SIGN, SEAL AND DELIVER (WITH TONY MARTIN’S HELP)

I’ll be the first to admit I’m terrible on race days. So far in my relatively short time trial career, I’ve turned up to race without my mandatory lights, got lost on the way to the start, set off a minute after my allotted start time, and on one occasion drove to entirely the wrong course – just about every avoidable mishap short of forgetting my shoes (but never say never). It became abundantly clear that, in order to step up my riding to the next level – the subject of this three-part series – I would need to up my game on the big day, and avoid those most irritating avoidables.

To really overcome those pre-event mishaps, and to make sure I get the most out of my legs and head, I knew I needed some help from the big guns, and who better to grill than multiple world time trial champion Tony Martin. Of course, Martin’s expertise stems from the very highest level of the sport, but many of the lessons he picked up during his 13-year WorldTour career are just as relevant to a club ‘10’, a sportive, or even the local paceline ride.

THE BUILD-UP

While delivering on race day may seem as simple as a good warm-up and fuelling properly, the real work actually starts the day before, according to Martin, as prepping your body for a major effort should