Welcome to the 2011 Sleeping Giant Ride!
aka: The Throwdown , The Sword Fight, The Plainville Training Series Midweek Race , The Tuesday World Championships , Luigi's Ride , The Amity Bikes ride , Crazy and Stupid.....
Whatever you call it, it's back and better then ever.
There was a good size group out for the ride tonight. Maybe 35 riders. No, there was no celebrity rider out today. Right off route 10, Mike McG and Brian Suto rolled off the front and were soon joined by Guido, Chris C, Antonio D and a couple of others. They built up a gap of 12 seconds before the counter moves started. The catch was made right before Mountain road, thanks to some power riding by Jacinto, Joe K and Hunter P. Soon after that Eric M and Rondo got on and it became a good sized group barreling down Mountain Rd. With everyone ( mostly the guys who have been racing on the weekends ) taking turns up front, they quickly moved out of sight of the Peleton. It didnt help that power-house Dillon P got a flat on Mountain and couldn’t contribute to the chase. The light on route 68 stopped the front group and gave the ride a chance to regroup. With no red light, the group was gone for the day.
Rondo got things going on Moss Farms, and a couple of rider rolled off with him. A sudden attack from Mike McG nearly ripped the peleton in 2, as he drilled it 120% for a brief moment to get across the gap. Everyone stayed on for the most part though and it was all together for the chicane and the run into Marion Ave. Guido was the only one to test the frigid waters off the front, and he stayed off the front for half a kilo or so once onto Marion. The front runners started to look antsy again as the ride was preparing to turn onto West Johnson, but it stayed civil, with mostly new haven guys ( new face? ) up front.
For the run up to Reinhard, Rondo rolled off the front but it was others cuing up behind who were going to be contesting it. It started off lazy enough but Eric M hit the gas from the very base of the hill, taking Joe K along with him. Eric pulled away at first but its a super long drag and Joe got him self back into it, pulling neck and neck and then rolling thru the corner first... But it was nearly a tie. Jacinto, Chris C and one or 2 others were the ones well behind but still off the front of the main group.
Everyone got their composure back and the ride back onto Route 10 was normal. There wasn't any funny business till the Stop N Sprint, where it was Zane's in the familiar role of keeping the speed high for Eric M. Eric again started the sprint first, this time with the reliable Anthony, back-in-the-saddle-Alessio right on his six. Little T was able to pop around for the flowers there.
Heading into Hamden, Chris C and the Mountain Man tried to get off the front but that didn't last too long and it was all together for the ride back. For the sit sprint finish, Eric M scored some points, getting there first, besting Guido and Dillon P, who rejoined after fixing his flat.
