There’s a lot to get through this week…
Tour Volunteers
By Bruce Halket
By now you should have received your ‘Lucky Duck’ email from Wil. If not, please let him know.
We’ll have the final volunteer roster for you in a couple of days (hopefully Tuesday evening or perhaps Wednesday morning) in a news update. So please click on the link in the next newsletter to get yourself a copy and have a read - it will likely include some last minute changes.
If you’re on the roster, can I please ask you to come along to the Delatite Hotel this coming Thursday night after the road race presentations?
That’s when we’ll hand out your high-vis vest and give final instructions.
This is particularly important if you’re a Lead Car driver; please come along on Thursday night for a quick chat.
It’s all go for the Tour…
Sponsors prizes are arriving, we’ve tried out the huge Subaru arch, the jerseys have been shipped (that includes the souvenir jerseys many of you have ordered) and entries close tonight.
Locally speaking… Josh Hopwood, Dan Purcell and Lewis Dowie have entered. Go Mansfield!
Dirt Crits
Irish Handicap this week with Ruby Dobson tuning up for the National Interschools at Thredbo this weekend with a strong win ahead of Talia Appleton and James Griffin.
Here are the results.
Speaking of the National Interschools…
Ruby Dobson: 1st Div 3 Cross Country.
Elise Empey: 1st Div 2 Cross Country; 1st Div 2 Downhill; 1st Div 2 Flow DH and Overall Div 2 Champion!
Maddison Smith: 2nd Div 3 Downhill.
Matt Empey: 7th Div 1 Downhill; 12th Flow DH.
Zac Empey: 61st Div 3 Flow DH , 45th Div 3 Downhill and 20th Div 3 Cross Country.
Well done Team Mansfield! Killing it!
Buller Road Handicap
By Dave Moore
18 people lined up to race on Thursday night - the smoke haze possibly putting some people off, not surprising given the impending lung busting efforts.
First out of the traps were Talia Appleton, Bella Green and Dave Bock, a further 4 groups set off before Josh Hopwood who brought up the rear, 9 and half minutes later.
We were able to welcome a grandson/father team from Shepparton this week, with the grandson Nick Torney doing a pre-Mansfield Tour recce. Nick started in Block with Tom MacMunn, Anthony Plummer and Dave Moore, and it soon became apparent that he was too strong for all three. Nick managed to drop all three by shortly after Graves Road!
Josh then caught Dave and Tom who were able to latch onto the Juggernaut and get some sort of recovery before contributing a few short turns to reel Nick back in by about Glenroy Road. This group of four then caught the next group on the climb to Hearns Road with only Steve Duke and Cam Lachal able to make the jump across before the turn.
The return trip into town was fast and furious for everyone involved in the race - in particular Dave Jagger who took a detour onto the gravel at 55kph but held onto to it well to stay with his group!
Some epic turns by the Juggernaut and contributions from others saw the last group of Craig Wilson and Talia Appleton caught with only 2km to go - a sterling effort!
The final sprint was lead out by Steve Duke who seemed more surprised than anyone else by this fact, he maintained his sprint for a solid 300m only being pipped at the line by Dave Moore and Tom MacMunn, with Josh and Cam rounding out the top 5.
Thanks once again to all the volunteer marshals and Commissaires, the races couldn’t happen without you so THANK YOU.
Thanks once again to Tony Copland for the pics. Here are the results.
Next week’s race starts at the Lords Ground and finishes at the top of the hill on O’Hanlons Road. See you all there!
High Country Womens Cycling Festival
There is a group from Mansfield heading to Bright from Fri 29 to Sun 31 March for the High Country Womens Cycling Festival. They’d like to let other ladies know if they are interested and want to go, there will be a small group from Mansfield going for the three days. Let Donna know here.
For more details of the event click here.
Social Ride in the King Valley
Despite a fire starting at Rose River on Saturday afternoon, the social ride went ahead on Sunday to huge acclaim.
The roads were quiet, the air not nearly as smokey as we’d feared and the grazing platters at Gracebrook Winery were a winner!
Many thanks to Margaretanne for organising a great day out.
The “I don’t have enough space in the garage for all these” sale
Tim Ross has some bike-related items he wants to be rid of.