Steve B is Back!
It was great to see Steve B back out and in the action at SGR. He's had a challenge and a half, getting his hand healed up after getting hit by a car in Meriden. He deserves a bunch of kudos as he took 2nd place at the turnaround and first at the greenhouse. Sort of using just one good hand.
Welcome back Steve!
Animal Encounters, Mechanicals, and Spicy Action
It was a medium-sized group, maybe 17 to 20 riders at the start. Turner French was out. No big names beyond that come to mind. The pace was mellow early on. Until, reportedly, a bear ran across the road on Mountain. Dillon handled it, naturally. Word is he chased it down and skinned it alive. Situation resolved.
The first traffic light of the night was green, which got everyone twitchy heading into Moss Farms. Pace picked up slightly but nothing broke loose. Hunter P moved to the front through the chicane and into the rollers toward Marion Ave, but it stayed together.
Turner attacked hard heading into the second light, with Hunter right on him. Looked promising, but the group got the green and closed it all down. Mount Vernon saw another move from the same duo. They got a small gap, but the group had just enough bodies to pull it back. Still no break.
Then came an unexpected attack at the end of Mount Vernon. Hunter jumped early before the Welch Road turn, going with around 200 meters to the corner. He opened a solid gap on Welch and held it until the base of the hill. Behind, Turner and Little T surged at the bottom and halved the distance fast. By the time they were 200 meters on West Street, they had caught and passed Hunter. Little T edged out Turner for the sprint.
Everyone regrouped on the descent and through the I-84 lights. Things calmed down. Turner was getting frustrated with the constant surging and sitting up, especially around Wes Johnson. He and Hunter each threw in a few digs, but nothing stuck.
Then came a twist. Little T had been dealing with a slow leak all ride. He stopped with Turner Frnech fo top off his tire at the light at 322. He and Turner then had to chase back but did so without issue and well before the pack made it route 10. This despite the field getting stretched out a bit by a dig from Dan Smith.
From there, things shifted into steady tempo. Stefano P and a few new faces helped drive the pace into the greenhouse climb. Turner, Chris C, Hank P, and the usual crew were all there. Chris C gave Hunter P a strong leadout for the Greenhouse sprint. Hunter launched and held it to the line just ahead of Turner and one other.
Later on, Little T’s rear tire was nearly flat again. He followed Dan’s early jump into the final sprint, with Stefano between them. As Little T opened up his sprint, the tire completely blew. He slid a bit but stayed upright and somehow managed second place behind Stefano. Third might have gone to the guy on the rim brake Scott bike, judging by who rolled in next.
Everyone's Tired Tonight
Good sized group, beautiful weather. Featuring the triumphant return of Casey King. (also Chris C)
Casey was gone too long, Chris is back too soon.
The early pace was set by Turner Frnech, Sean Hurley, Dan Smith and Peter Morgan. Throw in a few attacks by Mike Hons and it resulted in a solid pace. Everyone stayed together for the run to the light at the end of Mountain Rd.
More of the same on Moss Farms. Visitors to the ride, Andrew Hudacek and Christian Stahl took a couple of pulls in addition to a few new-to-the-front guys pushing the pace. There was a short-lived gap to Stan Prushinski, Hons, Sean Hurley and Tom K, but by the chicane it was all together. Turner French was pushing going into the 4-way stop there. It got strung out going up to Marion, and Hutner P attacked thru the corner, but no one went with and shortly after it was all together again.
Turner pushed off again heading over the highway. Dan Smith jumped up to join and he had Hacker and Hunter P as well. the light at 322 was red so it was all back together again.
Onto Mount Vernon where Chris C and Hacker were leading a decent sized group (Stefano P, Sean Hurley, Christian Stahl, and a few others) off the front, but with a couple of strong guys left behind it didn't stand too much of a chance. So it was all back together for the next few minutes. Later on Mount Vernon, Joe K, Stan P, and a newer ride in white pushed off the front and was allowed to get a bit of gap. Dan Smith wound it up again and took a long a few guys to bring it all back together for the corner onto Welch.
A group of four (Hacker, Hons, White Kit, and Brent de la B) were allowed to roll clear. Joe Rod tried to get across but it was a little to late. The break worked up a 150 meter gap before the hill to the corner broke it apart. Hacker pressed on alone and had a good enough gap to make it to the sprint point alone. Behind the rest were absorbed shortly after the corner, and Hunter P took the group sprint in front of Little T.
The entire group stayed together on the backside. No attacks until after the light on 322, Dan Smith jetted off the green light quickly. Everyone responded. Then Turner took advantage and drilled it into the corner, leaving Hacker, Peter Morgan, Andrew H, and Hunter P to chase him down. Hunter P attacked next but then sat up.
No fireworks to report on the other side of Route 10. Steady, solid pace for the rest of the night. Turner French once again set a fast pace up the greenhouse climb, leading out Hacker and Hunter P for the sprint. Hunter P collected that with Hacker and Turner behind.
Down the road, for the finale Brent DeLaBeeeee jumped early for the sprint.... A bit too early. He would get swallowed up by Little T, who took it at the line by a decent margin ahead of SP the Italian and Brent.
Great ride everyone. Next week SGR shares the love with the TNC Race Series at Rentschler Field. Although with TNC on a Wednesday for the first week, it will be interesting to see who shows up on Tuesday with their A-game and who is there just to hang out.
It Was Fast, Until it Wasn't
The streak of new faces at the ride ended this week. A normal-ish looking crew of 25 or so was out for a great night weather-wise. One notably absent was Turner French, who is preparing to take on Unbound out West.
Early pace was set by Steffen H, Matt Z, and Sean Maher. The brothers Black would also get involved here and there and it was a steady pace, albeit much slower in the first 30 min than the week prior. Dan Smith tried to get off the front a couple times but was not allowed to do so.
Onto Welch where sentiment changed... Sean Maher and the Tom Seleck of New England cycling, Peter Morgan, were allowed to roll clear headed to the turnaround sprint. They got to it, and starting building a solid gap by the turn onto West St. They would take the sprint point and keep it rolling to the lights. Behind, there was little to no chase.
Back in the pack, Aaron B edged out Hunter P for the last points on offer.
The leaders would benefit from sneaking a couple of lights, and they were nearly out of sight as everyone made their way onto Atwater. Joe K was allowed to roll clear on that stretch and he took a gap going over the light on 322. He was still well down on the two leaders though.
Onto the Greenhouse climb where Gregory Rodriguez came out of his Big and Tall sized shell to set the early pace on the climb. Then Evan Woodford took off in pursuit of Joe K. Those two would connect near the top and get to work together keeping clear off the front of the pack. Ahead, Sean M and Morgan were out of sight.
The two leaders would not be caught. Joe K and Evan W would be caught at the top of Tuttle, and that's how the ride ended up.
The Breakaway Wins Again
Another hard fought battle up front leads to an elite ending for the ride. Turner French started it on Mountain Rd. Hunter P and then Hacker responded and up the ante, leading to a break of 10 guys off the front. That group cleared the light at the end of mountain and that was all she wrote.
Dan Smith, Tom Krol, Little T, Brothers Black, Stefano P, Sean Maher, Hacker, Hunter P and Turner French.
The chase behind was ummm, disorganized. Some guys took the shortcut, some peeled off early, others got dropped. Without the usual horsepower up front, there was no more steam in the engine.
Up front, after a bunch of attacks, regrouping, and sitting up. Turner French gave up trying to break the group up. Dan Smith and Tom Krol were allowed to roll off the front before the turnaround. They caught a couple of lights and had the gap, and took mucho points to the bank.
Behind, it was the aggressors vs the guys just glad to be there vs the old-timers. Big old stalemat! There was one point for up grabs at the turnaround and Little T nabbed that.
After that, as the chase rolled thru the I84 interchange zone, Turner French pushed off the front using the pinch point caused by stacked traffic at a light. A couple hundred meters later he was clear of the pack that was negotiating the cars, and he got to work covering the gap on his own. He would eventually catch the two leaders near the end, making it 3 to collect the final points on the night.
A Proper Suffer-Fest as a One-Man Swatt Team Shows Up
Sneak Attack from the Rain, and a Dubious Light
A rainy forecast kept most riders away, but 12 to 14 of the faithful showed up and were rewarded with dry roads at the start. The early miles were uneventful until Gentle Paul pushed off the front on the backroads of Cheshire. Turner French threw in a few digs but was mostly quiet this week.
Crossing into Southington, there were a few efforts to stretch things out, but nothing stuck. On the turnaround sprint, Hunter P opened it up on Welch Drive but had drivetrain issues right as Turner French and Little T launched. Dan Smith was also in the mix to the line. Little T took the sprint with Noah Black close behind.
The group came back together until Dan Smith gave it another go on Atwater. He didn’t get the light, but on the other side, he kept pushing and was gifted a gap. Hunter P bridged up to him on West Johnson, and the two got to the light just as is was going yellow, giving the duo a clean getaway.
Turner French was already in pusuit and he was dragging along Sean Hurley and the new guy Italian Stallion Stefeno P. Those three slid underneath the red while the rest of the pack stopped.
That sealed it, the breakaway of five stayed away: Dan Smith, Hunter P, Turner French, and kudos to the new guys who have been riding strong.
Oh Hi Headwind
The crowds were back in force for this week’s SGR, drawn out by solid weather and the usual antics of the pack. A strong headwind out of the south had everyone guessing how the night would unfold. A few new faces joined the fray... Dan Forgione and Chris Sima... Along with welcome returns from Aaron Black, Jon Fecik and Amity Matt!
The action started early. A small group toyed with a move right around Route 10, but everything came back together before the left hand turn. Once the tailwind hit, the pace ratcheted up quickly. Turner French, Chris C, Sean Maher, and Young Savino the 19th were ever present on the front. Hons got frisky with a couple of early digs, testing the legs to see who would potentially roll it.
Heading toward Mountain Road, Turner French and Sean kept the throttle open right up until Little T hit a rock and double flatted. Tom Krol barely escaped going down. The crash split the group as the road tilted upward, and a front selection of about ten forged ahead, mostly unaware. A couple of surges later and the gap was around 10 seconds. But a red light at the top of the hill reset it for everyone.
Once onto Moss Farms, the pace turned a bit more surgical. Turner French, Sean, Hunter P, Chris C, and Hacker were drilling it. Riders chasing from the earlier split started showing signs of fatigue. Those that weren't as good in the pack or who are not as comfy at race speed weren't benefiting from the tailwind as much, and it was starting to show.
Through the chicane, Turner French, Young Savino, and Hunter P kept the pace high, but nobody punched it hard enough to cause separation. It was fast, but controlled. The group hit Mount Vernon with urgency but no fireworks, just sustained speed. It felt like a top 5 fastest night heading north. But that changed as soon as the turnaround on Welch.
Heading to the corner to go south, Hacker attacked at the base of the climb, taking Turner Frnech and Hunter P with him. The trio gained a few meters, rounding the corner into the headwind. But cooperation up front was brief, maybe nonexistent, as everyone tried to navigate the season’s first encounter with that cratered stretch of pavement.
Savino and Hacker opened the sprint early, but Hunter P jumped and took it. On the backside, everything regrouped, and with the stiff headwind, it seemed everyone was willing to choose peace over violence through the highway zone.
Atwater saw a few late digs... Joe Rod upped the tempo under the highway, then Hunter P and Dan Smith hit it heading to the light on 322. The light was red so all together once again. From there, nothing of note heading up to and across Route 10.
On East Johnson. Amity Matt, Young Savino, Sean Maher, Chris C, and Jon Fecik opened a gap. Hacker bridged across on the downhill and helped bring it all back just in time for the uphill to Cheshire Street.
Into the Greenhouse Climb, Sean Maher and Young Savino did the lion’s share of the work, keeping the pace sharp. Turner took his place at the base of the climb, setting a steady tempo. Chris C then drove the pace into the final meters, giving Young Savino and Hunter P a launchpad for the sprint. Hunter P took this one as well, with Tom Krol and Hacker rolling through next.
From there, the ride settled down heading back into Hamden. The only notable action came from Joe Rod, who pushed off solo up Talmadge and onto Wallingford Road, only to miss the turn for Coleman and have to double back.
The group rolled a steady tempo from that point on. Turner French, Hunter P, and Amity Matt stayed glued to the front, keeping it honest on the rollers. For the final segment, no real attacks landed until the downhill on Tuttle. Young Savino led it out hard but didn’t fully launch.Steffen H also had a big dig off the front, trying to time success like he did a couple of weeks ago. No dice this week though as it was mostly together heading into sprint, where Hunter P took it with Turner French putting a partial effort in to keep it close at the line.
Quick Recap Post Cuz Steve B Needs Reading Material!
Steve B was was involved in a accident late last week and will be off the bike for a bit. Get better soon Steve! The ride isn't the same without you.
Slow start to the ride this week. Without Sean Maher, Turner French, Hacker, and Steve B, the 20 or so riders had less reason to get up and go. Dillon P had an early dig off the front. Then Mike Hons had one as well. Besides that, early pace-making was from Tom Krol, Sean Hurley, Chris C and Dan Smith. An old dump truck in front of the pack early on slowed things down so it was a lazy start to the ride.
It got going a bit once onto Moss Farms. A few new guys got involved up front, which was great to see. Dan Carbon, Greg Rod, Stefano P, and not-so-new Brian Suto were all chipping in at the front, pushing things along as they should be.
There was no real action until well after the chicane, when Hunter P attacked going over the highway. He got caught by the red light on 322 and so it was all together at first going onto Mount Vernon.
Chris C rolled off the front and was allowed to go. Then Mike Hons took off. Chris C stayed off until halfway down Prospect and the cut thru for the medium loop. The pace behind was decent but increasing as everyone could sense the tailwind.
Gruppo compacto for the heading onto Atwater St. No surprises. Hunter P attacked hard a few hundred meters from the 322 crossing, but this time, Little T and Dan Smith were close behind. The light was green for all, and only a small pause was needed to get thru the intersection. No one took advantage on the other side though and it was all togther going thru the next intersection..... Lame....
Brian Suto punched it hard on West Johnson, and Hunter P and Little T went with. That was a breakaway but again it was stimed by a red light.
After the light, Suto would stay off the front by accelerating down East Johnson, but it was all together for the turn onto Cheshire St. The pace into the climb was steady. Greg Rod pushed off the front at the beginning of the Greenhouse climb. There was not too much of a response. Chris C, Sean Hurley, and Henk lifted the pace a bit behind. GRod would never have more than 75 meters and it was coming back as everyone made it to the light. Chris C kept the pace up going thru and past the light, but it wasn't crazy-fast. This lead to Hunter P jumping a bit early for the sprint. Little T was right on his wheel and nearly came around by the line, but Hunter P got it.
Little T kept it rolling and got the light at route 68 but would soon after sit up and let everyone come back a few hundred meters later. From there the run into Hamden was normal with no attacks. Steady pace up front from all the same guys that had been working all ride long.
For the finale, Brian Suto slow-rolled a group of 3 or 4 with a few hundred meters to go, but they didn't get enough of a gap to thwart Little T, who jumped the sprint proper with Stefano P on his wheel. T got the finale with Suto hanging on for second, Stefano close behind. Good ride everyone.
Next week >>> the long loop!
Breakaway Filed, Legs Taxed
Another SGR, another windy war of attrition. With a relentless cross / headwind, the transition to Spring has been rocky. Great to see Jeff Pappy-naw out there. A certified New England cycling legand.... Few riders have spent more time off the front, off the back, and occasionally off course.
Chris C and Turner French turned the screws into the wind heading up route 10. Once off Route 10, Turner did what French does, rolled casually off the front like it was a big dare. The pack let him go. Tom Krol, not one to let a free ride go un-redeemed, bridged across just as the gap was getting good.
The peloton took their sweet time organizing a chase. Credit to Steve B, Steffen Huber, Sean Hurley, a bit of Hacker for finally punching the clock.
As the two escapees pushed on, the group encountered the real villain of the day: an overly cautious car that crept up Mountain Road like it was trying to avoid spooking deer. However Steve B and Sean Mayer., got around before it became obnoxious, and the rest of the pack got stuck in slow mo for a few hundred meters.
Tom Krol realized he has more fun enduring the pack's mental problems and let Turner French go. He gets bonus points for trying, which is more than can be said for a few riders enjoying the draft a little too much these days.....
Tom Krol joined the Steve B and Mayer, but instead of boosting the bridge, it ended up stalling the effort. Meanwhile, the main group, now led by Hunter P, Steffen H, allegiance-challenged Chris C and a couple of others were reeling it back in and a red light on route 68 sealed the deal.
As soon as the light turned green, Steve B dropped the hammer and successfully tempted Hunter P along for the ride, Chris C, and Sean Mayer also jumped, and those four quickly had a gap just a few hundred meters into what would become the decisive break. With a stiff head crosswind punishing the pack behind, the four were determiningly rolling away, fueled by double pulls from Steve B and Hunter P.
The break caught Turner on the second 322 crossing, forming a group of five that stayed tight through the final segments. Turner rolled away on the Greenhouse climb and grabbed the extra point there. In the finale, Steve B took the sprint.
Winter’s Surprise Encore
Winter made a surprise comeback this Tuesday at SGR, with temps hovering around 30–32°F and a stiff wind whipping in from the west. It felt more like a January Sunday ride than Tuesday in April. As a result, only about 12 to 14 brave souls showed up, bundled and questioning their life choices.
The group was a bit too eager to get moving and rolled out a minute or two early, which left a couple riders chasing and unfortunately missing the group. Always a bummer when that happens.
The wind, mostly from the west but swirling just enough to make you question your sanity, made the entire ride feel like an uphill grind, except for the two short Easterly stretches where the tailwind felt like nature apologizing.
Back to the start, Turner French and Sean Mayer took charge pretty soon after the group turned off Route 10, setting a brisk pace that foreshadowed the pain to come. With about 500 meters to go before Mountain Road, Turner launched it. Only Chris C. and Hunter P. jumped with him and those 3 creating a 20-meter gap onto Mountain Road while the rest of the group scrambled in scattered chase mode.
Up front, on the first hill on Mountain, it quickly narrowed down to just Turner and Hunter. They kept the pressure high all the way down Mountain Road. The group behind came together and had a sort-of screw it moment, letting the two up front roll away for the night.
Little T scooped up the sprints from the "peleton."
Tough day out there. One to write off and maybe laugh. The good news is that Spring-like temps are forecasted for next week. Let's pretend this one never happened.
The United Nations Version of the SGR.
Slowly Gathering Steam...
Tonight there were a few more guys out, a few more of the in-season regulars, which made for a legit ride. On the flip side, a few were clearly knackered from the Natchaug Epic gravel ride over the weekend, which put a dent in the willingness to chase once it got down to brass tacks.
Turner French set the early tone. Steve B was in the mix, along with Sean Maher. A sharp surge up South Brooksvale from Turner nearly opened a gap, but instead turned into a wake-up call for the group. The pace stayed hot thanks to Turner and a new rider Sean H(urley).
The tempo stayed high onto Mountain Road. Then Hunter P hit the overtake button and launched on the first uphill. Things cooled briefly until Steve B lit it up with a hard attack about a kilometer before the light. Turner, Steffen H, and Hunter P shared the load to reel it back in. Not that it mattered—the light was red anyway.
Onto Moss Farms, where Turner and Steve B kept things spicy at the front. Heading into the chicane, Turner, Hacker, and Hunter P punched through the corner with intent. A small gap formed heading up Jarvis to the intersection at Marion. Little T added a solid pull and that was the spark. A group of six was away.
Turner French, Steve B, Hunter P, Steffen H, Hacker, and Little T.
Behind them, the Cheshire crew let the gap stretch. Sean Maher opted not to chase, and the move was gone by the turn into the short loop. A few guys traded pulls through the industrial park, but the breakaway was clicking. Smooth rotations, solid power. The gap held at 15 to 20 seconds.
It started to come down slightly as the break eased up near the Route 10 crossing. That didn’t last. Hunter P and Steve B turned the screws again. The break made the light. The pack got stuck at red. That was it. Curtains. Breakaway gone.
Up front, Steve B rolled over the top of the greenhouse sprint uncontested. The group kept it steady, even on the climbs. Until Tuttle.
Steve B launched a hard attack. Turner French and Hunter P had to jump to bring it back. That gave Steffen H and Hacker just enough space to slip away on the Tuttle backside descent. Steve B hit the gas again to close it down, setting up a fast and furious final.
It all came back together with 500 meters to go. Hunter P kicked first and held it to the line with a comfortable gap over Little T.
Week #2 was a bit more competitive, with Sean Mayer and Little T getting involved in the sprints. Steve B attacked a couple of times and got points at the greenhouse, but in the end, he couldn't break free from the chase. Little T got the finale.
With a limited turnout today, Steve B was able to beat up on everyone, going solo for most of the ride to open up the SGR season.
