Robin Horsfield has vowed to come back stronger after a challenging season saw him finish 38th of 83 cyclists when the Canada Cup Mountain Bike Race Series concluded a fortnight ago.

The Bermudian rider, who competes under the banner of Guelph-based Royal City Racing, was hoping to build on an impressive seventh-place last year, but things did not go according to plan as he only did three of the eight races in the series.

“I’ve never had a season where I missed even one race due to illness or injury,” Horsfield said.

“In that sense I guess I’ve been very lucky, this season was a tough one. I’ve seen other guys go through it and I’m determined to come back stronger than ever.”

Horsfield’s season got off to a disastrous start at the end of May when his Canada Cup ambitions were quashed.

After leading out the short track race in the national field at the first Canada Cup in Sherbrooke, Quebec, he ended with a DNF, as he felt immediately ill.

“I called my coach, not knowing what was going on," Horsfied said.

“He suggested sticking with the race on Sunday. He had it chalked up to nerves, as I was in the best condition of my career.

“Unfortunately, finishing that race on Sunday was potentially further damaging to my health. A 'perfect storm' of illnesses were attacking my body, resulting in a trip to the hospital on Monday.”

Horsfield eventually made his way home to Ontario, where he had to wait six weeks, during the peak of the mountain bike season, on test results and specialists to rule out a condition that could be life-threatening.

Upon being cleared to ride, he returned last month a week before representing Bermuda at the Caribbean Mountain Bike Championships in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

Knowing that Bermuda stood a good chance of qualifying for the Central American and Caribbean Games next year, Horsfield pushed hard to finish eighth overall.

“I knew that Bermuda takes great pride in the Caribbean Championships, and that we wanted to qualify for the CAC Games,” the 25-year-old said.

“After six weeks off the bike, I did the best I could given the circumstances. It appears as though my performance was strong enough for that qualification for the CAC Games in 2026.”

Horsfield then made his way to Western Canada at Whistler, where he had a solid finish at the Canada Cup.

"I wasn't back to where I was in May, but at least I had clawed back to 'competitive' in the field,’’ he said.

He competed early this month at Dieppe, New Brunswick, where his performance improved.

"I had a good race but my stomach was again acting up,’’ Horsfield said.

“I put it out of my mind, thinking it was a ghost from earlier in the season. Unfortunately, that wasn’t true and I had a parasite which eliminated my ambition for competing in Prince Edward Island the next week."

On August 17, the Bermuda champion finished sixth at the Ontario Provincial Mountain Bike Championship, a race he won last year.

Horsfield’s coach, Mark Brown, described the Bermudian as a level-headed athlete whose contribution this year has been beyond the bike.

“Robin has taken a very difficult season and made the best of it,” Brown said.

“When he was unable to hit our major target events of the year at Canmore, he immediately ‘signed on’ to support me by looking after my son on site while I competed at the Ironman 70.3 in Quebec.

“He also took his time ‘off the bike’ to support young riders in Guelph near his home by running a weekly development camp for them.

“I understand he’s coming home to Bermuda soon where, as usual, he will be available to the mountain bike youth and adults there.

“He is a well-known, well-respected and well-liked competitor on the scene in Ontario, at the Caribbean Championships and across Canada at the Canada Cup.

“In this sense he remains an example of the best of Bermuda. He was capable of so much more this season, but it was taken away through no fault of his own.

“The road from here is one of recovery and building. I have no doubt that 2026 will be his best season yet.”

While Horsfield does most of his races in Canada, where he has been based since 2017, most of his support comes from Bermuda.

“A big thank-you to all my sponsors this year,” he added.

“These are the Department of Sport and Recreation, Fat Tire Massive, Buzz Café, Bermuda Roulers Cycling Club, Butterfield & Vallis, Bermuda Bicycle Association and all other private sponsors.”