Race Report: 2025 CCCX (XC MTB) Race #4 - Men’s Cat 2/Sport
Race: CCCX (XC MTB) Race #4 Men’s Cat 2/Sport Age 35-44
Date: February 16, 2025
AVRT racers: Michael Matthews
Top Result: Men’s Cat 2/Sport Age 35-44 1st/9 (Men’s Cat 2/Sport Overall 7th/47)
Course: ~3.4 mile lap completed four times for Cat 2. Minimally technical course elements aside from a few sections of sequential banked 180 degree corners that you can easily dump too much speed in. Three key separation climbs spread evenly across the lap. Easier passing opportunities were at mid-to-late lap. Trail conditions were dry but soft sand in areas affected by the recent rains. Really short finishing straight, so a late move would have to be done sooner. There were two long straight sections that were fast and easier to make moves on. The course had some new elements as the configurations in this part of Fort Ord are almost endless. Wind and weather were not a factor.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13646134907
Nutrition: ~100g of carbs in a bottle for pre/during race nutrition. Not a lot of opportunity to even grab a drink based on the course layout. Even the straight sections were rough enough that eating/drinking would be tough.
Event Recap: Mixed feelings about my readiness for this race. I was coming off a recovery week but also came off a flight the night before. My registration was a little messed up. My USAC racing age is 35 but I was placed in the 19-34 age category. So, I lined up at the front of my registered age group (19-34) but halfway through the field I was starting with. The U19 and 19-34 started together. Half of the U19 was very strong and took off quickly. I jumped about three wheels before the second separation climb but couldn’t get out from behind one wheel until it was too late. The leaders, all from the U19 age group and one from my (19-34) age group were out of sight before the end of the first of four laps. I would catch glimpses of them at certain points of the course so I decided to settle in and set a strong pace for the remaining laps. I slowly started catching and passing riders. After a big push on lap 3 of 4, and by halfway through the last lap I’d caught two other riders in my wave (not age group though). Anticipation of a three-up sprint for 5/6/7th was looming. I was third wheel into the last third of the lap. One descent and one sharp climb remaining before a fast singletrack descent into the finish. The youngest/smallest rider jumped on the descent at the base of the climb. I hesitated to do the same seconds earlier, but didn’t. Turns out I had burnt all my matches before the last climb and was distanced before the top anyways, but it was great to have battled back into a group. Overall fun and challenging race with a great result!