CFT Cycling Team Tuesday Night Ride

WE WILL STICK TO OUR 5:30 START TIME TONIGHT; IMAGINE HOW THAT NORTHWEST WIND IS GOING TO FEEL HEADING FOR THE MASON/DIXON SPRINT LINE. IT SHOULDN'T GET AS BAD AS SHOWN ABOVE, BUT WE WILL BRING THE DE-ICER JUST IN CASE...SEE YOU THEN

Tnr 4/23/12 by the numbers
temps 61ish
winds NE 8ish
riders 28
average speed 19.67
top end 36ish

It was an odd weather night that greeted 28 riders. Seems like it was as dark when we finished up as when we left, but no rain, so all was good.

"Sustained effort" was how Cary described it, and I would agree. That effort cranked up once we made the turn East and never let up. Cary grabbed the first sprint and then proceeded to break away with Herr Rolfe on sprint 2. The group scrambled to organize and chase, but the damage was done and the break held. Once reorganized, we rolled through Leslie, fast, the KOM, fast and lands further East, fast.....Then things got a little weird. Mark Warner shredded a tire on the final turn heading into sprint 3 and magically out of thin air appears Mustapha in a car (he took the night off from riding and was feeling a little empty by then) and a camera. He picked Mark up, insisted on taking our picture in the middle of a cornfield, snapped a picture of the guy with the goat passing us (see pics), then disappeared again.
After the photo session, the beat continued with Cary, MSU boys, Craig and Dave Joos pushing the pace into the next two sprints.
Rolling through Mason usually becomes a warm-down. Not tonight, I must have missed the memo regarding sprint 7 which took place somewhere just before the parking lot at Spartan Speedway. It was a good night!

Dual reporting from The Bike Philanthropist and our team benefactor Steve and Webbcorp. Click Pictures to enlarge.

Click HERE for Strava file, check out each sprint and results, upload your files so Newell doesn't have all the glory.

Webbcorp - "Hot Damn Tamale Charlie, you forgot to put the lid on!" Tort Elvis, Dread Zeppelin. It's March right, wrong, these people know no season and will blow the lid off no matter what time of year it is. Normally the MSU boys are fit this time of year, no change. Working backward like Citizen Kane, Bradley Neogos took

the Mason sprint in a 23 mph south crosswind against Cary, Craig, Jay, Doug and Wade, strong result, nice work. Just after the Caholic Church Sprint Webbcorp & Blaine busted away, well mostly Blaine really (he is riding strong), they got caught by Wade and Derrick Obrien to make a 4 man break. Webbcorp - nothing, Derrick - toast, Blaine hung on the longest but after a long break Wade was too strong and went solo and was never caught, it was close but he made it, mighty fine finish. Cary took the Annis Road sprint in a crosswind. It was an ultraviolet night my brothers (line stolen from Clockwork Orange) and no drugs, who needs them when you have what we have.

Th

e Bike Philanthropist Steve - In the epic U-Boat thriller, Das Boot, there is a scene where a crippled, torpedoed freighter begins to slowly meet its demise. As it breaks up, grown men are heard groaning and screaming as their protective shelter disappears around them. That scene played out again and again this Tuesday evening. Four, maybe five times the strong cross wind slammed 32 TNR riders and slowly but surely the protective cover disappeared and the silent screams ensued. As spring continues with its strong winds we can expect more of this in the weeks to come.

Some fresh faces were there to witness, or cause the carnage. The long rumored Mason spring tour stop for Webbcorp finally materialized. The stop is smack dab in the middle of trips to Patagonia and Aspen. Cody came up from Atlanta for the night.

He was on his cross bike just to keep things even. Blaine Benson was there, fresh off his secret winter training routine provided by Brian Crosby, and it showed. AJ from MSU's hockey team made the ride. I am sure he would have rather been at Munn practicing for another shot at the Frozen Four.

As for the weather? Two years ago Tuesday after Tuesday we enjoyed stellar weather. This year is starting out the same.

until next week. sjs