Race Report: Cat's Hill Classic Criterium - Women’s 3/Masters

Race: Cat's Hill Classic Criterium Women’s 3/Masters

Date: March 23, 2024

AVRT racers: Kristin Hepworth, Louise Thomas, Rachel Hwang

Top Result: Rachel 1st, Louise 2nd

Course: 40 minutes around a 0.90mi crit course.  L shape with 6 corners and a punchy 0.05mi, 35ft at avg 11.8% hill max 20% (Strava), and a gradual descent to the finish

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11024414060 

Race Recap (written by Rachel):

Going into the race, mine and Louise's goal was to conserve energy as much as possible as we were both racing the W P123 race and was very intimidated by the starting line up.  The combined field had 8 people, and normally, Louise would attack to make the race more interesting, but as we were conserving energy, we started at a slightly faster than coffee ride pace and stayed pretty slow throughout the race.  Within a few laps, it started downpouring rain.  I was struggling to see in front of me for many laps before the rain started clearing.

At this point, the race was pretty slow and boring, and Kristin and Louise chatted mid ride about what they could do.  In the end, we all took it slow to conserve Louise and my legs.  Throughout the race, there were 4 primes that Louise and I traded off getting.  To be honest, I didn't really hear him announce some of the primes as it was raining and I was just trying to see in front of me. 

Closer to the end, it picked up ever so slightly to the point where only 3 of us were left off the front - me, Louise, and a junior.  Through the entire race, I practiced shifting gears before and during the hill on the inside line - but still not well enough as I was pedaling through the entire hill and people were able to start pedaling 15% up it. The junior also practiced her same line but from the outside every time.  She was getting ready to attack.  On the last lap, she attacked up the hill.  Gauging my competition, I powered up that hill, continued outputting power over the top on the false flat, and left her behind.  I looked back a few times on the decent to make sure she wasn't on my wheel, and rolled across the finish line.  Louise played it strategically and held onto her wheel drafting from the hill all the way to the end, before outsprinting her for a 2nd place finish.

Nutrition: 1 Clif shot on the start line, 1 bottle liquid IV during the race