The most boring SG ride of the year is still pretty great.
It's getting a little darker out but the warm weather was still
around for this week's ride. The group was a little on the quiet side
upon rolling out and getting going. Things started up and everyone
was soon focused on the task at hand, having a good ride. Chris C
looked ready to sneak off early on. When Jordan Lynn and Hunter P
joined him that was got the ride going and it stayed fast thru the
backroads. Todd H, Tall John, Ciocci, Little T and a couple of new
faces were up there as well at the front in the early miles. No
fireworks though as the ride kept up a solid pace up to and down
Mountain rd. Chis B made an appearance up front in anticipation of
the light on route 68 but he backed off as soon as he realized that
others had something similar in mind.
JLynn took off early on Moss Farms with Young Suto and
those 2 worked up a quick gap as the field negotiated the chopped up
road. Hacker was next to go across along with Yahor from the CCB
toss-up. Hunter P then went across, taking along Chris C and Mike
McG. The field picked up the pace and without any climbs to put the
pressure on the peleton was bearing down by the corner. It stayed
touch and go thru the chicane with some gaps outside the top 10
riders but there was no real attacks on the hill as Little T led the
charge up along with Hacker, Timmy Hip and Hunter P. More solid pace
up front the rest of the way toward 322. Hunter P had a go off the
front going over the highway but it was a solo effort that didnt go
too far.
Onto Mount Vernon where the pace stayed decent as the usuals
hit the front and got it going. Credit Guido for once again stepping
up and hitting the front about a mile into the Mount Vernon stretch
when the pace needed a bit of motivating and from there it stayed
respectable to the corner. Despite the speed Hacker hit the front
running a couple of hundred meters before the corner for Marion. He
had bodies up there ( Guido, Timmy Hip, CCB, Rhino Rider on the
Calfee ). It made for a splintered group of about 4 or 5 with a short
gap early on. Behind Chris C jumped across the field with Hunter P
and those 2 made it up to the group just as CCB and Hacker were
leaving the station and starting on a gap. The rest of the way down
Welch, Chris C, Hunter P and Timmy Hip plugged away at the gap. By
the base of the hill, Hacker had left CCB and was alone with a 30
meter gap going up the hill to the corner. Little T, using the long
line of guys in between the chase and the closing field, jumped hard
at the base of the hill and was soon up to Hacker. Those 2 went to
work trying to keep the gap up as behind it was Hunter P Chris C and
Calfee doing the chase work. The leaders were coming back but Little
T put in a sprint, leaving Hacker. Hunter P started the sprint from
the front of the chase but was quickly overhauled by Mike McG who had
timed the chase well. He would be the only one to challenge Little T,
who was able to get it with relative ease.
On the backside Chris B, The Mullaly, and Hunter P tried to
sneak off and instead just ended up driving the pace nice and high
for the field who was quick to catch on. The only red light was by
Jude Lane again, no one jumped this time on the green light as it was
evident the majority were gassed. Going downhill toward Atwater,
plenty of guys were up front to keep it going. Chris B was back at
the front, trying to be as invisible as possible. The left-hand turn
light onto Atwater was red so that stopped any chance of a sneak
attack. Even still, Chris B drove the pace up higher than usual for
the first half mile on Atwater. Hunter P and The Mullaly followed it
up and put the front of the field in a good position to possible
attack up the hill under the underpass. Dave Rustico, Hunter P and
Chris C put in efforts, but no separation was allowed. From there to
the light Dillon P took the front along with Young Suto.
Once the ride got over 322 again , the seed picked up again.
Rustico, JLynn and Chris C hit the front and got a quick gap on Peck
lane that they worked hard to maintain all the way up the false flat.
Mike McG jumped across the gap at the last moment along with Hunter P
but the group was unable to continue the gap. From there the ride
settled into the normal speed to Route 10 and up the hill. Nothing
unusual to report in the run-in to the sprint. There was a long line
of guys cued up and ready to go but Little timed a gap-skipping surge
well and hit the hill twice as fast as the front. He got to the top
first no problem.
One or 2 red lights later, the field was abit slow to get
going while Hacker and Hunter P had jumped off the front and made it
thru the lights in the center of town. The field had to slow down for
a couple and that was all the front 2 needed to hold a substantial
gap all the way back into Hamden. The 2 in the break didnt contest
the sit n sprint or go up the hill, leaving the top o the hill prize
to Dillon P to collect over a couple of other guys.
