There was nothing too exciting about this weeks ride. Just a bunch of ol bikers tryin to puttn on the hurt on each other.
Things started a bit weird with Chris B soft pedaling slightly off the front on Route 10. He was joined by French Casey, Hunter P, Guido and Hacker. That group turned off of route 10 with the peloton less then 15 yards behind. Once off of route 10 though it was game on, with Chris B and Guido sprinting and TT'ing for the first mile or so. Casey got involved and then Hacker and then Hunter P. The group rolled thru some late comers and picked up young Brian Suto from Bethel Cycle. Soon enough though, French Casey and Suto would get left behind, leaving the 4 to work together and extend their gap. They did and by the time the group got onto Mount Vernon Rd past 322, it was pretty evident that they would stay away at least till the turnaround. All four were working with Hacker taking the lead in making sure things stayed together and Guido of course mashing on the pedals and encouraging the most efficient pace\pull time\wind direction ratio's. Behind the chase was not very smooth, ranging from fast to unfriendly to downright amateurish. The usual strong guys ( Zanes, CVC, Chris C & Stage One ) were the ones making the pace high.
Upfront, the leading group hit the turnaround together with Hacker hitting the corner hard, making Hunter P chase and Guido getting slightly gapped. The 3 slowed once onto West St letting Guido claw back on. Chris B then rode a solid pace, letting Hunter P time a good jump and hold off Hacker for the sprint. The group stayed together for the backside. Behind, traffic messed things up for the main bunch and killed a good contest to the line for the Peloton.
There was a brutal head wind for the way home and that would def eat into the lead group's advantage. By the time the 4 crossed route 322 again the pack was in sight and right behind, although caught at the red light. That got things moving a little more efficiently upfront and the leading 4 were able to make it onto Route 10 still out of sight of the chasers. The leaders picked up some stragglers and got a little help in driving up the hill by Cheshire Park. But heading into the Stop n Shop sprint, they were all alone again and Hacker was able to get this one after a solid lead out by Hunter P failed to give Chris B the springboard he needed. Behind in the bunch, Eric M and Mike McG were going hard and puttin blood in everyone's spit.
The headwind continued to wreck the front, as Hacker rolled off after the sprint and put his head down to get back to homebase alone. Guido was having none of that and whipped everyone in shape, driving a brutal pace after all the lights in Cheshire to reconnect and close down the 500 meter gap. Guido got rewarded for the efforts ( Correction- Hacker gets it )
Behind, in the disorganized pack, Little T rolled thru the finish first.
Tuesday the 27th
Guns and Body Armor everyone.... Guns and body armor....
Good ride tonight.... The usual healthy family of riders out to enjoy the nice weather. Let the 3rd half of the season commence!
The ride started with Fire and Brimstone as Ciocci, Rondo and Eric M hit the front and set a good tempo. LaFlamme joined up and all that orange and black up front kept everyone on high alert for most of the first 5 miles of the ride. Guido, Builder Pete, Hunter P, John Gregory was up there as well. Soon Chris C, LaFlamme and VQ Rob rolled up and that was enough to keep it going good. No one attacked though. Chris C punched it a bit onto South Brooksvale but it was all together ( albeit stretched out ) to Route 68. Credit always-at-the-front VQ Rob with bonus wattage points and Hacker with closing down a couple of gaps on Mountain rd.
Moving on to the uphill section up to Marion rd, Hacker led it with an assist from Steve Grey. The ride then settled down for a while past Route 322. The false flat section shook things in familiar fashion, this time letting Rondo, VQ, Gordan D, Ciocci, Joe K, and a couple of others get some breathing room. That didnt last long though. Props to Joe K for stinking it out at the front and keeping the hammer down after the deck was reshuffled. After a kilo or 2, everyone settled down and got ready for the turn south. This week's sprint would be a good one.
Heading up before Welch Rd, VQ Rob powered off the front, followed by Hunter P. That led to a strong CCR trio ( Matt Sack, Chris B and Joe J ) getting some space off the front. That wassnt going any where though as Hacker, Rondo, Eric M and a couple of others kept it tight thru the turn onto Welch. The CCR guys dropped back as the law offices of McG Little T and Guido opened shop. It was pretty much as full out to the corner as we've seen it this year with at least 7 guys following Chris C's initial jump. McG and Little T, Hacker, Steve Grey, Matt Sack, Chris C, Hunter P, Ciocci, and Chris B most noteworthy.... once onto West St, Scott Glenney from Berlin bike spat something impressive out and attacked off that front group that was closed to being gassed. Strong move.... Glenney had a good look at the finish, although it was a long way off still. Steve Grey, Hacker and Little T regrouped and dragged back those 30 meters in time for a showdown to the line. Little T got to the front and stayed there, continuing his season long dominance of the sprint.
Everyone got to stop at a couple of the next lights and catch their breath. That calmed the ride down all the way back to Peck Ln in Cheshire. The ride should be interesting the remaining weeks after Peck Lane is repaired as it will no doubt let the strong guys think less about the road surface and more about hitting the hill there with intent to kill.
The Stop n Shop sprint was a little less dramatic... Mike McG jumped earliest with Little T getting onto his wheel late, Scott Glenney was again there along with a new guy on a white Cervelo. Little T took this one as well.
Going back into Hamden was nice and swift, despite some moronic riding up front thru a stopped car and a bus. Once it got going again it was a group effort to the end, and with a lot of bodies up at the front Guido was able to ride the wave past the Zane's train and hold off Chris B, Scott Glenney, and a CCBer to get to the end first
Good ride tonight.... The usual healthy family of riders out to enjoy the nice weather. Let the 3rd half of the season commence!
The ride started with Fire and Brimstone as Ciocci, Rondo and Eric M hit the front and set a good tempo. LaFlamme joined up and all that orange and black up front kept everyone on high alert for most of the first 5 miles of the ride. Guido, Builder Pete, Hunter P, John Gregory was up there as well. Soon Chris C, LaFlamme and VQ Rob rolled up and that was enough to keep it going good. No one attacked though. Chris C punched it a bit onto South Brooksvale but it was all together ( albeit stretched out ) to Route 68. Credit always-at-the-front VQ Rob with bonus wattage points and Hacker with closing down a couple of gaps on Mountain rd.
Moving on to the uphill section up to Marion rd, Hacker led it with an assist from Steve Grey. The ride then settled down for a while past Route 322. The false flat section shook things in familiar fashion, this time letting Rondo, VQ, Gordan D, Ciocci, Joe K, and a couple of others get some breathing room. That didnt last long though. Props to Joe K for stinking it out at the front and keeping the hammer down after the deck was reshuffled. After a kilo or 2, everyone settled down and got ready for the turn south. This week's sprint would be a good one.
Heading up before Welch Rd, VQ Rob powered off the front, followed by Hunter P. That led to a strong CCR trio ( Matt Sack, Chris B and Joe J ) getting some space off the front. That wassnt going any where though as Hacker, Rondo, Eric M and a couple of others kept it tight thru the turn onto Welch. The CCR guys dropped back as the law offices of McG Little T and Guido opened shop. It was pretty much as full out to the corner as we've seen it this year with at least 7 guys following Chris C's initial jump. McG and Little T, Hacker, Steve Grey, Matt Sack, Chris C, Hunter P, Ciocci, and Chris B most noteworthy.... once onto West St, Scott Glenney from Berlin bike spat something impressive out and attacked off that front group that was closed to being gassed. Strong move.... Glenney had a good look at the finish, although it was a long way off still. Steve Grey, Hacker and Little T regrouped and dragged back those 30 meters in time for a showdown to the line. Little T got to the front and stayed there, continuing his season long dominance of the sprint.
Everyone got to stop at a couple of the next lights and catch their breath. That calmed the ride down all the way back to Peck Ln in Cheshire. The ride should be interesting the remaining weeks after Peck Lane is repaired as it will no doubt let the strong guys think less about the road surface and more about hitting the hill there with intent to kill.
The Stop n Shop sprint was a little less dramatic... Mike McG jumped earliest with Little T getting onto his wheel late, Scott Glenney was again there along with a new guy on a white Cervelo. Little T took this one as well.
Going back into Hamden was nice and swift, despite some moronic riding up front thru a stopped car and a bus. Once it got going again it was a group effort to the end, and with a lot of bodies up at the front Guido was able to ride the wave past the Zane's train and hold off Chris B, Scott Glenney, and a CCBer to get to the end first
Tuesday the 20th
Next week, Gogu and Scott Kaplan report on the TWC!
Today's ride started off in a mellow way, and it took longer than normal to get up to speed. French Casey and Gregg F finally got things rolling along with Guido and Thomaas B. From there it was a steady tempo thru the cobbles and onto Mount Sanford. The ride went from “summer BBQ” to training ride as Hacker, Little T, and Mike McG moved up. Good to see Peter P also up, there semi retarded ( tho getting better ) and all. There was a small split heading up onto South Brooksvale but that was pretty quickly sewed up. VQ Rob and Eric M with other Zane's rides led the field onto Mountain Rd, looking antsy the whole time. Turning onto Mountain was quick as Hunter P, Eric M, JoshyG and Ciocci pegged it on the early parts. JoshyG kept it up, dragging Chris C and one other up the road for a brief bit. That was corralled pretty quickly and JoshyG stayed up front along VQ and a couple of others. Soon enough the front started rotating pretty well and it was steady all the way to Routye 68.
Eric M, W Thompson, Ciocci, Hunter P and JoshyG got things going on Moss Farms. JoshyG fiercely pulled thru a couple of times with no one willing to immediately able to back him up. The young Zane guys where there for the most part. Gordon “Lightfoot” also was present as the ride turned into the Chicane. Eric M and mostly Ciocci led it up to Marion with Hunter P making a late surge that no one followed so it was all together heading to Route 322. Everyone got thru the light without stopping which was a nice bonus. From there Chris B hit the front and would not relinquish his spot till the ski hill. The ride was uneventful moving on from there. The usual guys were up front keeping it steady. Things started to get interesting on the false flat section with VQ Rob and Rondo duking it out. Chris B, Chris C, Eric M and hunter P were there to follow up. It went single file for a solid 3\4 mile.
Heading to the Welch Rd there was a small group very slightly off the front... .Little T, a CCBer, VQ Rob and one other.... Gregg F pulled it back together as guys started to think about who to watch to the corner. Hacker just then timed a strong attack well, with Guido in tow. It caught enough guys by surprise so that no one immediately followed. Eric M and then Thomaas B dug deep and jumped to close down the gap. Up front, Guido was helping Hacker to the corner first. Behind, Mike McG and Little T were squaring up with MaHoney, Crowle, and Silent Steve getting in the way as well. Sure enough, the gap was coming down as Thomaas B and Eric M had shut down the engines. Hacker made it thru the corner cleanly and left Guido for dead. Chris C jumped hard from the pack taking Little T with him. T quickly dumped that ride, making made up the difference and joining Hacker by 100 meters after the corner. Ciocci jumped latest of all but was 3rd wheel squaring up for the run in to the sprint, although well behind Hacker and Little T. Hacker had sat up and wasnt going to tow Little T up the road, giving Ciocci a chance to make the catch, all the while dragging Hunter P. Just as the four were coming together, JoshyG shot up the right side, having gained speed all the way from the corner. His jump was strong enough to not let anyone follow him. Chris B came up and tried to get him a couple of seconds after, and then Peter P followed suit, etc and so on.... So with 8 guys all of a sudden together, it gave Mike McG and Little T a second chance at the sprint. SO with 150 meters to go Mike jumped and took Little T with him. T was able to catch JoshyG, but Joshy had to pause ever so slightly for the last light before the top of the hill. So then it was a 2 horse race to the line ( the black mailbox on the right). It was a close call with Little t probably getting over the top of Joshy. This one officially goes to JoshyG though on account of him slowing that little bit for the light. ( at least he didnt get a traffic ticket this time )
The next noteworthy part of the ride was the descent down West St, which was milled into a haphazrd stretch grooves and ridges. There were probably 5 or 6 flats thru the 1\5 mile section. Eric M the first to go, shredding his sidewalls as he came to a slow stop. Dillon P also flatted. Mike McG used to opportunity to try to use the harmonic properties of carbon fiber to speedwobble open a wormhole in the universe. Remarkably, Rondo “smooth as butter” Fantano made it thru with VQ Rob. Rondo turned back to aid his teammates, and quite a few guys stopped. The group of 20 that rode on had to detour when it seemed that some driver had decided to takeout a telephone pole right before route 322. When all was said and done the earnest riding didnt get going again till Peck Ln. It was slightly slower from there on out, as the the front group had lost a lot of horsies. But it still remained competitive, as Ciocci was continuing to ride strong as well as Attorney Gordon and Chris B. The Stop n Shop sprint was easily won by Hunter P with Gregg F and John Gregory coming in after. For the finale, Central Wheel Dennis, Eldest Foley, the new young guy in the red jersey (?) and Hunter P all squared up. Chris B rode off in familiar fashion, but took the new guy from San Fran area ( Sothby's kit ) with him. Sothby's took it, easily coming around Chris B. Back in the B ( for broken ) group, Eric M, LaFlamme, Rondo and a couple of others took it easy and followed Dillon P to Cheshire Cycle to buy some tires purchased from Malaysia, but relabeled to make em look like Conti's...... haha jokes on them!
Today's ride started off in a mellow way, and it took longer than normal to get up to speed. French Casey and Gregg F finally got things rolling along with Guido and Thomaas B. From there it was a steady tempo thru the cobbles and onto Mount Sanford. The ride went from “summer BBQ” to training ride as Hacker, Little T, and Mike McG moved up. Good to see Peter P also up, there semi retarded ( tho getting better ) and all. There was a small split heading up onto South Brooksvale but that was pretty quickly sewed up. VQ Rob and Eric M with other Zane's rides led the field onto Mountain Rd, looking antsy the whole time. Turning onto Mountain was quick as Hunter P, Eric M, JoshyG and Ciocci pegged it on the early parts. JoshyG kept it up, dragging Chris C and one other up the road for a brief bit. That was corralled pretty quickly and JoshyG stayed up front along VQ and a couple of others. Soon enough the front started rotating pretty well and it was steady all the way to Routye 68.
Eric M, W Thompson, Ciocci, Hunter P and JoshyG got things going on Moss Farms. JoshyG fiercely pulled thru a couple of times with no one willing to immediately able to back him up. The young Zane guys where there for the most part. Gordon “Lightfoot” also was present as the ride turned into the Chicane. Eric M and mostly Ciocci led it up to Marion with Hunter P making a late surge that no one followed so it was all together heading to Route 322. Everyone got thru the light without stopping which was a nice bonus. From there Chris B hit the front and would not relinquish his spot till the ski hill. The ride was uneventful moving on from there. The usual guys were up front keeping it steady. Things started to get interesting on the false flat section with VQ Rob and Rondo duking it out. Chris B, Chris C, Eric M and hunter P were there to follow up. It went single file for a solid 3\4 mile.
Heading to the Welch Rd there was a small group very slightly off the front... .Little T, a CCBer, VQ Rob and one other.... Gregg F pulled it back together as guys started to think about who to watch to the corner. Hacker just then timed a strong attack well, with Guido in tow. It caught enough guys by surprise so that no one immediately followed. Eric M and then Thomaas B dug deep and jumped to close down the gap. Up front, Guido was helping Hacker to the corner first. Behind, Mike McG and Little T were squaring up with MaHoney, Crowle, and Silent Steve getting in the way as well. Sure enough, the gap was coming down as Thomaas B and Eric M had shut down the engines. Hacker made it thru the corner cleanly and left Guido for dead. Chris C jumped hard from the pack taking Little T with him. T quickly dumped that ride, making made up the difference and joining Hacker by 100 meters after the corner. Ciocci jumped latest of all but was 3rd wheel squaring up for the run in to the sprint, although well behind Hacker and Little T. Hacker had sat up and wasnt going to tow Little T up the road, giving Ciocci a chance to make the catch, all the while dragging Hunter P. Just as the four were coming together, JoshyG shot up the right side, having gained speed all the way from the corner. His jump was strong enough to not let anyone follow him. Chris B came up and tried to get him a couple of seconds after, and then Peter P followed suit, etc and so on.... So with 8 guys all of a sudden together, it gave Mike McG and Little T a second chance at the sprint. SO with 150 meters to go Mike jumped and took Little T with him. T was able to catch JoshyG, but Joshy had to pause ever so slightly for the last light before the top of the hill. So then it was a 2 horse race to the line ( the black mailbox on the right). It was a close call with Little t probably getting over the top of Joshy. This one officially goes to JoshyG though on account of him slowing that little bit for the light. ( at least he didnt get a traffic ticket this time )
The next noteworthy part of the ride was the descent down West St, which was milled into a haphazrd stretch grooves and ridges. There were probably 5 or 6 flats thru the 1\5 mile section. Eric M the first to go, shredding his sidewalls as he came to a slow stop. Dillon P also flatted. Mike McG used to opportunity to try to use the harmonic properties of carbon fiber to speedwobble open a wormhole in the universe. Remarkably, Rondo “smooth as butter” Fantano made it thru with VQ Rob. Rondo turned back to aid his teammates, and quite a few guys stopped. The group of 20 that rode on had to detour when it seemed that some driver had decided to takeout a telephone pole right before route 322. When all was said and done the earnest riding didnt get going again till Peck Ln. It was slightly slower from there on out, as the the front group had lost a lot of horsies. But it still remained competitive, as Ciocci was continuing to ride strong as well as Attorney Gordon and Chris B. The Stop n Shop sprint was easily won by Hunter P with Gregg F and John Gregory coming in after. For the finale, Central Wheel Dennis, Eldest Foley, the new young guy in the red jersey (?) and Hunter P all squared up. Chris B rode off in familiar fashion, but took the new guy from San Fran area ( Sothby's kit ) with him. Sothby's took it, easily coming around Chris B. Back in the B ( for broken ) group, Eric M, LaFlamme, Rondo and a couple of others took it easy and followed Dillon P to Cheshire Cycle to buy some tires purchased from Malaysia, but relabeled to make em look like Conti's...... haha jokes on them!
Tuesday the 13th
The rain killed the ride tonight like the Col de la Madeleine killed Cadel. There was a small group that did go out amidst rain wind and thunder..... Rondo and Robyn "Podium" Passander, Chris C, Rattatatata, Eric M, MaHoney, Guido and a few others.... Hats off... oops, errr..... "Chapeau" to them.....
See ya'll next week
See ya'll next week
Tuesday the 6th
It was hotter then donut grease tonight for the ride. A group of about 40-50 guys rolled out and Dillon P and Joe K got everyone rolling into Cheshire. The real stories on the night would take a good news bad news angle. All the CCR guys were riding concerned for Matt Sack, who crashed hard during the Fitchburg Crit. Matt is a tough guy who was having a great stage race and despite road rash all over and staples in his head he was looking to ride even tonight. Get some rest Matt. On the flip side we were treated to domestic pro COREY COLLIER hitting up the ride with us. Corey would be active at the front pretty much right from the start and as everyone tried to get on his dance card, the ride ended up being all the more interesting for it. Many times, starting right on Mountain Road, there were surges, and gaps formed as the pro would seemingly nary break a sweat and ride off with 3 or 4 guys at a time. Everyone seemed to have a chance to either jump on a break or chase one down. Mike McG chased hard, Special Ed, Chris C, John Gregory ( aka Rondo ), Chris MaHoney, Joe K, etc. It would take a while but late on West St, Collier rode off the front with a small group. Give Ciocci, Guido, Hacker, and BenGe props for sticking it out. The break got a boost when they made a light on West St.
The last ditch efforts came right before the turn onto West St. from Joe K, Peter K and a couple of others to try to salvage the sprint ( which Hacker took ) but when it was apparent that no one would be catching the break, the Peleton went into summertime chat mode. From there, it the pace was easy as everyone was feeling the heat. We got to hear pearls of wisdom from Mike McG - “ if you take 4 links outta a bike chain, it wont work”. Despite the heat, credit Joe K, and a couple of newbies for mounting a respectable chase when no one else would before heading back over route 322 on the way into Cheshire.
The last ditch efforts came right before the turn onto West St. from Joe K, Peter K and a couple of others to try to salvage the sprint ( which Hacker took ) but when it was apparent that no one would be catching the break, the Peleton went into summertime chat mode. From there, it the pace was easy as everyone was feeling the heat. We got to hear pearls of wisdom from Mike McG - “ if you take 4 links outta a bike chain, it wont work”. Despite the heat, credit Joe K, and a couple of newbies for mounting a respectable chase when no one else would before heading back over route 322 on the way into Cheshire.
Tuesday the 29th
Weekend race training proves valuable for the real prize….. The SGR
Everyone was slow in getting going as Mike McG and Little T led the ride into the back roads. Dillon P and Ciocci got things going though soon after, and Mike was obliged to follow suit. Also present at was Chris Mahoney, Eric M, Todd H and Jacinto. The ride crept along Mount Sanford and then onto South Brooksvale with no one really taking the initiative. Coming up to Mountain road, Julio L, Hacker, and Joshy G were seen making their way up to the front and it got strung out a bit from that. Hacker drilled it fr a bit once past the climbing part of Mountain Rd and that got things going as well. Halfway thru the Mountain the CCB duo moved up along with Chris B and Hunter P. That kept the pace high and guys like Joshy G, VQ Rob, and the Tall Timex Girl rotated thru and contributed. Coming up to the light there was a surge from CCB and Joshy G, no doubt to try to catch a green light, but everyone had to stop.
Things got going quick on Moss Farms when Hacker zipped up the right side and hit the front with CCB. The pace was crisp as no one was letting any real gaps form to the pacemakers. Hacker and Eric M led thru the chicane and some weird traffic slowed the group a bit. Hacker sat up a bit on the hill up to Marion and Eric also slid back. The trip up to the turnaround was a little slower than usual. On the run in to Route 322, Larry M and a CCBer snuck off the front, to which Mike McG and Hunter P responded quickly and bridged up. The four had a small gap that could’ve been dangerous if they made it thru the light alone. But everyone else, led by Guido and Chris B snuck thru the light with varying amounts of conviction. Hacker kept up the pace and Guido along with Hunter P joined up with him. That was short lived though as everyone else behind got their act together quickly. After that, a small group was allowed to ride off. ( Thomaas B, Chris B, Ciocci, Eric M, Larry M, Todd H and a couple of others ). It was slow getting going behind them but once it did, it went fast and it put the screws to more than a few riders. A couple got popped off the back ( and one was even thrown right off his platform pedals into the grass ) thanks to the slow-then-fast speed as it was single file to reconnect with the lead group, who was also booking it. Within a mile or so, it was all back together and normal up at the front. From there it was standard fare up till the false flat, where efforts from Larry M, Joshy G, Rondo, Hunter P, dropped a couple more. It led also led to a good sized group getting a gap a kilo down the road. CCB pinned it along with Zane’s and it was a scramble for the front of the peleton to catch up. Once they did Hunter P, trying to open things up for some of the CCR guys who don’t have “Little T finishing speed” attacked. It drew out the CCBer, Chris B and Little T. The gap was covered by Gregg F, Mahoney and VQ Rob but the front was anything but organized turning onto the corner of Welch Rd.
In the ensuing scramble, after Chris B made a strong pull and allowed a small group to ride into the corner with about a 20 meter gap. Steve Grey, Hacker, Matt Sack from CCR, Ciocci and maybe one other, with enough room to hold it to the sprint. Hacker was able to stay in front of Matt S, who surprised all with a hard fought “second”.
Heading down from there and going thru the subsequent lights, the strong trio of Eric M, Joshy G and Hacker snuck off the front and held a gap all the up to route 322, despite some decent chasing from Mike McG, CCB and Hunter P.
Once over 322, Chris B tried to sneak off the front, but wasn’t given much room. It was splintered and disorganized heading up to Peck ln and then slowed down to get back onto Route 10. Going thru the first couple of lights on Route 10, Eric M and Josh G sneaked off the front again and were making a bee line to the Stop n Sprint. Behind them, Mahoney, CCB and Larry M were setting tempo at the front. Behind them, the real trouble was brewing as Mike McG was setting up Little T with Vq Rob and Hunter P playing rock-paper-scissors for his wheel. Mike launched Little T in the usual spot and only Hunter followed, T was able to get by Eric M and Joshy, who now looked slow, and took this one with a small to middland amount of room to spare.
The run-in to Hamden was standard fare, with lots of arm chair quarterbacks surging up to get some last minute TV time. It led to a larger then usual group with a shot at the finale. Guido and VQ Rob pulled hard one last time to make sure there would be no faking it, and between the trio of Mike McG, Little T, and Larry M, it was a loose call with Little T taking the corner first.
Everyone was slow in getting going as Mike McG and Little T led the ride into the back roads. Dillon P and Ciocci got things going though soon after, and Mike was obliged to follow suit. Also present at was Chris Mahoney, Eric M, Todd H and Jacinto. The ride crept along Mount Sanford and then onto South Brooksvale with no one really taking the initiative. Coming up to Mountain road, Julio L, Hacker, and Joshy G were seen making their way up to the front and it got strung out a bit from that. Hacker drilled it fr a bit once past the climbing part of Mountain Rd and that got things going as well. Halfway thru the Mountain the CCB duo moved up along with Chris B and Hunter P. That kept the pace high and guys like Joshy G, VQ Rob, and the Tall Timex Girl rotated thru and contributed. Coming up to the light there was a surge from CCB and Joshy G, no doubt to try to catch a green light, but everyone had to stop.
Things got going quick on Moss Farms when Hacker zipped up the right side and hit the front with CCB. The pace was crisp as no one was letting any real gaps form to the pacemakers. Hacker and Eric M led thru the chicane and some weird traffic slowed the group a bit. Hacker sat up a bit on the hill up to Marion and Eric also slid back. The trip up to the turnaround was a little slower than usual. On the run in to Route 322, Larry M and a CCBer snuck off the front, to which Mike McG and Hunter P responded quickly and bridged up. The four had a small gap that could’ve been dangerous if they made it thru the light alone. But everyone else, led by Guido and Chris B snuck thru the light with varying amounts of conviction. Hacker kept up the pace and Guido along with Hunter P joined up with him. That was short lived though as everyone else behind got their act together quickly. After that, a small group was allowed to ride off. ( Thomaas B, Chris B, Ciocci, Eric M, Larry M, Todd H and a couple of others ). It was slow getting going behind them but once it did, it went fast and it put the screws to more than a few riders. A couple got popped off the back ( and one was even thrown right off his platform pedals into the grass ) thanks to the slow-then-fast speed as it was single file to reconnect with the lead group, who was also booking it. Within a mile or so, it was all back together and normal up at the front. From there it was standard fare up till the false flat, where efforts from Larry M, Joshy G, Rondo, Hunter P, dropped a couple more. It led also led to a good sized group getting a gap a kilo down the road. CCB pinned it along with Zane’s and it was a scramble for the front of the peleton to catch up. Once they did Hunter P, trying to open things up for some of the CCR guys who don’t have “Little T finishing speed” attacked. It drew out the CCBer, Chris B and Little T. The gap was covered by Gregg F, Mahoney and VQ Rob but the front was anything but organized turning onto the corner of Welch Rd.
In the ensuing scramble, after Chris B made a strong pull and allowed a small group to ride into the corner with about a 20 meter gap. Steve Grey, Hacker, Matt Sack from CCR, Ciocci and maybe one other, with enough room to hold it to the sprint. Hacker was able to stay in front of Matt S, who surprised all with a hard fought “second”.
Heading down from there and going thru the subsequent lights, the strong trio of Eric M, Joshy G and Hacker snuck off the front and held a gap all the up to route 322, despite some decent chasing from Mike McG, CCB and Hunter P.
Once over 322, Chris B tried to sneak off the front, but wasn’t given much room. It was splintered and disorganized heading up to Peck ln and then slowed down to get back onto Route 10. Going thru the first couple of lights on Route 10, Eric M and Josh G sneaked off the front again and were making a bee line to the Stop n Sprint. Behind them, Mahoney, CCB and Larry M were setting tempo at the front. Behind them, the real trouble was brewing as Mike McG was setting up Little T with Vq Rob and Hunter P playing rock-paper-scissors for his wheel. Mike launched Little T in the usual spot and only Hunter followed, T was able to get by Eric M and Joshy, who now looked slow, and took this one with a small to middland amount of room to spare.
The run-in to Hamden was standard fare, with lots of arm chair quarterbacks surging up to get some last minute TV time. It led to a larger then usual group with a shot at the finale. Guido and VQ Rob pulled hard one last time to make sure there would be no faking it, and between the trio of Mike McG, Little T, and Larry M, it was a loose call with Little T taking the corner first.
Tuesday the 22nd
This is the best place to show-off wind tunnel tested wheel skewers!
The weather was crap tonight, with a light rain all night. Still, at least 40 guys showed up.
Eric M and sidekick DaFlame, as per usual, were the early go-fasters. They had help from Dave H, VQ Rob, and Hunter P. Ciocci also got involved and it got quick thru the cobbles. It was quick up to Mountain Road. Then a healthy Guido, BenG, and Larry M got involved. Mike McG, Tim Ratta and Rondo were the next group to hit the front. Rondo was fresh off surprising everyone with a strong ride at The Harlem Skyscraper. Seems he has been taking advice from an old master. There was enough bodies up there to keep it quick all the way to Mountain Rd. Ratta hit the rizers first, followed with a surge from Hunter P. Eric M kept up with that but the 2 eased up on the backside and the gap was gone quickly. Chris C, and Eddy A were up there setting a good tempo.
Chris B tried to escape toward the end of Mountain road, but everyone hit the light together. Eric M and LaFlame were up there again with VQ and Larry M on Moss Farms. Guido jumped off the front toward the end of Moss and going thru the corner, slid a tire out on the still wet roads. He didn’t go down too hard and wasn’t moving that fast, but it was still a bummer to have to watch. It took a while to get everyone on the same page, as a small group kinda kept going. But when Guido was confirmed ok, the riding slowly got back to normal. Team Zane’s got it going on Mount Vernon along with Ratta.
For the Turnaround Sprint, Little T had little trouble dispatching it. Mike McG and Chris B were duking it out well behind him. VQ kept up the pressure past that, and had a small gap on the backside with Eddy A chasing. The peleton met up with the crew of guys ( mostly new havener’s who like to go fast ) who had properly waited for Guido. Shame on those who didn’t take a moment from the mostly futile efforts of glory to see if Mr Wollmann was ok.
Fast forward a bunch and the Zane’s Leadout was back to business for the Stop n Sprint. This time tho it was a little sloppy, with Rondo getting Eric M off the front. Eric couldn’t hold the gap for the very long run in, so that left Mike McG to make sure Little T was in a good spot. T jumped out with Hunter P and Ratta in tow, with Hunter the only one to give him any trouble. Little T had this one sewed up pretty good as well.
The rest of the ride was standard issue…. Rondo, Guido, and Chris B being the most active heading back into Hamden. Chris B had a good gap heading into the finale but had to sit up. Time to go wash the bikes and dry the shoes...
The weather was crap tonight, with a light rain all night. Still, at least 40 guys showed up.
Eric M and sidekick DaFlame, as per usual, were the early go-fasters. They had help from Dave H, VQ Rob, and Hunter P. Ciocci also got involved and it got quick thru the cobbles. It was quick up to Mountain Road. Then a healthy Guido, BenG, and Larry M got involved. Mike McG, Tim Ratta and Rondo were the next group to hit the front. Rondo was fresh off surprising everyone with a strong ride at The Harlem Skyscraper. Seems he has been taking advice from an old master. There was enough bodies up there to keep it quick all the way to Mountain Rd. Ratta hit the rizers first, followed with a surge from Hunter P. Eric M kept up with that but the 2 eased up on the backside and the gap was gone quickly. Chris C, and Eddy A were up there setting a good tempo.
Chris B tried to escape toward the end of Mountain road, but everyone hit the light together. Eric M and LaFlame were up there again with VQ and Larry M on Moss Farms. Guido jumped off the front toward the end of Moss and going thru the corner, slid a tire out on the still wet roads. He didn’t go down too hard and wasn’t moving that fast, but it was still a bummer to have to watch. It took a while to get everyone on the same page, as a small group kinda kept going. But when Guido was confirmed ok, the riding slowly got back to normal. Team Zane’s got it going on Mount Vernon along with Ratta.
For the Turnaround Sprint, Little T had little trouble dispatching it. Mike McG and Chris B were duking it out well behind him. VQ kept up the pressure past that, and had a small gap on the backside with Eddy A chasing. The peleton met up with the crew of guys ( mostly new havener’s who like to go fast ) who had properly waited for Guido. Shame on those who didn’t take a moment from the mostly futile efforts of glory to see if Mr Wollmann was ok.
Fast forward a bunch and the Zane’s Leadout was back to business for the Stop n Sprint. This time tho it was a little sloppy, with Rondo getting Eric M off the front. Eric couldn’t hold the gap for the very long run in, so that left Mike McG to make sure Little T was in a good spot. T jumped out with Hunter P and Ratta in tow, with Hunter the only one to give him any trouble. Little T had this one sewed up pretty good as well.
The rest of the ride was standard issue…. Rondo, Guido, and Chris B being the most active heading back into Hamden. Chris B had a good gap heading into the finale but had to sit up. Time to go wash the bikes and dry the shoes...
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