Race Report: 4/26 WNTL - Open A

Race: Wednesday Night Track  - Open A

Date: April 26, 2023

AVRT racers: Nico Sandi, Skyler Espinoza

Top Result: Nico Sandi (1/21)

Course: 4 left turns

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8964243260

Nutrition: Big thing of rice on the drive down. Gatorade and clif shots as needed (lots). 

Season opener at the track!! And one of the only times of the year I get to race alongside Skyler. 

Jeff Vander Stucken Photography

If you are still thinking about riding the track please reach out with questions. This year Hellyer has taken a few more steps to make riding and racing more welcoming for new folks. We want more people to come out and experience racing on the track. It is almost as fun as cyclocross. 

18 lap scratch (1/21): this was my first time winning a scratch race! From a SPRINT nonetheless. A couple of early moves went but I was just trying to be extra patient and actually trust my sprint at the end. With 5 to go the field was super strung out and eventually two people got off the front. I didn’t panic and waited for other to close it. With 2 to go a rider got to the front, I was glued to his wheel and he pulled the break back, catching them on the back straight where I launched and was able to hold off the field at the line. 

12 lap tempo (5/21): A rider went off the front immediately after the whistle. He was able to get points on the first 3 laps. I again was trying to save energy and try one bigger attack later. But the field was going super fast the whole race trying to bring him and other attackers back. I was only able to get myself one point on a random lap and come in for 3rd in the final sprint. 

Elimination (1/21): super sketchy race! I think that it being the first race of the year made it extra hectic. Everyone was jostling for position and rubbing elbows and screaming at each other. It was scary. I tried my best to stay in the mix in the first few laps and had a couple close calls at the back of the bunch. I had to put in a couple of digs to get to the front to be in better position, but quickly dropped back. With 6 to go I made my best to stay second wheel and let others in the back fight for position. With only 3 riders left I was able to sit in the wheels while they sprinted against each other, passed them at then line and kept going. I was able to ride the final lap alone since the other two riders were gassed from sprinting each other. 

Points (3/21): Going for the omnium meant that I was only really marking 2 riders going into this race. My goal was to follow them and make sure I was getting the same or more points than them. I let other moves go early and eventually countered to follow a move and get some points halfway through the race. Other than those points the only other points I got were at the final sprint where I sprinted for second. Enough to get me that omnium win. 

Nico