Sunday, March 18, 2012

Lyons-Berthoud Populaire - Blown Away!

An unseasonably warm late-winter day for the season's first randonnée, the Lyons-Berthoud 100km Populaire.  We had conditions like this a few years ago ... but without the wind!

A good turnout of 25 starters ...


Ably led by Tammie Nakamura, just back from pre-riding the Arizona 400km Brevet and then supporting the actual event.  

Here Tammie is already enjoying the breeze, as Buster the mascot looks on from below ...


Steve Le Goff and Michelle Grainger are at the start bright and early.  What might they have in mind?


Steve shows off his baggage arrangement, replete with a miniature cutting board:


It's nice seeing returning faces - including Chris Baker, Brett Cook, Bob Dean, Paul Foley (bringing his Will son along), Chris GrealishPeter Hoff, Mark Lowe, Mark Niedermeier, Brian Rapp among others, ith Charlie Henderson sporting his new Triple Crown jersey also in attendance. 

Here is Lloyd Jones, RMCC membership chair, looking good in his RUSA SR jersey commemorating his first Super-Randonneur Series, in 2011:


Plenty of new faces, too, including two from Wyoming: Gurudatha Pai from UW in Laramie and triathlete Michelle McClenahan from Casper who travelled four hours from Wyoming ... to ride in the wind:


At the turnaround-point in Berthoud, the plan is revealed: Steve and Michelle are staffing a "secret" alternative to the info control.  They've sliced up tasty sports nutritional food for the riders - there's hydration, too!


Everyone appreciated this caloric and hydrological boost, and some noted that these were some of the same products Michelle had talked about at the REI seminar the week before.

Ken Heck accepts valued calories ...


As Steve and Michelle head windward through the dust and tumbleweeds to the finish, congratulations to everyone braving these fierce if balmy conditions and turning out to ride with us!


And a big thanks to Tammie for leading this Populaire, and to Michelle and Steve for enhancing the experience!

-jle

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