Race report: BASP CX Vallejo Velocity
Race: 2026 Bay Area Superprestige (BASP) CX - Vallejo Velocity
Date: September 27, 2026
AVCX racers: Hannon Ayer, Orthja Efinger, Bryan Hains, Jonathan Lewis, Brennan Pang, David Remahl, Andrew Yee
Top results: Orthja, B35+ Women 1/4; Bryan, B45+ 1/14
Course: Dan Foley Park, Vallejo. Right off the start there was an uphill bike path drag to a slow grass section followed by a swoopy often off-camber grass descent and bump up to a barrier. Then we raced on to a bike path with a root ladder in the middle of it, short stair section and rolling dirt into the stinky swampy river crossing. Another section of stairs that you could maybe bypass on some steep dirt, then way taller stairs that could be half ridden/half carried on the side in some sandy dirt, a roll around a baseball diamond, then a fast asphalt descent back to a grassy maze and the finish. Plus patches of broken glass, curb crossings, boggy mud grass, local biker gang dude spectators, and startled walkers. This thing had it all – Vallejo does not play.
Race recaps
C35+ by Jonathan: As the lone 9am race starter on AVCX, getting my pit crew (age 6) out of the house at 7am was a struggle. Add in a wreck before the bridge and the fact I didn’t have cash for parking and I arrived about 20 minutes before start time which was used for bathrooms and getting my kid situated so no one would call CPS on me. All this to say I lined up with no warmup or practice lap, hoping the “long track CX” openers I did at Infestation Gravel the day before would carry me through. I sort of hung back a little on the first lap to get a sense of the course and like my first race I found I was making up time on flat/downhill sections. Our race was only three laps and the field was far smaller but I was able to pick my way forward enough to finish 4th/13 for C35+! Of course I crashed on the last corner of the last lap but it didn’t cost me anything in terms of placing so good to get that out of the way I guess? I’m now tied for 3rd on points in the series standings, somehow? Six Flags afterwards didn’t hurt.
Women B35+ by Orthja: First CX race in the books! I was really nervous because I didn't really know what to expect course and competition wise. First lap I just stayed behind someone to see how they managed the obstacles. I got more confident on the second lap and passed that person and stayed at the front of the race until a singlespeed lady overtook me. Tried to keep up with her, but was too weak. Bryan says there was too much smiling and not enough suffering for me. That’s a lie, don't let that smile fool you, this was tough!!! Got away with 1st place in my cat :-) Learnings: need a new back tire, less air, and need to practice stairs!
Open B Men by Andrew and David: Just an hour after we saw Brandon, Matteo, and Quinn execute a masterful plan to win the Men’s World Road Champs, David and I decided to put our egos aside and dedicate our races to ensure Bryan would continue his Master B45+ World Domination. David and I would stay in the Open B race despite our gray hairs and lackluster results the week prior. Yes, satellite riders are a thing in B fields in local ‘cross races!
Our plan worked perfectly. Unlike my ill-advised holeshot effort a week ago, I was shot off the back of the Open B field as soon as the gun went off. Somehow I lost 30 seconds in the first 10 seconds. David, a perpetual Egan contender, climbed through the thick grass well and was far ahead. With half a lap done, AV’s Drew was the only rider within my sight and he was having a bad day and would not finish.
I eventually caught up to David near the creek, which was the muddy highlight of the day for me. In pre-ride, a friend who knew my try-to-ride-everything tendencies warned, “Don’t try to ride the creek, your front wheel will sink to its hub and you’ll go over the bars.”
It ended up being very helpful to hear, because stubborn me then went to study the feature. I saw a firmer line to the right through some tall grass and tried it. Worked great. I told a few friends, and by the Men’s A race late in the day, most racers were taking it.
Unfortunately it didn’t work for David. “I had an uneven experience with the obstacles, going over the handlebars across the muddy creek,” David recalled. “I got kinda shook and conservative by crashing there on the first lap.”
But the crash only helped our plan. Bryan, who started about a minute behind us, would soon latch on to the AVCX Open B train and be towed into an insurmountable lead. He caught David up through the velcro grass climb midway through the race and sat on into the headwind effort as David pulled. Then Bryan leapfrogged David to catch me a few turns later.
I shouted encouragement to Bryan, he heckled me, saying he was on a recovery lap, and the plan was ON. I tried to show him the faster lines by hopping the barrier, riding the roots, grunting up the C lines along the three staircases (but cleared the top one only once in the race) and plow through the muddy creek. Bryan would ride away from me on every hill (basically anything that required pedaling), but I resumed my domestique duties once I’d catch back up at the barrier. Through the cat-and-mouse riding, Bryan gapped the entire 45+ field while his competitors looked at each other, wondering what happened.
With Bryan’s B45+ domination secure, David and I could ride our own race. David hopped the barriers on the last lap, and I rode ahead so Bryan could enjoy his victory lap without distraction. Somehow David and I both did the full distance. “I was surprised it went six laps because it was a long but very fun, challenging course,” David said. “I’m happy to be in the toughest category where I’m unlikely to cause a problem.”
David and I celebrated our multiple awards: the two oldest dudes in the Open B field, not finishing last, and most importantly, executing our teamwork perfectly. We made a plan, we set our egos aside a little bit and we decided OK, we just want an AVCXer to win a B race.
The teamwork was exhausting, but after a long period of staring at clouds, I dragged my camera out for the last lap of Hannon’s impressive race to take this pic.
[Author’s note, it was my suggestion we write this week’s report in first-person voice as some friends thought Bryan was being too harsh on me in the last report, but really, it was just my own brutally honest recap. ;-) ]
B45+ by Bryan: I had a good start up the asphalt into the grass behind Brennan and mostly ahead of the B45+ field. Eventually the group spread out and the placing got established. I tried to take fewer risks running up stairs, crossing the muddy swamp river on rocks, and the off camber grassy sections, and instead focused on making up time on the uphills grinds - which seemed to work to get on the podium. It was fun playing cat and mouse with Andrew talking ish to each other the whole race - motivation! But maybe the most fun thing was grabbing the $1 prime/handup from Jonathan’s daughter Siena (but I gave it back to her because I’m nice).
Open A by Hannon: Taking the weeds (now mud) line miraculously avoiding the swamp muck. Thanks to Maxine for managing the tent, 5 gals of water (for raccoon baths by other teams), snackmaxxing. The more traditional cross course was a lot of fun and a larger field meant I wasn’t as distance for as much of the race as last week. Looking back at the data, carrying speed out of corners or over the top of climbs and then getting on the pedals aggressively in those transitions is losing me a second or two per instance which can easily become 20 seconds per lap for more technical courses. As well, the maintained momentum is valuable for carrying across flatter sections at speed and making the whole effort smoother is much easier on the body than aggressive surges.
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