Bling Team succeeds where others fail

By: C. Kent, aka (Superman) It was Wednesday and in Honor of the TDF we set up a ride that included long flat stretches and a few climbs. I knew the field would be small but in honor of the US soccer team I also knew it would be a chance for the Bling Team to take on the men’s team one on one. We will call this ride the McCall 2x. I got to the staging start finish line to find Digger waiting. We chatted till the Bling Team showed up in force. Anaconda, Quicksilver and Huntress showed up at the same time. You could almost hear the Group Queen singing “We are the champions” as they got out of their cars. I thought Digger and I would be in trouble until Cossack showed up adding strength to the men’s group. At least at that point we were even numbered. Dragon Slayer arrived a few minutes later and I knew we had a chance as a team to hold off the Bling Team. We nervously waited to get started and headed south only to be joined by ME-109 who was assigned a time penalty for a late start.

We made a hard turn west on Acacia and then south again on Kirby with Cossack setting the pace. Digger was close to the front as I rode next to Cossack followed by Dragon slayer and the Bling Team riding in formation and forming plans for their attack. Digger moved forward and took us to Johnston and west once more giving up the lead to Cossack and I. The pace was steady as we crossed Sanderson and made our way to Industry and out towards Cawston. Cossack led us to Stetson and headed towards Warren with the rest of the peloton in tow. So far team D V V men were doing all the work at the front of the peloton and the Bling Team. Something told me that the men might have something to fear in this effort as we closed in on Warren. Cossack was still leading the group as we crossed Warren and soon Digger moved forward to take is turn at the front.

Digger kept the men in front till Cossack and ME-109 took over and created a break away with Dragon Slayer closing the gap and joining them. I was left with Digger to hold off the Bling Team. We made it to California and Digger took over again and pulled us around onto Stowe. I got by him and pulled to the first set of Houses tll Huntress took over and boxed me in between her and Quicksilver letting Anaconda keep Digger from assisting me. While Cossack, ME-109 and Dragon Slayer made it to the end of Stage one first ME-109 didn’t get a time bonus because of his late start. Cossack and Dragon Slayer got a three and two minute bonus while Huntress got a one minute one and I finished with the peloton.

I started the second Stage south on Winchester and started to pull the pace line all the way to 9th Street and west. I stayed out front until I gave the lead to Cossack and fell to the back of the peloton. Cossack kicked up the pace and I was caught off guard by Anaconda as Dragon Slayer and the rest of the Bling Team followed Cossack and ME-109 towards Leon. We weren’t that far behind when we turned onto Leon and I took over the pull and attempted to catch the lead Peloton as we headed west on Simpson. I did break away from Anaconda and Digger and pulled up behind the rest of the group at Menifee. I noticed that Cossack had abandoned the course leaving us one man down in our quest to beat the Bling Team. We reached McCall at the same time and turned west towards the first climb of the day, Verso de Hill Hospital. I was in the back of the peloton with ME-109 as we started for the hill and after he made his break for it I followed catching everyone by ME-109 including Dragon Slayer. So far I felt we were putting a hurt on the Bling Team. We dropped down off of the hill and headed for Bradley to head north. Dragon Slayer and ME-109 led the way to Roush and west to Murrieta before we turned north to Ethanac and west again. Digger was pulling the chase group as we got to Goetz and headed west to attack the next climb, Escalade de la chèvre. I caught Digger at the first cross street and had gapped the Bling Team. I thought I had a good lead when Quicksilver pulled up behind me and then rolled by. I held her wheel but I was afraid she was going to drop me until we hit the 9 percent part of the climb and I used my last match to get by her and to the top for at least one more point. We creasted the hill and I ended up chasing ME-109 to the Fire Station. As we continued on I looked back and Dragon Slayer was coming on strong. He passed me and with ME-109 headed for Normandy while I had to hold off a charging Huntress till we also turned east on Normandy.

We turned north on La Ladera and stopped at the park to end Stage 2 and a time check. Things were looking pretty good with Dragon slayer leading in points followed by ME-109. I was in third after the two climbs but only by a point over Quicksilver and 10 seconds over Huntress. We headed back onto the course and headed north towards Honey Run as I led us east to the stop sign.

As we headed north I was leading in a short break away but was soon captured by digger and caught by the rest of the Peloton. I followed the group all the way up to the turn east on McCall and finally caught them at Murrieta as we headed back to Bradley and the freeway overpass. Dragon slayer led us to Hillpoint and I took over at the light. ME-109 sprinted past me just past the new homes and Dragon Slayer went after him shortly after that. I was well ahead of Quicksilver as I headed onto the false flat and figured she was out of matches so I down shifted to save my legs. I never saw the attack coming and she sprinted by me just before the crest of the hill. At this point Quicksilver had more points than I did but at least was still behind ME-109 and Dragon Slayer. Then as we dropped down the hill Dragon Slayer left the race and only ME-109 was leading Quicksilver. We turned south east on Heritage and made our way to Simpson to head east again. Quicksilver took the lead and pulled past Leon trying to maintain her position. At this point disaster hit and ME-109 took off on a solo breakaway. Much like Tony Martin’s run on Stage Three of the tour I expected ME-109 to take the stage. I pulled in front of Quicksilver and got us to Winchester to head north. Quicksilver pulled us to Stowe where we had to stop for a tech inspection only to discover ME-109 missed the inspection. Now Quicksilver was in the lead and she had the full support of Team Bling. We headed east on Stowe and I tried to make a run for it with a Solo break away. I was caught by Team Bling’s chase team as I turned onto Stetson. They played me like a fine violin as we move back to Warren with either Quicksilver or Huntress staying right on my wheel to make sure there would be no time bonus point for finishing first. I took us to Cawston where digger caught up and the to industrial realizing my chances were fading away quickly.

I managed to get us to Sanderson and made a last ditch effort to drop the group before we got to Acacia. There was no such luck as Team Bling covered every move I made and made it to Gilmore and Florida right on my wheel. When I pulled into the parking lot Quicksilver had become the virtual winner and Team Bling had proved more consistant over the course to prove that not just the US women’s soccer team knew how to win.