Memorial Day & Beyond
Formidable Festge met it's match with 20 Drafters who staked their claim at the summit. The D Team (D for Determined, skipping C as it's so average) was born out of necessity (advancing age, young kids, lack of training- need D' list to continue?) and established a start time of 5PM. Feel free to join if you are in D' same boat.
The D Team started out as a pentagon but grew to a heptagon when they picked up Nemo and Thing 1 along the route.
D for determined, but apparently also stands for Dropped. Dan-yelly dropped a light at the beginning of the Draft, and dropped her ear buds at the post-Draft festivities. She keeps track of 3 kids and 2 dogs. Everything else is subject to being dropped. The D Team ended up hexed (6 pack) when Nemo was vexed with a cramp and dropped out. Coach Arms offered up Nuun, but no amount of electrolytes could keep Nemo spinning.
The Drafters enlisted another Newbie! Admittedly new to cycling, her greatest challenge proved to be the technological challenges of downloading a GPS file. "I knew I had to be a big person and figure out how to get the route on my phone." Welcome to the Draft, Shaq.
The B Team hit the road at 5:15. Cujo was rejected from the D Team, despite feigned fatigue from the Heywood gravel race, and a legit knee effusion. It was the right call. Cujo broke away to catch the D Team on the final stretch down Schneider Rd.
The A Team wasn't captured on camera, but reports have it that Blurple, Booker J, Busch Latte and Granny led the charge. Apparently the shutter speed wasn't adequate for their lightening speed. Granny beamed herself into the backyard seconds after the D Team arrived.
Billy Boy also beamed himself up from Sanibel to escape the madness of battling with insurance companies in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Too bad he doesn't know any good attorneys... Good to have you home, Billy Boy.
Drafter of the Week (yes, this is a thing) goes to Queenie. Recognizing a Newbie in the ranks, Queenie dutifully followed the Drafter Code of Conduct and assigned himself as Shaq's wingman. While is is being honored for his actions on Monday, it would be remiss not to mention SuperTuesday. You can pay homage and catch his beat this Sunday at Brat Fest (showtime 11:50AM) and Friday night, June 2 at Capital Brewery.
An honorable mention goes out to Pepe. Not only did he sacrifice fortune and fame by selflessly volunteering to take the photo of the illustrious B Team, but he returned the gift of beer 4 fold to BrickO. Not a bad investment.
This week's spotlight shines brightly on several Drafters (technically it shines brightly on all Drafters, but there is a word limit to the blog). CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Cookie Monster, PhD, who defended her dissertation last Thursday, giving a shout out to her Drafter family.
She is making up for lost time on the bike with E$, Minnow Monster and Mellow Monster.
CONGRATULATIONS to Squeak who crushed the Chatty 70.3!
In dirtier news, CONGRATULATIONS to Vintage at WORS Englewood Open, shredding his time from last year. And for giving Thing 1 no reason to practice her new surgical skills.
BIG shout out to the 10 Drafters (Cannibal, Gopher, LuLu, Thing 1, Z Wrecks, Daisy, Columbus, Speedy, Sandlot & BricKO) who donated a chunk of their time and quads on Saturday to help out with Horribly Hilly Hundreds pre-ride clinic. Supported by Wheel & Sprocket and the Friends of Blue Mound State Park, the Drafters wrangled nearly 40 HHH riders through some of the more horrible hills in Iowa County.
The highlight of the HHH clinic was the transformation of Gopher. No longer seeking to burrow, Gopher seeks the higher road.
If Saturday wasn't enough, the Draft was tapped again on Sunday. Thanks to Slim of Ascend Performance for all his hard work to teach us how to Draft responsibly.
Cue in Billy Preston's "Will It Go Round in Circles". Keez, Z Wrecks, Granny, Squirrel, Knievel, Velo, Octane, Duracell and 2 Newbies (Drafter handles TBD) did just that for 30 miles. Velo literally burned the rubber off of his rear tire. Welcome to the Flat Tire Club.
Crossroads Coffehouse provided a fabulous lunch for the ravenous Drafters before they headed back out for a 30 mile ride to cement their skills. Octane added his high fuel brownies for a super charge.
The participants eyes were not bigger than their stomachs. Their legs, however, didn't have a big appetite for hills. The route was adjusted from 50 miles to 40. To 30. Draft responsibly.
Since Monday is Memorial Day, normal programing will be ignored. The Draft will be moved to 10AM to allow for a slightly longer (55 mile) adventure to Mazomanie. For those who rode the final draft last October, the route will look familiar (hence the name A-Mazo Finale Rocks).
RidewithGPS link to Drafters: A-Mazo Finale Rocks
Looking for a short pour for Memorial Day? Consider the Spring Valley route, which will take Drafters out the same roads for the first 18 miles.
RidewithGPS link short pour Drafters | Spring Valley
A reminder that the Draft on Monday June 5 will commence at 5, 5:15 and 5:30PM from Crossroads Coffeehouse located at 2020 Main St. in Cross Plains. Details to follow.
Draft responsibly,
BrickO