Race Report: 2026 Berkeley Streets Criterium - W4/N

Race: 2026 Berkeley Streets Criterium - W4/N

Date: April 19th, 2026

AVRT racers: Samantha Dewees, Orthja Efinger, Kathay Tousant, Sandrine Veillette

Top Result: Orthja 1st/21, Sandrine 3rd, Kathay 8th, Sam 14th

Course: A short ~1km rectangle, with a slight uphill on the long side and corresponding downhill on the backside. Wide turns allowing for smooth but technical cornering due to very harsh pavement 

Nutrition: Overnight oatmeal

Recap (written by Sandrine Veillette): 

Honestly, this one felt like a team win more than anything else. Kathay, Orthja, Sam and I went in with a real plan, stuck to it, and had a blast doing it. Hard to ask for more than that.

I came into the race aiming for the Omnium win after finishing 2nd the day before at BHRR. Kathay was well positioned for a top 5, and Orthja came in strong after winning the 90-mile gravel race at Sea Otter two days prior (congrats!!!). Going in, we had a clear team strategy: I’m not the strongest sprinter, so the goal was to make the race as hard as possible and reduce the chances of a bunch sprint. As Kathay put it, “make them regret they were on their bike that day.”

We did a quick recon lap before the men’s race and warmed up together nearby. From the whistle, Orthja and Kathay went straight to work; hammering the front and throwing attacks in the first 10 laps. I focused on conserving energy, letting other teams bring me forward, and bridging gaps only when needed. By halfway through, I could see the field was already feeling it.

Super Sprinkles tried to take control mid-race, but the course kept doing its thing: the field would string out on the climb and regroup on the descent. 

With three laps to go, Orthja lifted the pace again. On the second-to-last lap, a split formed after the fourth corner with Orthja, Olive, and Jayce (both from Monarch). Olive had won BHRR the day before and was riding very strong, but as a junior she didn't factor into my Omnium standings, and I knew Jayce to be a strong sprinter but she wasn’t racing the Omnium. So as I bridged across at the first corner of the last lap, my priority shifted to maintaining the gap open behind us. I didn’t need to win. I moved to the front in the second corner and into the downhill, keeping the pace high. I took a good line and came out of the last corner first, but I was never going to outsprint that group and I knew it. Watching Orthja take the win just ahead of Jayce was genuinely as satisfying as if I'd crossed first myself.

I secured the Omnium overall, Kathay and Sam finished 4th and 10th respectively. And somewhere in that last lap chaos I also picked up the course QOM, which was a nice little bonus.

It was a really good weekend. I came to cycling from running, where racing is pretty solitary, so I'm still getting used to how much teamwork matters here — and honestly, I’m loving it. Even more so that I get to share it with such a great and fun team!