Race Report: Winters Road Race - Men’s Cat 4

Date: August 23, 2026

AVRT racer: Nicolas Delecroix

Result: 21 / 27

Course: Three laps of a 24 mile loop. Mostly flat but with a ~3.5mi stair-stepping climb (Cantelow), and narrow twisty descent. There’s also a short gravel slight uphill stretch that is very doable on road tires.

Nutrition: 2 Carbs Fuel drinks + 2 Carbs Fuel gels + 2 Maurten 160 gels = 70g carbs / hour

Recap: On the first lap, the group rolled through the flat section at an easy pace. Once we hit the climb, the pace picked up and everyone started pushing hard. I was able to hang onto the main group. When we reached the gravel sector in the middle of the climb, I figured the pack would slow down a bit for safety, but they kept the pace high. Then we hit the steepest pitch and I got dropped. A few riders fell off behind me, and I saw a Rio Strada rider dangling just up the road.

I put in a hard effort to bridge up to him. Once I caught his wheel, I asked if he wanted to work together, and he agreed. He wanted to try and bridge back to the main group. I honestly thought we had zero chance because they were out of sight, and it was a pack of 20 against just the two of us. He was pushing a really hard pace for my fitness level, but I managed to hold on. I knew it wasn't sustainable for the whole race, but I figured I’d keep taking pulls with him to keep it fast and fun until I eventually had to back off.

We passed a couple of Cat 4 riders, one of whom was remounting after what looked like a minor crash. Then two awesome things happened: we asked a race official for the time gap to the front group, and he told us it was only 30 seconds. Right after that, those two riders caught up to us. With a real target in sight, we decided to give it a shot and try to bridge. The four of us got a paceline going and pushed really hard. Again, I knew I wouldn't be able to hold that kind of effort to the finish line, but I had nothing to lose. It was either go all-in or get dropped anyway.

I couldn't believe it, but we actually made the catch and rejoined the main group near the end of lap 1. After that, the road flattened out and the pack's pace slowed down significantly, which was perfect because it gave me a chance to recover and get some calories down.

I got dropped on the lap 2 climb, which I fully expected given how much energy I had burned on that first lap chase. Still, I think going for it on lap 1 was the right call and ultimately netted me a better overall finish. With half the race still to go, it became all about managing my effort as the temperature kept climbing. Grabbing an extra bottle from Keegan in the lap 2 feed zone, and then an ice sock on lap 3, were absolute lifesavers that allowed me to cross the finish line. Huge thanks to Keegan for being out there and supporting the AVRT squad!