CHARLIE QUARTERMAN

TREK-SEGAFREDO

Apart from a small stop on the way back from a race, it was my first real back trip in the UK when I combined the national championships with the start of my off season. It’s been a bit of a strange time, I’d say.

In the last 12 or so months, the changes in Covid rules mean I’ve not been able to nip back and see anyone in the UK. There have also been difficulties in racing and the organisation around it, and the various ups and downs that come with the job. But I’m thinking about the wild swings I’ve had in my lifestyle and racing since I signed that contract with Trek back in 2019.

The off season is definitely the moment to have a lot to drink and to eat the stuff I feel guilty about, but it is also the best time to reflect on the work that’s been done and the adaptations or improvements that have been made. A whole month without riding has to be useful for something, don’t you think? I’m very well settled here in Annecy so the lack of opportunity to cross the border and speak some English hasn’t been too big a problem for me. Actually, this has been key in keeping going despite the difficulties I’ve been facing recently.

The tiredness has been a fair bit more than I’ve ever had before, due to the fact that I’ve been at full gas since July in the search for a contract. Although it’s not the first time I’ve been waiting a long time for a contract, the stress has also been more than ever before. The thing that kept me going until the last race is something that not a lot of people can say at the end of the season: I was loving every ride I was going out for. I was riding with friends, enjoying the beautiful mountains and lakes around here and taking advantage of the good form

I had in the races.

Normally it feels like a job by the end and the season can fizzle out but here we are. Bizarre. Okay, I didn’t win any of the races, it’s still just glimmers of hope, but I think the fact that racing was going well until mid-October is a testament to the importance of good mental health. A big thing has also been the things off the bike. Some days have been really hard and the best thing has sometimes been a walk, a restaurant, or spending the afternoon in the sun down at the lake with some ice cream. Not all would be called beneficial in a physical sense but I wouldn’t have used my legs in the same way without them. Let’s say it’sa small physical price for a big mental bonus. It’s something that young riders wanting to make a career in the sport, like I’m trying to continue, must never forget.

The off season is definitely the moment to have a lot to drink and to eat the stuff I feel guilty about, but it is also the best time to reflect