TdB2020: Week 3 (The One with the Ponies)

Welcome to Week 3! We made it. I know for me personally its been a long week and I am happy to have a couple days where the work gets dialed back a tad bit and I can spend some more time on the bike. Saturday is looking wet and cold with even snow in places, but Sunday is shaping up to be a beauty!

Without further ado, here is what we have for you this week!

Week 3 will consist of two parts.

Part 1: There will be two segments that you MUST complete (Please see below for details). These segments happen along a route that has surely been traveled by some and may be completely new to others. It takes us on a journey to the fabled MacGregor weekday ride terrain. The MacGregors, a crusty group of cyclists who like to wake up early and beat the tar out of each other on two wheels….and sometimes these crazies ride their bikes all through the night so that they can tell their friends they did 100 miles before work started. Yeah, they are nuts! Who would do such a thing?

So the deal is to pay homage to their weekly group ride by enjoying one of their routes that is covered often. The two segments that are detailed below will be the QUALIFIERS. They are a MUST DO in order to complete Week 3 and be in the running for OUR SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! As always, we are not racing the whole route, NOR are we racing the segments. If you are comfortable and can ride within yourself and looking to go hard, I obviously can’t stop you. Just let it be known that going fast doesn’t get you any further in the TdB that plotting along does. We’re all in this together and here to enjoy our area on two wheels.

Stage 3 Tour de Boston: Suggested Route – MacGregors Homage

Segment 1: Water Row Your Boat

Segment 2: Mur de Oxbow (In honor of the shift to the Ardennes)

Part 2: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! (Optional TdB2020 X Velocio Challenge)

I am extremely excited to share with you all that the sponsor of our Velocio Northeast Cycling Team has decided to put out a little carrot for us all. (no pun intended for whats to come)

Here is the deal. While completing the two segments there is a BONUS challenge that awaits you. If you meet the criteria for entry, you will be entered into a raffle for a Velocio $200 gift card. Yeah, 200 smackaroo’s! (There will be 2 gift cards up for grabs)

HERE’S HOW TO BE ELIGIBLE:

1. You MUST follow this LINK, enter your email address and check the box. This both triggers your entry into the challenge as well as UNLOCKS a special Tour de Boston 15% off discount code at Velocio. A TdB only kinda of thing, personalized for you.
2. You MUST have completed Weeks 1, 2 and 3 of the TdB challenges
3. You MUST take a picture, a selfie or just any picture of you at Ponyhenge (Ponies MUST be in the picture, doesn’t need to be a close up…just there. See example below) and post that to Instagram with the hashtag #tourdeboston2020. I need this to be an actual post, not just a Story! Remember that! …and if you don’t have Instagram, well download it. Sorry, its part of the challenge. No exceptions. Also, please do not post while riding…especially if others are waiting.

Where is Ponyhenge? It’s right on the route!! How about that. Please see below images as to the exact location just so that there is no confusion!

Any questions? Ask me in the comments section.

COUPLE IMPORTANT ITEMS:

1. As you may run into others taking their picture at Ponyhenge, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not congregate. Simply wait a safe distance away, give the person a wave and the take your turn. You can yell and say hi, but don’t hang out together. These pictures are quick grabs of you and the horses or whatever you want. I urge you to not post to IG while on the ride. Do it after while you are enjoying a beer at home.
2. Say thank you to Velocio for chipping into this completely grass roots cause. This IS NOT something they created, I created this. They simply wanted to know if they could do something cool for the community because they thought it was a good thing. So give them a follow, a like…a whatever or even buy some of their sweet gear. They are good people. (https://velocio.cc/pages/vne-tdb)

Be safe, follow the rules, have fun and enjoy being able to ride!

-Matt Curbeau