Dennis's story: Sea Otter Classic

BaseCamp athlete Dennis Wojcik shared his experience at the 2026 Sea Otter Classic bike race in California.

This year I did two events: the 60 mile gravel race and the 50 mile Pacifico Fondo. I rode the fondo with two of my kids, which was a real treat!

The race was hard with a 2 x 30-mile course. I knew I was in trouble when Tinker Juarez lined up next to me at the start. ;-) This was a B race for me, but I wanted to do well. I pushed hard the first lap to stay with a group but faded some in the second lap (just a little). Overall I had 2hr45 at Tempo or higher with 1 hour 24 minutes at FTP or higher (oof). BaseCamp training certainly provided the durability I needed, and Jim Pomeroy really set me up for success. Thanks!

I finished 17th in my age group with a time that I was happy with. There were a few skills I needed to hone in on, so a good learning experience, as well. Recovery was a big deal after, as I had to ride with my kids the next day!

The fondo was super fun and beautiful. It was so much fun to ride with Alex and Audrey (who were rocking BaseCamp kit as well). The weather was perfect, and it was just plain fun. I think I saw other BaseCampers going the opposite direction from us, but was too fast to call out.