MTTC-2023

     I watched the weather with anticipation all day on Friday. It seemed like the rain would never stop. Thankfully Saturday morning was dry, and, we even had periods of sunshine. Apparently there was an eclipse that day as well, but unfortunately I was unable to catch a glimpse of it. This running of the Mini Tour of the Twin Cities 100k was unique as it was intended, not only an end of the season celebration, but as a thank you to Rob Welsh who has been our fearless RBA for many years. He has now relinquished that role and passed it down to Norman Ehrentreich, another very experienced Randonneur. Rob's service as RBA was commemorated by members sharing stories about riding with Rob...most centered on his ability to support and motivate riders during difficult moments on rides. His use of the phrase "This is the last climb" was shared by many riders, as it was often not the last climb, but was enough to motivate the rider to keep going. More than that, everyone shared heart felt gratitude for the club that he has built and our sincere enjoyment from being apart of it.

     We had 20 riders show up for the 100k ride that wove through the urban wilderness of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Making use of its many bike trails and parkways the route followed the Mississippi as much as possible and showcased many beautiful views of the cities and it's many parks. We rode mostly Audax style, meaning riders stick together and ride as a group. Doug Carlson, one of the riders, offered up his yard for the halfway stop. There we had a fire to keep warm, snacks and drinks to power up the riders and even fixings for s'more's which everyone enjoyed. Time was running a bit short though, so riders shoved off before they got too comfortable. The end was at Fort Snelling State Park, where we had rented a pavilion. Again we had a fire, burgers from the grill and many stories about Rob. It was a very nice way to end the season and Rob's tenure as RBA. The ride results are posted below. I'd like to give a shout-out to first time rider Jaye Sytsma, even though he DNF'd he came out, gave it a try and had a good time. Overall, it was a fun time with old and new rando buddies.