It's just a little over a month until the FLECHE! With that in mind,
Paul Donaldson's epic 176-mile RICHMOND ROUNDABOUT is scheduled for
Saturday, April 4. All fleche teams are invited and encouraged to
convene in Ashland, Virginia (center of the universe) for this really
fun event. Even if you're NOT on a fleche team this year, please come
down for the ride--the more the merrier. I'll send out another reminder
the week before the ride, but want to give everyone plenty of time to
make plans (and hotel reservations if you want to drive down to Ashland
the night before and/or stay over after the ride). There are tons of
hotels in Ashland but, even so, spring events of all kinds can cause
them to fill up early, so don't procrastinate. Here's the scoop on the
Richmond Roundabout:
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009
"THE RICHMOND ROUNDABOUT," starting from Ashland Coffee & Tea Co.,
Ashland, Virginia. MEETING TIME 5:00 a.m. (This means that we want to
be on the road by 5:15.) We'll meet in the parking lot behind Ashland
Coffee & Tea, familiar to all of you who have ridden Paul's Tappahannock
200K brevet. We usually get a large turnout for this ride and there
will be lots of activity in the parking lot, so please arrive on time.
We will not be waiting for late-comers. We'll leave any surplus cue
sheets and maps on the windshield of the Chuckwagon when we take off.
LIGHTS ARE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED, as we'll be riding in the dark for more
than an hour in the morning and many riders will finish after sundown
(excellent fleche training, of course). Please DO NOT show up without
lights. Period. Also, it would be helpful to me to have an estimated
headcount so that I'll know how many cue sheets and maps to produce.
Accordingly, please shoot me an email if you're planning to attend.
Note this is an unsupported randonneur ride. Bring and carry what you
need, ride at your own pace, be self sufficient, and have a blast! If
you are on a fleche team, riding with your team members is really
encouraged, particularly if you don't ride together on a regular basis.
Here's the recycled ride description: This is an excellent training ride
for those who are planning to ride the Fleche on April 25 (or 24th if
you're starting on Friday), but all are welcome. There are plenty of
stores along the route, and we'll have several rest stops, including TWO
(2!) Subway lunch stops for you Subway aficionados (I'm NOT one of
them). PAUL WGR DONALDSON (World's Greatest Randonneur) designed this
delightful 176-mile odyssey that circles around Richmond. The ride has
a lot of historical flavor, passing many Civil War sites and other
historical points of interest. It crosses three rivers (the James,
Chickahominy and Appomattox) as well as Skinquarter Creek, and spans 7
counties. And there's more--2 FROGS ON A BIKE!! The terrain is very
gentle without being boringly flat. Estimated total elevation gain 5800
feet.
In the past we've all met for dinner at Ruby Tuesday after the ride, but
the last few years we've had so much fun at Ashland Coffee & Tea after
Paul's Tappahanhock 200K that we might just hang out there instead.
It's open until around 10:00.
Crista
Work 202-662-4557
Cell (weekends only) 202-365-3738
