Welcome to the Crossroads

The Scorpions provided the theme song for Monday night: Winds of Change. Beaten but not broken, 26 Drafters battled their way through the winds of change. As in, the wind changed at every turn such that it was always a headwind or crosswind, never a tail wind.

Lyrics by the Scorpions, modified to suit the Draft

I follow the Drafters
Down to Viaduct
Listening to the wind of change
An April summer night
Drafters passing by
Listening to the wind of change

The world is closing in
And did you ever think?
That we could be so close?
Like brothers
The future’s in the air
I can feel it everywhere
Blowing with the wind of change

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the Drafters of tomorrow dream away (dream away)
In the wind of change
(Mmmmmmm)

The B Team showed up prepared, with more than McGritty having loaded the course. Grit admitted that it took 2 hours of negotiating before her phone and Garmin communicated, but she persevered. The Scorpions might have played the theme song, but Presley inspired Midas and Grit to dance in their blue suede shoes (look closely the the footwear of the first 3 Drafters). Coach Arms was feeling spry for her first adventure off the ice and on two-wheels. Ironically, the Canadian found herself a little underprepared for the cold wind. Guess those hockey rinks don’t have much in the way of wind chill.

Midas, Presley, Grit, Queenie, Coach Arms, McGritty and Footer

It was a rough night for Team Canada temperature regulation. Coach Arms was cold and Speedy came in hot, using up all her maple syrup to catch the B Team.

The A Team was flexing their muscle, showing off the new Hincapie Drafter Team kits. ON THAT NOTE: more Drafters have taken an interest in purchasing the new kits and inquires have been made about adding a vest and arm warmers to the list of items. Stay tuned.

Dan-yelly and TCB prove that there is kit for all shapes and sizes

Vilks proposes something (?) to Z Wrecks as Keez checks her fire power.

The A Team once again took up the entire runway. Slim flew to the front and cleared the air for all to follow. He made it home, picked up a burrito at Lupes and drank a gallon of chocolate milk before the rest of the A team hit Viaduct.

Cujo, Keez, Slim, Vilks, Bomber, Twinkle Toes, Yabba Dabba, Z Wrecks, Rimshot, Octane, Knievel, Squeak, Gopher, Vintage and JRad

Twinkle Toes, Yabba Dabba, Z Wrecks, Rimshot, Octane and Knievel

Vintage, Squeak, Gopher, JRad and DJ Jazzy

All teams enjoyed a historic moment under the 1881 Viaduct (video capture credit to Midas).

Midas, Speedy, Coach Arms, Grit, Queenie and Footer under Viaduct just before the A Team rolls by. A historic moment.

MVP (most valuable power) award goes to Vilks, with a 4-way tie between JRad, Yabba Dabba, Bomber and Rimshot. BrickO, Keez and DJ Jazzy were the beneficiaries of this power house. The cross wind made it tricky to draft responsibly, but with a little encouragement from DJ Jazzy, the team did make headway for awhile in perfect echelon format.

All Drafters made it back to base camp and opted to warm up indoors, despite a roaring fire (thanks, Z Wrecks) on the porch. Brrr. Thing 1.7 made brownies (taste not commensurate with their appearance- a reminder not to cut and drive) and Midas brought scotcheroos. Nobody left burning more calories than they consumed, despite battling the wind.

While nobody left hungry, several Drafters arrived in caloric deficit. Congrats to those who got dirty Saturday at the Dairy Roubaix (Vilks, Holstein and Cujo) and the Driftless 100 (Bomber, Belle, JRad, Captain Joe, Z Wrecks, BrickO, Twinkle Toes and many representatives from the Stonefield Wheelmen).

BrickO, Twinke Toes, JRad, Z Wrecks, Bell, Bomber, Captain Joe, Derek and the Domino at the start

Z Wrecks, Twinkle Toes and Derek minus the Domino at the finish

Belle and the Stonefield Randys charge the finish

There is no time chip record or Z Wrecks or BrickO finishing, but there is photo evidence!

Moving our theme song from the Scorpions to Clapton, welcome to the Crossroads! The first Monday of every month we will change up our starting point to Crossroads Coffeehouse, located at 2020 Main St, Cross Plains. Feel free to order pizza or a beer float (for real) afterwards, or BYO dinner and order a beverage. There is ample outdoor seating. A huge thanks to Katy and her staff for inviting us to their establishment!!!

There will be two routes on tap; full strength 34 and short pour 24 miles. This is a VERY hilly route, so plan departure time (4:45 or 5PM) and distance accordingly. Please park in the lot to the east (? to the left of the building) of Crossroads Coffeehouse. There is also parking along Bourbon St. if the lot is full (see green line on map below). Follow the red arrows to exit the parking lot along Mill Creek Pkwy onto the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and finally, Bourbon St.