Hope to Hopewell 200K: Ride Report

It seems that much more pain and suffering results from worrying about the weather than ultimately results from the weather itself. Despite ominous forecasts (and memories of the 2017 Hopewell snowpocalypse), the hopes of 21 riders seeking a fine day to ride were not dashed.

All 21 of the 21 riders who clipped in made it to the finish in good time for a 100% completion rate.  Preliminary results for the 2020 edition of the Beyond Hope to Hopewell 200K have been posted on the website.  Please review the results and let me know if they align with your memory.  The results will be submitted to RUSA later in the week and will become official once certified by RUSA.

Although 40F with occasional fog and drizzle would not qualify as a "fine day" for bike riding in the minds of some, for hale and hearty randonneurs it's near perfection (at least for Pennsylvania in February). First finishers Iwan Barankay and Chris Maglieri kept themselves warm zooming around the course in their usual record time. Chris was a little behind Iwan at the end because he stopped to take pictures documenting completion of his 7th R-12. 

Joe Ray writes...

Thanks for another great brevet.  It turned out to be pretty perfect after all, and while it was damp/foggy in the morning it was quite comfortable all day. It was good to be back on Tunnel Road again - I had started to miss that one after what I think has been a two-year absence. Thanks to Chris and Bill for their work and their company at the start & finish.

Iwan Barankay writes...

Thank you for organizing this brevet. I saw rather little the first hours with the dense fog plus my glasses being covered in raindrops and road muck (which also made it onto my bottle as I noticed a little too late...) The climbs were nice. Tunnel road was rolling and gentle but the second [Sand Brook Ridge and Sourland Mountain, ed] was relentless... Great final control at the Pizza parlor were I inhaled a large house special pizza and Fanta. Looking fwd to International Women's Day ride!

Indeed our next event is a Sunday 100K populaire honoring International Womens Day. The event starts at the Joan of Arc statue near the Art Museum in Philadelphia. All RUSA members are welcome to ride. Those of you looking for a first rando ride of the year: this is it.

Then the following Saturday, our ACP Super Randonneur series starts off in Easton with a challenging Reading Pagoda 200K.  Hope to see you all there.

--
Chris Nadovich
Brevet Organizer