A Little Commentary And The Weekly Rides

Really nice ride this past Saturday to Fort Pickens! Smaller than usual group with a few of the cast of unusual characters missing in action. (Olympic Road Race was on the Tele. Uh, that's British for Television.) However, a lot of fun for those that did show up. We cruised across 3 Mile Bridge leaving Fish and Wildlife shortly after 7am. The pace was moderate with a bit of a tailwind to help. We picked up a few more riders in Gulf Breeze as we looped around Proper and onto the Beach. The Left Lane had taken a short cut and gotten ahead of the peloton before we hit the Bob Sikes Bridge but he came into view just before the gate into the National Park.

Believe it or not, he blows through the gate to the disbelief of the entire peloton and the Park Ranger at the gate! (Did I mention this is a National Park and subject to Federal Law?! The man has no fear.) According to the Ranger, he yelled something about the group behind him was paying for his entrance fee. We told the Ranger he wasn't part of us law-abiding cyclists!

Some of the boys chased the Left Lane down Fort Pickens road for several miles before he disappeared. The Prenti and Vortex were riding sweeper and about 1k back of the group. As they passed by the Coast Guard House, out pops Left Lane from his hiding place heading in the opposite direction! Whaaat?! Needless to say, he must not have been interested in a group ride this day. That Left Lane, what a character!

Well, the group, uh...regrouped out at the Fort and headed back towards Pensacola Beach under a Tailwind Express! The pace averaged around the 25-26mph range with the big pulls coming from Retro, a new guy named Tom and Pedaling Pete Piotrowski (3Pete) who was out for the first time since Krispy Kreme reopened. (Spotted Meri Asmar hammering toward the Fort about halfway back.) We stopped at the Tom Thumb or is it Circle K to refill the bottles and tell some stories. The ride home was uneventful as we cruised in at a moderate pace. Great ride! (Never did see that Left Lane again!)

Although, I'm sure he'll show his mug tomorrow night at the TERAD! It starts at 5:30pm at Maygarden and Summit and is sure to be an antic filled romp on the Super Figure 8 course. Come on out. If you can't make it, don't fret yourself, Wednesday at 5pm leaving WSRE Parking Lot is the WFW Hammerfest. It's a bit hillier than the TERAD but just as much fun! OR...how about the Full Moon Ride at the beach! Starts at 6:30pm at the Casino Beach Parking Lot. Come on somebody! Come on everybody!

And don't forget this Saturday! A great loop on the Twisted Pine Forest route. We leave from the Maygarden and Summit station at 7am! Come on out and enjoy some fun filled exercise with your favorite peloton! See you then!

And as always, I'll...

See you out on the road,
Bob

Fort Pickens Tomorrow

Tomorrow morning we have a schedule change due to the forecasted prevailing wind from the southwest. Therefore, we will be headed out to Fort Pickens. We will still start at 7am at Fish and Wildlife. Unless you are a bit queasy about the 3 Mile Bridge crossing, then meet us at the south end in Gulf Breeze at about 7:20am or so. The peloton won't stop, so please be ready to roll. We'll maintain a moderate pace for this 50 miler until the gate into the National Park. Then after that I'm sure there will be a faster group and a slower group. We'll have a regrouping at the docks then a rest stop at the Tom Thumb on the way back.

Please bring an extra $3 to get into the Park. There are several of us with Annual Passes but sometimes we don't have enough to accommodate all the riders. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone in the morning! Forecast looks for high 70s a start time with a chance of showers. Come on out!

Until then, I'll...

See you out on the road,
Bob

Tour de Santa Rosa

Our own Chip "Circle K" Wilson has mapped out a route he calls the Tour de Santa Rosa. It's the route for tomorrow morning's ride. This is a bit shorter than last year's Sufferfest for those of you who may remember. This newer (shorter) course will take in many of the same sights, sounds and smells but will be about 20 miles shorter.

We start at Maygarden and Summit at 7am and will travel along familiar roads up to UWF and across the causeway into Santa Rosa County before heading north on quiet country roads. After a loop back towards the east and the Escambia River we turn south again for the return trip across the causeway and home. We'll have two rest stops and the pace will be moderate. If the 50 to 60 mile loop is too long, there is a shorter option which arrives back with about 45 miles.

The weather forecast looks pretty good with temps in the low 80s at start time with a chance of showers. Really looking forward to seeing everyone! And since we were rained out last Saturday, we will have the Awards Ceremony tomorrow just before heading out. Come on out!!!

See you out on the road,
Bob

Mayo's Morning Madness Ride

In honor of our own Blue Angels Weekend out at the beach, David "Bad Mayonnaise" Mayo is leading a ride tomorrow morning starting at 8am! The start location is the Whataburger in Gulf Breeze across from the GB Hospital. The route will be "just like you like it" Around The Sound! This 40 miler will have one rest stop and be at a moderate pace..."just like you like it!"

Hope you all can make it, should be a great way to start off the Blues Weekend!!!

Don't forget Saturday's ride at Fish and Wildlife starting at 7am. We'll avoid the bridge traffic by heading to Innerarity Point. Come on out!!!

See you then and as always...

See you out on the road,
Bob

Contest Results!

The news you've all been waiting for; the 4th Semi-Annual Blogazoidal Contest Results! This definitely was the most exciting contest yet with more participants than any other Contest of the past! And the results are unbelievable...well, at least to some of you they are. Now, without further delay, here are the correct answers to the Contest questions:

1. As you know, the Tour de France starts this Saturday with the Prologue Individual Time Trial. This very short ITT will declare the first wearer of the leader's Yellow Jersey. Who will win this Prologue ITT?
Answer: Fabian Cancellara

2. Of the first 6 stages, 5 are considered sprint finish stages. Which one of the big sprinters will win the most stages in this first 6 days of racing?
Answer: Peter Sagan

3. Stage 9 on Monday, July 9 is the first Individual Time Trial of length. Who will win this ITT?
Answer: Bradley Wiggins

4. Who will hold the leader's Yellow Jersey on the first rest day, Tuesday July 10?
Answer: Bradley Wiggins

5. In honor of the London Olympic Games, which begin almost immediately following the finish of the Tour, we have our Tie-Breaker question! How many total Blogazoidal viewers within the month of June 2012 are from Great Britain? (Hint: it is a number between 1 and 200)
Answer: 21

Who are the top three winners of the Contest? Well, here they are:

*1st Place and winner of the $25 Gift Certificate:  Tim "Crusher" Fox
Tim had the amazing score of answering all questions correctly AND was the closest to the Tie-Breaker number giving him the first and only perfect score ever!!! Congrats to Crusher!

*2nd Place and winner of the $15 Gift Certificate:  Nestor "Nestordamus" Arquea
Nestor had two correct answers and was the second closest on the Tie-Breaker question. Congrats Nestordamus!


*3rd Place and winner of the $10 Gift Certificate:  Prentiss "EHOP" Berry
Prentiss had two correct answers and was third closest on the Tie-Breaker question. Congrats Prenti!


Congratulations to all our winners and thanks to everyone else for playing! Prizes will be awarded at this Saturday's ride. Be there or miss out! Hope to see everyone out tonight for our TERAD and don't forget tomorrow evening's first WFW Time Trial!!!


See you out on the road,
Bob
 

Contest Results And Tomorrow's Ride

Alright now! We have the answers to our first two Contest questions! This is really exciting as there are several of you atop the Contest Leader Board! In case you haven't heard or have been out of the country or maybe your cable went out, here's the latest answers to our Contest questions thus far:

1. Fabian Cancellara
2. Peter Sagan

If you guessed both correctly then you are one (of several) in the front of the peloton. Or perhaps you got one of the answers correct...you are still in the running! If you missed both, don't fret, there are still two more questions to go! Hang in there, you could still tie for the lead and then it is up to our Tie Breaker question to decide our winners! Oh yeah, it is really heating up now! And by this time on Monday...

Or, could there be a lone rider to get away in a mountain stage over the weekend? So, how are you doing? Regardless, this is good fun! Stay tuned for all the results this weekend and on Monday!!!

And speaking of this weekend, how about tomorrow's ride?!

Well, contrary to another ride announcement, we are riding tomorrow morning at 7am, leaving from the Maygarden and Summit launch pad! The route is the Pine Forest Loop With A Twist. This 45 to 50 miler takes familiar roads out to Mobile Hwy and back across to our big Rest Stop Sprint! Then north on Pine Forest Road to a right hander on Kingsfield and across to another right turn on Chemstrand. We follow Chemstrand to a left on 10 Mile and a righty on Fox Run and familiar roads back to the final sprint on Maygarden! Great ride and the weather forecast looks pretty good with a 30% chance of showers...as the Bad Mayo would say, " Well...gee Bob, that means a 70% chance of no rain! Let's light the burners!" (I'm using my best Bad Mayo accent here.)

See you out on the road,
Bob

The Race Is Really Heating Up!

And so is the Tour de France! Our own little Blogazoidal Contest (race) is really close as we enter the final sprint stage of the first week tomorrow morning. I can tell you nothing of the contest results just yet...however, it is really close as we head into the mountains on Saturday! And then, Monday is the first big Individual Time Trial with Tuesday being the rest day that will determine our contest results. Or will it? As it looks from the cheap seats, it may go right down to the tie breaker question!

This race is really heating up!

Let's review some results of our Tour de France stages for your viewing pleasure without revealing any results of our contest just yet.

Prologue:  Big Fabian Cancellara charges home to win this Time Trial.
Stage One: Peter Sagan wins.
Stage Two: Mark Cavendish is back.
Stage Three: Peter Sagan again.
Stage Four: Andre Greipel wins.
Stage Five: Andre Greipel again.
Stage Six:  ?

So, who will win the most sprint stages in this first crash filled week of the Tour? Well, we could easily have a three way tie! Peter Sagan and Andre Greipel both have two wins, however we haven't heard the last from the Mansk Missile I suspect! Or perhaps, Sagan or Greipel will pull out another win!

Who did you choose? Did you have Fabian "Sparticus" Cancellara winning the Prologue? How's your sprinter doing so far? Are you in the hunt for our big prize?

It is a very close race! And I'm not just talking the Tour here! We'll know the outcome of our second question tomorrow morning. Then, the two mountain stages over the weekend which may see the Yellow Jersey change shoulders...or will it? After that, is Monday's big Individual Time Trial which quite possibly will determine our winner of the Blogazoidal Contest!

However, the Tour de France will roll on for another almost two weeks! (I just love this kind of stuff!)

Until then...

See you out on the road,
Bob