Springfields Financial Racing Team Charity 10 miles TT, Levens, 22 June 2019

A return to the Levens course near Milnthorpe in Cumbria became the first opportunity this season for me to ride the same course on consecutive weeks, meaning familiarity and also an opportunity for comparison – the latter at the forefront as I was excited to race my new TT bike for the first time. The downhill start to the course allowed a high initial speed and I tried to hold as much momentum as possible from the descent as the road flattened ahead. Storming along for the first mile, I was wary not to burn all the matches too soon as the tricky miles were yet to come and fire power would be in short supply as I neared the end of the course. With the wind in the opposite direction to last week, I knew it would be a headwind on return and as I turned the roundabout, I was glad of better aerodynamics, gathering the speed back for the final three miles. Closing in on the line, grappling with uneven asphalt, I didn't know whether it was the bike or myself that was jangling the most. My time was 2 seconds better than last week at 27:10. Two seconds may seem a small improvement yet for me they represent two seconds in the direction of faster things to come and with more familiarity of my new bike, I look forward to the comparisons to be made as I progress.

Julia Wardley-Kershaw