Have you ever participated in a TT? The competitors are not invisible or imaginary. You see them warming up, you see them at the start, you see some of them on the course (hopefully passing one or maybe even two), and then you see them at the finish waiting for results. If things go as planned, you see two more of them on the podium.

Your effort must be driven by your own brain & awareness of their presence. I always get more from myself in a race format, it's the difference between a 95% 1hr effort and a 101%.

This conversation has gotten pretty silly. Town line sprints on a group ride, repeatedly riding test courses- these are things people do to *prepare* for racing. It's great to do them, but unless you enter an actual race, it's an affectation to call yourself a "racer". To consider someone who never competes against anyone a "great competitor" is also silly. Maybe someone who loves to train (I'm like that myself)- but you're not actually a competitor unless you actually have competition on one specific day, and some public results determined by a nuetral party.

Time for me to bow out of this one. Y'all call yourself whatever things you want.