Race Report: Pescadero Road Race P/1/2 (7/11/2026)
Date: July 11, 2026
AVRT racers: Andrew Ernst, Leo Minami
Top Result: Andrew (11/28 with juniors ranked separately)
Course: ~72 miles, 3 ascents of Haskins climb (1.6 miles at 7%). After a neutral rollout, the race begins on Stage Road with two punchy climbs (feed #1 at the top of the second climb) separated by fast, technical descents. A right turn off of Stage leads to 7.5 miles of false flat uphill. Next is a right turn onto Pescadero Road (feed #2) with a short uphill/downhill before turning right onto Pescadero Creek Road for the Haskins climb. The descent is fast and technical with bumpy sections that leave even the most confident riders feeling a bit uneasy.
Nutrition: Heavy carb loading the day before the race and morning of the race. Two bottles with 100g carbs each (malto and Gatorade mix), 4-5 gels, and 3 neutral bottles from the Bottle Grab with 30g Torq each
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/19274189289
Recap: With this being the NCNCA championship, there was quite the elite start list (Gavin Hlady, Quinn Felton, Sean Bennet, and Nathan Martin to name a few). Leo and I spent a great deal of time discussing our elaborate race strategies. Joking. The plan was to just sit in and make it to the last climb with the group. Not getting dropped over the 11 climbs leading up to the fourth and final Haskins would be a success. I was also hoping to snag the KOM for fastest lap since I was almost positive nobody was aware of where the lap started and ended.
The first time over Stage, attacks were flying and a small group got away. Just before the first Haskins climb, a rider slid out in front of me. I had to unclip but narrowly avoided crashing. We caught the break just after the Haskins descent but counterattacks re-established a new break with Project Echelon, Mikes Bikes, and Cyclesport.
With major teams being represented, the chase was left to Speedblock and Gavin. Gavin probably pulled 75% of the time with small contributions from other riders. The pace was a lot less “surgy” with a break up the road. I dropped to the back of the group after the second lap, hoping this would allow me the “KOM” for fastest lap. Unfortunately Quinn dropped back even further for a bike swap. At the end of lap three I sent a flyer and got 10-15 seconds up the road but it still wasn’t enough for the KOM since Quinn had made up even more time with his bike swap.
I sat in for the last lap and made it to the base of the last climb with the group, success. The contenders took off and I settled in to a manageable pace, happy to just be there at the end. It was a beautiful day, a great course, and a solid workout. Thanks to all the volunteers and congrats to all who raced!
XOXO, Andrew