George Peden is not a newcomer to the podium of the elite TT at the National Road Championships as the 25-year-old amateur has medaled three times in the biggest test of the year. But his performance in the 2025 title race last night was extra special.
Riding for the aptly named Performance PB team, Peden took silver after getting to within six seconds of watts monster, and new champion, Ryan Mullen (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) over 25.4km in Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath.
Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost) was 3rd, some 14 seconds down on Mullen and eight down on Peden in the Lakeside Wheelers-promoted race, with road race champion from two years ago, Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Cycling Team), was 4th, at 27 seconds.
To mix in that company in any TT would always be a good day for an amateur, even one with Peden's TT record. But the fact he has done it in the first year he's working full-time, now that he's finished university, is even more impressive.
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"Yeah, I’m pleased," said Peden when asked by stickybottle about taking silver but being beaten by just six seconds by Mullen, the 10-time elite road title man. "It's easy to be slightly disappointed being so close to winning, but I’ve podiumed for the last few years… and I’ve been a minute or 1½ minutes down.
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"This year, being six seconds off the win is, on one hand, so close to winning. But, on the other, I’ve made up a minute. So I am really pleased with my best performance yet."
Based in Leeds and working on marketing, Peden said combining a full-time job with his cycling this season for the first time has "been a bit different".
"There's a lot of early morning starts and late nights. But I’m managing it well between the work, so it’s been good. It's getting up at 6am a lot and also training after work. So it’s definitely a different experience. But I'm still getting the training in as well, as ever."
Racing last night on a draggy course, with rain and wind, Peden said was challenging.
"It was tough on the way out, but I had a plan, and I did my best performance, so I was really pleased with how it went. It’s definitely a good benchmark and it shows the hard work pays off, so I am really pleased.
"It’s hard not to wonder what I could do to make up six secs, but I’ll enjoy it first and then get back to the drawing board."
