The long loop goes out with a whimper?
It was a different kind of night, with plenty of action off the front but nothing that was really leg breaking. The Shaver ( Team Gaul, The New Zealander, The Hail Mary, Pulthruandsitup, whatever.... ) got things going soon after turning off Route 10. Mike McG came up fast and was pedaling good to get thru the rough section first. Then Chris C jumped up and it was a trio. They sped through some late comers and looked like the early break might have a chacne to get some breathing room. Behind, Hunter P and French Casey led the bunch thru the cobbles with Robyn and Builder Pete setting good tempo. Traffic thru the corners, plus no one putting the hammer down would bring the trio back. The ride then soft pedaled for a spell. Coming up over the initial riser on South Brooksvale, things got going when Hacker hit the front hard along with Guido and quickly there was a gap of about 30 yards to a group of 7 or 8 ( Dillon P, Mahoney, The Shaver, Chris C, Jacob, Guido, BenGe, The only guy on a Seven ). Not waiting around for the bunch to get in the game, Ciocci jumped across taking Hunter P with him. Those two rode thru a few of the guys coming off the back and by the first step-ups on Mountain rd, Ciocci had ridden across to Guido, Hacker, and Chris C. There was no one to really drill it up the hill and so the peloton had a chance to come back.
The ride down Mountain was uneventful at first, but then another group rode off the front when Steve Grey came up to the front and turned it on. ( Guido, BenGe, Chris C, Steve Grey, Shaver, Gregg F, Mahoney, Ciocci ) Chris B and Hunter P jumped across this time, but that got everyone proper and started the re-connection. Joe K and Chris B took the opportunity to ride off the front before the light, no doubt looking for a little green light action. No dice though and it was all together moving onto Moss Farms.
It didnt take long for another group to fight its way off the front. This time Joe K was punching it along with Rattatatat. Also present was Mahoney, Jacinto, Shaver, Hacker, Mike McG. Chris B and Hunter P again provided the get-up and go to glue it all back together again, though that group would stay at the front and drive things along thru the Chicane and up to Marion. Team Gaul duked it out with Joe K on the runup to the corner, with Joe K bringing the field thru. Ciocci, Chris C and a CCBer right there. That quickly led to another small gap forming with the CCBer driving the pace, Hacker and Hunter P along for the ride. Again, no one to really crack kneecaps and it was all together by the short loop turnaround. Mike McG took over the front and kept things legit all the way to the light on Route 322.
Once things got going on Mount Vernon Rd, Steve Grey came up to the front and strung everyone out behind him. That kept it fast till the false flat where there was some more gaps opening up but nothing sticking. Guido, Mahoney, Jacinto, Hunter P, CCB, and Team Gaul driving it up. CCB stayed up there for a while again, hammering out a tempo that any former Cold War Eastern European athlete would respect.
Heading up to the turnaround and the sprint, more action off the front as Chris C, Steve Grey, Guido, BenGe and Rattatatat found some breathing room and took advantage. Things sped up behind quickly though as most of the CCR team came up, looking to support the Joe K or Hunter P. Chris C slid back into the fold and it was Joe K, Tri Doug and Todd H setting tempo on Welch Road after The Shaver successfully bridged the gap. By 100 meters to the corner it was apparent that the front group was coming back quickly, proving again just how hard a long attack to the sprint point is. Going thru the corner, even though Guido was first, Joe K had a good jump and was ready to go through him. The real heavy hitters were right there in the front 10 bikes, negating any chance to power away for this one. Traffic and a red light, however, tragically put a kybosh on any sprinting.
Even without a sprint, the field was content to rest up and enjoy some new asphalt on the back side. There was no real activity off the front for the ride back over route 322. The ride actually was sedate for a while. CCB, Guido, Steve Grey, BenGe and a couple of others doing a good chunk of work at the front. The run-in to the Stop n Shop sprint was interrupted by a red light. Once the pushing and shoving started, Koski was doing his best to make up for the absence of Rondo and Little T, setting tempo at the front for Mike McG. The usual guys were queuing up. Rattatatat, Steve Grey, and Jacinto were close to the front and got the first jump with Hacker, Mike McG and Hunter P second wave. It turned into Mike McG trying to cover the ground to Jacinto but coming up short, as Jacinto was able to stay out in front.
Speeding back thru Cheshire, a few guys ( a suggested name is: “Douchebags” ) decided to blow a red light, forcing all but 8 or so guys to stop. That disrupted the ride back as some guys were moving up and some were moving back. In the end, there was 5 or 6 strong guys at the front, but seemingly with one mind, simply soft pedalled in and did not sprint......... Sit........... Sit-sprint.... whatever.
All in all solid ride. Last time for the long loop? Last year the powers that be ( The Fantano Family ) led us halfway up Mount Vernon road before turning right. Thoughts?
