Loop 2 got rolling and it was back to old games. The speed picked up. I was starting to get worried because this loop was the roughest if the wind were to kick up. It is hard to explain why these particular roads were tough, but for me they have always been that way. If we were going to have a fractured group...it was going to happen here.

We got to the first major turn *said with evil voice* "Melms", and dekalb told me he was going to jet. His legs just weren't in it. I was totally shocked. I figured he would be one of the riders blowing us apart, but he mentioned that he had been short on the miles lately, and he had family members not felling good at home. I was sorry to see him go becuase we hadn't really had much of a chance to talk it up. Thanks Dekalb for helping sweep and for coming out!



Well the wind started kicking out of the South and while we did keep the group together for most of it, Joe started to falter. I dropped back to ride with him and provide a wind shield for him. We got to talking and I found out that Joe had just gotten out of the Army (101st - Airborne - Screaming Eagles) after serving 3 tours. Spent a lot of time in Iraq, etc. He said he knew he was going to use some of the money he had saved up to buy a bike when he got out, but had thought it was going to be a motorcycle. S_Dog helped him think about getting a bicycle instead. Now he's hooked.

This was only his 3rd ride...period. Even after "cracking" he was still hauling a 15-17mph pace behind me. I couldn't have done that after 3 rides. He kept apologizing for his speed, but all I kept thinking was "F that...thanks for serving."

We got to the second stop in Genoa and drenched the local biker gas station in lycra. In all the planning I had fogotten to bring food on both the 1st and second loops. CyLowe helped me out with some shot blocks on the first, and I got a Payday on the second. After that we were back into the country for the second KOM climb. Unfortunately I had only located the KOM points positions on the GPS and had not looked at them in person so all I could tell everyone was that it was where the RR corssed the road.

KOM 2:
1st - 100pts - aham23
2nd - 50pts - Shider

QOM:
1st (last) - 100pts - Joe
2nd - 50pts - S_Dog

Totals:
KOM:
150 - aham23
150 - Shider

QOM:
100 - Joe
100 - CyLowe97
50 - Kimbercop
50 - S_Dog

The ride back into the forest preserve was rough. Nothingman dropped back to chat with S_Dog, Joe, and myself. It is a long steady incline that never seems to end and it was rough. We all pulled in fairly close to each other.

...continued....yeah seriously....continued...