TNR June 14 2011 (Click on images to enlarge)

Somehow Doug interrupted a nearly perfect night for Brian and stayed away on the 2nd sprint for a fine solo win. Until Mason, Doug was the only one who pulled that off. But Brian is the #1 ranked track athlete in the Country men after the races at the Blaine Velodrome in Minnesota so don’t feel too bad. The only other blemish for Brian, on a nearly perfect night where we finally saw not only sun but great temperatures, was when Adam York showed up outof the blue on M-36 about 3 miles from the Mason City Limit Sprint, Adam held Brian off barely after Brian has dispelled with the every other one of us mortals.Layne was new to the ride this week, he works at MSU in science department. Then Bradley Potter showed up, you might know that Bradley was instrumental in putting together the Anderson Mountain Bike trail in SW Lansing near Woldumar Nature Center,check it out. Bradley has been riding his bike too! He finished 6th at the Hanson Hills 100, shit fire and save matches, nice work.Speaking of HH100 where WadeBurch just finished 2nd in his age group and sixth overall, Wade just finished 2nd overall in the Michigan Mountain Mayhem this past weekend click here for results, and when you do, look for Matt Prygoski, TNR alumnus, at 4th overall. Men they both beat John Cowen and James Ignash who I have raced against many times and know to be faster than your mom. Sorry men, not done yet! Craig Newell scored a 2nd at the West Branch Road Race in the 4’s and Cary Roseth got 6th in masters. In the criterium Fast Freddie Anderson got 5th in the masters and Loren Simons took 2nd in the masters 55+. Which reminds me… Loren Hubbard made an appearance after a long absence, nice to have you back Loren. Finally, it’s been a long time since Banky missed a TNR, let alone 3 in a row, can someone ride by his house and make sure there ain’t no strange odor emitting from his crib?

It was hotter than the hinges on the door to hell (See YouTube video link below)

Three days ago everyone was complaining about the cold... no more. It was hotter in Mason yesterday than it was in Libya; Mason 96, Tripoli a cool 88. Well, as Forrest Gump put it "stupid is as stupid does" so 22 raving lunatics headed south to be flanked by a 101 degreed heat indexed 15 MPH crosswind that gave us the odd feeling of being too close to the sun. And I know these people, they ain't gonna let a little heat get in the way of having some 'fun'. So the pace whipped up and a break got away. Cary, Zach, Wade, Doug and Craig among others pushed it hard and held it to the Annis sprint where Cary took the first prize of the night. We rolled hard down Tuttle and into the crosswind again a break got away, again Cary took the sprint on Blackmore. Behind Craig (left) was coming hard aiming for any leftovers with the look of the devil himself in his eyes. Craig is straight off another fine result with 2nd place at West Branch.


Well, finally a tailwind into Leslie before it got hot in the kitchen again with Cary taking the first KOM. With the first 2 sprints and the first KOM in the bag you might think Cary was going to clean our clocks all night, but Blackmore would be his last sprint "V" of the night. Zach (right) took the Kinneville sprint. The next prize at Catholic Church would be won by Doug in a high speed tailwind power sprint. Things settled down for a time until Rexico slipped of the front and the chase was on. It's a long way to the Potter sprint Rex! But he held it in the most impressive move of the night. The headwind felt good going into Mason, even at 95 degrees it was wind! We hit 40 on M36 and at the bottom of the hill Cary was on the attack again, then Doug pulled, then Wade, a gap of 2 bike lengths meant lights out and a cruise into Mason. At the front though Craig attacked hard for the Mason sprint only to come up short again. Mark posted a fine win that required some good tactics. Well men that's about it for now, no... wait! I saved the best for last, Mike Williams videotaped the ride last night and had it edited by Francis Ford Coppola and we present it to you now. enjoy (view YouTube Video by clicking here).

I know we ain't been huricaned ner tornadoed like some folk in recent times, but what a patch! It's easy to feel like we are caught in a Tarantino movie. Nine out of ten weathermen surveyed say it's the worst spell of weather in eons. Below is an actual picture of the skies over Mason just after the conclusion of TNR.Well the will is still there and despite pending doom and from our new parking perch fourteen ventured out on the weekly pilgrimage only to be pummeled by Jeff and then by the Gods. Any of you boys have a 'circle with a line through it' rain dance now is the time to do it, because this s@#t is getting old. Craig continues his winning ways in the upgraded category taking 6th at Frankenmuth in the 4's, Chris Patterson got 2nd in the 5s, Zach Konett got 3rd in the 5s, Cary Roseth got 6th in the masters race, Fast Freddie got 3rd in the 45+, Loren Simons got 6th in the 55+, and finally Brian Crosby got 4th in the 1/2 race. TNR was flossin and flyin all over Bavaria! Here is an idea for you all... if we put a TNR team together, we would be winning these races! It is a team sport, but note that most of these results, impressive as they are we done with no team! One more mention going out to Wade Burch who got 2nd in his agegroup and 6th overall at the Hanson Hills 100.