Hi Everyone,

Quite a lot happening so have a close read! There are a few changes to the Autumn calendar so check out the latest version - CLICK HERE. The Combined end-of-summer ride and presentations is discussed further below. We need to get an idea of numbers so please read all the information and reply to Katie! There will be a few tweaks with specific times posted in the next week or so.

A good finish to the Summer road series last Thursday with the pairs time trial. Thanks to Di for rearranging the format of the race to accommodate the number of entries. I think it worked well as a season finale.

Thanks also to all the volunteers who have helped over the season. Without your input, we’d be doing a lot less racing!

Here’s Bruce’s report for the night:

MMBCC race report

A beautiful warm Autumn evening greeted riders who’d entered the final round of the Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club Summer Series on Thursday 29 March on the Mt Buller Road.

It was meant to be a Team Time Trial contested between teams of six; but as entries were a little on the lean side, team size was reduced to just two!

The team size reduction was all part of the Handicapper’s cruel and sadistic plan to find a summer series champion. Five of the riders near the pointy end of the series point scores are from the usual Scratch group: Josh Hopwood, Stefan Vaivars, Andrew Gerrans, Mauro Brega and Bruce Halket. If the race had been ridden in teams of six as planned, those five would likely have ridden together - and all received the same result as each other.

So they were separated into teams of only two to make it more likely to get different times; and to make it much, much harder (just for the fun of it!)

Seventeen riders entered, meaning seven teams of two and a single team of three.

Fastest time and the win went to Josh and Bruce. Their time of 32.19 over the 22km translates to an average speed of 41km/h! Josh rode an awesome time trial and Bruce did all he could to hang on!

Second place went to Steve Flew, Steve Plummer and Ian Conrick in a corrected time of 32.34 (actual time 36.14.) Third went to Peter Ellett and Tony Williams in 32.41 (39.11) ahead of Di Condie and John Eisner in 32.56 (38.56) while Stefan and Mauro rounded out the top five in 33.04.

The Teams of Two Time Trial was a well-received format and it might see a return next summer. Many thanks to our volunteers and officials: Annie, Gwen, Leonie, Sharron, John and George.

All MMBCC members should make a note in their diary for Sunday 15 April. This will see social road and mountain bike rides concluding at Mirimbah - where presentations will be held for both the Summer Road Series and the Summer Dirt Crits. Check the club website - www.mmbcc.org.au - for more details in the coming weeks.

Also on the website will be details of the upcoming Autumn Series’ for both road and mountain bikes.

In the meantime, employers are asked to take pity on MMBCC members on Monday mornings in April, as they'll be sitting up late on Sunday nights for the next month, to watch the Spring Classics from Belgium and northern France. It all starts with the Tour of Flanders on Sunday 1 April, followed by Paris-Roubaix on Sunday 8 April, Amstel Gold on Sunday 15 April and finishes with Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday 22 April. Simon Gerrans is a likely starter in the final two of these classics and will be a big chance!

Dirt Crits Update – 26 March

Week off Dirt Crits this week, following the end of the Summer series last week. Riflebutts Reserve has undergone some controlled burning by DSE and it has to be said that they have done a great job! The trails have been left in great condition, even the raised trail areas. There is still a concern of trees falling after the burn, so please do not enter the park if the gates are closed.

The Autum Series will kick off on Sunday 22 April at 2pm at Riflebutts. Keep an eye out for more info on the website.

Mitch has had a successful weekend riding in the 2012 Cycling Australia Junior Mountain Climbing Championships. He finished the weekends races 8^th overall in the General Classification, knocking off a lot of top track and criterium riders including a few from the NSW Institute of Sport! A fantastic effort by Mitch, preparing him for next week’s races in NZ, with the U17 MTB Development team. Go Mitch!!

Check his results at www.cycling.org.au/?ID=45929

Upcoming events:

Sunday April 15 –Combo Social ride at Buller!

A variety of rides to take part in followed by some lunch in the park, catered by Amongst the Sticks catering, and presentations from the Summer series of racing.

MTB:

Car pool to Mirimbah

Uplift by Stuart @ Mirimbah store (time TBC)

MTB ride options:

· Mt Buller to Stonefly, then down the Delatite
· Corn Hill & Misty Twist, then down the Delatite
· Delatite ride

Road ride options:

· Merrijig to Mirimbah – meet approx. 11.30 at the Hunt Club.
· Mansfield to Mirimbah – Meet 11.00am at the roundabout
· Mansfield, Mt Buller, Mirimbah – Meet 9.00am at the roundabout

All riders and friends/family meeting at Mirrimbah park for lunch at 12:30pm. Presentations to follow and then the road ride back to Mansfield for all those who are keen! Some are considering doing the MTN in the morning and organising for their road bikes to be there for the ride back to Mansfield.

The club is covering the costs but please, to assist us with catering and for an idea of how many will be using the shuttle up the hill, text your name and riding preference MTB/Road (and any friends/family coming to the lunch) to Katie Moore 0415 369 297 and keep an eye on the website for more details next week.

Come along and enjoy the festivities!

Saturday May 12 – Six Hours In The Saddle (SHITS) race at Beechworth. Interested in getting a team together? Contact Katie (0415 369 297) or Shannon (0409 552 564) to register your interest.

Max Fricke is having a fundraising dinner, Friday 13^th April at Mingo’s.

Although Max is concentrating more on the “Dark side” of two wheeled excitement, here’s a chance to help him out on his quest to get to the European 2012 championships. Should be a great evening so come along and support a Mansfield champion!

This from the Wangaratta Cycling Club. Remember, any of our road members can race there, even with a local club licence:

Hi Everyone,
please find attached a copy of our updated Autumn road program, there have been a couple of changes made due to clashes with open events. Also please note that WCC have had a change of secretary, Paul Lane is now in the position and is club contact so please refer any club questions/race questions to Paul. I will still be event coordinator for the Victorian Junior Road Championships which the club has been granted the rights to host for the next 3 years.
regards,Anne Woodley

Race 1 Sat 10^th March Mokoan Turnoff 50km GS

Clubrooms/Warby Range Rd/Boweya Rd/Mokoan Turnoff/

return via same course/Shanley St Finish

Race 2 Sat 17^th March Max’s Block X 2 47km HC

Clubrooms/Warby Range Rd/Max’s Block X 2 laps left hand turns/

Warby Range Rd/Shanley St Finish

Race 3 Sat 24^th March Winton ITT 26km No 1

Start at Footy Ground Glenrowan/out and back to Winton

Race 4 Sat 31^st March 15 Mile Creek 45km HC

Clubrooms/Warby Range Rd/Taminick Gap Rd/Right turn Old

Hume Hwy/McDonalds/Left turn under Freeway Overpass/15 Mile

Creek Bridge/return via same course

No Racing Easter

Race 5 Sat 14^th April Ryans Taminick Loop 52km GS

Clubrooms/Reith Rd/Lindner Rd/Wangandary Rd/Boweya Rd/

Taminick Gap/Warby Range Rd/Shanley St Finish

Race 6 Sat 21^st April U17 States Course 57km GS

Clubrooms/Warby Range Rd/Boweya Rd/Taminick gap/Warby

Range Rd/Boweya Rd/taminick gap/Warby Range Rd/Shanley St

Race 7 Sat 28^th April FinishWarby Range Rd ITT 18km No 2

Clubrooms/Shanley St/left Warby Rang Rd/U-Turn/Pass Shanely St

on Warby Range Rd/ U-Turn/ left turn Shanley St. “T” course

Race 8 Sat 5^th May Graham Daws Memorial Handicap 10am 70km

Clubrooms/Shanley St/Warby Range Rd/Boweya Rd/Thoona-

Boweya Rd/Thoona-Devenish Rd/Devenish-Wangaratta

Rd/Wangandary Rd/Christensen Lane/Lindner Rd/Reith Rd

Race 9 Sat 12^th May Mokoan Turnoff Via Taminick 43km HC

Clubrooms/warby Range Rd/Taminick Gap/Mokoan Turnoff/return

via same course/finish Shanley St

Race 10 Sat 19^th May Ian Bulluss Memorial Handicap 10am

$20 Benalla To Wangaratta 65km

Start: Kiferra Rd Benalla outside Trekers rest. Greta South

Wangaratta-Kilferra Rd/Left into Glenrowan-Moyhu Rd (Sprint

prize just before this corner) Right turn Glenrowan/Left Taminick

Gap Rd/Right turn Warby Range Rd/ Right Turn Shanley St Finish.

Presentations and light refreshments at clubrooms at conclusion

Race 11 Sat 26^th May Boweya Rd ITT 40km No 3

Start Glenrowan end of Boweya Rd/ travel along Boweya Rd to

Devenish-Wangaratta Rd/ Turn in road and return via same course

Race 12 Sat 2^nd June Club Tour 10am Start Both Days $40 Entry

Saturday 2^nd June

10am: Stage 1 Road Race: State U17 Course 35km or 52km.

2pm: Stage 2 Time Trial 14km “T” shaped Course (J17 course)

Sunday 3^rd June

10am: Stage 3 Hillclimb: Saleyards - Warby range rd - Glenrowan - Old Highway - Taminick Gap Rd -Finish at top.

1pm: Stage 4 Kermesse: (Reith's Rd Colson Drive loop approx 6km a lap) 2-6 laps

Licenses

Every rider must have a current Cycling Australia or UCI competitive license, or purchase a day license or 3 race license. Riders will be expected to produce their license, club receipt or email confirmation of on-line renewals at the entry table each time they race.

$50 and $100 notes and silver coins cannot be accepted at the entry table

Entry fees are used to pay prize money to the top finishers in each grade/race. We are not a bank, and providing change from large denomination notes (regardless of how many people you want to pay for) means we will not have enough smaller notes left to divide the entry pool into the 30 or so prizes that are awarded at each race. We also do not have the time to discuss this policy on race day, so please come prepared.

v GRADED ENTRIES CLOSE 1.45 PM ON RACE DAY WITH CLUB

COMMISAIRE

v EVENTS START TIME 2PM SHARP unless otherwise indicated

v SENIOR RACE ENTRY $10

v SWEEPSTAKE PRIZEMONEY

v RACES START AT CLUBROOMS SHANLEY ST WANGARATTA UNLESS

OTHERWISE ADVISED.

v ALL RACES FINISH IN SHANLEY STREET UNLESS OTHERWISE ADVISED AT START.

v ALL RIDERS COMPETE AT THEIR OWN RISK AND SHOULD HAVE THE APPROPRIATE AMBLULANCE COVER

v THE WANGARATTA CYCLING CLUB INC. RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE ANY PART OF THIS PROGRAM FOR ANY REASON

v RIDERS ARE ADVISED TO CONSULT THE COURSE MAP ON THE NOTICEBOARD PRIOR TO THE START OF EACH RACE TO CONFIRM THE COURSE FOR THE DAY.

v SCRATCH RACES SUBJECT TO SUFFICIENT NUMBERS, IF ENTRIES ARE LOW A HANDICAP OR TIME TRIAL WILL BE SUBSTITUTED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMISSAIRE

v RACES START AT THE WCC CLUBROOMS, SHANLEY ST, WANGARATTA AND FINISH IN SHANLEY ST UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED OR FOR SAFETY REASONS MOVED.

RACING RULES

v ROAD RULES IN FORCE IN VICTORIA APPLY AT ALL TIMES

v WHERE MOTOR VEHICLES HAVE RIGHT OF WAY AT INTERSECTIONS, RIDERS MAY BE STOPPED. BE PREPARED TO STOP WHEN SHOWN A RED FLAG BY A CORNER MARSHALL.

v Note: SOME CORNERS MAY NOT BE MANNED

v CLUB RACING RULES APPLY TO ALL RACE

v ONLY OFFICALLY APPOINTED PERSONS/VECHICLES ARE PERMITTED TO ACCOMPANY THE RACE.

v RIDERS WILL BE FINED, RELEGATED OR DISQUALIFIED

·
·
· WHO USE ABUSIVE LANGUAGE OR OTHERWISE BRING THE CLUB INTO DISREPUTE
· WHO FAIL TO STOP WHEN SHOWN A RED FLAG BY THE CORNER MASHALL

RESULTS PUBLISHED WEEKLY ON WEB SITE

Information Ph Paul Lane, Secretary Wangaratta Cycling Club Inc. ph0408 597 974

Cheers, John.