Daylight wanes but the ride is strong as ever.
Another big turnout for the ride tonight. Yale is back in session so the SG ride had a couple of new faces out tonight. As always, it was motley crew that didn’t spare the get up and go while out there riding. Foremost among the new guys was the rider in the Spy Optics kit/POC helmet. On numerous occasions he lit it up and muscled his way off the front. Most notably was going towards the riser on Mount Vernon Rd. Then again he took off with Dave Hoyle at the turnaround. Few were able to respond reliably. Big Red was most often there, taking advantage and then chipping in to keep the gaps up. All of the efforts were short lived, as he was no doubt riding blind without directions. Good on him all the same. The TWC needs more of that!
Among the regulars, the aforementioned Big Red was active up front tonight. Nuemotion and The Sernyak rounding it out for the New Haveners. Noticeably absent from the action was Hacker. While he was present up front plenty… No real digs from the professor tonight. Chris C was his usual self. Mike McG as well. Mike was among those pushing the pace early on.
The Cheshire squad was well represented this evening, with Alan B attacking early along with Hunter P. Alan would go on to have a couple of big pushes off the front…. He attacked early on Mount Vernon, helped chased down Spy Optics and CCAP at the turnaround, and then drilled it off the front heading past Cheshire Park. More good riding from Hunter P thru out the evening. He pushed the pace after the riser to Marion, and chased down Spy Optics and Big Red when they jumped off the front on Atwater St. Joe K and Gibertoni we up there as well, with joe K chasing down and helping bring back a couple of the strong pushes from CCAP and the new faces. Gibertoni was active early on Mountain Rd, riding off the front and holding a gap for 700 meters or so. He also nearly snuck off the front as he Gibraltar’d down West Street, building up a solid gap. Chris C would led the rest back and all the pack would eventually catch up with Henk P, who had wisely snuck off front soon after the sprint point. Henk got a green light, and did not look back, taking the longest break of the night award.
The sprint points were solid contests tonight as well. After Dave Hoyle was passed shortly after the corner for West St, Joe K got up front and put his head down. Ben Bruce was behind with Hunter P sitting third wheel. Hunter let a gap open up and it was all Joe K and Ben needed. Despite pulling nearly all the way, Joe opened up a wicked sprint and went down to the line with Ben Bruce. Joe gets on bravery points. Ben Bruce would have his way with the Stop n Sprint point as he was in a great position to open it up after a fast run in. The other sprinters behind either got caught up, or waited a second too long to jump. Ben took the prize ahead of Spy Optics comfortably.
Hank P again tried to get a gap heading back thru Cheshire and had a solid run off the front. But once the pack got organized and out on the open roads, it was all back together soon after. For the finale, a big group of 5 or 6 (Mike McG, The Full Nalini, John Pescatore, Nuemotion, and a couple of other dudes) were there and ready to go. The Gibertoni gets last laugh though as he pinned the throttle long enough to get to the corner first.
Great ride everyone!
