Club News
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
Race Report: 2023 Berkeley Road Race - Men’s Masters 3/4
Race: 2023 Berkeley Hills Road Race- Men’s Masters 3/4 (35+)
Date: April 29, 2023
AVRT racers: Nat Green, Hoss Hayati, Shai Traister
Top Results: Nat (5/44), Hoss (14/44), (Shai flatted)
Course: 3 laps of the 18-mile “Three Bears” loop. The course starts out flat for a few miles on San Pablo Dam Road, before descending quickly to a right turn onto Castro Ranch Road, which has 90-second climb and then descends to a right turn onto Alhambra Valley Road, which is a narrow road with a mild uphill grade for about five miles. The course then turns right onto Bear Creek road, which has the most distinctive features of the course: the three-minute (or so) “Mama Bear” climb, and then, after a short descent, the five-minute (or so) “Papa Bear” climb. The finish line is just before the top of Papa Bear. There is then about a 1.5-mile fast, non-technical descent to the “Baby Bear” climb (a very short, but pretty steep kicker), and then another right turn onto San Pablo Dam Road again. Weather was in the 50s to start and the 60s by the end, and sunny. Wind was mild and not a major factor.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8979973507
Nutrition: I brought two bottles of Skratch mix and a bunch of gels. I also got a third bottle from the AV feed at the end of lap 2 (thanks guys!). That was fine for three laps, given the weather.
Recap: This was a big field with 44 riders to start, and several teams (Dolce Vita, Work Health Solutions, PV) with more riders than we had, so our strategy was to minimize the work we did to save energy for what we expected to be a fast finale on the last two climbs of lap 3. But we also tried to stay reasonably close to the front in case of a split and to keep an eye on threatening moves off the front. There were attacks from the start with a couple of riders going off the front. We were not in great position at that point, but assumed they would be quickly brought back. And so did the rest of the field. But apparently no one in our field realized that one of the guys who went early was able to latch onto the 4s who had started just ahead of us in a group of 70+, and he ended up riding with them most of the way and “winning” our race. More on that later.
Setting aside the guy racing with the 4s, the race played out mostly as we expected, with very hard efforts over the climbs, and a more moderate pace in the flatter sections and descents. The group lost a few riders each time we went over one of the climbs, especially Mama Bear on lap 2, where one of the Dolce Vita guys really pushed the pace. But these folks were quickly replaced (and then some) with all of the 4s that had been dropped from the main pack of 4s ahead of us and who decided to ride with us when we swept them up, which made for some extra chaotic and confusing racing, at times (and also probably contributed to the confusion about whether we had caught riders off the front of our field).
A split formed over the top of Papa Bear at the end of lap 2, with about 12 of us going clear of the rest of the group (including a few from the 4s field, probably). No one pushed the pace on San Pablo Dam Road, though, after the descent, so the group behind caught up pretty quickly (this was around the time that Shai flatted). There were a couple of attacks on lap 3 that were quickly brought back, setting up a showdown on the final Mama Bear and Papa Bear. Mama Bear was fast, but you could tell that folks were conserving something for Papa Bear, and no one really wanted to go for it and try to stay away between Mama Bear and Papa Bear. As we approached the final climb, I wanted to stay in the draft as long as possible, since I knew it was a long way to the line. The group became strung out very quickly, though, and it was just a contest to see who had the most in the tank at that point. About ten of us were pretty close together as we neared the line, and despite emptying the tank, I ended up fifth. I was happy with the effort, though – having put out 390w for 3:30, which I thought was pretty good for the end of a race.
The first guy in our group celebrated like he had won the race, and the initial results showed he had. Later, they were updated to add a different winner, who we quickly figured out had gone off the front right away and ridden with the 4s almost the entire way (he dropped back at the final climb). This was confirmed by Strava Flyby, eyewitness accounts, and video. We exchanged some messages with the race promoter, who agreed that it was a violation of the rules and said he would discuss with the head referee. That review is still pending, so it is unclear what action will be taken with respect to the “winner,” although the promoter said they had already decided to award the fourth-place finisher (actually third) a third-place prize, and that they would make a better effort next year to enforce the rule on riding with another field and possibly use different colored numbers for different fields, etc.
Nat
Race Report: Sea Otter Fuego XL M30s
Race: Sea Otter “Fuego XL”
Date: April 22, 2023
Category: M 30-39
Racers: Alex Rusoff (7th / 82), Shane McGuire
Every time I race Sea Otter the race gets longer and harder and this year it was 69 miles and 8500ft. The Fuego XL became part of the Lifetime Grand Prix series this year so most of the big hitters were out there racing (in the Pro categories).
This course, shared with the gravel event, really doesn’t call for a very gnarly bike. I was on my Blur TR which, although great, was total overkill. As far as nutrition I started with 2 bottles and grabbed a 2L hydro pack at the start of the 2nd lap. All bottles were ~60g carbs via skratch and malto mix. I had also prepped 2x gel flasks (5 gel-equivalents each) but really only needed one. It turned out I had plenty of carbs but maybe needed more salt.
The race started as all XC races do and by that I mean a 900w sprint off the line into a 400w 3 minute climb. We were semi mass started in that a few of the men’s age group categories started together. As a result it was never possible to tell what position I was in among my field (30-39). I now know from the results page that I was in 5th position at the first checkpoint, which meant my starting effort was about right.
The first hour was quite hard. I was doing 290w NP which was not going to be sustainable for 5 hours. The group I was riding in was making its way through the back of the pro women’s field who had started before us. By the end of the first lap my NP had dropped to 275w and I was still in 5th position but hurting.
When I stopped in the feedzone (half way) to grab my hydration pack my quads cramped up badly. I drank a ton of water hoping that would solve the cramps as it had the week prior at Lake Sonoma. I set off on lap 2 but it was pretty obvious that I was going to have to hold a dramatically lower power. I wasn’t sure if there was much merit to finishing the race but I also didn’t know what position I was in (I only know now, after the fact) so was curious how it would all play out.
My lap 2 pace was way off - only about 225w NP. I was kind of hoping that at some point I would start getting passed by a massive wave of riders and that would be my cue to call it a day but it didn’t really happen. A few of the pro women passed me, obviously having paced their effort much better than mine. Hopefully I don’t end up in a youtube video.
The interesting thing I came to find out at the end was that even though I had such a terrible second lap I only dropped from 5th to 7th. I’m not sure what the right takeaway is. It would have been satisfying to have consistency in power between first and second laps but on the other hand there is merit to staying up in the front group on an XC course where you can get slowed down by traffic in the single track. Truly one of those races where you are looking forward to the finish even before the whistle goes off.
Race Report: Sea Otter Road Race - Men’s A
Race: Sea Otter Classic - Men’s A
Date: April 21, 2023
AVRT racers: Nico Sandi, Grant Miller, Matthew Koenig
Top Result: Nico Sandi (22/73)
Course: 7 mile loop with a steep 3ish minute climb at the start of every lap. After lap 9 the course turns to the final 8ish minute climb.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8933154902
Nutrition: Four sleeves of clif shots, 3 caffeinated gels, three bottles with malto/gatorade mix.
This was a target race for me this year since I had won it in the B category last year. I was realistic about my expectations going in since I knew that the A category would be super fast and competitive. The start line was a sign of just how large the group was and all the pro teams that showed up with plenty of riders. I was intimidated.
I tried my best to stay close to the front on the neutral downhill roll out because I knew that the first climb would be very fast. And sure enough it was! I stayed towards the front of the group to make sure and not miss any splits. As soon as we crested the first climb a group of three went off the front with Legion, TMB and Project 74 in it. This forced other teams to chase which made the first lap incredibly fast.
The break was within sight coming into the second lap. As we turned into the climb it was even faster than the first lap. I was well positioned and was able to go with was eventually the winning move. 2 Legion, 2 TMB, another project 74, and a couple other fast riders made the split, joined the original break and crested ahead of the main group.
As we crested my chain refused to go into my big chainring. And as I looked down to see what was happening the move charged away in the the flat crosswind. I was both upset that I wasn’t with them after all the work on the climb but also relieved that my race would be way easier in the large chasing pack.
And that was the race. For the next 7 laps the main pack that I was on tried to send a couple counter moves but nothing sticked. The group slowly got smaller and smaller as the laps went on and fatigue set in. Eventually on lap 8 a small move went with another TMB and Legion while I was all was at the back eating. We came into the final climb in a group of around 9 people. At this point I was just following wheels and sprinting for the finish.
Just finishing this race was a huge success for me. I was happy to have been in the mix for little bit of a super fast race.
Nico
Race Report: Slug Circuit - Men Elite 3
Race: Slug Circuit - Men Elite 3
Date: April 9, 2023
AVRT racers: Nico Sandi, George Wehner, Riley Chapman
Top Result: Nico Sandi (1/23)
Course: 13 laps of a 2.5 mile loop. One climb, one descent. Nothing tricky. Just 13 4ish minute VO2 intervals.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8862135231
Nutrition: Oats in the morning. Four sleeves of clif shots, two bottles with malto/gatorade mix.
I had just gotten back from altitude in Bolivia and was feeling very excited about this race. The course suits me really well, warm temps even better.
This race had a lot of collegiate riders joining our field before or after their collegiate race, so the main team represented was Cal Poly with there strong riders. We came in as a team with not that much of a plan other than try to keep the race under control until the end. I was confident I could do well on the uphill sprint finish.
The first two laps were brutal! Cal Poly got to the front and absolutely smashed the climb. After two laps I looked back and the field was completely shattered. Only 9 riders left in this selection.
The rest of the race was fairly mellow. Laps 3 and 4 were still a hard tempo up the climb, but the pace was definitely way slower. A couple of people tried to get away in the middle laps, but with 3 Cal Poly and two Team California in the group I was confident the teams would mark each other and it would all stay close for a while.
A couple of time I covered attacks and was bullied into pulling to make the move stick. I didn’t. It wasn’t worth trying to get away in the climb when the likelihood of getting caught in then descent or the next climb was so high. I was just making sure things were together for the final climb to the finish line.
We came around the corner for the last climb to the finish and a solo rider went off the front. I had saved enough energy at this point that I felt confident covering moves leading into the finish. I closed the gap to that rider and his teammate attacked immediately. I was able to go with that attack as well and we got healthy separation from the group. With about 300 meters to go the rider flicked his elbow for me to pull but instead of pulling I yelled “Come on! You got this. All the way!” And somehow he put in another dig, giving me the perfect leadout. As soon as he let off the gas I sprinted around him and held off the field for the W and enough points to upgrade to Cat 2!
I loved this course and I can’t wait to race it later this year with the P12 field.
Nico
Race Report: 2023 Berkeley Streets Criterium – Women Cat 3/Collegiate B/Masters 40/50/60
Posted by Lora Maes
Date: Sunday 4/30/2023
AVRT Racers: Lindsey Raven, Christina Davis, Sue Lin Holt, Lora Maes
Top Result: Lora Overall Win & 1st 50+, Chris 2nd 50+, Lindsey 1st cat 3, Sue Lin 3rd 40+
Course: .46 mile course set in downtown Berkeley & Cal campus with a short uphill, round traffic circle with some rough pavement and a short downhill. The start/finish is in a narrow drive after a slight left at the top of the hill. Some manhole covers and metal plates to navigate on the downhill. Each lap was around 75 seconds. There was some wind on the downhill but no significant impact on the rest of the course.
Strava: https://strava.app.link/71VSxwMnszb
Nutrition: Race start wasn't until 2:30 so I made sure to have a full breakfast which included a waffle, bacon, and coffee. I had a left over waffle so had a pb&j sandwich at noon as I left to drive to Berkeley. One GU gel at race start. Sipped on some fluid during warm up.
Race Recap:
This was my first time doing this course so I made sure to arrive with plenty of time to navigate parking and getting time to view the course. Wasn't quite sure how I'd feel after the tough effort in the road race the day before. I got a hole in my rear tire before race start Sat and wasn’t confident about the plug staying in so changed out my tires Sunday morning. In between the men's races I hopped in and got a lap of the course, yep, there's rough patches of pavement on that round about. Took note of the turn on the downhill and the best line to take. Christina, Lindsey, Sue Lin and I chatted before race start and agreed we would take turns attacking to tire out Marcie (Revolution) and Shannon (Cycle Sport) who were very strong sprinters so Sue Lin could have a better chance at the sprint if it came down to it.
There were a total of 11 in our race so maneuvering and making moves shouldn’t be as difficult as with a larger field.
From the start Chris and Lindsey got things started very quickly taking control of the front and pushing the pace for the first 3-4 laps. I found myself a little too far back in the first lap or two and worked my way up to 4th or 5th wheel with the goal of protecting Sue Lin. Lindsey continued to attack off the front and chased back Marcie, Lindsey did such an incredible job in this race. There was a point in the first half when Lindsey and Marcie were off the front and I did not think they were going to come back but I patiently sat on a wheel not working much. We eventually brought them back and were then a pack of 7. Christina from Eclipse attacked on the straight before the uphill turn but then crashed coming out of the turn, thankfully nobody else got caught in it (checked on her after the race and she was ok). Now down to 6. Sue Lin wasn’t there anymore so now I’m thinking to conserve, don’t let all Lindsey’s work go to waste, wait for the right moment (keep reading) and be patient. Lindsey continued to attack off the front, and close down attacks from Marcie and Shannon – this was working how we wanted it to. Pace continued to be fast. I was on Marcie's wheel on the front then as we came through the turn up the hill a pedestrian was walking across the course completely clueless of our race!! I yelled NOOOOOOO!!!!! and thankfully she moved out of the way, almost saw a disaster happen. Marcie and I slowed slightly to let the group rejoin, it only seemed like the fair thing to do for the race. Now we were starting to lap dropped riders in our race. Lindsey's relentless attacks were having some effect, I could tell everyone was getting tired up the climb. With about 7 laps to go, I attacked in the middle of the hill into the narrow straight to the roundabout (pic below captured this moment in the race). I hear Lindsey yell to go. I thought just make it strong, hard, and long - I kept going. In retrospect, this was a perfectly timed attack, utilizing the hill, the narrow stretch before the roundabout, and the ability to not be seen once I was in the roundabout. On the downhill, I focused on taking a really good line into the turn with no braking. I noticed early in the race, I was gaining ground out of the turn as not everyone was cornering that well. I can get a gap going if I take really good turns and just kept telling myself, take good lines. It worked, I looked back and a solo gap formed. 6 more laps to go, charge the hill, take good lines. Sue Lin did some strategic placement on the roundabout as we passed, furthering the gap. 2 laps, I looked back, still nobody – I got this!! Keep pushing… got the overall win with a 10 second gap!
The result of my win was 100% teamwork, it could have not happened without everyone's contribution in the race. It was just amazing to see it all come together.
Race Report: 2023 Berkeley Streets Crit Women P123
Race: 2023 Berkeley Streets Crit Women P123
Date: April 30, 2023
AVRT racers: Kelly Brennan, Ari Pascarella, Gina Yuan, Niky Taylor
Top Result: Niky 1st, also we won the omnium
Course + Recap: WOWOWOWOWOW
The course is super short, less than half a mile and just over a minute per lap. From the start line it goes straight into a roundabout with not great pavement, but there’s one good line on the inside and then a 3ft wide strip of good pavement to take you out of it. From there it’s straight for a second and then a slight left downhill, then a fast right into the long straightaway. Then sharp right up a slight hill and around a bit of a left back to the finish.
This crit was day 2 part 2 of the Berkeley Omnium, and since we had gotten 1, 3, and 5 the day before in the road race we were in pretty good position. The ideal situation was to get me over the line first to secure us the Omnium win. We talked about that and I waffled around a lot and complained about my allergies. Cam and I put a GoPro on my bike because there‘s hardly ever videos of women’s races and Gina and I wanted to make one. It’s gonna be cool to look at the GoPro footage to see how I remember the race vs. what actually happened.
Ok so here’s what I (we) remember happening. The race started. Gina took charge immediately. She attacked, then some Monarch riders, both Terun riders, and Melanie caught her. She sat on their wheels and I chased them back (i.e. I was just riding really hard trying to not get dropped). At some point Gina attacked and I went with her and then she ripped the downhill corner into absolute shreds and left me in the dust. So I caught back up and then the same thing happened in the roundabout. So then I was like oh wait I’m just chasing my teammate. So I fell back to the group.
Gina stayed at the front and kept up attacks. Eventually she ended up in a break with Alex (Terun) and the two of them spent about half the race off the front. Monarch let them dangle, but that was fine for me, Kelly, and Ari just sitting in. Shoutout to Gina for having the hardest race of all of us and just absolutely crushing it.
Back in the pack, I had a few struggles with maintaining position. It took me a few laps to figure out lines. And then I was fighting with a solo rider a bit. I got gapped a few times and Ari would come around me to move me back up. At one point I glanced back and saw both Ari and Kelly right behind me, guarding me and ready to help me if I needed it.
I was feeling pretty good. I was so comfortable and well-positioned thanks to my teammates. Also my mom came out to cheer so that was really cool seeing her each lap. I started paying attention to the line I would take for a sprint. I was dedicated to sprinting. I saw all the work Gina was doing and Ari and Kelly were keeping me safe and all of them were playing the field so well. I wanted to go get them the win.
Gina and Alex got caught. I did a counterattack then came back in. Ari calmly took a preem. Kelly did an attack and led us through a couple laps. I tested out the sprint line and took a preem. That put me on the front. I didn’t want to be on the front so I dropped back to look for my teammates. Gina came up to help maneuver me. I told her I got it. She’d done so much and now it was my turn to bring it home and I was ready.
Kelly was monitoring the pack and watching other riders. Coming into the hill for the second to last time she gave me the sneaky sneaky signal by screaming “NOW NIKY GO.” So I blasted it to get into second position. I got on Alex’s (Terun) wheel and she was lighting it up trying to lead out Ilan but actually hi it’s me. It was perfect. I came around her on the hill and poured everything I had into a sprint and it felt SO. DAMN. GOOD. to cross that line first.
My teammates played this race amazingly. So incredibly solid. I love and respect them so much. Thanks guys for getting me to a sprint finish turns out I fucking loved it.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8987255780
Nutrition: Took some sips of skratch during the race
Race Report: 2023 Berkeley Road Race Women P123/Long Course
Race: 2023 Berkeley Road Race (District Champs) Women P123/Long Course
Date: April 29, 2023
AVRT racers: Kelly Brennan, Ari Pascarella, Lindsey Raven, Gina Yuan, Niky Taylor
Top Result: Niky 1st, Kelly 3rd (P123), Gina 5th (P123)
Course + Recap: It’s an 18 mile loop and we did it 4 times. Luckily it is pretty. Also nice weather so yay. Starts with a not super steep descent which is kinda sketch cause there’s some weird pavement things. Watch out. Right turn onto nice road with 2 main hills and some road furniture. Down a descent, then right onto a “flat” (actually 1-2%) for a while. Some vague rolling and then you get to the “3 bears.” No one seems quite sure which hill is what bear because there’s more than 3 climbs but here’s what we’ve deduced: there’s a moderate climb (mama bear), a descent, a short climb (psych, still mama bear), a descent, and then the biggest climb (papa bear) to the finish line. After the line there’s a kicker (baby bear), a fun descent, then another kicker (not a bear, just a kicker). Right turn, do it all again.
This race was district champs and the 1-year anniversary of me starting road racing. I wanted to win it. I haven’t really gone into many races trying to win. I’m usually more of a let’s see what happens and la de da. But I thought I’d try setting the intention this time. I buried my goal in a slack thread and everything.
I love racing with my teammates. We didn’t make a race plan (well, not a real one anyways), we just said how we were feeling and what we wanted and that was it. We know how we each ride and we know how to work together and we’re all comfortable trusting that. Also I cannot describe how amazing/relieving/wonderful it was to stage with a bunch of friends. Redlands was the last thing I did and was so intense. At Berkeley I got to joke around and laugh and say hello to all the other women and I wasn’t terrified.
Our race started out comically slow. We joked around a lot. End of lap 1 I pushed it on the climbs a bit. Gina watched the other riders and how they responded. At the start of lap 2 she told me who we needed to watch for. I got her to have some fun on the descent with me. She reminded me to be patient, which was good. Ari got on the front to control.
There were some attacks. We did some, Monarch did some, Terun did some. The field thinned out. Kelly covered a lot of stuff. Ari got two flats on the descent and had to pull out of the race. Lindsey was riding super strong but then got gapped on the second lap climbs. So it was down to me, Gina, and Kelly.
I felt weird. I realized I’m a bit burnt out. I was having just an ok time. I thought about pulling out of the race. I thought about how my throat hurt from allergies. I thought about all the ways I didn’t feel great and then realized no one else knew I didn’t feel great and they all probably saw me as a threat. And maybe I didn’t feel perfect but actually I felt pretty fine. So just keep biking.
Lap 3 Monarch started rolling attacks. It was definitely effective. Alex (Terun) and Gina and Melanie and another solo rider were doing a lot of the work to shut things down. I joined in to help Gina. Alex got us working together (along with a couple solo riders) to bring back one of the attacks. At one point Gina suggested I bridge up to Chloe (Monarch) and try working with her, so I did that, but then we got brought back and Monarch attacked again omg. Stop it.
I was kinda over it with being attacked, it felt like being caught in waves at the beach and just getting rolled over and over. So I attacked. Gina counterattacked that. Then Kelly got on the front and started pushing the pace up to discourage attacks. Sweet. I love Kelly.
Coming through a kicker Kelly really ramped it up and I went with her. We got a small gap and bucked down and got to work. That break lasted maybe a quarter of a lap and then we were caught. As soon as the group caught us Gina countered, and Kelly and I sat up. I said “holy shit I love Gina.” Kelly and I had really committed to that break and so we were both pretty tired. Gina attacking meant everyone else had to respond to her rather than make attacks of their own. That gave us the time we needed to sit in and recover. Such an excellent move by Gina. Holy shit I love Gina.
By the time we reached the climbs Kelly was recovered and covering things on the front. Into the kicker that I think is baby bear (the one right after the finish line), Chloe (monarch) attacked. We didn’t bring her back immediately, but Gina stayed on the front to control. We wanted to leave Chloe out there for a bit so Monarch wouldn’t counter. After a few minutes, Gina said to roll some attacks to get us up to Chloe. I was still struggling with mental stuff and it was taking a lot of energy, so I did a very lame attack. The field worked to catch me, then Gina did a much stronger counter and bridged to Chloe. Solo riders and Terun were forced to bring them back and Kelly and I took the free ride.
Then Helen (Monarch) attacked. I was like ok sure and bridged up to her. And then I was like hm I kinda like this. Having her with me meant that Monarch wasn’t gonna chase. And she helped me establish a pretty good break. And I was pretty sure I could out-climb her.
After a quarter lap the moto rolled up and said we had a 45s gap and Helen fully committed to just hanging on my wheel. We had some race banter which was basically me saying “don’t you wanna pull” and her saying “lol no way.” She thought I’d beat her on the climbs. Which made me realize that really all I had left to do was that.
So on mama bear or whatever the first hill is I put the pressure on, just slowly ramping up the pace. I gapped her and held it and grew it, hoping she’d give in. She didn’t. I worried she’d catch me. I knew if I let up at all she’d notice and she’d capitalize. So I rode hard, and it was hard, but at the base of the final climb I knew I had it.
I got to cross the line with my hands in the air. It was a cool moment, this race meant more than just a districts title. Crossing the line was a mark of how far I’ve come in a year. I’ve met so many people, joined this team, accomplished a bunch of stuff in this sport I never thought I could do. It was also a bit of an ego boost after Redlands, and a feeling of accomplishment knowing I had set a goal and achieved it with my team. I also realized I need a break. I’m burned out. I like racing, I love biking, and I’m gonna take a minute now to figure out what I want to do next.
Kelly and Gina rolled in with the bunch, Kelly outclimbing the rest of the P123s for 3rd and Gina coming in strong in 5th. This win (and all our wins) was made possible by teamwork and I am so thrilled with how we raced this. We won this race because we know how to work together and support each other, and we won this race with smarts and a little bit of strategic climbing power at the end :)
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8980257959
Nutrition: Feed zone was at the base of Papa Bear. I had 6ish clif bloks during the race, half a bottle of maple syrup/water which I tried bc malto makes my stomach hurt but plot twist this also made my stomach hurt, also a full bottle of plain water.
X Ride - 5/4/23
Hello AVers!
I'm excited to announce that the X Ride is back for a second edition! Join us on Thursday, May 4th for another fun loop on XC bikes or gravel bikes if that's all you have. The pace will be 3 w/kg with regroups throughout the ride. We expect the loop to take approximately 90 minutes, depending on the pace of the group.
We will meet at 6:30 am at the same location as last time, Portola/Alpine at Robert's Market. Here is the route for the ride: Strava Route.
If you missed out on the first edition, this is your chance to join in on the fun! And if you were with us last time, we hope to see you again for another great ride.
Don't forget to bring water, snacks, and appropriate gear for the ride. Let's kick off the day with a great workout and some fresh air.
See you on Thursday! Austin
(This email was written by ChatGPT)
*Cancelled* AV Wednesday Intervals 05/03, by AC Coaching
EDIT: Hey all looks like there is a chance of rain tomorrow morning so I am going ahead and cancelling the morning intervals for 5.03 to avoid the wet (yes Im a California weather weenie…) Please feel free to hop on zwift to complete the scheduled workout! Will see you next week! - Lindsey
Hi guys, another week of intervals, with some variations. Short then long then back to short!
Any level is welcome, come and do the effort at YOUR pace. Lindsey and Flo will be here to explain the training, help with pacing, give advice, and answer to any questions. (I’m on holidays in Hong Kong !)
The meet up is at 7.15am
Back down around 8.15am.
Session: Vo2 - 6* 1' @110 - 5' @95% - 6*1'@115
A first block of 6 reps of 1 minute at 110%, 1’ rest. You should be in full control here.
Second block is one rep of 5min just sub threshold at 95%. Building the fatigue. Take 5’ rest.
A last block of 6 reps of 1 minute going higher, at 115%. 1’ rest. Finish stronger than the first block, you have to!
Pace wel the first block of 6 reps, staying in control, at 110%.
Build power slightly higher on 2nd block if you feel good, targeting 115 to 120%.
Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3049221988200414344?v2=true
Summary: 15 miles / Up&Down Kings. One warm up loop, Manuela/olive hill. After going on Kings for the intervals.
Start: Village Bakery Parking, Woodside. Intersection Canada Road / 84
(Woodside Intersection)
Time: Wednesday 3rd May, Meet 7.10 a.m., Leave 7:15 a.m.
Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules
Ride Leader: Lindsey Raven
AV Wednesday Intervals 04/26, by AC Coaching
Hi guys, new week of intervals, a classic 2 minutes repeats.
Any level is welcome, come and do the effort at YOUR pace. Lindsey and Flo will be here to explain the training, help with pacing, give advice, and answer to any questions. (I’m on holidays in Hong Kong !)
The meet up is at 7.15am
Back down around 8.15am.
Session: Vo2 - 8 reps of (2’ @110-115, 2’ rest)
8 repeats of 2' effort @110%. 2' rest.
Pace weel the first 4 reps, staying in control, at 110%. 5' rest after the 4th rep.
Build power slightly higher from 5th rep if you feel good, targetting 115 to 120%.
If you are in a week between races, keep the 2 minutes easier (90-100%). Keep a good technique, efficient cadence, play with your gears, fuel well!
Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3049221988200414344?v2=true
Summary: 15 miles / Up&Down Kings. One warm up loop, Manuela/olive hill. After going on Kings for the intervals.
Start: Village Bakery Parking, Woodside. Intersection Canada Road / 84
(Woodside Intersection)
Time: Wednesday 26th April, Meet 7.10 a.m., Leave 7:15 a.m.
Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules
Ride Leader: Lindsey Raven, Flo Costa
Inaugural X Ride
Hello AVers!
This Thursday, April 27th marks the beginning of a new AV ride, the X Ride! This ride is meant to be a fun loop on XC bikes, or gravel bikes if that’s all you have. Pace will be 3 w/kg with regroups. The loop should take about 90 minutes.
This ride will start 6:30 am at Portola/Alpine at Robert’s Market. Here is the route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3085673587054248536
Look forward to seeing everyone out there,
Austin
Andrea Cloarec
To briefly introduce myself, I’ve ridden a bike for the past 10 years, more seriously in the last 5. I’ve worked with coaches the past two years off and on. I continue to learn more about training, but I still feel like a novice. I’ve always enjoyed riding my bike, and more recently have been motivated to compete at a high level with Alto Velo.
I started working with Andrea in January of 2023. In working with a new coach, I have struggled to trust the process. Will these workouts get me where I want to go? Why am I doing this workout? Does this person really know what they’re doing? The more I have worked with Andrea, the more confidence I have in the process.
Repeatedly I have gone for a workout, and find his recommendations the perfect balance of doable, and difficult. Left to my own devices, I set out to do a PR every rep, and fail the workout. Andrea started me out low for the year, and built me back up to where I was at the same time last year. I felt good while training, and he helped me frame my program productively.
I ran track in highschool, and it was super fun to do workouts as a team. I haven’t really experienced that in cycling, before Andrea’s Wednesday sessions. These are super fun, and very motivating. It makes it feel like I’m on a real team. It is a really supportive environment, and I hope we continue these throughout the year.
I have worked with two other coaches in the past, and they were great. They structured my training, and I got stronger. Andrea has helped me more than what he puts on Training Peaks. He is always available to talk to me about how I’m feeling. How should this workout feel? What can I expect from this week? It would be a lie to claim that I’ve felt amazing every day since working with Andrea. I’ve wanted to quit. However, Andrea has supported me through the more challenging emotional side of cycling. There is a huge mental component to this sport, and I’m glad to have a coach that addresses this.
To quantify my progress with Andrea, I compared my power PRs in the first 3 months of the year, between 2022 and 2023. There is a 7% increase in my 20 minute power, and a 6% increase in my 5 second power. In terms of race results, I finished 5th at Cantua Creek P/1/2 and 11th at Bariani P/1/2. I contributed to a GC win for Cam at Tucson Bicycle Classic 2/3, as well as a 4th place for him at Pine Flat P/1/2.
AV Wednesday Intervals 04/19, by AC Coaching
Hi guys, new week of intervals, we’ll go with a “classic”. A standard training that we will repeat every 6/8 weeks so you can assess your progress. Any level is welcome, come and do the effort at YOUR pace. I’ll be here to explain the training, help with pacing, give advice, and answer to any questions.
The meet up is at 7.15am
Back down around 8.15am.
Session: 1’ VO2 max - 16* 1’ (@110 to 120%)
16 repeats of 1' effort, with 1' rest. Start conservatively at 110-115%
5' rest after the 8th rep. Re assess how you feel, keep the same power, or go and reach 120%.
Stay at a comfortable effort of 100/110% if you have a race this weekend ;)
This training is easily repeatable, and you can assess your improvement. If you do this training @300W this week with a RPE of 9/10. And re do this training @300W in 6 weeks but with a RPE of 6/10. You knew you progressed. And that’s what training is!
Route: https://www.strava.com/routes/3049221988200414344?v2=true
Summary: 15 miles / Up&Down Kings. One warm up loop, Manuela/olive hill. After going on Kings for the intervals.
Start: Village Bakery Parking, Woodside. Intersection Canada Road / 84
(Woodside Intersection)
Time: Wednesday 19th April, Meet 7.10 a.m., Leave 7:15 a.m.
Ride etiquette: https://www.altovelo.org/ride-rules
Ride Leader: Andrea Cloarec, AC Coaching
Race Report: Copperopolis - Men’s E3
Race: 2023 Copperopolis Road Race - Men’s Elite 3
Date: 4/8/2023
AVRT racers: Andrew Ernst, Matt Koenig, Florian Costa
Top Result: Andrew 2/17, Matt 3/17
Course: 4 counter-clockwise laps of a 21 mile, 1800 ft elevation circuit featuring iconically bad pave and potholes at times spanning the entire width of the road. The elevation is frontloaded into the first 6 miles of the course, with rollers leading up to a 2 mile climb at 5%. After the hill is a 9 mile plateau cutting through now green pastures (courtesy of all the rain this year) and then a bone-jarring, bike-mangling 5 mile descent before a 0.6 mile drag at 3% up to the finish. This year’s temperatures ranged from the low 50s at start to low 60s at the finish. Wind was about 10mph from the northwest.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8856228583
Nutrition: 5 gels, 1 bottle Gu roctane mix (100g), and 2 bottles water
Gear: I came close to riding my Specialized Diverge after hearing how bad the roads were, but with the significant amount of elevation, I opted for my Tarmac SL7 with tubeless 28c tires at 70psi. I’m not sure this was the right choice.
Race Recap: Leading up to the race, it looked like we had good odds of doing well with AVRT making up a third of the pre-registered racers. Unfortunately, Daniel wasn’t able to make it on race day, Flo was dealing with a knee injury, and Matt had just recovered from the flu. At the start line, our biggest team threat was Dolce Vita with four riders. There were also a few strong guys riding unattached. Knowing there would likely be gaps caused by mechanicals early on, our goal was to stay toward the front so we could pick our lines and avoid launched bottles.
The race started pretty relaxed as we navigated the first section of bad pavement. Matt opened things up on the first climb and strung the field out. The first lap stayed fast through the backside headwind. We stayed toward the front without really driving the pace. James from Dolce went flying into the descent and the field was blown apart. I had told myself that I wasn’t going to risk safety on the descent, so I lost ground and had to work a bit on the slight uphill section to catch back on. Fortunately, the front guys who had bombed the descent had no intention of staying away. Coming into lap two, the field was probably half of what it had been at the start.
Matt and I took turns on the front the second time up the main climb. As we crested, I found myself 10 seconds off the front and figured I might as well see if I could keep it going. I stayed a 5-10 seconds away from four chasers (one being Matt) until I took a wrong left turn in Felix. Two riders followed me and one followed Matt straight (the correct direction). I quickly realized I had taken a wrong turn and flipped it with one of the two riders who followed me. We managed to catch back up with Matt while the rider who had followed Matt trailed 30 seconds behind our group of three. Because Matt and I had done a lot of work to facilitate the break, we eased up to see if our break-mate from “Super Sprinkles” would contribute. The answer was an astounding “no.” We slowed down so much that the chaser caught us on the descent and the break was now at four.
Lap three, Matt and I kept the pace quick up the climb to ensure the other riders weren’t getting rest. I again found myself off the front. Matt attacked to drop “the chaser” from lap two and closed the small gap I had. I think this was a good move since I didn’t want to dangle off the front solo through the headwind just to be caught on the descent. So it was again Matt, myself, and the guy from Super Sprinkles. This time Matt and I kept the pace a little quicker. Super Sprinkles basically got a free ride on the AV train for the rest of lap three.
Lap four, I knew we were going to have to put in some solid attacks to send either Matt or myself off the front and leave Super Sprinkles behind. Ideally, this would happen on the climb where there was the biggest opportunity to create a large time gap. I pushed but didn’t have the kick to gap Super Sprinkles. After all, he had gotten a free ride for most of the previous 60 miles. Matt and I attacked and counter attacked 4-5 times throughout the lap, but Sprinkles was always there with his fresh legs. I knew that if we were all together at the top of the final descent, Matt would win with his solid sprint. I also knew that if I didn’t have a 20 second lead before the descent, I would lose (given my unwillingness to descend at 45mph on such terrible pavement). Just before the descent, Sprinkles decided to burn a match and we lost Matt. As anticipated, Sprinkles proceeded to bomb the descent like he had the previous three laps, and I gradually lost 15-20 seconds that I couldn’t regain before the finish.
Looking back, I really think we could have organized our attacks better in the last lap to get AV the win. One hard attack on the climb would have been a lot more meaningful than our 4-5 halfhearted attempts. If we had protected one rider on laps two and three, that rider would have had the snap to go solo on the last climb. We’ll get ‘em next time!
Andrew
Race Report: Cat's Hill Classic - Men's E3
Race: Cat’s Hill Classic - Men’s Cat 3
Date: 3/25/2023
AVRT racers: Matt Carvell, Flo Costa, Daniel Fonyo, Matt Koenig, George Wehner
Top Results: Flo 7/31, Matt 11/31, Carvell 13/31
Course: 1.5 km lap in Los Gatos featuring a 20 second climb with pitches over 20%. Fast downhill with a wide final corner into the finish. Just over 2 min per lap for 40 min.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8789344119
Nutrition: 1 bottle of rocket fuel (malto + gatorade)
Race Recap:
Cat’s Hill is one of the most fun crit courses of the year with the 20%+ climb every lap. It’s a race of attrition since the steep hill forces you to drop 900+ watts every two minutes. Positioning and cornering are super important to carry momentum and use the least amount of energy possible. Our team for this race was me (Flo), Carvell, Daniel, Matt, and George. Team tactics are less impactful on this course, so our race plan was to stay in good position and battle it out for the finish.
We were packed like sardines combined with the Cat 4 and the Masters 35+ 3/4 fields (69 riders total) at the start line. Immediately after the start, Matt and Daniel took the front and lit the race up for the first 2 climbs. I tried to stay near the front in the top 10 positions to be able to respond to moves and not get caught behind crashes. I think there was a crash in the first few laps that split things up.
After a few laps a solo rider got off the front and held a 15 second gap for about half the race. Matt continued to put in work to bring him back. Me and a few other riders also helped when possible in the chase. With 10 minutes left the main group had come back together with about 20 riders left. At this point it seemed like it would come down to the final lap. I felt decent and started being more conservative to save energy for the finish.
Going into the final lap we were all still together. Matt K had done a lot of work pushing the pace up front and Matt Carvell helped to cover a few flyers. I was in the top 10 wheels hoping to pass and move forward on the hill. This was a mistake for 3 reasons. Firstly, those in front of the group carried their speed a lot better into the climb so being in the top 5 wheels with a clear line into the hill was ideal. Secondly, everyone was going to go nuclear up the climb which made passing a bit harder. Thirdly, the final ordering would not change much in the descent before the finish so the climb itself would be the deciding factor. I did manage to pass a couple riders but was only 7th position at the top. If I could redo things I would have moved up right before the climb into the top 3 wheels, as the pace wasn’t insanely fast at this point.
At the top of the hill, the group was strung out and everyone was in single file. We carried a ton of speed into the descent and the finish. I sprinted in the last 100m and finished 7th.
Super fun, hard race which is much more dynamic than the typical four corner crit. I was thoroughly cooked at the finish so satisfied overall with how the race went.
Until next time :)
Race Report: Lake Sonoma MTB Hopper M30-39
Race: Lake Sonoma MTB Hopper - Men’s 30-39
Date: April 15th 2023
AVRT racers: Alex Rusoff 1st / 81
Course: 26mi / 5200ft. Road start into almost all singletrack with brief fire roads.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8897010895/overview
Nutrition: Skratch spiked with malto
This year the course was modified to account for the heightened water levels in the reservoir. I had raced the original course once prior in 2021 and took 3rd that time. By comparison this course featured what felt like longer climbs and longer descents. Certain parts of the descent were properly chunky and gnarly with rain ruts that exposed rocks and created interesting obstacles.
I started off about 20 rows back because I didn’t expect how early others would stage. Oops. Fortunately the course started with a 12 minute road climb before pinching off into the single track. I moved through the field over the course of the road climb and felt extremely comfortable above threshold.
In the first 20 minutes of the single track I set off aggressively passing others until I found myself in a nice open space. It is helpful to have someone to chase but I was much faster to ride on my own because I wasn’t limited by the speed of a rider in front of me. The single-speeders were also out there racing in the mass start. Those guys and gals are rad but if they unclip on the climb then so will you (and hence the urgency in passing).
The course was mostly dry except for a few shallow stream crossings and one surprise mud bog in which I sank to my bottom bracket. The wet didn’t really change the racing, except for the 2nd time through the mud in which I did a slip-and-slide. A lesson I learned is that if you end up with a handful of mud during a race it is best to clear the thick greasy mud from the hand somehow before slapping it straight on your grip.
Last year I became a hydration pack convert and that was proving to be a good choice for facilitating drinking/fueling on a course with no natural recoveries. I had all of my fuel (skratch + malto) in my ~1600ml bladder. The tricky thing with a pack is that it can be hard to monitor your drinking rate. I started to feel some pretty concerning cramps coming on about 6 miles from the finish and decided to kill the rest of the fuel as a hail mary. It turned out I had way more water left than I had expected meaning I had under fueled the first lap.
It was brutal to try to hold pace near the end. There was a guy in stars and stripes kit about 20-30s ahead of me but I couldn’t close in on him. I did, however, manage to keep from getting passed by anyone for the entire 2nd lap. On my tail about 30s back was Chris Flynn. I was especially motivated to fend him off as he passed me in the final 200m in 2021, putting me in 3rd. I wound up winning the 30-39 and my position translated to the equivalent of 6th in the pro men.
Next up - Sea Otter. If you are mtb-curious I encourage you to go give it a shot.
ReCycle Bike Drive Volunteer Event
The ReCycle Bike Drive took place on April 8th 2023. Click here to view pictures by Christopher Testi (password is “green” to download photos). 105 bikes were collected, repaired and recycled to get into the hands of students and others in need who need them. It was a great event organized by Green Town Los Altos, in partnership with Silicon Valley Bicycle Exchange.
Don’t Miss Your Eliel Order Window
The following review was written by Ian Twamley. Alto Velo would like to thank Eliel for their sponsorship. Reminder that the current Eliel order window closes this Sunday, Apr 16, 2023 at 11:59pm (PDT).
Hey Alto Velo,
We are well into our second season of sporting the eye-catching orange-to-navy fade kits from Eliel, and I wanted to share my experience with what I consider the all-around best kit in my cycling wardrobe.
If you want to join Alto Velo and order kit you can do so here. Please look for a link to the store in your confirmation email from BikeReg. Current members, please check your email for an invite to the store.
If you are on the fence about ordering more in the current window, you absolutely will not regret filling up your shopping cart.
Based in California, Eliel’s goal is simple - they want you to look and feel great on every ride. With a focus on engineering and rigorous testing, their apparel is designed with an eye for detail that combines form, function and style.
After a season wearing the Laguna Seca bibs, Solana jersey, Palomar vest, and team socks, my experience absolutely lives up to the marketing hype.
I am extremely picky about the bibs I wear, because if they aren’t right, you’re going to have a bad time. As a guy that wears size XS or S everything, I often struggle with excess fabric in uncomfortable areas. The Laguna Seca bibs are tight but flexible, and offer compression that doesn’t feel constricting. I also think that the chamois is dense and reliably comfortable for even the longest days in the saddle.
For bay area summers, the combination of the Solana Jersey and Palomar vest keeps me comfortable through fluctuating temperatures. I especially like the long-ish sleeves on the jersey, which you forget you’re wearing the minute you put it on. I also appreciate the little things, like the outer zipper pocket to hold some cash for emergencies.
And while function is my primary motivation, the style of the AV kits is striking. They stand out in a crowded field in local races and group rides alike, and look even better when our photographer friends capture us mid-ride.
TL;DR, if my dresser is full of freshly cleaned kits, I will choose the Eliel branded apparel 10 times out of 10.
Don’t forget to submit your order ASAP!
Race Report: Cat’s Hill Classic - Men’s Cat 4
Race: Cat’s Hill Classic - Men’s Cat 4
Date: Saturday, March 25th 2023
AVRT racers: Maxime Cauchois, Riley Chapman, Ian Twamley
Top Result: Maxime Cauchois (3/28), Ian Twamley (6/28), Riley Chapman (7/28)
Course: 1 mile lap with a 20-ish-second hill every lap, fast corners.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/8777500190
Nutrition: One bottle mix of Skratch and cyclic dextrin during the race, one gel before the start.
Race Report: I usually don’t race criteriums, but this one is one of our local races and features a punchy steep climb every lap, so I thought I would give it a go. I was approaching the race primarily as an opportunity to get a good workout in and have fun, but also give it a shot should an opportunity arise. We had three riders from AV at the start so we were also well represented.
The race started off relatively fast, but the first laps were uneventful, following a common pattern: some small gaps would open during the climb and on the short rollers before the downhill section, but nothing would really stick and the group was usually back together by the time we were reaching the finish line. At this point, it was mostly a course of attrition and no one really wanted to commit to a breakaway. My goal was simply to stay in the first 5 or 10 positions and wait for the final two laps to produce an effort.
With about 8 laps to go, I found myself well positioned going into the finish line, and I remember they had announced a prime on this lap, so I made a short effort to get it before letting myself back into the pack, as I was also trying to save energy for the final laps.
The pace picked up during the final two laps, and I narrowly avoided a crash with two laps to go, as the two riders in front of me took a right turn too wide into the side curb and crashed out. This near-miss encouraged me to stay even more focused on positioning, and I started the final lap in the first third of the group, close to Ian and Riley. Going into the final climb, I had experimented with different lines during the race and found the outside one to be slightly faster, so I picked that line and went into the climb almost sprinting right behind Ian. We were well positioned among the first 5 riders at the top, at which point the pace slowed down a bit, and a couple riders attacked. Ian followed with me on his wheel, and we engaged the final descent in 3rd and 4th positions. I tried to rip the last corner and keep as much speed as possible going into the final turn, but the first two riders already had a small gap and I was only able to sprint for 3rd.
Overall I was quite happy with the result as I was coming into the race without any specific expectation, and I could see the fitness was coming around. In retrospect, we probably made a small strategic error by not pushing a bit more to come out ahead going into the descent but that’s how you learn!