MAKING THE GRADE - PLEASURE VS PROGRESS

In the final part of his 'stepping up' triptych, Alex Ballinger reflects on how much progress he made in 2022 – and, crucially, whether the fun made up for the sacrifices

- Alex Ballinger

STEPPING UP

PART 3 THE FINAL SCORE

I once asked Simon Yates what it would take for a young rider to reach the highest level of cycling. “You’ve really got to enjoy the training,” said the 2018 Vuelta winner, then hesitated briefly before adding, “and the sacrifices.” It’s advice that has stuck with me as I’ve raced as an amateur: progress being double-edged, involving enjoyment but also sacrifice. While pursuing the goal of ‘stepping up’ this season, I thought often of Yates’s comment and the relationship between enjoyment and sacrifice at my sub-elite level. How much sacrifice is worthwhile for an amateur rider? And how much was I willing to commit?

For amateur racers, if we’re honest with ourselves, fun is the only real goal – our performance matters only personally. No one else cares. We’re not being paid to ride our bikes, so why would we make serious sacrifices? As my season of ‘stepping up’ wound down, Yates’s advice ran through my head again. I had made some sacrifices: the long training hours, the times I’d dragged my bike with me to friends’ houses or special occasions, that extra G&T declined for the sake of tomorrow’s session. So yes, sacrifices, but plenty of enjoyment too – I loved the process and the structure – though the motivation to keep racing has been harder to find than I’d imagined it would be.