Tonto and Soup Lady were the hits of the Lardbar breakfast prior to the start of the MS150 this year. Critz, wearing his official Ride Marshall jersey, had already ordered his pancakes, by the time that Batman entered the IHOP at 4:30. But Tonto's court jester hat and Soup Lady's gypsy queen outfit were the recipients of numerous double-takes. Atypically, Steady Eddie arrived early enough to eat instead of only using the indoor facilities.
Meanwhile, Mr. Poppins and Rocket Girl were busy at Dexco preparing for the CCRiders to check in. It is a prime location to start away from Tully, with covered parking and indoor plumbing, which Crash granted us access to use. Throughout the morning the demands to check in with those Unocal gals, Sherry and Mary, were heard by everyone within a quarter of a mile.
Despite the premature start, there were already many cyclists already on the road. The weather was nearly perfect as the skies were partly cloudy and the wind was slightly behind us. The first stop to refill and release fluids was at breakpoint #2, which was extremely congested because it was where the two routes merged. It was odd not having Sticky Vicki, Slick, and Baby Ruth's bell with the group, but they were ready and waiting in Bellville. As per usual, the soup was delicious and nicely supplemented the MS-provided lunch. Tonto led Flame, Brunswick, Batman, Eloy, Gary, and Steady Eddie along some back roads, which ultimately dumped us back on the route near the Hill restaurant.
The stop in Fayetteville is always nice due to all of the trees and knowing that there is only 20 more miles to La Grange. The intent was to finish without any more breaks, but Flame realized that she had not "gone" since rest stop #2. So, we stopped at the last break point for Flame, which prompted Tonto to go, and then Eloy had the urge. Unfortunately, we didn't venture to the other side of the road where the Alamo Princess had been since 8 AM. She would remain there until 7 PM without being brought any food (other than oranges and bananas)!
The entrance into the Fayette County fairgrounds is awesome as folks are cheering and clapping, but having people like our very own Unocal gals and Wind Woman whooping and hollering for the CCRiders makes it more special. Mr. Poppins, Rocket Girl, Sticky Vicki, Baby Ruth, Sherry, Mary,Tom, and Tamara did a fantastic job. Air mattresses were inflated, tents were assembled, drinks were iced down, and Christmas lights were strung. The massage tables from Body Alive were consistently occupied. One would be hard-pressed to find a better team with which to be associated.
Eventually, everyone was accounted for, including AJ, the unicyclist. He weebled and wobbled into the team photo, but he didn't fall down. Some people are impressed with those who ride 100 miles on a two-wheeler, but kudos to AJ for pedaling that one-wheeler all that distance and up and down all those hills!
Escaping out the back way on Sunday morning--before the ride officials shut that option down, allowed some of the CCRiders to get to the parks before the masses arrived. Even though we started pedaling before it was light enough to read our cyclocomputers, there were many riders in front of us. Batman was leading a paceline of unknown members, because it was too dark to make out anyone in the batmirror. The gentle rolling hills and tiny bladders separated the paceline. We regrouped at the first rest stop in the park, which was pretty much pointless as the park's hills effectively dispersed the group again. We gathered back together at the exit of Bastrop State Park, where Batman groused about not being the "right" place before heading to the Sonic. Congratulations are in order for Flame for riding all the way through both parks without stopping at the breakpoint in the middle for the first time!
Although Sonic had been forewarned by telephone that there would be early riders stopping to eat, they were not open. The 24-hour What-A-Burger served as an excellent replacement--even if it was the designated stop point for the Compaq team. Gary wanted to eat outside to stay acclimated to the heat, but he was outvoted. Dwain/Dilbert/Darrell was the last to order and was still eating when the rest of us pulled out for Austin.
The paceline continued to grow over the next 28 miles. What started out as half a dozen CCRiders ended up being about two dozen riders from several teams and spanning a couple decades of ages. It didn't include Tonto, because he couldn't resist marking his spot on one of the trees. After everyone had been refreshed, we hoped to finish together. Unfortunately, the combination of hills, traffic lights, and cones effectively disintegrated that attempt. Fortunately, Gary and Justin rode between Brunswick and the enticing cones to protect him from an encore performance. Nevertheless, we were greeted to rattles, claps, cheers, and the chant, "CCRiders" by Rocket Girl, Sticky Vicki, Baby Ruth, and Mr. Poppins as we pulled into the finish line...174 miles from where we started.
