Race Report: The Stoke at Stokesville Didn't Disappoint

Party Pace continues it's quest for the podium.

(Mt. Solon, VA) - Saturday's Stokesville Strade was one for the ages, and Party Pace came out in full finery for a beautiful day of dusty pebbles and cold pesto chicken.

"Cool... I'm gonna hang back here with you guys who are riding at party pace today," commented one unsuspecting racer at the start line. "Well... we're party pace... until we're not," replied the PPP Kommissar. A general sense of unease then fell upon the the start wave.

The neutral rollout was anything but, with at least 70 racers in the front group rolling two lanes wide at 30 mph out North River Road. It was game-on at Reeves Road, where the marbles mixed with the finest Augusta dust to separate the deepwater kids from the kiddie pool.

The Slone Ranger managed an impossible ride on the skinniest of tires. The Andy Parsons Project (heretofore known simply as, "The Project") opened all diesel cylinders and sliced through packs of riders like a Benihana chef on the SP-12. Der Kommissar talked a bunch of shit to a guy from NJ.

Ever the bridesmaids, the Party Pace just missed podium in the 50K event with 4th (men's 50+), 5th (men's open) and 9th (men's open) place finishes. As a consolation prize, the Strade's announcer proclaimed PPP as the most colorful kit of the field. Open-field day drinking and March sunburns soon followed as our PPP'ers watched the likes of JB and Quadsworth blast strong finishes for the 100K event.