Race Reports
Race Report: 2024 Patterson Pass Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Race: Patterson Pass Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Date: August 4, 2024
AVRT racers: Bradley Lovegren, George Wehner, Henry Mallon, and Jeremy Besmer
Top Result: Henry 4/20
Course: Three laps of this. Each lap is is 22 miles with 2,200 ft of elevation gain. The Patterson Pass climb is about 3 miles at 6% average gradient, with ramps near the top above 10% and typically a strong headwind. The Flynn Road climb is 2.2 miles at an undulating 4.3% and is usually a cross/tailwind. The remainder of the course is mostly flat with a tailwind. This course is very exposed, and temps this year were in the mid-90s.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12063344286/overview
Nutrition: Three bottles with 60g of drink mix, a few gels, and some partial bottles of neutral feed water.
Race Recap:
Our plan for this race was to let others animate and follow the decisive moves. Most of the strong riders were racing solo, so having multiple AV teammates in a reduced group would be a big advantage in the finish.
On the first lap, we got some insights into how the conditions would influence the race. There was a strong headwind on the Patterson Pass climb, which more-or-less neutralized the main 20-minute climb of the race. Even though Flynn Road is less than 10 minutes at only 4.3% average gradient, the cross-tailwind made it the perfect place to launch an attack.
On the second lap, solo rider Logan attacked near the base of Flynn Road. I was boxed in and couldn’t respond. Fortunately, space opened on the left and George called out from behind that Tyler was moving up. I jumped on his wheel and together we closed the gap to Logan. This was a massive effort, but I knew it was important to have team representation in this move. I took a few soft pulls but mostly sat on Logan’s wheel until a group of five bridged up to us including Jeremy.
Logan rode ahead to use the bathroom but kept the pace high afterward, eventually creating a substantial gap. Tyler then bridged across to Logan, forming a dangerous breakaway. As a newer racer, it can be challenging to navigate the unwritten rules of bike racing. In this case, many of us would have preferred if Logan had rejoined the group after his bathroom stop rather than using the gap to his advantage. That said, Logan was undoubtedly the strongest rider that day and could have won using a variety of tactics.
Jeremy and I entered the last lap about one minute behind Logan and Tyler in a group of four. There was a touch of wheels through the feed zone and, unfortunately, someone crashed and had to abandon the race. By the top of the Patterson Pass climb, we caught Tyler who was dropped by Logan.
Once again, our group split up on the Flynn climb and I ended up with Tyler racing for third place. By the sprint finish, I was completely spent and had no response for Tyler’s attack. Jeremy held onto a strong 6th place just behind.
In retrospect, I went too deep following Logan on the second Flynn Road climb. This left me unable to follow the attack one lap later for second place or contest the sprint against Tyler for third. Still, it was a fun day of racing, and I’m happy to have managed the heat much better than last year.
Thanks for reading,
Henry
Race Report: 2024 Pescadero Coastal Classic Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Race: Pescadero Coastal Classic Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Date: June 16, 2024
AVRT racers: Bradley Lovegren, Drew Mathews, George Wehner, Henry Mallon, Jeremy Besmer, and Maxime Cauchois
Top Result: Henry 2/29
Course: 2.7 laps of this. After a neutral rollout from Pescadero High School, the race begins on Stage Road with two short climbs (1 mile at 4.5% and 0.9 miles at 7%) separated by a quick 1-mile descent. After the second Stage Road descent, the course turns right onto 84 for 7.5 miles of gradual 1% uphill with a few punchy rollers. Next is a right turn onto Pescadero Road with a short feed zone climb followed by 0.5 miles of flat before turning right onto Pescadero Creek Road for the final Haskins climb (1.6 miles at 7%). On the final lap, the race finishes at the top of Haskins. Otherwise, it continues down the backside of Haskins through Pescadero back to Stage.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11660851421
Nutrition: Three bottles with 80g of drink mix and two gels.
Race Recap:
On the first lap, Drew and George jumped into a three-man breakaway on 84. This was perfect, as George was likely the best climber to win from the break if it survived to the finish. And, the remaining four of us could rest in the group behind and force other teams to spend energy controlling the gap. A Terun rider bridged to the breakaway on Stage on the next lap to make the breakaway four.
The breakaway was eventually caught over the top of Haskins going into the final lap. We were expecting an attritional race, but the pace had been relatively mellow (in part due to a headwind on Stage Road). Since the group was still large, we anticipated fireworks from the non-climbers on Stage Road trying to get ahead before a pure watt-per-kilogram battle on Haskins.
This is exactly what happened, as attacks started flying as soon as we turned onto Stage Road. Since four of us were fresh from sitting in the pack while George and Drew rode the breakaway, we had the strength to keep the field together. In particular, Brad patrolled the front and singlehandedly covered multiple attacks on the Stage Road climbs.
Once we turned onto 84, there was another flurry of attacks with Brad again sewing together any gaps. Eventually, George went to the front to set a hard tempo and discourage attacks. As we turned onto Pescadero Road, Maxime attacked through the feed zone climb. Just as Maxime was getting caught over the top, Terun came by with a full loadout storming towards the base of Haskins.
I jumped onto the Terun train but immediately cramped in my hamstring. I watched a sizeable group ride away with the Terun train as I gently stretched my hamstring. When I could pedal again, I was behind a split and back in the second group.
With support from teammates all race, I was especially motivated to give my best effort and make up as many positions as possible on the climb. Starting conservatively, I ramped up my effort to ride a steady pace just below the limit where my hamstring would seize. I crossed the line a few times and had to ease off until the cramps subsided.
I was surprised to be making progress and with about 1k remaining, I made it to a group of four that I initially thought was the front of the race. But, I soon noticed another TMB guy about 20 seconds ahead. So, I continued just below my cramp threshold and managed to bridge to him solo with about 200m remaining. The TMB guy didn’t look back once while I was gaining, so I tried to attack as I caught him. He followed my attack immediately and came around at the finish to win by about half a wheel-length.
Lastly, I want to extend a huge thank you to all the incredible volunteers and race director Bernardo for creating such an amazing race experience. I’m already looking forward to next year!
Thanks for reading,
Henry
Race Report Women’s P123 Giro di SF
Race: Women’s P123
Date: September 2, 2024
AVRT racers: Rachel Hwang, Ari Fischer, Niky Taylor
Top Result: Niky 4/22, Rachel 9/22
Route: First you start and it’s straight then you turn left then you turn right over some train tracks then you turn right and go up a little hill and then you turn right and then you go straight for like forever and then you turn right and right and big open straight to the line. Pavement in places is kind of rough and you have to watch for some potholes.
Recap: Ok well once again I wasn't sure how I was going to feel on the day because health is variable but I was feeling pretty good so I decided to register and join Ari and Rachel. We came up with a Plan. The Plan was basically to cover attacks, get Rachel in a break or get to the finish in a bunch and lead her out.
We got to the start and so did the other 22 women racing in our field. Ilan (Terun) rolled up next to me and we shared a moment of joy that the field was so large. Then they blew the whistle and she became my sworn enemy for the next 60 minutes.
Things got going pretty quickly. I saw Ari and Rachel staying in the top few wheels. Around lap 2 or 3 Terun started attacking and we helped shut them down.
Another Terun attack went. Alex Obrand aka The Main Threat went up the road and her teammates got on the front to block. Jamie Chapman (Monarch) went with Alex. This was bad because they are both very strong. So I was like ah well that needs to get shut down ok gulp this is gonna be hard.
I got on the front and got to work trying to bring it back. The gap was closing, but after a lap and a half of chasing they still probably had 3-5 seconds on the field. I felt my body want to shut down and internally screamed NO I am doing this shut up. I desperately looked around for help but saw Terun riders on my wheel blocking anyone from helping me. The gap started going out, probably to about 10 seconds.
Then, like an angel sent from heaven, Rachel went flying past me. Thank god. Gwen from Revolution racing went with her, and then the field swarmed around me as I sat up and tried to recover.
Luckily, Terun had decided to chase Rachel and Gwen back, so I sat in and took stock. I saw that Rachel was dangling between the break and the field, and I couldn’t find Ari in the pack. I tried to think. I could bridge to Rachel and try to help her get to the break, but I was still fairly gassed and I was sure she was too. I took my free pass and drafted Terun as they chased down my teammate.
We caught Rachel and Gwen right at the hill, and I looked for the counter. I saw it immediately– Kate (Terun) was standing up and coming up the right. I went left and got on her wheel, then catapulted off her to try and bridge to Alex and Jaime.
I went pretty hard, but tried to pace myself. I went for half a lap and then looked back to check where the field was and saw Kate glued to my wheel. I was like oh guess my searing attack wasn’t all that searing, also bummer I’ve been doing all this work and I’m dragging her to her teammate. But also I need to get AV represented in that break. Torn. I flicked her through and she finished off the gap closing. Honestly probably wouldn’t have made it on my own.
So then ok I am here. In the break. Hoping that Denver Disrupters, PAS Normal, Revolution, Super Sprinkles, and the handful of strong solo riders get together to chase us down so Rachel can sprint.
After that my race honestly became pretty boring. I had no obligation to work, I wanted the break to fail, and I was extremely confident that I had the worst sprint in the break. Alex is the best sprinter in NorCal. Jaime is probably the best time trialist and for sure a stronger sprinter than me. Kate is a punchy ex-pro. I am a climby sometimes all-rounder who now sometimes shuts down the same way a computer crashes. So I sat on and pulled exactly zero times. Kate briefly tried to get me to work and I was like ah no. Sorry.
Our gap went from 30 seconds to a minute and I stopped hoping we’d be brought back. I saw Ari standing on the sidelines and my worries about her being out of the race were confirmed. Turns out she’d gotten a flat just a few laps in.
I kept puzzling over how to beat 3 people with better sprints than me and came up with nothing. For lack of any better ideas I attacked into the last two corners since I had some momentum. This predictably failed spectacularly and the other three outsprinted me to the line.
But hey, I got fourth! That is cool. It’s nice to feel like I remember how to race. Rachel rolled in 9th in the field sprint.
Overall this was fun if mildly frustrating. I think my caution about my health prevented me from racing as aggressively as I like to race. Maybe I could have bridged Rachel up, maybe I could have played the break better, maybe I shouldn’t have worked with Kate to bridge. But hey we did what we could and we got on the podium. So that is neat.
I would also like to thank Louise and Ari for taking care of my dog.
Nutrition: Speednut Spring Energy gel a half hour before race start, half a bottle of water during the race
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12310283538#kudos
Race Report: 2024 San Ardo Road Race Women’s P123
Race: San Ardo Road Race Women’s P123
Date: August 17, 2024
AVRT racers: Kristin Hepworth, Chris Davis
Top Result: Kristin 5/7
Course: 3 laps around a 23 mile, slightly hilly, rectangular loop on terrible roads.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12173677327
Nutrition: Oatmeal for breakfast. Gel at the start. 2 Gels and 4 bottles of water.
Recap: Not only was this the longest race I’ve ever done (70 miles), but this was my first P123 race since upgrading to cat 3 a couple months ago. I signed up because there weren’t any women registered in the shorter 3/4/5 race and I wanted to race again with NIky.
The day of the race I arrived in San Ardo and saw a message from Niky that she wasn't going to make it. I decided to give it a try anyway. I was racing against 3 really good Terun Elite racers and I was intimidated.
Alex Obrand (Terun) didn’t waste any time and launched an attack right away. It was tough chasing her uphill. I managed to stay on, but not everyone did. Our small group of 7 turned into 5. The Terun team took turns attacking. Gwen (Revolution) bridged a lot of these attacks. The pace was much harder than I’m used to without any time to recover – it was brutal. I tried to save my energy as much as possible. I did not bring enough food to sustain the effort for 3 hours of intensity, so I tried to ration it. I started to slip back at one point and Alex offered to pull me back to the group. Super nice. I guess It was obvious to everyone I wasn’t a threat by that point. :)
I managed to stay with the group for the first 1.5 laps, but the second time through the bridge from hell (like seriously, the road on the bridge is unrelentingly jarring), Terun attacked. Gwen bridged up to them, but I couldn’t jump fast enough. Slowly, I watched them slip away and found myself as a chase group of one.
Based on who was in the group, and it being my first P123 race, this didn’t come as a surprise and I realized I was now training my mental game to continue the chase. I had 11ish miles to go before I passed the start line (and my car) and was tempted to just pull off and not complete the 3rd lap. The mental intervals continued and I reminded myself about my cycling goals and hoped that sticking it out and still pushing myself hard would help me in a future race.
I was out of fuel, but hoped to grab a AV bottle with mix from the feed zone before beginning the 3rd lap. Unfortunately, I never found the nice guy passing them out. I grabbed neutral water instead and made a note to know exactly where the AV bottles will be handed out next time. The first half of the third lap had a nasty headwind. I could see the ladies up ahead and tried to stay optimistic. I passed a few solo racers from other groups and got passed by the men’s race on their 4th and final lap. I heard a “go Kristin!” as they passed. I don’t know who said it, but it gave me the mental juice to keep pushing. I saw two different guys with flats get picked up by a big van. I’ll be honest that there was a moment where I thought it would be easier if I just got a flat so I could get a ride too.
Thankfully the 2nd half of the last lap had a nice tail wind and I finished in 5th place, a few minutes behind the lead group. I ended up on the podium on my first P123 race with some very strong racers.
I was reminded how teamwork and nutrition are so crucial to success. When things don’t go as hoped these kinds of races can be humbling and discouraging, but I don’t regret doing it. It was a good racing experience and it was great to race with this faster group who I know will continue to push me and make me better.
Race Report: 2024 University RR Men’s M35+ Cat 3/4
Race: University Road Race - Men’s M35+ Cat 3/4
Date: August 18th, 2024
AVRT Racers: Shai Traister
Top Result: Shai Traister - 7th
Course: 12 short (3 mile) loops, with a 5-ish minute climb and fast descent. Good paving. Uphill finish midway through the climb.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12182375579
Nutrition: 4 energy gels, 1 bottle of skratch drink mix and 1 bottle of water from the feed zone
Event Recap: The race started with an attack right from the gun. 2 riders got a gap and everybody started chasing. I stayed with the group and we closed the gap on the descent.
2nd climb started at a high pace which picked up shortly after the feed zone. Gaps opened up and I hesitated jumping across. Realizing my mistake a few seconds too late, I started chasing hoping to catch the group before they crest the top. I didn’t, so I continued chasing with a couple of others on the descent doing damage control.
3rd climb - I went to the front and started with a high pace. flicked my below a couple of times to no avail. I even shouted to the rider behind me to take a pull, but got “I have a teammate in the front group” and no help. I realized it was up to me, so continued pushing up the hill and then on the descent. At least I was able to keep the front group in sight. To my surprise he did take a pull on the descent which allowed me to catch my breath and slightly lower my HR.
4th climb - I realized that my only chance would be to close the gap on that climb. I started the climb with a 30s high effort and was able to close it. Sat in the group trying to recover as much as possible for the rest of the climb and through the descent.
5th climb - More accelerations, and I couldn’t stay with the group. Gaps opened and I didn’t have the legs to close them.
Laps 6-10 - solo effort. On lap 10 I passed the same rider who wouldn’t give me a pull on lap 3. He latched on to me. I also caught a dropped rider from the cat3 field and we traded pulls through the next lap.
Last climb - I didn’t want to leave it to the finishing sprint, so I gave it one last big effort from the beginning of the climb. I was able to get away from both riders. As the road started to flatten I noticed a Dolce Vita rider from my field just ahead of me - he was unaware of me coming from behind and wasn’t pushing the pace - I down shifted and sprinted to the line while passing the Dolce Vita rider.
Overall - super fun and hard race. In hindsight - I should have jumped when the gap opened on the 2nd lap rather than trying to pace it back to the group. Next time… :-)
Race Report: 2024 University RR Men’s Cat 4/5
Race: University Road Race - Men’s Cat 4/5
Date: August 18th, 2024
AVRT Racers: Clark Penado
AV Club Guests: Jack Lund, Allan Feldman
Top Result: Jack Lund - 13/35
Report Author: Clark Penado
Course: 15 short (3 mile) one lane loops, with an uphill finish, and a long overall climb and fast descent. Good paving.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12182978092
Nutrition: 4 energy gels, 1 bottle of high carb drink mix and 1 bottle of gatorade/malto mix (plus several plain water bottles from neutral support to cool off)
Event Recap: This race was run just after high noon, and standing at the start line it was definitely possible to feel the UV index. The directors opted to give us a warm up lap to feel out the course, before giving us the go ahead into the second time around to really pick up the pace. From the get go it was clear everyone was benefitting from their summer training, especially over a steeper bump at the end of the climb of the course. Going over the hill into the descent, there were definitely some solid fights for wheels and for position, which cooled off around the one turn on the downhill. Unfortunately my front derailleur wasn’t shifting into the big ring, so I had to really surf some wheels to stay in the bunch.
On the next climb I ended up maxing out my heart rate trying to stay in the lead pack, and lost contact just after the feed zone. From here I ended up working with someone from Team California for one more time around before Jack was able to bridge to us on the descent with an additional unattached rider.
From here on it was fairly uneventful, just taking laps with a push on the ascent, and cruising the descent with some pulls here and there. During the final lap there was an increase in pace, particularly on the last steep bit just before the descent part of the course. Just before the final turn into the uphill finish there was a bit of a cat and mouse for positioning, before everyone really started pushing the pedals for the finish. Jack went after the line with the other two riders, and I didn’t have the legs to go with it.
This was definitely a climbers course, and in the end felt like a day of V02 max intervals on those uphill sections.
Race Report: 2024 SBT Gravel - Black Course
Race: SBT Gravel Black Course
Date: August, 18th 2024
AVRT racers: Kelly Brennan
Top Result: 33/88 women, 1/10 20-29F
Course: https://www.strava.com/activities/12182560400/overview
Nutrition: 2L pack with 200g of superfuel; 1 large bottle with 80g super fuel; 1 bottle of pure water (to cool myself down with and drink if I got sick of mix – I highly recommend); 13 NeverSecond Gels (~1/3 caffeine).
Equipment: Specialized Crux. Continental Terra Speed TR 45s
The 6:15 AM mass start was nothing short of chaotic. Positioned about five rows from the front, I quickly found myself struggling to hold my place and gradually drifted backward. Thankfully, I latched onto my friend’s wheel, and he pulled me up the small road knoll and onto the gravel, allowing me to merge into a group of about 30-40 riders.
The way this group moved through the fast, flowy, and punchy gravel section reminded me of rides like Spectrum or the Noon Ride. My goal was to stick with them until the base of Wahooligan Pass, the main climb in the new route at around 23 miles in. To stay with them, I had to throw down my best 1-5 minute efforts of the day, and I wondered if I’d regret it later with over a hundred miles still ahead.
When we finally reached Wahooligan Pass (miles 23-37), I chose to climb at my own pace. Having pre-ridden this climb, I knew it was easy to burn out too soon, especially with the steepest and toughest part at the end. Most of the women in my group passed me early on in the climb, leaving me to wonder if I’d see them again.
Descending Wahooligan Pass solo was a dream – the technical off-camber corners and chunky rock were a blast. Many riders flatted here, but I managed to get through unscathed. From there, the course felt a bit like a mix of Huffmaster and cyclocross, with long, straight gravel sections where you were either lucky to be in a group or left on your own. Then came a stretch of sand, where my cyclocross experience came in handy, and I passed all women who passed me on Wahooligan pass..
Rolling into Hayden at mile 66, I had drained my 2L Superfuel Pack and debated whether to stop at the aid station. But after being pulled at a solid tempo pace by a friendly rider for about 15 minutes, I didn’t want to lose the momentum, so I opted to rely on my gels and keep pushing.
Around this time, I encountered a large group of riders from the Blue 100-mile course. Initially, I was excited to have more people to draft with, but soon realized they were moving much slower than I was. I drafted where I could, using steady fast wheels to recover from my recent effort and continue progressing.
At mile 86, I made my one and only aid stop to refill my bottles and grab some pickle juice, Coke, and a backup gel. I had planned to refill my pack with carb mix, but the station had run out. I decided to press on with just water and the remaining gels, resolving to stop again only if absolutely necessary, knowing the back half of the course had more frequent aid stations.
With 40 miles to go, I was getting stoked to finish! A strong woman passed me on the climb out of the aid station, and I decided to stick with her. As we descended into a section marked with “Caution!” signs, the danger became immediately apparent when her front wheel hit a loose, deep rut, sending her over the bars. I stopped to check if she was okay, and thankfully, she was, and I told her she was so strong.
The next section featured a gentle 2% descent on smooth gravel roads – fun if you're skilled at it, but tricky this late in the race if you’re not a super powerful rider on the flats, like me. Another strong woman flew by, and I worked hard to grab her wheel. I asked if she wanted to work together, and she agreed! We flew through this relatively flat section until, unfortunately, she dropped off on the next little climb to the second-to-last aid station at mile 101.
On the next 2% descending gravel road, I was thrilled to spot my friend Sarah, who was riding the Blue Course. I motioned for her to get on my wheel, and we worked together until we reached the second-to-last climb, known as the “Corkscrew.”
The final aid station was at the top of the last climb at mile 113, but I flew by, feeling surprisingly strong – no cramps, and my legs were still solid! As I approached the finish line, I pushed hard to beat the 8-hour mark and finished at 7:55! I’m really proud of my effort, managing to stick with a strong group at the beginning, pacing myself on the climbs, and finding others to ride with throughout the race.
Overall, the Steamboat Gravel event is a blast, with a fun vibe and excellent organization in a stunning setting! There's something for everyone. I also noticed a significantly larger portion of women and more diversity than at any other race I’ve been to – I highly recommend it!
Key Learnings & Notes (If You Do This Event):
Gear: I ran a 40T with a 10-44T SRAM XPLR, but I found myself spinning out frequently on the 2% descents. Next time, I’d opt for a 42T or maybe a 44T chainring.
Support: There’s no outside support allowed, so be self-sufficient. Bring all the flat repair supplies (including a tube), enough food for the entire race, and extra drink mix – the aid station I stopped at had run out.
Start: The mass start is incredibly fast. It’s tough to take in calories from gels early on, so next time, I’d mix more calories into my bottles.
Tires: If the course remains the same, consider running MTB tires like the 2.25 Aspen ST; many of the fastest riders used them and loved it. I would run larger, fast tires. The blue course is significantly less technical.
Race Report: 2024 University Road Race Womens P1234
Race: University Road Race Womens P1234
Date: August 18, 2024
AVRT racers: Niky Taylor
Top Result: Niky 3/4
Route: Literally it goes up and then it goes down.
Recap: Hello. I did a race. Here is my report.
I have not raced very much this year because I have been dealing with Long COVID and some psychiatric problems. One of the main symptoms I have is pretty severe fatigue. So we can just say I wasn’t in the best form going into this race.
Day of the race I wavered on whether I would register. But I decided I wanted to race because while feeding the P12 guys I overheard some masters riders saying “you know, I’m dropped, but I’m so glad I can still be out here.” And I liked that sentiment.
I rolled up to the start after having warmed up with some friends. There were a whopping 4 people in our field so we combined with the 3/4/5’s to get to a field of about 15. They blew the whistle and I started my first race in months.
The first few laps were pretty uneventful but fast. I marked Ilan (Terun) and Jackie (Roxo racing) who I figured were the two main threats. I kept an eye on Hannah (Terun) too. The rest of the riders were 3/4/5’s. One Sprinkles girl kept attacking on the descent, but she kept getting brought back on the climb.
After a few laps, I felt pretty bad. But we turned onto the climb and I noticed Hannah fading back from Ilan and Jackie a bit. I figured now was a good time to weaken Terun, so I surged up to Ilan and Jackie and hit the gas. I set a PR on the climb and dropped everyone except Ilan and Jackie. On the descent the sendy Sprinkles rider bridged up to us.
I was pretty gassed. My heart rate had been maxed out for a while and my recovery is not very good right now. I kept with our group of 4 for another lap and then broke. I tried to fight through it. The Sprinkles girl towed me back on the descent and I was able to bridge up to Ilan and Jackie, but again halfway through the climb I couldn’t hold on. I accepted that this was probably my race, I know my form isn’t where it used to be, and I’m trying to be ok with it. The world was spinning.
Sprinkles girl caught up to me and tried to get me hyped. I was like I am sorry but I cannot hype right now. She tried to help me be more aero on the descent which was nice, I was like yeah sorry I know how this works I’m just so dizzy I think I might fall off my bike. But she was really nice so I tried to pace her on the climb, and then my legs really gave out for good.
I cheered her on and then started trying to recover. I was about an hour into the race and hadn’t eaten or drank much, so I hoped this fatigue spell was at least half bonk and I started *consuming.*
At the feed zone, I saw Hannah had pulled out of the race. I thought hm, I should pull out of the race. I am done. I could be really done. But Cam was there and he was so committed to giving me water and Louise had come out to cheer me on. And I wanted to finish the stupid thing I started. And there were only three of us, so what the heck, so long as I finished I could get some velo promo money and a wacky Tshirt.
So I kept telling myself one more lap. I will do one more lap and then I will see how I feel. And every lap at the feed zone I saw Cam and Louise and told them “I feel so great” while moving at about 2 miles per hour and Louise would laugh and Cam would say “you look great” or something like that and dump water on my head and I’d keep going.
I was so relieved to be lapped, because when Ilan and Jackie finally came around with 4 laps to go I automatically got to go down to 3. Ilan told me to hop back on with them and I did on the descent, but then immediately felt something cold on my leg and looked down to see sealant shooting out my back tire. I slowed down in case it totally blew out, but it held. I caught back on with them but was too gassed again to hang on the climb. I was really limping my way to the finish.
But I did it. Every lap I thought I’d stop and every lap I kept going, so I was proud of myself for that. I got to stand on the box and Ilan gave me her Bariani bag since apparently 3rd place P1234 didn’t get one, which was really sweet of her.
Overall I’m glad I did this because it was great to get out and see people, even if I was the absolute dead last person to finish racing, down one lap with my heart rate at 190, course marshals cleaning up the course as I passed. I miss being in top form and I wish I could get back there, but at least I’m able to get out and do things again. And I’m proud of myself for getting out there even when I knew it was going to be rough and ultimately finishing a really tough course.
Nutrition: Speednut spring energy at the start line, 1.5 sleeves of clif bloks and 3-4 bottles of water + skratch during the race
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12183485194
Race Report: 2024 Patterson Pass - Women’s 3/4/N
Race: 2024 Patterson Pass - Women’s 3/4/N
Date: Aug 4, 2024
AVRT racers: Hannah Chen, Claire MacDougall
Top Result: Hannah (6/11 overall)
Course: Two laps of a 23 mile loop with 2 major climbs. The second half of the course is mostly downhill with a 1mi uphill finish. It was cooler than previous years with a max of 95 deg in the afternoon and quite windy in certain areas, like by the highway overpass. See Jeremy’s course notes I found from last year.
Nutrition: Oatmeal for breakfast. 2 gu and pack of chews during the race, 3 bottles of water and 1 feed bottle with mix.
Race Summary:
I wanted to try something crazy, since if it came down to the last uphill climb one of the stronger cat 3 riders would win. I chatted with Claire and asked if we wanted to try attacks/counterattacks, and she was game. This turned out to be A Total Mistake.
Having never ridden the course I underestimated how defeating the first climb would be (hint: it goes from 8-14%). We set the pace too fast and burnt matches too early in the race, and that’s when I looked up and realized we weren’t even at the legit climb yet…lol.
The group was separated at the end of the first climb, with a group of 3 breaking away and the rest of us each on our own. During the Flynn climb switchback I saw Claire below me and wasn’t sure if I should wait (2nd mistake). With another woman between us chasing, I kept going but didn’t push. I should’ve waited for Claire so we could ride together.
Feed Zone: My first time using a feed zone. I got a neutral bottle from the feed but it was half empty. Then I got a mixed bottle from the AV feed and it was the perfect slushie temp - YUM YUM YUM sugar (thanks guys!!!!) And to top it off, they had pantyhose ice packets made for us <3 I had to stop my bike to shove it down my back and switch to a full water bottle. The woman chasing passed me here. Oops.
The rest of the race was pretty sucky. Second time on the climb was equally not fun. I’m actually really embarrassed to admit this: I got off my bike and walked the steepest section. I thought I was gonna fall over. During this time, another woman passed me. I spent the rest of the race in survival mode, got cramps in each leg, mentally was not feeling it, and was so relieved for it to finally be over.
I read previous reports about how hard this race would be, but we had “favorable” weather and it was only “a little” windy compared to previous years. At the end of the day, both Claire and I showed up and finished so I’ll take that as a personal win.
Thanks for reading!
Claire and me, happy at the start, ignorant of the suffering to come
Race Report: 2024 Patterson Pass RR Men’s Cat 4
Race: Patterson Pass Road Race - Men’s Cat 4
Date: August 4th, 2024
AVRT Racers: Clark Penado
Top Result: Clark Penado - DNF
Report Author: Clark Penado
Course: Three hilly 22 mile loops with two major climbs and an uphill finish per loop
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12063460208
Nutrition: 2 energy gels, 1 bottle of high carb drink mix and 1 bottle of plain water
Event Recap: The race started fairly gently into the first major climb on Patterson Pass Road, which felt like everyone was waiting for someone to jump. After a little while, a VeloKings rider started to move up the road to the left of the group, and I opted to hop on their wheel. After a bit they peeled off, and I opted to move to the front and settle into a pace a little less than threshold. The wind was blowing from our right, so I also moved over to the right side of the road in front of the larger group. I was able to stay on this effort for the bulk of the climb, and coming over the top some of the group passed me going into the subsequent descent.
I had to stay on the power a bit to stay with the group through this section, which was followed by a right turn into the second climb. For this one, I ended up putting in a high end V02 effort, but wasn’t able to stay with it. I ended up losing contact, but was able to continue on with another rider for the rest of the lap. We did some rotations through the rest of the first leg and through the final uphill before pushing on to the second time around the course.
We could still see the main group farther up the first climb at the start of lap two, but the other rider I was with ended up peeling off part way through the climb. For the rest of this lap I continued on solo, but by the end of it I decided to call it a day since I couldn’t see the group and the heat was starting to settle in.
Definitely a tough race, and in hindsight I probably should have held off from pushing the pace initially. That said, there were some fast bits on the back side of the course that added a bit of fun too.
Race Report: 2024 Baker City Cycling Classic, Stage Race - Men's Cat 3
Race: Baker City Cycling Classic, Stage Race - Men's Cat 3
Date: June 21-23, 2024
AVRT racers: George Wehner, Henry Mallon
Top Result: George 5th (Stage 2), Henry 2nd (Stage 4), Henry 6th (GC)
Strava:
Stage 1 (Henry): https://www.strava.com/activities/11707420028
Stage 2 (George): https://www.strava.com/activities/11714149902
Stage 3 (George): https://www.strava.com/activities/11716078452
Stage 4 (Henry): https://www.strava.com/activities/11723535947
Nutrition: Team feed bottles with roughly 80g of carbs each and additional plain water from neutral feed.
Race Recap:
Stage 1 - Catherine Creek Road Race
Written by Henry. The first 50 miles were mostly flat, followed by a 3-mile climb with an average gradient of 5%. This was succeeded by 25 miles of descending with a few short rollers. After an easy 40 miles, the pace picked up during a 10-mile section of false flat leading into the main climb. During this period, two strong solo riders broke away. I tried to bridge the gap and encourage other teams to form a paceline, but there wasn’t much cooperation, and we started the climb at least two minutes behind.
George surged at the base of the climb, and then I attacked, hoping to split the field and reduce the gap to the breakaway. At this point, George was dropped and shifted his focus to pursuing stage results in the remaining days.
In hindsight, I expended too much energy in the second half of the race—attempting to bridge to the breakaway on the false flat, pacing the shallow 5% climb, and taking more pulls than anyone else on the rolling terrain to the finish.
By the final five-minute roller, I was really struggling and nearly got dropped from the group. There were a series of attacks on the fast run-in to the finish, and I was caught behind a split, finishing 19 seconds behind the solo winner who managed to stay away from the original breakaway. With bonus seconds at the finish, I ended up 29 seconds down on GC, closely grouped with about 15 others.
Stage 2 - Baker City Time Trial
Written by George. I cracked hard on the first stage, so I was a bit nervous going into the TT as I didn’t know if I had the legs to really be competitive. Unlike Henry, I was already out of GC contention, but I still decided to ride all-out for the TT as practice for future stage races. My strategy was to pace the uphill really hard, so my legs would feel dead at the top.
I used the first two miles of the course, before the road started pitching up, to see how my legs were feeling. I felt good, so I increased the power by about 10W once I started going uphill. This increase in power meant I slowly started to feel worse, but I was flying and I knew I just had to make it to the top of the hill at that power, so I pushed through.
I was right at my limit when I crested the hill, so I knew I paced it right. I recovered a bit on the downhill, then gave everything I had left (which wasn’t much) to get to the finish. I felt completely miserable crossing the line, but a better kind of miserable than how I felt on stage 1.
After I finished, I was happy with the effort, but I didn’t think I was that fast compared to everyone else – I guessed I was in the top half but not much faster. I was quite surprised to see that I got 5th place, and less than 10 seconds behind 2nd. The winner, Jordan, was absolutely flying that day, finishing 45 seconds ahead of 2nd and almost a minute ahead of me, and he ended up going into the GC lead after this. Henry finished about a minute behind me and was 1:55 behind the lead on GC after the stage.
Stage 3 - Baker City Downtown Criterium
Written by George. The plan going into the crit was for Henry to sit in because he was close enough to contest GC, and for me to race for the stage. I felt good after my 5th place result in the TT earlier that day, but I still didn’t want to do much work in the crit because I was a bit tired from the TT and had a 50-minute climb waiting for me the next day. AV also didn’t have any obligation to take control of the race, as there were 12 people ahead of Henry on GC. Therefore, I decided to just try to get the best finish possible without really forcing a move. The course was a 1km L-shaped lap, with the start-finish straight being only 300m, but the roads were wide so it still would be a fast race.
It was really hot for this race – temperatures were in the mid-90s – so Henry and I used ice socks, and I had a full bottle with fairly dilute drink mix. I was a bit worried about how the heat would affect me after the day before, but the ice sock was helping, and after the race started I felt better than I expected. I still didn’t do much for the first 30 minutes of the race – I was mainly sitting in and learning where to move up, which was actually quite challenging with the straights being so short. The most notable thing that happened during this first half-hour was that my ice sock completely melted.
With about 10 laps to go in the race, a break of 2 went up the road, and a chase group of 2 followed shortly after. GC leader Jordan was in the first break, so I thought the group would want to chase it back, but they didn’t, and with about 3 laps to go I realized that break was going to win the race. With 2 to go, I attempted to bridge, but my legs were way more cooked than I expected – I think that after the ice sock had finished melting, my body started feeling the heat a bit more, and I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until this bridge attempt. Therefore, this bridge attempt only lasted around half a lap, and I ended up just finishing in the middle of the main group. Jordan ended up winning the stage and extending his GC lead a few seconds, but he isn’t a climber so Henry and I figured he wouldn’t hold this lead on the final stage.
Stage 4 - Anthony Lakes Road Race
Written by Henry. The route was the reverse of the first stage, followed by a massive 12-mile climb finishing at over 7,000 feet of elevation. Given our GC placement, the main goal for the day was to conserve energy until the final climb and go for the stage win.
The group kept a moderate pace all day, a few minutes behind a breakaway of about five riders. At the base of the final climb, a hard initial surge reduced the group to about six. Niko from PenVelo paced the first 25 minutes of the climb before exploding and eventually losing about 10 minutes.
Since everyone else in the front group was in contention for GC, I thought they would mark each other for the overall rather than ride aggressively for the stage win. This wasn’t the case, as every time I attacked, they immediately glued to my wheel. So, I quickly shifted strategies and decided to back my sprint for the finish.
We caught all the original breakaway riders and crested the top of the climb in a front group of four. Going into the descent, one rider launched an attack, and I crawled back to his wheel along with everyone else in the lead group.
After that attempt, we soft-pedaled down the descent to the final 200m slight uphill finish. The virtual GC leader, Tyler, was the first to launch his sprint. I quickly got into his draft, coming around in the final 50 meters and throwing my bike at the line. It was a super close finish, but after a few minutes we got confirmation that Tyler won the stage and I was second—so close!
George had a great ride, finishing 7th on the stage, and I moved from 13th to 6th on GC. Despite missing the stage win by a couple of inches, I’m still proud of my effort on the last climb and glad to finish off a long weekend of racing feeling stronger than at the start.
This was a super fun introduction to stage racing, and I really appreciate the support of the whole team. In particular, Roger (Nathan’s dad) was incredibly helpful in managing logistics and supporting us in the feed zones with cold bottles and ice.
Race Report: 2024 Pescadero Coastal Classic - Men’s P/1/2
Race: Pescadero Coastal Classic - Men’s P/1/2
Date: 6/15/24
AVRT Racers: Grant Miller, Nathan Martin, Andrew Ernst, Greg McCullough, Cam O’Reilly, David Domonoske, PA Laforcade
Top Result: 2nd - Nathan
Course: 4 laps of this. Some short climbs on Stage Rd, a false flat up towards Haskins which is about a 7-8 minute climb, then a ripping descent before a false flat downhill to the start, finishing the last lap on the climb.
Nutrition: 3 bottles of mix, 4 gels
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11661218210
Race Recep (written by Nathan):
The race started strong, with Grant getting in a break with Erik from Dolce Vita on lap 1. This was a really strong move, both had the engine to make it to the end. For the rest of us, we just had to stay in the group and try to mark any dangerous bridge attempts, so that people trying to bridge would pull one of us up to Grant. A small chase group did end up going before the first climb that we were represented in.
The first time up the climb was pretty fast for first lap, I think because of the early break and second group behind it, but any part of the group that broke up on the climb was able to stitch back easily on the descent.
The chase group got caught as we hit Stage Rd for the second time, and we also saw Erik, who was with Grant, pulled over by the side of the road fixing a flat tire. We now had Grant up the road solo for potentially another 3 laps, which he could definitely do, but would be much harder than with another person.
The second time up Haskins would also be the second hardest of the whole race. Gavin would attack early on the climb trying to create some distance, but the gap was closed and then we basically just did hard above threshold the rest of the climb.
On Stage Rd the third time, some attacks went from Marcis and Gavin, again trying to make the race hard and create some separation, I went with either of them each time and the group stayed together. At this point, Grant had about 2 minutes on us before Stage, but the attacks on Stage cut his advantage down to about 50s.
The third time up Haskins was more of the same, us basically following whoever was setting a hard pace on the front, with the fatigue definitely catching up to the group as fewer people were with us at the top, but again most of the field caught back on during the descent. This hard pace would have us catch Grant on the climb. Right after the descent, Cam would get in a move that went off the front.
Cam’s move would get caught on Stage, and again some attacks would go near the end of the first Stage climb and on the second one, but at the bottom of the last Stage descent we were together, and here David put in a huge dig and built a decent solo gap on the group.
Marcis and Gavin would do most of the work on the front to bring David back. The gap would keep going out slightly, hitting about 40-50s, never quite out of sight but on some of the turns he would be temporarily out of view. Meanwhile, we were just sitting in behind and making sure we weren’t eating wind.
As we got closer to the climb, we could still see David up the road, but it looked like not quite a big enough gap, so we knew it would come down to the final climb. Grant took a big pull into the bottom of the hill, then I made sure to keep an eye on the stronger riders to go with any moves.
Right after the first turn where it kicks up, attacks started going from Miles from Voler. Quickly, the group became Miles, me, Marcis, and Gavin. My goal was to hang on as long as I could and try to give it a good kick at the end for the win, so no early attacking for me.
As we kept going up the climb, attacks going still, Miles would drop out, then Gavin, and it was me and Marcis for the end. There was a moment where he tried to put in a dig, then sat up, about 500m from the finish where I probably should have attacked, but I trusted in my sprint and sat on his wheel.
As we hit about 200m and rounded the last corner, we were both alongside each other and started our sprint. Unfortunately, I just didn’t have the legs that he did, and rolled in second.
It was a great tactical race from us, basically gave me the best shot possible and made lots of other super strong riders do a lot of work. It hurts to get so close to winning and come up short, especially with the effort the team made, but I’m proud of how we all rode regardless.
Race Report: Calaveras Time Trial
Race: 2024 Calaveras Time Trial
Date: July 13, 2024
AVRT racers: Robin Betz (writing this report), Emily Selman, Hannah Chen
Top Result: Robin 1st Merckx Women, 3rd Open Women, Hannah 2nd Merckx, Emily 1st Cat 4, 3rd Merckx
Course: 10 mile out and back with rolling hills and a 1 mile, 300 ft climb before the turnaround.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/segments/611015
Nutrition: A TT is too short for eating but I had oatmeal for breakfast, a latte, and a 200kcal bottle in between races.
Race Summary:
The day started with the womens’ Merckx category and I was the first rider. After a short warmup, I headed to the start with the intention of leaving my water bottle there, but of course I forgot to take it off my bike. At least I’d taken my front bottle cage off so the aero penalty wasn’t too bad.
I didn’t have my best legs today, so I aimed to really nail my aero position and pacing to get the most speed with what I had available. I was able to punch it up each roller and over the top, and focus on getting super aero on the downhills. [pic]
I rode the climb as hard as I could knowing that the downhill would offer a small rest opportunity, and managed to not overcook the single tricky corner on the way back. Then I counted down the miles on my bike computer and did my usual time trial thinking tricks of trying to do mental math, which I find a good distraction from the effort: “I’m 2 miles out. At 30 mph, that’s 4 min. At 20 mph, that’s 6 min. I’m going about 25mph, so only 5 min remaining! Oh, now it’s 1.5 miles remaining. How long will that take?” At Z4 heart rate that train of thought takes about 3 minutes to formulate and the finish line tent was soon in sight.
I know I’ve done a good time trial when I have to just stand over the bike, put my forearms on handlebars, and gasp and pant and try not to throw up for a few minutes. My efforts were rewarded with a win in the category!
Up next was the open category, which I’d brought my time trial bike for with a 90mm front and a rear disc wheel. I knew I should be faster than my previous run, but was also pretty tired, so again focused on making the most of what I had and keeping the best aero position possible: shoulders shrugged, chin up, and hands not death gripping the skis.
This run was a bit harder - I definitely felt the previous one in my legs and mentally was also pretty fatigued and not able to dig as deep. My power meter also was negging me the whole time since I’d forgotten to adjust it for the shorter cranks on this bike, but I ride to feel during TTs and didn’t let it get in my head.
The aero position on the TT bike is worth a lot of time, even on the hill– with 10 fewer watts I managed the same time on the climb, but since I don’t descend on this bike a lot I was actually slower on the descent due to wanting to be on the brakes to corner. Some blustery wind on the way back was a bit stressful but at least distracted me from the effort.
I ended up with the 3rd fastest time overall and was happy with it. You can’t always control how your legs are or who else shows up, but races are always an opportunity to do your very best and TTs even more so. I hope they run this course again next year because I’ll certainly be back!
Race pics by Greg Beliera
Race Report: 2024 Baker City Cycling Classic, Stage Race
Race: Baker City Cycling Classic - Men’s P/1/2
Date: June 21st-23rd, 2024
AVRT racers: Andrea Cloarec, Nathan Martin, PA Laforcade, Cam O’Reilly
Top Results: Andrea 7th Overvall GC / 75. Nathan 8th
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11723508387/overview
Nutrition: Safeway Deli bar for lunch and dinner, cookies for breakfast!
A lot of Malto and gels during the race.
We went to baker city with Cam, PA and Nathan. With Nathan being the winner from last year. Lots of big teams with many riders, so we had to be very attentive on everyday.
Stage 1 - Road race:
First part was pretty flat, then the last 30 miles with 3 climbs of around 10 minutes and 2 times 5 minutes.A small break went early but never too dangerous. Once the peloton pushed the pace on a small ramp and catching the break, I moved up as I was seeing strong teams also moving up.Quickly after 2 guys went, I followed. After a few minutes I looked around me. We were a break of 8, with all the good teams, a good gap on the peloton already, and rotating well.We kept working well until the first climb, and we heard we had a 3min40 gap.On the first climb, 2 guys went as I couldn't follow (450w for 10 minutes was too ambitious to try to stick!). These two guys finished the overall GC 1-2.
I found myself with a Team California guy, and Matt from TMB.
We finished the stage together, Matt taking the sprint for 3rd. I finished 4th.
Stage 2 - TT, 13 miles:
I road it the day before, I knew it would be fast and I expected it to be 25min.
So I set my power at 400w, trying to be as aero as possible. I managed to pace it well, quickly catching the Team California boy who left 30 seconds before me. So I knew I was moving correctly.
I finished in 4th position on the day, 11 seconds behind the winner. Who also won the day 1, and did this tt on a road bike. I was 3rd on GC after this. And Nathan 7th.
Stage 3 - Crit :
Job was for PA to chase a result. Cam, Nathan and me just chilling and finishing in the pack, saving energy.
So PA was alone facing organized teams with many riders. He stayed in good position during the hour, but unfortunately couldn't catch the good train on the last lap and finished 16th/74. TMB controlled the full race with Eamon winning this.
Stage 4 - Queen stage:
The reverse of stage 1 with a long 12 miles climb to finish the day.
So it was a rolling start with some small climbs. We were expecting a break to go to try to attack the GC. So PA stayed ahead, following several attacks. Good thing he kept following as a very good break got formed with 2 tmb, Jackson and Chris, and with Kent Ross from Expeditors, certainly the main favorite for the climb. POA, the team of the leader, had to chase the full day using their 8 guys, as the break with PA did an amazing job setting a hard pace.We stayed in the peloton with Cam and Nathan trying to ride effectively, fueling well to arrive fresh for the final climb.
As we started it, we were just 40 seconds behind the break. Thanks to POA who worked crazy hard the full day.
From the first percentage of the climb, Nathan sent it. Tim from TMB quickly followed. As I was feeling good, I went with them. So we were 3, we quickly caught all the guys from the break. With PA giving us a very nice pull when we passed him, with his last resources, Thank you PA! 😂
Only Kent Ross was ahead.
A group of 6 guys, with the main GC contenders caught us. So we were 9 climbing, trying to chase Kent Ross.
Unfortunately the pace was quite hard, Tim from Tmb dropped, another guy did too. Then it was Nathan and me to have to drop and pace it correctly.
Finally we finished 9th and 10th on the day, 2 minutes behind the main group.
Overall GC:
Nathan finished 8th overall, and I finished 7th, just seconds separating us.
Considering the depth and the level of this year's field, it was still an ok result, the 6 guys ahead of us being all renown bike racers, pro of semi pro.
Very nice weekend here in Baker City, Oregon.
And huge thanks to Roger, Nathan’s dad, for helping us one more time!
Race Report: 2024 Calaveras TT - Men's P12
Race: 2024 Calaveras TT - Men's P12
Date: July 13th, 2024
AVRT racers: Andrea Cloarec, Grant Miller
Top Results: Andrea (1/6)
Course: 10 miles out and back with a small 3’ climb, and twisty and fast descent. Quite windy on the day.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11879860425/overview
Nutrition: One caffeine gel 15min before
Race: I estimated TT would be around 20’ so I planned to go for 400W avg.
As on every TT, I started faster to get to speed with a first minute at 490W. So I could settle down for the nex 5-6’ on the flat and save energy.
After the climb and the turn around, I saw Miles Hubbard, who started just 1’ behind me and was certainly the guy to beat, more than a minute behind, so it gave me an extra motivation to keep pushing and take risks.
I did… and almost missed a turn on the descent. Lucky I saved the crash, I put back my head down and kept pushing. As I never put the time on my bike computer during TT, I just was focus to keep the power high as long as it would take until I cross the finish line.
Averaging 402W for 21’04”, I got the win with a good 33 seconds lead on the second, Miles.
Very happy with the result, and the work I’ve done on the TT recently.
Pescadero Coastal Classic- Women's 4/5 Short course
Race: Pescadero Coastal Classic - Women's Short course
Date: Saturday June 15, 2024
AVRT racers: Hannah Chen, Kristin Hepworth, Robin Kutner, Claire MacDougall, Katie Monaghan, Emily Selman, Katarina Zgraja
Top Result: Kristin 2/3 Masters 40-44 (3/27 overall), Kat Zgraja 5/16 Cat 4 (9/27 overall), Robin Kutner 6/16 Cat 4 (10/27 overall), Emily Selman 1/1 Masters 45-49 (?/27 overall)
Course: 1.7 laps of a loop. Race begins with a neutral rollout to Stage road, where there are two short climbs. Race then continues onto 84 for several miles before turning into the feed zone on Alpine. The race then takes another turn onto the Haskins climb, the longest climb of the race. After the climb, there is a 9 mile descent to Stage road. First 4 miles are technical with several hairpin turns, the remainder is fairly straightforward.
Nutrition:
Kristin: Oatmeal for breakfast, a gel from The Feed at the start line, one bottle of water with Perpetuum and one bottle with only water. 1 gel and a few gummies Hannah passed to me during the race.
Kat: Turkey sandwich for breakfast, one gel at the start line, one pack shot block gummies during the race. Two bottles with 0.5 pack LMNT + 1 scoop Tailwind carb mix each.
Recap (mixed POV from Kristin and Kat):
Kristin: All ages and categories for the women's short course raced together, so there were 27 of us. Robin, Hannah, and I were the protected riders for Alto Velo. I was racing for the master’s district championship for women’s 40-44 age group and Robin and Hannah were racing cat 4. There were only two other racers in my field, but they both are incredibly strong and coincidentally both named Shannon (Shannon G. and Shannon P.) and were working together as an alliance.
Kat: We had discussed a tentative game plan together as a team prior to the race. As Kristin mentioned, we had our protected riders, and we also had a few competitors who we each wanted to "mark". As Kristin’s domestique, I was tasked with keeping a close eye on the two Shannons, ensuring they did not pull away from the group, to give Kristin the best chance possible to earn the district champion 40-44 title.
Kristin: The race started and was smooth and steady. We got to Stage Rd. Shannon G, clearly working for Shannon P, picked up the pace as they tried to thin out the group. Kat and I were able to keep up with them and made sure we were close enough in case they attempted a break. We descended Stage Rd and worked our way to 84. The pace on 84 was moderate and steady with very few surges or attacks.
Kat: I was pretty nervous about trying to stay on top of both of the Shannons as I know they are both very strong, especially on climbs (as is Kristin). The first two climbs on Stage went at a surprisingly mellow pace, and both descents were also very mellow. It seemed there was some nervousness/hesitation. Perhaps everyone was getting a feel for the course.
Kristin: At some point on 84 I heard a crash behind me and I hoped none of the team was affected and everyone was ok, but didn’t know who went down. I found out afterwards that a few ladies on our team went down. Robin got back up and caught up to the group, but unfortunately Claire had some wounds and DNF’d.
Shannon P. (my marked competitor who won every race she entered this year) went up the first Haskins climb at a blistering pace. I stayed close to her up the climb. She was in front going into the descent, but I passed her after the first turn. I had a small gap on her but I knew that was pointless and I didn’t try to keep the gap and slowed a bit for others to catch up. It was the first time I realized that Shannon P could be vulnerable on technical descents. She and two cat 4 Sprinkles riders (who we had marked as top contenders going into the race) caught me once it flattened out on Pescadero Road. We worked together briefly, but not everyone was willing to work, so the field eventually caught up to us.
Kat: When the pace blew up on Haskins, I told Kristin I'd probably be falling off, and then just like that I was dropped by the front group. I think there were about 10 riders ahead of me once I reached the top of the climb. Based on my experience at the Berkeley RR, I had assumed that the group had split and was likely going to stay split for the rest of the race. I knew I could make up time on the descent, so I pushed super hard, passed the first follow group fairly quickly, then rode solo for the remainder of the descent to catch the front group (containing Kristin). I eventually caught up to the front group (I think about 5 riders), and then the chase group (including Hannah and Robin, who traded pulls to catch back on) caught up shortly after me. The remainder of the riders eventually caught up so we had most of the field back together again. In hindsight, I should have probably just saved my energy and waited for the main group to catch up to me, and then rode with them to catch up to the front group, but I wasn't sure during the race if they were going to catch up or not.
Kristin: On the second lap Super Sprinkles tried a few attacks that didn’t stick. Kat was my main helper who worked to protect me but many other teammates also helped protect me from the wind and took pulls on the front. (Thanks, Kat and team!) The pace was pretty chill on most parts of the course.
Kat: The pace relaxed again, and again was not too much on either of the Stage climbs. After the second Stage climb, one of the Sprinkles riders (Rensy) picked up the pace on the descent. Finally a solid paced descent, I followed her, and Kristin was right behind me. It was fun. We did not get away from the group (I don't think we were really trying to). Between the second Stage climb and Haskins climb, Camille and Sophia from Sprinkles attacked into the headwind near the town of Pescadero, and Robin initiated a chase with Kelly (Eclipse) to bring them back. From there we were all getting set up for the final climb. Katie and myself stayed near to the front for most of this time. There was also a Sprinkles rider, but she wasn't contributing on the front (and really their team never did take the front!).
Kristin: The race really came down to the final Haskins climb. The group was mostly together at the bottom of Haskins. I stayed on the front of the group right on Shannon Pidd’s wheel. As we headed up Haskins for the final time the group started to spread out and break up. I was at the front with Shannon P and Gwen. As we reached the 1K marker I was starting to reach my limit but still managed to stay on Shannon’s wheel. Just before the 100M marker Shannon P started her sprint and a gap started to open. Gwen, who was on my wheel (but not in my race category), came around me to try to take Shannon’s wheel. Unfortunately, I took too much time to start my sprint and I was distanced. I ended up getting 2nd for the masters district championships and 3rd overall.
Kat: We all knew what was going to happen going into the final climb. My goal was just to keep up as much as possible with this front group. Kelly attacked fairly early, before Haskins actually started. I couldn't keep up with this attack, and grinded out the rest of the race as much as I could. Kelly was ultimately caught (she later said that she made a mistake and attacked too early, and burned her matches before the finish line). Kristin is so strong, and I am super impressed at her pace on these hilly races! I'm excited for us to try some different tactics in the future to get a win over some of these dominating riders.
Kristin: In hindsight, I wish Kat and I would have tried to break away on the 2nd Stage Rd descent to get away from Shannon. I also plan to work on my sprint/kick for next season. This race was so fun for me. The team was really awesome and supportive. I feel fortunate to be part of this team of women. I’m already looking forward to next year's Pescadero Road Race.
Race Report: 2024 Sand City Crit - Women’s 4/N
Race: 2024 Sand City Crit - Women’s 4/N
Date: July 7, 2024
AVRT racers: Hannah Chen
Top Result: 2nd/9 overall
Course: Approx 1km, 10 corner loop with beautiful murals as backdrop. Road conditions and weather were great - an escape from the heat wave! There is a short hill (max 9%) after turn 3. I found positions could be gained at (1) the start/finish straight, (2) the hill, and (4) taking good turns on the short block after the headwind section.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/segments/32745702
Nutrition: oatmeal for breakfast, 1 gu at the start. Sip of water during the race, but wasn’t necessary.
Race Summary
The women’s 4/N race was combined with Women 35+ 1/2/3, but scored separately. It was also the first race of the day at 8am, so I was able to warm up on the course and practice my cornering lines. It was mostly singletons; the only team represented was Eclipse with Stephanie and Suzzette.
The race started and I had trouble clipping in. Stephanie led at the front and I settled into the back of the pack. It was a pretty chill pace. Being in the back really sucked though and I was frustrated: got stuck with bad lines and people slowing on the hill really killed your momentum.
About 5 laps in, I was fed up and attacked on the start/finish straight. I had a gap for a lap and Stephanie bridged up to me. We probably had a gap for another lap but it was a prime lap, and she sped past me on the final straight for the prime. She wouldn’t take a pull after that and the field caught back up.
The remainder of the race was straightforward. We kept the race at a decent pace and it was the same few people vying for the front positions. I realized I could conserve energy midpack for most of the race but then gain positions by zooming up the hill (thanks Egan rides!), putting me at the front to pick my lines on the downhill and backside of the course. I tried a couple more times to attack but Stephanie was always on my wheel. However, I was able to surge for a prime lap and won a box of bonk breaker bars :) salted caramel and peanut butter flavor, yum!
With 2 laps to go, Stephanie made her move. I wasn’t expecting it and was behind Suzzette at that time. I hesitated. Should I chase Stehanie or draft Suzzette, since Suzzette was chasing her teammate? From my attack earlier in the race I wasn’t confident I could max out for two whole laps… At the hill on the last lap, she was only 8 seconds ahead. I pushed as hard as I could and even clipped my pedal on two corners(!), but it wasn’t enough to catch her. In hindsight, I should’ve immediately started chasing. There was a comfortable gap between us as I crossed the finish, and another gap behind me so I didn’t even sprint.
All in all, I had a great race. I went in with a plan (try some attacks! make people suffer!) and stuck to it. While initially hesitant with pack cornering at speed, I got more confident towards the end. The weather was wonderful and the walls of art alongside the course were super picturesque. Shout out to a great race put on by Monterey Bay Racing Team - they put up soooo many barriers and had a lot of sponsor flags which made it feel so legit.
Race Report: 2024 Pescadero Coastal Classic - Men's Novice
Race: Pescadero Coastal Classic - Men's Novice
Date: Saturday, June 15, 2024
AV racers: Adam Bhavnani, Andrew Wrist, Jack Lund, Kevin Lin, Nick Fletcher, Richard Red, Yash Shahani
Top Results: Yash Shahani (3/50), Andrew Wrist (5/50), Jack Lund (6/50)
Course: 1.7 laps of a loop. Race begins with a neutral rollout to Stage road, where there are two short climbs. Race then continues onto 84 for several miles before turning into the feed zone on Alpine. The race then takes another turn onto the Haskins climb, the longest climb of the race. After the climb, there is a 9 mile descent to Stage road. First 4 miles are technical with several hairpin turns, the remainder is fairly straightforward.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11660919688
Nutrition: 1 pack of Clif Bloks and 2 bottles with carb mix.
Race Report:
7 AV members showed up for the 2024 Pescadero Coastal Classic. I wasn’t aware of any strategy amongst the AV members as I didn’t get a chance to meet up with them before the race. My personal strategy was to be one of the first riders to the start of every climb. I hoped this would compensate for my weak technical skills on the descents.
Lap 1:
The pace was fast the moment we hit Stage. Chad Whittington, a triathlete, was mostly responsible for the pace throughout the race as he was almost always leading the peloton.
On the first stage road climb, Chad had gained distance on the rest of the field. I followed closely behind him since I did not want him going off the front at the start of the race. After the first Stage road descent, Chad and I fell back into the group of riders behind us. Since we were pushing 4.5-5 W/kg on these small climbs, around half the racers were dropped. The second Stage road climb went similarly. By the end of Stage road, there was a lead group of around 15-20 riders.
Along 84, the pace slowed down significantly due to many riders feeling tired after Stage road. The slower pace meant that some riders who were dropped on Stage road found opportunities to rejoin the front group. At this point, AV members in the front group consisted of myself, Jack, Andrew, Richard, and Nick. This pace continued until the feed zone, when a very unsportsmanlike attack was launched, forcing us all to focus our efforts on not getting dropped.
A side note: before the feed zone, Adam was able to catch back up to us. Unfortunately, he ingested a bug at the feed zone (“not the feed I needed” - Adam) and had to drop out of the race afterwards.
(A piece from Adam:
I learned a valuable lesson about working with others.
A small group of about 8 racers, including Kevin and myself, were dropped on the second Stage Rd roller.
On 84, we agreed to work together. The first in our paceline did a ~2 minute pull and as the second-in-line, I felt the need to reciprocate the effort. By the time we caught the front pack before the Alpine Rd turn, only 4 of us had done a turn at the front.
The smarter thing to do would have been to rotate shorter pulls - perhaps ~30s at most. That would have moved us at the same pace (or maybe faster) and left us a little fresher for the Haskins climb.)
After the feed zone, we began the first Haskins climb. During the climb, Richard was forced to stop as another rider touched wheels with him, which caused a classic low category uphill crash. Thankfully, he was able to get out safely. Andrew was up the climb before me and stuck with the front group on the descent.
On the descent, I watched at least 10 riders fly by me. I was glad that I made it up Haskins near the front as it allowed me to be slower on the descent without major repercussions. Towards the end of the technical part, Jack passed me. When the descent mellowed out, the front group had gotten back together and was slow enough for Jack and I to catch back up. Richard also chased back with a group of 3 and rejoined at the goat farm. By the end of the first lap, the front group was barely any smaller.
Lap 2:
Until Haskins, this lap was a slightly mellower version of the first. Stage road was still tough but a lot of us were worn out and the pace was slightly slower. I was also much more patient this lap as I knew Chad would definitely not be able to get off the front successfully.
On 84, I was caught behind a rider who had nearly caused two crashes. To get away from him, I moved up in the group and hoped to find an opportunity to slot in near the front. Unfortunately, I was unable to do so and ended up eating wind for a few miles.
Later on 84, all five of us were near the front of the pack. Jack took a hard pull and the pace went up considerably.
As we reached the bottom of Haskins, the group was still the same size and I knew a race-deciding move would be made soon. Nils Hummel, a 16 year old, launched an attack up Haskins. Nils played the race smart by taking good drafts and saving his big effort for the final Haskins. None of us suspected him and none of us could match him. Andrew tried to get on Nils’ wheel, and even got close, but blew up soon after. Seeing Andrew’s effort inspired me to try and catch up. As I passed Andrew, he cheered me on, which gave me the push I needed to keep going (power of friendship). Soon, I was able to catch up to Chad and I held his wheel until the finish line where I secured a podium for AV.
Overall, I’m glad I took part in the race. I enjoyed racing with fellow AV members, most of whom I had not met before the race. I also learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses and look forward to improving. Good work everyone!
Race: 2024 Snelling Road Race - Women’s Cat 4
Date: June 8, 2024
AVRT racers: Emily Selman
Top Result: Emily (2/4)
Course: A 12 mile loop with several rollers and decent pavement until the back half of the course, which was very bumpy and had gravel on some turns. Excepted hot weather but didn’t heat up until we finished.
Nutrition: Gel at the start, two bottles of Skratch plus 30g malto. One bottle of water from Cam at the feed zone on lap 4.
Recap: Only 4 women came for this race: Lily Sander (who got 2nd behind Kristin at BHRR), Elisia Varner, and a woman from Elk Grove. At the start, Lily’s dad kept asking if Kristin was coming and casually said “Lily wants to win one Cat 4 before she upgrades,” so I had my motivation. Lap 1 Elisia took the front and pulled at a steady pace so we all let her. When we turned onto lap 2, no one wanted to pull and we were just riding slowly 4-wide on the road, so at the first hill, I gunned it a little to see who could follow. I then pulled up front that 2nd lap, pushing up the hills and attacking corners to see who got dropped. Also got stung on my leg by a wasp on that lap, but just kept pushing. As we turned onto the 3rd lap, I looked back and said, “Lily, it’s your turn” and she took the bait and pulled that lap. On a few rollers before the turn onto the last lap, Lily attacked and I followed, dropping the other two. We held a steady pace, trading pulls for the first part of the last lap, but Elisia was time trialing at full speed on the flat section and caught back up to us. Lily and I attacked again on the hills and dropped Elisia, then Lily put in a big attack at the final big hill and I couldn’t hold her wheel. I finished second at the line.
Race Report: 2024 Snelling RR Men’s Cat 4
Race: Snelling Road Race - Men’s Cat 4
Date: June 8th, 2024
AVRT Racers: Clark Penado, Jack Larkin, Zack Berger
AV Club Guests: Matin Massoudi, Johannes Ferstad, Leo Lonzarich, Chris Ritchie
Top Result: Johannes Ferstad - 6th
Report Author: Clark Penado
Course: 11.7 miles of rolling farm roads with variable pavement in Snelling, CA. The final sprint is a bumpy 300m after a tight right-hand turn.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11606120914
Nutrition: 2 energy gels, 1 clif bar, 1 bottle of high carb drink mix, 1 bottle of Gatorade mixed with maltodextrin, 1 bottle of water
Event Recap: This race was rescheduled from the earlier February date due to flooding, which made the race a heater both in terms of weather and field ability.
The race started with a neutral rollout to a bit of an uphill start, where I opted to move to the front to get a feel for the course. I tried a couple attacks during the first lap, which did not materialize into anything. Later on in the lap, I was also able to help neutralize an attack from a Specialized Sacramento rider.
The second lap rolled into a bit more of a mellow pace, with one VeloTrap rider making a solo breakaway around halfway through the lap. Before the second to last turn of the lap, I was able to use a longer uphill to bridge up to the VeloTrap rider, but the gap only lasted until just before the end of the lap.
Early into the third lap, a different break formed with Chris Ritchie present formed. After they built some separation, Matin and I moved to the front of the main group to disrupt any potential counters. Although there were some attempts to bridge, Chris was able to stay away throughout the third lap, as well as the majority of lap four. The fourth lap was also where Leo Lonzarich and I were able to grab a couple bottles from the feed zone.
On lap five, the group held together, with the pace starting to pick up just after the feed zone. There were a few attacks throughout, where the field generally neutralized any attempts. This contributed to the pace gradually crescendo-ing into the last turn, where Johannes Ferstad was able to carry a good position through the final ~250m or so for our top result.