SHARKMAN TAKES GGG SPOT SPRINT FOR GAZELLE GIRL!
ONLY THREE BEU JERSEY'S?!?
HIGH YIELD RIDES WITH FRACTURED FOOT?
OH, THE HUMANITY!!!
BARRY ROUBAIX RIDE COMING UP!
NIKEBOY CONQUERS MONT VENTOUX DEUXIE`ME PARTIE!
ONE MORE COLLEGE GAME DAY?!?
Belo News
September 15, 2018
Shark Cove, Mi. - As dawn was just thinking about breaking, over a damp, wet Shark Cove, our intrepid hero, the Sharkman was laying in bed and looking at his bedroom windows.
They were full of dew and it felt a bit cold and damp as he struggled from his warm Shark bed and pulled on his shark bathrobe.
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| Sharkman in his BEU Kit! |
It was dark, but the fog didn't look bad as he started the Shark coffee maker and checked his weather app.
The previous evening, he had gotten a text from Reb asking who was riding. With Nikeboy riding the Tour de France (or at least in his head) in France and Yeti Boy rebuilding landmark buildings in Tennessee, and with Fire cutting her grass and he assuming she was having company so wouldn't be riding, it looked like it was going to be just Reb and Sharkman on the ride over.
However, the old Shark noticed a text that came in after he went to bed the previous evening that Reb was now going to drive over because he had an issue at work and a text from Fire saying she was in! However, within a few minutes, another text was received from Fire stating she was out!
Oh, no! Sharkman would be riding over solo for the first time this season!!! Oh, the humanity!
It was still dark as he launched from the Cove, but he was lite up like a Christmas tree. Headlight, tail light and helmet light blinking like an emergency vehicle on a rescue mission.
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| The Sharkman selfie! |
Watkins Road was quiet and the mist in the fields was so beautiful, Sharkman wished he had is camera to get a photo! As he crossed over I-94 and looked to the east, the sun was just breaking through. Would have been a fantastic photo!
It was going to be a great ride and though he did have arm warmers on, he thought he'd be taking them off once he got to the start. However, that didn't happen until after the ride.
Once at the start, he found TanMan getting a very cool, sort of retro, KHS road bike out of the back of his car. Sharkman commented he wasn't sure it was TanMan, as he didn't have his helmet on and the bike was not his usual Moots rocket!
Then High Yield pulled in and started unloading her bike. When asked where she had been she told the Nation she had rolled an ankle trail running and had actually fractured a bone! Oh, the humanity! But she was back to ride!
Wishbone pulled in stating he had invited a rider who claimed to have ridden with the Nation before, but didn't know where the start was and had just texted stating he was at the High School! He would join on later, after the Nation began to head north. Welcome to the mighty Shark Minion Nation Lance (MNTBD)!
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| Boatman in his BEU Kit! |
Boatman pulled in looking dapper in his BEU jersey and long lost Bissell Boy came back wearing his! Easty and LK (Luke) also arrived. LK had just returned from doing the Tour of Colorado which has 70,000 feet of climb in it! Is this a great country or what!?!
Toast and Rocketman filled out the lineup and after start photos, a press conference and some words of encouragement from Sharkman, the Nation headed out with 10 riders.
However, shortly after launch, Greyhound jumped on before the Nation even reached the Klutch, making it 11 riders!
Sharkman and Bissell Boy led the Nation up 37th Street, then High Yield and LK came up to pull as the two veterans dropped off the pace a bit.
Sharkman came forward for his honorary sprint and took it at a blistering 23.1 mph, being pushed by LK!
At the crossing, he noticed that Lance (MNTBD) had joined on and after they crossed Falcon jumped on filling out the 13 riders. Sharkman commented to Falcon that he was "unlucky" 13 and nothing better happen to the Nation.
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| Bissell Boy was back! And in his BEU Kit! It is a great country! |
As the Nation headed past the col de Twin Lakes and through the col de No Name, Yorkville Church, Kellogg Korner and to the Kountry Klub, they notice that, what there was of the sun, seemed to be disappearing and a dense fog falling on their field of dreams known as the KK-TdG!
The pace picked up as though the Nation thought they could beat the fog to Rt. 43. But it kept getting thicker and thicker.
As they traversed the col de Norte, the fog became so thick it was getting a bit difficult to see anything! Some cars did not have headlight on, making it very difficult to see them as they approached. Sharkman commented that he had never seen fog like it on the KK-TdG in 30 years of riding! (But then again, his memory sucks.....).
Most of the riders began pealing off their glasses because they were fogging up. Sharkman thought he would get behind Falcon because, as a pilot, he was instrument rated. However, he over heard him telling another rider that his glasses were fogged up and he was afraid to take them off because he couldn't see without them!
Sharkman then decided to just stay clear of the pilot rider!
As the Nation went through the inlet, many commented that the dew was so thick, drops were falling off their helmets and into their faces like rain.
However, once the Nation was across Rt. 89, the fog began to lift a bit.
As the Nation crossed Rt.89 Sharkman asked Falcon to go to the front and take the speed, slowly up to about 23 mph and try to hold it. Sharkman has observed that with the Nation, anything faster blows some off the back, at the start of the pace line, while anything slower breaks it apart. They will go faster if the pace goes up slowly, but not at the start.
Once Falcon got the Nation up to speed, a very nice pace line formed and Falcon kept it going.
Sharkman called up that Falcon could pull off at any time, but he continued to pull at the front until other Shark Minions decided to come up to join the lead.
As the fast moving train made the final bend to the GGG Spot Sprint finish, the tension was building as to who would take the coveted sprint as Gazelle Girl was not in attendance for one of the few times this season, or in her career for that matter.
Some riders moved ahead, while falcon kept a steady pace with other riders glued to his wheel.
Sharkman, taking a page from the Gazelle Girl's play book, watched as more riders moved ahead.
However, Falcon stayed close to the leaders and as the finish loomed ahead, and with three riders on his wheel, Sharkman timed a beautiful launch from the back and flew by Falcon and his entourage so quickly that he was unsure if they didn't have time to respond or if they just let the Shark go, but he took the sprint stating he had done it in honor of the "Sweetheart of the Peloton!"
It was a victor for America!
As they approached the stop sign, and with Sharkman reveling in his win, Rocketman rode up next to him and asked, "How old are you?" Sharkman told him he was 3 weeks shy of 69 years old and Rocketman just smiled.
Rocketman may not have known it at the time, but he made Sharkman's day!
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| Reb was waiting with cash to by the Nation koffee! |
After the GGG crossing, Sharkman and Bissell Boy went to the front as Sharkman began to worry about the finish. There were some speed guys in the mix and he hates when they are bunched up together and opening up the possibility of a crash.
However, Falcon came forward and threw himself on his sword and took the speed up so that the Nation stretched out over the run up to the last ascent to the finish.
As the chain of riders got to the hill, Falcon waved for the peloton to pass and the riders began to get in position.
Thanks Falcon! Nice job!
Sharkman, gassed from his GGG Spot Sprint win (did we mention he won that sprint?) backed off until the slight downhill and watched as TanMan took the finishing sprint on that cool KHS Road Bike!
Sharkman was not sure who took second or third but new rider Lance, LK and Boatman were all up at the front battling it out with a cast of thousands on their wheels!
Average speed was 19.5 mph!
The crowds went wild on the foggy Champs le Galesburg as their hero's zipped up their jerseys for the sponsors, wiped the dew from their eyes and waved to the paparazzi and tofosi who had come out in the fog!
As they approached the Klutch, they found Reb, who was buying the koffee waiting at the table!
Is this a great country or what?!?
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| What a good looking bunch of Minions! |
Not as many of the riders stayed for the Press Conference as usual, but the Klutch still rocked as Reb tried to convince Sharkman to take a ride home to avoid the fog. But it had lifted quite a bit by then and Sharkman is a little behind on his yearly mileage and wanted to get the extra miles home and did.
Thanks Reb for the koffee AND the offer of a ride!
These mornings have been beautiful and there are only a few left in the season, so get out and ride Bunkie!
Back by popular demand this week is College Game Day!
Sharkman is finally off suicide watch after his beloved Badgers loss last weekend and their subsequent drop in the polls, so he is ready to put on his Wisconsin kit and ride!
Saturday, September 22, 2018
College Game Day! Get out your College Kit and ride!
Launch Time - 8:00 a.m. - SHARP! Might be the last 8 a.m. launch of the season!
Be there!
BARRY ROUBIX RIDE SEPTEMBER 30!
September 19, 2018
Triple Nasty Ranchero, Mi. - Gazelle Girl, that "Sweetheart of the Peloton" is inviting all interested
parties to ride the Barry Roubaix course along with her, Toesetter and Nut Job! Here are the details!
Please put a shoutout in the Belo News about the Sunday, September 30 Barry Roubaix ride - hosted
by Toe Setter, Gazelle Girl and Nut Job. 12:30 p.m. launch from the parking lot behind The Walldorff
off N Jefferson St. Please let Gazelle Girl know you'll be joining us...
joan.o@comcast.net / 269-665-4555 (no texts!)
NIKEBOY CONQUERS MONT VENTOUX DEUXIE`ME PARTIE!
Belo News
September 11, 2018
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| Nikeboy was "Styl'in" on his way up Mont Ventoux! |
Ace Reporter Nikeboy
Mont Ventoux, France - As Belo News went to press last week, we reported that the Nations own "Style Guy" had conquered the legendary Mont Ventoux in France. Now, in an in depth report, you will read the entire story by the Legend himself, Nikeboy! Take it away, Nikeboy!
The first 3 or 4 kilometers are deceptive, climbing at 4-5% through vineyards and olive groves you start to think that Ventoux isn't to be feared. Then you arrive at the left hand turn at St Esteve and things get real fast, the route pitches up to 9% and stays there as you enter the forest.
Throughout the 10-11 kilometer wooded section the gradient varies between 9 and 12.5%. It was in the mid 80s as we rode this section and because there was no breeze here the heat wore on us. All you could do was find a rhythm and settle in at 5 or 6 mph.
At Chalet Reynard you leave the forest and enter the moonscape that Ventoux is famous for, we stopped briefly to fill up water bottles and continued upward. With no trees to block the wind, we were thankful that the infamous "Mistral" winds were not blowing and we only had a light breeze to contend with. For the next 6 kilometers the summit and the iconic lighthouse loomed above us in full view, never seeming to get closer.
The grade had lessened slightly, running between 7 and 10% until the very last kick to the top at 12%. There were hundreds of other cyclists, high performance motorcycles and sports cars all heading up.
Arrival at the top, conquering what is considered by many to be the hardest climb of the Tour de France, was definitely a bucket list moment. The hilarious thing about the summit were the three vendors up there: a candy guy, a cookie guy, and a guy selling sausages.
We took a few minutes to appreciate the amazing views, including the Alps and Italy, then pulled on jackets and started the descent. At Chalet Reynard we headed down one of the other routes up, this time to Sault for lunch before riding on to our hotel in Joucas. I nudged up against 40mph on the descent and could have gone faster if I had known the route and been on my own bike."
Editors Note: Great job Nikeboy! You did the Nation proud!
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| Nnikeboy at the top! |
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| Nikeboy and his entourage at the top! |
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