Tuesday the 6th

The 2021 Season Plot Thickens Up

We had what is sure to be one of the biggest crowds out for the ride tonight. Everyone was amped up to ride hard, despite a complete flipping of the wind from last week. Instead of a killer tailwind from the south pushing the group up route 10, tonight we had a big headwind. This gave a couple of opportunistic riders the chance to pedal hard tempo off the front while others dealt with the headwind. Wild Bill, young Rowyn Burgess, Dillon P, Billy Thompson, and Noah B. Then, Hunter P joined them shortly after the corner off route 10. 

The only only rider from from the main pack that got on his giddy up across the gap was Dan Smith. That resulted in a group of seven riders off the front. The junior was the first to drop back. The group went to work creating a gap while the chase slowly got going behind. Up front Dan Smith and Hunter P were doing the majority of the work, with Billy T, Wild Bill, and the rest chipping in where they could. Dillon P took the back door exit soon after. Back in the chase Curly Huesman got to the front and started driving it along with Nic V and Chris C.

 

The breakaway slowly pulled away, but then on Mountain Rd the leaders broke up on the rollers. That allowed the chase to gain a little bit of ground as the front group took some time to recollect. The breakaway put in one last effort before the light on route 68\70, but that was red which meant it was all back together for the time it took for the light to turn red. Once across the light and on to Moss Farms, things reset and others took the front to set the pace. As the pack near the route 322 crossover, there were a couple of surges off the front, but no one put in a big attack to create a gap.

 

Once through the light on 322, the next big attack came from P who jumped on the hill before Mount Vernon. Once again Wild Bill responded as well, but this time the pack was more attentive and didn't let them get any more than 50 to 60 meters up the road before responding hard. Curly was there, LIttle T, Chris C, Nic V, and a few others locked it down pretty quick. Even still there were gaps opening up as everyone was still dealing with the headwind. The ride turned right onto Prospect St this week and the unfamiliar road kept the attacks to a minimum. Instead Steve B, Evan B and Erin R from the CW team, as well as Curly and Hunter p were up there pushing the pace.

The pack stayed together for while, and got a rare green light going back over 322. The next attack came on West Johnson avenue as Hunter P jumped hard in an effort to get the light on route 10. No dice there, as the light was red and everyone waited for a moment or two. On East Johnson Ave, there were a couple that surged up the first hill but it was all together heading down past the greenhouses and up to the intersection for Cheshire st.

On the short kicker up to the corner there, Curly and Hunter P punched it and had a short small gap going through the corner. Wild Bill once again jumped into the group, making three up the road. The peloton watched, and the three off the front made the rest pay for it.

The trio worked together for a short time, but then Wild Bill dropped off. So two leaders made their way onto the long hill up to the sprint. Then Curly accelerated, leaving Hunter P dropped to get collected by the chase, which was being led by Nic V. Curly was able to not only hold off the chase, but added a bit to his advantage by the time the sprint point came up. From there he was able to get into the back roads of Hamden with a commanding lead and would not be caught. That's the way the ride ended up - Curly getting all the points for himself off the front. With  his impressive haul tonight, he's already ahead of his 2020 point total.

Solid ride all round! Let's keep the aggro level up. 

 

Tuesday the 30th

Pressure Upfront Goes Up a Notch

    The weather was better this week, which means that even more riders were out for the ride today.  There were three women out today on the ride as well, which was cool to see. Kudos to Patsy, Lochner, and Lisa Stanley for coming out to roll with the SGR. They had a bit of a challenge this week, as there was a huge tailwind. The whole pack roared up route 10, which can be a bit intimidating for new riders. Even so, they reported afterward that they had a great time, and they are looking forward to coming back. They will be riding a modified loop that will keep from going all the way north but will reconnect with the rest of the ride on the return back into Hamden. Hopefully, more women will come out as well!
Once the ride was into Cheshire, the pace picked up a bit. There was an incident where a new rider upfront was unsure of which way to go at Mount Sanford, which led to crossing wheels with Sernyack. Mike was relatively ok, and the ride got rolling after a 1 min pause. Then, down the road, Wild Bill S was on the front as the corner for Mountain Road came up. He went straight and didn't realize it for a handful of seconds. He tried to give chase after turning around but came up a bit short by the end of Mountain Rd.
    Upfront, the pack made it through the light without stopping. From there, Aaron B, Hunter P, and Chris C punched it off the front, and only a handful of riders that were attentive at the front made it into the group. Dan Smith, Little T, Nic V, and one or two others were clutching the back of the attack. The move def had the legs, and it took a hard chase from the back to draw it close by the chicane. Shortly after turning onto Marion, the rotation in the break broke down as a couple of riders skipped pulls. That let the peleton chase back, so it was all together going into the Industrial Park.
    Dan Smith accelerated from the front, and he was allowed to roll off the front. Kieran H and Hunter P kept the pace high after the corner onto West Johnson, and soon the ride was all back together again.
After crossing route 10, it stayed together. As the ride made its way to the Greenhouse Climb, Dillon P rolled off the front, and everyone was content to him go as well. As everyone hit the base of the "climb," Dillon P was only a few meters off the front.
     Up the hill, the usual suspects hit the front. Keiran H took a bit of a dig, but the strong headwind kept the eager beavers sitting tight in the draft. Then Aaron B rolled to the front and pulled everyone up the climb. Hunter P took a late pull, then Chris C brought everyone up to the sprint. Little T jumped first, but Curly Huesman was sitting in the entire time waiting. He was able to come around Little T by the end, and he kept on the gas as well.
     Curly rolled off alone towards the light and was able to get thru unimpeded. That was the springboard he needed to make a run at finishing the ride solo. Behind, the chase got going, organized and fast. There were a couple of new riders up front chipping in. When the ride hit the climb up Tuttle, Curly was about 20 seconds ahead. Chris C and Hunter P pulled hard up to the intersection, then a couple of the CW guys hit the front and closed down the gap even more.
     Curly was caught with about 1 mile to go. From there, the sprinters came up and drove the pace. Little T jumped first but had Aaron B, Hunter P, Dan Smith, The Sernyak, and Curly right there. T held on for the sprint, with it being super tight between the rest of the "top 5."

Besides the incidents, it was a good ride. The next few weeks, before racing starts at Rentschler Field starts, should be great!