Screw NP and CTL, it's SGR Time!
It was great to see a few new faces out tonight. Hacker was back (although he would get hit with a flat early on). Good to see Hill-Billy Dave Hildebrand out as well. Moto Cross Pro Brian Dussault was back out again, getting comfier with the route and group. Right from the get-go, Hunter P snuck off the front as soon as everyone turned off route 10, without much response from the pack. In a couple of corners, he had 100 meters and rolled off the front from there. It took a while before everyone got going on the front. The chase got started with Turner F & CW leading the way. Hunter P would hold on to the gap all the way to the end of Mountain Rd, where a red light forced a stop for all. The gap was down to a couple of seconds anyway.
Onto Moss Farms, where the pace calmed down a bit. After a brief reset, there were guys going for it as the chicane came up. Hons, Noah B, and Dave H pushed off the front. They would be caught on the climb out to Marion. There was a brief moment where Hunter P, Steve B, and Noah B up at the front made a group that looked like it could move, but it was all together going onto Mount Vernon.
The ride down Mount Vernon was uneventful. Every move that went off the front seemed to be chased down by Brian Da-salt (On gravel tires BTW). Brian gets a judges' point or two for his balls out riding. A real rooster that one is. There were a couple riders off the front going towards the sprint point, but that was erased quickly by Little T and Hunter P attacking up the Welch Rd hill. CW was next to go, and Turner F launched with Noah B and Steve B to come by and get a good jump on the sprint. The others were looking at each other and that let the CW trio snag all the points.
It was all together on the backside and into Cheshire. The Body Over Bike boys tried surged a bit here and there but it no one was letting anything go. There was a brief moment turning onto Atwater where Steve B, Hunter P, Turner F and a couple of others were going hard to get a gap, but the pack rode hard, and coming off the descent of West St, were able to cover the gap.
Little action off the front from there to the start of the Greenhouse climb. No big attacks. Heading into the climb, Jeffrey Scala went off the front while everyone behind was thinking "Great rider, sh$T bloke." He was caught as the climb bit. Turner F was again at the front, setting tempo up the entire climb. VladZ from CCB and Hunter P was sitting on his wheel the way up. VladZ pulled the rip cord near the top, letting Turner get a gap. Steve B then surged from behind, and then started his sprint soon after. Hunter P jumped onto his wheel and came around with a few meters to go. Behind, Little T was caught behind a couple of guys, started late, and rolled thru next.
The combination of Steve B surging, VladZ coming off, and the big sprint up front split the group, leading to a select group rolling thru the light on 68/70. Steve B, Hunter P, Chris C, Steffen H, and Little T. Steve B and Hunter P got it going and then the group was rolling. Behind, the chase was lazy getting going. Turner F spent a little time dangling off the front but no one else was super-motivated to chase. The break was working well together and stayed away. Little T was able to pop out to get the bonus point.
