Race Report: Bariani Road Race W 4/5, Women Masters 40+
Race: 2026 Bariani Road Race - Women’s 4/N, Women Masters 40+
Date: March 15th, 2026
AVRT racers: Samantha Dewees, Janene Ostrow, Ella Say, Emily Selman, Apoorva Setlur, Kathay Tousant, Sandrine Veillette
Top Result:
Kathay Tousant: 2nd overall, 2/19 4/N
Sandrine Veillette: 7/19 4/N, 1/5 N
Emily Selman: 2/5 Women Masters 40+
Ella Say: 12/19 4/N, 3/5 N
Course: 2, 20 mile laps of a mostly flat course. The most notable “hill” was about 3 km to the finish of each lap. The wind was coming from the North going South East. This created a tailwind at the beginning and crosswinds for the majority of the race.
Strava:https://www.strava.com/activities/17736390593
Nutrition: Bagel and coffee and one samosa empanada (risky, I know) for breakfast. I took one SIS gel 10 minutes prior to the race and had two 500 ml bottles of approximately 90 grams of Formula 369. I also took a SIS Tutti Frutti gel halfway through the race.
Race Recap:
Going into this race, I knew it was going to be attritional. After talking to last year’s participants, digging through old results, and of course stalking Strava, it was clear the wind would be absolutely brutal. Early in the season I’ve been focusing on base fitness, so I figured I’d have an opportunity to try for a breakaway. After studying the course, I mentally targeted mile 9 as the perfect spot: a headwind leading straight into an even heavier crosswind. I had also just learned how to echelon draft, so I figured… why not try?
From the whistle, I aimed to be in the top three wheels. I had my eye on Haley Hagerstrom from Thursdays, someone I ride with often and whose power profile I know well. I suspected she’d either set the pace or try to initiate a break. The first few miles were relatively uneventful. Marissa Axell went straight to the front, and I tucked in behind her, unsure of her intentions. Emily quickly let me know Marissa is a Cat 1 Masters racer, so I made sure not to burn too many matches chasing her.
Around mile 9, Julia Eyrich, Haley, and I found ourselves three‑wide pulling the peloton. Julia had already attempted one attack, which Haley and I closed down as third wheel. Given how strong that move was, I was confident she’d try again and that it could be the moment the race split. The three of us kept glancing at each other, waiting for someone to jump. Julia took a sip of water, Haley looked over, and I shifted into a lower gear, ready to respond. It felt like that roller‑coaster moment when the cart pauses at the very top, anticipation flooding your body right before the drop.
Within a minute, Julia launched. Haley and I immediately latched onto her wheel. We pushed hard, knowing this could be the decisive move. A few stragglers tried to close the gap, but then I heard Sandrine behind me, and relief washed over me. Having a teammate in the break was huge. At that point, it looked like the four of us were clear, with two riders dangling behind. We organized quickly and pacelined for a few minutes. As we approached one of the “hills,” Sandrine took a strong pull and dragged me up. On the descent, I held steady power, but by the bottom the group had been reduced to Julia, Haley, and me.
Julia then surged the pace well over 400 watts, more than I was willing to commit to that early, so she drifted off the front. Haley and I settled into a rhythm, keeping the break alive while managing our effort. For the next 40 minutes, we traded pulls at upper tempo and low threshold, keeping Julia in sight but not overextending ourselves. Just after mile 25, we finally reeled her back in. She looked understandably fatigued after taking all the wind solo, but after a few minutes she recovered enough to work with us again.
We attempted 30‑second hard pulls, but I found myself deep into upper VO2 trying to come around. Somewhere in the middle of this, a bee stung my upper right leg and got stuck. I swatted the body away, but the stinger stayed lodged in my skin. Not to be dramatic, but I am allergic to bees. I told the girls I might need to pull off, but thankfully the pain didn’t seem to affect my pedal stroke, so I kept going.
As we continued rotating, I focused on conserving energy for the finale. I knew I’d need a strong effort to out‑place both Haley and Julia. Approaching the final main climb, Haley pulled us to the top, and I took over on the descent into the false flat. When we looked back, we realized we had dropped Julia. For the next four miles, Haley and I worked together, but I knew an attack was coming.
On a short kicker, she unleashed it. I tried to hold her wheel, but found myself doing Zone 6 watts for two minutes. That was my last match. She opened a gap and kept extending it. She stayed in sight, but my legs were done, and honestly, I was thrilled with second place. I glanced over my shoulder to check the gap behind and knew I had secured my spot.
It was a hard, windy, tactical race, and I’m proud of how Haley and I collaborated to make the break stick. Even better, the AV squad had an incredible day overall with four podiums. A tough course, a smart race, and a result I’m genuinely proud of.
