It was hotter then donut grease tonight for the ride. A group of about 40-50 guys rolled out and Dillon P and Joe K got everyone rolling into Cheshire. The real stories on the night would take a good news bad news angle. All the CCR guys were riding concerned for Matt Sack, who crashed hard during the Fitchburg Crit. Matt is a tough guy who was having a great stage race and despite road rash all over and staples in his head he was looking to ride even tonight. Get some rest Matt. On the flip side we were treated to domestic pro COREY COLLIER hitting up the ride with us. Corey would be active at the front pretty much right from the start and as everyone tried to get on his dance card, the ride ended up being all the more interesting for it. Many times, starting right on Mountain Road, there were surges, and gaps formed as the pro would seemingly nary break a sweat and ride off with 3 or 4 guys at a time. Everyone seemed to have a chance to either jump on a break or chase one down. Mike McG chased hard, Special Ed, Chris C, John Gregory ( aka Rondo ), Chris MaHoney, Joe K, etc. It would take a while but late on West St, Collier rode off the front with a small group. Give Ciocci, Guido, Hacker, and BenGe props for sticking it out. The break got a boost when they made a light on West St.
The last ditch efforts came right before the turn onto West St. from Joe K, Peter K and a couple of others to try to salvage the sprint ( which Hacker took ) but when it was apparent that no one would be catching the break, the Peleton went into summertime chat mode. From there, it the pace was easy as everyone was feeling the heat. We got to hear pearls of wisdom from Mike McG - “ if you take 4 links outta a bike chain, it wont work”. Despite the heat, credit Joe K, and a couple of newbies for mounting a respectable chase when no one else would before heading back over route 322 on the way into Cheshire.
Tuesday the 29th
Weekend race training proves valuable for the real prize….. The SGR
Everyone was slow in getting going as Mike McG and Little T led the ride into the back roads. Dillon P and Ciocci got things going though soon after, and Mike was obliged to follow suit. Also present at was Chris Mahoney, Eric M, Todd H and Jacinto. The ride crept along Mount Sanford and then onto South Brooksvale with no one really taking the initiative. Coming up to Mountain road, Julio L, Hacker, and Joshy G were seen making their way up to the front and it got strung out a bit from that. Hacker drilled it fr a bit once past the climbing part of Mountain Rd and that got things going as well. Halfway thru the Mountain the CCB duo moved up along with Chris B and Hunter P. That kept the pace high and guys like Joshy G, VQ Rob, and the Tall Timex Girl rotated thru and contributed. Coming up to the light there was a surge from CCB and Joshy G, no doubt to try to catch a green light, but everyone had to stop.
Things got going quick on Moss Farms when Hacker zipped up the right side and hit the front with CCB. The pace was crisp as no one was letting any real gaps form to the pacemakers. Hacker and Eric M led thru the chicane and some weird traffic slowed the group a bit. Hacker sat up a bit on the hill up to Marion and Eric also slid back. The trip up to the turnaround was a little slower than usual. On the run in to Route 322, Larry M and a CCBer snuck off the front, to which Mike McG and Hunter P responded quickly and bridged up. The four had a small gap that could’ve been dangerous if they made it thru the light alone. But everyone else, led by Guido and Chris B snuck thru the light with varying amounts of conviction. Hacker kept up the pace and Guido along with Hunter P joined up with him. That was short lived though as everyone else behind got their act together quickly. After that, a small group was allowed to ride off. ( Thomaas B, Chris B, Ciocci, Eric M, Larry M, Todd H and a couple of others ). It was slow getting going behind them but once it did, it went fast and it put the screws to more than a few riders. A couple got popped off the back ( and one was even thrown right off his platform pedals into the grass ) thanks to the slow-then-fast speed as it was single file to reconnect with the lead group, who was also booking it. Within a mile or so, it was all back together and normal up at the front. From there it was standard fare up till the false flat, where efforts from Larry M, Joshy G, Rondo, Hunter P, dropped a couple more. It led also led to a good sized group getting a gap a kilo down the road. CCB pinned it along with Zane’s and it was a scramble for the front of the peleton to catch up. Once they did Hunter P, trying to open things up for some of the CCR guys who don’t have “Little T finishing speed” attacked. It drew out the CCBer, Chris B and Little T. The gap was covered by Gregg F, Mahoney and VQ Rob but the front was anything but organized turning onto the corner of Welch Rd.
In the ensuing scramble, after Chris B made a strong pull and allowed a small group to ride into the corner with about a 20 meter gap. Steve Grey, Hacker, Matt Sack from CCR, Ciocci and maybe one other, with enough room to hold it to the sprint. Hacker was able to stay in front of Matt S, who surprised all with a hard fought “second”.
Heading down from there and going thru the subsequent lights, the strong trio of Eric M, Joshy G and Hacker snuck off the front and held a gap all the up to route 322, despite some decent chasing from Mike McG, CCB and Hunter P.
Once over 322, Chris B tried to sneak off the front, but wasn’t given much room. It was splintered and disorganized heading up to Peck ln and then slowed down to get back onto Route 10. Going thru the first couple of lights on Route 10, Eric M and Josh G sneaked off the front again and were making a bee line to the Stop n Sprint. Behind them, Mahoney, CCB and Larry M were setting tempo at the front. Behind them, the real trouble was brewing as Mike McG was setting up Little T with Vq Rob and Hunter P playing rock-paper-scissors for his wheel. Mike launched Little T in the usual spot and only Hunter followed, T was able to get by Eric M and Joshy, who now looked slow, and took this one with a small to middland amount of room to spare.
The run-in to Hamden was standard fare, with lots of arm chair quarterbacks surging up to get some last minute TV time. It led to a larger then usual group with a shot at the finale. Guido and VQ Rob pulled hard one last time to make sure there would be no faking it, and between the trio of Mike McG, Little T, and Larry M, it was a loose call with Little T taking the corner first.
Everyone was slow in getting going as Mike McG and Little T led the ride into the back roads. Dillon P and Ciocci got things going though soon after, and Mike was obliged to follow suit. Also present at was Chris Mahoney, Eric M, Todd H and Jacinto. The ride crept along Mount Sanford and then onto South Brooksvale with no one really taking the initiative. Coming up to Mountain road, Julio L, Hacker, and Joshy G were seen making their way up to the front and it got strung out a bit from that. Hacker drilled it fr a bit once past the climbing part of Mountain Rd and that got things going as well. Halfway thru the Mountain the CCB duo moved up along with Chris B and Hunter P. That kept the pace high and guys like Joshy G, VQ Rob, and the Tall Timex Girl rotated thru and contributed. Coming up to the light there was a surge from CCB and Joshy G, no doubt to try to catch a green light, but everyone had to stop.
Things got going quick on Moss Farms when Hacker zipped up the right side and hit the front with CCB. The pace was crisp as no one was letting any real gaps form to the pacemakers. Hacker and Eric M led thru the chicane and some weird traffic slowed the group a bit. Hacker sat up a bit on the hill up to Marion and Eric also slid back. The trip up to the turnaround was a little slower than usual. On the run in to Route 322, Larry M and a CCBer snuck off the front, to which Mike McG and Hunter P responded quickly and bridged up. The four had a small gap that could’ve been dangerous if they made it thru the light alone. But everyone else, led by Guido and Chris B snuck thru the light with varying amounts of conviction. Hacker kept up the pace and Guido along with Hunter P joined up with him. That was short lived though as everyone else behind got their act together quickly. After that, a small group was allowed to ride off. ( Thomaas B, Chris B, Ciocci, Eric M, Larry M, Todd H and a couple of others ). It was slow getting going behind them but once it did, it went fast and it put the screws to more than a few riders. A couple got popped off the back ( and one was even thrown right off his platform pedals into the grass ) thanks to the slow-then-fast speed as it was single file to reconnect with the lead group, who was also booking it. Within a mile or so, it was all back together and normal up at the front. From there it was standard fare up till the false flat, where efforts from Larry M, Joshy G, Rondo, Hunter P, dropped a couple more. It led also led to a good sized group getting a gap a kilo down the road. CCB pinned it along with Zane’s and it was a scramble for the front of the peleton to catch up. Once they did Hunter P, trying to open things up for some of the CCR guys who don’t have “Little T finishing speed” attacked. It drew out the CCBer, Chris B and Little T. The gap was covered by Gregg F, Mahoney and VQ Rob but the front was anything but organized turning onto the corner of Welch Rd.
In the ensuing scramble, after Chris B made a strong pull and allowed a small group to ride into the corner with about a 20 meter gap. Steve Grey, Hacker, Matt Sack from CCR, Ciocci and maybe one other, with enough room to hold it to the sprint. Hacker was able to stay in front of Matt S, who surprised all with a hard fought “second”.
Heading down from there and going thru the subsequent lights, the strong trio of Eric M, Joshy G and Hacker snuck off the front and held a gap all the up to route 322, despite some decent chasing from Mike McG, CCB and Hunter P.
Once over 322, Chris B tried to sneak off the front, but wasn’t given much room. It was splintered and disorganized heading up to Peck ln and then slowed down to get back onto Route 10. Going thru the first couple of lights on Route 10, Eric M and Josh G sneaked off the front again and were making a bee line to the Stop n Sprint. Behind them, Mahoney, CCB and Larry M were setting tempo at the front. Behind them, the real trouble was brewing as Mike McG was setting up Little T with Vq Rob and Hunter P playing rock-paper-scissors for his wheel. Mike launched Little T in the usual spot and only Hunter followed, T was able to get by Eric M and Joshy, who now looked slow, and took this one with a small to middland amount of room to spare.
The run-in to Hamden was standard fare, with lots of arm chair quarterbacks surging up to get some last minute TV time. It led to a larger then usual group with a shot at the finale. Guido and VQ Rob pulled hard one last time to make sure there would be no faking it, and between the trio of Mike McG, Little T, and Larry M, it was a loose call with Little T taking the corner first.
Tuesday the 22nd
This is the best place to show-off wind tunnel tested wheel skewers!
The weather was crap tonight, with a light rain all night. Still, at least 40 guys showed up.
Eric M and sidekick DaFlame, as per usual, were the early go-fasters. They had help from Dave H, VQ Rob, and Hunter P. Ciocci also got involved and it got quick thru the cobbles. It was quick up to Mountain Road. Then a healthy Guido, BenG, and Larry M got involved. Mike McG, Tim Ratta and Rondo were the next group to hit the front. Rondo was fresh off surprising everyone with a strong ride at The Harlem Skyscraper. Seems he has been taking advice from an old master. There was enough bodies up there to keep it quick all the way to Mountain Rd. Ratta hit the rizers first, followed with a surge from Hunter P. Eric M kept up with that but the 2 eased up on the backside and the gap was gone quickly. Chris C, and Eddy A were up there setting a good tempo.
Chris B tried to escape toward the end of Mountain road, but everyone hit the light together. Eric M and LaFlame were up there again with VQ and Larry M on Moss Farms. Guido jumped off the front toward the end of Moss and going thru the corner, slid a tire out on the still wet roads. He didn’t go down too hard and wasn’t moving that fast, but it was still a bummer to have to watch. It took a while to get everyone on the same page, as a small group kinda kept going. But when Guido was confirmed ok, the riding slowly got back to normal. Team Zane’s got it going on Mount Vernon along with Ratta.
For the Turnaround Sprint, Little T had little trouble dispatching it. Mike McG and Chris B were duking it out well behind him. VQ kept up the pressure past that, and had a small gap on the backside with Eddy A chasing. The peleton met up with the crew of guys ( mostly new havener’s who like to go fast ) who had properly waited for Guido. Shame on those who didn’t take a moment from the mostly futile efforts of glory to see if Mr Wollmann was ok.
Fast forward a bunch and the Zane’s Leadout was back to business for the Stop n Sprint. This time tho it was a little sloppy, with Rondo getting Eric M off the front. Eric couldn’t hold the gap for the very long run in, so that left Mike McG to make sure Little T was in a good spot. T jumped out with Hunter P and Ratta in tow, with Hunter the only one to give him any trouble. Little T had this one sewed up pretty good as well.
The rest of the ride was standard issue…. Rondo, Guido, and Chris B being the most active heading back into Hamden. Chris B had a good gap heading into the finale but had to sit up. Time to go wash the bikes and dry the shoes...
The weather was crap tonight, with a light rain all night. Still, at least 40 guys showed up.
Eric M and sidekick DaFlame, as per usual, were the early go-fasters. They had help from Dave H, VQ Rob, and Hunter P. Ciocci also got involved and it got quick thru the cobbles. It was quick up to Mountain Road. Then a healthy Guido, BenG, and Larry M got involved. Mike McG, Tim Ratta and Rondo were the next group to hit the front. Rondo was fresh off surprising everyone with a strong ride at The Harlem Skyscraper. Seems he has been taking advice from an old master. There was enough bodies up there to keep it quick all the way to Mountain Rd. Ratta hit the rizers first, followed with a surge from Hunter P. Eric M kept up with that but the 2 eased up on the backside and the gap was gone quickly. Chris C, and Eddy A were up there setting a good tempo.
Chris B tried to escape toward the end of Mountain road, but everyone hit the light together. Eric M and LaFlame were up there again with VQ and Larry M on Moss Farms. Guido jumped off the front toward the end of Moss and going thru the corner, slid a tire out on the still wet roads. He didn’t go down too hard and wasn’t moving that fast, but it was still a bummer to have to watch. It took a while to get everyone on the same page, as a small group kinda kept going. But when Guido was confirmed ok, the riding slowly got back to normal. Team Zane’s got it going on Mount Vernon along with Ratta.
For the Turnaround Sprint, Little T had little trouble dispatching it. Mike McG and Chris B were duking it out well behind him. VQ kept up the pressure past that, and had a small gap on the backside with Eddy A chasing. The peleton met up with the crew of guys ( mostly new havener’s who like to go fast ) who had properly waited for Guido. Shame on those who didn’t take a moment from the mostly futile efforts of glory to see if Mr Wollmann was ok.
Fast forward a bunch and the Zane’s Leadout was back to business for the Stop n Sprint. This time tho it was a little sloppy, with Rondo getting Eric M off the front. Eric couldn’t hold the gap for the very long run in, so that left Mike McG to make sure Little T was in a good spot. T jumped out with Hunter P and Ratta in tow, with Hunter the only one to give him any trouble. Little T had this one sewed up pretty good as well.
The rest of the ride was standard issue…. Rondo, Guido, and Chris B being the most active heading back into Hamden. Chris B had a good gap heading into the finale but had to sit up. Time to go wash the bikes and dry the shoes...
Tuesday the 15th
Summer Vacation starts for the SG ride
The ride tonight started pretty quietly, got interesting a little bit and then ended quietly.
Right from the start, the 3 guys that were feeling up to the task of pace-setting were VQ Rob, Eric M and that new guy from Zane’s that no one apparently wants to I.D. The 3 were staying crisp at the front, perhaps trying to duplicate the magic of last week’s ride. Everyone stayed together though and there were no real attacks off the front. Hacker came up and brought the pace up a little along with Ciocci. All the while the 2 Zane’s riders were up there, pitching in where they could. Ciocci led everyone on the intial section on Mountain road and was followed up by Hacker, VQ Rob, Larry M, Chris C and the usual strong guys. Good to see Todd H out tonight as well.
It all rolled up to Route 68 together but as soon as the turn was made on Moss Farms, Hacker lit the jets looking to get a gap. He was covered well though by VQ you-know-who, Tim Ratta and the other Zaniacks. A little down the way he attacked again, looking to either get a workout in or to separate himself from the dude with the aero bars but again he was covered….. But just barely, the gap was open for a bit. It wouldn’t have mattered though cause there was a little traffic turning into the chicane. Everyone went thru there without incident and attack despite some strong guys up front riding unusually slow, albeit alert and ready. Call it the velo version of Mutual Assured Destruction. The ride moseyed over route 322. The speed picked up a little on Mount Vernon Road, but nothing leg shattering. The false flat section again triggered a separation with Rondo, Hunter P, Chris C, Mike McG, Ratta, Larry M, VQ, Todd H and a couple of others riding off. That was short lived though with Peter K and others chasing it down. It all was together for the rest of the ride northward. Hacker attacked right before Welch Road and took along the Eric M and the other Zane’s rider. Hunter P jumped on late as well. That was shut down pretty quickly by a few guys, Larry M, Ciocci, Chris C, the Innova rider, among others. That put a lot of guys in the running to contest the sprint, but this would be a proper battle with no fakers allowed as the black mailbox on the righthand side of the road at the top of the climbing is a long way away from the corner….. Rondo and Mike McG kept the pace up thru the corner for Little T and a select group… Chris C, Hunter P, Hacker and Steve Grey. This turned out to be a knock down, drag out battle…. The way a mid ride sprint should be. There was little time for cat and mouse games, after a bit of a pause, Little T hit it with only Steve Grey able to follow. Rondo and Chris C had faded, Hunter P was a little late in getting into the group and Mike McG had come off the front as well but was able to claw back a bit. Little T and Gray would go all the way to the line but it was Little T who was able to stay out in front, sprinting uphill 250 meters to do it.
After some shuffling, the front group hit the descent fast, but it was pretty much all together as there was some strong riding buy guys to cover the gaps. Going thru the traffic lights and heading back into Cheshire was ho-hum standard stuff. It got going again once back onto Peck lane for the false flat section there. There was a brief gap as Steve Grey put in a solid pull along with Eric M. For a little bit at the high point of the road there, about 7 guys had a small lead but that would get erased shortly and it was all together heading onto Route 10. Hacker was looking like he wanted to go after Cheshire Park, but no one would chip in. The leadout for Stop n Shop started soon after and it was full tilt. Ciocci was up there along with Rondo laying it out fast enough to set up Mike McG and Little T. The 2 punched it in unison as a gap was opened behind Little T. Hacker and Hunter P would kind of look alive on this one, but really the gap was opened so fast from Mike mcG’s sprint that Little T had no one to compete against for this one.
The group went pretty mellow through the rest of the lights. the pace finally picked up led by one of the wheelhouse riders. with about 1.5 to go the pace was pretty high and with about 1 miles to go mike mc g upped the pace to 30. he pulled off and rondo upped it to 32ish. he hung in there for a respectable time before pulling off and the vq rob took over getting all the way to 35 for about 30 seconds before he crumpled allowing eric m to ride the last 100m to victory with relative ease. the guy on the tt bike actually bested eric by a bit, but that doesn't really count!
The ride tonight started pretty quietly, got interesting a little bit and then ended quietly.
Right from the start, the 3 guys that were feeling up to the task of pace-setting were VQ Rob, Eric M and that new guy from Zane’s that no one apparently wants to I.D. The 3 were staying crisp at the front, perhaps trying to duplicate the magic of last week’s ride. Everyone stayed together though and there were no real attacks off the front. Hacker came up and brought the pace up a little along with Ciocci. All the while the 2 Zane’s riders were up there, pitching in where they could. Ciocci led everyone on the intial section on Mountain road and was followed up by Hacker, VQ Rob, Larry M, Chris C and the usual strong guys. Good to see Todd H out tonight as well.
It all rolled up to Route 68 together but as soon as the turn was made on Moss Farms, Hacker lit the jets looking to get a gap. He was covered well though by VQ you-know-who, Tim Ratta and the other Zaniacks. A little down the way he attacked again, looking to either get a workout in or to separate himself from the dude with the aero bars but again he was covered….. But just barely, the gap was open for a bit. It wouldn’t have mattered though cause there was a little traffic turning into the chicane. Everyone went thru there without incident and attack despite some strong guys up front riding unusually slow, albeit alert and ready. Call it the velo version of Mutual Assured Destruction. The ride moseyed over route 322. The speed picked up a little on Mount Vernon Road, but nothing leg shattering. The false flat section again triggered a separation with Rondo, Hunter P, Chris C, Mike McG, Ratta, Larry M, VQ, Todd H and a couple of others riding off. That was short lived though with Peter K and others chasing it down. It all was together for the rest of the ride northward. Hacker attacked right before Welch Road and took along the Eric M and the other Zane’s rider. Hunter P jumped on late as well. That was shut down pretty quickly by a few guys, Larry M, Ciocci, Chris C, the Innova rider, among others. That put a lot of guys in the running to contest the sprint, but this would be a proper battle with no fakers allowed as the black mailbox on the righthand side of the road at the top of the climbing is a long way away from the corner….. Rondo and Mike McG kept the pace up thru the corner for Little T and a select group… Chris C, Hunter P, Hacker and Steve Grey. This turned out to be a knock down, drag out battle…. The way a mid ride sprint should be. There was little time for cat and mouse games, after a bit of a pause, Little T hit it with only Steve Grey able to follow. Rondo and Chris C had faded, Hunter P was a little late in getting into the group and Mike McG had come off the front as well but was able to claw back a bit. Little T and Gray would go all the way to the line but it was Little T who was able to stay out in front, sprinting uphill 250 meters to do it.
After some shuffling, the front group hit the descent fast, but it was pretty much all together as there was some strong riding buy guys to cover the gaps. Going thru the traffic lights and heading back into Cheshire was ho-hum standard stuff. It got going again once back onto Peck lane for the false flat section there. There was a brief gap as Steve Grey put in a solid pull along with Eric M. For a little bit at the high point of the road there, about 7 guys had a small lead but that would get erased shortly and it was all together heading onto Route 10. Hacker was looking like he wanted to go after Cheshire Park, but no one would chip in. The leadout for Stop n Shop started soon after and it was full tilt. Ciocci was up there along with Rondo laying it out fast enough to set up Mike McG and Little T. The 2 punched it in unison as a gap was opened behind Little T. Hacker and Hunter P would kind of look alive on this one, but really the gap was opened so fast from Mike mcG’s sprint that Little T had no one to compete against for this one.
The group went pretty mellow through the rest of the lights. the pace finally picked up led by one of the wheelhouse riders. with about 1.5 to go the pace was pretty high and with about 1 miles to go mike mc g upped the pace to 30. he pulled off and rondo upped it to 32ish. he hung in there for a respectable time before pulling off and the vq rob took over getting all the way to 35 for about 30 seconds before he crumpled allowing eric m to ride the last 100m to victory with relative ease. the guy on the tt bike actually bested eric by a bit, but that doesn't really count!
Tuesday the 8th
The SGR... Safer and more organized than the CT Stage Race!
Despite the ride missing our beloved German for another week while he recovers, today was a good night for the SGR. Its amazing how despite this ride being the same guys, same roads, week in week out, the ride continues to be never quite the same twice. Today it was a group of 3 ( Chris C, Eric M, and VQ Rob, ) who were either looking for a good workout or wanting to stay clear of Chris Mahoney on aero bars(?!). They punched it off the front early on and powering their way thru to the end, despite some pretty raw chasing.
The group went up the road once Chris C hit the throttle on Mount Sanford Road. The gap was small for a couple of miles, as some traffic thru the corners kept everyone close. Once onto South Brooksvale, with the 3 big teams represented in the break ( CCR, Zane’s and Stage1 ) the impetus in the peleton went away and the gap went up. Some more traffic for the main bunch getting onto North Brooksvale gave them a little more breathing room. That was really all they needed as Eric M turned on his newly installed Spartacus7000 and spearheaded the pulls in the break. The chase behind didn’t really start in earnest till the second half of Mountain road, when Chris B took off in one his many solo chase efforts on the night. His effort was followed up with a strong pull from Gregg F. It was also good to see Gordan “I am not Corey Feldman” Daniell out and also hammering the front to try to get some response from the rest. The Peleton had to stop at the light at 68 while the escape made it thru the light without much stoppage. By the time the rest of the field got onto Moss Farms the leading three where well out of sight. Chris B again attacked thru the chicane. The pace was pretty good for the rest of the way to Route 322. Credit Rondo, Ciocci, and Gregg F with hustling to get the peloton thru the light crossing 322. The breakaway was outta sight for a while. In perhaps what was the strongest display of the night, Joe “raging bull” Kubisek reminding all who they were dealing with and mashed his way off the front of a hard chasing pack for what seemed like an eternity. The false flat section finally brought him back… Kinda… As Hunter P used the incline to get out and bridge the gap. But those two would be caught within a mile. Hunter P was back pulling along with Joe Policarpio from CCR and Chris B late on Mount Vernon and then onto Welch Road. The CCR boys had help from Ciocci, and a new guy atop a Look. Mike McG was up there too but he was laying low, probably playing John Madden with the Peleton, patrolling and keeping things real up at the front so that his teammate Eric M would have the best shot at staying away. The breakaway was in sight ( half mile up the road! ) as everyone came up to the sprint turnaround, but everyone in the main bunch would be fighting for first loser as they say. Despite strong jumps from Peter P, Ciocci, and Little T, the sprint was pretty much negated due to a red light and stacked traffic on West St.
The 4 up front would have no problem on the backside and subsequent traffic lights. With Eric M taking strong pulls, continuing his claim to “Best Rouleur”, they continued to up their advantage until Chris C and Joe K again hit the front hard going past the exit ramp for I84. The gap was under 20 seconds at the light going back over 322, but the main bunch had to stop for what seemed like 3 minutes while the light decided to turn green. That was when the fat lady sung. There was no catching the break. Chris B would again try to single-handedly bring back the gap on Peck Ln, this time surging off the front with help from Julio L and Hutner P. Those 3 had a solid gap for a couple of miles, all the way up past the hill by Cheshire Park. Chris B would try a couple more times heading back into Hamden but for tonight, the hats go off to the 3 who lead wire to wire, no doubt pulling rivets out to stay out in front the whole time. Eric M was the one who takes top honors, getting the best of his breakaway companions for the final sprint points.
Great ride! Some good attacks, some strong countering and a lot a hard chasing.
Despite the ride missing our beloved German for another week while he recovers, today was a good night for the SGR. Its amazing how despite this ride being the same guys, same roads, week in week out, the ride continues to be never quite the same twice. Today it was a group of 3 ( Chris C, Eric M, and VQ Rob, ) who were either looking for a good workout or wanting to stay clear of Chris Mahoney on aero bars(?!). They punched it off the front early on and powering their way thru to the end, despite some pretty raw chasing.
The group went up the road once Chris C hit the throttle on Mount Sanford Road. The gap was small for a couple of miles, as some traffic thru the corners kept everyone close. Once onto South Brooksvale, with the 3 big teams represented in the break ( CCR, Zane’s and Stage1 ) the impetus in the peleton went away and the gap went up. Some more traffic for the main bunch getting onto North Brooksvale gave them a little more breathing room. That was really all they needed as Eric M turned on his newly installed Spartacus7000 and spearheaded the pulls in the break. The chase behind didn’t really start in earnest till the second half of Mountain road, when Chris B took off in one his many solo chase efforts on the night. His effort was followed up with a strong pull from Gregg F. It was also good to see Gordan “I am not Corey Feldman” Daniell out and also hammering the front to try to get some response from the rest. The Peleton had to stop at the light at 68 while the escape made it thru the light without much stoppage. By the time the rest of the field got onto Moss Farms the leading three where well out of sight. Chris B again attacked thru the chicane. The pace was pretty good for the rest of the way to Route 322. Credit Rondo, Ciocci, and Gregg F with hustling to get the peloton thru the light crossing 322. The breakaway was outta sight for a while. In perhaps what was the strongest display of the night, Joe “raging bull” Kubisek reminding all who they were dealing with and mashed his way off the front of a hard chasing pack for what seemed like an eternity. The false flat section finally brought him back… Kinda… As Hunter P used the incline to get out and bridge the gap. But those two would be caught within a mile. Hunter P was back pulling along with Joe Policarpio from CCR and Chris B late on Mount Vernon and then onto Welch Road. The CCR boys had help from Ciocci, and a new guy atop a Look. Mike McG was up there too but he was laying low, probably playing John Madden with the Peleton, patrolling and keeping things real up at the front so that his teammate Eric M would have the best shot at staying away. The breakaway was in sight ( half mile up the road! ) as everyone came up to the sprint turnaround, but everyone in the main bunch would be fighting for first loser as they say. Despite strong jumps from Peter P, Ciocci, and Little T, the sprint was pretty much negated due to a red light and stacked traffic on West St.
The 4 up front would have no problem on the backside and subsequent traffic lights. With Eric M taking strong pulls, continuing his claim to “Best Rouleur”, they continued to up their advantage until Chris C and Joe K again hit the front hard going past the exit ramp for I84. The gap was under 20 seconds at the light going back over 322, but the main bunch had to stop for what seemed like 3 minutes while the light decided to turn green. That was when the fat lady sung. There was no catching the break. Chris B would again try to single-handedly bring back the gap on Peck Ln, this time surging off the front with help from Julio L and Hutner P. Those 3 had a solid gap for a couple of miles, all the way up past the hill by Cheshire Park. Chris B would try a couple more times heading back into Hamden but for tonight, the hats go off to the 3 who lead wire to wire, no doubt pulling rivets out to stay out in front the whole time. Eric M was the one who takes top honors, getting the best of his breakaway companions for the final sprint points.
Great ride! Some good attacks, some strong countering and a lot a hard chasing.
Tuesday the 1st
The "unsung's" get their day in the Sun ( sort of )
Rain, thunder and hard efforts from some in Killington over the weekend kept today’s ride on the small side. Less than 30 guys were out. Twas good to see French Casey out as he led a brisk pace up route 10 and played crossing guard for bunch.
Once on the back roads, the orange and black kicked things off with some help from a Target training rider (?) and the rider on the Seven.
Little T was hit with a flat on Mount Sanford Road and after some soft pedaling at the front, the ride was given permission to carry on. Credit the whole Zany team for holding up and waiting for their muscle blessed teammate.
With the field down to approx 20 and most of the horse power changing tubes behind, there was some new faces that drove the ride. The speed was down a bit, but not much. Maybe 1 mph. At the front was Builder Pete, John Gregory, Rich Foley, and pretty much the whole CCR team… John B, Peter Kenny, Dillon P, Antonio D. Mahoney was up there animating things along with French Casey.
Once onto Mountain Rd, the speed came down a bit but Kyle F and Mahoney was there to bring it back up again. A gap developed as French Casey attacked toward the end of Mountain Rd, but Dillon P and Pter K chased it down. As everyone was recollecting, Dillon P surged off the front for a bit and without anyone from the team dare bring the “CEO” back, he stayed out there for 3\4 of a mile and was caught as everyone pulled up to the light on Route 68.
Once onto Moss Farms, Pter K and Antonio D along with C-Dale Rick got things going but it was pretty mellow. Chris B started turning screws toward the end of Moss Farms with Hunter P and Dillon P following up his efforts. Tri Guy wi Knee Highs was also present and led everyone delicately into the chicane. Chris B stayed right at the front for the charge up the hill, keeping a solid tempo. Hunter P rode away from the front once around the corner and had a good gap that only Chris B could bridge. The 2 stayed off the front for the rest for the way down Marion up to the turn for the short loop. John Gregory and C dale Rick chipped in to bring them back.
The ride down Mount Vernon Rd was “new-look”, with lots of guys up front who usually hang out mid-pack. Speed didn’t seem to suffer too much though, especially when Kyle f rolled up and pulled for a solid mile and a half, stringing out everyone behind him. It took the false flat section to finally take him off the front, giving Hunter P a chance to jump on dwindling field. The target Training rider was the only one that stayed with Hunter P and the 2 had a gap for a while until Chris B dragged John Gregory, the Foley’s and the rest of the field up to them. After that, everyone stayed together until the turn around.
Chris B was again sneaking off the front right at the college, but Target Training was glued to his wheel along with Hunter P. The 3 probably would have ridden off if not for a solid effort by Mahoney to bridge \ drag the gap back. It was gruppo compact heading to the hill \ corner, where Chris B jumped up only to be passes right after the corner by Kyle F and Hunter P. From there Foley and Pronovost traded pulls a couple of times before Hunter jumped away to get the sprint without much trouble from anyone else. On the backside, everyone who was left after the hill collected themselves and met up with the Zane’s team who had taken a shortcut.
Everyone rolled onto the Cheshire side of Route 322 together. Even with the 5 Zane’s guys, the field was only about 12-15 guys at this point.
Coming back onto the short loop section of Peck Lane, a group of 4 pulled off the front. The Foley’s, Eric M, and Target Training (?). They went off without an answer from the Zane’s guys and had a solid 20 second gap by route 10, despite some chasing by Little T and Mahoney. The pace on route 10 didn’t improve much and everyone was content to let the 4 fight out the stop n shop sprint. Eric M got that despite a solid challenge from the Foley pair.
Rolling thru Cheshire, the stage was being set for a beat down of the escapees, who had a 250 meter gap thru all the lights. Going thru town things got Lady Gaga crazy as guys were timing lights, drafting cars and opening \ covering gaps left and right. The group of 4 had been joined by Mike McG, Rondo and Mahoney. Chris B pulled a huge effort outside of Cheshire on open roads and covered a fast moving, big gap. Dragging Hunter P, Little T and a couple of others with him. The rest behind were done for the day with no chance of catching back on. From there the speed stayed high into the finale. Little T surged early and pulled off with nearly a kilo to go. Chris B attacked \ surged a little closer to the end and only Mike McG stayed with him. Those two went down to the line with Mike able to get over Chris in time for the corner.
Rain, thunder and hard efforts from some in Killington over the weekend kept today’s ride on the small side. Less than 30 guys were out. Twas good to see French Casey out as he led a brisk pace up route 10 and played crossing guard for bunch.
Once on the back roads, the orange and black kicked things off with some help from a Target training rider (?) and the rider on the Seven.
Little T was hit with a flat on Mount Sanford Road and after some soft pedaling at the front, the ride was given permission to carry on. Credit the whole Zany team for holding up and waiting for their muscle blessed teammate.
With the field down to approx 20 and most of the horse power changing tubes behind, there was some new faces that drove the ride. The speed was down a bit, but not much. Maybe 1 mph. At the front was Builder Pete, John Gregory, Rich Foley, and pretty much the whole CCR team… John B, Peter Kenny, Dillon P, Antonio D. Mahoney was up there animating things along with French Casey.
Once onto Mountain Rd, the speed came down a bit but Kyle F and Mahoney was there to bring it back up again. A gap developed as French Casey attacked toward the end of Mountain Rd, but Dillon P and Pter K chased it down. As everyone was recollecting, Dillon P surged off the front for a bit and without anyone from the team dare bring the “CEO” back, he stayed out there for 3\4 of a mile and was caught as everyone pulled up to the light on Route 68.
Once onto Moss Farms, Pter K and Antonio D along with C-Dale Rick got things going but it was pretty mellow. Chris B started turning screws toward the end of Moss Farms with Hunter P and Dillon P following up his efforts. Tri Guy wi Knee Highs was also present and led everyone delicately into the chicane. Chris B stayed right at the front for the charge up the hill, keeping a solid tempo. Hunter P rode away from the front once around the corner and had a good gap that only Chris B could bridge. The 2 stayed off the front for the rest for the way down Marion up to the turn for the short loop. John Gregory and C dale Rick chipped in to bring them back.
The ride down Mount Vernon Rd was “new-look”, with lots of guys up front who usually hang out mid-pack. Speed didn’t seem to suffer too much though, especially when Kyle f rolled up and pulled for a solid mile and a half, stringing out everyone behind him. It took the false flat section to finally take him off the front, giving Hunter P a chance to jump on dwindling field. The target Training rider was the only one that stayed with Hunter P and the 2 had a gap for a while until Chris B dragged John Gregory, the Foley’s and the rest of the field up to them. After that, everyone stayed together until the turn around.
Chris B was again sneaking off the front right at the college, but Target Training was glued to his wheel along with Hunter P. The 3 probably would have ridden off if not for a solid effort by Mahoney to bridge \ drag the gap back. It was gruppo compact heading to the hill \ corner, where Chris B jumped up only to be passes right after the corner by Kyle F and Hunter P. From there Foley and Pronovost traded pulls a couple of times before Hunter jumped away to get the sprint without much trouble from anyone else. On the backside, everyone who was left after the hill collected themselves and met up with the Zane’s team who had taken a shortcut.
Everyone rolled onto the Cheshire side of Route 322 together. Even with the 5 Zane’s guys, the field was only about 12-15 guys at this point.
Coming back onto the short loop section of Peck Lane, a group of 4 pulled off the front. The Foley’s, Eric M, and Target Training (?). They went off without an answer from the Zane’s guys and had a solid 20 second gap by route 10, despite some chasing by Little T and Mahoney. The pace on route 10 didn’t improve much and everyone was content to let the 4 fight out the stop n shop sprint. Eric M got that despite a solid challenge from the Foley pair.
Rolling thru Cheshire, the stage was being set for a beat down of the escapees, who had a 250 meter gap thru all the lights. Going thru town things got Lady Gaga crazy as guys were timing lights, drafting cars and opening \ covering gaps left and right. The group of 4 had been joined by Mike McG, Rondo and Mahoney. Chris B pulled a huge effort outside of Cheshire on open roads and covered a fast moving, big gap. Dragging Hunter P, Little T and a couple of others with him. The rest behind were done for the day with no chance of catching back on. From there the speed stayed high into the finale. Little T surged early and pulled off with nearly a kilo to go. Chris B attacked \ surged a little closer to the end and only Mike McG stayed with him. Those two went down to the line with Mike able to get over Chris in time for the corner.
Tuesday the 25th
More miles, more endurance, more scenery… It’s the Long Loop
Not too much excitement today on the ride. It was on the slow side.
Maybe the heat?
Maybe everyone is lazy from watching the Giro all day long?
At any rate, there was a big crowd out today for the ride.
Dave H and a couple of new timers started the ride out - the initial pace was downright anemic. Eric M started things going and then Guido got involved along with Chris C, Ciocci, Jacinto, and a couple of others. The slow pace allowed that group of 7 or 8 to roll off the front on Mount Sanford but traffic turning onto the next street brought everyone back together. The pace got going a little more after that as Mike McG, Koski, a new Zane’s rider and others got involved. On South Brooksvale, Eric M, riding hard, snuck off on the run in to Mountain road. A few seconds later, Larry M and the new guy in a Divine Electric\BH Jersey hit it to bridge up. They were just making contact to Eric when the corner for Mountain Road slowed everyone and brought it all together. The pace on Mountain rd was nothing spectacular. The usual characters were up front. The CCB guys started making their way up.
Onto Moss Farms where again, there wasn’t too much pep in the pedals. But no one was attacking so it stayed gruppo compacto. The CCBer’s were again ramping things up before the Chicane. They had Guido along for company. Eric M charged into the chicane first and up the hill to Marion. There were no attacks as CCB stayed at the front. Ciocci rolled up after the corner and got things rolling along with Eric M, Mike McG, Hunter P, Silent Steve and Yalie Adam as well. Everyone rolled along to Route 322 without incident and with those same guys setting the tempo etc. A few guys peeled off on the short loop, but all in all, everyone was of one mind regarding the long loop. Larry M had an unfortunate flat and dropped out.
The ride down Mount Vernon road was uneventful and slow. Hopefully next week the attacks will come. The false flat section shook things up…. Same speeds \ More wattage. Jacinto, Guido, Ben just Ben, led it out with CCB and CCR guys Gregg F and Hunter P punching it on the top. It was enough to shell a few guys and pull things single file, but with no monster efforts after the incline, it was a missed opportunity to blow things apart.
Onto Welch Road, where Chris B snuck off the front as the Zane guys, Guido, Jacinto, Silent Steve. Morgan from Keltic, and a couple of others were shifting around the front. Chris was able to get to the corner of West St first but Little T had jumped and passed him shortly after that on the way to top o the hill prize ( !?….. See the survey on the side ). Behind Little T was Eric M, Hunter P and Keltic Morgan. A little ways up Gregg F joined the group and as is usually the case…. The hill had forced a separation. Chances for any group at this point are slim if traffic lights are red and sure enough, that’s what brought this all back together before crossing over I84. On the backside, heading to Atwater Street, a small group had hammered out a gap on the descent. Eric M, Rondo, Guido, Chris B, Ciocci, Jacinto, Devils Gear Jeff, and a couple of others. But there were enough wheels behind that saw the gap and responded, closing it down before the corner. A small group snuck thru the traffic on West Main, but most of those guys sat up or were caught by the light on route 322.
Yalie Adam took advantage of the slow speed after that traffic light to jump off the front. Soon after, Chris C jumped off too. Chris was caught soon after the ride got back onto familiar Peck Lane territory, but Yalie Adam was still out there. Heading up the riser before Schoolhouse road starts, Gregg F hit it again along with Hunter P. That was a short lived gap though as the CCB guys were starting up again. Yalie Adam was finally caught soon after turning onto Route 10. The headwind heading back would buffet the front of the ride as there was no activity to speak of off the front. Heading into the Stop and Shop sprint, the Zane’s guys were up front along with Guido playing nice. They were setting a good tempo for their man, Little T. Little T hit the sprint hard with Dzmitry (?) from CCB directly in tow. The 2 went down to the line but Alessio was able to stay in front. Little T would keep up the pace in thru the center of town and had a gap as the slimmer, more traffic-friendly Peleton got caught at a couple of lights. Once out of town, the speed picked up, but the headwind was cutting into things. Little T was slowly getting reeled in and it looked like he may have a chance with about a kilo to go. Behind, after efforts to close the gap from Guido, Ciocci, the Divine Electric guys and a couple of others, the Orange and black were all over things. Eric M sat up, giving Little T one last chance to stay away. Chris B almost snookered them all though, jetting past with enough speed to create a gap that the trio of Eric M, Mike McG and Rondo had to close down. Having already gone over Little T, Rondo got a push from Mike and was able to get by Butler, but with Hunter P in tow, playing back up to Chris’ attack. It went down to the wire, with the 2 exchanging the lead a couple of times. Despite getting out of the saddle early on for a quick second, Rondo will get credit for this one, edging out Hunter in the final meters.
Not too much excitement today on the ride. It was on the slow side.
Maybe the heat?
Maybe everyone is lazy from watching the Giro all day long?
At any rate, there was a big crowd out today for the ride.
Dave H and a couple of new timers started the ride out - the initial pace was downright anemic. Eric M started things going and then Guido got involved along with Chris C, Ciocci, Jacinto, and a couple of others. The slow pace allowed that group of 7 or 8 to roll off the front on Mount Sanford but traffic turning onto the next street brought everyone back together. The pace got going a little more after that as Mike McG, Koski, a new Zane’s rider and others got involved. On South Brooksvale, Eric M, riding hard, snuck off on the run in to Mountain road. A few seconds later, Larry M and the new guy in a Divine Electric\BH Jersey hit it to bridge up. They were just making contact to Eric when the corner for Mountain Road slowed everyone and brought it all together. The pace on Mountain rd was nothing spectacular. The usual characters were up front. The CCB guys started making their way up.
Onto Moss Farms where again, there wasn’t too much pep in the pedals. But no one was attacking so it stayed gruppo compacto. The CCBer’s were again ramping things up before the Chicane. They had Guido along for company. Eric M charged into the chicane first and up the hill to Marion. There were no attacks as CCB stayed at the front. Ciocci rolled up after the corner and got things rolling along with Eric M, Mike McG, Hunter P, Silent Steve and Yalie Adam as well. Everyone rolled along to Route 322 without incident and with those same guys setting the tempo etc. A few guys peeled off on the short loop, but all in all, everyone was of one mind regarding the long loop. Larry M had an unfortunate flat and dropped out.
The ride down Mount Vernon road was uneventful and slow. Hopefully next week the attacks will come. The false flat section shook things up…. Same speeds \ More wattage. Jacinto, Guido, Ben just Ben, led it out with CCB and CCR guys Gregg F and Hunter P punching it on the top. It was enough to shell a few guys and pull things single file, but with no monster efforts after the incline, it was a missed opportunity to blow things apart.
Onto Welch Road, where Chris B snuck off the front as the Zane guys, Guido, Jacinto, Silent Steve. Morgan from Keltic, and a couple of others were shifting around the front. Chris was able to get to the corner of West St first but Little T had jumped and passed him shortly after that on the way to top o the hill prize ( !?….. See the survey on the side ). Behind Little T was Eric M, Hunter P and Keltic Morgan. A little ways up Gregg F joined the group and as is usually the case…. The hill had forced a separation. Chances for any group at this point are slim if traffic lights are red and sure enough, that’s what brought this all back together before crossing over I84. On the backside, heading to Atwater Street, a small group had hammered out a gap on the descent. Eric M, Rondo, Guido, Chris B, Ciocci, Jacinto, Devils Gear Jeff, and a couple of others. But there were enough wheels behind that saw the gap and responded, closing it down before the corner. A small group snuck thru the traffic on West Main, but most of those guys sat up or were caught by the light on route 322.
Yalie Adam took advantage of the slow speed after that traffic light to jump off the front. Soon after, Chris C jumped off too. Chris was caught soon after the ride got back onto familiar Peck Lane territory, but Yalie Adam was still out there. Heading up the riser before Schoolhouse road starts, Gregg F hit it again along with Hunter P. That was a short lived gap though as the CCB guys were starting up again. Yalie Adam was finally caught soon after turning onto Route 10. The headwind heading back would buffet the front of the ride as there was no activity to speak of off the front. Heading into the Stop and Shop sprint, the Zane’s guys were up front along with Guido playing nice. They were setting a good tempo for their man, Little T. Little T hit the sprint hard with Dzmitry (?) from CCB directly in tow. The 2 went down to the line but Alessio was able to stay in front. Little T would keep up the pace in thru the center of town and had a gap as the slimmer, more traffic-friendly Peleton got caught at a couple of lights. Once out of town, the speed picked up, but the headwind was cutting into things. Little T was slowly getting reeled in and it looked like he may have a chance with about a kilo to go. Behind, after efforts to close the gap from Guido, Ciocci, the Divine Electric guys and a couple of others, the Orange and black were all over things. Eric M sat up, giving Little T one last chance to stay away. Chris B almost snookered them all though, jetting past with enough speed to create a gap that the trio of Eric M, Mike McG and Rondo had to close down. Having already gone over Little T, Rondo got a push from Mike and was able to get by Butler, but with Hunter P in tow, playing back up to Chris’ attack. It went down to the wire, with the 2 exchanging the lead a couple of times. Despite getting out of the saddle early on for a quick second, Rondo will get credit for this one, edging out Hunter in the final meters.
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