Hayden Fletcher Sportsman of the Year!

A huge congratulations to the MMBCC's Hayden Fletcher on being presented with the George Walker Memorial Sportsman of the Year Award for 2015 by the Mansfield Courier/Rotary Club of Mansfield. It's a great result and recognises all the hard work and effort put in by Hayden over the last few years.
He's just spent the last northern summer racing for his U.S. Ssquared team in the 'States, he's currently leading the Australian National Series and he'll soon be jetting off to Santiago Del Estero, Argentina for the next round of the BMX Supercross World Cup later in March!
Congratulations again Hayden!

Martins Garage sponsoring the tour.

Many thanks to Dion and the team at Martins Garage for getting on-board with the Mansfield Tour. Stage 2 of the tour, the road race to Jamieson and back, will now be known as the Martin's Garage Road Race.

Handicap Race, Howes Creek Road, Thursday 25 Feb.

Kody, Wil and Colby... three of the MMBCC's least mature members!

A blustery evening (a beautiful 'sight' for the backmarkers) greeted 28 entrants into the MMBCC's Handicap Race on Thursday 25 February on Howes Creek Road.
There was 12 minutes difference between the Limit Group of Di Condie and Tony Morris (at first) and the last to start, Kian Lerch-MacKinnon, the lone Scratch rider.
However, 5kms into the race, Condie and Morris were joined by our two latest junior recruits, 12 year old Kody Appleton and 13 year old Colby Croxford-Demasi, who at such a young age are only permitted to race up to 20km.
Further back, Damian Grundy started alone as the six and a half minutes group. After only about 6km he'd caught the group ahead of him, the 7.30 group of Belinda Cipa, Ian Conrick, John Eisner and Will MacDonald. Grundy joined in with the others but eventually his pressure told and only MacDonald was able to stay with Grundy after the turnaround.
Not long afterwards, they were caught by the 4.30 group of Rob Skinner, Dave Heatley, Aaron Peterson and Dan Purcell. Skinner accelerated near the Country Resort driveway and only Grundy could go with him.
Despite a group a fast finishing desperadoes behind them, they were strong enough to stay away and fight out the finish, Skinner getting the better of Grundy. Skinner's time was exactly 49 minutes (corrected to 41.30 on handicap). Bruce Halket pipped Janine Appleton on the line for third (almost receiving a Bakker-Ross trophy in the process), then came Mauro Brega, Purcell, Peter Ellett, Peterson, Club Grand Poobah Craig Wilson and Darren Bakker rounded out the top ten.
Fastest time went to Lerch-MacKinnon in 38.06!
Special mention to Darren Bakker who had a tooth extracted on Wednesday. Whether it was the course of antibiotics he's on, or the after-effects of the anaesthetic, the general consensus from his group was that he rode so well that he should have a tooth out every week! The only draw back we can see is that by the end of the season he might be eating his fillet steak through a straw. (A small price to pay…)
Many thanks to our officials including Jodie, Mel, Ross, Tony and Tim.
Presentations were held at The Delatite Hotel where our two new riders were awarded an MMBCC t-shirt each as an Encouragement Award. Results here. (If you'd like a t-shirt too, volunteer to help out on The Mansfield Tour on 19-20 March and you'll get one! Contact Di Condie using this link or 0438 513 355.)
Next week sees the MMBCC return to Whitfield Road for a 22km Handicap finishing on Graves Road. Entries by 8pm Wednesday via SMS on 0428 503 437.

The Women's Ride

A reminder about The Women's Ride on Sunday 6 March at 9am. There will be a road ride leaving from the Botanic Park, or a mountain bike ride at Riflebutts Reserve; with both rides concluding with morning tea or coffee at The Delatite - with the MMBCC picking up the tab. Everyone is welcome! We'd love to see more women riding and hope this little inducement encourages a few more girls to give it a go. Register on the Cycling Victoria Women's Ride website - it's free and we'd love to see you.