Breaking News: Say it ain't so! Unofficial ride scheduled for Sunday (26 Jan) at 10 AM (window open): Homer / 88 miles / store stop Homer: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31801710

WBL # 7 (January 19): The Parks Law Danielsville Classic (http://parks-law.com)

Big Frank Travieso simply would not be denied as he scored a masterful win on Sunday’s windswept, rough and tumble WBL ride and rocketed up to 2^nd in the HUB Overall with 42 points. On the Ladies side, Judah the Lion Sencenbaugh, like Travesio, was dominant and won both the intermediate and the final sprint and managed to hold on to the top spot in the HUB Overall, albeit by only 1 slim point (43 points). And Oliver Quinn Simmons showed he’s not only a fine specimen of hominoid but also a rare sophisticated brute as he made the final front group of ten and was the top finisher in a stellar Non-Pro field on a bruising day. But the top story of the day was Travieso and the way he imposed his will on his rivals, crushing the other’s hopes and dreams like an insensitive, uncaring bastard. Big Frank’s domineering win came at the end of the brutal 9-mile Gene Dixon-Hargrove Lake Final Attack Zone, a zone with multiple short, steep hills which routinely splinter the pack into several small groups, especially when the wind is whipping. Not to mention, the USA Crits intermediate sprint finishes atop the third difficult hump 4 miles into the Final Attack Zone, further assuring that the strongest rider in the bunch will always be the only one left standing by the time the finish line rolls under his or her wheels.

Once again this past weekend the Zealots found themselves skirting around the rain and the Parks Law Classic was moved to Sunday in order to avoid another deluge which rolled through on Saturday. When the vortex of water finally moved out of the region early Sunday morning, once again, a raw, swirling bluster moved in and filled the void, so as the Zealots pedaled north out of town, they were pummeled with freezing crosswinds, and because the sun was hidden behind a gauzy layer of gray clouds, the cold bit through clothes like a steel trap. And to make matters worse, even though only a smallish group of 40 signed in for the day’s debacle, the pack contained superstars, celebrities, dignitaries, debutantes, VIPs and at least one panjandrum (Wild Bill Lanzilotta). Some of the leading lights on hand for this cold weather spectacle were former Alto winner Thomas Grapenuts Gibbons, Indiana’s fourth favorite son Ryan Knapp, stage winner Big Mountain Kyle Kimbal, lawyer to both stars and blackguards Clay Parks, 4-time Grammy nominee Wesley Elford, Left Coast Radical Lunatic Erik Gruenwedel, General Hospital’s Tom Luke Fortune, SFS legend Dylan Ogle, and Aiken’s most controversial nudist Jeff May-Fly. Looking over the battle-tested group as they pedaled north, the frontrunners pushing into the fierce headwind while those behind sought shelter from the bullying bluster, I shed a tear, not for others, but for me—I knew I was looking at a 4-hour fistfight that would leave me bloody and bruised.

The sun did finally find a crack in the clouds during the ride, providing a small amount of solace from the raw, Siberian icebox that had enveloped the Emporium, but the wind did not abate. Ever. Instead, it picked up speed as the miles piled up and after 3 hours of pounding on the pedals while being thrashed by the wind, the group turned onto Hargrove Lake Road and the Final Attack Zone was at hand. John Boy Butler was the first to head out into the wicked wild, and though he didn’t break free, he stretched the pack thin so that on the second hump, a lead group of twelve ripped off the front. Heading up the third big hill 4 miles in, six rode away from the rest as Big Frank took the USA intermediate sprint: Gruber, Brown, Gibbons, Travesio, Scarano and Knapp surged clear, quickly fell into formation, and glided away. Quinn, J Sencenbaugh J Gilbert, C Rasser, Cornett and others gave valiant chase, but the front six had flown the coop. As the six escapees turned onto Melton Road with 1.5 miles to go, Gibbons exploded but was followed quickly by Brown and Big Frank. Gruber, Scarano and Knapp gave chase and did make contact less than 1 kilometer from the line, but Big Frank was waiting patiently and when he did jump he left no doubt who was in charge and he crossed the line with room to spare and money to burn, with Gibbons, Scarano and the rest rolling in behind. Others with exceptional rides on this vicious day were Julien Ruhe, Reece Latham, Emily Cameron, Maria Carrelli, Anastasia Shilova and Elliot Caldwell among others.

In the HUB Overall competition J Sencenbaugh still sits on top but Travisio made a huge jump this past weekend and is only 1 point in arrears. Behind these two, Kimbal, Quinn, Gilbert, Brown and Rasser are poised and ready to strike—all it takes is one deadly day. Stay tuned, with 7 down and 5 to go, it’s getting hot in the WBL.

Finis: Sponsored by Parks Law (http://parks-law.com)

1. Frank Travieso: 10 pts.
2. Thomas Gibbons: 8 pts.
3. Andy Scarano: 6 pts.
4. Thomas Brown: 4 pts.
5. Jered Gruber: 2 pts.
6. Ryan Knapp: 1 pt.
7. All: 4 pts.

Ladies Finish: sponsored by Team Type 1 Foundation (http://teamtype1.org/)

1. Judah Sencenbaugh: 5 pts
2. Lauren de Crescenzo: 4 pts
3. Emily Cameron: 3 pts
4. Madeline Pearce: 2 pts.
5. Anastasia Shilova / Maria Carrelli: 1 pt

Non Pro Finish: sponsored by Nabo Realty and CEO Briggs Carney (naborealty.com)

1. Oliver Quinn: 5 pts
2. Jackson Gilbert: 4 pts
3. Wesley Elford: 3 pts
4. Cole Rasser: 2 pts.
5. Nick Leonard: 1 pt

Non Pro Sprint: Old Wildcat Bridge Hill Jam sponsored by the Heath Family

1. Kyle Kymbal: 3 pts
2. Cole Rasser: 2 pts
3. Oliver Quinn: 1 pts

Ladies Sprint: Danielsville City Limit sponsored by Team Type 1 Masters

1. Judah Sencenbaugh: 3 pts
2. Emily Cameron: 2 pts
3. Madeline Pearce: 1 pts

Pro Sprint: Gene Dixon Hill Jam sponsored by ) (sponsored by USA Crits /     https://usacrits.com/news-2/2019-article-1/)

1. Fran Travieso: 3 pts
2. Jered Gruber: 2 pts
3. Thomas Brown: 1 pts