Dirt Crits
A Gravity Enduro night with a difference last week. There was the usual couple of timed downhill runs but also a timed climb… with no set course! - just a start line and a finish line, riders were allowed to take any route they wanted to the top.
All three timed runs were combined for a total time, which saw Ruby’s climbing speed just fast enough to edge out Ant’s superior descending.
Here are the results. Many thanks to Mel, Cam and Alex for officiating.
Finally racing for Xmas
By Michael Pearce, Bill Jones & Bruce Halket. Mick starts us off:
On a lovely warm evening the Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club were finally able to put a race on without thunder, lightning and heavy rain intervening - 25 degrees and only a slight breeze, no help or hindrance to anyone around the Barwite Loop. While there were only 14 entrants, we were very excited to be racing again after three weeks of cancellations; five groups with nine minutes between the Limit group of debutant Bill Jones, Wil Wilson, Dave Jagger and Ian Conrick and the Scratch group of Talia Appleton, Dave Moore and Bruce Halket.
Steve Curnow and I rode well together, swapping some good turns but lost time having a drink and relaxed a bit as we could see the lads in front just near the Mt Battery Rd junction. A good pace got us passing Dave Jagger and Wil Wilson on “that damn hill” (The Coombesberg) with Bill and Ian in our sights.
By Bill Jones
Leaving as the first group out of the gates we were off, four of us (Dave Jagger, Ian Conrick, Craig Wilson and me) with good plans of being first across the line. Our pace was fast and for a short time we were doing well.
Then someone decided to throw some hills in the way! That didn’t bode well for half of our group.
While Ian and I were slogging our way up the Coombesberg we tried to discuss those plans. We were meant to regroup at the top of the hill but once up there, the other half of our group had two riders hot on their tails. At that point Ian and I decided to break off and pick up the pace.
By Bruce Halket
Scratch started strongly and we felt we were making a little ground on the Block group of Steve Duke, Ant Bateup, Matt Hoskin and Jarrod Appleton. That was until the Barwite Road, then the chase faltered into the wind.
Back to Bill…
As we turned the corner on to the Barwite Road, we faced a decent head wind. We knew we had our work cut out for us and put our heads down. Just as I thought we were doing well, I heard Steve and Michael coming up quick.
As Michael, Steve and I picked up the pace Ian eventually fell off the back. The three of us road exceptionally well together and as we approached the last ascent at the Highlands entrance, we looked over our shoulders and nobody was in sight! At that moment the three of us thought the race was between us.
We set a good pace down the hill with Michael and I taking turns. As we came around the final corner the race was on. I pulled in front of Michael who was quick to jump on my wheel. I knew I had to push for all I had if I wanted to keep him behind me. As I slowly watched his shadow drop off, I knew I was going to be the lucky one to be first across the line. With legs of jelly, I felt I raced for all I could and left nothing on the track.
Thank you, Dave, for the friendly handicap I’m sure I won’t have to worry about seeing another win for a long time to come.
Finally, back to Mick:
Steve held on for third ahead of the fast-finishing Block group Ant, Jarrod, Matt and Steve. Janine held on for eighth (and first unplaced female) ahead of Ian with Talia rounding out the top ten. As far as anyone can remember, it’s the first time a female has ridden Fastest Time in one of our Handicap Races - congratulations Talia!
Bill and Mick were effusive in their thanks to the handicapper for being a bit ‘soft’ on them; handicapping is a difficult job and Dave Moore is proving very adept. Many thanks also to Commissaire Eisner and all the marshals for providing a safe, fun race.
After a cruisey ride back to the Clubhouse we enjoyed a great meal for our annual Xmas break up. Many thanks to all the team at the Mansfield Hotel and to Mansfield Shire Council and the Victorian State Government’s Community Recovery and Resilience Funding for helping the MMBCC pay for the evening.
Here are the results and many thanks once again to Tony Copland for the pics.
Xmas/New Year break
Unofficial road rides will continue over the Xmas/New Year break; early morning rides at 6am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Plus there’ll likely be a few riders turn up at the Botanic Park most days at 8am, not just weekends.
A reminder that IF the forecast max temperature for Seymour (there isn’t an official BoM forecast for Mansfield) is for 35 or more for one of the weekend rides, that day’s ride will start at 7am. Check the SunSmart widget on the bottom left hand corner of the Home page.
Road racing will resume on Thursday 20 January with a handicap race on the Whitfield Road. Dirt Crits will resume once school goes back, probably in the first week of February.
Tour advertising
As mentioned last week, a campaign advertising the 2022 Mansfield Hotel Tour p/b Orcoda has begun. You can find our ad on page 31 of the current issue of Cyclist Aus/NZ Magazine as well as on different pages of Cycling Tips.
