Tuesday the 9th

SG ride in the rain is like being spit on a million times over

It poured on top of the pouring tonight. What started the day as a 40% chance of rain turned into a 6-7pm window of no rain and actually ended up being a deluge for the entire time. There was about 18-20 riders or so in the parking lot ready to go. Chris C got it going on Route 10 and the pace stayed decent thru the back roads. Everyone made in the crap road section on Brooksvale despite it being like a Sarajevo mine field with all the water covering up the holes. Jel!e Snoop tried to sneak away before mountain Rd and hunter p tried to sneak away on the hills starting out on Mountain but both were brought back. Snoop Doggy Dog would be at it all night, applying pressure on all the right spots. Joe K and Snoop tried to get away on Moss Farms initailly but that was brought back by Mike McG and Hacker. Hacker, Chris C and Mike McG had a gap heading into the chicane.It looked like a move that might stick but traffic in front of them slowed it all down just in time for Dillon P to stomp out the hill up to Marion ave. As the ride passed the industrial park, Mike McG hit the front and rode off alone, soon to be joined by Hunter P. The 2 were allowed to ride for a bit and eneded up working the gap to the light on 322. The light was green and the leaders went thru. Behind the whole peleton also was able to sneak thru because Jelle and Guido and Jacinto were bridging up and in no mans land, effectively making the peleton 2oo meters long.
      After everyone calmed down a bit, moving onto Mount Vernon, Luekens rode off the front alone and needed to be chased back by MoMoney, Jel!e, Arlene Zane, Eric M and a couple of others. From there it was quick and most everyone got involved up front. Mike McG was again tempo'ing off the front on the false flat section. Chris C and Hunter P were there as well and the trio got a gap that they held on to for a couple of minutes. After that the pace went back to normal, Guido would come up and set a good example, in the process stretching things out single file among the 15 riders that were left.
      Once onto Welch, a couple of guys looked a little twitchy up front. Arlane Zane, Snoop, Joe K, Eric M, And Hacker not too far behind. MIke McG settled everyone down with a good pull and Hunter P was the first to go right on the hill before the corner. Arlnd Zane followed suit and the 2 had a small gap that was brought back quickly by Mike McG, Jacinto, Hacker and a couple others. The lead group swelled to about 7 or 8 soon after as Chris C, Eric M, Guido, Joe K and one or 2 others joined up. Hacker was the first to jump for the sprint proper but was still a ways out. Mike McG and Eric M where the only ones to answer and then respond with a duke-a-roo that went down to the line and it was awfully close at the mailbox ( Eric? ).
      Everyone recollected after that but soon after it was Hacker and Snoop getting off the front and winding up a goooooood gap that they would hold all the way to the light to back over 322. It was red which brought everyone back or else the two def would have had a chance to go for the full monty. There wasnt much more to report for the rest of the ride. As everyone charged up to the Stop n Sprint, a small pond awaited, taking up the whole of the lane. Despite some swerving and some very quick decelerations in the 6 inches of water everyone made it thru. In the mayhem, the very front of the ride, 3 of 4 guys, were the only ones able to fight for the sprint. Jacinto took advantage of the confusion and attacked hard enough to go alone up the hill with everyone else 20 meters behind. From there a few guys disbanded, headed back to the Stop n Shop parking lot or back to Cheshire Cycle, so perhaps once everyone is done repacking the bearings on their bikes someone can fill in the last parts of the ride.