A disappointing week for the mountain bikers with a storm on Tuesday cancelling racing. But there’s still lots of news…
And don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter!
SOCIAL Road Ride - Sunday 2nd April 2023
This is an unsupported ride on open public roads in Jamieson area to be held on Sunday 2 April 2023, with five stages. You don’t have to complete all five stages, choose your own adventure. Maybe one is enough, or maybe three, or if you’re still on a coffee high, do them all.
Stage 1 - Mansfield to Jamieson, 36 km
Stage 2 - Jamieson-Licola Rd to end of bitumen and return, 13km
Stage 3 - Jamieson-Eildon Rd to Bald Hill Gap and return, 25 km
Stage 4 - Jamieson to 10 Mile return, 31 km
Stage 5 - If you’re still keen (and Darren Bakker ha ha), return to Mansfield 36 km
The intention is to meet at Jamieson township between 10-11am for coffee and again after the ride at Jamieson Brewery, Lakeside Hotel for lunch at 1pm.
For more information and to confirm your intention (either riding or helping out) please contact Allan Gerrans on 0427 250 035.
The club’s shout at Jamieson ride on Sunday…
The majority of the financial results have come in from the Mansfield Tour - and it looks very positive. We want to celebrate the results and thank you for volunteering your time. We’ll start by buying you lunch in Jamieson on Sunday after the social ride that Allan is organising.
All paid-up MMBCC members who attend will have all their food paid for by the club. We’ll even include the coffee before the ride too! Whether you’re a Bicycle Network member of the MMBCC, or an AusCycling member of the MMBCC, we’ll shout you a feed.
Contact Allan on 0427 250 035 and enjoy your lunch!
From dilemma to delirium in 24km
By Michael Pearce
Thursday night’s MMBCC Handicap Road Race started with a dilemma.
Diesel had been spilled on the southbound lane of Whitfield Road, just north or Dead Horse Lane, not far from the proposed finish at the Showgrounds on Mt Battery Road. Commissiaires Tony Copland and Bruce Halket decided to shorten the course to avoid the slippery, dangerous section of road.
The race was neutralised from the start at the Botanic Park through to Bridgestone Tyre Service and the new finish line was Kareen Court, reducing the usual 26km course to 24km.
Our group started steadily through the neutral zone and were set to accelerate after the tyre service when we almost ran over a tortoise on the road. Concerns that we were going so slow it might overtake us were dispelled and kudos to Jason Parker who moved our armour-plated friend off the road.
Then the lone Scratchie, Chris Miller, caught us and the pace went up a couple of notches. The race was super quick, upbeat and exciting even with a lot of the faster riders missing.
Miller and Darren Bakker got away over the Barwite Hill and looked capable of reeling in the lone Limit rider, Tony Morris, and taking the first two places.
But Elise Empey had other ideas! She sat on the front, doing 54km/h, in a courageous, selfless effort and dragged a few of us up to the leaders and in the process dropped most of the others.
Dave Moore again proved what an excellent handicapper he is as we caught the groups ahead of us along the last, fast, long straight and two small rises before the new finish line.
Bakker was seeing stars (ending in delirium?) trying to stay with Miller as our group caught them.
Scratch got up, making the 13 minute gap with about 1km to spare. Miller first ahead of me, Halket and Steve Duke; easily my hardest effort for the year.
Next week is the last race of the summer, so turn up and have some fun. It’s been a fantastic season and a huge thanks to all the marshals, officials and volunteers who turn up week after week.
Many thanks to Tony Copland for his pics and here are the results.