Race Report: 2024 Berkeley Streets Criterium - Women’s Cat 4
Race: 2024 Berkeley Streets Criterium Women’s Cat 4
Date: Sunday, April 28, 2024
AVRT racers: Claire MacDougall (racing collegiate), Hannah Chen, Katie Monaghan
Top Result: Katie Monaghan - 3/15 (Cat 4), 3/17 (overall), 3/9 (2024 Women’s 4 Omnium)
Course: 0.60 mile, 4 corner rectangular course across two city blocks in Berkeley. Start at McGee Ave and Hearst Ave, extending to Grant Street and California Street. Slight uphill on Hearst Street, slight downhill on Berkeley Way. Some uneven payment on Berkeley Way on downhill.
Strava: Katie’s Strava
Nutrition: Peanut butter and banana sandwich on ride over. A few dates before start
Race Recap:
Going into the race I was super excited to try what felt like my first criterium of the season. (I did race Cat’s Hill but that barely felt like it counted because I was timid from the start and consistently dropped on the hill.) Hannah, Claire and I discussed a little before the race about strategy. We decided since Super Sprinkles had 7 of the 17 riders, we would let them dictate the race. Our thought was to try to keep a good position, not burn too many matches and be ready to sprint.
I targeted Stephanie on Eclipse because I knew she had won both Cat’s Hill and the Santa Cruz Criterium this year. I felt if I kept her in sight and close, I was probably in a good position. The race itself didn’t have any significant breakaways or attacks. The Super Sprinkles girls seemed to switch off and have someone push the pace for a little. Stephanie would almost always follow right behind and each Sprinkles rider seemed to slow down after a turn or two on the course.
Due to the small size of our field, we were almost always in a single paceline. I would occasionally move up a few positions during the downhill on Berkeley Way because it didn’t seem to use too much energy. I was able to corner strategically to get back into the draft as we headed up Hearst Ave.
The final lap is a little fuzzy in my memory. I knew it was going to come down to a field sprint and I didn’t know how soon I should start. One of the Sprinkles girls took off at the bell lap. Stephanie followed and I got on her wheel. The true sprint didn’t really start until the final turn off California onto Hearst. Stephanie was in the lead and I got caught on outside behind the Sprinkles rider who had made the bell lap move. I was able to get around her but a different Sprinkles rider took an inside line on the final corner for second.
Overall I was very happy with 3rd in this race. Crits are fun, excited to do more where I don’t have to climb a 23% hill multiple times. (I joke about this but actually Cat’s Hill is a very cool race and I would definitely try it again next year).
This result also gave me 3rd overall in omnium for the weekend. I definitely wasn’t expecting that. Huge shoutout to Katarina Zgraja who worked with me for 85% of the Berkeley Hills Road Race after we got dropped from the lead group at Mama Bear.