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

Tuesday the 8th



The ride finally starts to heat up just in time for the long loop to end
    The parking lot started out on the empty side but by 6:01 there was a decent sized group out for the ride. It started rather ignominiously, with the usual players out front setting a good pace for the early part. There was no real action besides the occasional Cheshire Cycle rider rolling off the front with a small group, and another playing “defense” behind. Everyone hit the light for route 68\70 together. From there, onto Moss Farms, Hacker, Nuemotion, Alan B, and a couple of others tried briefly to get off the front but it all stayed together.
    After the riser up to Marion, Big Red and Chris C jumped off the front and started with a pretty good gap. Mike McG slammed that shut a little while after as the ride went by the corner for the industrial park (see you next week). Mike McG’s hard pull brought all back together again until the 322 crossing.
    On the other side, Dave H and Big Red started rolling off the front and those two were soon joined by French Casey. Those 3 quickly built up a gap on Mount Vernon as the pack behind slowly started to come alive as it dodged and weaved in the crap road section. By the time the long false flat came up, the leading trio was holding it’s gap solidly. Behind, Henk, Nuemotion, Hacker, Chris C, Mike McG, Tall John, Special Ed, and a couple of others would chip in and keep the pace high, but not enough to seriously dent the gap.
    The leading trio hit the corner for Welch with a solid 20 seconds and it soon was evident that no one was going to be catching them before the sprint point. Still, Alan B ripped off the front right before the corner for West St, taking Ben Bruce, Chris C, Mike McG, Hacker, and a couple of others with him. It was enough to split the chase into 2 groups heading into the sprint point. Up ahead, Dave H and Big Red had left French Casey and were content to roll thru the sprint without contesting it. They kept up the gap on the backside, as the 2 chase groups recombined eventually. The leaders would have rolled on even further, but a red light corralled them and made it gruppo compacto.
     The trip back into Cheshire was standard stuff, Dave H was back at it up front, pushing on a couple of times and driving the speed up. Turning onto route 10, Alan B jumped off the front and lit it up going up the small hill there. Chris C and Kyle C responded, along with Big Red, and soon it was a group of 3 chasing down and eventually catching Alan in time to regroup for the Stop N Sprint. Behind, Hacker and Nuemotion tried briefly to start a rally, but the gap was too much.
     For further proof that everyone is getting soft, the breakaway once again rolled thru the sprint point without anyone contesting it. Everyone was soon after corralled again by another red light. From there, until the last kilometers, the pace stayed pretty high. Mike McG did a good job of sheparding everyone into some great pacing as the meters clicked down. For the finale, French Casey, dragged the field up to a select group of 5 or 6, led by Chris C and Mike McG. French Casey kept on the gas, giving a good leadout to Hunter P and the Full Nalini. All 3 went for the final prize on the night and it was Hunter P rolling thru first.

Great ride everyone! A few of you have been asking about Noah. He is out of his sling, should be fine without surgery, and is healing up pretty good. He just wants to get back out on his bike!


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