Summer winding down......Ride is still hot hot hot though
Big group out tonight as some guys are left feeling they need to make a point or two before the season is up... Pretty much right away the ride was under pressure from Stage 1 riders Chris C and Todd H. Through the cobbles there was some partial gaps that were developing, but everybody got the point pretty quick. Tonight would be on the brisk side.
VQ Rob did his part as well, jumping off before Mountain road... Again, brief gaps then recollecting then further accelerations...
After the first climb of Mountain Rd, Chris C and Mason from Dartmouth hit "play" on the remote and were away... VQ Rob jumped next to catch them just as they were hitting the small steps after Higgans Rd. Then Hunter P launched up to bridge. Joe K was on his wheel like flys to stink...
Joe kept on, riding thru the group, now the front of the Peleton as everyone had cought up. Fuji Chris was riding hard and off the front to catch Joe. The Rider on the Seven as well. There were a couple of newish faces up there driving the pace, and several had a hand in keeping up the tempo, But Joe was doing an impressive job of staying 7-10 seconds away from everyone's germs. Coming up to the stop light on route 68\70, Joe made it thru cleanly, while the peleton missed it by 2 seconds. There was some speculation as to whether Joe would wait, but that was dashed to pieces when there was no sight of him on Moss Farms. Bookie Rondo started putting odds on his chances \ when he would be caught \ who would be taking credit for the chase.
Cruising down Moss Farms, Kyle F, VQ Rob, & Seven had jumped off the front and were working together to create a gap. Coming into the chicane tho, everyone was together under the pressure from Eric M, Peter P, and Tall John. As the feild turned into the Industrial Park, Joe could be seen up the road. 20 seconds is all he had after the light now.
In the park, Mike McG as near the front, spurning riders along. Eric M as well. Empire Matt came up towards the end and that got everyone's attention as well. As the front of the peleton came up to the 4-way intersection of Peck ln, Joe was valiantly fighing the catch off. As the group came up to the corner of Reinhard, a small elite group had formed just off the front in anticipation of the catch and sprint. Empire Matt, Julio L, Greg C, Hunter P, Mike McG, Seven, Thompson from Keltic, Supa Dave(?) from Stage 1, Chris C(?) maybe a couple others. Joe was caught before the sprint started and Mike had little problem taking it to the top of the hill. Hats off to Joe for the strong solo effort. Just goes to show the speed of the ride, erasing 45-60 seconds on a strong dude like Joe K.
Onto Peck Ln, Where VQ Rob, Eric M, Thompson from Keltic, Hunter P and couple others all had a hand in keeping the speed high. Coming up to Rt 10, Chris C and Rob had jumped a bit off the front. Hunter P bridged up and the 3 had a small but no-joking-around gap heading up the hill past the park. (site of CheshireCross 08! Get your CX bikes out!) By the top of the hill it was down to just Chris & Hunter and soon they would get swallowed up by the juggernaut.
Fast forwarding to the Stop&Shop sprint, Tall John was again flexing might and leading out what seemed like too many riders. In the end Little T, coming off injury, out kicked Mike McG to the top.
Reds lights-a-plenty in through town, and as the ride made its way back, it became pretty gnarly at the front. Riders spread 6 across the road at some points, and a couple of heavy brakes making things interesting... Perhaps the season is winding down just in the knick of time...
In the end Peter P dug China-deep to overtake Little T for the last man standing award... Good job Pete.
On the hill, Mason had a bit of a headstart, but was tracked down by a whipped Hunter P, Greg F from CCR took over, going up and past, but towing Chris B who was lurking in the shadows all ride. Chris jumped hard and last to take the top, with Greg, Mason, VQ Rob on cool down mode, hunter and a couple others all in the back. Good to see more guys braving it out to the high point of the TWC.
