Cat's story: Hincapie Gran Fondo Greenville
BaseCamp athlete Cat Paquin shared her experience at the 2026 Hincapie Gran Fondo bike race in Greenville, South Carolina.
Hincapie Gran Fondo - Greenville - Wind Edition
3rd place age group (40-49) / 5th place overall
Yesterday's Hincapie Gran Fondo was the windiest ride I have ever been on in my life. I rode the Gran, which was 87 miles and 9,400 ft of elevation. The wind was constantly gusting 30-45 mph and sustained 10-25 mph.
My first attempt of the original gran route was back in 2023 before Hurricane Helene completely devastated our area in 2024, so the route I did yesterday was new as of last year. This new route has some of the same climbs as before, but it is a more difficult route than the original. I raced with an awesome local team, Supra, so I could start at the front of 2,000+ people. This is a key advantage to this race and why you won't see me on the podium with my BaseCamp jersey, but at least wearing my BaseCamp hat!
The first 30 miles were completely disheartening. I had felt that I had no sustained power in my legs and my HR was high, but it ended up being a 2nd place all-time 90-min power record. Funny how that is sometimes. I eventually separated from the group because it was too much. I just needed to settle in, find my rhythm, and my legs. Fortunately for me, my great friend and Supra teammate, Bill, who is an absolute beast, waited for me at a turn and ended up pacing me for almost the rest of the ride. He was the exact wheel I needed to focus on instead of my suffering in the wind.
Something finally clicked on the descent after the first big climb (Skyuka Cat 2), and I felt like myself again. We will fast-forward to the death rollers of Lake Adger which is a new feature of this course and my first time riding them. There are 8 grunt hills in a row ranging from 8-25%. Two people were understandably walking up the 25% hill. These grunt hills are nestled in between the 1st Cat 2 and 2nd Cat 3 climbs which is then followed by a 3rd Cat 4 climb just 5 miles from the finish, so you have to be mindful of the course in its entirety.
We climbed out of Green River Cove (Cat 3) and Saluda, NC, where I encountered my first female competitor. I took a turn on the front and was able to drop her before we descended like lightning down the Greenville Watershed to our final Cat 4 climb, Callahan Mountain. We were on our way to the finish, it's a 2.5 mile straight shot down Hwy 25 back to Hotel Domestique with a 1 mile little kicker climb at the end. Just as we turned on the straightaway we encountered another female Gran rider. This is when I started to wonder where I was placing for the day since the first 30 miles had thrown me for a ringer.
I started thinking about what my coach, Greg Waggoner, told me to think about racing tactically, taking chances, racing smart, taking on competition, etc. I had no idea if I was going to podium, but all I knew was that if I didn't give it my all here, I'd regret it forever. So, I kept an eye on her behind me for about a mile and a half. As soon as we hit the last 1-mile kicker hill, I attacked. After 86 miles, all the wind, and all the climbing, I don't exactly know where that power came from (I actually do... nutrition and durability), but it was there and it was available to access. I was over VO2max that entire last mile, and it secured my 5th place overall.
What are my takeaways from this windy, climbing sufferfest? Never give up. Teammates are awesome (we already know this). Learning to race competitively and tactically is fun. Having a base foundation that starts with BaseCamp winter training and extends all the way to a mid-October race with an amazing coach and a fully supportive community is priceless.
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