Henleyville Road Race W 3/4/5
Race: Henleyville Road Race - W 3/4/5
Date: September 26, 2026
AVRT racers: Kathay Tousant
Top Result: 2/5
Course: 18 mile rectangular-ish course done four times just outside of Corning CA. Not too hot or windy. Small hill (~250 ft elevation) before the feed zone (halfway point of the lap) and otherwise flat. Rough roads in places and loose gravel in corners, but not in any critical locations.
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/20341610841
Nutrition: ~180g of carbs in two bottles and a gel pack. Plain bagel and an oat latte.
Event Recap: I originally signed up for this race before the Oakland GP, figuring I'd close out the year with one more shot at Cat 3 upgrade points. Lo and behold, I was able to cat up at Oakland, so this race became a “well lets see what happens sort of race." Peter and I booked a hotel and both registered. (Yes, I know I name drop Peter a lot, but it explains why we are so willing to drive over 3.5 hours for a race that may or may not have a field.)
At check in at the Best Western PLUS!, we ran into a Cat 4/5 Masters racer who told us many of the races had been consolidated due to low entry numbers. For me, that meant all 6 registered women were combined into one race. This is always an interesting dynamic, since there's usually someone far stronger than the rest of the field.
At the line, I tried to figure out who was who and recognized Karen Edwards and Danika Brabec (who also raced Oakland GP). Knowing they were both strong riders, my plan was to mark them and follow their moves.
The race started with Danika on the front, a Chico rider on her wheel, and me in third. We rotated pulls: Danika at 20 to 22 mph, the Chico rider at 16 to 17 mph, and me at about 20 mph. I wasn't trying to overdo it, just pulling hard enough to make sure I'd be let back into the rotation. Early on I suspected the Chico rider was saving her legs for a later attack, since her pulls were shorter and slower. For the first two laps, it was mostly Danika and me doing the work.
On the third and final lap, I was watching everyone closely: body language, bike positioning, and even when people were eating or drinking. Halfway through the lap, on the "hill," Danika attacked out of the saddle. The Chico rider and I both got on her wheel. As we crested, I grabbed Danika's wheel, and when I looked back to check for a split, it was just the two of us plus Karen Edwards.
Seeing a good opportunity, the three of us traded hard, fast 20 second pulls to solidify the break. After about 15 minutes of this, Danika and I realized we were racing each other for first and second in the scored 3/4/5 category. We stayed civil and kept sharing the work all the way to the final turn, which opened onto a 300 foot straightaway before an uphill finish.
On the straightaway, I was debating whether to sit on Danika's wheel or Karen's and try to come around. Karen jumped first, so I stuck to her wheel, only to see Danika flying up the hill on my left. In the final moments I got past Karen but finished two bike lengths behind Danika, securing second.
As a non sprinter, I'm really happy with this result. I asked Danika afterward and she hit over 900 watts in that sprint! I also set a 30 second power PR, so I'll take it.
I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my first year of racing. Thanks to everyone who made it happen!