A chilly start in late January did little to deter 19 riders from getting in 55 miles of pure tempo and just a little past a half past 10, 18 of the 19 starters (one abandoned do to a mechanical) set sail down Coulbourn Mill Rd. With the official start to the ride just past the 3 way at Coulbourn and Union Church, the Black n Blue Train was at full steam and as the field made its way down Whitesburg, speeds were already hovering around the 25 mph mark. Despite the brisk pace, all 18 were present and accounted for as they made their way onto the rough pavé Sand Rd.
After taking a moment for bladder relief, the peloton was back up to speed and rolling across the bone jarring tarmac of Sand and after exiting Sand, the next few miles on Scotty Rd would present the field with a mild but somewhat challenging headwind. Along the 5.5 mile stretch of Scotty, a few would surrender their seat on the Black n Blue Train leaving 15 dedicated roadies to finish off the rest of the 55 mile route. Exiting Scotty, Dividing Cr as expected offered little relief from the SW wind, but to keep the group intact, the heads of state would agree to a manageable 20 mph pace until making their way onto Courthouse. From there the wind would be somewhat favorable and the short stretch of Courthouse, the long drag up Perry Hawkins and the smooth remaining few miles on West Post Office Rd would claim one more victim leaving OVC’s Dean P, Matthew P, Brian F, Rick W, Jim V, Jim D, Jamie C, Steve J, Sean S, Bruce A, Barry B, Danny S, Kevin L G and Russ H to finish off the final few precious miles on Meadowbridge.
Approaching the outskirts of Fruitland and zeroing in on the coveted finish under the overpass on Meadowbridge, all 14 remaining riders did their part to make for a fast and furious epic run into the finish. For a full recap of the final few minutes, check out the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGfPE8jk19k
Including 2 nature breaks and a few recovery zones, the 55 mile parcours was covered in a respectabel moving time of 02:41:17 and the prescribed tempo pace was spot on at a solid power output of 186 watts (avg speed 20.4 mph). Thanks OVC for a great day in the saddle. Hope to see another nice turnout on Sunday at EVO. Until then, au revoir!!