Race: Pescadero Coastal Classic - Men’s 35-49 Cat 1/2/3
Date: July 12, 2025AVRT racers: Jeremy Besmer, Ryan D, Matthew1
Top Result: Matthew (19/38 overall and 6/8 in 45-49)
Course: [Plagiarized from Wil's Cat3 report]: ~72 miles, 3 ascents of Haskins climb which the race finished on. After a neutral rollout from Pescadero High School, the race begins on Stage Road with two short climbs separated by fast descents. A right turn off of Stage leads to 7.5 miles of gradual 1% uphill with a few punchy rollers. Next is a right turn onto Pescadero Road with a short uphill/downhill before turning right onto Pescadero Creek Road for the final Haskins climb (1.6 miles at 7%).
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/15095767552Nutrition: Matthew raced with two bottles and two flasks of gel with about 120g of carbs each.
Recap: Written by Matthew (and Jeremy + Ryan)
This race combined three age groups, 35-39, 40-45, and 45-49. We had two in 35-39 group, Jeremy and Ryan, and me in the 45-49. Prior to the race, Jeremy gave me some good intel on strong riders in the field. In return, I'd (already) given Jeremy and Ryan some bad intel, prior to the race, that last year the race had some half-hearted breaks that never were in danger of staying away. Although that was true... LAST year, it wasn't true at all this year.
Early on the first lap a break of two went away, with two 40-45 year olds... and it quickly gained a minute and then more on the field as no one (myself included) was willing to chase. The first lap was extremely slow for the peloton. In the second lap, Ryan put in some efforts at the front and was able to form a breakaway of two, that stayed away for maybe twenty minutes or so but was still in sight. Eventually a third person bridged up. At the bottom of Stage the group ended up picking up the pace, and when the group was only about 10 seconds back and looked to be caught, Ryan drifted back to the field… but the other two breakaway partners managed to stay away, because a larger break formed at that point, maybe six people, and went away and stayed away. On the second Haskins climb, Jeremy put in some efforts at the front to try to bring the break back but there wasn’t enough group efforts to pull that break back in. On the last lap there was some attrition and Jeremy + Ryan ended up on the wrong side of a split. I was still towards the front (of the non-breakaways) and doing OK until the climb really started on Haskins, and I didn't have the power to climb at all - it wasn't close, I was only able to do 4.5W/kg and everyone else walked away from me.
It was nice to race with together with Jeremy and Ryan; apologies for the bad intel/strategy, and I'm hoping to gain some fitness and do better next time.