Race Report: 2024 Davis Flatlands Circuit Race - Men’s Cat 4

Race: Davis Flatlands Road Race — Men’s Cat 4

Date: April 7, 2024

AVRT Racers: Zack Berger

Top Results: Zack (DNP)

Course: 3.8 mile clockwise loop of a nontechnical course. Mostly good pavement with scattered potholes in the first 2.5 miles. Strong winds (advertised at 10-20mph, but less intense during our race) were the key feature.

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11130728029

Nutrition: 1 Gu gels before the race, 1 bottle of water with 1 scoop of Tailwind Endurance Fuel and a ½ cup of Carbo Gain (~80g carbs).

Recap

I went into this race without teammates. My plan was to avoid a bunch sprint. To that end I’d stay at the front and try to join any breaks. I’d avoid pulling until the last two laps when I would lay down my threshold 15 minute power, crescendoing in a sprint against my breakmates.

Lap 1. The pace started off hot. Of our thirty rider field, ten people fell off the back within the first two minutes. I was able to stay toward the front, but at a personal cost. On the backside of the course my heart rate hit 196 bpm. 

Lap 2. The turn onto Hopkins Road had a bunch of gravel on it. Just before the turn I got boxed onto the right side of the road, aimed straight at the gravel patch. I nervously slowed down and made it through safely, but shot to the back of the peloton.

Lap 3. I carried a lot of momentum through the first half of this lap to make it back to the front. There was one rider in red up the road, who we eventually caught. The pace slowed up a lot. My heart rate calmed down and I felt like I was finally able to ride steadily.

Lap 4. During the first few laps I did a bad job of carrying speed into the corners. Taking a posthumous look at my power profile, it’s clear I was spiking power out of each one. By lap 4 I started to get the hang of it, and was able to keep more steady power throughout. One thing I’d love to improve is my ability to conserve energy by drafting in the pack — I had a lot of trouble pinpointing how to do this with the wind.

Lap 5. As we approached Hopkins Road, the same rider in red began a subtle attack. I was well positioned toward the front of the peloton as the pace picked up and riders began to string out. My intention was to attack off the peloton out of the turn onto Hutchison Drive and try and make a break stick. Yet, disaster struck.

I felt something connect to the rear of my bike. Suddenly, my tail started shaking back-and-forth. I had a Jesus, take the wheel moment as I did everything in my power to stay upright. I heard a ripping noise from behind and gained stability. After a few seconds, I peered over my shoulder to see a four-person crash.

Maybe I can keep going. But, nothing happened when I pedaled. I looked down to see my rear derailleur exploded into pieces, two broken spokes, sealant spraying out, and a rear flat. My race was over. In the van back I felt incredibly fortunate to have walked away unscathed.