A running account of the "race without an entry fee"..... The Tuesday night ride

Tuesday the 20th

Week 2 !

Perfect weather for the 2nd week out. Everyone had the recent racing tragedy in mind, and the starthouse was a little less jovial cause of it. There were more helmets on then usual…. Let’s just leave it at that.
      The start of the ride was calm. Everyone rode together for the opening miles. Brooksvale Ave looks like its been thru a microwave and there are now many rim-destroying holes on the section leading up to Mount Sanford Rd. Sure enough, a couple of guys got hit with flats as everyone else broke formation to get thru it slow and safe. One would have to imagine that crews will be out to patch it up soon but till then, we’re going to have to use more caution.
    Shortly after that, MoMoney and BlackTie Sports ( name? ) rolled off the front. BlackTie was on a bender for the first half of the ride, throwing off attack after attack. Hunter P brought the bunch back and it was all together turning onto Mountain Rd.  BlackTie would hit it again on the initial part of Mountain, with Young Suto giving chase. A rider in Green (?) took off and made it up Black Tie, but by then it was all coming back together. For a brief moment, Hunter P, MoMoney and Black Tie had a gap, but that didn’t last long and it was all together to the light on 68.
     The trip down Moss Farms was un-exciting. Black Tie would hit it again after the chicane, heading up to Marion Ave. This time DJ Dan and a CVC rider would give chase.  It turned into a small group getting off the front. CCR Owen, Zierhoff from Stage 1 and CVC. Back in the pack, with Stage 1, Team New Haven and CCR represented up front, there was no hurry to reel them back.  Heading into the industrial park, MoMoney and the Dark Yalie would jump up to the group and that was enough to bring it all back together. Turning onto West Johnson, Hunter P hit the front. That lead to Little T, Young Suto, and the rider in Green off the front with a long ways to the corner for Reinhard. Little T, in an uncharacteristic move, rode away from the rest as the hill started to bit and was all in for the sprint. He had a good gap, but still had to ramp up a sprint to hold off Joe K and Eric M, who were closing but didn’t have enough road to overtake T as he took the first breakaway sprint of the year.
     On the backside, Joe K stayed on the gas and went solo off the front up to past Peck Lane. BlackTie, Rondo, and Huinter P doing the work on the front of the peleton. From there it was all together as the headwind took its toll and brought the speed way down. For the run in to the Stop N Shop sprint, Young Suto, Antonio D, the Dark Yalie Nick G, Jacinto and 1 or 2 others were in position to strike. Jacinto jumped first as Hunter P came from the group back and was able to go past Jacinto to get the sprint.
     The ride back into Hamden was normal. The most exciting thing being the return of Chris B, who flew up through the front in a last kilo bid. Apparently he was lurking in the shadows all ride long, watching like an Afghan revolutionist, spying out the forces' weakness. He came up short but it was good to see him out. He lives nearly an hour away now but has promised to be around more often to make the SG ride difficult for all.
For the finale, Jacinto and the CVC rider went toe to toe to the line. Up the hill went the usual suspects, but Hunter P got a head-start and got the top first.