The SG ride.... Earthquake edition.
Perfect day for a bike ride. Quickly after getting off Route 10, Tall John took off in TT mode. Soon after Hunter P jumped up to bridge. That got everyone's attention and by the crap road section the field was pulling the 2 back, led by Chris C, Eric M, VQ Rob and a couple of others. Tall John managed to stay off the front and no one cared to bring the lone rider completely back into the fold. He would hold that slim 30 yard gap till the initial risers on Mountain Rd. VQ Rob, hunter P and Yelle Snoop brought him back. VQ Rob and Snoop would stay off the front a few seconds longer but for the rest of the way down mountain road it was all together. Save for the very end of course, where Mike McG was pulling away off the front. Dillon P put in a good pull to bring him back with Tall John and VQ Rob right there. The light on route 68 was green for an extra long time, giving Tall John just enough time to sneak thru. VQ and Dillon P followed suit and the 3 got thru far and square. The rest of the peleton was technically right there, less then 2 seconds back, but everyone else had to sit and stop.
The 3 sneaks went right to work building up a gap. When the rest got going onto Moss Farms, they were out of sight. Jacinto, French Casey, and took off right away, dragging Eric M, Hunter P and then the whole field along with them. Chris C had a dig later on down the road, with Hunter P following it but not advancing it with the boss-man up the road. Snoop led everyone into the chicane with Eric M setting initial tempo up the hill to Marion. Chris C took another flyer, this time taking Richy Sachs Chris and Hunter P with him. From there it was all together heading to the route 322 crossing.
The leading trio had to wait for the light there. They got thru as the peleton approached it turning back to red. So everyone ended up having to wait for the light there. All three in the break were working so there was a small chance it could go the whole way. Back in the field the reaction from the field after the light was swift. Jacinto, CXChris, DeepRimsDennis, and The Mike Sernyak were drilling it. The attacks flamed out as traffic and the rest of the riders behind erased any advantages. Chris C and CxChris kept up the pace after the turn onto Mount Vernon Rd, chased by Hunter P and Joe K. Things got slow for a bit, but then ramped up in anticipation of false flat section. Up ahead, the rise in the road had done Dillon P in, and he would slowly drift back into the pack after the uphill section. VQ Rob and Tall John kept on working together, and they hung onto their gap for another solid couple of miles. They would get caught just as everyone was turning onto Welch road.
Mike McG jumped early on followed by Hunter P. Yahor from CCB, Little T and CxChris then sped off the front with little response from anyone else. BikeShopBob went after them but got stuck in the middle. CCB and Little T were working out the escape, leaving CXChris behind. Little T would jump up from a ways out, before the corner, but was able to stay way out in front all the way up to the sprint. The hill was again working its magic on everyone, with groups forming and gaps opening up. But it all came back together after red lights. Tall John would again try to ride off the front shortly after, but never got too far.
Heading back into Cheshire was uneventful. Hunter P attacked on the hill going underneath the highway shortly on Canal St. No one went along and he was caught just before the light going back over 322. On Peck Ln, Mike McQ had a dig after Chris C tried to sneak off the front. Mike's effort drew out some strong guys ( CCB, Hunter P, New guy on a Scott, Chris C, Eric M, Todd H, New Yale Guy, etc. ) and kept the pace fast up to Route 10.
Route 10 started out confusing as a few guys went thru a red light, making all the rest stop. Mike McG was unhappy with the lack of team work and logic shown and went off the front with a stomach full of pissed-off. Yelle Snoop was along for the ride and for a bit it looked like the 2 could ride off with the Stop n Sprint prize. Behind, the new Yale guy, Tall John and BikeShopBob were bringing it back quickly, with Little T right there. The catch was made just Little T was jumping for the sprint. Hunter P and Jacinto jumped as well but came up way short.
The ride back into Hamden was boring. It slowed down too much in a couple of spots and in the end, a foursome comprised of Mike McG, Eric M, Little T and Jacinto were left to fight out the end. Up the hill went Hunter P and Joe K ( doing the whole ride tonight as part of his century effort ). Joe jumped too early on the hill giving Hunter the chance to scoop up the prize there. Also there for the leg breaking finish was one of the Bikers Edge guys, Rick on a C Dale, and the ice cream craving Mountain Man.
