UCLA Road Race Insights

The winners of at least two of today’s UCLA Road Race categories attacked towards the top of the climb and built a big enough lead to solo to victory.

This is not Westwood, this is Pearblossom, CA a beautiful high-desert location (4700′) many miles NorthEast of LA.  The course is a 12.5 mile loop with about 1400′ of climbing per lap.  A climber’s course for sure, but it’s also a descenders course.

It’s physics.

The main climb will take the pro’s 10 minutes and the not-so-pro’s up to 15+ minutes.

The main descent will take the aero-big-boned about 8 minutes and the not-so-aero-big-boned up to 9+ minutes.

Don’t freak if you get gapped at the top by some little twig by 30 seconds.  Keep your head in the game.  Get low… there is no need to brake for any of the turns (this is my opinion, use good judgement.)

I saw two of today’s winners attack over the top and never look back… finishing with 2+ minutes gaps.

Putting 30-60 seconds on a group of guys means someone(s) in that group will have to ride awfully hard to catch you.  On a course like this, where the downhill is fast (I hit 49 mph), and at the bottom it rolls, it’s likely the group is going to look at each other and pray you fade on the climb – you might…

…or, you might pull off a victory never to be forgotten.