There is nothing quite like the Driftless to leave you breathless. Between the gorgeous views and relentless climbs, you are bound to be out of breath.

Sunday was an epic day for a finale. 17 Drafters ventured out to Ridgeway to climb some of Iowa County’s finest hills. Never too late to enlist… welcome to the Draft, Tank. He can motor on the flats and descends like a beast, but ask him how he feels about climbing. Tank wasn’t sure he wanted to enlist after learning the Drafter motto….

When in doubt, climb. And we did, no doubt. 45 miles with over 3500′ of elevation on roads with names like North Clay Hill, Far Look Road, Hill Side School Road, High Point Road, Coon Rock Road, Amacher Hollow, Blue Ridge Road, Ridgevue Road. You get the idea.

The most scenic, perhaps, is the historic 1850 Hyde Mill on Mill Creek Road.

Thank you to Speedy and Skipper for the brilliant design and team t-shirts. The topography of the rides are shown on the front in 50 shades of green, with the names (in order, no less) of every ride this season on the back.

There is much to be thankful for this drafting season. We welcomed 8 newbies: Sherlock, Ruby, Sweeps, Air Bourne, GQ, Maverick, Goose and Tank. 60 Drafters enlisted this season, with an average of 18 and max of 27 drafting responsibly on Monday nights. 25 rides in total, starting on March 23.

The first ride, as many will recall, involved a horrific crash involving 3 Drafters. It was a devastating event that we all wish could be undone. Since none of us have a time turner, we can be grateful for the strong community that supported Z, Hawkeye and Twinkle Toes through their recoveries. Their return to the Draft is the gift we treasure most, though the t-shirts are pretty darn cool.

The Drafters covered 789.25 miles. Shout out to those with 10 or more Drafts: Hammer Time, Twinkle Toes, Ruby, Spigot, Cujo, Queenie, Skipper, Presley, Hawkeye and Duracell.

8 Drafters were 15+ repeat offenders were awarded swag to cover their car seats, cause with that much riding, one can only imagine the smell emanating from their vehicles on Monday night. Shout out to John and SweatVac for making those possible.

Congrats to BrickO, Shaq, Speedy, Rimshot, Knievel, Vilks, Keez and Z. On the podium according to volume: Keez, Z and Vilks!

Shaq missed the podium, but did not miss the bourbon bike tour in KY this weekend. Sporting her Tour de Dane Femmes jersey, she did the Drafters proud.

THANK YOU ALL FOR A WONDERFUL 2025 SEASON! Hope to see you all in the spring (or maybe next Monday. Stay tuned).

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

17 Drafters came out to play. The sky looked ominous but they rode on anyway.

Cycling to the start, Herbie was nearly the casualty of a woman hurrying to get the mail.

Hammer Time arrived late and had to make bail.

Her penance was pulling BrickO all the way to Riley. Wheeee…..she said, all smiley.

One new Drafter joined the crew. From here on out, handle GQ.

Threading the needle, the Drafters missed the rain.

Twinkle Toes scorched the route without breaking a chain.

Griz came out of hibernation for his first draft of the season. Winter is coming, seems to reason.

Velo made crepes with jam and hazelnut butter. Making Marcé great again, he was heard to utter.

Pepe, Billy Boy and Loose Screw opted for an alternative route on Monday, climbing Pienza and Montalcino. Word has it they drafted responsibly.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS: Congrats to Pit Stop, McGritty and Shaq for completing a century over the weekend.

USA Gravel Nationals in La Crescent, MN was enjoyed by a few Drafters. Congrats to Spigot, Hammer Time and BrickO. Only one was brave enough to take on the Tilt-A-Whirl. This ride sponsored by Dramamine.

Columbus and Gopher ran the Yellow River Half Marathon, with nearly 2000 feet of climb. By foot or by bike, when in doubt….. CLIMB.

Tour de Dane Femmes Final Results

It was a wild tour, with the green and polka dot jerseys changing shoulders several times. The yellow jersey was never in doubt. Cujo started the Tour with the Dairyland Dare, and finished with Wright Stuff Century, accumulating 1114.35 miles in the month of August! BrickO was a distant second with 720 miles. Speedy lived up to her name during Stage 4, with a Stagecoach Sprint time of 2:38, 13 seconds faster than any other Femme! During a post-race interview, the Speedster credited Crossroads Coffeehouse for their double espresso for fueling her sprint. Speedy also recruited her son to do a stage, his first time riding the road clipped in. This is the spirit of cycling! Hammer Time left no doubt about the polka dot jersey, climbing Stage 8 Alp d’ Blue segments in 19:20, with the next Femme enduring 41seconds more of pain. Hammer’s selfie on top has been touted as the Mona Lisa of Blue Mounds. Shaq was prolific in pink, spreading cycling love throughout the community. From local bike and coffee shops to DNR kiosks, she brought cheer and left beer. While several Femmes accumulated all 45 pink points, Shaq’s touch reached the furthers corners of Dane County. This was the first Tour for newbies Sweeps and Ruby, who conquered more than miles. Congratulations to all of our Tour de Dane Femmes!

NO DRAFT MONDAY SEPTEMBER 29. A Monday draft on Oct 6 will be weather and daylight dependent, and will be posted on GroupMe.

The Drafter Finale will take place on Sunday, Sept 28 in Ridgeway. There is limited driveway parking, so please park on the west side of Ridgevue Road, south of Dream Acres. Bring a lawn chair and a lunch for after the ride, and hiking shoes if you would like to explore the springs and cave. See GroupMe for the address.

There are short pour and full strength routes.

Full strength 10:00AM departure, 45 miles.

RidewithGPS link: Drafters : Dream Acres Finale

Short pour 10:30AM departure, 31 miles.

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | Dream Acres Finale Short Pour

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

Insomnia. The publisher couldn’t sleep last night, and released the blog in an unprecedented Monday night release. Cobwebs were thick, so despite honorable intentions, some honorable deeds were not mentioned.

V2.0

….. and the Short Pour lit up the north bound lane.

The group enjoyed more than just a fire. Hawkeye brought his whole flock, including 2 Junior Drafters, and snacks! Much thanks.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Shaq could make a quilt with all the t-shirts from the century rides she has done just this year alone. She rode the Peninsula Century on Saturday and is gearing up for Ride the Ridges next weekend. Spoiler alert: she isn’t done.

Spigot was included in the Chequamegon 40 shout outs, but it should be noted this was his inaugural Drag Race from Hayward to Cable… and he did it on a 40 pound (rounding) fat bike. Granted, he swapped the tires, but those fat tires ARE the shock absorption! The fact that he had enough power to capture this photo of a Badger fan playing the bag pipes while climbing a monster hill is a testament to hit grit. And appreciation for talent.

Drafter Finale. Confused? In past years, the Drafter Finale is not always the final draft. The Finale takes place on a weekend (Sun Sept 28) so that we can 1) ride/ climb longer than on a Monday evening and 2) enjoy socializing after the ride. No plans for awards this year, aside from the Tour de Dane. Just bring whatever food and beverage you would like to enjoy and a lawn chair. The venue is our barndominium in Ridgeway. Twinkle Toes has verified its structural integrity. Bring hiking shoes and enjoy exploring the cave and springs.

Ridwith GPS Link: Drafters | Dream Acres Finale Short Pour

RidewithGPS Link: Drafters | Dream Acres Finale

Draft responsibly,
BrickO

Oh what a night. Late September on a Mo-on-day. What a very special time for me. As I remember, what a night.

25 Drafters came out to play. Dan-yelley came in hot, nearly crashed the driveway. Speedy was was acting a little cray’– making crazy hand signals to warn of grasshoppers gone astray. Duracell charged up Black Hill, blowing everyone away. Skipper stretched his quad with one leg still pedaling, looking like Gumby on display. Z was so strong the medical director ordered a blood test right away. Twinkle Toes sprinted, winning the town sign but losing his chain along the way. Those are all the things that happened on Monday.

The outbound train picked up Duracell at the charging station on Pheasant Branch.

Might be one of the only rides whereby the pace was sustainable, at least for those running on geri-gas.

Approaching the widow maker, Black Hill, Keez and Hawkeye were battling the beast, when Duracell took charge. His first Drafter KOM of the season!

Home stretch on Hyslop. A rare descent for the Drafters.

The short pour Drafters were bravely holding their ground, fending off mosquitos while they waited patiently for Slim to build a fire.

Build it and they will come. Thanks Slim and Lozi for keeping us safe from those little beasts.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS: The Drafter Den in the north woods was full of activity. Momma and Pappa Monster took great care of all their cubs. Congrats to 14 full grown Drafters, 3 junior Drafters and 2 BABES (bad a** bitches exploring sh*t) who had fun getting dirty at Cheq40. The initiative was clear from the start…..

Mother Nature spared the Little Loggers race Friday night The rain hit further south in Hayward, but the dirt stayed dry in Cable. These 3 junior Drafters shredded the course. Minnow Monster and Mellow Monster were dazzling in their purple accessories. Dyson cleaned house, coming in first overall in the junior female division! Check out the monsters in the recap video.

The temperature would rise upwards of 80 on Saturday, but a fleece jacket and coffee offered welcomed warmth at dawn.

Draft responsibly. Always good to have a law firm on your team. Thanks to Janssen Law for their support.

The Full Fat lined up in Hayward, early enough to avoid the lines at the portos. Speedy and Joyce made the ultimate sacrifice, risking pole position at the Short and Fat to drop off their fellow Drafters. The reunion with Belle and Bomber was sweet. It was hard to miss Belle in her floral shorts, which were just as bright as her attitude about the day to come.

More Northern Contingent Drafters lined up at the Short and Fat.

They say up north provides excellent fishing opportunities. We reeled in FISH AND BOOTS!

A few Cheq newbies to congratulate. Hammer Time and The Colonel in their first and last Cheq40 before they say “I DO”.

Huge shout out to Vilks, who borrowed a MTB just to spend the day in the north woods. Skipper, be sure to check for damages. See Janssen Law to make a claim.

Not his first Chequamegon MTB Festival, but his first Full Fat, congrats to Z. He overcame more than 41 miles and 3500 feet to finish this race.

Thanks to the BABES for sticking around to cheer on the Drafters!

The post-race celebration is what keeps the Drafters coming back. It sure isn’t Fire Tower!

Momma and Pappa Monster make this feast look easy. But it took work..

Draft for Monday, Sept 22 will be a short one, for all. Safety first- daylight is fading fast. Departure time 4:45 for all Drafters. Two routes: short pour 21 miles and full strength 25 miles.

RidewithGPS Drafters | Riley-less Tavern

RidewithGPS Drafters | Riley Tavern

The Drafter Finale will take place on Sunday, Sept 28 at 10AM. Rain date Oct 12. Departure time is 10AM for the full strength 45 mile course, and 10:30 for the short pour 31 mile course. Both will start and finish in Ridgeway, just west of Blue Mound. Awards for the Tour de Dane will be presented at that time.

There may or may not be more fall Drafts on Monday evenings following the Finale. Stay tuned.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

What’s in a name? Regardless of the name, the inherent beauty of these two rides is essentially the same. The reality of where to turn, however, is very different. Averting potential disaster posed by BrickO’s inadvertent dyssynchronous posting of two routes- Crossroads on the blog and Creekside on GroupMe was beautifully navigated by 17 Drafters headed out KP.

Speedy averted the crisis altogether by drafting responsibly, alone.

The unforeseen bonus of conflicting routes is that the group was forced to stay together, allowing the team photographer, Skipper, so capture the essence of this breathtaking route.

Keeping with the Shakespeare quote, Forshaug by any other name is F’ Shaug and Forsh*t. With 3 kickers, it kicks your a**.

“A good heart is the sun and the moon; or, rather, the sun and not the moon, for it shines bright and never changes.” William Shakespeare, J. M. Jephson (1866). “The Works of William Shakespeare”, p.466

A huge shout out to Abby at Crossroads Coffeehouse and Creekside Scoop. Ice cream and beer by any other name is simply delicious. The Drafters enjoyed pizza on the patio, along with said ice cream and beer. We are so grateful for their generous hospitality, and look forward to returning next season.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Our Junior team has been doing the work.

Dirty Drafter Minnow Monster shows us how to shred. This video didn’t post in an earlier attempt. Trying it again in two formats, hoping at least one gets traction.

Congrats to IronDrafters, Tree of Rown and Squeak. Both brilliantly coached by Midas, these women rocked Ironman this weekend.

Many Drafter Century riders to celebrate. Shaq, Knievel and Cujo drafted responsibly on the Wright Stuff. Cujo and Pit Stop knocked down the Door County Century while Knievel did the same in Cleveland.

On tap for next week, Monday Sept 15. As the days grow shorter, so will the rides. 4:45 departure time from Middleton Hills. Full strength 27 .6 miles, short pour 21. 6 miles

RidewithGPS link: Northbound Short Pour

RidewithGPS link| Drafters Black Widow

Weather permitting, there will be a draft on Monday Sept 22 and then the FINAL DRAFT on Sunday Sept 28th. Rain date Oct 12. The final draft will take place from Ridgeway, just west of Blue Mound. When in doubt, CLIMB.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

From 90 degrees and humid to arm warmers. August is full of surprises. 19 Drafters made their wardrobe selections and headed north towards Crystal Lake. Welcome back, Octane! He broke is wing 6 weeks ago. It is good to have him back in flight.

Gopher saw his shadow and decided to go back home. Vilks had some subtle thoughts to point out.

The northerly winds blew Skipper into prime photography position as the flock flew out Pheasant Branch Rd.

As expected, the climb up Woodland broke up the band. Vilks, Rimshot and the Iowegian Aviators, Gopher and Hawkeye, did the lion’s share of the work for the male division. Hammer Time was tasked with keeping BrickO in tow. Skipper hung in there, dutifully capturing the carnage.

The white caps (more like green caps) on Crystal Lake confirmed the ferociousness of the northerly wind.

Birds take flight: Goose and Hawkeye with a great blue heron off to the right (not pictured) in echelon formation, withHammer Time and Rimshot in flight formation. Vilks migrated to the back to capture the migratory pattern.

The flock turned onto Mussen Rd and finally got a tail wind to ruffle their feathers.

One particular bird really stood out. A rare bread, this Parfait is to be celebrated.

Cujo and Skipper discussed a “hybird” (hybrid bird) with Skipper’s calves and Cujo’s quads. That might put Goose off the podium for most exquisite bird.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Congrats to Keez on finishing Gravel Worlds, her first gravel race with the Pros!

Keez wasn’t the only one to hike a bike over the weekend. Shaq conquered her longest gravel race yet at CoonFork40, opting to walk the sandy sections. What better time to eat a waffle with sand between your toes? Smart fueling strategy. Congrats to Spigot and JRad for also completing the CoonFork40.

To the north, more dirty drafter action. Congrats to Momma Monster on the Pre-Fat!

Sweeps understand the importance of having her Junior Drafter get an early start to follow in the pedal strokes of these fierce women.

The highlight reel from the previous week was missed due to a rainout. Here’s a recap:

Spigot let it flow at Race the Lake.

Air Bourne lived up to his name.

Almost as exciting as clearing that gap is the arrival of his Drafter jersey!

Tour de Dane Femmes Standings:

What a week in women’s racing! With only 5 days left in the tour, there are still points to be won. Cujo once again racked up the highest grand total of 243 miles, with Keez enduring the longest single day on a bike with 151. BrickO achieved the greatest elevation challenge, living up to the motto, “when in doubt, climb”. But what about POINTS??

Hammer Time is in the polka dot jersey, with epic Alp d’ Blue and horribly hilly hundreds stages.

Speedy held the TT record up Stagecoach early in the week, thanks to a jolt of caffeine, but Cujo stole green later that day. But showing her spirit wasn’t broken, Speedy and her Junior Drafter crushed Stage 6 and two ice cream cones.

Cujo has been frothing at the mouth to earn the yellow jersey. As this point, it will be hard to accumulate more miles without a motor.

Shaq continues to look pretty in pink, although dutifully wearing green.

Strong work, Femmes. Let’s wrap it up! ALL 8 stages need to be completed in order to be in the running for a points jersey. Should one person hold more than one jersey, the Femme next in line shall be crowned. Be sure to turn in your data sheets by Sept 1. GO GET IT!!!

IMPORTANT UPDATES

** NO DRAFT NEXT MONDAY DUE TO LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

** FINAL DRAFT & PARTY SUNDAY SEPT 28 IN RIDGEWAY. Please note, pending weather that weekend, back up date Sunday October 12.

**NEXT DRAFT SEPT 8th LEAVES FROM CROSSROADS COFFEEHOUSE at 4:45. Please text pizza orders by NOON on Monday. Cheese, pepperoni, delux or veggie.

Full strength 34 mile and short pour 24 mile options.

RidewithGPS Drafters| Crossroads Coffeehouse Short Pour

RidewithGPS Drafters | Crossroads Coffeehouse

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

21 Drafters set out for Indian Lake. Reconstruction of Parmenter to Hwy 12 was easily navigated, but the deconstruction of Indian Trail and Matz Road only benefited Hawkeye and other dentists. Hold on to your fillings. Holy cobbles, Bat Man.

This game day report will be relayed through Skipper’s photos, as the blog editor is recovering from hypoxia. Cogent content is unlikely. Although the reader may not notice a change in mentation for blog shenanigans.

Divide and conquer. The A Team established itself after the climb up Church. Perhaps they filled their bottles with holy water?

The cobbles of Matz Rd split the A Team. Vilks, Hammer, LuLu and Hawkeye burned up the road. Or was that smoke coming from the candles on Hawkeye’s cake? HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Hawkeye !!! Z, Twinkle Toes and Skipper looked toward the silo, the Dane County version of the Giant on the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees.

Where are Keez and Rimshot, you might ask? The hills were not calling to them, as they wisely opted for the scenic bike path down Highway 12. Sounds like a Bob Dylan song in the making. The rationale behind their strategy will be revealed shortly.

The B Team bravely bypassed the short pour bike path option, charging full strength ahead to climb Rauls Road. And Woodland Rd. And Pheasant Branch. The trifecta of pain otherwise adverted on the bike path.

The boys hit the home stretch on Pheasant Branch. Just minutes away from a rehydration station.

My, how these boys have changed. Vintage lost a few feet of hair and his Junior Drafter has grown about as much. Curious selection of toys….

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Representing our Junior Drafter MTB Team, Minnow Monster let er’ rip on the CAMBA trails. Cookie Monster captured this footage while drafting responsibly behind her daughter. E$ is priming Mellow Monster for the same.

No stranger to podiums, congrats to Squeak on her USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships success! I’m sure the Midas touch didn’t hurt.

Congrats to Keez on her longest gravel grinder yet. You know you are from Wisco when your 135 mile weekend ride covers the “Cheese Triangle”.

And you know what goes well with cheese? Beer. These two Drafters conquered the Great Taste Midwest Beer Festival. Strong work, Skipper and Rimshot.

A special shout out to Rimshot on his humanitarian work. Giving selflessly, Rimshot worked tirelessly to help set up the beer function. It is no wonder he was out of gas for the ride. In other humanitarian and beer drinking news, the Drafters are honored to have been selected to display a bejeweled and bedazzled beer bong. This work of art was hand crafted by Ruby’s wife during her college years at UW-Madison and is a revered family heirloom displayed proudly on the family refrigerator. Ruby does caution looking but not touching the work of art, as the beer bong is not BPA free.

Tour de Dane Femmes Standings:

They GC battle is heating up. Total mileage for last week went to Keez with 276, just nudging out Cujo with 201 miles. Keep in mind- those data are only for one week. The yellow jersey will go to the Femme with the most total miles in the month of Aug.

The battle in the mountains for the polka dot jersey currently is uncontested, with Sweeps in the lead!

The speedsters are racing for the green jersey, with Hammer Time taking the QOM on Stage 3 Cross Plains Time Trial by 0.1s over Cujo, who currently holds the QOM for Stage 4 Stagecoach Sprint.

The Femme in pink is currently Shaq! She made her attack this weekend. Let’s see if she can hold on!

On tap for Monday Aug 18 is Crystal Lake (dubbed Crystal Cat after the heroic rescue of a farm kitten by Squirrel and Keez years ago). Full strength 35 miles, short pour 26 miles. Departure time 4:50 for both groups. I know, I know. The TimesThey Are A-Chanin’. More Bob Dylan Trying to be respectful of those with less flexible work hours.

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Crystal Cat Short Pour

RidewithGPS link Drafters| Crystal Cat

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

21 Drafters came out to play with the Beast. This route likely tapped the most elevation gain of the season. Sweeps developed a “special relationship” with the Beast of Barlow. When asked how she did on the beastly climb, her positive response, “Well, I didn’t tip over.” That’s an award winning attitude, and one not shared by several drafters. You know who you are. Keez. “But, Mom, why would we climb Braun when we could just take KP back to Crossroads?” Because, my love, “When in doubt, CLIMB!”

Crossroads has vexed Nemo and Sherlock. Last month, it was a forgotten helmet that delayed the mother-daughter. This month, it was a forgotten car. In for repairs, the two realized too late that they needed to bike to the start. This action photo gives a sense of the speed Nemo is generating. She’s the Flo-Jo of cycling.

Their faux pas was appreciated by Ruby, who came in hot and was able to connect with the tardy duo. Jumping to the end, the finish photos say it all.

Ok, back to what happened in the middle for the rest of the Drafters. Pretty simple. Vilks, despite 124 miles and 11k feet of climbing on Saturday led the way. Hawkeye and Gopher, the representatives from Iowa, baited him with a few break away maneuvers, but Vilks wasn’t taking the bait.

It was good to have Car Wash back in the line up after a shoveling incident messed with his low back. Never let gardening chores get in the way of cycling! This route was not exactly a gentle return to the Draft, but he hung in there. Fully charged, Duracell made his debut with the lead group.

A huge thanks to Abby and her crew at Creekside Scoop for hosting us each month. The pizzas were hot, the ice cream was cold and the beer au jus was fabulous.

The Michelin star was only in part awarded for the fine au jus. The pizza is also worthy. Vilks, having stole a slice of pepperoni from Coach Arms last time, was prepared to share his pie. Alas, the Coach was celebrating in Canada with her family. HBD, COACH ARMS!

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Tour de Dane Standings:

Pretty in pink, Speedy is out front. Not only did she complete Stage 7 Mountain Momma and Stage 2 LBS Love in the same day, she exceeded expectations by delivering treats to Trek West, which was beyond the tour route.

Nobody has entered the mountain stage, but our speedster in green is Shaq after hammering Stage 3 Cross Plains Time Trial. She also picks up some pink points by enjoying some coffee at Crossroads Coffeehouse.

RACING OUTSIDE OF THE TOUR

Congratulations to the Drafter Finishers at Dairyland Dare. Vilks dared go under 7 hours for 124 miles and nearly 11,000 feet of climb. Cujo was right on his wheel for the first 75 miles and broke the 8 hour barrier. Spigot and Tinker has a strong 100 mile finish as well!

In other endurance events, Shaq conquered the Best Dam Bike Tour, riding 150 miles over the weekend.

Switching from pavement to water, CONGRATULATIONS to Footer on two silver medals at Barefoot Nationals in Florida!! One medal for each foot. And CONGRATS to The Legend on being National Champion!

An Ironman Simulation was happening down at Law Park. Midas and MultiSport were there to support Tree of Rown on her next Iron challenge. Go get em!

On tap for Monday Aug 11: one route to Indian Lake 31 miles, with an option to take the bike path home 29 miles. Highway 19 has been repaved, with a VERY wide shoulder and rumble strip for protection.

One departure time of 4:45PM. The bike path home isn’t exactly a short pour. Given that Missouri Tavern is on the bike path, you may find an extra pour on that route.

RidewithGPS Link Drafters| Indian Lake

RidewithGPS Link Drafters | Indian Lake Bike Path Home

Draft responsibly,

BricKO

This stage of the Draft was full of surprises. When Phil and Bob announced Cannibal and Hit-the-Wall as contenders in this year’s tour, the crowd went wild to have the boys back in the line up. Perhaps a little disappointment seeped in with the realization that Cannibal would not finish the Champs-Middleton Hills bearing garden drinks and wearing an apron.

The heat is a great equalizer. 18 Drafters started and finished, mostly together.

There is a brief pause in the Tour coverage when the photographer gets dropped.

While we await his return, please enjoy some of his footage from the Riley Tavern route last week: YouTube Link to Skipper’s Drafting by Riley Highlights – July 25.

Coverage resumes as Skipper digs deep and overtakes the peloton with a brilliant break away maneuver up Buethin Rd.

Skipper was able to maintain the lead until Pheasant Branch, when Gopher sprinted for the town sign. Iowa was in it to win it, as Hawkeye gave chase. Gopher and Hawkeye were wheel to wheel at the finish. Phil and Bob are awaiting the judges decision.

Octane had to drop out of the tour after crashing in the MTB stage, but dropped by to single handedly enjoy a cold beverage.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS:

Drafters in the wild. Please feed the animals.

A bit further north, things really got wild at Wausau24. Skipper is nothing shy of a celebrity in the area, recently being hired to build miles and miles of MTB trail. Build it and they will come. And they did…. the largest MTB race in the Midwest sold out! Skipper took time out of his 12 hour race to grant an interview and announce the 6 hour winners. Despite several social engagements during the race, this beast managed to place top 10.

The rho Chi Minh Trail isn’t the only thing Skipper cleared. The race director cleared an entire camping area just for Skipper. BrickO couldn’t clear the rock garden, but she was happy to help fill the camp site space.

Before and after photos tell the story.

The Tour de France Femmes is underway. And starting August 1st, so is the Tour de Dane Femmes! Let’s make this the best tour yet.

On tap for Monday August 4: DEPARTURE FROM CROSSROADS COFFEHOUSE in Cross Plains. Two routes: short pour 23 miles and full strength 31miles. One departure time: 4:45PM. Given that this is a bit further of a drive from our usual launching pad, give a shout out on GroupMe if you are seeing other folks to leave at a later time.

RidewithGPS link: Drafters | CP Beast of Barlow Short Pour

RidewithGPS Link: Drafters | CP Beast of Barlow

PIZZA ORDERS: Please text BrickO by Monday noon if you’d like to pre-order a pizza: cheese, pepperoni, deluxe or veggie.

Draft responsibly,

BrickO

The Drafter Grand Tour continues. 22 drafters set forth to Riley Tavern.

Skipper and Goose flew in hot in just after the photo, and Pepe joined the fleet from his home base, and Hammer Time started just as the group finished, sporting her new white Trek Madone. The bride to be choose her steed wisely.

The trickiest part of the ride was navigating through the chaotic intersection at the epicenter of Middleton Hills, where apparently blinkers, full stops and any other semblance of order imposted by traffic laws was largely ignored by drivers. But not the by the Drafters, who had two feet down and thumbs up at the red light.

Traffic quieted down and the drafters heated up once through the round-about on Blackhawk Rd. Skipper captured this gorgeous photo of the peloton climbing Blackhawk and Twin Valley.

The pecking order was established fairly quickly as Vilks and the Iowegian Birds of Prey, Goose and Hawkeye took flight. BrickO, von Diesel and Air Bourne managed to stay in formation until Riley, and then fell back into a more sustainable pace.

As is tradition, beers and smart talk commenced after the Draft. Shameless plug for Super Tuesday: for those who missed the rooftop concert last Thur, you can catch Queenie this weekend at the one and only WaunaFest!

Slim took a different route, MTBing through Cross Plains and Blackhawk trail systems to find his way to the backyard.

The Grand Tour was even more grand with a surprise drop in by Billy Boy, who actually intended to draft but was thwarted by a flat tire. There’s something a bit more Grand about Billy Boy this month…. congratulations to Sir Billy Boy the 6th!

Grandma Pit Stop and Grandpa Billy Boy were just ga ga over their grandkiddos.

Another surprise! A fly by visit from Gopher and a junior Drafter.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS: Congrats to Keez and Hawkeye on their Blue Mound Classic Cap Brew Ride event on Sunday.

Coming soon…. Calling All Femme Drafters! The 4th annual Tour de Dane Femmes will take place during the month of August. The format will be slightly different this year. There will be 8 stages with 4 classifications of awards: GC for most miles ridden during the tour, polka dot points for 2 climbing stages, green points for 2 sprint/TT stages and pink points for most spirited rider. Riders must complete ALL stages to be eligible for awards. Be sure to enlist on BrickO’s Drafters Strava Group in order to participate. You must be 18 years or older (for beer delivery purposes) and identify as Femme. No other restrictions apply.

On tap for Monday July 28: Full strength Latham Loop 30 miles and Northbound short pour 21 mile routes. Departure time 4:45. This worked well last week! The full strength self selected B team will roll out first, followed by A team, and then the short pour!

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Northbound Short Pour

RidewithGPS link Drafters | Latham Loop

Draft responsbily,

BrickO