Tuesday the 8th

It’s over!

    A decent, though smaller, crowd rolled out for the final official Tuesday SG ride of 2013. If Chris C happens to go out this weekend and bludgeon himself half to death with some off season activity, He will probably be sounding the trumpet a week from now. If that is the case it will be dark.... Even if we left at 5PM.
     Everyone got to start this final ride with a session of Pacing du Le Moteur from French Casey. He steam-rolled into the ever changing wind on route 10. Once the ride got onto the back roads, things calmed down a bit with Dillon P, Rory D, Rusty, Tall Dennis, Jordan L and French Casey all chipping in up front. Heading onto Mountain Rd, Hunter P and Young Suto jumped off the front and took a gap up the first risers there. It was soon marked by Jordan L, Chris C and the rest of the Mount Washington Summit Team. Next year, look for Stage One to compete in everything from Tough Mudders to duathlons.
    The leaders were soon roped in by a chase group but that larger break had even less chance to get away from the attentive peleton. Joe K would strike out with a counter attack that nearly split a group off the front at the end of the second set of risers. Then French Casey hit the front. Along with Jordan L but it was brought back together by the light.
      Onto Moss Farms where it stayed together for the most part. No attacks kept the pace on the slower side. By the end of the risers Casey again become the Parisian Nightmare by rolling off the front. Riders needed to make the quick decision whether or not to go with him or sit back and let it ride. By the Chicane it was all together. By the corner of Marion French Casey was charging again. He took along Jordan L and those 2 were allowed to go up the road. They built up a maximum of 50 meters as the ride rolled toward the industrial park. Shortly after the turn it was all back together as guy like Chris C, Timmy Hip, Rusty, and others kept on the gas.
     More indecision as the front of the ride rolled up West Johnson as Jordan L rolled off the front, taking along Swing the Bat Gary and a couple of other guys with him. It would end up being a slower than usual charge up the hills to Reinhard. After the corner, 3 or 4 still were off the front a but with plenty of guys lining up close behind they were going to come back quickly. Young Suto was the first to jump with Jacinto and Hunter P on his wheel. On the other side, Mike McG jumped at about the same time. Soon it was down to 2 as Hunter P accelerated out and around. Jacinto was the only one to respond and despite being behind most of the remaining road, he kept on the gas, forcing Hunter P to stay on it all the way to the end. It was a close one.
     On the backside, Joe K moved on off the front but was corralled soon after turning onto Peck Ln. The pace stayed crisp as Ben Bruce, John Morgan, Swing the Bat Gary, Chris C, and others rotated up front. A small lead group led (once again) by French Casey and also The Careening Caridi had a gap getting to the corner, but had to deal with car traffic which slowed the escape.
     More gaps were allowed to form on the hill by Cheshire Park but a red light at the top shut down the attack for good. That led to a bunch sprint up to Stop n Shop. Mike McG got the early jump on this one, quickly going by the line of guys who were thinking they could save it to the last moment. Jacinto was again the only one to make it interesting. Again, it was a super close one, going down to the line as Mike McG had to go the whole way to stay out in front. Some vehicular traffic abbreviated the sprint by about 1.5 seconds, but it was Iron Mike in front til that moment.
     The last trip into Hamden was uneventful, except for the car turning right into the bank which nearly took out half the Cheshire Team. For the final kilometer, some groups went up, came back, reloaded and jumped again. with 300 meters to go, it was Dillon P punching out at the right moment to get out in front. The only challenger was Ben Bruce who was out his saddle a bit too long for the sprint to be copacetic. It was a moot point though as Dillon was able to stay out in front till the final moment.
     Up the hill for the last time in the dusk went the usual guys, except one Chris Butler and a Mountain Man ( hope he is recovering well ). Hunter P got a head start but couldnt hold off a rabid Joe K, who chased the front down and lept up to snag the line.
     Well done everyone. It was another good year of Tuesday riding. Thanks to all who reliably showed up each week and thank you especially to those that added a little something extra to the rides whether it was attacks, brazen rudeness, self-destructive pulls, gung-ho sprinting, or just a willingness to ride hard. We don't have to name names. You know who you are.