Tuesday the 16th

    The rain clouds parted in time for the ride tonight. Attendance was light but a tailwind got everyone going up route 10 and into Cheshire nice and quick. Amoung the early instigators were Tall John, Guido ( good to see him back in action ), and Yalie Nicky G. Crowle and Hacker would also get involed ealry on. Yalie Spence would also chip in. The Yalies in general continued to leave their stamp on the ride. Getting in as much rivot-turning before the graduate and move to some loserville that doesn't have a ride like the SG.
    Even when one of the Yalies got a flat on Mount Sanford ( name?) the others just kept motoring along. The hard early pace let Hacker, Larry M, Special Ed, Mike Mc G, and Chris C ride off the front on the run into Mountain rd. It took a little while but the field would eventually get their act together and start to close the gap halfway down Mountain Rd. The speed up front, plus the chase behind led to a small spit in the peleton as the light came up. The light went green in time and Hacker blitzed the front but there was enough of a slow down to let everything come back together completely. Hacker however would take a small gap onto Moss Farms. Larry M got hit with a flat and had to drop out as the field was chasing Hacker. The Professor was out for blood tonight. Frustrated with missing the podium at Battenkill, he was taking it out on the SG field. He held a gap down Moss Farms as one of the Yalies and Chris C would bridge up and join him. Behind the strong men were up front keeping tempo. Hacker and the 2 guys with him would hit the chicane and riser toward Marion with 50 meters on the rest. Yalie Spence and Hunter P jumped hard across the gap taking along Mike McG, the Full Nalini and a couple of others. Hacker wouldn't let up so that led to a trio ( Hacker, Chris C, Special Ed ) off the front and charging hard all the way to the industrial park. Mike McG and Hunter P would close the gap, but not until 700 meters into the industrial park. Behind them the field was scrambling and keeping the gap tight. It was all back together by the corner for West Johnson. But there was a window for Little T to jump. He did, taking a small gap up the risers on West Johnson.
      Little T would keep on the thottle. It took a few seconds for the response to come, but soon Yalies, Mike McG, Chris C, Weaver, Guido and others were sprinting up the hills in order to close the gap. Little T would hit the corner for Reinhart with about 10 seconds. Chris B had separated himself from the front of the field, this time with Hacker right on his six. Behind those 3 riders, it was single file as guys were starting to go backwards with the hill and the headwind starting to bite. Little T sprinted, but it wasnt a full-speed sprint given the near kilo off-the-front time he just put in. Meanwhile, Hacker had been sitting on and came off Chris B's wheel with plenty of time to roll past T and hit the corner first. Well behind, Jacinto jumped off the front quickly and was able to roll round everyone else to get to the corner second.
      On the backside Weaver would try to continue the assault along with Jacinto and Hacker but by the middle of Peck ln it was all together. From that point to the run-in to Stop n Shop, there was plenty of guys up front. Lot's of new strong legs in the field this year... Too many to try to ID. Given the right chance, there are a bunch of guys would could make each and every ride interesting with some well timed, go-for-broke style attacks. They no doubt will come as the spring goes on and ball-hair has a chance to grow in a bit.
     Anyway,  Hacker and Weaver had still managed to keep the gap going toward the run-in to the Stop n Shop Sprint. They scooted thru a green light that went red for the field and it was pretty much signed and sealed at that point. Still, within the field, no one was surprised when the 2 yalies lit it up right after the light. Mike McG also chipped in but up the road, Hacker was able to get the prize and go an impressive 2 for 2 on the night.
     The regular faces were up front for the ride back into Hamden. For the final Kilo, after some shuffling, reshuffling and some more shuffling, Jacinto tore thru the final 3 guys no problem to get to the end first. Up the hill MoMoney caught Weaver with Hunter P and Chris B in tow. Chris B stomped his way past all others toward the end of the climb and takes the final consolation prize.