Time to get your Strava on!
The usual crowd was out tonight. Everybody dealt well with the new intersection off Route 10. Bummer to see Neil Suto get hit with a flat rolling into Cheshire. Kicking off the rides antics shortly after turning off route 10 was Otto from Team Gaul. He had plenty of guys to directly follow early on, VQ Rob was up there as well chipping in. THe ride rumbled thru the chip sealed section of North Brooksvale with Hunter P up front. Hunter P rolled off a gap and was joined by Otto, MoMoney and a couple of others but the peleton wasn't letting that go as everyone wanted to blast thru the rough stuff at speed and everyone got thru it we think without incident. Heading up to Mountain Rd with Guido, BkeShop Bob and Otto up front, the pace was good. Everyone stayed together initially on mountain rd. On the 2nd set of risers, the speed picked up and there was some good pulls to knock the not-so-strong out of the rotation from Hunter P, Jacinto, Chris C, Little T and Thomas B, but it settled down after that, despite some opened gaps, and everyone got the to the light together.
Joe K hit Moss Farms first and hardest, working off a small gap despite everyone chasing behind. Bobby German was the next to go down with a flat. Joe K and 4 or 5 others eventually tore off a gap (Luekens, Bike Shop Bob, Otto, Eric M, VQ Rob, ). Jelle Snoop, Hunter P, and Thomas B would bridge across just in time for the group to decide it was going to slow down, so it was all together going into the chicane, despite BSBob and Eric M still working hard up front. Chris C jumped first on the run-up to Marion ave. Hutner P saw that and raised it up some more, taking Tall John along off the front by the corner. The 2 went to work and were able to hold the gap till after the industrial park. Persistent chasing from A few guys, Eric M, Guido, Chris C, eventually bringing them back. Guido, Joe K and one other then tired to sneak off but the new road surface let everyone zip thru there. The green light going over 322 also was a bonus, kept the speed high and no doubt, in the end, put a tenth or 2 on everyone's average speed for the night.
Initially on Mount Vernon, a small group was a few meters up and trying to sneak away ( Dillon P, Koski, Guido, French Casey, Luekens, Joe K etc ) but they too didn't keep the go button mashed long enough and it was altogether. Things settled down it there were plenty of guys to work the front. The false flat section didn't bring any damage, just some solid tempo from Otto, BSbob, Hunter P, Little T and MoMoney. From there it was all together till the turnaround, although there was plenty of little digs up front from the likes of Sasha from CCB, Yelle, Julio L, etc.
Onto Welch, where at first, YelleSnoop laid claim to the "just off the front". Hunter P then followed it up with a strong pull, taking along Julio L, Jacinto, Otto and CCB with him. CCB was next to pull, then Jacinto, and the field was still 400 meters from the corner. A couple of others came up and kept the speed up. Just fast enough to let Little T and Mike the-social-assassin McG keep up the launching speed. Little T jumped followed by Mike just before the corner. Attempts to chase from CXChris and Hutner P were futile. The 2 worked well up front, trading off a couple of times before the sprint point, which Little T rolled thru first in. The 2 kept going and had a big gap over the recollecting pack, but a red light brought them back. That was the only red light tho as the rest were all green going thru the I84 zone. So the ride continued faster then usual.
Business as usual as the ride headed back into Cheshire. Hunter P again jumped on the rise by the overpass, tis time taking Guido along with him. Those 2 were allowed to ride off a solid gap, a dangerous gamble with the traffic light coming up. But it was indeed red, bringing everyone back together. From there the ride went back to fast tempo. Otto stayed up front, looking to get something started. Guido also, despite having a fever, was up there working. French Casey would hit the front once more, sprinting out the front and manically laugh while watching the field follow thru. Hacker attacked strong on the riser up Peck ln, Otto and Hunter P followed suit with Hunter covering the gap to Hacker. Sasha and O'Shea followed it up with a well timed attack of their own, putting the pressure on Hacker to respond. Those 3 would roll onto Route 10 with a small gap, but would eventually come back as a red light early on Route 10 slowed everyone down. Sasha would stay up near the front tho and he, Otto, and Guido had a small gap as the ride approached the sprint. VQ Rob, Jacinto and BikeShopBob would go on the chase, with Little T coming out to finish the gap off just in time to sprint. Hunter P went along but couldn't come around T who racked up number 2 on the night.
The ride back to Hamden was a touch dramatic, thanks to a group of guys who snuck thru the light at Higgans Rd. They were able to build up a gap but the chase would start soon after and thanks to some good efforts from the likes of Mike McG, O'Shea, Guido, Builder Pete, Hunter P and couple of others, the gap was erased in time for the final kilo. Guido, VQ Rob, Little T and Guido duked out the final meters with Guido sneaking by everyone. Little T had to settle for the uphill on Shepard, where he dispatched Hunter P again to take the crown there. Also heading up the hill were Dillon P, Dennis, MoMoney, C dale Rick, the Bikers Edge MTB crew, and one or 2 others.
