Next week, Gogu and Scott Kaplan report on the TWC!
Today's ride started off in a mellow way, and it took longer than normal to get up to speed. French Casey and Gregg F finally got things rolling along with Guido and Thomaas B. From there it was a steady tempo thru the cobbles and onto Mount Sanford. The ride went from “summer BBQ” to training ride as Hacker, Little T, and Mike McG moved up. Good to see Peter P also up, there semi retarded ( tho getting better ) and all. There was a small split heading up onto South Brooksvale but that was pretty quickly sewed up. VQ Rob and Eric M with other Zane's rides led the field onto Mountain Rd, looking antsy the whole time. Turning onto Mountain was quick as Hunter P, Eric M, JoshyG and Ciocci pegged it on the early parts. JoshyG kept it up, dragging Chris C and one other up the road for a brief bit. That was corralled pretty quickly and JoshyG stayed up front along VQ and a couple of others. Soon enough the front started rotating pretty well and it was steady all the way to Routye 68.
Eric M, W Thompson, Ciocci, Hunter P and JoshyG got things going on Moss Farms. JoshyG fiercely pulled thru a couple of times with no one willing to immediately able to back him up. The young Zane guys where there for the most part. Gordon “Lightfoot” also was present as the ride turned into the Chicane. Eric M and mostly Ciocci led it up to Marion with Hunter P making a late surge that no one followed so it was all together heading to Route 322. Everyone got thru the light without stopping which was a nice bonus. From there Chris B hit the front and would not relinquish his spot till the ski hill. The ride was uneventful moving on from there. The usual guys were up front keeping it steady. Things started to get interesting on the false flat section with VQ Rob and Rondo duking it out. Chris B, Chris C, Eric M and hunter P were there to follow up. It went single file for a solid 3\4 mile.
Heading to the Welch Rd there was a small group very slightly off the front... .Little T, a CCBer, VQ Rob and one other.... Gregg F pulled it back together as guys started to think about who to watch to the corner. Hacker just then timed a strong attack well, with Guido in tow. It caught enough guys by surprise so that no one immediately followed. Eric M and then Thomaas B dug deep and jumped to close down the gap. Up front, Guido was helping Hacker to the corner first. Behind, Mike McG and Little T were squaring up with MaHoney, Crowle, and Silent Steve getting in the way as well. Sure enough, the gap was coming down as Thomaas B and Eric M had shut down the engines. Hacker made it thru the corner cleanly and left Guido for dead. Chris C jumped hard from the pack taking Little T with him. T quickly dumped that ride, making made up the difference and joining Hacker by 100 meters after the corner. Ciocci jumped latest of all but was 3rd wheel squaring up for the run in to the sprint, although well behind Hacker and Little T. Hacker had sat up and wasnt going to tow Little T up the road, giving Ciocci a chance to make the catch, all the while dragging Hunter P. Just as the four were coming together, JoshyG shot up the right side, having gained speed all the way from the corner. His jump was strong enough to not let anyone follow him. Chris B came up and tried to get him a couple of seconds after, and then Peter P followed suit, etc and so on.... So with 8 guys all of a sudden together, it gave Mike McG and Little T a second chance at the sprint. SO with 150 meters to go Mike jumped and took Little T with him. T was able to catch JoshyG, but Joshy had to pause ever so slightly for the last light before the top of the hill. So then it was a 2 horse race to the line ( the black mailbox on the right). It was a close call with Little t probably getting over the top of Joshy. This one officially goes to JoshyG though on account of him slowing that little bit for the light. ( at least he didnt get a traffic ticket this time )
The next noteworthy part of the ride was the descent down West St, which was milled into a haphazrd stretch grooves and ridges. There were probably 5 or 6 flats thru the 1\5 mile section. Eric M the first to go, shredding his sidewalls as he came to a slow stop. Dillon P also flatted. Mike McG used to opportunity to try to use the harmonic properties of carbon fiber to speedwobble open a wormhole in the universe. Remarkably, Rondo “smooth as butter” Fantano made it thru with VQ Rob. Rondo turned back to aid his teammates, and quite a few guys stopped. The group of 20 that rode on had to detour when it seemed that some driver had decided to takeout a telephone pole right before route 322. When all was said and done the earnest riding didnt get going again till Peck Ln. It was slightly slower from there on out, as the the front group had lost a lot of horsies. But it still remained competitive, as Ciocci was continuing to ride strong as well as Attorney Gordon and Chris B. The Stop n Shop sprint was easily won by Hunter P with Gregg F and John Gregory coming in after. For the finale, Central Wheel Dennis, Eldest Foley, the new young guy in the red jersey (?) and Hunter P all squared up. Chris B rode off in familiar fashion, but took the new guy from San Fran area ( Sothby's kit ) with him. Sothby's took it, easily coming around Chris B. Back in the B ( for broken ) group, Eric M, LaFlamme, Rondo and a couple of others took it easy and followed Dillon P to Cheshire Cycle to buy some tires purchased from Malaysia, but relabeled to make em look like Conti's...... haha jokes on them!
Tuesday the 13th
The rain killed the ride tonight like the Col de la Madeleine killed Cadel. There was a small group that did go out amidst rain wind and thunder..... Rondo and Robyn "Podium" Passander, Chris C, Rattatatata, Eric M, MaHoney, Guido and a few others.... Hats off... oops, errr..... "Chapeau" to them.....
See ya'll next week
See ya'll next week
Tuesday the 6th
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.
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.
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