Race Report: 2023 Bariani Road Race - Men’s Category 3

Race: 2023 Bariani Road Race - Men’s Category 3

Date: 8:05am start, March 12th, 2023

AVRT racers: Andrew Ernst, Matt Koenig, Matt Carvell, Flo Costa, Josh Worley, Daniel Fonyo, Fraser Bulbuc

Top Results: Andrew Ernst 1/30 and Matt Koenig 3/30

Course: A different, shorter loop with a shortened overall course was used due to “excessive mud and water” on the original course. The course was 6 laps around a 10-mile circuit with 300 ft of elevation gain per lap. There was a strong south/southwest wind of ~15 mph. The southbound stretch leading to the finish featured the biggest hill of the course. Most of the race was dry, though there were a few short periods of rainfall that kept roads damp and corners slick. The one mile section of road heading west, just before the before the finish, featured poor pavement, flooding, and hidden potholes. 

See course here: https://www.strava.com/activities/8704763991

Nutrition: Fueled with 3 Wiggle gels and 200 calories of Gu Roctane mix in one bottle. I carried a second bottle with just water and had a third bottle of water in the feedzone. I typically aim to consume 200-300 calories per hour and fell just short of that.

Gear: With rain falling all week and more rain forecasted throughout the race, I opted to ride my Specialized Diverge set up with 30mm tubeless GP5000s rather than my SL7. I felt that the gains that could be made in the way of stability and grip made up for the losses in weight in aerodynamics. I went without a saddle bag and rain jacket in attempt to compensate for the added weight and drag that came with riding the Diverge. 

Recap: The biggest competition was Dolce Vita with 6 riders, though a few other teams had ~3 guys. We decided that Matt K and Daniel would be our protected sprinters. Fraser was a third option for sprinter. Flo, Matt C, Josh, and myself were there to chase breaks and attack, keeping Dolce on their toes. 

Lap 1 started FAST. The first section was downhill with a tailwind, so it wasn’t really possible to just “sit in.” After turning NE, crosswinds strung everyone out. My highest 4 minute power during the race came during this section. A few decent riders were caught behind gaps and dropped. When we turned into the headwind, the pace fell and there was a chance to recover before the hill and rough pavement that came just before the start/finish line. We lost Daniel to a flat early on. 

Lap 2-3 were less intense. One solo breakaway rider was off the front for a short while and easily brough back by the group. A second solo rider put a more serious gap on the field, gaining ~45 seconds.  Dolce wouldn’t chase, so Josh, Flo, and I took turns taking small digs to keep the breakaway rider in sight and force other teams to keep the peloton stitched together. We eventually caught that solo rider. Fraser fell victim to a flat. 

Lap 4 saw a significant crash in the right hand turn at the NE section of the course. One of the front riders slid out and took a few guys with him, Matt C and Josh got caught up in the crash. Flo was ahead of it. Matt K and I were able to navigate through. This crash caused a major split in the field, leaving just 7 riders in the front group. AV made up 3/7 with Flo, Matt K, and myself. No other rider had a teammate. At this point I felt we had the race locked up. Flo and I could attack forcing others to chase. Matt K could sit in and save energy for a sprint against a small, exhausted field. I put in a little extra effort after the climb and nobody wanted to close the gap. Seeing that, I figured I might as well go for it. I did threshold for about a mile and settled in at sweet spot when I saw the gap around ~20-30 seconds. I ate a gel and tried to get a little more aero. I rode sweet spot for lap 5 and settled into tempo for lap 6 when I could no longer see the chase group. Matt K and Flo did a great job disrupting any organized chase attempts. 

Meanwhile, Matt C caught back onto the main chase group along with a few other riders from the crash (impressive). A Dolce rider got away late during lap 6 and took 2nd. Matt K won the field sprint for 3rd. 

Having such a big team with unique individual strengths was a huge benefit. Had I flatted or been caught in the crash, I have no doubt that another AV rider could have filled my role to get AV the win. Overall good communication and team tactics. I admit still have a lot to learn!