Club News
Race Report: 2024 Gorge Gravel Grinder - Elite Men
Race: Gorge Gravel Grinder 2024 - Elite Men
Date: April 28, 2024
Written By: Flo Costa
Result: 5/23 (151 men overall)
Course: 100 mile gravel race in northern Oregon with 8000 ft of vert. Fast-rolling, hilly course with one major climb at mile 83. Champagne gravel apart from one technical section early on.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11287427709
Race:
This was the first of 3 races in the Oregon Gravel Series presented by Breakaway Promotions. I was stoked to make the trip to Oregon for this race on my way to the Tour de Bloom in Washington one week later. I was also excited to be back racing on my gravel ride after a busy early season on the road. This was my second gravel race of the year after Low Gap and would be my first preparation race for the Oregon Trail in the summer. In addition to testing my legs, I was also looking forward rocking my Schwalbe G-One RS 35mm semi-slick tires that seemed ideal for this course. The majority of these roads were fairly hard-packed gravel, with a few paved sections, which meant the speeds would be pretty high. A few racers even opted for road bikes with fully slick tires.
The race started with a peaceful neutral rollout, which was a nice opportunity to warm up and spin the legs. This didn’t last long, however, because as soon as we started the pace was hard (which seems to be quite normal in gravel races these days). As we hit the first set of hills, the field blew up; after 10 miles, the lead group was down to 8 riders. I was glad to have made the first selection, but knew that it was a big match to spend early on, requiring a peak power of 400w for 5 min.
Next was the main technical section of the day - 2 miles on a pretty rowdy jeep trail. I was confident in my technical skills and made sure to enter in good position to not get caught behind a split. After a navigating a few rocks, puddles, and mud puddles, I exited the technical section with only one other rider and a small gap to the next group. Seeing this gap, I continued to stay on the gas, but didn’t fully commit because we still had a lot of racing left. On a side note, Breakaway Promotions does a great job with route design, and I’m glad they included this section to make the race a lot more dynamic.
Shortly after, the lead group reformed with now only 5 riders as we entered the next section featuring more rolling hills with a pretty strong crosswind. As soon as we entered the crosswind, we got in a rotation and started hammering. Even in the wheels, I was pushing near threshold power which didn’t bode well for the 80 miles remaining. I soon decided to drop myself and dial it down since it wasn’t sustainable for me - a decision I don’t regret!
Thankfully I was joined by a second rider from the lead group (of now only three), and we were soon joined by another chase group of two. We immediately got into a solid rotation as a group of four. We worked really well together for the next 30 miles as I continuously reminded myself to eat and drink. By mile 50 it was just three of us and at mile 60 we dropped another guy on one of the longer hills. It was now just me and another racer named Austen working together, with the original lead group of three still up the road.
My legs were still feeling surprisingly good after such a start hard to the race. Austen and I continued to work together until the base of the main climb at mile 80. Here Austen ramped it up again and dropped me. I pushed a solid tempo up the climb, but was starting to feel pretty cracked. Being alone definitely makes it feel harder, at least mentally, but I continued to tell myself not to quit. Thankfully there was a decent descent after the climb where I could rest my legs a bit before the final 2k climb to the finish. I emptied myself on this final climb with what I had left (300w for 10min) and rolled through the finish in 5th on the day with a time of 5:11.
Overall, I was quite happy with my fitness, feelings, and fueling over the race. I also really enjoyed this scenic and fast-rolling course. This made for a proper early season gravel race!
Thanks for reading,
Flo
Race Report: 2024 University Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Race: University Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Date: 8/18/24
AVRT Racers: Andrea Cloarec, Nathan Martin, Flo Costa, Cam O’reilly, Andrew Ernst
Top Result: 3rd - Nathan, 4th - Andrea
Course: Many laps of this. Features include a climb and a descent, with not much in-between.
Nutrition: 2 bottles of mix and 2 gels.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12181800640
Race Recep (written by Nathan):
This race is always a tough one, basically being a battle of attrition for 2.5 hours to see who can do the most sweetspot-threshold intervals. This year was going to be tough, Mikes’ Bikes had Sean Bennett, Cam Piper, and Mattheus all lined up for them. Quinn Felton from Aevolo was there and Erik Levinsohn for Dolce Vita were people to watch.
The first seven or so laps were pretty tame, mostly just going up the main climb at a decent clip with a couple early attacks, but nothing super substantial. On lap 8 there was a dangerous move with Quinn and a couple others which we closed down on the descent. It’s often hard to get a move going early in the race as everyone is fresh enough to close any gaps on the descent, but that won’t be the case later in the race.
After they were brought back, Cam countered and had a bit of a gap for a couple laps before being chased by some Mikes riders. We then stayed together for a few more laps until on lap 13 Sean, Cam Piper, and Quinn all put in a dig and got off the front together. We didn’t follow them, so me, Cam, and Andrea had to do some work for two laps to catch onto them, with Cam turning himself inside out to bring them back.
When we caught them it was me, Andrea, Sean, Quinn, and Cam Piper in the lead group. We had five laps to go, and people would try moves here and there, but nothing serious happened until with two laps to go Quinn put in a big move at the top of the climb, but we were able to close down the gap. With that it became clear, this would be a sprint.
Coming to the bottom of the hill the final time, I wasn’t in a great position being on the front, but I wanted to try to keep a decent pace so attacks couldn’t go. Despite this, Sean would attack and the whole group surged to follow. Now with the finish line in sight, I was moved to the back and Andrea 4th wheel. When the sprint started, it was basically whoever had the freshest legs. Sean and Quinn jumped ahead pretty quick, with Andrea and I fighting and me finishing 3rd, him 4th.
Overall, another fun edition of University RR. It’s always really tough and there are so many point where you think your legs are about to give, but somehow finding just a little bit to keep going is always really rewarding.
Race Report: 2024 Patterson Pass Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Race: Patterson Pass Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Date: 8/4/24
AVRT Racers: Grant Miller, Nathan Martin, Andrew Ernst, Cam O’Reilly, Flo Costa
Top Result: 5th- Nathan, 6th - Grant
Course: 4 laps of this. One long climb on Patterson Pass Rd, one shorter climb on Flynn Rd, a ripping descent, finishing on a short, punchy climb. There was an extremely strong west to east wind.
Nutrition: 3 bottles of mix, 4 gels
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12063598154
Race Recep (written by Nathan):
Two things would decide the race today, the strong wind from West to East, and the temperature. It wasn’t going to be as hot as past years, but proper nutrition and cooling would be extremely important as always.
The first two laps were rather uneventful, aside from Erik from Dolce Vita taking an extremely early flyer the first lap and would stay away for a long time. The chase to bring him back at the end of the second lap and on the third climb really started to pick up from Mikes’ Bikes, but he would still have a decent gap when we summited the climb the third time.
On Flynn Rd, we’d get some surges, but it would be on the descent right after the Flynn Rd climb where things popped off on the third lap. As we neared the sharp left-hander where S Flynn Rd becomes N Flynn Rd, Tobin Ortenblad came ripping down the side and took the corner really fast. There was a ripple effect through the group, as some people took it easy some fast, and some gaps opened up right as we hit a pretty strong headwind.
The group fractured pretty quickly, with a small group including Tobin, Andrew, and some other strong riders immediately starting to work. Grant and I were in the second group behind, rotating and taking pulls because we know even though Andrew was in the group ahead, there were multiple Mikes’ riders and Erik was still up the road.
Their gap on us increased the entire time down Altamont Pass Rd, but once we turned onto Midway Rd, it started to come down and we ended up catching them right before our last time through the feed zone.
At this point the lead group was about 20 riders or so, which is pretty normal for Patterson given it’s always a race of attrition.
Last time up the climb, there would be some additional attacks, including from Flo, but because there was such a strong headwind on the climb, it made it nearly impossible for anything to stick.
The real deciding moment of the race came on the Flynn Rd climb. Just near the top, Tobin attacked, and with him went Mattheus from Mikes. I was in the next group behind them with 3 others. I would try to work with them, but my legs were getting pretty cooked chasing the lap prior, and I got dropped about halfway down Altamont Pass Rd and rolled in solo for 5th, Grant just behind me for 6th.
Overall a tough race as usual. I think we did well surviving the attrition, but it would have been perfect to have Andrew plus one or two more of us in that group that got away on the second to last lap, so we didn’t have to chase, but otherwise some great work from the team.
Race Report: 2024 Il Giro di San Francisco - Women's 3/4/5
Race: SF Giro Women’s Cat 3/4/5
Date: Monday September 2, 2024
AVRT racers: Katarina Zgraja, Katie Monaghan
Top Result: Katarina 3/28, Katie 9/28
Course: The course starts with a left turn, then immediately a right turn over some train tracks.Then there is a noticeable (but not steep) uphill into another right hand turn. Then a long straight section, then two more rights into the straight finish.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12306994249
Nutrition: Turkey sandwich for breakfast. Sis gel on the start line. A couple of swigs of Tailwind carb mix during the race.
Recap (Written by Katarina):
I knew this was going to be a tough race, judging by the pre-registration list. It was a combined 3/4/5 race, which I think is the first time for me racing with cat 3’s, so I was excited for the challenge. My goal was to execute a field sprint in this race, so my plan was to try to work as little as possible, and chase down any threatening attacks to avoid a break forming.
Super sprinkles had dominating numbers in this race, with 12 out of the 28 riders. The pace started fast from the start, and Sprinkles did not hesitate to throw many attacks. I found myself chasing down a good number of them, but none of them had gotten to a point of getting away too much, so to me, it wasn’t too much overexertion. In general, nothing out of the ordinary happened throughout the race, besides the flurries of attacks. I myself struggled getting into good positioning in the corners. I think it was perhaps that my last crit was Cat’s Hill earlier this year.
Near the end of the race (<5 laps to go), I found myself at the front of the group. Katie immediately noticed this and came to help me out (super appreciative for her selfless support to protect me and my legs). I tried to stay in a good position and prepare myself for the last lap.
The pace quickened on the last lap. It had a high concentration of Sprinkles riders, plus Eva from Eclipse, Hannah from Terun, and myself (probably some others too that I am forgetting). Hannah really pushed the pace on the long straight section (about half way through the last lap). I found myself in ~7th position going into the last 2 turns. Not the position I wanted to be in. I started to have doubts that I could execute a solid sprint result this far back. However, on the final turn everything changed. The rider who was in 2nd position clipped her pedal, went down, and took down 3rd and 4th position riders. I had time to react, slowed down to avoid the bikes and riders on the ground, and suddenly I was in 4th position. I ramped up again for a “sprint”, passed one rider, and crossed the line in 3rd place.
Race Report: 2024 LoToJa
Race: LoToJa
Date: September 7, 2024
AVRT racers: Kristin Hepworth- 10/60 overall women. 3rd in 35+ open.
Course: 202.3 miles from Logan, Utah to Teton Village, Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The route is incredibly scenic, diverse, and challenging. The elevation gain is around 9,800 feet. There are three mountain passes in the first 110 miles. ELEVATION: Started at 4,533 / Finished at 6,307. Each racer needs to provide their own support for the duration of the race. There are three official feed zones where your support person is permitted to give you food and water. There are 3 neutral water stops throughout the course.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12353359782
Nutrition:
The plan: Have 75-100 grams of carbs per hour through solids and liquids. I thought having a variety of foods would be best and I would tire of sweet things, so I packed things like nuts and jerky in addition to gels. Had 4 scoops of Hammer Perpetuum in each of three bottles. (68 grams of carbs). I started with one bottle of Pertpetuum and one bottle of electrolytes.
Reality: I ended up preferring liquid fuel and only ate one pack of frooze balls and a fig bar, and choked down a few medjool dates. The dates, nuts, jerky, and RX bars, were too much to chew and unwrap and frankly nauseating to even think about after 100 miles.
Gels and drink mix were easiest to eat. I ate Maurten gels 25g carbs (3), untapped pure maple syrup 26g carbs (5), 6d Ultra gels caffeinated 45g carbs (2), SIS Ultra 40g carbs (2). I’ll do less solids next time on a ride of this length.
Travel and sleep:
I often struggle with nerves that affect my sleep length and quality the night before a race and this was no exception. So, after months of preparation for this race, the night before I didn’t sleep, like at all. With a 4:00am alarm set I finally got out of bed at 3:45am and started getting ready. I told my husband (who was also racing) I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t race for 200 miles with zero sleep. He encouraged me to give it a try anyway. We drove one hour to the start and I finally slept for about 30 minutes in the car. I’m smiling in this picture, but I really felt terrified.
Race Recap:
All the women (60 of us) started together. There were 7 women’s races mixed together in one. I was racing in the open 35+ category. My goal was to stay in the front group for as long as possible regardless of category.
I was told by several men who had raced this before that the first 40ish miles were always very relaxed paced; the attacks would normally start on the first climb. So I was caught by surprise when after the 2 mile neutral rollout the cat 1/2 ladies began attacking immediately. I bridged several times to catch the breakaway, and the rest of the group would eventually catch up. (Hindsight: I didn’t need to bridge and could have let others do more work.)
The front group ended up selecting down to 17 ladies going into the first climb (Strawberry). It started with rollers and then gradually increased in gradient for over 20 miles. The women were unrelenting in their pace and that effort thinned out the group even more up the climb. As we completed the climb we had a solid group of 10 of us pacelining for a good 15 miles. Just before the first feed zone stop at Montpelier (mile 77) a group of 13 ladies caught up to us.
First Feed Zone:
There were 9 numbered stations within each feed zone. I arranged to meet my crew at number 8 for each of the feed zones. I pulled up and got an amazing 30 second Nascar pit stop speed like refuel by my son and his friend. I rapidly pulled off my vest and arm warmers while they pulled out my old bottles, stuck in new ones, shoved all my new food in my pockets and sprayed me with sunscreen. I was off. Two ladies were up ahead already, but most of us were pulling out at the same time. We caught the two ladies quickly and began again.
My Demise:
The second climb (Geneva) started and again the pace was intense. The group thinned out to 10 of us again. Nausea started for me around this point and is my most common symptom from lack of sleep. At mile 83, my fatal move was not realizing I was cross chaining and switching from my big ring to my little ring. My chain immediately dropped on the inside. I tried to shift to fix it to no avail. I had to get off to fix it and watched the group pull away. I was alone for a mile, but soon after two ladies, Apryl and Kate, caught me. I was thrilled to have ladies to work with again. Kate and I dropped Apryl on the descent after the Geneva climb. Unfortunately, I learned they had used the porta potty at the feed zone and I had not. My bladder was screaming at me now 4 hours into the race so at a neutral water stop I pulled off to a porta potty. I hoped Kate would wait for me, but instead she said “hustle up and catch me” as she rode away. While I needed to do what I needed to do, I was alone again and needed to catch up.
The Long Haul:
Soon after I spotted Apryl up ahead. She must have passed me during my bathroom break. I caught up to her and were both happy to see each other. She told me she was completely out of water. She skipped the water stop (mile 90) just before and we were beginning the last and hardest climb: Salt River Pass. I had plenty of fluids. Should I help her? No, this was a race and she was my opponent, but also yes, because I care about people and would appreciate a couple of water gulps if I were in the same spot. I gave her my bottle to drink freely from and she handed it back. She beat me up the hill. She pulled off at the next neutral water at the top to refill her bottles while I grabbed a bottle that was handed to me. I descended quickly and that was the last time I saw Apryl. After 15 miles I caught up to Kate. We worked together and picked up Heather. We pacelined until the 2nd feed zone, Afton, at mile 123. My son offered me a gloriously cold Dr. Pepper (not part of my fueling plan). It was pure joy in a bottle. I drank it as fast as a carbonated drink could go down as they again rapidly replaced my bottles and food. I thought it was faster than the first stop but Heather was already gone when I pulled out. Kate and I caught her after 8ish miles. Other than nausea coming and going my body felt great.
The last and final feed zone (Alpine) was located at mile 160. My plan was to skip this feed zone so my support crew wasn’t there. I planned to stay on my bike and grab a water bottle at the neutral water just before Alpine, but as I approached I saw that it wasn’t a water bottle hand-out but a water bottle fill-up station. Very different. I would lose the group if I stopped to fill up my bottles. I tried my luck and skipped it though I knew I needed more water to make it to the end of the race. I hoped I would find my friend at the Alpine feed zone (who was the support crew for her husband) and she might have an extra bottle. She wasn't there either. I asked a group of random support crew people if anyone had any extra water. A kind stranger handed me a cold bottle of water from her cooler. I thanked her profusely and took off. I was the first one out and ahead of all the ladies. Thank you woman with the water cooler!!!
Last 50 miles:
Heather caught me at mile 162 and we rotated together for the final 50 miles. My left hip began to ache, the bottoms of my feet burned and my left hand kept going numb. I relished in the relief I would get every other minute when it was my turn to draft again. The race organizers provided a way for family/friends to track the racers online and see their progress throughout the day. Encouraging texts from my family started popping up on my bike computer and it gave me the strength to pushing.
There were 8 women ahead of us but they were nowhere in sight. We rode next to the snake river. It was gorgeous. As we approached the finish line, Heather began her sprint. I happily watched her go knowing my feet would throb if I tried to stand. I coasted into the most beautiful and cheerful finish line scene I’ve ever experienced. I was given a cool finisher medal and cold/wet cloth around my neck. I made it in 10 hours and 7 minutes stopping only 4 times for a grand total of 4 minutes over the race.
I got 10th place out of 60 women and 3rd in my age group. Can’t wait to do it again next year with more sleep and without the dropped chain!
Unfortunately, I missed the podium time with 1st and 2nd place, but still got to stand on it for a picture and got my prizes.
Race Report: 2024 Littleton Twilight Criterium - Pro Men
Race: 2024 Littleton Twilight Criterium - Pro Men
Date: August 3, 2024
AVRT racers: Jon Wells
Top Result: Jon Wells, 50th of 96
Course: 0.78 mile loop through downtown Littleton, CO, a southern Denver suburb. The 6 corner L shaped lap starts on the towns main street for the longest straight and then winds through some tight neighborhood roads. It has a reputation of being a very challenging and poorly lit course.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12056987636
Nutrition: a pre race Redbull and 60g flow bottle during the race
Race Recap:
Watch my race recap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKDNIdPJy1s
Littleton Twilight is the 2nd to last stop on the ACC calendar so it brings out all the big national level teams plus Colorado has one of the strongest local scenes in the entire country so the field is absolutely stacked. I traveled to this race solo since I went to school and picked up cycling in Colorado so I had lots of old friends I wanted to see. It still felt very much like a local race with all the friendly faces out. The vibes at this race are absolutely immaculate, as they turn the entire inside of the course into a giant beer garden and there is even a stage with live music. It is one of the better attended races of the year in terms of crowds and was definitely a good reminder about what I love so much about these twilight crits!
The race starts at 9pm (!!!) so part one of my race plan was to stay awake late enough to make it to the race start. Part two was to just hang in the pack and not die. And there was no part 3 because I know exactly how hard hanging in at these races is. I was really just looking for redemption for the one pro race I did in Chicago where I barely made it 30 minutes, which I was hopeful for since this course suits me a lot better.
I lined up pretty much right in the middle of the field, which is really the first race of the night. We got off to an interesting start when a generator on the light in corner 2 went out right as our race was starting. I thought everyone would be an idiot and still try to go full tilt through it but it was the most sane I’ve ever seen a pro mens field act as we slowed down to corner in the dark. Some cars shined their headlights on the corner for subsequent laps and eventually the light was brought back on. Despite this, the course was still a little bit darker than I would have preferred.
Just as I was starting to feel in the flow of the race, there was a huge crash on the entrance to the last corner in which maybe half the field took a free lap, myself included. It was such a large group they put us back in over multiple laps. After this, the race was pretty uneventful for me. The entire field was strung out single file after the bubble of the first 20 guys, who were actually having a dynamic race. I would try to find spots while it was single file to sneak past in corners but it was hard to get more than a spot or two at a time, which doesn’t go very far in a 100 person field.
Eventually, with 7 to go, I found my only significant opportunity to get spots when a crash occurred on the outside of corner 5. I snuck through on the inside and made up a good 20 spots, finding myself on Ama Nsek’s wheel, which gave me a false sense of security. I thought that I must be back in a good spot if I was on his wheel but turns out he was just having a bad night. We were still like 50th or so as the big teams took to the front to up the pace. My position never really changed again after that as the pace kept getting faster. The race absolutely exploded into a bunch of small groups the last lap as the lap long sprint unfolded and I rolled across the line in 50th. I finished with the group and didn’t crash, accomplishing all of my pre race goals!
-Jon
Race Report: 2024 Chicago Grit - Men’s 2
Race: 2024 Chicago Grit, Lake Bluff - Men’s 2
Date: July 27, 2024
AVRT racers: Jon Wells
Top Result: Jon Wells, 20th of 43
Course: 0.76 mile loop through Lake Bluff, IL, a northern Chicago suburb. The 6 corner L shaped lap starts on the towns main street for the longest straight and then winds through some tight neighborhood roads.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11997821458
Nutrition: a pre race Redbull and 60g flow bottle during the race
Race Recap:
Watch my race recap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3n0asncIXE
This was the first cat 2 race I had done for the weekend in Chicago so I was really excited to get the chance to pick on someone my own size after getting chewed up and spit out from the pro race the night before. I didn’t know what the race dynamic would be like with an unfamiliar field but my plan was to just chill and feel out the field for the first part of the race and then look for a late race move.
I ended up absolutely chilling in the pack for most of the race. I was looking for smooth lines and trying to save as much energy as possible. This is a challenging course with how tight and technical it is, so its really important to be efficient and in good positions during the race. Nothing very threatening ever went up the road but there was enough aggression to keep the pace fairly high for most of the race. There were a few crashes in corners, but every time it was just someone making a mistake and crashing by themselves without any major pileups.
Around 7 to go I showed my face at the front of the race for the first time when I took advantage of a swarming field to move up to the very front. It definitely took some adjusting to go from looking for smooth lines to being aggressive just to hold my own space, regardless of line. In the end, I just wasn’t aggressive enough to fight for the front of the race and ended up rolling in just as a part of the pack.
Race: 2024 Chicago Grit, Fulton - Men’s 2
Date: July 28, 2024
AVRT racers: Jon Wells
Top Result: Jon Wells, 4th of 50
Course: 0.7 mile loop through Fulton St Market in Chicago. Its a downtown 4 corner crit with a very slight uphill on the start/finish side and downhill on the backside. This race is really the only 4 corner rectangle crit of the entire 10 day event and also the only race in Chicago proper.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12005165918
Nutrition: a pre race Redbull and 60g flow bottle during the race
Race Recap:
Watch my race recap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDE7kq99U-g
It was the last day of Chicago Grit and I really wanted to come away with some sort of result. The course is really not technical compared to previous days so tailgunning seemed like an acceptable move. The skies were very dark and cloudy so I was mentally preparing for a rain race. Luckily the rain held off until maybe 30 minutes after we finished.
My plan today was to be a lazy sprinter and sit in as much as possible so nothing really notable happened for the entire first half of the race. Moves would try to go but nothing was getting much of a leash. All of the strongest individuals who had spots in the overall standing were watching eachother much closer today than previously.
About 30 minutes into the race, I decided to test the water on moving up and also give my legs a small opener at this point so I picked a lap where I went from back of the field to the front and rolled an attack for a lap to get the legs feeling fast. I ended up almost accidentally swiping a prime too, as they rang the bell at the end of my lap off the front.
At 5 laps to go, the first rider through the first corner overcooked it and slid out. there was a construction barrier right up against the road on the outside of this corner so him and his bike were right in the racing line and a huge pileup occurred. Nearly the entire field crashed, with about 15 people (myself included) sneaking past the carnage on the inside. I sprinted hard to catch up with everyone whole hadn’t crashed since we were inside of free laps and I didn’t want to get dropped from the small group. I caught on through the last 2 corners, shortly before they stopped us at the finish to neutralize the race since there were still people out in the course.
They ended up restarting us on 5 to go once the course was clear. They ultimately let everyone who could still ride back into the race. The few of us who hadn’t crashed did get to line up first though so I got a front row position on the restart. I decided to change my mindset for these last few laps and pretend I was in a cross race. I wanted to start hard to stay at the front and also was willing to eat wind to stay at the front. I never left the first 10 wheels in these last few laps and it ended up working great.
Coming into one lap to go, there were some attacks from the previous lap that were just getting brought back by the now single file field. Right after we went through the first 2 tighter corners, the guy in second position attacked and the few guys immediately behind him just sat up and let it go. I jumped around them to the right but the gap was already there by the time I realized. Simultaneously, a guy on the left side of the field jumped and I ended up on his wheel going into the last 2 corners. I jumped with everything I had left out of the last corner and came around the guy in front of me pretty quickly. The last corner was a little far from the line, especially considering the slight uphill so 2 guys ended up coming past me just before the line plus the one guy who attacked earlier in the lap stayed away so I came in for 4th! I was super excited to at least have one legit result to show from the weekend!!
-Jon
Race Report: 2024 Sand City Crit Men 2-3
Race: 2024 Sand City Criterium Men 2-3
Date: July 7, 2024
AVRT Racers: Jon Wells and George Wehner
Best Result: Jon, 5th of 37
Course: 0.7 mile super technical loop through Sand City. There are 10 corners and a short steep hill that make this race super physical. The entire race area setup was very professionally done from barriers to the podium area, even including a brewery right next to the finish. Despite only being a few years old, this race is a real NorCal gem that should be getting the kind of attention that Cats Hill and Santa Cruz crits both get.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11834314087
Nutrition: a pre race Redbull and 90g flow bottle during the race. I was also doing the 90 minute pro/1/2 race after so was trying to stay carbed up!
Race Recap:
Watch my race recap here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws3BD4M0UxM
I was super excited coming into the race for this event to have a cat 2/3 race. I’ve been racing super strong in cat 2/3 races all year and am still looking for more upgrade points towards cat 1. Additionally, this course also suits me really well with the technical nature. I don’t usually put pressure on myself pre-race to win, especially with the chaotic nature of crits, but today was different and I really wanted this one. My plan was to ride strong at the front and cover dangerous moves but be planning for a field sprint. George was going to help string it out in the last lap if we were still together.
The race got going pretty quick straight away. Unfortunately George dropped his chain on the start and after getting it on, the officials wouldn’t give him a free lap (as USAC says thats not a mechanical). Dolce Vita was the biggest team and they instigated a lot of attacks throughout the race. They raced quite well as a team throughout and (spoiler alert) put it all together to win at the end too. Following each attack, there were 2 guys from Voler and another 2 from Enjoy plus myself that covered most of the moves throughout. Mikes was the only other large team but they didn’t have any particularly strong riders so it came down to the stronger individuals to chase.
Nothing really established itself with more than a 5 second gap during the race and it became apparent we were going to field sprint. Around 5 to go there was a prime lap that I found myself 2nd wheel out of the last corner for so I took the prime and then settled back in. Dolce sent a move on 2 laps to go that forced all the strong individuals to chase. I found myself maybe 6th wheel going into the last lap. The solo Dolce rider was brought back at the beginning of the lap and both Voler guys hit it hard at the front. A guy quite close to the front decided to sit up on the straight immediately before the hill and we all jumped around him basically in the corner at the bottom of the hill which hurt our momentum a touch. 3 guys were in front of this and got a small gap from it. I was right behind an Enjoy rider who brought us most of the way back to those 3 but then proceeded to clip a pedal in the 3rd to last corner and almost end both of our days. After avoiding the near crash, I was now left on the front with a gap in front of me. I went as hard as I could and one guy came around me on the line, leaving me with 5th place. Not the win I wanted and was initially a little upset but still a good result all things considered now.
-Jon
Race Report: 2024 Davis 4th of July Crit - Men’s Pro/1/2
Race: 2024 Davis 4th of July Crit - Men’s Pro/1/2
Date: July 4, 2024
AVRT racers: Jon Wells
Top Result: Jon Wells, 10th of 29
Course: 0.7 mile loop through downtown Davis. The figure 8 course feels like it's entirely corners with a very short main straight. There were a couple rough spots on the pavement but overall pretty solid! Absolutely pancake flat, making the other main feature of the race the heat
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11811556363
Nutrition: a pre race Redbull and 60g flow bottle during the race. Also tried eating crushed up ice a la Filippo Ganna pre hour record to help with the heat.
Race Recap:
Watch my race recap here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGRf5T2E488
It was HOT for the 4th of July crit in Davis, especially starting at 5pm. Temperature at race start was ~110F so I pulled out all the stops for trying to stay cool. About 10 minutes before the race, I absolutely doused myself in ice water and then put an enormous ice sock down the back of my jersey with a smaller one in the front. I also tried eating crushed up ice like Filippo Ganna did before the hour record. I was really uncomfortably cold before the race started, but that didn’t last long. Additionally, I froze a water bottle and a drink mix bottle through entirely for the start of the race.
Field was around 30 people on a very technical course so my plan was to be up front and try to get in dangerous moves. Since it was just me from AV, I had to be a bit selective so I decided to only chase moves with a Voler, Terun, and Enjoy rider since they were the only teams with 4 plus riders. I also didn’t want to go too deep in the first half of the race and not be able to come back from it with the heat.
Race got off to an animated start with plenty of moves trying to go. There were two moves that had everyone represented that I wanted to follow, both of which I made big bridges up to, only for them to be caught a few laps later. Finally, just after the halfway point, there was a move with all 3 teams including Ryan Gorman that I knew was gone if I didn’t react. I put in a big bridge and made it up alone. It was a group of 6 by the time I got there and then another group bridged up a lap later, making 10 guys in the breakaway.
The group did not work very well together but the constant attacking kept the pace high enough for us to stay away from the main group, who sat up so much that we almost lapped up late in the race. Folks in the break kept attacking and Ryan would cover but nothing really stuck.
With 3 laps to go, as we brought a break back, I was sitting second on Ryans wheel coming up with momentum so I took a flyer. I was hoping to have company but no one came with so I put my head down and committed to taking it all the way to the line by myself. The group all looked at each other just long enough to give me a gap. I rode solo until 1 to go when Ryan bridged up solo and flew past me. I still had a chance at holding off the field for second at this point so I kept pouring it on. Eventually, they caught me with 2 corners to go and I was totally gassed so the whole group came past.
Ended up finishing in 10th place. Pretty happy with how I raced, in particular being selective about chasing and making it in the break of the day. Also proud that I took a chance to win the race late even if it meant sacrificing a safe top 5 finish. Think I dealt with the heat fairly well with all of the ice. I was definitely uncomfortable but my body seemed to perform pretty well in the heat!
-Jon
Race Report: 2024 University Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Race: University Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Date: August 18, 2024
AVRT racers: George Wehner, Henry Mallon
Top Result: Henry 5th
Course: 15 laps of a circuit through UC Santa Cruz featuring a 1.2-mile climb followed by a 1.4-mile descent. The climb averaged 5.5% with a steep kicker at the top.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12182345047
Nutrition: One bottle of high-carb drink mix, a few partial water bottles, and a couple of gels.
Race Recap:
University was one of my first-ever road races last year as a Cat 5, so I was excited to return this year with the goal of securing one more point for my Cat 2 upgrade. With 130 feet of elevation gain per mile, this course promised to be attritional—essentially 15 rounds of five-minute intervals at threshold or above.
Right from the gun, Logan attacked and immediately opened a gap. Two others joined him, and within a few laps, the race had already started to splinter. Logan ultimately dropped his berakaway companions and went on to win solo with a commanding two-minute lead. Meanwhile, the second group continued to shrink with attacks every few laps.
Going into the final lap, I found myself in a group of four, with Logan and two others still ahead. One rider escaped off the front without a definitive attack, and I hesitated to chase. A few surges near the top of the climb reduced our group to just two, but it was too late to reel in the rider who had slipped away.
On the final lap, I was alone with Tyler sprinting for fifth place. Knowing Tyler had out-sprinted me at Baker City Cycling Classic and Patterson Pass, I forced him to take the lead and managed to come around at the finish.
In hindsight, I wish I had raced more aggressively. There were several moments when I could have bridged gaps or followed key moves but chose to hold back—largely because I blew up last year in the Cat 4/5 field after riding the majority of the race in a small breakaway.
This remains one of my favorite races. It’s phenomenal to spectate and absolutely brutal to race—in the best way possible. I’m already looking forward to next year!
Thanks for reading,
Henry
Race Report: 2024 San Ardo Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Race: San Ardo Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Date: August 17, 2024
AVRT racers: George Wehner, Henry Mallon
Top Result: Henry 5th
Course: Three laps of a 22-mile loop with a few small rollers in the first half, a pothole-ridden bridge in the middle, and a 3-5% uphill drag before the finish.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12173365532
Nutrition: Two bottles of high-carb drink mix, one water bottle, and a few gels.
Race Recap:
Before every flat race this year, my goal has been to join a breakaway and hopefully stay away until the finish line. However, I’ve learned that the team dynamics in Category 3 races often make this strategy very challenging, and this race was no different.
There were a few solid attempts to form a break on the second lap, which resulted in a very hard 10-minute period. Unfortunately, George dropped his chain just before this action kicked off and couldn’t get back to the group on his own. The course features a short bridge with particularly rough pavement—especially on the right side—and a section with long cracks across the road that could easily cause flats or mechanical issues.
The finish was tricky, with a half-mile "climb" at an average gradient of about 3.5%, followed by a sharp, gravelly 90-degree turn and about 300 meters to the line. Knowing it would be a long sprint finish, I stayed patient at the base of the climb while others launched their sprints early. I was moving up to the front by the top of the hill, but a sizeable gap had already opened up to four riders ahead. I managed to break away from the rest of the field and started gaining on the leaders, but there wasn’t enough distance left to close the gap entirely.
Reflecting on the race, I realize I could have been in contention for a podium finish with better positioning and commitment in the final stretch. Every race is a learning experience, and this one reinforced the importance of quick decision-making and positioning in a chaotic sprint finish. Next time, I’ll aim for the breakaway just as hard, but I’ll also be better prepared if it comes down to a sprint.
Thanks for reading,
Henry Mallon
Race Report: 2024 Patterson Pass Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Race: Patterson Pass Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Date: August 4, 2024
AVRT racers: Bradley Lovegren, George Wehner, Henry Mallon, and Jeremy Besmer
Top Result: Henry 4/20
Course: Three laps of this. Each lap is is 22 miles with 2,200 ft of elevation gain. The Patterson Pass climb is about 3 miles at 6% average gradient, with ramps near the top above 10% and typically a strong headwind. The Flynn Road climb is 2.2 miles at an undulating 4.3% and is usually a cross/tailwind. The remainder of the course is mostly flat with a tailwind. This course is very exposed, and temps this year were in the mid-90s.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12063344286/overview
Nutrition: Three bottles with 60g of drink mix, a few gels, and some partial bottles of neutral feed water.
Race Recap:
Our plan for this race was to let others animate and follow the decisive moves. Most of the strong riders were racing solo, so having multiple AV teammates in a reduced group would be a big advantage in the finish.
On the first lap, we got some insights into how the conditions would influence the race. There was a strong headwind on the Patterson Pass climb, which more-or-less neutralized the main 20-minute climb of the race. Even though Flynn Road is less than 10 minutes at only 4.3% average gradient, the cross-tailwind made it the perfect place to launch an attack.
On the second lap, solo rider Logan attacked near the base of Flynn Road. I was boxed in and couldn’t respond. Fortunately, space opened on the left and George called out from behind that Tyler was moving up. I jumped on his wheel and together we closed the gap to Logan. This was a massive effort, but I knew it was important to have team representation in this move. I took a few soft pulls but mostly sat on Logan’s wheel until a group of five bridged up to us including Jeremy.
Logan rode ahead to use the bathroom but kept the pace high afterward, eventually creating a substantial gap. Tyler then bridged across to Logan, forming a dangerous breakaway. As a newer racer, it can be challenging to navigate the unwritten rules of bike racing. In this case, many of us would have preferred if Logan had rejoined the group after his bathroom stop rather than using the gap to his advantage. That said, Logan was undoubtedly the strongest rider that day and could have won using a variety of tactics.
Jeremy and I entered the last lap about one minute behind Logan and Tyler in a group of four. There was a touch of wheels through the feed zone and, unfortunately, someone crashed and had to abandon the race. By the top of the Patterson Pass climb, we caught Tyler who was dropped by Logan.
Once again, our group split up on the Flynn climb and I ended up with Tyler racing for third place. By the sprint finish, I was completely spent and had no response for Tyler’s attack. Jeremy held onto a strong 6th place just behind.
In retrospect, I went too deep following Logan on the second Flynn Road climb. This left me unable to follow the attack one lap later for second place or contest the sprint against Tyler for third. Still, it was a fun day of racing, and I’m happy to have managed the heat much better than last year.
Thanks for reading,
Henry
Race Report: 2024 Pescadero Coastal Classic Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Race: Pescadero Coastal Classic Road Race - Men's Cat 3
Date: June 16, 2024
AVRT racers: Bradley Lovegren, Drew Mathews, George Wehner, Henry Mallon, Jeremy Besmer, and Maxime Cauchois
Top Result: Henry 2/29
Course: 2.7 laps of this. After a neutral rollout from Pescadero High School, the race begins on Stage Road with two short climbs (1 mile at 4.5% and 0.9 miles at 7%) separated by a quick 1-mile descent. After the second Stage Road descent, the course turns right onto 84 for 7.5 miles of gradual 1% uphill with a few punchy rollers. Next is a right turn onto Pescadero Road with a short feed zone climb followed by 0.5 miles of flat before turning right onto Pescadero Creek Road for the final Haskins climb (1.6 miles at 7%). On the final lap, the race finishes at the top of Haskins. Otherwise, it continues down the backside of Haskins through Pescadero back to Stage.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/11660851421
Nutrition: Three bottles with 80g of drink mix and two gels.
Race Recap:
On the first lap, Drew and George jumped into a three-man breakaway on 84. This was perfect, as George was likely the best climber to win from the break if it survived to the finish. And, the remaining four of us could rest in the group behind and force other teams to spend energy controlling the gap. A Terun rider bridged to the breakaway on Stage on the next lap to make the breakaway four.
The breakaway was eventually caught over the top of Haskins going into the final lap. We were expecting an attritional race, but the pace had been relatively mellow (in part due to a headwind on Stage Road). Since the group was still large, we anticipated fireworks from the non-climbers on Stage Road trying to get ahead before a pure watt-per-kilogram battle on Haskins.
This is exactly what happened, as attacks started flying as soon as we turned onto Stage Road. Since four of us were fresh from sitting in the pack while George and Drew rode the breakaway, we had the strength to keep the field together. In particular, Brad patrolled the front and singlehandedly covered multiple attacks on the Stage Road climbs.
Once we turned onto 84, there was another flurry of attacks with Brad again sewing together any gaps. Eventually, George went to the front to set a hard tempo and discourage attacks. As we turned onto Pescadero Road, Maxime attacked through the feed zone climb. Just as Maxime was getting caught over the top, Terun came by with a full loadout storming towards the base of Haskins.
I jumped onto the Terun train but immediately cramped in my hamstring. I watched a sizeable group ride away with the Terun train as I gently stretched my hamstring. When I could pedal again, I was behind a split and back in the second group.
With support from teammates all race, I was especially motivated to give my best effort and make up as many positions as possible on the climb. Starting conservatively, I ramped up my effort to ride a steady pace just below the limit where my hamstring would seize. I crossed the line a few times and had to ease off until the cramps subsided.
I was surprised to be making progress and with about 1k remaining, I made it to a group of four that I initially thought was the front of the race. But, I soon noticed another TMB guy about 20 seconds ahead. So, I continued just below my cramp threshold and managed to bridge to him solo with about 200m remaining. The TMB guy didn’t look back once while I was gaining, so I tried to attack as I caught him. He followed my attack immediately and came around at the finish to win by about half a wheel-length.
Lastly, I want to extend a huge thank you to all the incredible volunteers and race director Bernardo for creating such an amazing race experience. I’m already looking forward to next year!
Thanks for reading,
Henry
Race Report Women’s P123 Giro di SF
Race: Women’s P123
Date: September 2, 2024
AVRT racers: Rachel Hwang, Ari Fischer, Niky Taylor
Top Result: Niky 4/22, Rachel 9/22
Route: First you start and it’s straight then you turn left then you turn right over some train tracks then you turn right and go up a little hill and then you turn right and then you go straight for like forever and then you turn right and right and big open straight to the line. Pavement in places is kind of rough and you have to watch for some potholes.
Recap: Ok well once again I wasn't sure how I was going to feel on the day because health is variable but I was feeling pretty good so I decided to register and join Ari and Rachel. We came up with a Plan. The Plan was basically to cover attacks, get Rachel in a break or get to the finish in a bunch and lead her out.
We got to the start and so did the other 22 women racing in our field. Ilan (Terun) rolled up next to me and we shared a moment of joy that the field was so large. Then they blew the whistle and she became my sworn enemy for the next 60 minutes.
Things got going pretty quickly. I saw Ari and Rachel staying in the top few wheels. Around lap 2 or 3 Terun started attacking and we helped shut them down.
Another Terun attack went. Alex Obrand aka The Main Threat went up the road and her teammates got on the front to block. Jamie Chapman (Monarch) went with Alex. This was bad because they are both very strong. So I was like ah well that needs to get shut down ok gulp this is gonna be hard.
I got on the front and got to work trying to bring it back. The gap was closing, but after a lap and a half of chasing they still probably had 3-5 seconds on the field. I felt my body want to shut down and internally screamed NO I am doing this shut up. I desperately looked around for help but saw Terun riders on my wheel blocking anyone from helping me. The gap started going out, probably to about 10 seconds.
Then, like an angel sent from heaven, Rachel went flying past me. Thank god. Gwen from Revolution racing went with her, and then the field swarmed around me as I sat up and tried to recover.
Luckily, Terun had decided to chase Rachel and Gwen back, so I sat in and took stock. I saw that Rachel was dangling between the break and the field, and I couldn’t find Ari in the pack. I tried to think. I could bridge to Rachel and try to help her get to the break, but I was still fairly gassed and I was sure she was too. I took my free pass and drafted Terun as they chased down my teammate.
We caught Rachel and Gwen right at the hill, and I looked for the counter. I saw it immediately– Kate (Terun) was standing up and coming up the right. I went left and got on her wheel, then catapulted off her to try and bridge to Alex and Jaime.
I went pretty hard, but tried to pace myself. I went for half a lap and then looked back to check where the field was and saw Kate glued to my wheel. I was like oh guess my searing attack wasn’t all that searing, also bummer I’ve been doing all this work and I’m dragging her to her teammate. But also I need to get AV represented in that break. Torn. I flicked her through and she finished off the gap closing. Honestly probably wouldn’t have made it on my own.
So then ok I am here. In the break. Hoping that Denver Disrupters, PAS Normal, Revolution, Super Sprinkles, and the handful of strong solo riders get together to chase us down so Rachel can sprint.
After that my race honestly became pretty boring. I had no obligation to work, I wanted the break to fail, and I was extremely confident that I had the worst sprint in the break. Alex is the best sprinter in NorCal. Jaime is probably the best time trialist and for sure a stronger sprinter than me. Kate is a punchy ex-pro. I am a climby sometimes all-rounder who now sometimes shuts down the same way a computer crashes. So I sat on and pulled exactly zero times. Kate briefly tried to get me to work and I was like ah no. Sorry.
Our gap went from 30 seconds to a minute and I stopped hoping we’d be brought back. I saw Ari standing on the sidelines and my worries about her being out of the race were confirmed. Turns out she’d gotten a flat just a few laps in.
I kept puzzling over how to beat 3 people with better sprints than me and came up with nothing. For lack of any better ideas I attacked into the last two corners since I had some momentum. This predictably failed spectacularly and the other three outsprinted me to the line.
But hey, I got fourth! That is cool. It’s nice to feel like I remember how to race. Rachel rolled in 9th in the field sprint.
Overall this was fun if mildly frustrating. I think my caution about my health prevented me from racing as aggressively as I like to race. Maybe I could have bridged Rachel up, maybe I could have played the break better, maybe I shouldn’t have worked with Kate to bridge. But hey we did what we could and we got on the podium. So that is neat.
I would also like to thank Louise and Ari for taking care of my dog.
Nutrition: Speednut Spring Energy gel a half hour before race start, half a bottle of water during the race
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12310283538#kudos
AV Photo Contest Winners
We are thrilled to announce the winners of our first Alto Velo photo contest! After receiving a wide range of stunning submissions, the results are in, and we are excited to celebrate the talent of our winners:
1st Place: Dirk Bergstrom - Egan Foothill sunset / 21 votes - $100 (shot on smartphone)
2nd Place: Stephan Dolezalek - Egan gravel / 18 votes - $75 (shot on Canon R5)
3rd Place: Alexander Russof - Duo / 16 votes - $50 (shot on Sony Alpha 7C)
Additionally, we’ve awarded a special prize of $25 to Hannon Ayer for being our most improved photographer!
Thank you to everyone who participated and voted. Your amazing submissions and enthusiasm made this contest a success. Congratulations to our winners, and we look forward to seeing your work in future contests!
To redeem prize, please contact: Louise Thomastreas (at) altovelo (dot) org
Regards,
Christophe Testi
1st Place: Dirk Bergstrom - Egan Foothill sunset / 21 votes - $100 (shot on smartphone)
2nd Place: Stephan Dolezalek - Egan gravel / 18 votes - $75 (shot on Canon R5)
3rd Place: Alexander Russof - Duo / 16 votes - $50 (shot on Sony Alpha 7C)
Race Report: 2024 San Ardo Road Race Women’s P123
Race: San Ardo Road Race Women’s P123
Date: August 17, 2024
AVRT racers: Kristin Hepworth, Chris Davis
Top Result: Kristin 5/7
Course: 3 laps around a 23 mile, slightly hilly, rectangular loop on terrible roads.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12173677327
Nutrition: Oatmeal for breakfast. Gel at the start. 2 Gels and 4 bottles of water.
Recap: Not only was this the longest race I’ve ever done (70 miles), but this was my first P123 race since upgrading to cat 3 a couple months ago. I signed up because there weren’t any women registered in the shorter 3/4/5 race and I wanted to race again with NIky.
The day of the race I arrived in San Ardo and saw a message from Niky that she wasn't going to make it. I decided to give it a try anyway. I was racing against 3 really good Terun Elite racers and I was intimidated.
Alex Obrand (Terun) didn’t waste any time and launched an attack right away. It was tough chasing her uphill. I managed to stay on, but not everyone did. Our small group of 7 turned into 5. The Terun team took turns attacking. Gwen (Revolution) bridged a lot of these attacks. The pace was much harder than I’m used to without any time to recover – it was brutal. I tried to save my energy as much as possible. I did not bring enough food to sustain the effort for 3 hours of intensity, so I tried to ration it. I started to slip back at one point and Alex offered to pull me back to the group. Super nice. I guess It was obvious to everyone I wasn’t a threat by that point. :)
I managed to stay with the group for the first 1.5 laps, but the second time through the bridge from hell (like seriously, the road on the bridge is unrelentingly jarring), Terun attacked. Gwen bridged up to them, but I couldn’t jump fast enough. Slowly, I watched them slip away and found myself as a chase group of one.
Based on who was in the group, and it being my first P123 race, this didn’t come as a surprise and I realized I was now training my mental game to continue the chase. I had 11ish miles to go before I passed the start line (and my car) and was tempted to just pull off and not complete the 3rd lap. The mental intervals continued and I reminded myself about my cycling goals and hoped that sticking it out and still pushing myself hard would help me in a future race.
I was out of fuel, but hoped to grab a AV bottle with mix from the feed zone before beginning the 3rd lap. Unfortunately, I never found the nice guy passing them out. I grabbed neutral water instead and made a note to know exactly where the AV bottles will be handed out next time. The first half of the third lap had a nasty headwind. I could see the ladies up ahead and tried to stay optimistic. I passed a few solo racers from other groups and got passed by the men’s race on their 4th and final lap. I heard a “go Kristin!” as they passed. I don’t know who said it, but it gave me the mental juice to keep pushing. I saw two different guys with flats get picked up by a big van. I’ll be honest that there was a moment where I thought it would be easier if I just got a flat so I could get a ride too.
Thankfully the 2nd half of the last lap had a nice tail wind and I finished in 5th place, a few minutes behind the lead group. I ended up on the podium on my first P123 race with some very strong racers.
I was reminded how teamwork and nutrition are so crucial to success. When things don’t go as hoped these kinds of races can be humbling and discouraging, but I don’t regret doing it. It was a good racing experience and it was great to race with this faster group who I know will continue to push me and make me better.
Race Report: 2024 University RR Men’s M35+ Cat 3/4
Race: University Road Race - Men’s M35+ Cat 3/4
Date: August 18th, 2024
AVRT Racers: Shai Traister
Top Result: Shai Traister - 7th
Course: 12 short (3 mile) loops, with a 5-ish minute climb and fast descent. Good paving. Uphill finish midway through the climb.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12182375579
Nutrition: 4 energy gels, 1 bottle of skratch drink mix and 1 bottle of water from the feed zone
Event Recap: The race started with an attack right from the gun. 2 riders got a gap and everybody started chasing. I stayed with the group and we closed the gap on the descent.
2nd climb started at a high pace which picked up shortly after the feed zone. Gaps opened up and I hesitated jumping across. Realizing my mistake a few seconds too late, I started chasing hoping to catch the group before they crest the top. I didn’t, so I continued chasing with a couple of others on the descent doing damage control.
3rd climb - I went to the front and started with a high pace. flicked my below a couple of times to no avail. I even shouted to the rider behind me to take a pull, but got “I have a teammate in the front group” and no help. I realized it was up to me, so continued pushing up the hill and then on the descent. At least I was able to keep the front group in sight. To my surprise he did take a pull on the descent which allowed me to catch my breath and slightly lower my HR.
4th climb - I realized that my only chance would be to close the gap on that climb. I started the climb with a 30s high effort and was able to close it. Sat in the group trying to recover as much as possible for the rest of the climb and through the descent.
5th climb - More accelerations, and I couldn’t stay with the group. Gaps opened and I didn’t have the legs to close them.
Laps 6-10 - solo effort. On lap 10 I passed the same rider who wouldn’t give me a pull on lap 3. He latched on to me. I also caught a dropped rider from the cat3 field and we traded pulls through the next lap.
Last climb - I didn’t want to leave it to the finishing sprint, so I gave it one last big effort from the beginning of the climb. I was able to get away from both riders. As the road started to flatten I noticed a Dolce Vita rider from my field just ahead of me - he was unaware of me coming from behind and wasn’t pushing the pace - I down shifted and sprinted to the line while passing the Dolce Vita rider.
Overall - super fun and hard race. In hindsight - I should have jumped when the gap opened on the 2nd lap rather than trying to pace it back to the group. Next time… :-)
Race Report: 2024 University RR Men’s Cat 4/5
Race: University Road Race - Men’s Cat 4/5
Date: August 18th, 2024
AVRT Racers: Clark Penado
AV Club Guests: Jack Lund, Allan Feldman
Top Result: Jack Lund - 13/35
Report Author: Clark Penado
Course: 15 short (3 mile) one lane loops, with an uphill finish, and a long overall climb and fast descent. Good paving.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12182978092
Nutrition: 4 energy gels, 1 bottle of high carb drink mix and 1 bottle of gatorade/malto mix (plus several plain water bottles from neutral support to cool off)
Event Recap: This race was run just after high noon, and standing at the start line it was definitely possible to feel the UV index. The directors opted to give us a warm up lap to feel out the course, before giving us the go ahead into the second time around to really pick up the pace. From the get go it was clear everyone was benefitting from their summer training, especially over a steeper bump at the end of the climb of the course. Going over the hill into the descent, there were definitely some solid fights for wheels and for position, which cooled off around the one turn on the downhill. Unfortunately my front derailleur wasn’t shifting into the big ring, so I had to really surf some wheels to stay in the bunch.
On the next climb I ended up maxing out my heart rate trying to stay in the lead pack, and lost contact just after the feed zone. From here I ended up working with someone from Team California for one more time around before Jack was able to bridge to us on the descent with an additional unattached rider.
From here on it was fairly uneventful, just taking laps with a push on the ascent, and cruising the descent with some pulls here and there. During the final lap there was an increase in pace, particularly on the last steep bit just before the descent part of the course. Just before the final turn into the uphill finish there was a bit of a cat and mouse for positioning, before everyone really started pushing the pedals for the finish. Jack went after the line with the other two riders, and I didn’t have the legs to go with it.
This was definitely a climbers course, and in the end felt like a day of V02 max intervals on those uphill sections.
Race Report: 2024 SBT Gravel - Black Course
Race: SBT Gravel Black Course
Date: August, 18th 2024
AVRT racers: Kelly Brennan
Top Result: 33/88 women, 1/10 20-29F
Course: https://www.strava.com/activities/12182560400/overview
Nutrition: 2L pack with 200g of superfuel; 1 large bottle with 80g super fuel; 1 bottle of pure water (to cool myself down with and drink if I got sick of mix – I highly recommend); 13 NeverSecond Gels (~1/3 caffeine).
Equipment: Specialized Crux. Continental Terra Speed TR 45s
The 6:15 AM mass start was nothing short of chaotic. Positioned about five rows from the front, I quickly found myself struggling to hold my place and gradually drifted backward. Thankfully, I latched onto my friend’s wheel, and he pulled me up the small road knoll and onto the gravel, allowing me to merge into a group of about 30-40 riders.
The way this group moved through the fast, flowy, and punchy gravel section reminded me of rides like Spectrum or the Noon Ride. My goal was to stick with them until the base of Wahooligan Pass, the main climb in the new route at around 23 miles in. To stay with them, I had to throw down my best 1-5 minute efforts of the day, and I wondered if I’d regret it later with over a hundred miles still ahead.
When we finally reached Wahooligan Pass (miles 23-37), I chose to climb at my own pace. Having pre-ridden this climb, I knew it was easy to burn out too soon, especially with the steepest and toughest part at the end. Most of the women in my group passed me early on in the climb, leaving me to wonder if I’d see them again.
Descending Wahooligan Pass solo was a dream – the technical off-camber corners and chunky rock were a blast. Many riders flatted here, but I managed to get through unscathed. From there, the course felt a bit like a mix of Huffmaster and cyclocross, with long, straight gravel sections where you were either lucky to be in a group or left on your own. Then came a stretch of sand, where my cyclocross experience came in handy, and I passed all women who passed me on Wahooligan pass..
Rolling into Hayden at mile 66, I had drained my 2L Superfuel Pack and debated whether to stop at the aid station. But after being pulled at a solid tempo pace by a friendly rider for about 15 minutes, I didn’t want to lose the momentum, so I opted to rely on my gels and keep pushing.
Around this time, I encountered a large group of riders from the Blue 100-mile course. Initially, I was excited to have more people to draft with, but soon realized they were moving much slower than I was. I drafted where I could, using steady fast wheels to recover from my recent effort and continue progressing.
At mile 86, I made my one and only aid stop to refill my bottles and grab some pickle juice, Coke, and a backup gel. I had planned to refill my pack with carb mix, but the station had run out. I decided to press on with just water and the remaining gels, resolving to stop again only if absolutely necessary, knowing the back half of the course had more frequent aid stations.
With 40 miles to go, I was getting stoked to finish! A strong woman passed me on the climb out of the aid station, and I decided to stick with her. As we descended into a section marked with “Caution!” signs, the danger became immediately apparent when her front wheel hit a loose, deep rut, sending her over the bars. I stopped to check if she was okay, and thankfully, she was, and I told her she was so strong.
The next section featured a gentle 2% descent on smooth gravel roads – fun if you're skilled at it, but tricky this late in the race if you’re not a super powerful rider on the flats, like me. Another strong woman flew by, and I worked hard to grab her wheel. I asked if she wanted to work together, and she agreed! We flew through this relatively flat section until, unfortunately, she dropped off on the next little climb to the second-to-last aid station at mile 101.
On the next 2% descending gravel road, I was thrilled to spot my friend Sarah, who was riding the Blue Course. I motioned for her to get on my wheel, and we worked together until we reached the second-to-last climb, known as the “Corkscrew.”
The final aid station was at the top of the last climb at mile 113, but I flew by, feeling surprisingly strong – no cramps, and my legs were still solid! As I approached the finish line, I pushed hard to beat the 8-hour mark and finished at 7:55! I’m really proud of my effort, managing to stick with a strong group at the beginning, pacing myself on the climbs, and finding others to ride with throughout the race.
Overall, the Steamboat Gravel event is a blast, with a fun vibe and excellent organization in a stunning setting! There's something for everyone. I also noticed a significantly larger portion of women and more diversity than at any other race I’ve been to – I highly recommend it!
Key Learnings & Notes (If You Do This Event):
Gear: I ran a 40T with a 10-44T SRAM XPLR, but I found myself spinning out frequently on the 2% descents. Next time, I’d opt for a 42T or maybe a 44T chainring.
Support: There’s no outside support allowed, so be self-sufficient. Bring all the flat repair supplies (including a tube), enough food for the entire race, and extra drink mix – the aid station I stopped at had run out.
Start: The mass start is incredibly fast. It’s tough to take in calories from gels early on, so next time, I’d mix more calories into my bottles.
Tires: If the course remains the same, consider running MTB tires like the 2.25 Aspen ST; many of the fastest riders used them and loved it. I would run larger, fast tires. The blue course is significantly less technical.
Race Report: 2024 University Road Race Womens P1234
Race: University Road Race Womens P1234
Date: August 18, 2024
AVRT racers: Niky Taylor
Top Result: Niky 3/4
Route: Literally it goes up and then it goes down.
Recap: Hello. I did a race. Here is my report.
I have not raced very much this year because I have been dealing with Long COVID and some psychiatric problems. One of the main symptoms I have is pretty severe fatigue. So we can just say I wasn’t in the best form going into this race.
Day of the race I wavered on whether I would register. But I decided I wanted to race because while feeding the P12 guys I overheard some masters riders saying “you know, I’m dropped, but I’m so glad I can still be out here.” And I liked that sentiment.
I rolled up to the start after having warmed up with some friends. There were a whopping 4 people in our field so we combined with the 3/4/5’s to get to a field of about 15. They blew the whistle and I started my first race in months.
The first few laps were pretty uneventful but fast. I marked Ilan (Terun) and Jackie (Roxo racing) who I figured were the two main threats. I kept an eye on Hannah (Terun) too. The rest of the riders were 3/4/5’s. One Sprinkles girl kept attacking on the descent, but she kept getting brought back on the climb.
After a few laps, I felt pretty bad. But we turned onto the climb and I noticed Hannah fading back from Ilan and Jackie a bit. I figured now was a good time to weaken Terun, so I surged up to Ilan and Jackie and hit the gas. I set a PR on the climb and dropped everyone except Ilan and Jackie. On the descent the sendy Sprinkles rider bridged up to us.
I was pretty gassed. My heart rate had been maxed out for a while and my recovery is not very good right now. I kept with our group of 4 for another lap and then broke. I tried to fight through it. The Sprinkles girl towed me back on the descent and I was able to bridge up to Ilan and Jackie, but again halfway through the climb I couldn’t hold on. I accepted that this was probably my race, I know my form isn’t where it used to be, and I’m trying to be ok with it. The world was spinning.
Sprinkles girl caught up to me and tried to get me hyped. I was like I am sorry but I cannot hype right now. She tried to help me be more aero on the descent which was nice, I was like yeah sorry I know how this works I’m just so dizzy I think I might fall off my bike. But she was really nice so I tried to pace her on the climb, and then my legs really gave out for good.
I cheered her on and then started trying to recover. I was about an hour into the race and hadn’t eaten or drank much, so I hoped this fatigue spell was at least half bonk and I started *consuming.*
At the feed zone, I saw Hannah had pulled out of the race. I thought hm, I should pull out of the race. I am done. I could be really done. But Cam was there and he was so committed to giving me water and Louise had come out to cheer me on. And I wanted to finish the stupid thing I started. And there were only three of us, so what the heck, so long as I finished I could get some velo promo money and a wacky Tshirt.
So I kept telling myself one more lap. I will do one more lap and then I will see how I feel. And every lap at the feed zone I saw Cam and Louise and told them “I feel so great” while moving at about 2 miles per hour and Louise would laugh and Cam would say “you look great” or something like that and dump water on my head and I’d keep going.
I was so relieved to be lapped, because when Ilan and Jackie finally came around with 4 laps to go I automatically got to go down to 3. Ilan told me to hop back on with them and I did on the descent, but then immediately felt something cold on my leg and looked down to see sealant shooting out my back tire. I slowed down in case it totally blew out, but it held. I caught back on with them but was too gassed again to hang on the climb. I was really limping my way to the finish.
But I did it. Every lap I thought I’d stop and every lap I kept going, so I was proud of myself for that. I got to stand on the box and Ilan gave me her Bariani bag since apparently 3rd place P1234 didn’t get one, which was really sweet of her.
Overall I’m glad I did this because it was great to get out and see people, even if I was the absolute dead last person to finish racing, down one lap with my heart rate at 190, course marshals cleaning up the course as I passed. I miss being in top form and I wish I could get back there, but at least I’m able to get out and do things again. And I’m proud of myself for getting out there even when I knew it was going to be rough and ultimately finishing a really tough course.
Nutrition: Speednut spring energy at the start line, 1.5 sleeves of clif bloks and 3-4 bottles of water + skratch during the race
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12183485194
