Two podiums – End of season highs

Two podiums, two more top five finishes, another top 10, plus a whole host of other strong results including a National Championship title and 15th overall in the UCI Gravel World Series rankings! Looking back at the numbers the 2026 season has been a pretty special one! As always there have been highs and lows, setbacks and moments when things haven't gone to plan, but there have also been some fantastic performances, some hard earned results, plenty to be proud of and some great memories created. Most importantly I finished the season with a UCI podium, one of my big goals for the year, and proof that when things finally come together, I can still compete with some of the best riders in the world.

I started the year flying, finishing 8th at Castellón after being in the fight for a top five right until the final kilometres. I backed that up with 5th at 114 Gravel, confirming that I could be competitive on both hilly and flatter courses. Things were looking good! Unfortunately falling ill after Gravel Desert turned the season on its head. A DNF at The Traka, one of my biggest goals for the year, was a bitter disappointment. Recovering from that illness took far longer than expected. Through Gralloch in May and even Majestics and 3 Rides in July, I just wasn't firing on all cylinders. It was frustrating, especially when you know the fitness is there but your body simply won't respond.

By Hlinkso in August things were finally moving in the right direction. I was feeling much stronger, although I missed the winning move and struggled through the latter stages of a race, racing in 40c heat, self supported with just three bottles for a 4 hour race. It wasn't quite the result I'd hoped for but the signs were encouraging. With just a handful of races remaining it was time to dig deep, empty the tank and see what I could do. Four races in three weekends was the schedule.

The first opportunity was the National Time Trial Gravel Championships: a race against the clock and your pain threshold. I came away with third place overall, a senior bronze medal and a stripey jersey for being the fastest masters age rider! Jenson took the senior title, while Abi won the women's race. It was a fantastic day for the team and a brilliant result to kick off the final block of racing.

Sunday was the National Gravel Championships, and I was feeling great. I spent some matches early on responding to moves from Ineos road pro Ben Swift, riding close to my limit to keep the race under control. Just as I was catching my breath after covering another big move, five riders including my teammate Jenson slipped away. At that point team tactics came into play. I wasn't about to chase down my own teammate! Instead, I sat in the group for a lap, recovered and then started doing some work in the hope that we could bring back a few riders if the leading group split apart.

We eventually caught Ben Swift who had been slowed by bike issues and tired legs, and then the fight was on for fifth place. I gave it everything in the sprint to take that fifth place. Jenson and Sophie both won the National titles.

Ben Thomas Coaching athletes took home an incredible five National Championship titles and seven medals at the Championships! From elite champions to riders chasing their own personal goals, seeing the hard work, consistency and commitment of our athletes rewarded on the biggest stage is incredibly special.

Next up was the European Championships. Let's just say this one didn't go quite to plan! End of season fatigue meant we were missing some of the fight needed to take on the very best, and a few things went against me. It started brilliantly though, I produced my best ever power up the opening climb, the legendary Côte de Saint-Roch, which I've raced up most years since 2016. Unfortunately somewhere on the first or second descent I lost my water bottle containing all my carbs for the opening part of the race. I pushed hard to stay near the front during the first hour, then missed my next bottle and had to stop in the feed zone. A pretty perfect recipe for a physical and mental blow up! By the end of the first lap, I could feel the anchor dropping.

But there was still one last race, one last opportunity to finish the season on a high.

The following weekend at Graean Cymru I finished third at a round of the UCI Gravel World Series, sharing the podium with the new National Champion Jenson. I couldn't have asked for a better way to round off the season.

Getting to the start line was an adventure in itself. It took two days, one blown up car engine and pretty much every last bit of energy I had just to make it to Wales! After the setbacks of the previous weeks, standing on a UCI podium was about the last thing I expected. But a few positive motivational words from the team before the start, a huge amount of determination during the race produced something pretty special.

This was a proper team effort. A massive thank you to everyone at Ribble Outliers for believing in me, particularly during this weekend in Wales when I was struggling to maintain that belief in myself. Having that support around me made a huge difference and to finish the season with a UCI podium, one of my big goals for the year made every setback, every frustrating result and every hard day along the way worthwhile.

After Wales I spent a few more weeks riding simply for the fun of it, enjoying some fantastic late summer weather and taking on a new challenge, attempting the FKT on the Henley 100 route. More on that adventure soon!

Since the start of October, I've been firmly in off season mode. The bikes are gathering dust in the garage, I'm enjoying extra time with the family, and my energy levels are finally starting to rebuild after a long, demanding season.

There have been plenty of ups and downs, but when I look back at the results, the performances and the progress made, there's a lot to be proud of.

Now the batteries are recharging, the motivation is building again, and thoughts are already turning towards 2027.