MSU TAKES COLLEGE GAME DAY!!!

SHARKMAN RAKES IN THE BOOTY ON SOUTH ROUTE!!

GREATEST DOWN HILL FINISH IN THE CYCLING WORLD!!!

CONTROVERSIAL FINISH?!? 

WAIT,.....WHAT?

College Game Day!!!

THIS SATURDAY, ANY JERSEY YOU WANT DAY!?!

SHARKLESS SATURDAY COMING UP!!?

Belo News

September 18, 2021

Shark Cove, Mi. - As dawn broke over the Shark Cove, our intrepid hero, the Sharkman, was excited to don his Wisconsin kit for the first time this year!

Yes, it was College Game Day and it was also the first time the mighty Shark Minion Nation would be taking on the South Course. Not only a great day for college sports, but Sharkman knew he'd be raking in the dollars, pointing out all the sites on his beloved Tour of South Central Kalamazoo County!!!

Sharkman with his beloved
Shark Minions! Some Minions
may have been cut off.....

Yeti Boy was on time and the two launched from the Cove, picking up Reb (in a University of South Carolina Game Cock "T" shirt) and his wingman (woman) Fire. As they approached the Eaton Plant they were happy to greet Rule 24 Guy joining on for the ride as well!

After moving past the Klutch and waving to Wishbone, having his first kup of koffee on the day, the riders arrived at the start.....well, early......

Again, the pace to the start was high spirited and they clocked in a 17.6 mph average and arrived before they left?!? 

Oh, the humanity!

Riders started piling in. 

Brewman rolled in sporting the first of two MSU Jersey's on the day. Hermster had on a green jersey, but not MSU green. OKC was back in the fold after a long absence! Welcome back, OKC!!!

 Welcome back, OKC!

Snow White arrived and was on time and ready to ride. Wildman arrived wearing the Savanna College of Art and Design Kit of the Bees!!! 

Bissell Boy arrived, with his son in law, Scan Man, and was wearing his MSU kit giving MSU the win on the day, while Greyhound arrived as the sole U of M rider on the day.

After the start photo, the Nation signed some autographs for the tofosi and Sharkman even made another feeble attempt at getting a selfie with his beloved Nation of Shark Minions, but again, well.....just take a look at the photo and tell the Shark he needs to quit trying......

Before the start, Wishbone announced he would need to drop off early as he had planned to do the ride on the regular KK-TdG course and hadn't timed the south route and his need to drop off early, so his ride would be somewhat short lived. 

However, Sharkman mentioned he would only charge him a couple of buck for the tour of the South Course.

The Shark led the Nation out to the course and as they began the climb up QMan Hill, stated that the sprint was open to anyone.

Reb and Fire went to the front to pull and the peloton seemd to be involved in to much chatter to even notice what was going on up at the front.

Go Badgers!

The pace seemed a bit lethargic and Reb decided to lead the ole Sharkman out to take the first sprint as they topped out the hill and started the ride in earnest.

Through "Hawk Alley" and past the "the Sharkman's favorite house on the ride" he was raking in the dollars as Shark Minions couldn't help but look at the amazing sites as they haven't been on the route in over two seasons.

Hermster put in a big push in the run up to the 35th St. sprint and took it handily. 

As they approached 35th Street, OKC announced that he had a slow leak on his rear tire and had to head back. The ride was down to 12 riders as the Shark Minion Nation headed south.....

Past the water fall, the Tillers Farm and the cemetery, Sharkman was calling out the sites, raking in the money and shouting, $1.00 a look, no change!!! 

Wildman and Scan Man spent a lot of time at the front, doing humongus pulls, and the mighty Shark Minion train was moving like an out of control frieght train. 

But they also had a 10 mile an hour northeast wind behind them and wondered how long they could keep up the pace!

Reb in his South Carolina 
T shirt. Sorry for the blur,
but he's always moving!*

As they headed south past Indian Lake, Wildman, Scanman and Fire were moving so fast, Shark Minions began to fall off the pace!

But then...... they turned east, into the wind......oh, the humanity!!!

The Nation passed by Indian Lake, the Commercial Farm and then made the turn north towards Scot. Yeti went to the front and put his head down to pull into that wind. He was pounding so quickly, he passed the turn into Scots as riders yelled out to him to turn!!!

Through Scotts Mill, the scene of Yeti's crash the previous summer, the Post Office and Beauty Salon, Sharkman was shouting about dollars and smiling ear to ear as he knew his Accounts Receivable was climbing with each landmark!

Then......they headed north, into the teeth of that wind, down 36th Street towards the MN Sprint.

Greyhound went to the front to pull and after a while, Sharkman and Yeti shared the duties, never looking back, heads down and into the wind and unbeknownst to those three, Shark Minions were falling off the back.

Sharkman, who never thinks he can shake off the peloton, never gave it a thought as the Nation headed north. He and Yeti intersperced riding in the famous Greyhound Vortex with taking pulls at the front.

Rule 27 Guy was back!

Sharkman moved ahead to take the MN Sprint uncontested as the Nation pulled up to the stop sign.

Sharkman asked if all were on, but admittedly, did not do a count. Sharkman never gave a thought to riders not being on!!! When he heard the reply from several, "All on!" they moved to the final finish, the beloved "Greatest Down Hill Finish in the World of Cycling" finish!

Wildman went to the front with Sharkman, Greyhound and Yeti Boy on his wheel and a cast of thousands behind them. The pace picked up accordingly and Sharkman,  just behind Wildman, kept waiting for Greyhound, who was wearing irridecent yellow/green socks that showed promenently in Sharkmans mirrror was just off his wheel and to the left, out of the wind. Sharkman waited for a move from the Vortex known as Greyhound, hoping to catch his wheel and use it to the finish, but alas, it never came.

Sharkman calculated the finish distance and decided to go around Wildman before the curve and with the downhill momentem, hoping to shake whoever followed.

However, Greyhound was waiting and moved on to his wheel! Well played, Greyhound, well played...

Not sure what jersey  Yeti Boy
wore, but it wasn't Indiana!

At speeds north of 33 mph, Sharkman took a wide turn before the finish, hoping to block the surging Greyhound, and stunting any attempt to use him as a launch pad. However, the diminutave Shark could not hold him off as he sling shot around the intrepid hero with Fire on his wheel, who almost caught the second place surging Sharkman at the finish! Greyhound, Sharkman and Fire filled out the podium.

It was a victory for America and one of the closest finishes of the season. Too bad Reb missed it.....wait, what?!?

As the celebration took place at the stop sign and after a wait for the riders to gather, the Nation started to move to the Champs le Galesburg when they heard Reb yelling and screaming (actually a sort of whining kind of screaming and yelling) about being left behind.

Wait,....what? Sharkman could have sworn he saw Reb moving up behind him in his mirror, waiting to unleash a "Dick Move" at the bottom of the hill! Or was that a lack of oxygen as he held off the mighty Shark Minion Nation and particularly the Vortex known as the Greyhound? 

Oh, the humanity!

Reb went on to complain (whine) that he had gone back to ride with Hermster and Rule 24 Guy, who had fallen back when Greyhound, Sharkman and Yeti began to pull on 36th before MN and they were NOT ON, when the peloton stopped at the MN finish. Oh, the humanity!

When Reb, Hermster and Rule 24 Guy got to MN, the mighty Shark Minion Nation was no where to be found!!!

How could this happen!?!?

Brewman scored early with the
MSU Kit!

Though Sharkman was apologetic and tried to explain to Reb, he was heard to say afterward that he secretly relished the fact he was "left behind" because as much as he enjoys the South Route final sprint, his true love is whining and this would probably provide him that opportunity for many years into the future!

With Reb still whining, the hero's of the South Route headed down the Champs le Galesburg with the fans going wild along the way!

Wildman sprinted to the Klutch and threw down his credit card first and bought for the Nation!!

Is this a great country or what?!? Thanks Wildman!!

The Klutch was rocking and the paparzzi and tofosi were going crazy as Reb continued to whine and Sharkman continued to revele in the finish. 

OKC arrived at the Klutch to report he'd made it back, but not without a second flat tire and Rocketman appeared and had missed the start and did not realize the Nation was on the South Route on the day!! Oh, the humanity!!!

What a day in the saddle!!!

It was noted that the the pace had been up over 19 mph until the Nation headed into the wind, but even into the wind and a slow down, with the help of the greatest downhill finish in cycling, the finishing pace was still 19.14 mph! 

Oh, the humanity!!

Wishbone wearing a jersey
Reb may need....

ScanMan was back and riding strong!

Greyhound bringing it home
for Michigan!

Hermster and Cannondale
University!

Snow White with arm warmers
and bare shoulders?

Wildman in his SCAD Kit!

Bissell Boy puts MSU on top!
Oh, the humanity!

The Nation was rocking!

The SCAD Bee's!
Wildman in his cool kit! 

Not only great kit, but Wildman
bought the koffee

Yep, another great day in the Nation!

 

*Belo News apologizes that some photos are blurry and some didn't turn out at all. BN was experimenting with the Portrait Mode and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't.....oh the humanity....... 

You won't want to miss this weeks edition as the season starts to wind down!

Depending on the October weather, the mighty Shark Minion Nation will continue to ride into October until it gets too cold and the Nation moves out to the Fort to finish the season.

This Saturday, September 25, 2021!

Wear any Jersey you want day!!! 

Is this a great country or what!?!

Sharkman can't make it this weekend but the ride goes on!!! That means if the weather is sketchy, it is every Shark Minion for themzelves!!!

Launch Time - 8:30 a.m. - SHARP!!!

Be there!!!

Riders joining the Minion rides acknowledge the inherent risk involved with bicycle riding and by joining any Minion ride hold harmless any rider involved.