Race Report: Pescadero WP/1/2/3 Long Course

AVRT racers: Rachel Hwang, Steph Hart

Omnium Result: 1st Rachel

Race: Pesky RR Long Course WP/1/2/3

Date: 7/11/26

Top Result: 1st Rachel

Course: 2.7 laps of Pescadero - Stages Rd climb containing two kickers, ending the lap with Haskins climb (~8 minutes for me) 

Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/84106235

Nutrition: 3 total bottles of Torq hydration of 4 total servings (120g carbs), 4 Torq gels (1 caffeinated) - 1 at start line, 1 each hour thereafter (120g carbs), ~60g per hour

Race Recap:  

Ok, there were only 4 people, but I beat Jamie.  I ALWAYS get dropped by Jamie.  I went into this race already thinking I was going to lose to Jamie.

The race started with a neutral lead out by Steph.  Me and her ended up stuck in the front and she was going hard enough for a 77 mile ride that I said that I didn’t want to be in the front anymore but didn’t know how to drop back.  So she pulled in front of me and let me draft her.  I love having teammates like Steph.  Quickly we reached Stage and I picked up the pace.

But of course Jamie attacked.  Historically, this is where I get dropped, her first attack.  Every time.  Like literally never see her again, and it becomes a solo ride.  But I quickly got on her wheel and stayed on her as she smashed up all of Stage.  I was wheezing hard already.  Damn she has a kick.  1st Stage climb ended and I got in front to descend, and 2nd Stage climb started and she attacked again.  My throat started closing as it does when I work hard and it felt like a coffee filter the size of a dime in my throat and I had to focus on big breaths and getting air in my lungs.  Good thing those were short climbs because I just had to stay with her to the top then could draft her until Haskins where she would probably attack again.

Somehow, I stayed on her wheel (again I always get dropped and my attack power is historically weak so I really couldn’t believe it).  Those attacks made my HR spike high from the start that I was around 170 bpm from just the flat drafting/pulling.  We traded fair pulls to Haskins and I focused on not raising my HR too high but I was already struggling a bit to breath.  I also thought about race strategy and knew I couldn’t let my HR spike again or I’d be done the rest of the race, so strategy wise, if she decided to attack on Haskins, I wouldn’t chase.  

We got to Haskins, and of course she attacked. I let her go but kept the power up through the climb.  I’m guessing I was around 30 seconds back, and at that point just thought about pacing my own race for the rest of the 2 laps of the race, but somehow, on the rollers past the descent, I see her up the road.   Instinctively, I go a little harder, and I see her keep looking back and push a little harder, but at this point we probably both know I’m catching up to her.  And I do.

We get to Stage again and are civil through to Haskins round 2, where I attack hoping I can get away but also to see where her fitness is at.  As soon as I do, she says, “I’m not going to attack” to which I’m surprised but also I was happy with so I dial it back.  I still wanted to get an idea of where her fitness was at and thought if I’m tired she’s probably tired as well, so I picked up the pace on all the climbs.

Lap 2 of 2.7 starts and I feel my legs starting to think about cramping.  All over - my calves, my inner thighs, my quads - just everything, and mentally I’m getting tired.  We trade fair pulls, no attacking, but again I push up Stage a bit.  We both know it’s going to come down to the last Haskins, and as soon as we get to the base, I attack.  I couldn’t drop her so she tries attacking, and we end up trading attacks a couple times up Haskins.  My attack is just picking up the pace, but her attack is a sharp burst.  Because we both could not drop each other, we end up riding in front/behind one another and side by side for most of it.  I keep going over in my head what I should be doing and how this will play out.  I genuinely thought it was going to come down to a sprint, and that she would outsprint me.

Around 1k or 500m left, I pick up the pace one more time, look back and she’s no longer following.  I really couldn’t believe it.  I couldn’t believe I was dropping Jamie.  Because again, I always get dropped by her in the beginning of any race.  Last race we did was Santa Cruz crit, and I stayed on her for about 24 minutes before feeling like passing out and getting dropped.  I didn’t let off and kept looking back, thinking she was going to come right up behind me, but I made it to the finish line, dropped Jamie, finally beating her.

Oh, also, Leo pinned my number - he contributed to my win.