Sunday update

First, a few reminders:

  • Roadies, don’t forget your CA licence each week;

  • MTBers, don’t forget Dirt Crits on Tuesday; and

  • Don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter.

Berry crushes opposition

By Jason Parker

Last Thursday, the first event of Mansfield Mount Buller Cycling Club’s Road Racing season was held on a beautiful afternoon with very little breeze. The format was a 25km handicap race starting at the Botanic Park, turning around at Sawpit Gully Road and finishing on Mt Battery Road.

Commissaire Tim Ross provided the pre-race briefing before the 21 riders, in six bunches, headed off at different intervals.

John Eisner, Kieren Payne, Rod Manning and grandson Hunter Reeve (participating in his first road race) headed off first. David Jagger, Craig Wilson and Bella and Alex Green set off one minute later. At two minutes, the starter sent off Allan Gerrans, Steve Curnow, Justin Berry, and Jason Parker. Four and a half minutes passed before John Lazarov, Darren Bakker and Cam Lachal left the start line, with Dave Moore, Bruce Halket and Dave Moore a further minute and a half back. The Scratch bunch headed off in pursuit a further minute and a half later, consisting of Josh Hopwood and newcomers, but experienced racers, Steve Brown and Ewyn Carter.

On the outward journey, the Green bunch caught the Limit bunch and they began to work together. Justin Berry’s crew had worked well and the leading bunch were within touching distance. They decided to catch and attack the group on the rise just past the Broken River bridge, in an attempt to distance any who were trying to join them. Allan Gerrans attacked and his bunch distanced all but one rider, Alex Green, who began working with his new group and providing encouragement. Steve Curnow rode smoothly to drag the group up to the turnaround. Just after the tomato farm bend on the home run, the Berry group began to do rolling turns, maintaining a good pace for the entire return trip.

At the top of the Barwite hill there were no chasers in sight, so the Berry bunch knew that the placegetters would come from within their group. Justin led the bunch around the corner onto Mt Battery Rd and then continued on to take the win from Parker, with a slight gap to Gerrans, Alex Green and Curnow. Just over a minute and a half later, Hopwood (the fastest rider on the night) led Moore, Bakker, Halket, and Duke over the line in tenth position. The other racers finished their race at different intervals - Carter, Jagger and Wilson, Manning, Lazarov and Lachal, Brown, Bella Green, Payne and Reeve.

Thanks to the officials and volunteers on the night. Here are the results. Next Thursday 17 October the Howes Creek handicap race will be held with registration from 5:30pm at the Lords Oval. Riders are reminded to bring along a copy of their current Cycling Australia licence and to enter by 8pm on Wednesday.