Unseasonably chilly temps didn't discourage 12 of OVC’s finest -- Dean P., Frankie, Sean, Mark, Roscoe, Alex, Sonny, Caleb, Chris, Bruce, Steve, and Brian -- from rolling out of the church for the season’s first extended version of the Tuesday Night Ride. With the thermometer reading in the low-40Fs, the bunch was bundled up like it was January.
Once again, a tailwind ensured the trip south was turbo-charged and that casualties came early. The first victim came before Mile 5 and by Mile 10 the field was losing cohesion. With Mark out front just prior to Furnace Town, 3 more riders surged forward to get a small gap. Sensing the threat, Dean bridged up and brought Brian with him -- briefly. Brian made it to near Scotty Rd., but soon faded back to the field. Rounding out the 5-man break were Mark, Frankie, Sean, Dean, and Roscoe.
Sean, showing excellent form, hammered the group with 29 mph pulls as it battled the crosswinds on Scotty. Roscoe was forced into survival mode and wheelsucked for the majority of the next 17 miles until finally cracking with 5 to go. By this time, Frankie had also become detached, losing contact shortly after the turn on Whitesburg. Sean, Dean, and Mark all survived to the St. Luke’s overpass, with Dean outwitting Mark in the final surge to the line.
Meanwhile, the remaining riders, showing true Tuesday Night grit, continued to work together through the now-30F temps to finish only a few minutes behind the lead trio. The leaders finished the 37.5 mile course in about 1 hr 30 min for and average speed of just over 25 mph. Great ride, OVC!