Michael Matiasek, Pescadero RR Cat 4

Wow, it was great to read everyone race reports from the weekend. Congrats to everyone! Sounds like DBC was out in full force! You guys inspired me to share my race experience from the weekend. As Will mentioned, Pescadero is a truly awesome course... with a great variety of terrain... including the hilltop finish on Haskins grade. The Hill finish was much like a cardiac only much prettier with sweeping turns and switchbacks underneath big redwood trees! The rest of the course was somewhat more open with lots of fast turns on small quiet roads. Definitely check it out next year if you have not done it before! Also, as Will mentioned, it is true, I have got a new black and white stallion (or goat?) who I just finished building last week and I am pleased to share it was a complete pleasure to ride in style and with about 3-4 pounds less bike! Anyway, to summarize my race, I have been trying to race smarter these days, so I did my best to stay off the front for most of the race, but often climbed in positions 1-3 throughout the three climbs on the course. On the first of two times over the Haskins grade (the big and third climb of each lap), we managed to loose at least half of the field going over the top, and then on the descent we lost another half of that field... leaving us with around 15 or so riders. We did our best to work together and get a paceline going but within a few miles a large group caught us bringing our numbers up to over 30. So at that point I decided I definitely needed to stay as rested as possible for the final climb. Most of the flatter sections of the course were uneventful except for the flat sprint prime which occurs within the first couple miles of each lap. One rider managed to break off a mile before the prime and stay away. he ended up stringing us out and perhaps shedding a few riders but it largely regrouped before the two smaller climbs on the first half of the course. So I stayed hidden in the top 10 or so of the pack... feeding as much as possible after learning my lesson on Hamilton I managed to drink 2 bottles of energy drink (higher concentration than in the past for me) and 4 gu's. I am pleased to report no cramping in this race. Anyway, the moment we were all waiting for came as expected... it all came down to the final climb. Coming into the sharp right hander which was the start of the climb one rider mounted a substantial attack which many of us covered... but cut the contenders down in half almost immediately. It hurt bad to match the attack but within a minute the pace laxed just enough to bring me to the mouth of "the cave". For about the first third I managed to stay in position 2-3, but I was slowly progressing deeper and deeper into the cave, at about 2/3 of the way up the climb I started to run out of batteries and we started to string out and open gaps up. There was a group of 4 or so trying like hell to keep a webcore guy from getting away who went on to win it and I was about 20 feet back with a collection of 4-5 riders. When the 200m sign came I was pleased to find just enough batteries to get one rider off my wheel and almost overtake the one in front of me for 8th place finish. I can't help but laugh at my third 8th place finish and right behind the same guy who just beat me at Berkeley... it is as if this were all predictable. The webcore guy who won was one of the strongest climbers on Hamilton from a couple weeks ago. All in all I am generally pleased but really hoping to break into the top 5 one of these races! Next up... Leesville Road Race!

Happy Riding,

Mike