2-2 takes Mick to 2nd Cat

A regular at the Hillingdon Masters Series this season, Michael Skipsey has worked hard on both his fitness and his 'crit craft'.

tenuous pun on a gun calibre

He was the team's fastest finisher at the Paul Simon Homes Masters Meeting on March 2nd, which boded well for the coming season, and after a minor dip in form dip, proved to be prophetic.

"I messed around a bit last year. Joining TMG this year gave me a bit more focus and motivation, so I've tried to be as consistent as possible," he explains.

Having raced most of the Wednesday Evening Masters Series at Hillingdon this year, he has enjoyed mixing with top category riders and experimenting with varied strategies.

in the group, and in the zone

"I targeted the Masters Series, mainly because there's usually a selection of faster, more experienced riders which tends to make the whole thing a lot safer than some of the younger 3rd cat races."

Having built up a library of experience and a background knowledge of the key protagonists, he started to finish consistently nearer the front as the series wore on through the summer.

"It's been great to have a gradual improvement," he says. "Really, it's about adding speed onto speed for the finale, timing it right, but also being able to keep pushing when you're already in the red. And I always am!"

With 2nd places on both the August 7th and August 21st rounds, Mick finally took delivery of his 2nd category licence. "That was my main objective for the year," he concludes. "Now I need to prepare for some longer races next year!"