"Up! Up!" (I need to get my self-esteem up)
Summer is on it's way out as evidenced by the smaller field out tonight. Just 16 or 17 depending on when you took role call.
Once the pace got going off route ten, Humble Paul was all over the front of the ride, attacking a couple of times and holding a gap for a several hundred meters at a time. Behind, the guys what would normally be attacking were not. Towards the end of Mountain Rd Turner F and Dan Smith would push off the front but no one was letting that get very far. Hunter P also had a dig for the light, but it was red which brought it all togehter for Moss Farms.
Things picked up a bit on Moss Farms, with Little T, Turner, Jason Williams, Hunter P, Dan Smith, Humble Paul, and a couple of others pushing the pace off the front. Running towards the light on 322, Hunter P attacked hard, taking Sean Cahill with him. The light was red though so it was all together heading onto Mount Vernon.
Turner F and Sean Maher were pushing the pace on Mount Vernon early on and it looked like they would inspire a breakaway but there was enough push from the pack to keep it together. Onto Welch and the turnaround where there was not too much pressure on the front. Sean Cahill pushed off the front 400 meters from the hill and he carried a decent gap through the corner. Behind, Little T launched it at the base of the hill, taking Hunter P with him. Turner F also jumped off the front shortly after in chase. Little T and Hunter P would catch Sean C halfway to the sprint, and soon Turner was there to make it 4. The light before the sprint turned red and stacked a couple of cars up, so the sprint was negated.
The surge was big enough against a peleton depleted enough to make for a huge gap. The four stayed on it, caught a light and, pushed thru another near the I84 exchange and was gone. Dan Smith pushed off the front charging to the sprint and stayed on it on the downhill to get into the break.
So 5 riders were off the front and would not be caught again. Back in the " peloton" it came down to six or seven guys working but they were pretty beat. Sean M and Jason Williams were doing a fair amount of work with Humble Paul, Dillon P.
Up front, the break was growing the gap. Sean C attacked a couple of times, only to be brought back by Hunter P or Dan Smith. Heading onto Cheshire St after West Johnson, Turner attacked off the front and was allowed to go. He would make it the entire way back into Hamden alone but was in sight nearly the whole way.
Turner was first up the Greenhouse climb, with Hunter P coming in next. Past that there were no friendships being made in the small chase group.
Small attacks and surges were the norm. Dan Smith got popped going up that little rise on Boulder. Sean C attacked hard up Tuttle, and from there it was cat and mouse between Sean and Little T. T took it to the line, but of course it was all behind Turner F, who made it solo but within sight the entire time.
