Race Report: Patterson Pass Road Race - Men’s Cat 5

Date: August 2, 2026

AVRT racer: Nicolas Delecroix

Result: 4th of 10

Course: 2 laps of a hilly 23-mile loop with two main climbs: 20-25 minutes up Patterson Pass Rd and 8-10 minutes up Flynn Rd

Nutrition: 2 Carbs Fuel drinks + 2 Carbs Fuel gels = 70g carbs / hour

Recap: The race started with the first Patterson Pass climb. A Cal Cycling rider attacked immediately, and I couldn't match his pace. I formed a group with a Red Peloton rider and one other guy, and we dropped the rest of the field.

The three of us agreed to set a relatively hard pace on the climb to extend our gap. We figured we might catch the Cal Cycling rider later on by working together on the flats. We were evenly matched, so we worked really well together throughout the first lap, taking equal pulls. This course has zero shade, and it was 90°F at the beginning of the race, so I could clearly see my heart rate was higher than normal for a given power. I knew it was expected at this temperature, and for the first lap, it was manageable.

The three of us started the second lap together, and at this point, the temperature had climbed to 100°F. My breakaway companions set the same pace on the climb as they did in the first lap, but with the heat, my HR was spiking to a level that wasn’t sustainable for me. So, I lowered my power a little bit and lost contact with them.

At this point, my goal was just to avoid cracking given the conditions so I could keep my lead on the chase group. I couldn’t see them, but I didn’t want to risk it. I set a steady tempo effort for myself until the end, which allowed me to hold on for 4th place.

Thanks for reading!

Nicolas