Tuesday the 1st

Big group out to play footbal tonight!

Perhaps the biggest group of the year out tonight. It looked like 55+ riders strong rolling out of the parking lot. Exceptional turnout from the ERRACE as they are no doubt getting ready for their big event in a couple of weekends.

    Right off route 10 the Sernyak took to the front and used the strong tailwind to get things going. He was helped along by Guido, Chris C, The Gibertoni, Mike McG, Jordan L and a couple of others. For the turn onto Mountain RD, Joe K Chris C, Mountain Man, Little T, and Hacker hit the risers hard, stringing out the group as the train hit 29mph+ toward the light at route 68/70. More than a few riders were shed as they realized there wasn't enough money on their MetroCard.

     Once on Mossfarms, everyone took the opportunity to recollect. The pack actually bunched up a bit through the chicane, Chris C and a couple of ERRACE riders rode hard to the corner of marion with a group of about 20 riders in tow. The pace continued to stay high on Marion, leading to more shelled riders.

     The light going over Rt 322 was red at first but turned green quickly and rather unexpectedly. Hacker, Chris C and CCB Sasha went into attack mode, showing no mercy, taking off right after the intersection. At the riser shortly after, Ciocci and Guido were flying across the gap, but when Mike McG responded in kind from the pack, he actually ended up towing the rest back up so it was all together at the Stop sign.

     Once onto Mount Vernon, Hacker attacked again along with Guido and those 2 got the first real gap of the night. They worked up a 50 meter lead or so before Jordan L started to bridge up. Along for the ride across was Rob Dux. Those 2 made it so then the lead group was 4. The chase was on in earnest and there was no real danger of it becoming a runaway. The group would be brought back by the end of the false flat section. From there, a bit more recovery time for everyone as the speed turned steady. Heading to the corner for Welch, Special Ed took a solid pull that strung things out and Mike McG, Jordan L, Guido, Hacker and others kept up with the fast pace until the corner to Welch.

After the corner the pace stayed steady as The Gibertoni was looking to lead it out for teammates. It wasn’t fast enough to keep Hacker from attacking. No one went with him and he got to the corner at about the same time the rest hit the bottom of the riser. At the riser, Chris C jumped in pursuit, taking Mike McG and Little T with him. Chris C buried himself into the strong headwind and pulled off half way to the sprint. Mike McG took over and finished the rest of the gap, giving Little T in a great spot to pounce on Hacker, getting the sprint without much contention as the rest of the would be sprinters were left chasing across the initial gap.

      On the backside, those four (Hacker, Little T, Mike McG, Chris C) had a gap going toward the highway but the light was red so what was left of the peleton back together. From there the pack stayed together initially on West St but on the second descent, The Gertoni, Hacker, and Tommy Krol went into Falcon mode, ripping down the descent and getting to the intersection on Atwater st with a gap. That trio would take some liberties with a red light and their gap continued. Rob Dux came across the gap in the confusion and went ot work helping with the pace making. Behind, the small peleton was being shred by the headwind and the disjointed chase. The lead group would be eventually held up at the light to get back over 322 but they were on their way to being caught by several riders who were working hard to bridge / chase.

     The pace into the headwind stayed high on Peck lane and that caused the next round of carnage on the field. Once Special Ed pulled on the last riser on Peck lane the final selection of the night was made. Only 14 riders took the corner onto Rt 10 in that front group that stayed together till the end. That final group was made up of: McG, Jacob, The Sernyak, Joe K, CCB Sasha, Neumotion, Guido, Chris C, Little T, Chappy Chris, Rob Dux, Senior Steve Suto, Big Jim (from New Haven), the new guy David in the Louis Garneau kit with “interesting” drafting techniques, and maybe one or 2 others.

     Once onto rt 10, Hacker went on the attack again on the prison riser, Joe K bridged up past the climb but the light before the Sprint run-in was red so the group was back together. Once thru, Guido started the lead out with CCBSasha taking over, but car traffic negated the fast leadout and the front of the pack slowed down before the riser proper. From the bunched up pack, McG went first with Little on his 6. Joe K went after them and as Mike pulled off, leaving Little T to fend off Joe K to the top to take the second of the day.

      The pace stayed high through Cheshire despite the strong headwind. Everyone was taking determined pulls. Past the last light on Rt 10 (Cook Hill Rd) Guido, CCB Sasha, Hacker and Mike McG went a tear, encouraged by the lack of pack fill. Their end gap was small and they were brought back a short time later. Before the last kilo things slowed down a bit so Hacker went to the front and took a strong 20 second pull that strung things out nicely followed by an equally strong pull by Mike McG that finalized the split. That left The Sernyak, Guido, Sasha, and Little T to finish it off by taking their respective last pulls in that order, leaving LT last man standing for the finale.

Great ride everyone! Let's do it again next week!