Summer Presentations for the 2024/25 race season will now be held at the Mansfield Hotel on THURSDAY 22 MAY.
Presentations will start at 7pm. But… please come along for dinner, starting at 6. If you would like to come for dinner, you need to RSVP by this Sunday 18 May on the MMBCC WhatsApp feed.
The club will shout all Junior members DINNER! (So long as they RSVP!)
Congratulations to Talia Appleton on winning one of the biggest gravel races in the country on the weekend at Derby in Tasmania - defeating newly-crowned Australian Gravel Champion and World Tour rider, Tiff Cromwell, in the process.
By Tim Ross
Ben and Tim Ross took part in round 3 of the ‘Shifty Fifty’ season on Saturday. Both took the easy (easier) shorter option, completing a ‘Shifty Shorty’ (25 km).
The course was in the heart of Anglesea, a mixture of single track and gravel roads winding through coastal scrub. A very big field made virtues of both patience and taking passing opportunities when they arose.
The race took place in clear, cool conditions; there were apparently magnificent vistas out into Bass Strait but I was too busy chewing my handlebars to notice.
Ben placed first in the juniors (U19), taking the chocolates, while Tim finished midfield in the open category after managing to take the wrong track twice. The signage was good, refer to the earlier comment re handlebar chewing.
It’s a great, casual and well-run series that is well worth your consideration for some off-season riding.
Next one is at Castlemaine on 1 June - click here for details.
Summer Presentations for the 2024/25 race season will be held at the Mansfield Hotel on WEDNESDAY 21 May. Presentations will start at 7pm.
Please come along for dinner, starting at 6. If you would like to come for dinner, you need to RSVP by Sunday 18 May by using the MMBCC WhatsApp feed.
The club will shout all Junior members DINNER! (So long as they RSVP)
Tuesday evening gravel rides are underway for those who are looking for some light(s) exercise during the week. Meet at All Terrain Cycles at 5:30pm sharp for a gravel circuit of one to one and a half hours.
Suitable for either gravel bikes or mountain bikes.
Good luck to Damian Grundy and Shannon Rademaker who are heading for Cairns this week to race the UCI Masters World MTB Championships next weekend.
Happy Election Day to those that celebrate!
Summer Presentations for the 2024/25 race season will be held at the Mansfield Hotel on Wednesday 21 May.
Presentations will start at 7pm. But… please come along for dinner, starting at 6. If you would like to come for dinner, you need to RSVP by Sunday 18 May by using the MMBCC WhatsApp feed.
The club will shout all Junior members DINNER!
By Tim Ross
Riding friends passed on the news of a newly opened (read brand spanking new) MTB Park in Tumbarumba. After a quick location check on Google Maps, we cancelled a planned trip to Thredbo and headed there instead. An hour closer and a much easier drive, I was on a winner before we started.
Tumbarumba is north of Albury, tucked in against the western flank of the Snowy Mountains. The town reminds me a bit of Mansfield but half the size; remote and self-reliant. After being badly affected by the 2019-20 bushfires a small group of committed locals fundraised to purchase Mt Tumbarumba (which overlooks the town) and used a nice fat bushfire grant to build a trail network. See Mt Tumbarumba trail forks map
We spent half a day doing ride-ups (20 to 25 minutes, a nice steady gradient, easy corners) and tried a few of the main runs, Tumba Rumble first, then Cowabunga followed by Cattlepult for our second run. Already the kids had a new “Favourite Run Ever”.
Next day was a full day of shuttles, and we had the good fortune to have the driving force behind the park’s development (who is also the local bike shop owner) as our shuttle driver. He was full of stories and background to the park, as well as information on the various trails. Over the day we managed to ride most of the trails with the exception of a couple of dark blacks runs. Another day, another “Favourite Run Ever” (Send It Express).
The park is well set out with a variety of trail types, from long flowing jump lines, to old-school hand cut tech trails, to steep rock drop-offs. Some of the fastest and funnest green and blue trails we’ve come across. On the downside, not the biggest park around (about 27km of trail), and maybe not enough vertical for the hard-core downhiller.
But wait, there’s more. Tumbarumba also has a older style MTB park in a pine forest close to town (little-used but well maintained and well signposted), a couple more smaller local trails, a sealed pump-track, and 21km of sealed rail trail leading out of the town.
Throw in a gin distillery, nice little coffee shop and plenty of other local attractions and you can see why we’ll be back to Tumbarumba again soon. A great option for your next family riding holiday! See https://mttumbarumba.com.au/ for more info.
By Tim Ross and Bruce Halket
Several MMBCC members journeyed to Buxton on Saturday to take part in a ‘Shifty Fifty’ race.
The event is part of a series of such events held over the cooler months of the year, see more at Big Hill Events.
Riders have the option of the full 50km course or the shorter Shifty Shorty (25 km). The Buxton course was a mixture of single track in the Buxton MTB Park, and gravel roads thru the pine forests adjoining.
Ruby Dobson (1st Open Women) and Damian Grundy (2nd 60+ Men) completed the longer course, while Ben Ross (1st U19 Men) and Cam Dobson (5th Open Men) and Tim Ross (8th Open Men) took on the shorter one.
Ex-Mansfielder Stefan Vaivars travelled across the Tasman to make a cameo appearance, on his brand new Specialized Epic from ATC.
Great racing all - well played!
A relaxed and fun format in which riders find themselves racing alongside all ages and genders. Events scheduled for later in the year include Anglesea and Castlemaine.
By Bruce Halket
Many thanks to Allan Gerrans for organising lunch at Gracebrook Winery in the King Valley today. A very pleasant Sunday was had by all!.
All the more reason to make sure you’re part of the MMBCC WhatsApp feed…
Let’s do it again soon!
Sea Otter Australia, Bateman’s Bay, 22-26 Oct.
The orignal Sea Otter Classic is currently on in California. This will be the same kind of thing with lots of expos, rides and races around Bateman’s Bay and the mountain bike trails at Mogo. It’ll be the biggest mtb event since the World’s.
By Tim Ross
The Alpine Cycling Club Junior MTB series concluded on last Saturday at Bright. The event was an Enduro at Mystic, with one, two, three or four stages, followed by a pump-track race.
The Alpine Cycling Club Junior MTB series runs annually with a mixture of about six XC and Enduro events on age-appropriate tracks across north-east Victoria. Races this season were held at Bright, Beechworth, Mt Beauty and Yackandandah. Age groups range from U5 (including balance bikes) to U15 with U9 and U11 having the most competitors.
Mansfield was again well-represented with 10 competitors. Some overnight rain (that had largely dissipated by the time the event began) had made the tracks a little greasy but a bit of mud just adds to the fun. All enjoyed the fun enduro format.
Placegetters in the Enduro were Scout (1st in U9G), Sienna (2nd in U11G) and Blake (2nd in U15B).
Placegetters in the Pump Track race-off were Sienna (2nd in U11G) and Ben (2nd in U15B).
Series presentations were held at the conclusion of the event; congratulations to Scout (1st in U9G) and Ben (2nd in U15B).
The club trophy was also awarded, and for the first time MMBCC made the podium in third place (after Beechworth & Bright). Great effort by our team who have an average travel time of two plus hours to each event.
Thanks to all who represented our club this season: Jedd, Angus, Scout, Marley, Miles, Sienna, Errol, Baz, Hunter, Finley, Alastair, Jarrah, Duke, Ben and Blake.
By Chelsea Warr and Matthew Gilmore
Independent Review Team – Selection Policy and Junior (U19) Discipline-specific Criteria,
AusCycling
We are reviewing the AusCycling selection policy and U19 discipline-specific criteria for UCI Junior World Championships. As these policies directly impact riders, it’s crucial we have a strong athlete voice inputting to this review. We want to hear from as many Olympic and non-Olympic, categorised or non-categorised riders as possible. Riders' experiences in junior cycling, past or current, will help us get this right. Here’s what we’re focused on:
We want selection policies that drive excellence across both Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines, inspiring the next generation of riders;
We want to see more junior riders progress with the resources we have;
We want to shine brightly in 2032, and our current policies will shape that future ambition;
We want riders' voices to guide us toward solutions that truly serve Australian cycling’s brightest talent;
Your perspective is crucial in achieving this.
Click here to go to the survey, which will take approximately 25 minutes to complete.
Survey closes at 5:00pm on Sunday, 6 April 2025
By Janine Appleton
At our last MMBCC Executive Committee meeting, we discussed the need for our members and their families to be aware and responsible for the implementation of the recommendations from the Concussion in Australian Sport report from the Australian Institute of Sport.
We’d like all parents and older teenagers to have a look at this information. There is a lot in it but I highly recommend the Athletes and the Parents and Teachers subsections.
IN SUMMARY, the signs and symptoms of concussion are varied. People without medical training can use the Concussion Recognition Tool. You can download it from here or from here - print this out or copy and file it on your phone.
If in doubt after an incident, they should not return to play.
Children under 18 should not return to contact/collision activities before 14 days from complete resolution of all concussion symptoms and a medical review before returning to full contact training.
There are health care practitioners in Mansfield that can use the Concussion in Group Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 6 (SCAT6) and for children: the Child Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (Child-SCAT6) to assess concussion in children aged 5 – 12 years.as part of an overall clinical assessment to assess potential concussions. There are also health care practitioners in Mansfield that can help treat concussion symptoms.
Please take the time over the next few weeks to have a really good look at this information. Print it out, share it, talk about it with your family members and friends.
Thank you,
Janine Appleton, on behalf of the Executive Committee of Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club Inc.
By Dave Empey
The final Dirt Crits for 24/25 was held on Tuesday night on a dry and dusty track. And there were lots of new faces for the last race!
Ant Bateup showed everyone a clean pair of heels and took the win by two seconds over Archie Smith; Archie blaming the colour of his bike for the time deficit. Apparently purple is much slower than dark blue.
Spencer Carmen rounded out the top three; Spencer has been improving consistently over the season and was rewarded with a 3rd place.
Newcomer Scarlett D’Arcy rode well for a second place behind Carly Bingham with the ever-speedy midget Sienna Vivash taking third and rounding out the women’s podium.
The night wasn’t without incident - recently crowned National Masters 7 XC Champ Damian Grundy took a dirt nap and dislocated his little pinky!
Steve Curnow had a mechanical, or so he says, and failed to produce the result he was looking for in the last race.
Zac Empey turned up for his third bike ride in 12 months and seemed to have a good time, stating he wasn’t that fit and hates riding on flats in work boots.
Thank you everyone for making dirt crits so enjoyable. It’s awesome racing and hopefully we will see bigger numbers again next season.
By Tim Hall
The last road race of the season was held on the Merinda Way loop last Thursday 27 March. Two and a half laps anticlockwise (that’s around to the left for all you millennials with digital watches), rolling climbs, and a quick section coming down Monkey Gully Road past the tip before getting on the brakes and around the very rough corner at the Highton Lane intersection.
We enjoyed the starting list thanks Dave!
Dave ‘Lone Wolf’ Jagger led us off, followed by Dave ‘Mr Consistent’ Bock. Ian ‘The Wickerman’ Conrick and Bill ‘Just Visiting, Honest’ Bainger paired up to chase them down with just a 1 minute gap. Craig ‘Psyched Out’ Wilson, Tim ‘I’ve got Principals’ Hall and Adam ‘Leaving Mansvegas’ Baker followed at the 4 minute mark, rounding out the slower groups. Steve ‘ El Camelino’ Curnow and Adrian ‘Oh so rowdy’ Dowd at 7 minutes. Then a bigger group at 10 minutes with Steve ‘531 watts’ Duke, Mick ‘the legend’ Pearce, Simon ‘where am I going’ Mulvihil, Jason ‘Mr Niceguy’ Parker and Tim ‘M town diesel’ Ross. At the 11 minute mark, Darren ‘Mario’ Bakker, Heath ‘can I please have a single digit number’ Hammond and Simon ‘B town diesel’ Hall. Block group was Dave ‘the handicapper’ Moore and Chris ‘wolf pack’ Miller. Chris had his personal cheer squad running around his ankles at the start, just to show we’re a family friendly mob. Scratch group at 14 minutes was Andy ‘straight to the pool room’ Garrett and Damian ‘The Champ’ Grundy, Damian fresh from national mountain biking success – well done on that one Damian.
It was a messy kind of ride – all the hills and the changing wind directions made consistent and steady bunch riding difficult. At the front, Bock, Jagger, Conrick and Bainger were all caught in the second lap; Jagger grateful to be able to sit behind the Wilson/Baker/Hall trio having done most of the ride solo. The hills made a mess of the bunch with Hall and Baker riding away. Baker then dropped Hall on the Stoneleigh Road straight and rode away to take the win. The slower groups were all pleased to be able to hold off the back-markers to the end.
At the back end of the race, Moore and Miller caught the Bakker/Hammond/Hall trio early on, before Miller rode away from them and weaving through the big group in front, fighting it out with Bakker for 8th and 9th place. Garrett and Grundy worked hard but didn’t manage to catch the groups in front.
Thanks to all the committee, volunteers and officials for their efforts every week, to keep us all safe and racing. What an awesome bunch of people!
And thanks to the club for being welcoming of all comers, regardless of skill/fitness. We really appreciate being ‘The Social Club with a Cycling Problem.’
A final big thanks to Tony Copland for his weekly images.
Here are the results. And keep any eye out for news soon of the summer series presentations.
For those who’ve heard the rumours, Bruce is currently convalescing in Angelsea after cracking his collarbone on his first little mountain bike ride of the holiday. And even though he’s been a relatively good patient, nurse Jenni has vowed that he’s never allowed to ride his mountain alone while on holiday again!
The x-ray doesn’t show much but there is a small crack near the sternum. Not that Lola the border collie seems too concerned.
One fun aspect of the holiday so far has been wearing a St Kilda t-shirt down in Geelong country on the Surf Coast. Go Saints!
By Dave Empey
Thank you everyone for your efforts this weekend.
Mel, great job organising our volunteers. All your efforts made for a great event.
I have to give Matty and Zac a big shout out for building a cracker track.
Adam Baker thank you for your efforts assisting everyone.
So thank everyone who helped and sorry I haven’t named everyone individually.
Here are some notable MMBCC results from VDHS round 6 in Mansfield…
U15 Men
Keegan Carman, 14th.
U19 Men
Spencer Carman, 19th.
Elite Women
Bella Green, 2nd.
Elite Men
Matt Empey, 2nd. (3rd overall in the whole series)
By Damian Grundy
So this is it… the last Dirt Crits 2024/2025 XC race report!
As the handicapper I came armed with a list of Dirt Crit Rider’s previous race speeds.
I had decided on a Team’s Race format with teams of 3 riders, 1 rider to complete 4 laps, 1 rider to complete 3 laps and 1 rider to complete 2 laps, then add their individual times to see which team had the fastest combined time.
It was a good turn out with 18 riders including three first-timers Scarlett D’Arcy, Emma D’Arcy (armed with an E-Bike), and Sienna Vivash.
The Teams lined up as follows:
Team 1: Beauty and the Beasts: Damian Grundy, 4 laps; Steve Curnow, 3 laps; Scarlett D’Arcy, 2 laps.
Team 2: Two Colts & A Filly: Ben Ross, 4 laps; Dan Hall, 3 laps; Sienna Vivash, 2 laps.
Team 3: Dirt Diggers: Ant Bateup, 4 laps; Luke Vivash, 3 laps; Willem Morphett, 2 laps.
Team 4: Not Too Cool 4 This: Archie Smith, 4 laps, Nicole Hoebergen, 3 laps, Micah Chadd, 2 laps.
Team 5: Wishing they had 3 motors: Tim Ross, 4 laps (corrected); Emma D’Arcy, 3 laps, Cooper Hoebergen, 2 laps.
Team 6: We Should have Stayed in Bed: David Bock, 3 laps; Cody Stephens, 3 laps; Blake Riley, 2 laps.
And so the starter said GO and it was down to racing. A mad dash at the start with Tim Ross furiously trying to hold off Ben Ross at the front… really Tim?! Lol! I keep saying that that ship has well and truly sailed. It didn’t take long for young Ben to assert his familial superiority and take the lead. Ben was definitely on a flyer. He then cut four fast laps and finished the night as fastest on course. Questions were being asked as to the performance of a recently crowned National Champion. Fact is he was beaten fair and square, a credit to Ben.
Here are the results for individual and team times. Despite the announced podium on the night a review of the time calculations has found a couple of small errors.
Fastest team on the night was in fact Team 4: Not Too Cool For This: Archie Smith, Nicole Hoebergen and Micah Chadd with a combined time of 84 min and 6 seconds,
Second was Team 3: Dirt Diggers; Ant Bateup, Luke Vivash and Willem Morphett at 84 min and 34 seconds
Third was Team 1: Beauty and the Beasts: Damian Grundy, Steve Curnow and Scarlett D’Arcy.
Thanks Adam Baker for handling timing, and thanks everyone for your attendance. See you all at the presentation night.
By David Jagger
Thursday rolled around again, and most riders were preparing themselves for yet another hot and dry race. To their delight the sky was grey and the road wet from a few afternoon showers. The slight splash of water coming off the road was a rare delight for the riders after of months of hot Thursday evenings.
David Jagger was the first to head out on the Whitfield Road with a couple of minutes head start on Dave Bock who was obvious in his rain jacket. Bill Bainger who has ridden extensively but has only raced a few times, teamed up with Tim Hall.
Craig Wilson has been training hard preparing for a riding trip to Italy but was disadvantaged as his teammate left their riding gear at home. The force of Darren Bakker, Simon Hall, Steve Duke and Mick Pearce were always going to be a chance to take the prize for the night as they had a good handicap over the scratch group of Andy Garrett, Bruce Halket and Dave Moore.
The turn around at Sawpit Gully Road still saw David Jagger in the lead but with Tim and Bill gaining fast. Utilising the fast run back into town, Andy, Bruce and Dave gradually caught Bocky and Craig before the Barwite Road but the pace was proving a bit tough for Dave and he was dropped from the group.
On the edge of town, a large group formed and were desperately sprinting to catch the leading three riders who had kept a persistently good speed since they came together at Long Lane. Rounding the corner into Mt Battery Road together it was a battle to see who had the legs to sprint up the hill to the Showgrounds.
A large crowd of supporters had gathered and were excited to watch a sprint finish.
Tim Hall took the win ahead of David Jagger and Bill Bainger. Bruce Halket led the main peloton up the hill to snatch fourth from Darren Bakker and Andy Garrett.
All competitors enjoyed the change in weather and had an enjoyable race. Thanks to everyone who helped to make the race possible.
Here are the results and many thanks to Tony Copland and Alex Green for their images.
Next week is the final race of the Summer Series, two and a half laps around the Merinda Way Loop.
We’re still looking for volunteers for next weekend’s VDHS race at South Blue Range.
After all this rain, it won’t be nearly so dusty.
Please contact Mel Green if you can spare a few hours next weekend.
A quick word from Damian…
I would like to thank and congratulate everyone in the club.
The support and encouragement are so important. The racing, road and mountain bike, are fundamental to all of our performances.
I love the weekly racing. I would not have the competitive chance that I did if it wasn't for being pushed by everyone at our races.
And the weekend training rides have to be mentioned. Just fantastic.
Thanks everyone involved.
Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club has every reason to be so proud
RESULTS SUMMARY
Downhill
Masters 3: Shannon R, 3rd
Elite Women: Bella G, 9th.
Elite Men: Matt E, 25th; Zac E, 44th
U19 Men: Spencer C, 45th
U17 Men: Jacob T, 37th; Ewan R, 52nd
U15 Men: Keegan C, 28th; Mannix P, 31st; Blake R, 32nd
U13 Men: Cooper H, 5th
XCO
Masters 7: Damian G, 1st and NATIONAL CHAMPION, Bruce H, 4th
U23 Women: Ruby D, 2nd
U15 Men: Ben R, 12th
XCC
U23 Women: Ruby D, 2nd
U15 Men: Ben R, 12th
XCR
Junior Relay: ‘North East Fliers’ including Ben R and Ruby R, 5th
By Dave Empey
It was a hot and steamy night on Tuesday 11 March but luckily there was only ‘some’ uphill in the downhill track. A new track was devised to inflict maximum pain and suffering and some really go-fast sections.
It was Ant Bateup who prevailed but only just. He and Archie Smith having equal combined times; however, it was Ant who had the fastest lap time of the night pipping Archie by two seconds. Archie must be commended because he had two identical lap times.
Rounding out the top five were Luke Vivash, Ben Ross and Tom Logan-Williams. These three were all close together but still 30 seconds behind the dynamic duo of Bateup and Smith.
Cam Dobson’s recent good form eluded him as he became geographically embarrassed on his first lap which put him a long way off the pace. however, he did have a nice ride through the mountain bike park.
Stu Clark also had one of those nights with a flat on the ride up and being MIA on the second lap. It might have been a guy that looked like Stu but I’m not sure. He was eventually sighted at the finish line.
As I write this on Tuesday night after the race, good luck to all the club members that will be racing national champs this weekend at Mt Buller.
A special ‘sucks to be you’ moment goes to Ryder Chadd. Unfortunately for Ryder he had a ‘hugey’ on the pump track at Buller last weekend and took a big hit so wasn’t able to race this weekend. This is a shame because he has been riding exceptionally well lately with several excellent results. Heal up Ryder, there are many more nationals to come for you!
We’re still looking for volunteers for next weekend’s downhill race.
After all this rain, it won’t be nearly so dusty.
Please contact Mel Green if you can spare a few hours.
By Dale Walton
So it was to be a two hour drive for the four of us from Eastern Cycling Club to race this weekend with Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club (MMBCC). We generally race criterium and graded scratch races with the odd yearly handicap thrown in, so we were all suitably apprehensive about the handicapping that each of us would receive given the hilly terrain, particularly at the start of the race.
The general intel from our good friends and MMBCC members Steve Duke and Craig Oliver would be “They`re shorter handicaps up here, so expect them to be full gas from the start`.
“Oh great!” we thought.
We headed out for a reccy of the course before meeting the friendly and welcoming Marshals & Commissaires and receive the pre-race brief.
I was in the second Scratch group (13:30) and thankfully the local riders were accommodating in ensuring none of us were immediately thrown out the back. They appeared content in working together as a group which was refreshing as Melbourne handicaps can be frantic and can end before they begin.
Up and over the second rise we were still together and were catching individual riders as other groups were splintering. The momentum was short lived as a red flag was raised at the first turnaround point but was a welcome chance to rest and recover before getting back into formation and pushing on.
On the left turn into Barwite Road, the group raised the intensity with the tailwind. I was starting to feel it so decided to sit in for a period as the local riders appeared quite strong and willing to rotate amongst themselves. Dave Moore asked me if I was cooked and I replied `a bit average` and looked to buy myself a bit of time before rejoining the rotations after the Barwite turnaround point.
By then we’d both picked up and dropped a number of riders from other groups.
Thankfully the push into the headwind was not as hard as expected but the group appeared to be losing its formation so in my mind, the threat of being caught by Scratch was ever increasing. We hit the main road and was full gas towards the final left turn and the finish straight.
On approach, the speed increased and the jostling for position started when one of the other groups passed us on the left and unexpectedly turned right towards the township! Luckily one of the regular riders correctly took the group into the finishing straight and we lined up in anticipation of the sprint.
Preferring a hill sprint and being told the local riders wouldn’t go early, I figured having a tail wind combined with the element of an early surprise, I`d launch into the sprint early in the hope I could hold it.
Half way up I could feel someone on my wheel and then slowly got passed by (I think) Ant Bateup. It became a one-on-one race of attrition as both of us were starting to fade. Not exactly knowing what position we were sprinting for, I put in a second effort just to try to get to the line in second position overall. (Because by the time we’d gotten to the line, Craig Wilson had already taken the win, warmed down and finished his first beer!)
I really don’t know how we held off Scratch, so credit to all the guys in the 13:30 group in taking it to the line together.
Thanks to all the Marshals and Commissaires for running a safe and enjoyable race, and making us feel more than welcome to join in. We`ll certainly be back to race again with MMBCC as we all thoroughly enjoyed the racing and the social side at the Mansfield Hotel afterwards.
Here are the results and Tony’s pics.
A special thanks also to Karyn & Richard Evans at Burnt Creek Cottages for their accommodation & hospitality.
By Caitlin Riley
Nine current and ex dirt critters travelled from Mansfield to Mount Beauty on Saturday to compete in the second last round of the Alpine Cycling Club Junior MTB series. It was a gravity enduro round with the kids keen to test out their downhill skills.
It was best of two runs with under 9’s, u11, u13, u15 all taking on the same track with some fast times and all improving on their first runs.
U5 & U7’s were on a shorter course but still have to earn their turns with a decent climb up to the start.
The weather was warm and and a great turn out from the Mansfield crew with Sienna, Miles, Scout & Duke all making the podium.
Well done to all, everyone put in a might effort!
RESULTS
U15 Boys: Duke H, 2nd
U13 Boys: Errol H, 12th
U11 Boys: Miles V, 2nd; Finley C, 7th; Barry H, 12th
U11 Girls: Sienna V, 1st
U9 Boys: Angus C, 9th
U9 Girls: Scout R, 1st
Well done all!
You may be aware that the Auscycling National MTB Championships are being held on Mt Buller this week/weekend. Lots of MMBCC members are racing. Here’s a list:
Downhill: Shannon R, Matt E, Zac E, Bella G, Ewan R, Jacob T, Spencer C, Mannix, Keegan C, Blake R, Cooper H.
Cross Country: Damian G, Bruce H, Ruby D, Tom L-W, Ben R, Ruby R.
(Special mention to Ryder, who was riding everything until he wasn’t.)
Not a bad effort for a small town club!.
For spectators, best times over the weekend are;
Downhill: racing on Saturday from 1:30pm to 5pm, starting from Spurs.
Cross Country: Saturday 10am to 1pm (U13 and U15), Sunday 8am to 4:30pm (all the rest), racing centred on the Mt Buller Village.
By Serena Vivash
Sienna Vivash and Miles Vivash and Cooper Hoebergen travelled to Thredbo NSW earlier this week to compete in the Australian MTB Interschools competition and came home with great results against tough competition.
Sienna in Grade 5 was in Division 4 (grade 5/6), Miles in Grade 3 was in Division 5 (grade 3/4) and Cooper in Grade 6 was also in Division 4 - a huge field of over 100 competitors.
In the All Mountain Event Sienna placed 3rd, Miles 4th and Cooper 13th.
In the Flow Motion Cup Sienna placed 4th, Miles 6th and Cooper 15th.
In the Pump Track Sienna placed 2nd, Miles 5th and Cooper 24th.
In the Cannonball Downhill event (not for the feint hearted!) Sienna placed 2nd, Miles 3rd and Cooper 12th.
Overall in the Australian Interschools Sienna placed 3rd, Miles 4th and Cooper 9th.
Scarlett D’Arcy also competed at Thredbo.
She’s in Year 7 and competed in Division 3 (Year 7/8) and placed 8th in the Flow Motion and 9th in the All Mountain.
Well done all!
Have you subscribed to MMBCC News?
The weekend of March 22-23 will see the club host a round of the Victorian Down Hill Series on South Blue Range.
We’re still looking for a few volunteers to fill some spots. If you can help out, please contact Melanie Green with your availability. This is the club’s only big event this year, with the Mansfield Tour not going ahead. So please help out if you can…
By Tim Ross
The Dirt Critters crew braved the hot weather this week with some timed XC laps, riding against their own times recorded six months earlier; the biggest improvement wins.
The younger group raced around ‘Bogans’ with honours going to Dayna (a massive 35 seconds faster than last time) then Angus C.
The older group firstly raced around ‘Critters’ with Micah doing best (shaving 15 second off his previous time).
They then took on the longer ‘Joyride’ circuit and this time it was Baz doing best (over a minute better) followed by Micah and Jarrah. DNFs for the other three, who all inadvertently took a shortcut home!!
Next week Luke will be back to run some timed Enduro laps.
By Damian Grundy
Thanks everyone for coming out for another fun night cruising around Rifle Butts Mountain Bike Park for an Irish Handicap on Tuesday 4 March.
Welcome to three first timers: Lachlan Steel, Ruby Rademaker and Ben Hoogesteger, we look forward to seeing them become regulars.
Whilst the race handicapping was once again an Irish Handicap, It had been decided by the brains-trust that we would have a mass start race and apply time corrections to finish times.
I do enjoy a proper shoulder-to-shoulder race start, fun fun fun!😊
So the starter (thanks Adam) said go and off we all rushed to complete our allotted number of laps as quickly as possible.
At the end it was young Ben Ross coming out on top with a corrected time of 38min flat, Archie Smith 2nd 38:06, Willem Morphett 3rd, Ruby Rademaker 4th 3:27, and Damian (yours truly) Grundy 5th and also fastest on the night 39:06.
Next week is a gravity night and then The Australian Mountain Bike National Championships at Mt Buller at the end of next week.
By Beau Geste
The short version.
They started first… they finished first. End of story!
The Longer version.
18 riders registered to race on the 6th of March, unfortunately Micala Jacobs was a late scratching due to Super Mum duties, we hope that Mica is feeling better soon.
Adam Baker, Wil Wilson and Ian Conrick were first to leave, they were followed by the pair of Steve Curnow and Janine Appleton (Last week’s winner), then came a strong group of Heath “the hammer” Hammond, Steve Duke, Adrian Dowd and Simon Mulvihill. Block was made up of evergreens Darren Bakker, Dev Moore and Simon Hall and an unusually large Scratch group comprising Ryder Chadd, Steve Brown, Damian Grundy, Bruce Halket and Andy Garrett were the last to leave.
Early tipping was in favour of the large Scratch group, where strong riders and stronger winds should have prevailed, however this was not to be.
Wilson, Conrick and Baker rode a beautiful team race.Conrick left the group early in affairs to provide a decoy for the big groups to chase. Whilst the strong and friendly southerly winds were mighty helpful pushing even bigger and older riders up “The Giant of South Barwite”, The Coombesberg, Baker waited for the larger and “older” Wilson to ascend the Coombesberg and they rode a strong leg on Barwite Road and into the now unfriendly southerly wind.
With several hundred metres to go and the climb to the showgrounds ahead, Baker was unleashed and crossed the finish line in a glorious first place. Wilson managed a creditable second, with Darren Bakker (aka Dario Baccarini) fresh from a non-cycling induced concussion protocol, winning the sprint for third. Steve Duke and Simon Hall rounded out the top five places.
This was truly a “Gingerbread man” race.
In some late news from last week’s race, the rarely achieved Bakker/Ross award was won by David Jagger who is now welcomed as a member of this esteemed club.
Thanks to the volunteers and officials without whom racing would not be possible.
Next week racing will be on the Long Lane Barwite Road Course, this being the third last race of the Summer series, results are crucial in the aggregate award.
Here are the results and thanks to Tony and Alex for the pics this week.
The Ventou club kit portal will close after this weekend. Get your order in now or miss out for another year.
Here is the link to the Ventou MMBCC page. If you don’t already have the code you need to get access, email Bruce for the code.
It’s the best way to keep up-to-date on any last minute changes to planned rides and races plus to find out the latest gossip.
For instance, did you hear the latest about VDHS organiser and Road Sub-Committee Chair Alex Green?
Many of you will know he used to be the CEO of Mansfield Shire Council.
He’s now in management at the Department of Transport.
And no doubt you heard about the recent road closures of the Melba Highway near the Kinglake turnoff.
Get your tinfoil hat ready because those three things are all connected!
Rumours have it that Alex is part of a secret cabal of Liberal Party and Mt Buller luminaries who plan to build a new underground motorway to allow Toorak residents much quicker access to the mountain.
The recent and upcoming roadworks on the Melba will be the tunnel entrance! And in a savage act of revenge, the Shire Offices will actually be the tunnel exit!
Congratulations to all the following MMBCC members on some really impressive results over the weekend. Really exciting seeing such good results with the National Championships at Mt Buller in just a couple of weeks.
Friday, Round 5 - XCC (short track)
U15 Men:
Ben Ross - 8th
Elite Women:
Ruby Dobson - 4th
Saturday, Round 6 - XCO (Olympic distance)
U15 Men:
Ben Ross - 10th
U23 Women:
Ruby Dobson - 4th
Sunday, Round 7 - XCO
U15 Men:
Ben Ross - 11th
Masters 7:
Damian Grundy - 2nd (New bike made all the difference!)
U23 Women:
Ruby Dobson - 4th
U21 Men:
Ryder Chadd - 7th
Archie Smith - 12th
Finn Baker - 21st
U21 Women:
Selina Green - 2nd
Elite Women:
Bella Green - 3rd
Veteran Men:
Shannon Rademaker - 2nd
Stuart Clark - 8th
Masters Men:
Adam Baker - 12th
By Kate Stonnill
A big thanks to Adam Baker for setting the gravity course in David's absence. From the feedback it was a good course for all and quite challenging in the top rocks for some. Thankfully all made it down in one piece.
Stuart Clark and Bruce Halket hit the dirt in the first run, explaining the blowout in their times, but redeemed themselves on the second run.
Mechanical issues saw Duke, Keegan, Trent and Colton retiring after the first run down.
The course proved pedally for all, favouring those who like riding uphills.
In the end the fastest run went to Ryder Chadd with a time of 2:42 min, Ryder also took out the overall win with a combined time of 5:28 min. Then there was quite a gap before Archie Smith came through with a time of 5:45min. In third place was a very jubilant double fist pump Cam Dobson just ahead of Spencer Carmen in 4th and Stu Clarke in 5th, which is impressive given he came off in the first run.
Special mention to Miles Vivash for his "steezy scrub over the last jump" - clearly a quote from Elise.
A highlight of the night was the crowd of riders gathered around Elise Empey's new gearbox bike, which she brought along for "show & tell" even letting some ride the prototype... much to her mother’s concern.
The club wishes Elise a speedy recovery for her upcoming World Cup series.
Here are the detailed results and many thanks to Tim Ross for the action shots.
By Steve Curnow
We had 20 contenders for the ride that took in Stoneleigh Road, Merinda Way and Monkey Gully Road. It was quite a gruelling circuit, especially with a head wind start. There was plenty of water being poured over heads and bodies just prior to the start in an effort to ward off the heat of the day.
First off was Micala Jacobs followed by the two Daves, Bock and Jagger at five minutes. Craig Wilson was next with Tim Hall at 7 minutes. Then at 8 minutes came Janine Appleton with Steve Curnow and the new kid on the block, Bill Bainger. Bill had a mechanical so was unable to take a turn after three changes but did a good job keeping up for half the race.
Jarrod Appleton and Adrian Dowd were let out next at 10 minutes.
Jarrod and Micala did not finish the race for reasons not known to the writer.
Steve Duke, Jason Parker, Heath Hammond and Mick Pearce started at 14.30 followed by Simon Hall and Dave Moore at 15.15. Starting last were Andy Garrett, Bruce Halket, Ryder Chadd and Steve Brown.
The Janine team got off to a strong start rounding up Craig and Tim not far after the turn into Monkey Gully Road, Tim got on and did a great job until he dropped off at the same spot on the next time around.
Dave Jagger was next on the ‘to do’ list and Bill succumbed to a dropped chain.
So to the finish… Janine getting her second wind and doing a lot of work to get Curnow over the line for second place 10 seconds behind her. David Bock surprised himself coming a well-earned third place. David Moore had a good ride at fourth place. Next was Ryder Chad at fifth, also the quickest time on the night.
Thanks once again to the marshals and commissaires for looking after us all on the night. Here are the results and thanks to Alex Green for the pics.
Next week it’s another loop, Barwite this time.
Have you subscribed to MMBCC News?
By MC Spandex
The Mansfield Mad Dash delivered yet another thrilling sunset showdown last Thursday, as riders battled crosswinds, questionable tactics and a disastrous gravel detour in this week’s handicap race.
And a big welcome to Bill Bainger (visiting from SA for a few months) for his first outing with the MMBCC.
Micala Jacobs set off first, riding a smooth, metronomic pace, while the faster riders behind worked in groups, chasing hard. Simon Mulvihill, Heath Hammond and Mick Pearce executed a perfect echelon, slicing through the field like a well-oiled machine.
Further back, an unnamed rider made a bold but disastrous move, veering onto a gravel in the hopes a detour may alleviate the pain in the legs. His bike wobbled violently as he fought to keep momentum, watching helplessly as the race disappeared ahead.
Meanwhile, Andy Garrett, the final rider to start, was unleashed like a sunset Terminator. Devouring the field at an alarming rate, he blew past struggling competitors, his aero silhouette cutting through the golden light like a hunting falcon.
But Andy had left his charge too late. Mick Pearce’s echelon group, working like a machine, held him off to take the win just as the last light of the sun faded.
At the finish line, exhausted riders swapped stories of crosswinds, magpie attacks and gravel-fueleld regret with Mick Pearce 1st, Simon Mulvihill 2nd and Heath Hammond 3rd.
The Mansfield Mad Dash had once again lived up to its name - a race full of thrills, spills, and lessons in why you should never trust a gravel shortcut. The best part being riders get to take it on again next Thursday night - two and a half laps around the Merinda Way Loop.
Many thanks to all our dedicated volunteers and officials and to Tony for his photos. Here are the results, including the updated, revised version.
By Damian Grundy
It was a pleasant evening, not baking hot. A small crew of committed mountain bikers lined up for another roll in the dice in the dust.
A relatively simple lap of approximately 2.9km had been set and as usual riders were competing together but based on ability and fitness their number of laps varied.
Shooting off first was Ant Bateup with 5 laps followed a minute and a half later by Ryder Chadd also on 5 laps. And so followed the rest at their allotted timed and with their individual numbers of laps.
Cody Stephens put in a blistering first lap and was looking good for a high placing.
The leading riders kept turning away and approaching the finish it was Tom Logan-Williams with a ever decreasing lead over the hard charging young fella Ben Ross.
Tom had just enough juice in the tank to resist young Ben’s charge and he crossed the line first to win the night. Ben Ross finished barely a bike’s length back in 2nd. David Bock was third and Tim Ross fourth with Cody Stephens holding on for fifth Less than a minute separated the top five! Well done to Ben Ross who had the fastest lap times for the evening.
Here are the results. Next week it’s Gravity Enduro time again.
This is your last chance to order club kit from the Ventou MMBCC Portal. Especially if you want a nice, warm jacket for the upcoming cooler months. Email Bruce for the code.
Some great results from members who travelled to Bendigo for the final two rounds of the Vic Champ MTB Series.
SATURDAY - RD 7 (and AusCycling Vic State Championships)
Alistair Ross: 2nd, U13 Men.
Ben Ross: 7th, U15 Men.
Ryder Chadd: 3rd, U19 Men.
Ruby Dobson: 2nd, Elite Women.
Bruce Halket: 4th, Masters 7/8.
Damian Grundy: 5th, Masters 7/8.
SUNDAY - RD 8
Alistair Ross: 2nd, U13 Men.
Ben Ross: 6th, U15 Men.
Ryder Chadd: 3rd, U19 Men.
Ruby Dobson: 2nd, Elite Women.
Bruce Halket: 2nd, Masters 7/8.
FINAL SERIES PODIUM WINNERS
Alistair Ross: 3rd, U13 Men.
Ruby Dobson: 2nd, Elite Women
By Dave Empey
It was like the start of 2025; hot and unpredictable!
It was a very dry race on Tuesday 11 February but the tracks seem to be holding up after the early season maintenance.
The surface was a mixture of rock, loose rock, hard pack, loose hardpack (sand) and marbles. So traction was key.
There was a close tussle for positions 1 and 2 with Ryder taking the win by 1 second over Archie on his new bike. (Ryder also on a new bike but it was an XC bike, so it doesn’t really count)
Cam Dodson took 3rd with Stu Clark coming 2 sec behind Cam in 4th. Maybe Stu should try and keep his wheels on the ground as the unauthorised landing in soft sand may have cost him a position.
Rounding out the top 5 was Spencer Carmen.
In the family battles Ben Ross prevailed over Tim, again!
Nicole Hoebergen just pipped Cooper by 1 second.
Here are the results. Next week it’s back to the cross country pain cave.
By Ryder Chadd
The Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club was out in Jamieson this week racing along the Woods Point Road for the Bakker Plumbing Handicap, with a total of 19 riders.
Craig Wilson set off on his own in the Limit group, followed by Adrian Dowd, Oliver Hall, Janine Appleton and Steve Curnow.
The next group in line consisted of Steve Duke, Simon Hall, Jason Parker, Mick Pearce and Heath Hammond. Darren Bakker, Ant Bateup and Dave Moore were the next group.
Steve Brown, Damian Grundy and Ryder Chadd rode in the ‘Block group and Andy Garret and Carl Simmons were up the back off Scratch.
Woods Point Road, being a twistier road with little hills, makes seeing the groups ahead quite tricky. The six groups only really get a gauge on where everyone was at the turn around point, roughly 15km out, at Sailor Bill’s Creek. By that point the second, third and fourth groups had almost merged together, making the push for the Block and Scratch groups just that little bit harder.
Steve, Damian and Ryder managed to pull back the big group in the lead with less than 5km to go. And this is where the racing got exiting!
With less the 500m to go, Dave Moore set off the first attack. Damian, Steve and Ryder followed over the final rise. Steve and Ryder push to the line, though Ryder not having enough gears, Steve couldn’t hang on slipping Ryder the win going for the fastest time of the night too.
Darren Bakker crossed the line in 3rd, with Simon Hall and Dave Moore rounding out the top five.
Adrian, Heath, Oliver, Damian, Janine, Jason and Ant closed out 6th to 12th (in that order) all being part of the finishing bunch.
Here are the results and many thanks again to Tony for his images.
Next week it’s the Whitfield Road to Long Lane, then clockwise around the Barwite Loop, finishing on Graves Road.
The Seymour Broadford Cycling Club winter race calendar for 2025 is now available to download here. They’re a great group of people to ride with and their races are really good fun. They’ve included four gravel races this winter too!
Sea Otter Australia Festival: 22-26 Oct, Bateman’s Bay, NSW.
Gravelista: 25 & 26 Oct, Seymour, Vic. Early Bird entries now open.
No Dirt Crits this week due to the heat policy. So it’s straight into Thursday’s road race…
By Ant Bateup
It was a challenging night for racing with hot temps, wind and a finish on the Coombesberg.
Dave Bock was the first of 18 riders to set off, followed by Dave MacDonald and Craig Wilson at 3’30. At 5’30 Steve Curnow was going solo until the 8’30 group of Adrian Dowd and Oliver Hall, the 9’30 of Steve Duke, Simon Hall, Simon Mulvihill and Mick Pearce, all merged to form a large group by the turn around.
The 11’30 group of Darren Bakker, Ryder Chadd and Ant Bateup were working well together to advance on the lead group and holding off the 12’45 group of Bruce Halket, Chris Miller and Damian Grundy. Little did they know that Chris retired from the race with a puncture and Bruce was feeling the hurt after a week of dead lifts and squats in the gym with Wardy.
Andy Garrett was the lone Scratch rider, setting off at 13’30. Andy was gaining on the field at the turn around but couldn’t quite bridge the gap.
After the turn into Barwite Rd, the larger “lead group” was fast becoming the “splinter group”, allowing Ryder, Ant and Darren to work their way through the field. Ryder had his sights locked onto the lead riders and was carving his way through the field, determined not to carry any potential sprinters with him.
At the turn into Old Tolmie Road, Ryder, Steve D, Oliver and Simon were starting to look around to see who had something left in the tank for a sprint finish. Ryder proved too strong and bridged a gap up the climb, maintaining this to the finish to take the win by 3 seconds.
In the background, Mick had put in a huge effort to get back on the lead group and drag Ant with him. It was then a sprint for newspaper article rights, with Ant narrowly getting 2nd, Mick 3rd and Oliver in 4th, all on the same finish time. Closely followed by Steve D, Simon, Damian, Darren, Steve C and Bruce. Damian continued with his current good form, riding fastest time for the night.
Thank you to all the marshal’s and Tony again for the photos. Here are the results.
Next week is one of the highlights of the MMBCC road calendar, the Bakker Plumbing Handicap at Jamieson. Keep an eye on the club WhatsApp feed early in the week to find out about RSVPing for dinner and presentations at the Jamieson Brewery afterwards.
The above image is how Elise Empey’s practice ended at Red Bull Hardline at Maydena in Tasmania. While her right arm is a bit black ‘n’ blue, thankfully she’s ok.
Talia Appleton still leads the points for both the Overall and Under 23 in the Women’s ProVelo Super League after coming 5th in the Women’s Warrny on Sunday.
One more week left to order club kit from the Ventou MMBCC Portal. Now it even includes aero socks and gloves! Email Bruce for the code.
The first round of the Victorian Enduro Series was held at Falls Creek over the weekend. Congratulations to:
Ant Bateup - 6th in Veteran Men.
Adam Baker - 18th in Masters Men.
Finn Baker - 19th in Under 21 Men.
Ryder Chadd - DNF in Under 21 Men; he broke his rear rim.
Lots of MMBCC bikes for sale at the moment! There’s a 52cm Liv Langma, a newly-listed 56cm Cube and a coffee bike!
By Damian Grundy
Due to the persistent high temperatures and the forecast for the same on Tuesday, I have decided to cancel Senior Dirt Crits for Tuesday 4 February. Hopefully next week will see some cooler weather.
The schedule will remain unchanged with a gravity night on Tuesday 11 February.
Have you subscribed to MMBCC News? Why not!? Go to www.mmbcc.org.au and enter your email address on the Home page…
Club kit is now available on the Ventou web portal.
Here is the link to the Ventou MMBCC page. If you don’t already have the code you need to get access, email Bruce for the code.
The Ventou MMBCC Portal is open for a limited time only!
By Damian Grundy
It was a small turn out for the first Gravity night of 2025 on Tuesday 28 January. It is possible that the heat of the day had discouraged some, however by 6pm the temperature was quite tolerable; certainly less severe than had been experienced a week earlier for the first XC night.
But even with small numbers there is always a high level of competitiveness. Lots of points to prove and many different battles between riders.
Two courses were set, with Cam Dobson and Adam Baker setting the first course and yours truly arranging a second challenge. Both courses were long by Rifle butts standards.
As usual the riders started at 30 second intervals.
For me, I was most happy to complete both runs without incident and I am glad that this seemed to be the case for all the competitors.
Ryder proved once again that he is a talented rider across most of the racing disciplines. He produced the fastest time on both courses and with a 2 run combined time of 9min46sec was overall 25seconds faster than Damian Grundy with a 2 run combined time of 10min11sec. Archie Smith was 2 seconds slower overall than Damian in 3rd.
I would like to thank Cam and Adam for setting the course, and then Cam again and Tim Ross for managing the timing.
XC Night on Tuesday 4 February. Hope to see you all there.
By Ian Cervelo
A beautiful warm summer evening greeted the start of the Howes Creek 25 kms handicap race on Thursday 30 January. It was reduced to 18 riders but had the welcome appearance of a new member, Simon Mulvihill.
A light south-easterly and a few undulating rises challenged most of the starters, giving some of the lighter-framed riders an equal footing with the stronger riders who had downhill momentum. With the above conditions, riding in a bunch and rotating turns, effectively gives each person a rest, tucked in behind the leads, who act as a windbreak.
The club handicapper, Mr David Moore, plays a critical part in this event, spending endless hours planning, selecting and judging the previous form of each rider and how they are to be grouped. Often we front him, in a good-humoured way, after a couple of drinks at the Mansfield. The Handicapper (please note, not an underworld crime boss) may get the sad story of “how come?”, “why me?”, “he should” etc.
With the race at the halfway mark and a tailwind home, the stronger groups worked together very effectively and gained on the rest of the field.
Three kilometres from the finish everyone is trying to gain the slightest edge, finding the gap to power through the field, and sprint to the finish at speeds of up to 60-70km/h.
The eventual winner on the night was Steve Curnow, who with his wife Lise, had just finished the 700km Great Alpine Walk.
In second place was the former Mansfield identity, the quick and clean shearer, Carl Simmons, now residing in Euroa. Carl clocked the fastest time of 37 minutes and 55 seconds averaging a credible 39.4 km/h!
Ian Conrick, fresh from an intense training camp at Club Med Phuket, took third place but an unnamed person commented that Cornick’s side profile looked more like a holiday at Club Pizza.
So back to the remaining riders and my new bestie, Mr Moore, the *Archimedean-like mathematician, astronomer, inventor and the engineer of modern calculus” who applied these rules to 12 cyclists so that they all finished within a minute of each other. Well done again Mr Moore!
As usual, many thanks to our volunteers, the ever-present photographer Tony Copland, the ongoing support of The Brown Family and the welcoming staff at The Mansfield Hotel.
Newcomers and onlookers are always welcome at the club. Please see the MMBCC website for further details or call into All Terrain Cycles, High Street, Mansfield and ask any of the helpful staff.
*footnote: Archimedes died at the siege of Syracuse in 212 BC, aged 74. So you’re safe for a good while yet Dave!
The Espresso Velo coffee bike.
Benghazi Handicap, Lancefield, Anzac Day - 25 April.
Dirty Pig and Whistle, Creswick, 3 & 4 May. Already a few from Mansfield showing interest in this gravel event.
By Damian Grundy
It had been a hot day on Tuesday 21 January and there was some discussion about racing but it didn’t seem horrendously hot, so the event proceeded.
11 hardy mountain bikers were in attendance.
The race format was team race - teams of three with Nicole Hoebergen being the lead out rider for two teams.(Don’t ask how that works but it did!)
The teams were:
Adam Baker, Cam Dobson and Damian Grundy;
Nicole Hoebergen, Rueben Bateup and Tim Ross;
David Bock, Ben Ross and Ant Bateup; and
Nicole Hoebergen, Archie Smith and Ryder Chadd
The course was a relatively short combination of trails starting out on Bogans, straight to the south end on the bottom of the XC loop, back across to the road and then to Rubbish Run and back to the finish via the zig-zags in the finish area.
And the format? Teams had to ride together, one rider in each team to complete two laps, another to complete four and the 3rd rider to do six laps. As the first rider, ideally the slower of the three, completed their two laps the remaining two riders could accelerate; and again after the 2nd rider completed their four laps the (ideally) fastest rider raced to finish their final two laps. First rider across the line winning the race for the team.
It was a mass start and I won’t lie, there was a lot of argy-bargie, Adam Baker went to an early lead but seemed to have some trouble with the concept of directional arrows. Nicole Hoebergen took full advantage and lead her two teams in to the lead at the end of the first two laps. Adam had somewhat recovered and came in 3rd and Bocky was 4th.
Racing remained tight but the leading group had whittled down to Ryder and Archie, Rueben and Tim, duking it out with Cam and Damian.
At the end of four laps however Cam and Damian had moved to a clear lead, Archie and Ryder in 2nd, then Rueben and Tim in 3rd.
Disaster struck at the end of the 5th lap with Ryder succumbing to overheating and wisely deciding to stop.
At the finish it was Damian taking the win for his team with Rueben rolling in for 2nd and Ant finishing it off for 3rd.
1st: Adam Baker, Cam Dobson and Damian Grundy.
2nd: Nicole Hoebergen, Rueben Bateup and Tim Ross.
3rd: David Bock, Ben Ross and Ant Bateup.
By Beau Geste
19 Riders entered for Thursday night handicap racing on Thursday 23 January, with a strong south westerly wind.
Micala Jacobs was first away, honing her time trialling skills, followed by the intrepid trio of John Eisner, David Bock and Adam Baker. Next to leave were the first of the fab fours: Craig Wilson, Tim Hall (The first of 3 Halls) Ian Conrick and David MacDonald. This group proved to be a strong combination, working well together throughout the course.
The next group included the first of the young guns, Rueben Bateup and Oliver Hall who were ably supported by Mick Pierce -Oliver on a “New to him” bike.
Block was occupied by another Hall, Simon, another young gun, Ryder Chadd, Darren Bakker and Ant Bateup rounding out the family affair.
Scratch group was another fab four of Bruce Halket, on a brand new and very pretty bike, Euroa’s Andy Garrett, Steve Brown and, in a return to racing, Chris Miller.
Wilson, Conrick, MacDonald and the first of the Halls rode strongly managing to stay away from the strong groups behind.
Towards the finish at Possums Hill, Hall and Wilson parted company with Conrick and MacDonald and sprinted strongly for the win at the finish at the show grounds… or did they?
Adam Baker, having ridden a blinder in a solo effort had finished several minutes earlier. By the time Wilson and Hall crossed in second and third place respectively, Adam was relaxed, rehydrated and thinking about dinner at the Mansfield Hotel.
The Handicapper will take note of Adam’s effort for future races, I’m sure.
A strong ride by young gun Ryder Chadd produced a fourth place with David MacDonald coming in fifth.
Thanks to the volunteers and commissaires, next weeks race will be from the Lords Ground out to Howes Creek Road.
Many thanks again to Tony Copland for his images (above) and here are the results.
Just listed, Katie Moore’s beautifully looked-after Liv Langma is for sale.
Keep your eye out soon for news of the Ventou Webshop opening for those interested in club kit. All pieces will be available for sale, including road and mtb kit.
We need a minimum of 10 pieces for the order to go into production.
Keep an eye out for next week’s newsletter and the MMBCC WhatsApp feed for links to the Ventou Webshop when it opens (you’ll need a code to get access!)
It’s the best way to keep up to date with what’s happening in the club.
For instance, recent revelations on the feed shed new light on club president, Dave Empey.
His surname is a typo - it should really be EMPTY. The ’T’ was accidentally changed to an ‘E’ due to an administrative error by AusCycling when they looked into Dave’s eyes and saw the contents of his soul.
By Rueben Bateup
Racing is on for 2025 and what better way to start off than the hardest finish on the calendar, with the steep, uphill finish of O’Hanlon’s Road!
To add to the challenge, there was a strong southerly wind that was going to play into the hands of the Scratch riders and make it torture for anyone who gets dropped by their group.
The first group to set off on-course was Adam Baker and Dave Bock, followed by Tim Hall and Craig Wilson at 2 minutes. These groups were caught prior to the McMillan Point turnaround by the largest group of Mick Pearce, Jason Parker, Rueben Bateup, Tim Ross and Heath Hammond, starting at 5 minutes 30. (A big MMBCC welcome to Heath for his first race.)
At 7 minutes was Steve Duke, Ant Bateup and Adrian Dowd, followed by Ryder Chadd and Damian Grundy at 8 minutes. The Scratch group consisted of Andy Garrett, Bruce Halket and Carl Simmons at 9 minutes 30.
Damian and Ryder caught Steve and Ant prior to the Lakeside Caravan Park and Adrian dropped off the back. Scratch then caught this group close to the halfway mark. With Bruce and Carl powering up the hills and Andy towing the group on the flats, the others were throwing in a turn when able.
With 2 large groups formed, the gap was small at the turnaround and the tailwind allowed the lead group to maintain their advantage. This was until Andy had other ideas and sprinted away from the chase group and passed the lead group like a freight train. This caused some turmoil in both groups with everyone trying to chase down Andy or just hang on.
Dave’s handicapping was again on point, as the two groups merged into one as they turned the corner into O’Hanlon’s for the final climb to the finish. Andy’s lead was diminished as the peloton hit the base of the climb and it was at this point that every rider pictured themselves as a contender for the win, it was on! Everyone was soon at max effort as the hill continued to steepen.
It was Carl who took the win narrowly over Rueben and Ryder in 3rd, followed by Bruce, Heath, Ant, Tim Ross, Steve, Damian and Mick to round out the top 10. Of the 17 riders, the top 11 were only separated by 1 minute which was a close race given the hill climb finish!
Thank you to all the marshals and officials for making this possible.
Here are the results and many thanks to Tony Copland for his images.
Next week it’s the Mansfield-Whitfield Road, from the Botanic Park out to Sawpit Gully Road and back, finishing near the Showgrounds on Mt Battery Road.
ProVelo Super League, Round 1, Adelaide
Talia Appleton: Stage 1 Uphill TT: 1st. Stage 2 Crit: 7th.
General Classification with one stage to go: 1st.
VDHS Round 3 at Mt Major, near Shepparton
Matt Empey, Elite Men: 4th.
Ryder Chadd, U19 Men: 14th.
Keegan Carman, U15 Men: 11th.
Shannon Rademaker, Masters Men: 3rd.
Stu Clark, Veteran Men: 7th.
Vic MTB Champ Series at Falls Creek, Round 5, Saturday
Ben Ross, U15 Men: 5th.
Ruby Dobson, Elite Women: 3rd.
Bruce Halket, Masters 7/8: 3rd.
Vic MTB Champ Series at Falls Creek, Round 6, Sunday
Ben Ross, U15 Men: 6th.
Alistair Ross, U13 Men: 2nd.
Ruby Dobson, Elite Women: 3rd.
Bruce Halket, Masters 7/8: 3rd.
MMBCC Towers has had some enquiries regarding club kit.
Club kit comes in road and mtb versions from Ventou.
We need a minimum of 10 pieces for Ventou to open the webshop. If you’re interested, please email Bruce.
If you’re around about 6’2” and want a bargain road bike, this is for you.
