Team Roll, Leadville, Gran Fondo Aspen, the weekend...

As much as I wanted to do the COP Logan ride, I had done basically the same route a few weeks ago with a group and that long drive, 2 hours total so instead I hooked up with the Cooks, Farmer Mike, Jay P and Norm, a visitor from Charleston, WV for a ride out of New Albany.  We reached Granville at mile 30 and there I was ready for a break so bugged out of the group.  The Pelotonia cyclists were coming through Granville and saw the cheerleaders greeting the arrivals accompanied by the clang of a church bell. Pretty cool scene and during the day I saw John Day, the Rossis, Jon Morgan, Ron Budzig and Rich Lewis.  I finished with 71 miles and planned to ride Sunday out of Granville but summer burnout has set in as usual so cut down another ash tree instead. 

Garth Prosser came in 80th at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race.  Probably he is disappointed in that result because I think he previously has finished top 25.  Meantime, just a few miles away, Marty, Luke Russell and Lori Nedescu participated in the Gran Fondo Italia Aspen-Snowmass.  Confusion regarding a neutral start kept Marty and Luke from being part of a 10 man break, most of whom stayed away as the twosome chased for 90 miles, eventually finishing 6th and 7th with times of 4:39 and 4:40.  Lori finished a very respectable 5:35 which included a number of QOM titles along the way.  All are back in Ohio and probably be at the Thursday New Albany ride.

While attending a post Pelotonia party on Saturday evening, I ran into cyclists familiar with the breakup of Team Roll.  From what I understand, the team was first put together with the intent that members would be ambassadors of the sport while promoting cycling.  In theory a good idea but in practice, the group became a clique (what I heard not necessarily what I think).  Probably just as, if not more so, damaging to the longevity of the team, was few of the team members were riding bikes purchased from Roll shops.  Perhaps the first bike was a Giant or Felt (I believe are Roll's primary bike brands) but follow-up bike purchases were of other brands not supplied by the shops.  Anyway, now there are several cyclists wandering the central Ohio bike scene perhaps looking for a new team or to become free agents in perpetuity, like me.  We, the members of the non aligned league of cyclists welcome you.