Pescadero Road Race Report

Pescadero Road Race is a NorCal classic and it's Alto Velo's annual race. As such, most of the guys were working to help pull it off instead racing. Bo and our latest addition to the team, Fabrice Dubost, were out there to represent W/AV. Fabrice is recently relocated from the Normandy region of France. He's an accomplished road racer and we're glad to have him on the squad. Below is Bo's accounting of the events.

Official Results

Photos courtesy of Kieren Sherlock
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Pescadero RR
14 June 2008
P 1/2
103 miles
7600 elevation gain
Start List 84 riders
Webcor AV: Fabrice 12th, Bo Hebenstreit 20th

Course: Too Long. Too fast.

Due to most to the team being involved in volunteer work (Amy and I did pre-race volunteer tasks) Fabrice and I were the only two 1/2 Webcor/Alto Velo's in the 80? person field.

I remember when I was a CAT 3 we quite often used to pass the P 1/2's as they gently rolled along with barely a hint of exertion. I was looking forward to this 'perk' when I upgraded. Unfortunately, what I didn't fully appreciate as a CAT 3's was that the 'kicking back' I had observed was balanced out by short, extremely painful, bouts of ridiculously fast racing. Saturday's 'taking it easy' was 103 miles, 8,000 feet of climbing and an average speed of 22.8 miles an hour.

Today got exciting as soon as soon as we went out of town and an eight person break escaped up the road. I decided not to be part of the action as I calculated any break this early in the race wouldn't last the hundred+ miles to the finish. I was somewhat right when 1 mile later we caught a flatted escapee, and on the descent from Haskins, another rider was off the road removing large chunks of grass from his wheels.

Well, to cut a long story short this race hurt like I couldn't have possibly imagined. Every time up Haskins I fantasized about downgrading to the CAT 5's or jumping out of the race and into my car. But, fortunately, or unfortunately, the descent down to the town was long enough for me to forget the pain and I kept rolling along. Also, Jesse/Andy doing a wild leg shaking episode as his crank fell off his bike was helpful in keeping my spirits up.

In a true Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin moment the remaining six in the break were caught with 3K to go. I would love to tell you that I launched myself from the pack and blasted up Haskins to take the win. Sadly not. I gave it all I had and got 20th. Z team won, James M. 2nd and Adam Rock Racing 3rd. Fabrice looked like he was doing an easy paced B-ride and ended up 12th.

Bo