[OrRando] Verboort Populaire

[Michael Rasmussen]

A light drizzle baptized the group of randonneurs.  Of 51 pre-registered
riders 37 were ready to go at 9:00.  
The others? Perhaps put off by the report of a winter storm on its way they'd chosen
to not ride.  By the end of the day an inch of rain would fall in the area.  
Starting with the ride a southerly wind kicked up to 15+mph - blessing riders for the
first half the route and challenging them more and more as they approached the
finish.  The rain fell frequently and fully.  It was a day to nourish your
inner flahute.

There were a fistful of DNFs.   The most amazing was that of two
riders who were just 1 mile, 1.7 kilometers, from the end of the route.
They  made a decision to turn toward the starting point where they knew
their cars were parked and did not complete the course.

In contrast Mark Johnson and Chris Hardwick each got bonus miles and
climbing after a wrong turn on Hwy 6 lead them on a merry two mile
climb. Each had gone off course earlier in the day. Even so they
persevered to the end - even after the clock ran out on their brevet
qualification.  They rode in the most inclement weather.
Volunteers manning the closing control will attest the wind grew stronger 
and the rain colder through the day.

Chris also went for extra special bonus miles after not
getting the answer for an information control.  He retraced the route
to get the answer.  When a driver offered to give him a lift to where
he'd turned around he declined, determined to stay the course.  

Chris wasn't alone in having a tough time with the information control - the
question was "What is the color of the ziptie attached to the street sign
post?"  Through fogged and rain spattered glasses seeing the zip tie was a
challenge.  

At the Snoozeville turnaround riders uniformly arrived in good spirits.  Sam
Huffman was the first, looking very chipper on his fixed gear bike.  He 
declined refreshments and quickly spun away.  Other riders 
gobbled down caloriffic cookies, slurped up Black Magic Potion coffee and
wrung out their gloves under the canopy.  

What kept the riders happy?  Greg Olsen provided express line control
validation at Longbottom's Coffee where Eric Vigoren and Maggie Williams
waited a full half hour to be served coffee.  Susan France efficiently checked
riders in at the start, met most of them at the Snoozeville turnaround and
greeted all finishers in Verboort.  Ray Ogilvie keep the coffee brewing and
provided general help at Snoozeville.  "Organizer" Michael Rasmussen also
spent time at the start, end and Snoozeville control.  

Event Numbers:
29 Finishers
2  Did Not Qualify
6  Did Not Finish
19 Did Not Start
4  Volunteers
6  Fixed Gear Riders
2  Tandem Teams
1  Recumbent
1  New RUSA Member


-- 
      Michael Rasmussen, Portland Oregon  
    Be appropriate && Follow your curiosity
http://www.patch.com/words/ or http://fut.patch.com/ 
  The fortune cookie says:
How many surrealists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

One to hold the giraffe and one to fill the bathtub with brightly colored
power tools.