Hope Inglis returns with the second entry in her 2026 journal for The British Continental. Looking back from the end of a placement in an air-conditioned Birmingham office, the London Academy rider describes keeping a racing season going around a full-time job — the annual leave spent driving to a muddy field in Belgium, the week she commuted to work from a campervan, and the tan lines her work trousers hide.
Hope Inglis returns with the second instalment of her 2026 journal for The British Continental. In her first entry, the London Academy rider made the case for straying off the tarmac, and for what road racing might learn from its muddier cousins. This time she looks back on a summer spent in an air-conditioned office in Birmingham, where a degree apprenticeship swallowed the racing months — and where booking annual leave meant fielding the same question every time: you going anywhere nice?
It’s already September and while other uni students might have made the most of their long summer, I instead made use of a highly air-conditioned office in Birmingham. As part of my degree, I’ve been on placement each summer and for the whole of my third year. This, while being an excellent addition to my non-cycling CV (and bank account), rudely takes up a lot of time and energy that could be spent on my bike.
I appreciate it’s hardly a unique struggle having to work a full-time job. But I hope that as the next academic year comes around and many people are beginning the next chapter at uni or work, this provides some reassurance that it’s possible to take those next steps while at the same time trying to reach the highest level of the sport.
I have to stop and recognise the achievement of standing on UCI podiums and competing for my country between days at the office
So, while I was counting down the weeks until the break from the office in September (and onto a cross course near you), it seemed the perfect time to reflect on the ups and downs so far. There’s no denying there have been some mental and physical struggles along the way, which have led to slightly less consistent race results than I would have hoped for, but I also have to stop and recognise the achievement of standing on UCI podiums and competing for my country between days at the office.
Image: Gina Ball
Although I mostly keep my work and cycling lives separate (I’m lucky my work trousers hide those tell-tale tan lines), it does lead to some intrigue when the crossover does occur. When booking off annual leave, there’s the inevitable question: You going anywhere nice? Well, if you count driving to a muddy field in Belgium, riding around in circles, and then driving back, then sure!
It’s a niche and, dare I say, mad sport, so I don’t think my work colleagues quite know what goes on at cyclocross trips, but that doesn’t make them any less supportive. When I faced the challenge of four races in one week without being able to take any time off work last September, I was lucky to be able to temporarily relocate to the Bradford office. This flexibility meant I was able to do all the Hope Supercross rounds last season, but also gave me an unusual week of commuting to work from a campervan.
There’s something absurd about going from sponging off mud and eating dinner in a sports field to heading into town and hopping on Teams calls
There’s something absurd about going from sponging off mud and eating dinner in a sports field to heading into town and hopping on Teams calls. Despite my focus maybe waning by the end of the day, it can serve as a distraction, and a reminder that the rest of my life looks the same whether I finish 2nd or 20th. Even in that week focusing on getting the most out of my racing, I was able to recognise my value outside of my racing identity.
The hardest element, no doubt, is not the travelling and racing but instead those evenings when you get home from work with zero motivation to go back out and train. So this year, it’s not been training plans or more discipline that’s helped me get faster but instead finding a local cycling club to remind me that training hard can be fun. I’ve unlocked my fastest average speed, a fair few QOMs, and, most importantly, lots more friends to ride and chat with! It’s still not all smooth sailing, but I’ve tried to be more kind to myself this placement and settle into my own routine even if it’s not perfect. So, even if I do procrastinate until 9pm to get to the gym, I have to take it as a win that I’ve made it in the end.
Image: Rupert Hartley
A highlight of the road season this year has definitely been the three crits I’ve been able to do (Nocturne, Guildford, and Sheffield). I’m happy with how the training’s been paying off, and whether it’s my love for tight corners and punchy racing or just my lack of time for endurance training, I’ve felt more comfortable here than in the longer road races.
I’ve been enjoying the racing more this year, with perhaps less pressure on myself to get a good result on the road and more to make the most of my weekends doing what I love
In general, I’ve been enjoying the racing more this year, with perhaps less pressure on myself to get a good result on the road and more to make the most of my weekends doing what I love alongside teammates who make me laugh without fail. Lancaster, for example, wasn’t just an opportunity to test my legs on a tough course but also a fun weekend away with friends that I would have enjoyed no matter the race. I hope this is something I can carry with me as I move back into the cross season in a few months and the ambition for results rises.
Image: Paul Paxford
Looking back to sixth form, I remember sitting at the uni open day deciding the degree apprenticeship was an offer I couldn’t refuse, yet also wondering how adult life would affect my cycling. I decided I’d cross that bridge when I came to it and that two years was still a long time away. Well, now on the other side of the water, despite it not always being plain sailing, I wouldn’t have changed that decision.
Especially over the winter, I find myself competing against people mostly cycling full time. Although it can be tough mentally and physically, I’m still optimistic I have more room to grow to the next level. In the meantime, uni has given me more years to develop as a rider and a person. I’m excited to head back to final year come October and hopeful that more time to dedicate to training can convert into some more consistent results (I’m also hoping to avoid any Belgian hospitals this year, which should help too…). After I graduate, I’m planning on taking a gap year to fully commit to cycling for the first time, although I wonder if I’ll get bored with all that free time. Knowing me, I’m sure I’ll find some way to fill it.
Hope Inglis returns with the second instalment of her 2026 journal for The British Continental. In her first entry, the London Academy rider made the case for straying off the tarmac, and for what road racing might learn from its muddier cousins. This time she looks back on a summer spent in an air-conditioned office in Birmingham, where a degree apprenticeship swallowed the racing months — and where booking annual leave meant fielding the same question every time: you going anywhere nice?
It’s already September and while other uni students might have made the most of their long summer, I instead made use of a highly air-conditioned office in Birmingham. As part of my degree, I’ve been on placement each summer and for the whole of my third year. This, while being an excellent addition to my non-cycling CV (and bank account), rudely takes up a lot of time and energy that could be spent on my bike.
I appreciate it’s hardly a unique struggle having to work a full-time job. But I hope that as the next academic year comes around and many people are beginning the next chapter at uni or work, this provides some reassurance that it’s possible to take those next steps while at the same time trying to reach the highest level of the sport.
So, while I was counting down the weeks until the break from the office in September (and onto a cross course near you), it seemed the perfect time to reflect on the ups and downs so far. There’s no denying there have been some mental and physical struggles along the way, which have led to slightly less consistent race results than I would have hoped for, but I also have to stop and recognise the achievement of standing on UCI podiums and competing for my country between days at the office.
Although I mostly keep my work and cycling lives separate (I’m lucky my work trousers hide those tell-tale tan lines), it does lead to some intrigue when the crossover does occur. When booking off annual leave, there’s the inevitable question: You going anywhere nice? Well, if you count driving to a muddy field in Belgium, riding around in circles, and then driving back, then sure!
It’s a niche and, dare I say, mad sport, so I don’t think my work colleagues quite know what goes on at cyclocross trips, but that doesn’t make them any less supportive. When I faced the challenge of four races in one week without being able to take any time off work last September, I was lucky to be able to temporarily relocate to the Bradford office. This flexibility meant I was able to do all the Hope Supercross rounds last season, but also gave me an unusual week of commuting to work from a campervan.
There’s something absurd about going from sponging off mud and eating dinner in a sports field to heading into town and hopping on Teams calls. Despite my focus maybe waning by the end of the day, it can serve as a distraction, and a reminder that the rest of my life looks the same whether I finish 2nd or 20th. Even in that week focusing on getting the most out of my racing, I was able to recognise my value outside of my racing identity.
The hardest element, no doubt, is not the travelling and racing but instead those evenings when you get home from work with zero motivation to go back out and train. So this year, it’s not been training plans or more discipline that’s helped me get faster but instead finding a local cycling club to remind me that training hard can be fun. I’ve unlocked my fastest average speed, a fair few QOMs, and, most importantly, lots more friends to ride and chat with! It’s still not all smooth sailing, but I’ve tried to be more kind to myself this placement and settle into my own routine even if it’s not perfect. So, even if I do procrastinate until 9pm to get to the gym, I have to take it as a win that I’ve made it in the end.
A highlight of the road season this year has definitely been the three crits I’ve been able to do (Nocturne, Guildford, and Sheffield). I’m happy with how the training’s been paying off, and whether it’s my love for tight corners and punchy racing or just my lack of time for endurance training, I’ve felt more comfortable here than in the longer road races.
In general, I’ve been enjoying the racing more this year, with perhaps less pressure on myself to get a good result on the road and more to make the most of my weekends doing what I love alongside teammates who make me laugh without fail. Lancaster, for example, wasn’t just an opportunity to test my legs on a tough course but also a fun weekend away with friends that I would have enjoyed no matter the race. I hope this is something I can carry with me as I move back into the cross season in a few months and the ambition for results rises.
Looking back to sixth form, I remember sitting at the uni open day deciding the degree apprenticeship was an offer I couldn’t refuse, yet also wondering how adult life would affect my cycling. I decided I’d cross that bridge when I came to it and that two years was still a long time away. Well, now on the other side of the water, despite it not always being plain sailing, I wouldn’t have changed that decision.
Especially over the winter, I find myself competing against people mostly cycling full time. Although it can be tough mentally and physically, I’m still optimistic I have more room to grow to the next level. In the meantime, uni has given me more years to develop as a rider and a person. I’m excited to head back to final year come October and hopeful that more time to dedicate to training can convert into some more consistent results (I’m also hoping to avoid any Belgian hospitals this year, which should help too…). After I graduate, I’m planning on taking a gap year to fully commit to cycling for the first time, although I wonder if I’ll get bored with all that free time. Knowing me, I’m sure I’ll find some way to fill it.
Featured image: Rupert Hartley
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