|
 The 1999 Equinox Tour Well, it was typical Equinox weather: grey skies, West winds 10-20 mph, about 38 degrees F. and snow showers. But the 30 riders who turned out for this 50 mile "reliability tour" headed out strong at 11:00 Sunday, March 21. This 23rd Spring ride was, as usual, treated as a road race by about half the cyclists. Denny Noward, as usual, had done a fine job of marking the long course with day-glo orange arrows, making it hard to get lost on the flat, open-country route through the bare farmland to the village of McClure, Ohio. Dave Komives took the first sprint sign at Haskins. [MVW) Treasurer] Steve Sams claimed the Sprint sign in Tontogany.
By the time the
leader arrived in Tontogany the lead group was down to about 13 riders. Many had dropped
off tired of chasing Jeff Ray’s attacks and Steve Sams' strong pulls into the head
wind and snow pellets..
Komives dropped
his jacket and stopped to pick it up. After Dave was discovered missing of the back Jeff
Ray dropped back to help him chase down the pack. After chasing the pack down Long Judson
for probably 5 miles into a nasty head wind they were drawing near to the pack. As the
pack turned onto Wapakoneta Road they eased up and let Komives and Ray get back on, at
which point Ray jumped again. Just prior to the turn from Poe onto Rt. 65, as I was trying
to tell Steve Clark where the McClure sprint sign was, he dropped his water bottle. So a
few of us held up for him while the rest sprinted to McClure. The lead group stopped at
the gas station for a potty break and to munch on their energy bars.
A group of 13
were the first to arrive in McClure. Consisted of (in no particular order): Jeff Ray,
Steve Sams, Tony Gwin, Andy Morrison, Eric Snider, Dave Teall, [MVW V.P.] Jim
Allen, Steve Clark, Dave Komives, Karen McKee, Rob Selle, Adam Slough, and Andy Wenberg.
Heading out of town, the lead group picked up a few stragglers who turned around and
latched onto the draft.
Shortly after
turning onto Poe Road Steve Clark picked up the pace to 27 mph. A few miles down the rode
Jeff Ray came up to give Dr. Steve a break and picked the pace up to at least 30 mph. Of
course, the group started falling apart then. On long Judson the lead group became Steve
Clark, Jeff Ray and Dave Komives. A group consisting of Andy Morrison, Eric Snyder, Jim
Allen, Dave Teall and Pio Apostoli worked hard down long Judson try to gain on the
leaders. I chased this group for a few Miles Down Long Judson and up Range Line. (I almost
lost it on an oil slick at that corner; Jeff Ray and Dave Komives had wiped out there when
they came around it.) I finally caught that second chase group at the turn onto Kellogg.)
We worked
together for awhile, wishing the wind was a bit more directly at our back and not so
strong when we headed North; we were wearing down. On the last up hill on Tontogany Creek
Road Jim Allen's legs blew up and he fell off the back. As we headed up Hull Prairie we
lost Eric Snider as he reached his limits after another strong pull. Minutes later the) chase group was
down to Andy Morrison ( who is looking strong after a winter doing weights), Teall and
McKee as Pio dropped off.. The chase group wasn't much of a chase group anymore, as we had
no plans to catch anyone. Our goal was to be finished and off our bikes and, as usual, for
McKee, to get warmed up.
The
Finish order: Jeff Ray , Dave Komives and Steve Clark. [Never mind dropped jacket, potty break, and crash] Andy Morrison, Dave Teall and Karen McKee Pio Apostoli Eric Snyder Jim Allen (who had cut the course a bit short) Rob Selle Adam Slough, Andy Wenberg, Steve Sams and Jim Donaldson. And all the stragglers Last Updated 12/28/09 |
|
