Tuesday the 9th

 It's like the real housewives of the Peleton

The families were all back together after the Rent wrapped up last week. So with the Blacks, Steve B, Sean C, Hunter P and NHA back in the fold, it was sure to be an exciting ride. However, the heat and humidity was turned up to 11 so that would serve to tamp down the top end of plenty of guys.

Once again, right at the start, Hunter P took off and was allowed to roll solo. He held a gap until halfway down Mountain Road. Hacker, Thomaas B and Brian Suto Returns were among those chipping in to keep the pace high as the pack slowly got up to speed. As the break was getting close, Turner French accelerated an split off a small chase with Sean Maher and MJ-The-finish-line-is-my-Pants-Alio. That made for a fearsome group up front but the pace wasn't there to keep the gap going, so it was all back together towards the end of Mountain Rd. 

The pace chilled a bit on Moss Farms but there were a few moves and there. Joe K rolled off the front, which got Hacker going along with a couple of others. Then past the chicane, Little T took off up to Marion but that was short-lived. Then Steve B rolled off the front and had gap. Sean Maher did a big pull to bring him back and it was all together for the light. Steve went right back to it after the intersection, but with Turner French and Hunter P also attacking, the entire pack sped up it response. 

The trip down Moss Farms was uneventful. Solid pace but no attacks or breakaways. The pace wound up on Welch for the turnaround, and Little T launched it into the headwind. A few guys were there to match his pace, and then just as guys started to look at each other, Steve B launched a well-timed attack for the line. That was successful, and Steve B took it. Behind, Little T rolled over next with Hunter P behind. 

It all came back together on the backside and there were no big moves until getting back into Cheshire. MJA pushed hard past I84 but no gap. Joe K tried to make a lunge for the traffic light on 322 but it was red for him and the entire pack (which was down to about half it's original size as guys withered under the heat)

Onto the Greenhouse climb where Turner French took the early reigns on the front, setting a solid pace. When Hunter P was done at the front, Sean Cahill hit it with a well-timed attack and was off to the races for the line. He would not be caught. Behind him, Hunter wound it up shortly after the light. He took off with Little T on his wheel and was able to hold it to the line for 2nd after the fast greenhouse climb. Sean C was collected after that, and it was all back together for the run in back to Hamden. 

MJA had a couple of digs on the rollers in Hamden, which served to keep everyone on their toes. Then, on the top of Boulder Sean M took off again. He hit the downhill hard but was being chased hard by Hacker and MJA. He would get swallowed up with a couple hundred meters to go. Steve B launched it for the sprint off Turner French's wheel. Little T had a bit of a gap to make up but he would get his revenge when Steve B sat up a hair as the road flattened (but well before the line). Timing this finish, which is one of Connecticut's most tricky semi-amatuer, half-pro, long-lived, much-hyped, ego-bruising, heart-stopping finishes is difficult. Little T continues to have the charge for it. He went over the line first, then Steve B, followed by MJA. 

Great ride everyone! 

Tuesday the 2nd

SPRINT POINTS!

Turnaround
Sean M
Little T
Turner French

Greenhouse Climb
Little T
TK
Sean M

Finishing Sprint
Little T
Turner French
Rich Nadeau

Tuesday the 25th

Most were at the 'Rent. 

Sprints at SGR were taken by ???

Tuesday the 18th

We'll Miss You Brian O

Brian is moving back to Co-Co-Colorado. He's been a force on the road during his time in Connecticut. He'll be missed. It was great weather to welcome all to the SGR to see him off. It was a hot one for sure. There were probably many that were hoping to ease into the ride tonight but once the ride turned off route 10 Hunter P took off. He was joined right away by Steve B and Chris Brits. 

The chase was on pretty much right away. A couple of streets later. Turner French was coming up to the group. Chris Brits came off, and there was some parked/stalled/loitering cars that made it tricky for the peleton to stick together. All the same, it was all together coming up to the light on route 68. From there, onto Moss Farms, more attacks led to Sean M and Steve B getting off the front as the pack went past the industrial park. Behind, Sean Cahill was chasing to get up to them lickedy-split. 

The light was just green enough for the two in front, but Sean C stopped, along with the rest of the pack. That would be all the leaders would need to stay away for good. 

There were some spicy moments for the pack near the turnaround. Good to see Damien Roy at the ride. He was pushing the pace hard on the pack heading up to the corner to West St. Sean C took consolation by getting across the sprint point for 3rd. 

On the backside, Hunter P snuck off the front moving thru the lights / I84 ramps getting onto Atwater. The pack waited and then got help up by some ramp traffic. No one wanted to go hard in hard in the heat. 

Up front, Steve B rolled off from Sean M on the Greenhouse climb. That's how the evening ended. Three lone riders off the front of heat-stricken peleton looking for the ice cream stop.

Tuesday the 11th

 Another "Retro" Evening at SGR   

Another night of good vibes at the ride this week. Most of the usual strongmen were up at the 'Rent for the crit there. So it was smoother and steady sailing tonight at SGR. The workload was spread politely among most of the riders in a fairly well organized pace line for nearly the entire evening.

 

No attacking or team tactics. Things got a little spicy before each of the sprints but in a fun way. There was a strong tailwind for the way back south, which only added to the speed and steady cruising pace. 

 

For the sprints, it was copy and paste each time:

Little T
Turner French
Sean Maher.

 

The only exception being Hacker pushing and shoving his way onto the podium for 3rd on the final sprint. 

 

Tuesday the 4th

 Kinda nice not having ten pink jerseys attacking every two minutes.

The CCAP's TNC kicked off tonight, so a good portion of the SGR regulars were up in East Hartford. That left a small but nimble group for the ride. As expected, it was pretty smooth, with lots of people rotating through with good efforts. There were a few attacks of course. 

 

Little T jumped on Welch from the base of the turnaround sprint and solo'd to get the first sprint. Behind, Sean M was next across with Turner French in third. Those three stayed on the gas and kept a gap hopeful, but they were eventually got caught at a red light, bringing it back to grouppo compacto as Angry Ron used to say. 

From there the pace stayed steady, and it was great to have new guys getting in the mix. Matt, the Amity Bike Tri guy, in his second or third week at the SGR, is proving to be pretty strong and not afraid to work at the front. 

Turner French went to the front going up the Greenhouse Climb. TK came up and took a good pull to close the gap for his sprinter as everyone approached the light, which was green for everyone. Little T was able to take the sprint with a new guy taking second in a blue jersey (Name???) and Sean M getting the third spot.

 

Sean M was not done, and he attacked to ride off the front. He kept up an impressive gap until the base of the final hill prior to the four way stop at Cook Hill. Turner Frnch jumped to close the gap, taking along Little T. Those two bridged up and both passed him by the top of the hill. Then Amity Matt bridged up, pulled through and stayed on the gas up and over the last bump, and down the hill into the final sprint. 

 

Turner jumped first, which is firstly too soon, and then Little T came around him to get the last sprint. Turner and Matt rounded out the "podium" 

 

Next week is another TNC, then everyone and their mothers should be back for what will surely be a surly SGR on the 18th.

Tuesday the 28th

 Two Breakaways for the Price of One     

One week the ride is boring, the next week it's back to being excited as finding that last fry at the bottom of the bag. 

The group was smaller tonight. Just 23 or so out there. It was anyone's game out there. The ride got off to a rocky start though, with traffic hanging things up turning onto Mountain Rd. Then there was some aggressive overtakes by cars later on Mountain Rd. By the time that all cleared Sean M was in place to push hard to the light on route 68. Hunter P and Noah B were along for the ride, making three off the front pushing hard for a gap. The light was red though so it was all back together. 

Things calmed down a bit on Moss Farms. Steve B fired it up going into the Chicane, but he was not allowed too much of a leash there. Little T and Hunter P were bridging the gap, which got everyone's attention. Steve B kept the gap going though. Going past the industrial park, the front of the ride was breaking up a bit as the chase hotted up. In the end, it would come all back together by the light on route 322. 

Onto Mount Vernon, Sean M pushed off the front with Aaron B and Hunter P. That move lasted for a km or so. As it was all coming back together, Chris C pushed off the front. Then Jeff Gelt bridged strong, along with Nic Villamizar. With CVC and CW represented up front, there was little chase. The trio rolled clear, getting about 250 meters at one point. Dan Smith, CedricB and one other Angel were at times ramping up the chase. The leaders had an insurmountable gap at the turnaround. Behind, Little T would launch into the deep, and there were a few to go with him. There was a brief moment when perhaps a bridging effort to the trio could be made, but that door closed quickly as the leaders were getting thru the I84 interchange lickety-split. . 

The chase developed, with Hunter P and Jon Fecik getting involved it keeping the pace high. Heading back to the 322 crossing, both the leaders (or course) got thru the light quickly. But the peloton also didn't have to come to a full stop. 

The leaders still had a solid 200 meters heading to route 10. Just about out of sight from the chasers. But lo- the chase got the green light going across 10 so it was clear that it would all be coming back together. the gravel construction was cleared up and it was all back to route-normale. The catch happened at the top of the hill on E Johnson, turning onto Meriden Rd. 

Things calmed down for about 12 seconds. A group of 6 pushed off the front, led by Sean M. Chris C stayed up front as well, but that gap was never more than 100 meters. Sean Cahill and Steve B were getting into position coming up to the Greenhouse Climb. That rounded up everyone for the climb. 

The ride split up again on the climb, with the front 5-6 guys pushing off the front early on, and stronger riders hanging back for the second half of the climb. Steve B took acorss the gap with Hunter P and a few others on his wheel. He went across the gap and then off the front as the climb was ending. That led to a proper sprint for the line, which Little T jumped late for and nabbed, with Noah B and Sean Cahill on his wheel. 

After the turn off 70, Sean M rolled off the front again but was not allowed to go anywhere alone. More gaps during the next couple of streets, but it stayed all together as there were no big attacks. the next big move was the one that was going to go the distance. Steve B pushed off the front on the Tuttle uphill. Sean M and Jon Fecik were there as well. Behind, the Black Bros slowed the chase down just enough for the group to go clear by the 4-way stop sign/intersection. The chase was moderate. The leaders were drilling it. 

The break stayed clear by a plentiful margin,. Steve B was first across that final sprint line. 

Great ride to wrap up the month of May. Next week, the CCAP's TNC kicks off at Rentschler Field. There are just 4 weeks of that series (June 4th, 11th, 25th, and July 2nd)  but each week will feature full results reported to USAC. The next big week at SGR will be on the 18th.