Race Reports
Race: Wards Ferry Road Race 4/5
Date: May 24th, 2025
AVRT racers: Shai Traister, Gregoire Denis
Top Result: Gregoire (7/20), Shai (8th/20)
Course: 5 laps of a 12 miles/~1100ft loop of hills and descents with no flat sections. Pretty bad pavement made this race really bumpy with sketchy turns partially covered by gravel.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14584394589/
Nutrition: Two bottles (one frozen) with 60g of carbs. 2 bottles from the feed - one with 60g of carbs one just water, 2 gu gels, 1 cookie.
Race recap (written by Shai):
There was no Masters cat4 field, so I signed up for the cat4/5 open field. This race got cancelled in the last few years due to low participation, but this year it seemed like it was taking place. I wanted to support the race, plus I remembered it as a fun course from the last time I raced it in 2019.
The race started with a neutral roll out, but as soon as the race actually started the pace picked up considerably and became all strung out. I was in a good position towards the front and I saw one guy in the front pulling the group with nobody else taking turns. I figured this was due to inexperience of a cat5 racer or some excitement at the beginning of the race when everyone still had fresh legs.
We hit the first climb (0.9miles @ 7%) and at an all-out pace and although I felt that I could hang with the group upfront, I knew we still had a long way to go and that there is no way this can sustain. I slowed down a little bit, and when Gregoire passed me I slotted behind him to get some draft. Even after slowing down this climb was 3:40m @ 371w. After the climb we could still see the front group (which didn’t slow down as I expected), but soon after came a long descent and they were gone, never to be seen again.
I continued riding with Gregoire - a couple of others joined us but we were able to drop them in one of the climbs. With the road being so bumpy it was hard to get a good draft due to the continuous swerving to avoid potholes and due to the bikes constantly bumping that required a bigger gap for safety. Gregoire did the bulk of the work with me taking pulls as much as I could.
It was starting to get pretty warm so I tried to stay hydrated as much as possible. I gave Drew 2 frozen bottles at the start to hand me at the feed zone. These were awesome!!! Thank Drew!! In addition I grabbed neutral water from Drew’s invention of the bottle handing tool which worked like magic - I grabbed 2 bottles and poured them over myself to cool down a little.
On the 3rd lap my legs started to complain and I could feel them starting to cramp. This was bad news because this was like the middle of the race and I still had 2 more laps to go. I told Gregoire that I must continue at Tempo pace on the climbs and we slowed down a little bit which allowed the 2 dropped riders that we dropped earlier to catch up.
At some point Gregoire’s bike computer fell to the ground and he stopped/turned back to pick it up. I continued on with one of the other riders, assuming he would probably be able to catch up at the pace I was riding. After some time I was dropped by the other rider and continued solo. Gregoire caught up to me and I told him I was cramping. That reminded me that I still had a Gel and that cookie in my pocket. I ate both. Gregoire continued on, and I kept going at the best pace I could manage without cramping.
On the last lap i was starting to feel a bit better - I guess nutrition does help 🙂- and I started picking up the pace - to my surprise I was able to even do some VO2 efforts without cramping. As I was getting close to the final climb I noticed one rider from my field ahead (the same guy that dropped me on lap 3). I managed my efforts and steadily closed on him - legs felt good. After a short recovery I launched an attack and cleared ahead to finish 8th, one place after Gregoire.
Brutal race, but fun nonetheless. Definitely tubeless tires and as wide as possible for the bumpy road.
In hindsight I learned that Gavin Sherry (aka - the newly crowned OLH KOM holder) was racing in my field (he registered day-of so I didn’t know), which explains the hectic start of the race. It also explains why the front group didn’t slow down after that fast climb. Gavin ended up 20 minutes ahead of a group of chasers. Good for him, but what is he doing in a cat 4 race?
Race Report: California Dirt MTB Series, Riding High at the Ranch - Pro Men XC
Race: California Dirt MTB Series, Riding High at the Ranch - Pro Men XC
Date: May 24, 2025
AVRT racers: Jon Wells
Top Result: Jon Wells, 3rd Pro Men
Course: 21 mile loop in Susanville, CA with almost 3k feet of climbing. There was some dirt road in the first mile but otherwise it was entirely single track and one large loop for the race.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14583406869
Nutrition: One bottle of 100g carb mix plus water cups at aid stations. Also put down another 100g carb bottle during my warmup to preload.
Race Recap:
Race is almost entirely on single track so getting a good position into it was key since passing was much easier on the dirt road section. I got out pretty well and was riding in the front 5 spots for most of the dirt road until former pro roadie Stefano Barberi launch a big attack in the final minute prior to the single track that shattered the group, leaving me around 6th into the single track.
This section was ~15min climb and 5 min descent before we took on the longest climb of the race up to the high point. This section felt super hard as we all tried (unsuccessfully) to keep Stefano’s pace. I was riding alone and getting into my own zone by the time we started the long climb. There were several people who I picked off on the course of this long climb who had gotten out too hard until I was up to 3rd.
There are a few rollers over the top which looked easy on the elevation profile but they were really challenging on tired legs. I was riding this section alone and trying to hold position. Eventually I made it to the final descent, ~15 minutes continuous downhill back to the start area. The downhill was very loose with lots of flat corners and was a little bit terrifying to be hitting all out but we made it down in one piece and held onto my same 3rd place spot. Stefano ran away with it, beating 2nd by over 8 minutes in a 100 minute race. I came in only a couple minutes behind second but had definitely given it everything on the day, as I began cramping quite badly as I was coming into the finish area.
-Jon
Race Report: 2025 CBR #5 - Women’s P12
Race: CBR #5
Date: 5/4/24
AVRT racers: Thialor Mize, Ros Patterson, Whitney Post
Top Result: Thialor Mize- 4th, Ros Patterson 11th, Whitney Post- 12th
Course: Flatter course. 4 corners again. They changed the finish to end halfway up the long gradual climb out of T3. Mostly smooth pavement except for the backside. Deceptively hard.
Nutrition: Rice bowl for breakfast, SIS gel on start, and another in the middle. One bottle of First endurance mix.
Report (written by Thialor):
That was a strange one. Lots of cat and mouse. There were some moves, but Whitney and Roz fought hard to keep it together. Im proud of how they rode. I picked a bad race line in the sprint again, like last time, and just got edged out for 3rd in the sprint! With how well we’re learning to ride as a team, I’m hoping it all comes together and we can bring it home for orange again someday soon!
Race Report: 2025 Redlands Downtown (Amateur) Criterium - Women’s P123
Race: Redlands Downtown (Amateur) Criterium - Women’s P123
Date: 4/13/25
AVRT racers: Thialor Mize
Top Result: Thialor Mize - 9th
Course: Shorter course than the stage race one. 5 corner crit. Decreasing radius curve at the top that people tended to clip a pedal on if they were running cranks longer than 155mm. Two turns in the middle that set up nicely like a S turn. Final turn was off camber and set up into a short sprint.
Nutrition: Rice/jam/yogurt for breakfast. Root beer in the bottles for maximum chaos. Two SIS gels. A tylenol afterwards chased with a nice iced caramel mocha.
Report: Today I learned you can physically push yourself ~too~ hard! Without teammates, I found myself covering a lot more than usual. Unfortunately, that included a massive attack by the legendary Lauren Stephens herself about 6 or 7 laps to go. I dangled there for a lap or two before getting caught and reabsorbed, and then dug deep to stay floating near the front, but my legs were pretty spent from going off the front and trying to respond. Eventually Lauren was caught as well and the field settled into a brisk pace. My friend Ruth (guesting for United) launched a savvy move 2 laps to go that put me on the back foot. I found myself around 10th wheel and the pace was just too high to make up places in that technical of a crit. I'd bring home 9th on the day, and a wicked migraine that lasted for a couple days. Fortunately for me, there was a cat cafe with good coffee and lots of cute kitties in a dark place to rest for a while afterward, and I got to watch my partner protect his GC rider and bring home yellow for his team in the pro race afterward.
Race Report: 2025 CBR Carson #4 - Women’s P12
Race: CBR Carson #4 - Women’s P12
Date: 3/30/25
AVRT racers: Sue Lin Holt, Thialor Mize, Rosalind Patterson, Whitney Post
Top Result: Thialor Mize - 6th
Course: Longer course. 4 corner crit. They reversed it this time, which was very uncommon. Short but fast downhill after the finishing straight and a nice smooth little bump on the backside of the course. Climb out of T2 and into T3. Lended itself to a breakaway. Jennifer Wheeler capitalized on that and used the bump on the back to sling by with momentum and get a gap.
Nutrition: My beloved basmati rice bowl for breakfast. Two SIS gels and some EF mix. Very good combo for autoimmune athletes or people who can’t tolerate a lot of fiber before a race. Isotonic stuff is a game changer.
Report (written by Thialor): Same thing happened here that happened at Chuck Pontius earlier. Some domestic pros showed up and gave us a good fitness finder test. I really enjoyed the harder race, it reminded me of the national level ACC events, but shorter. I tried to follow a move from Fount earlier on and found myself a little tanked to follow the real move, just like CP. Whitney, Roz, and Sue Lin did a master class of getting together and riding for me, but there was some chaos at the end that resulted in a messy bunch sprint. I can’t stress how hard both Whitney and Roz especially had gone in our leadout train in the last 3 laps. Unfortunately there was a bit of chaos
Race Report: 2025 Rosena Ranch - Women’s P123
Date: March 16th 2025
AVRT racers: Thialor Mize, Whitney Post
Top Result: Thialor Mize 1st, Whitney Post 6th
Course: 1.95mi long hilly circuit, two hairpin turns at each end. Windy. Chip seal pavement. Not a lot of places to hide.
Strava: Rosena Ranch RR/Circuit - Team Win! 🚀🔥🎉🏆🥇 | Ride | Strava- Whitney’s ride
Nutrition: I run on white rice and jam in the morning. Lots of maurten and SIS gels for the weak tummy. First Endurance mix in both bottles as we had no feed.
Report (written by Thialor):
The race started off hot, with team A Faster Me launching attacks up the hill every lap. About halfway through, they tried a big move that shelled most of the field. Whitney stayed with me and launched her own counter move that stayed off the front for a while. It was enough to give me some rest and set up for the sprint. by the time we came into 3 laps to go, it was just me and three others. I figured AFM would launch early, but it was the team Mamis rider who went. I started my sprint early, came around, and just held them off for first. I certainly owe it to Whitney for protecting me all day and keeping my legs fresh enough to
Race Report: 2025 Chuck Pontius Memorial Criterium - Women’s P123
Race: Chuck Pontius Memorial Criterium - Women’s P123
Date: 3/23/25
AVRT racers: Thialor Mize, Whitney Post
Top Result: Thialor- 10th, Whitney- 13th
Course: 3 corner crit. Shorter in length. Small bump at the back gets neutralized by a headwind typically. Course still tends to lend itself to breakaways.
Nutrition: Lots of white rice, sponsored by Walmart. Big bowl of it and yogurt and jam this time. Unfortunately it did not save me. Two SIS gels during the race as it was shorter but pretty high intensity and I burn lots of carbohydrates on the bike. FE mix in bottles.
Report (written by Thialor): I knew we were in for it when a continental pro team showed up with 3 or 4 riders. The race was hot, fast, and ended in a field split. Unfortunately, I found myself in the back half after following a failed move earlier and setting myself up to be countered by a Fount rider. Nevertheless, Whitney and I decided to practice our leadout anyway, and she set me up for what would've been an excellent 4th- if i didn't have 5 people in front of me who had lapped us. :)
Race Report: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Men’s P123
Race: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Men’s P123
Date: 5/10/25
AVRT racers: Cameron O’Reilly, Greg McCullough, Wil Gibb
Top Result: Cameron 4/29
Course: 6 laps of a 4.5 mile rolling circuit. One long, super fast descent. One longer climb that leads to the finish that is split into two pitches with sections over 15%. Super fun course with excellent pavement throughout and no need to touch the brakes for any corners.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14440585208
Nutrition: One bottle of mix (80g carbs) and one bottle of water (mostly sprayed on myself)
Race Recap (written by Cameron):
Winchester is a great race. While most NorCal races are run on open roads with horrible pavement, this is a rare opportunity to race on a closed course with well paved roads. Outside of the main descent and climb, the course is continuously rolling, which makes it very hard to roll turns in a break or in a chase. Heat also plays a role in deciding how races play out, as 90+ degree weather and sun wear people down.
This was the second race of the day for Wil and Greg and the only race of the day for me. The plan was to put me in position to attack and get into a break during the rolling part of the course in lap 2 or 3. Attacks went almost as soon as we finished the neutral rollout, and both Wil and Greg did an excellent job of covering things and making sure AV was represented in all moves. As we made our way around the course to the main descent, the attacks subsided and everyone started saving their legs for the climb.
When we got to the climb, we hit it hard. Coureur Monterey Bay had three riders in the field and paced it hard from the start. I positioned myself well going into it and was able to stay in the top 3-5 wheels. As we crested the climb, I looked back and saw we had already dropped most of the field! Our group of five riders included two Coureur Monterey Bay riders, one of whom immediately went to the front and rode hard to extend the gap. With the field behind both tired from the climb and all major teams (Coureur, AV, Mike’s Bikes, Dolce Vita) represented in the break, we quickly established a ~20 second lead.
The next few laps I and the riders from Mike’s and Dolce mostly sat on. People attacked the climb each time hoping to drop someone, but we stuck together. The second to last time up the Mike’s rider attacked and dropped one of the Coureur riders, making us a group of four. While this removed their numbers advantage, dropping one Coureur rider meant the rest of us would need to work if we wanted to keep him behind. So we rolled turns through the rolling section.
When we got to the final climb, the Mike’s rider attacked from the bottom. By this point the cumulative fatigue and heat had set in and I didn’t have the snap needed to respond, so I paced it the rest of the way and finished fourth. Happy with a podium finish but still working for more. Huge props to Wil for sticking it out and finishing with the main pack in his first P123 race and second race of the day!
Race Report: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Men’s 3/4
Race: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Men’s 3/4
Date: 5/10/25
AVRT racers: Jeremy Besmer, Wil Gibb, Jack Lund
Top Result: Jeremy 6/50, Wil 8/50
Course: 5 laps of a 4.5 mile rolling circuit. One long, super fast descent. One longer climb that leads to the finish that is split into two pitches with sections over 15%. Super fun course with excellent pavement throughout and no need to touch the brakes for any corners.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14439816333
Nutrition: One bottle of super Skratch (80g carbs) and one bottle of water
Race Recap (written by Jeremy):
I didn’t go into this race with any major goals - I just wanted to have fun, stay safe, and maybe get a few upgrade points.
The combined field (3/4 and 35+ 3/4) was quite large (50 people!) and I knew it would have people with a broad range of skills, so I resolved to stay near the front throughout. Our general plan was to ensure the hill was hard each time to whittle down the field, and then work together on the final hill from a reduced group to create multiple chances to win. It wasn’t too hot at the beginning of the race (10am) but by the end it was very crispy.
After the “neutral” 300 watt rollout up a steep hill, the race started pretty unceremoniously and remained tame for most of the first lap. It stayed this way the first time up the main climb, so I went to the front to set a steady hard pace. Wil came around me halfway up to continue our hard pace up to the top. This dropped half the field, but unfortunately most people caught back on during the rolling/flat section before the big descent. On Lap 3, someone attacked hard halfway up the big climb. I followed his move up to the top, and when we crested, I looked around and saw that about 15 racers remained (including Wil). The pace remained steady but not too hard through Lap 4, so a few people caught back on. I took this opportunity to check in with Wil, warning him that the pace on the hill on the final lap would probably be ballistic so we should try to be near the front going into it. This turned out to be quite prescient, as multiple attacks rolled from the bottom of the hill and continued through the top. This was a pretty hard effort but dropped fewer people than hoped and much of the group again came together during the first half of lap 5
Going into the last time up the hill to the finish, there was a lot of swarming, and unfortunately I was out of position to follow the first attack at the bottom of the hill. I did my best to steadily close the gap before the flatter part of the climb, but I didn’t quite close it. The gap then widened during the flat part, so I was too far back to participate in the final sprint at the front of the field. I did manage to pass a couple people on the final pitch to roll in for 6th.
Thanks to Greg Beliera for capturing this moment - teammates helping teammates cool down after a crispy finish!
Race: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Men’s Masters 50+ 3/4
Race: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Men’s Masters 50+ 3/4
Date: May 10, 2025
AVRT racers: Shai Traister
Top Result: 5th (out of 6)
Course: 5 laps of a 4.5 mile rolling circuit. One long, fast descent. One longer climb that leads to the finish that is split into two pitches with sections over 15%. Super fun course with excellent pavement throughout and no need to touch the brakes for any corners.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14441307588
Nutrition: One bottle of fructose blend, one with water and one SIS gel
Race Recap: This was my 2nd race of the day, so I wasn’t as fresh. I drank a full bottle between the races to make sure I didn’t get dehydrated. The field was combined with the 60+ 1/2/3/4 field, and featured Jerome Nadel. My strategy was to follow wheels and preserve energy as much as possible, and hope I still have something left at the end.
We started the race, and on the first lap one guy started going up the road. Following my strategy I stayed put, as I assumed the others still had fresh legs and would close it down. To my surprise they didn’t and they let him stay away. On the first big climb another rider (Pasco, who I know from the noon ride) bridged up to the guy in front.
The gap kept pretty much the same throughout the 2nd lap, but when we got to the top of the main climb we saw Pasco on the side of the road. He joined us as we crested the top. I asked him what happened and he told me he wasn’t feeling well.
We continued rolling, going pretty hard on the climbs and recovering through the descents/rollers. On the main climb of the 4th lap (one to go) we caught the guy in front so now it was all back together. I thought it was pretty interesting how no one really made an attempt to chase the one/two riders in front (which in hindsight was brilliant, but seemed a bit risky at first, especially on a course like today. Maybe they all knew each other and knew better not to overreact).
Last lap - pace picked up a little bit, but I felt pretty good, especially considering that this was my 9th lap already (10th if counting the warm up lap). The group was still sizable so I assumed it will come to a fast sprint on the final climb. I decided to take my SIS gel to top off and hopefully avoid cramping. As I was taking down the gel we hit the right turn onto the small kicker, where someone decided to attack and the entire group picked up the pace chasing. I was holding the bars in my right hand and the gel in my left, so I was a bit slow to react. After making the turn onto the kicker I shifted into the small ring and dropped my chain. I tried saving it but it got stuck, and because of the kicker, I was losing speed fast. I stopped, got off the bike and put it back on. Uphill mount took a couple of attempts but shortly after I started chasing the group. One rider caught up with me on the flats, but I dropped him on the next bump. I got to the last climb and saw one rider ahead. I was determined to pass that rider which I did, thereby squeezing my 5th place and onto the podium.
Dropping the chain was a bummer, but I felt encouraged by how good I felt and of course from my win earlier that day.
Race: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Men’s Masters 50+ 4/5
Race: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Men’s Masters 50+ 4/5
Date: May 10, 2025
AVRT racers: Shai Traister
Top Result: Win! (out of 8)
Course: 4 laps of a 4.5 mile rolling circuit. One long, fast descent. One longer climb that leads to the finish that is split into two pitches with sections over 15%. Super fun course with excellent pavement throughout and no need to touch the brakes for any corners.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14441306916
Nutrition: One bottle of fructose blend and one SIS gel
Race Recap: The field was combined with the 60+ 3/4/5 field, so this added an extra thing to pay attention to. At least both fields had the same number of laps (unlike last year). The local team (Body Concepts) had 6 riders in the combined field of 17, which was pretty remarkable. I made a mental note to keep an eye for any team tactic.
First lap was pretty chill with no major events. On the second lap the pace started to pick up, and at the top of the 2nd climb I noticed that there were only 5 riders. Some bridged back on the rollers but I felt pretty comfortable at that point. We continued rolling through another lap (one before last) and when we got to the main climb I helped driving the pace to make sure we drop riders. At the top we were only 3 riders - 1 rider was from the 60+ field and 2 from the 50+ field. We got into a rotation and set a good pace to prevent others from catching up.
We got to the last climb. Since I had only one rider to worry about I slotted behind him and prepared for the sprint. I waited till the short descent in the middle of the climb, shifted into the big ring and started sprinting to the line in the big ring. I looked behind and saw I had a big gap over the 2 riders, so I sat down and crossed the line. So excited with the win!!
Race Report: Winchester Circuit Race – Women’s 3/4/5 & Masters 40+/50+/60+ (and a little of P/1/2/3)
Race Report: Winchester Circuit Race – Women’s 3/4/5 & Masters 40+/50+/60+ (and a little of P/1/2/3)
Date: May 10, 2025
AVRT Racers: Alex Cameron, Kristin Hepworth, Robin Kutner
Top Result: Kristin Hepworth – 4/17 overall, 2/6 in Cat 3
Course: The course is a ~4.5 mile road loop with excellent pavement and a series of rolling hills. There are only two 90° turns on the course. Though steep in some sections, no hill is longer than a couple minutes, and are all followed by fun, fast, and safe descents, so momentum can be carried into the next climb. The biggest descent (segment title “Tuck and Lol”) is a bit over 1 minute and is fast! A series of undulating climbs (~350ft gain total) takes you up to the finish, which is located roughly half way up the steepest and longest climb.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14438010422
Nutrition: Oatmeal 3 hours before the race. One gel 10 minutes before the race. The race is only an hour, so I didn’t eat anything during. One bottle of water with electrolytes during the race.
Recap by Kristin: After a neutral rollout from the parking lot, the 17-rider field stayed together for most of the first lap. Things started to break up on lap 2, before the longest climb. I was able to stay with the front group, but just as the effort began to string us out, a neutralization was called by the moto guy due to an incoming men’s field. The timing worked against us, allowing a few dropped riders to recover and rejoin. That left about 7 or 8 of us heading into the final two laps.
Robin: feeling physically poor, I got dropped on the long climb at the end of Lap 2. But in hindsight - as always - if I had managed to hang, I probably could have stayed with the main group because of the untimely neutralization. I redirected my race purpose to teamwork with Alex, so I softpedaled early in Lap 3 until she appeared.
Kristin: As the only AVRT rider in the front group, I focused on positioning and marking the two other Cat 3 riders I knew would be competitive — Sofya (Terun) and Shannon (unattached). Sofya tested the group with a few hard efforts on the climbs during lap 3. I followed each move, unsure whether she was trying to split the field or simply animate the race. Each time, the group came with me. She mentioned not feeling well, but it was hard to tell how much of that was real and how much was tactical.
Alex: After battling through the first 2 laps and getting dropped by the main group sometime during the second lap, I was trying to come up with a plan for how to make the most of the final 2 laps while riding mostly solo. A couple minutes into the 3rd lap though, I come across Robin all but stopped and waiting for me! This was a massive boost for me, because I had expected to grind through the second half of the race alone with my own thoughts. Robin was immediately helpful and told me to sit in her draft while she worked. She would end up pulling me all the way to the finish line - I never took a turn. My hero! We had a fun back and forth with a Davis rider who we would pass on the hills, but then would pass us (me) back on the descents. After going back and forth a couple times and sitting in her draft for a little, we made our move going into the final climb of the 3rd lap and dropped her for good. This was such a massive learning moment in the race for me - it showed me there are little races that can still be won within the bigger race, and that there is always a way to push yourself, even if you’re not with the top riders. My teammate saved me out there, and I felt like I learned so much!
Kristin: Going into the final lap, I knew Shannon had consistently beaten me in previous races, and I let that get into my head more than it should have. I stayed alert and in position, but didn’t take any risks or initiate any moves. Ultimately, the race came down to the final climb. I held my own, but it’s a short, explosive finish — not my strength — and I came through 4th overall, 2nd in Cat 3. Shannon beat me again, but I did finish ahead of Sofya.
Looking back, I finished with more in the tank than I expected, which tells me I raced too conservatively. I doubted my fitness and hesitated to commit when I should have. It was a missed opportunity, but a useful one — next time, I’ll be more confident in making decisions and taking initiative.
This is one of my favorite courses, and while the result wasn’t quite what I hoped for, I always enjoy racing alongside my positive and supportive AV teammates.
The pack on Lap 1. Photo credit: Greg Beliera
“Race” Report: Winchester Circuit Race – Women’s P/1/2/3
AVRT: Robin Kutner
Recap written by Robin: I had pre-registered for the P123 mainly because I was excited to finally - on my first outing as a cat3 - have the opportunity to do a second race. I obviously didn’t know that I would end up sick / in sleep debt / undertrained in the weeks before Winchester. So after feeling crappy in the first race of the day, I was not about to do a longer race in a tougher field in scorching heat, but I was still hanging around the race area. I was chatting with Gwen (Revolution) and Shannon P before the race and they pointed out that if I just started it, it was looking like I would be racer #5 and therefore upgrade points would be available for the field. I have been frustrated showing up to a race to find that 1 person’s DNS eliminates the opportunity to get any upgrade points, so I didn’t want to be that person. It was over 100°F on the tarmac, so I rode second wheel in our small field’s single-file line. As soon as Shannon P (eventual double winner) put in a smidge of effort on the finishing climb at the end of Lap 1, I saw myself out and hung out under the finishing area tent with some pals. Friendly USAC ref Carlos even gave me a veggie burrito. No regrets.
Race Report: 2025 Bariani Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Race: Bariani Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Date: 3/16/25
AVRT Racers: Henry Mallon, Nathan Martin, Max Rye, Leo Minami, Cam O’Reilly, Devin Wilson, J Evans, Flo Costa
Top Result: Nathan 6th
Nutrition: 2 900ml bottles with ~150g of carbs each, 1 ~600 ml bottles with ~90g of carbs each
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13902176343
Recap (written by Nathan):
Bariani is always a fun race, it’s flat and wind usually plays a factor. This year was no different, with LOTS of wind forecast. Wind coming from the south, ticking up to about 15 mph near the end, which meant the top part of the race was going to be echelon-city.
First lap a bit of jostling, not too much wind yet, nothing serious went.
Second lap the wind was picking up a bit, so on the top section of the course me, Devin, and Flo really tried to do some rotating and gutter the field. We started to really string things out, but still early in the race so didn’t split the field or anything yet.
Just after the start of the third lap, a few strong guys like Cody Berta and Alex Akins went off the front, and I rolled with them. We were joined by one or two others, and Voler were basically the only team left who had to chase.
We quickly got a large gap, and it sounds like Voler wasn’t able to muster much of a chase after a lap, so we were the break of the day.
Sadly I was probably doing too much work, I shouldn’t have been working with some good sprinters I knew I couldn’t beat in the finale, and we had some good finishers, so that was a pretty big mistake from me.
Basically the remaining 2.5h of the race I rotated through, and in the last 30 mins I completely cracked and blew up, dropping myself from the group. I ended up being caught at the finish line by 1 or 2 from the main field to finish 6th on the day.
Overall, I needed to do way less work in the break. I thought my legs would have held up considering I did some similar work at Snelling, but oh well. Fun day out!
Race Report: 2025 Snelling Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Race: Snelling Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Date: 3/1/25
AVRT Racers: Henry Mallon, Nathan Martin, Flo Costa, Cam O’Reilly, Max Rye
Top Result: Nathan 3rd
Nutrition: 2 900ml bottles with ~150g of carbs each, 1 ~600ml bottle with ~100g of carbs, plus a couple gels and a neutral water
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13763729120
Recap (written by Nathan):
Snelling is a fun one, usually the first ‘big’ race of the year with a field of 50-60+. This year was no different. Usually it’s decently attritional with a small group winning it, so we were aiming to be in that group.
First few laps were people trying to get in a break, we did a good job covering moves and making sure we always had people represented. There was one scary moment where every team was in a move except us, but we quickly bridged it back together with no worries.
On lap 4, the elastic finally snapped and I got in a move with 4 other riders with decent representation from the other teams. We would work together well, getting time on the main group.
However with about 2 laps to go, a bridging group broke away from the main group with the goal of getting up to us.
They would end up catching us with about a lap to go, bringing the final group to about 15 riders or so, with teammate Cam in the group.
As we hit the final lap, we mostly stayed together, but Cam was able to put in a monster dig as we turned towards the top of the course and quickly get a gap.
Other riders had to put in a decent amount of work to catch him, and it would have been great if I had the legs to counter him after he was brought back, but I was just really cooked at that point.
With about a km to go, I had myself positioned well on the CycleSport train, but I lost the fight for the wheel and quickly found myself about 7th wheel. Hitting the final corner I had some group to make up. I managed to pass a few people to get into 3rd place, but first and second were way too far up.
Overall a decent result. A bit better positioning in the final km might have set me up better, but I’m not known for my finishes on flat ground anyway to pretty decent I’d say!
Race Report: 2025 Tour de Bloom - Men’s 35+ 123
Race: 2025 Tour de Bloom Men’s Masters 35+ 1/2/3
Date: May 2-4
AVRT racers: Erik Levinsohn
Top result: Erik 1st stage 1, 2, and 4. 1st GC.
Courses/Strava:
Stage 1: 51.4 mile rolling road race
Stage 2: 4 mile hillclimb
Stage 3: 45 minute 4-corner ovalish criterium with a short climb and descent each lap
Stage 4: 79.8 mile rolling road race finishing on a short, steep climb
Nutrition: Thankfully each race was short enough that two bottles at the start with malto/fructose was plenty for stages 1 and 4; nothing needed for 2 and 3. I don’t think there were neutral feeds for the amateur races, but they weren’t really necessary.
Recap:
I love stage races. For me these are the single best parts of being part of a team and doing road racing. These events tend to foster camraderie, require teamwork, and occupy a particularly joyful part of racing that single-day events just can’t match. I had heard about TdB being one of the best stage races on the west coast and couldn’t wait to check it out. Sadly, due to work requirements I wasn't able to stay for the full five days of the P12 stage race, so registered for the masters race instead, which is just three days.
The most important things I want to emphasize about this race are (1) eastern Washington is absolutely stunning and this race is worth doing just to be able to ride out there. It’s the closest I’ve gotten to feeling like I’m in the Alps while staying in the US. Also, (2) the race is incredibly well-run and one of the most professional stage races I’ve done. So even though it’s a bit of a hike to get there, I think it’s absolutely worth putting on your bucket list.
The team got some rooms at a local hotel which was a nice staging area for the races, which were all within about an hour of Wenatchee. The town itself has some fun restraurants but the real draw is being surrounded by huge mountains.
Stage 1: I tried my signature (mostly idiotic) move of sticking a solo break, and thankfully was able to stick it. After putting in a hard attack a few miles into the race the field mostly sat up. It did end up being pretty toasty and by the end of the race I was exhausted and dehydrated. The most defining element of this race was for sure the wind. None of the climbs are more than ~1-2 minutes in length but the wind can definitely lead to some fun dynamics. In retrospect, this was a particularly tough race to stick a break as the field started to make up meaningful time on me as I got tired off the front.
Stage 2: I absolutely love hillclimbs and this was a pretty fun one. I was feeling pretty exhausted from the previous day so wasn’t able to do the kind of wattage I was hoping but still managed to eke the W. The climb is a pretty steady grade and while it is raced as a mass start, the grade (7-8%) limits most meaningful drafting. At the very least, it was nice to have a chance to ride up in the mountains given where we were.
Stage 3: While I don’t particularly enjoy criteriums I did really enjoy this race. The relatively short length (45 minutes) meant that it was full-gas the entire time and attacks happening pretty much non-stop. The wind again played a huge factor. One fun part of this race was some pretty spicy primes (up to as much as $300!) that meant people were taking some laps crazy fast. I made a few attacks off the front but couldn’t get away. Most importantly, I was able to stay upright and maintain my GC position for the last race.
Stage 4: 45 minutes northwest of Wenatchee is the town of Leavenworth, which is the closest you’ll get to Bavaria in the United States. Just next door is the town of Plain which hosted the last race. I will also note that all the races had a fun turnout of local folks to volunteer and spectate and this race was no exception. This was definitely my favorite of the races with beautiful roads, fun terrain, and dynamic racing. I managed to sneak away with about 30 miles to go and just barely stayed away from a concerted chase not far behind.
Between safe courses, beautiful views, awesome prizes (see cowboy hat below), and good competition, this is definitely a race to put on your calendar. The only real bummer for me what not being able to race with teammates, though I had a wonderful time hanging with Riley, Clark, Nathan, Henry, Flo, Leo, and Devin between races and cheering them on.
Race Report: 2025 Cantua Creek Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Race: Cantua Creek Road Race - Men’s P/1/2
Date: 2/15/25
AVRT Racers: Henry Mallon, Nathan Martin, Grant Miller, Greg McCullough, Cam O’Reilly
Top Result: Nathan 3rd
Nutrition: 2 900ml bottles with ~150g of carbs each, drank about 250g total.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/13636413340
Recap (written by Nathan):
Cantua is always an interesting race. First road race of the season, usually some of the central coast and even socal riders that may not race many NCNCA races come out and do this. Strong riders included Quinn Felton, Brad Wiggs, Tobin Ortenblad, Lance Haidet, and others, so it was definitely going to be a fun day.
Coming off my strong performance in the break at Santa Barbara, I was open to another long day in the break, and on lap 1 I was jumping on moves and rotated a bit for half a lap with a few other riders until we were brought back shortly after the turnaround.
The rest of lap 1 would be more attacks, up to and including the turn around. Because cantua is just one stretch of road we ride on, the turnarounds can offer a spot to string out the group if you hit it hard from the front and everyone else is still taking the corner, as people would do each lap.
Lap 2 was more relaxed, we even stopped for a pee break at one point. There would still be attacks, but nothing really materialized.
Because there was a slight tailwind on the outbound portion, we know the lap 2 to lap 3 turnaround would be key, and indeed attacks began to fly as we turned to start the last lap.
Attacks would continue to fly at the bottom of the descent, and I found myself in a move with a Dolce Vita rider. The group would let us get a bit of a gap, and we started rolling turns, never getting more than 20 seconds or so.
We held this gap from about half way to the far turnaround all the way to the bottom of the climb, where the Dolce rider dropped. At this point, when the climb started, Voler bridged Brad Wiggs and Logan Unger up to me, Logan obviously a passenger not someone they were riding for.
From here I just hung on with them as long as I could, eventually we hit a point on the climb where I couldn’t hang and fell off. I managed to hold off the field though and rolled in for 3rd.
Overall a tough first NCNCA road race of the year. Teams came out strong, I was feeling good and got some good racing in.
Race Report: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Masters 35+ 123 Men
Race: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - Men’s Masters 35+ 1/2/3
Date: May 10, 2025
AVRT racers: Jeremy Besmer, Greg McCullough
Top Result: Greg (10 of 21)
Course: 5 laps of a 4.5 mile rolling circuit. One long, fast descent. One longer climb that leads to the finish that is split into two pitches with sections over 15%. Super fun course with excellent pavement throughout and no need to touch the brakes for any corners. This race started at noon with minimal wind, but temps were already in the high 80s.
Strava https://www.strava.com/activities/14439569729
Nutrition: Two bottles of malto/fructose blend, with some nuun for electrolytes.
Race Recap:
I was coming off of some pretty big ride weeks, so my goals for this race were pretty basic: 1) experience a new-to-me course 2) get in some extra work before helping Cam in the P1/2 race. 3) maybe sneak in a good result. Jeremy had already raced the 3/4s earlier in the day and was also looking for some extra miles.
The first lap was fairly civilized and gave me a chance to look at the course. On the second lap, I kicked off the front on the hill before the main descent. I wanted a clean shot at the descent to see if it was faster alone and check out the run into the finish at my own pace. The field didn’t seem to chase, leaving me with a pretty decent gap after start / finish. I fully expected to be collected at the top of the hill and when I wasn’t, I decided to stick with an unplanned breakaway effort.
Brian Schuster and one of the Lamorinda guys attacked together on the second steep section of the finish climb, and again no one in the field chased, which gave them a solid gap by the time they reached the top. They worked together on the flats and rollers that led into the main descent, and then connected soon thereafter. I was happy to have Brian and some company with Lamorinda representation, but slowly realized Lamorinda was not really committed to the move - probably just covering for the other 3 teammates in the field. He played it well, keeping us all working just enough to stay out there a while, but without the pace to stay away. This was also readily apparent to Jeremy back in the main group, as another Lamorinda (Adam White) was pushing the pace very hard on each uphill, but would sit up on the flats so it was clear that he was just managing the break’s gap. After another lap together, the field collected us on the second to last climb, leaving a lap to get the legs back together.
On the final climb, attacks from the Lamorinda crew split the field. I grabbed Jeremy’s wheel for a bit, but didn’t have the legs to contest the finish after the breakaway effort.
Race Report: Kentucky Open Road Race Series #2 - Men’s 3/4
Race: Kentucky Open Road Race Series #2 - Men’s 3/4
Date: May 4, 2025
AVRT Racers: Kevin Kauffman
Best Finish: Kevin Kauffman - 5/11
Course Description: Two laps of an approximately 30mi loop in the rolling hills of Northern Kentucky. There is a short 1mi neutral descending rollout, then the lap starts with shallow rollers before a quick U-turn and steep 200’ pitch up to a higher set of rollers that continue for 15 mi. These end with a smooth descent that takes you down to very long flats that round out the lap. The race ends back where it started, up a steep two-pitch 200’ climb which acts as the final separation point.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14367009762
Nutrition: Carb and caffeine mix on the start line. 3x~90g bottles, 2x20g gels on the ride.
Recap:
The day started off in heavy rain, which was set to continue for the duration of the race. Thankfully while the roads were pretty rough, the corners were relatively shallow so traction wasn’t a huge worry. Registration was already pretty light probably due to weather and conflicting local races, which shrunk even more by the time we hit the start line. I moved away from Cincinnati last year so I still knew a number of people in the race, including my old team Nexigen Racing, but only had one old teammate in my field. Looked like it was the strongest of the registrants who showed up with no team representation so with the weather and odd course profile it was set to be a tough race.
Going in, my plan was to treat the race as one of attrition, force hard efforts on the flats and hope to cover snaps into and over the short climbs as needed. On lap 1, the first climb indeed hit hard, and quickly exposed the group. One rider, Will, took a flyer over the top of that climb and was out solo, gaining up to a 10s gap but it was clear the group had the advantage. I yelled for us to slow the chase to let him burn out as he seemed rather content with his 10s gap but we ended up closing in less than 20 min later. In that time, I was able to mark another rider from Miami University (Ohio) who was another clear engine, doing the majority of the pulling in that duration. By the time the group came back together, we had lost a few riders who dropped off on the rollers.
Lap 2 continued much like the first, with pretty inconsistent pulls in the rotation. I continued to do a fair bit of work in the rotation until we hit the first climb of the lap, where Will attacked again. I expected that he was fatigued from his attempt on the prior lap. Once he slowed and the presumably fatigued Miami rider bridged the gap, I let him go assuming our remaining group of 4 was motivated enough to go 2v4. That was a lesson in not underestimating your competition. I took some pretty heavy pulls to close and didn’t get enough support in the chase. It was clear the group had decided to race for third.
In the remainder of the race, I skirted this line of riding hard (into head-crosswind… oops) and trying to save a little for the finish in hopes of the chase tiring. One of us four wasn’t taking any pulls but was accelerating on each roller. In hindsight, I should have flat out stopped riding until he took rotations because I knew if I didn’t, he’d just conserve to take the finishing climb. Surprise surprise, I didn’t do that, kept the strong rotations for half a lap, then tried a few surges in the finishing tailwind flats leading into the final climb but couldn’t break the elastic. I was able to hang for the first half of the final climb, but got kicked on the kicker. Rolled in for 5th.
Overall a great experience in old haunts, and was incredibly appreciative of my former team Nexigen Racing for hosting me in their tent and van, and even especially supporting me in the feed. And shoutout to Ryan on the old team for taking his first p/1/2 win! You guys are real gems. It was also fun to get some recognition and love of the Alto Velo jersey from other racers. Midwest nice and southern hospitality at its finest.
Race Report: 2025 Winchester Circuit Race - 4/5 Men
Race: Winchester Circuit Race - 4/5 Men
Date: May 10, 2025
AVRT racers: Jack Lund, Joe Garcia
Top Result: Jack (3/22)
Course: 4 laps of a roughly 4.5-mile circuit with about 350 feet of elevation gain each lap. The main features are a safe but very fast descent and an undulating punchy climb to the finish that includes two sections above 15% grade. The pavement is butter and the course is incredibly fun!
Strava https://www.strava.com/activities/14437553169
Nutrition: One bottle with 60g carbs
Race Recap:
I was really excited going in, as the course looked super fun and well-suited for puncheurs.
The race was only four laps so I took a big warm-up and was on the lookout for anyone that wanted to blow up the race in the first lap. Halfway through the first big climb, I was surprised there were no willing volunteers. I made my way to the front and set a harder tempo as we crested the hill. I usually like to save matches and stay in the pack… but I felt there would be minimal draft-benefit up the steep section and everyone else would have to match my pace too.
This continued for the next two laps. I tried to push the pace on the climb, but I never seriously considered trying for a solo breakaway. I think this was a fine strategy … It put me in the front of the pack for the rolling terrain section, and it made the race a little harder for the 200 lb pure-sprinters (who did indeed win anyway).
Going into the final lap, the descent dumps us directly into the final climb for the finish. We all dump our remaining power for a two and half minute climb, and I’m edged out at the line by a VeloTrap rider for third. This was a super fun race and I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend taking hydration more seriously if you race again later in the day 👀
Race Report: Crusher Cup (XC MTB) Race #1 - Men’s Cat 2/Sport
Race: Crusher Cup (XC MTB) Race #1 Men’s Cat 2/Sport Age 35-44
Date: May 10, 2025
AVRT racers: Michael Matthews
Top Result: Men’s Cat 2/Sport Age 35-44 1st/8 (Men’s Cat 2/Sport Overall 2nd/35)
Course: ~5 mile lap completed 2.5 times for Cat 2. ~1000 ft of climbing per lap (yay! - actually). Technical course elements included loose dry corners, downhill switchbacks, a down tree, and a mild rocky section. One big separation climb and a second smaller one taken three times. Really short finishing straight in a parking lot so any late move would have to be done on the last climb to the lot. Plenty of room on the climbs to make moves. Heat was a minor factor, but luckily my race was in the morning.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/14439671023
Nutrition: ~90g of carbs in a bottle for pre/during race nutrition. Consumed two thirds of it beforehand, and left the rest to sip on on the climbs.
Event Recap: I did a few technique-focused pre-rides earlier in the week near home to tune up. This paid off! Recon’d the course by watching youtube videos to learn about the dusty corners (you have to stay upright to win). I jumped all wheels in my age group and a few in the 19-34 group that started ahead on the first punchy climb to the start/finish. Had to wait through a technical single-track descent for another opportunity to pass. Full gas up that section to get ahead of the slower wheels. By the time I crested the first big climb I was off and mostly alone. Caught two groups of three (younger but still Cat 2) groups over the course of the next two laps. What was clear was that my fitness won me this race, not my technique. The last group of three that I caught took about a lap of yoyo-ing, whereby I’d lose progress on descents. I’ll rack it up to this being my first season of XC. Lots of room to improve. Stoked about the win and 2nd place overall, and looking forward to the next four races of the series over the course of the summer!
Ps. my lap times would have won (1st age group and 1st overall) in Cat 1/Expert ;)