Race Report: Cat’s Hill Classic - Men's Novice/Cat 4/Collegiate C/D

Race: Cat’s Hill Classic - Men's Novice/Cat 4/Collegiate C/D

Date: March 22, 2025

AVRT racers: Adam Beliveau, Clark Penado, Sam Moskal, Vasyl Stokolosa, Wil Gibb

Top Result: 2/18 Vasyl Stokolosa (Novice), 8/23 Sam Moskal (4)

Course: 30 minutes around a 0.90 mile course.  L shape with 6 corners and a punchy 0.05mi/ 35ft climb at avg 11.8%, max 20% grade followed by a gradual descent to the finish
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13956235530 

Nutrition: 40g carbs during registration. Went with no bottles as this was a very short race. Other riders had 0.5-1 bottles of water.

Race Recap:

We entered the race as the third-largest team, behind Mike's Bikes and Cal Poly, in a mixed field of 50 riders. Our strategy was to cover attacks from these teams and any other threatening solo riders. The course profile favored our most powerful riders, Wil and Vasyl, and we aimed to have one or both of them in any breakaways that formed. We didn't have a dedicated sprinter and planned on working with whoever had opportunistic positioning. 

The start of the race was crucial. We anticipated a fast beginning due to the wide range of skill levels, so it was essential to be at the front early to navigate the hill feature without braking. Wil and Vasyl took the lead almost immediately, alongside Cal Poly. Within the first five minutes, a group of about 20 riders separated from the rest of the field. Wil and Vasyl worked hard at the front to control the pace and maintain speed through corners. I wanted to contribute but couldn't find a safe opportunity to move up without chasing down my teammates, so I settled into the draft and rode smoothly for the next 20 minutes.

With four laps remaining, a Cal Poly rider launched a solo attack up the hill, but we didn't respond since they were in the collegiate field. Soon after, Vasyl briefly opened a gap but was eventually caught. We started passing lapped riders with 4 laps to go, which added some confusion as to who was still in contention. As we entered the final lap, Wil led the field, and the lead group had dwindled to 12 riders, with four of our team members still represented. Wil maintained the front through the top of the hill, where Vasyl and two Cal Poly riders took over. This formation held until the end of the race, with Vasyl sprinting to second place in the Novice category and third overall (note: we believe that Vasyl actually finished first in the Novice category due to the officials accidentally counting a lapped rider first) . I finished eighth in the Cat 4 field, closely followed by Adam and Wil. In hindsight, I should have contributed more to support my teammates throughout the race or prepared for a stronger sprint, as the podium was within a second or two. This was the first time our group raced together, and we're looking forward to the next event. Thanks for reading!