and actually enjoyed the whole experience again. I finished second in my category, which was unreal.

That result gave me back the confidence and motivation I’d been missing. I went home feeling proud and hungry to finish the season strong.

Round 3 – Bree

Life got busy between Nationals and the next IDMS round in Bree, I had only managed one ride between the two events. Still, I went into the race weekend with the same mindset: no pressure, just enjoy it.

I loved the track and thought it suited my riding style. Practice went well, and I even seeded third fastest in Elite, which surprised me. On race day, I decided to push even harder.

O Sunday afternoon, up at the top, when everyone was quiet and focused before their race runs, it suddenly hit me, “this” was what had been weighing on me months earlier. I cared too much about what others thought of my results.

As a coach, it’s easy to feel like your race results reflect your coaching ability, but that’s not how it should be. It shouldn’t matter what anyone thinks, not my wife, my parents, my friends, or anyone else. I should race because I want to, not because I feel I have to.

That realisation took all the pressure I had been carrying for a long time and, for the first time in years, I started a race run without nerves or shakes. I felt calm, fired up, and ready to go all in.

The run itself was a blur, just focused, heavy breathing, and max effort on every section. When I crossed the line, I heard Gregor on the mic say I’d gone fastest, with only one rider left. When Stevie came down, I realised I’d just won my first ever Elite race.

I couldn’t believe it. I’d never even thought about winning one of these events. It was an incredible feeling, sharing that moment with my wife, parents, and teammates was such a good time…

Round 4 – The GAP

A few weeks later, we had the final race of the season at GAP. The top section had everyone scratching their heads, super tricky and inconsistent, but I approached it with the same mindset: ride for fun, one run at a time.

After a messy seeding run (and a broken pedal), I spent Sunday morning sessioning the top section until I was happy with my lines. Come race time, I had a clean run and pushed hard at the bottom. It paid off, I finished third in Elite.

Even better, I ended up third overall for the season! I didn’t even realise it until I was halfway through packing up the van and got a call saying I’d missed the overall podium. A funny memory to end the year on.

Final Thoughts

There are still a few winter league races coming up at the GAP, I’m not sure yet if I’ll race or just chill and enjoy watching.

This season taught me a lot. You can follow the process, train hard, and do everything right, but if you’re not “enjoying” it, something’s off. After four months of no gym, no structured training, and just riding for fun, I ended up having my best results in years.

It proved to me that progress isn’t always linear. Sometimes you need to take a step back to go two steps forward. At the end of the day, riding bikes should be fun.

As for next year? I’m not sure yet. For now, my plan is simple: enjoy riding this winter, spend a bit of time in the gym, and see where things go.

Big thanks to the guys at Cycleology for supporting me this season and giving me the space to figure things out. Hopefully, you reading this can take something useful away from it too.

See you on the trails,
Tommy