Wente Vineyards Classic Road Race 2017

There was little rest between the finish of Cat's Hill, scrambling to get some supplies for our trip down to Redlands on Saturday night, and an early start in Livermore for the Wente vineyards Road Race.

Thankfully, the team had our trusty Toyota Sienna and some strong Equator Coffee to get us the jump start we needed!

And quite the jump start we got, with Team Captain Adam Switters attacking off the start line! Two riders promptly joined Adam in the breakaway, and with TMB and Cyclesport represented, there were only a few guys in the field contributing to a concerted chase in the early laps (big props to Cooper Shanks for a gutsy race). 

The temps increased a bit, but I remained cool and comfortable in my Capo skinsuit. Gu Energy Labs had my nutrition covered, with the proper mix of hydration, electrolytes, and tasty treats (I'm talking Gu Stroopwafel, people!). If only I could race with a mug of Equator Coffee to warm up those tasty waffles. Yum yum yum!

After a slow pace up the climb on Lap 4 of 5, my legs felt fresh and I followed some attacks. Adam had dispatched from the break, and some punchy moves reduced the group to about 10, which grew by a few guys into 1 lap to go. 

Team Captain Roman rolled ahead of the peloton with Cooper, leaving the rest to chase and Craig to selflessly cover moves. I attacked hard on the approach to the final time up climb, catching Roman and then pursuing the leading duo through the feed zone. 

My Specialized Tarmac was the stiffest and trustiest of steeds, and I felt like one with my machine as I punched my way up the road, dropped the remnants of the break, and zoomed to a solo victory - my first of the season! I was glad to finish it off successfully after a strong team effort.

The team dedicates this success to our friend and manager Steve Pelaez, who continues to remain in our thoughts and prayers. You were riding with us the entire race, Steve!