Tuesday the 12th

Getting More Comfy with the Deep End of the Pool

The aggro-style riding continued tonight, which made for another awesome ride. Besides the team vs team antics, more solo riders were willing to roll the dice and push the pace. Pretty much right off the bat, there was activity off the front. Aidan C and Billy Thompson were early instigators and broke away on South Brooksvale. Their group eventually grew to about 8 or so, including Wild Bill Strebel, Joe K, Ben Bruce, Chris C, and a couple of others. The group hit Mountain Road with about 10 seconds, and a bit of traffic in the corner for the main pack let the gap go out a few meters more.

Brian Suto and Turner French got the pace going again soon on Mountain Rd. As it became apparent that Cheshire was not chipping in since Ben Bruce and Joe K were in the break, the CW crew lit it up in the chase. Dan Smith had a big pull, then Steve B had a massive dig. Erin Rand was rotating thru as well. By the time TF attacked the front halfway down Mountain, the main pack behind was reeling. CW kept on it, with Hunter P latched on as baggage to cover each attack. The light on route 68 was red-turning-green so it all came back together there. But it was just barely that the main pack avoided getting "dropped" by the break and chase #1.

The pace calmed down on Moss Farms. Jordan Lynn and Chris C were still pushing the pace but there were no big attacks. Steve B drilled it hard well before the chicane, and he took a gap up the riser to Marion but rolled back soon after. Onto Marion, the pace stayed high and there were a couple of moments where it looked like the pack was going to detonate. Hunter P, Little T, and Damien R surged and took their opportunities, but nothing stuck. As the ride neared 322, Joe K and Jordan Lynn rolled off the front uncontested. They timed it well and rolled thru the light with about 50 meters lead. The pack stopped at the red light to discuss the chances the two up the road had at staying away.

Once resumed, the ride was controlled largely by CW. The pace was solid, and there were a couple of moments when it looked like a chase group would form. Damien R, Hunter P , Wild Bill, CVC Esteban, and a couple of others were present upfront as Steve B, Dan Smith and TF brought back the gap.

Jordan L and Joe K appeared halfway down Prospect St, and it was all together turning onto West St. Dillon P countered with an acceleration to get a gap going, but there was red light turning onto Atwater. Next up was Hunter P, who jumped hard on the climb going under the highway. He held a gap going back to the 322 crossing. Behind, the chase was ligit, led by CW, Chris C, Wild Bill and a couple of others.

It was all together getting thru the light and heading towards the route 10 crossing. There were no other attacks until the uphill on East Johnson. TF, who was stuck in a single gear due to a dead Di2 battery, was either full gas or sitting back for the rest of the night. He attacked up the climb along with Damien R and Hunter P, but no one was going to let out that leash. Big Red then rolled to the front and kept the pace high heading to the greenhouse climb. Dan Smith and Steve B also ramped up the pace a few notches, but it wasn't enough to get a gap.

On the climb, the pace slowed down for the first section. Then TF went full gas mode, and only Hunter P went with him. Those two quickly got a 100-150m gap that held for the whole way up the climb. Once it leveled off, Steve B jumped from the pack to bridge the gap. He nearly past all to make it to the line. He had to settle for 2nd behind Hunter P, who rolled through alone when TF came off the gas 250m prior.

Into the backroads of East Cheshire, where Aidan C and Wild Bill did damage off the front. They split off a small group, but were tracked down after a couple of corners by Dan Smith and Hunter P. Aidan C kept on it though and the pace stayed solid thru the rollers before Boulder Rd. No further attacks until into the final kilometer, where Steve B had one more attack off the front going up the final kicker by the farm. Ben Bruce went with him but the two didn't have the legs to stay off the front. Little T rolled thru in the nick of time to take it ahead of Steve.

Another fantastic ride everyone! The weather looks crummy for the next ride, but the hour-by-hour forecast has been improving.