HUTCH, HOOSIER BOY AND BOATMAN RETURN!
SQUEAKY IN CYCLING KIT?
SQUEAKY IN CYCLING KIT?
OH, YEAH!
Belo News
Belo News
Galesburg, Mi.
May1, 2010
Galesburg, Mi. – After beating the rain the previous week, it seemed highly doubtful that the Minions could do it again. Though our Minions will not start in the rain, they certainly seem to ride with the imminent threat of rain!
Hey, if those Belgian guys can go out in the rain and snow to drink beer and WATCH cycling, Michigan Minions should have no problem going out and riding with the threat of rain, right?
As the Sharkman leaped from his bed on Saturday morning it was again one of those days where he just didn’t know whether he’d be able to ride or not. As he bent over the green glow of the Shark Radar while sipping his first kup of Joe, a smile came over his face as it looked like the there might be some clearing behind the huge green cloud of rain over western Michigan. Now, too wide awake to crawl back into his fish bed, he was dressed and in the garage before he could give sleep another thought.
As the garage door lifted and he got his faithful titanium steed ready, Nikeboy, standing in his yard, newspaper under his arm and sipping his first kup of Joe, shouted across the cul de sac to his leader that he has just cleaned his bike and was not riding over if the roads were still wet.
Game on! Sharkman took off in the warm, damp air on the rain wet roads, but at least it was not raining!
Sharkman headed over to the start early, concerned that the reported strong SSW winds would slow him down. But the winds were more out of the south and he was at the start by 8:15 A.M. and not a single Minion was in sight. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps, after all these year’s, no one else would be crazy enough to show up for the ride.
As 8:23 pm rolled around, the Shark was assessing whether he would ride the course alone or just stop at the Klutch for a Kup and then head home in the rain. But first A-Rod pulled in to the parking lot, followed by Yeti Boy, Kid Doster and making his first appearance of the year, Hoosier Boy!
Within minutes, Squeaky appeared and he was actually wearing cycling kit! Yes, you heard that right, ….helmet with no wool stocking cap, a jersey and real bike shorts and…..one winter glove. Squeaky explained that after all the ink he got in Belo News concerning his sartorial splendor after his last appearance, he had to upgrade his kit, however, he never did explain the one winter glove. Speculation centered on anything from a new way to regulate his body temperature to a tribute to Michael Jackson. This may very well stay a mystery; however the cycling world is abuzz as to whether everyone will be wearing one glove next week to emulate the now famous rider!
Guest riders Mike Miller, Mark Allen and another Mike also rode in with Stryker Guy (minus Hockey Boy) and Hutch, who was returning for his first appearance of the season! Welcome back Hutch and Hoosier Boy!
All this in just 7 minutes!
Though it looked like it could start raining any minute, the roads were dry and the air was warm as the intrepid mighty Minion Nation clicked in and headed out on the road.
As the train headed north of town Gazelle Girl jumped on to a shout of “Hey Gazelle Girl!” and then they were 11.
Hoosier Boy and Hutch, feeling frisky after their winter hibernation, lead out our intrepid hero, the Sharkman, to the first sprint. As the peloton headed towards the col de Twin Lakes, Boatman, making his first appearance of the year, jumped on to the spirited group of riders! Welcome back Boatman!
At the base of the col de Twin Lakes, Sharkman made a move and in a very rare occurrence, possibly never to be repeated, he took the summit of the col de Twin lakes! As our hero crested the summit, Yeti Boy went around him followed by Mike Miller and Mark Allen. Sharkman latched on to their wheels. Yeti Boy gave a humongous pull and as the sprint got closer, all three went around him with Mike taking the sprint. Yeti Boy stated during the press conference that he had thought the stop ahead sign was closer.
The group seemed to get more social through the Country Club section than in previous weeks, though Mark Allen and the other Mike both pealed off to head home. Up until this point the riders had benefited from a huge wind out of the south, south west and at the summit of the col de Norte the opposite was quite apparent. Additionally, one of the locals in a Subaru Wagon was not enamored with the rider’s, either that or he loved the horn on his car, as he kept honking as he passed the riders. Actually, he seemed to be so enamored with the horn he had trouble driving the car straight!
The riders headed straight into the wind, but it didn’t seem to prompt any attempt at a pace line as the riders made their way through the Bible Conference Hills, on past Frona’s and into the Inlet. As the Mighty Minion Nation made their way over the Digital Divide, Sharkman hurried to the front and began to organize, what became, a very impressive pace line.
With the wind out of the SSW, the Minions formed up what they consider to be a reverse pace line with the slow side on the right and the faster line on the left or inside of the road. The pace line worked extremely well as the peloton entered the 3G Zone. With little room left to the G Ave. sprint, Yeti Boy found himself at the front and with encouragement from Sharkman he took off for the sprint. Gazelle Girl, who was at the back of the peloton, made a valiant effort to take her coveted 3G Zone sprint with a phenomenal burst of speed, but Yeti Boy took the line by a fraction of a centimeter!
As peloton got to the 3G Zone someone said there was a rider off the back and the group stopped only to learn it was Hutch who was missing and he had informed Sharkman that he was pealing off to head home.
That’s when it happened….as Yeti Boy was standing still, he dropped his water bottle and when he attempted to pick it up his size 13 foot slipped (hard to believe a foot that size would slip) and down he went. First crash of the season, as un-ceremonial as it was, seemed to be a minor but amusing distraction as the peloton formed up once again for the final sprint.
As the pace line headed south, none other than Nikeboy, who had ridden over to escort the Sharkman home, jumped into the mix for the first time this year. Welcome back Nikeboy (though he has been our celebrity photographer this season, it was his first time back out on the bike!)!
The pace line picked up almost instantly and was hitting speeds of 24-25 mph as it approached the final hill and began to disintegrate.
As the mighty Minion Nation crested the hill and began the descent, Hoosier Boy took off and Sharkman latched on to his wheel like a dog on a meat wagon.
Riding Hoosier Boys wheel like a rented mule, Sharkman could see a pack of minions in his mirror clamoring behind him, grinning and waiting to strike! Knowing that they would move as soon as he did, and thinking his only chance was to wait until the very last second to make a move, he sat in for as long as he could.
With less than 50 yards to go Sharkman started to move around Hoosier Boy and Kid Doster, Boatman and A-Rod were right there to counter attack. Kid Doster took the tape going away, while Boatman finished second and A-Rod edged out the old, very tired Shark from a podium finish.
The threat of rain, again held down the crowds along the Champs le Galesburg, but the Klutch was abuzz with Paparazzi and Tofosi clamoring for interviews with the riding hero’s.
After the Press Conference the riders dispersed and there was still no rain. Nikeboy escorted the Sharkman back to the Cove where he had to wash his faithful steed after riding over on the wet roads. It was a mess.
Will it rain next week? Will it be cold AND rainy? Who the hell knows, come on out and see for yourself!
SATURDAY’S RIDE!
May 8, 2010 – Launch Time – 8:30 A.M. – SHARP!
Be there!
Hey, if those Belgian guys can go out in the rain and snow to drink beer and WATCH cycling, Michigan Minions should have no problem going out and riding with the threat of rain, right?
As the Sharkman leaped from his bed on Saturday morning it was again one of those days where he just didn’t know whether he’d be able to ride or not. As he bent over the green glow of the Shark Radar while sipping his first kup of Joe, a smile came over his face as it looked like the there might be some clearing behind the huge green cloud of rain over western Michigan. Now, too wide awake to crawl back into his fish bed, he was dressed and in the garage before he could give sleep another thought.
As the garage door lifted and he got his faithful titanium steed ready, Nikeboy, standing in his yard, newspaper under his arm and sipping his first kup of Joe, shouted across the cul de sac to his leader that he has just cleaned his bike and was not riding over if the roads were still wet.
Game on! Sharkman took off in the warm, damp air on the rain wet roads, but at least it was not raining!
Sharkman headed over to the start early, concerned that the reported strong SSW winds would slow him down. But the winds were more out of the south and he was at the start by 8:15 A.M. and not a single Minion was in sight. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps, after all these year’s, no one else would be crazy enough to show up for the ride.
As 8:23 pm rolled around, the Shark was assessing whether he would ride the course alone or just stop at the Klutch for a Kup and then head home in the rain. But first A-Rod pulled in to the parking lot, followed by Yeti Boy, Kid Doster and making his first appearance of the year, Hoosier Boy!
Within minutes, Squeaky appeared and he was actually wearing cycling kit! Yes, you heard that right, ….helmet with no wool stocking cap, a jersey and real bike shorts and…..one winter glove. Squeaky explained that after all the ink he got in Belo News concerning his sartorial splendor after his last appearance, he had to upgrade his kit, however, he never did explain the one winter glove. Speculation centered on anything from a new way to regulate his body temperature to a tribute to Michael Jackson. This may very well stay a mystery; however the cycling world is abuzz as to whether everyone will be wearing one glove next week to emulate the now famous rider!
Guest riders Mike Miller, Mark Allen and another Mike also rode in with Stryker Guy (minus Hockey Boy) and Hutch, who was returning for his first appearance of the season! Welcome back Hutch and Hoosier Boy!
All this in just 7 minutes!
Though it looked like it could start raining any minute, the roads were dry and the air was warm as the intrepid mighty Minion Nation clicked in and headed out on the road.
As the train headed north of town Gazelle Girl jumped on to a shout of “Hey Gazelle Girl!” and then they were 11.
Hoosier Boy and Hutch, feeling frisky after their winter hibernation, lead out our intrepid hero, the Sharkman, to the first sprint. As the peloton headed towards the col de Twin Lakes, Boatman, making his first appearance of the year, jumped on to the spirited group of riders! Welcome back Boatman!
At the base of the col de Twin Lakes, Sharkman made a move and in a very rare occurrence, possibly never to be repeated, he took the summit of the col de Twin lakes! As our hero crested the summit, Yeti Boy went around him followed by Mike Miller and Mark Allen. Sharkman latched on to their wheels. Yeti Boy gave a humongous pull and as the sprint got closer, all three went around him with Mike taking the sprint. Yeti Boy stated during the press conference that he had thought the stop ahead sign was closer.
The group seemed to get more social through the Country Club section than in previous weeks, though Mark Allen and the other Mike both pealed off to head home. Up until this point the riders had benefited from a huge wind out of the south, south west and at the summit of the col de Norte the opposite was quite apparent. Additionally, one of the locals in a Subaru Wagon was not enamored with the rider’s, either that or he loved the horn on his car, as he kept honking as he passed the riders. Actually, he seemed to be so enamored with the horn he had trouble driving the car straight!
The riders headed straight into the wind, but it didn’t seem to prompt any attempt at a pace line as the riders made their way through the Bible Conference Hills, on past Frona’s and into the Inlet. As the Mighty Minion Nation made their way over the Digital Divide, Sharkman hurried to the front and began to organize, what became, a very impressive pace line.
With the wind out of the SSW, the Minions formed up what they consider to be a reverse pace line with the slow side on the right and the faster line on the left or inside of the road. The pace line worked extremely well as the peloton entered the 3G Zone. With little room left to the G Ave. sprint, Yeti Boy found himself at the front and with encouragement from Sharkman he took off for the sprint. Gazelle Girl, who was at the back of the peloton, made a valiant effort to take her coveted 3G Zone sprint with a phenomenal burst of speed, but Yeti Boy took the line by a fraction of a centimeter!
As peloton got to the 3G Zone someone said there was a rider off the back and the group stopped only to learn it was Hutch who was missing and he had informed Sharkman that he was pealing off to head home.
That’s when it happened….as Yeti Boy was standing still, he dropped his water bottle and when he attempted to pick it up his size 13 foot slipped (hard to believe a foot that size would slip) and down he went. First crash of the season, as un-ceremonial as it was, seemed to be a minor but amusing distraction as the peloton formed up once again for the final sprint.
As the pace line headed south, none other than Nikeboy, who had ridden over to escort the Sharkman home, jumped into the mix for the first time this year. Welcome back Nikeboy (though he has been our celebrity photographer this season, it was his first time back out on the bike!)!
The pace line picked up almost instantly and was hitting speeds of 24-25 mph as it approached the final hill and began to disintegrate.
As the mighty Minion Nation crested the hill and began the descent, Hoosier Boy took off and Sharkman latched on to his wheel like a dog on a meat wagon.
Riding Hoosier Boys wheel like a rented mule, Sharkman could see a pack of minions in his mirror clamoring behind him, grinning and waiting to strike! Knowing that they would move as soon as he did, and thinking his only chance was to wait until the very last second to make a move, he sat in for as long as he could.
With less than 50 yards to go Sharkman started to move around Hoosier Boy and Kid Doster, Boatman and A-Rod were right there to counter attack. Kid Doster took the tape going away, while Boatman finished second and A-Rod edged out the old, very tired Shark from a podium finish.
The threat of rain, again held down the crowds along the Champs le Galesburg, but the Klutch was abuzz with Paparazzi and Tofosi clamoring for interviews with the riding hero’s.
After the Press Conference the riders dispersed and there was still no rain. Nikeboy escorted the Sharkman back to the Cove where he had to wash his faithful steed after riding over on the wet roads. It was a mess.
Will it rain next week? Will it be cold AND rainy? Who the hell knows, come on out and see for yourself!
SATURDAY’S RIDE!
May 8, 2010 – Launch Time – 8:30 A.M. – SHARP!
Be there!
1 comment:
Digital divide, 3G! What a creative mind the Sharkman possesses!
Missing the peloton.
BB
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