At the end of 2022, a 29-year-old Matt Holmes hung up his wheels after 11 years as a pro cyclist, the final three of which were at WorldTour level with Lotto-Soudal. The man from Wigan was simply not enjoying racing anymore.
“I stopped because I didn't really enjoy it that much last year,” he told Cycling Weekly. “I got a normal job, I did that for like four days. I was working for a sports travel agency, I was going to be an ambassador. It was just a job, to help pay my bills. I wasn't in a good place at the time, everything went wrong all at once. I just didn't know what to do for a long time. I somehow managed to pay my mortgage, just through reaching out to people and doing different things. It was a random year.”
18 months on, Holmes is winning again. The 30-year-old announced his return to road racing with victory at the Rapha Lincoln GP, and followed it up by winning The Gralloch, the UK’s premier gravel race, both last month. He is back.
However, his future does not primarily lie on the road - or the gravel - but on the track. Holmes has un-retired in order to target a spot on GB’s team pursuit squad, the reigning European champions, and among the favourites for this summer’s Olympic Games.
“I've got so much more respect for elite track riders now,” Holmes said. “It's so technical, with such high pressure. But in terms of numbers, I'm one of the best which is why BC think they're onto something here. There's obviously competition, but I'm only doing it if I can get onto the team and go and become world champion and stuff like that.
“I've got no interest in just going to Nations Cups, I don't want to make a career of that. I want to be in the best four, so I'll give it my best shot. If we try everything and it's still not working, then I'll reassess and maybe retire again.”
The return to cycling came after riding with Jonny Whale, one of the men behind HUUB Wattbike, and after he showed promise in track testing.
“I stopped riding completely for a good few weeks, then I just kept riding for fun,” Holmes explained. “I got to know Jonny Whale, just rode with him because I needed someone to talk to. I was on a gravel bike because that's the only one I had. I stayed quite fit cos I had to pedal really hard the whole time. I did think I would have a go at the track, so we just said let's do this.
“This was June 1st last year, Jonny got his track bike out, put it on the turbo trainer, we did some testing, and that was the beginning of this project. Jonny said I had the numbers, you could go to the Olympics. That became the project, and I went to sponsors and people about.”
“The support has been incredible really, from people who have just been strangers. It hasn't felt like I've been in the real world,” Holmes said. His sponsors include OGT, makers of the world’s first wrapper free snack bar.
“I'm friends with Ben Greenwood [GB’s elite podium endurance coach], so I said to him 'I'm doing track, come let me have a go',” Holmes continued. “I did my first GB track sessions in October. By day three, it was alright. I took to it reasonably quickly. I'm not saying I'm amazing at it by any means, still. Strength-wise, it was absolutely fine. The problem was the standing start, but I just happened to be good at it. They've got lots of people to go P3 and 4, but to go P1 and 2, they don't have that many people.”
Holmes did not make his first goal, getting to the Paris Olympics, but is now determined to keep going and make the elite team pursuit squad. If he can use his form to win some bike races on the way there, then that is just a bonus. For now, he is enjoying the track: “I said to Ben after the first BC sessions I did that this was the most fun I'd had for a long time. It's kept me going to be honest, the only constant thing is cycling”
