Tuesday July 29th Training Ride: The Wheelsucker Report

If you are going to do something, you might as well do it well. And you might as well do something you are good at. And I suck wheels very well...

We had a large (30-40) group for the training ride. As usual there were always riders willing to pull hard early, while Ace, Doetschman and the other strongest riders were nowhere to be seen. The wheelsucker noted this and did a lot of sitting in, with a few very short easy pulls. The reduced peleton rolled down the route 2 shoulder, but the typical attack where it flattens and goes "false flat" shortly before the route 2 circle, did not happen. Somehow a group of stronger riders found themselves at the front early on Bayard and started a rotating paceline. Those who were unable or unwilling to take a turn drafted behind, but then slowly, inexorably, inevitably, the lead group opened up a small gap. Early on South Polling House it looked like Ace, Steve and a rapidly tiring wheelsucker (who was begging for mercy) in the lead group, but Stu "mountain biker" Waring and Eric "nine speed is all you need" Jacobsen soon joined. Despite the five leaders going hard on South Polling House, Polling House and still hard back on Bayard, the chase was right behind. The wheelsucker does not look back, he merely fixates on the wheel in front, so I am unable to report on who the strong people in the chase were. Steve and Ace put the hammer down even more after turning onto Sands Road, and the gap finally opened up. Somewhere in there Stu went OTB, but Ace, Eric, Doetschman and the wheelsucker (taking the shortest pulls and occasionally skipping a turn) stayed together all the way. Several short cutters joined at various points, but none of them were able to hang right to the finish line. Eric did a big time leadout, with Doetchman on his wheel and Ace on Doetschman. The wheelsucker tried to ride Ace's wheel when Doetschman and Ace launched, but to no avail. I *think* Doetschman held off Ace, but I was too far back to tell for sure.

Average speed from Governor Bridge Road back to the finish line was 24.99 mph.

Sue Estes brought some watermelon for after the ride. WOW, did that hit the spot after a hard, fast, hot ride! THANKS SUE!!!!!