A solid crew of 13 riders -- Dean P., Dean S., Brian J., Roscoe, Nate, Chris D., Caleb, Alex, Sonny, James, Bruce, Ted, and John J. -- departed from the church for a breezy and unseasonably warm Tuesday Night Ride. Things got off to a fast start, with the first third of the ride being polished off at a solid 26 mph despite a bit of a crosswind that may have dislodged at least one rider. Most stayed on through the rollers of Nassawango, but things got hot at the end of Dividing Creek.
Dean P. and Roscoe got a small gap and before long, Brian J. and Dean S bridged up. This fearsome foursome thought they’d made the winning move, but the field disagreed. Ted led the charge (which cost him a few miles later), and after about 8 minutes of chasing, the field was mostly back together. Solid work shutting down the break! Sporadic attacks up Whitesburg and Stevens didn’t have much effect on the survivors who basically stayed together until the overpass was in sight. Brian took a flyer and built a decent cushion between him and field. The Deans, however, mercilessly tracked him down, with Sullivan leading the charge for a Pierson victory. Brian hung on for bronze.
The 40 miles course was completed in about 1 hr 36 min for an average speed of 25.1 mph. Great work, OVC! Stay tuned for a Poolesville report.