Heaps to get through this week.
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Junior MTB Series
By Tim Ross
Last weekend (19th October) a group of twelve current and former Dirt Critters, ranging in age from U7 to U15 travelled to Bright for Round 1 of the Alpine Cycling Club's Junior MTB race series. The series runs over the summer and involves 7 races across the North East, including Bright, Beechworth, Yackandandah, Albury, Falls Creek and Bright, with a mixture of XCO and Enduro events.
The first event was an XCO course using the Roger Packham loop along Morse's Creek.
All the group acquitted themselves well on a course that was a bit slippery and difficult after some heavy rain overnight (especially for the older kids).
Highlights of the day included Jedd completing his first race, and older brother Duke popping a mono as he crossed the finish line.
Congratulations to Ben and to Scout who each placed first in their race.
Old blokes rule, ok?
By Dave Empey
Another perfect evening for Gravity Enduro with mild temperatures and a very dry track.
It was a very pedally downhill (we missed you Bruce Halket) utilising both sides of the mountain bike park and on average a 4-to-5-minute track.
In a turnaround from last week, the more seasoned riders tended to prevail without last week’s winner Rueben Bateup having to sit this week out due to a dirt nap at the VDHS Downhill at Barjarg on the weekend.
In first position was Matthew Empey. He didn’t have it all his own way with Ant Bateup taking the first run by 3 seconds. However, Matt went 9 seconds faster on his second run. He must have woken up and realised it was a race.
Ant Bateup came in second just 4 seconds behind Matt and Luke Vivash pulled one out of the bag for a third closely followed by Cam Dobson and Spencer Carmen on the same time, with Cam taking the honours on a countback having the fastest time over Spencer by just one second.
Stu Clark may have done better but due to being geographically embarrassed he lost a little time on his first run.
Dan Friday may have picked the wrong bike, big travel and lots of pedalling don’t seem to equate to going as fast as you normally do.
Dave Blunden turned up for his first race EVER and finished in the top ten, so well done to Dave.
We had another full class for the women’s race again this week, with Nicole taking the honours (despite an ‘off’ and some bruising/scratching) ahead of Serena and Ariel.
Here are the results and thanks to Kate for the images, above.
Well done to everyone who raced last night. Having big numbers makes the race a lot more fun and interesting.
Alain’s race is moving
By Bruce Halket
Due to a clash with Oaks Day, Coral Guerin has asked the club to move Alain’s race from its original date of 7 Nov to a week later, 14 Nov.
But it’s not just a date change. With the way Police and VicRoads permits work, the race will now be held on the Howes Creek Road course, instead of the usual 32km course finishing on Graves Road.
And due to this course change and time constraints, Coral has asked that we not ride out to Alain’s bike on the Buller Road, but head back to the Mansfield Hotel for presentations instead.
Nowhere to hide on Chapel Hill Road
By Micala Jacobs
In a spirited display of competition and camaraderie, Chapel Hill Road was the site of an individual time trial that brought together 13 enthusiastic participants from the local cycling club. Despite the smaller turnout, the event highlighted the club's commitment to fostering a diverse range of age categories and abilities, making for an inclusive and exciting atmosphere.
The weather on race day was nearly perfect for racing: partly cloudy skies and a comfortable 17 degrees Celsius, though competitors faced a challenging SSW wind that tested their resolve after the turnaround. With staggered starts set at one-minute intervals, each cyclist had the chance to battle against the clock and themselves, a hallmark of the individual time trial format.
Participants pushed through the course, which spanned almost 11 km, with many competitors remarking on the mental toughness required when racing solo. “In this type of race, there’s nowhere to hide,” one competitor noted. “It’s all on you to keep your legs turning and push yourself to the finish.”
Local cyclist Craig Wilson was particularly enthusiastic about the event, showcasing all the time trial gear and creating a festive atmosphere. Darren Bakker also added to the camaraderie with his possibly unintentional vocal encouragement at the finish line, rallying support for those crossing the line.
When the dust settled and the results were tallied - after applying the handicapping that accommodates the varied age categories and abilities - Judi Duke claimed the top spot, followed closely by Micala Jacobs in second and Jarrah O’Brien in third (welcome to MMBCC racing Jarrah!) The results demonstrated not only individual achievement but also the club's spirit of friendly competition.
As always, a big thank you was extended to the volunteers who served as Commissaire, timing officials, and marshals, ensuring the safety and smooth operation of the event. Their dedication is vital in creating a safe and enjoyable environment for all participants. Thanks again to Tony Copland for his images, above.
Looking ahead, the next event on the calendar is a Handicap race that promises to challenge riders with a 32 kilometre course taking them out Whitfield Road to Sawpit Gully Road, and on to Barwite Road, finishing on Graves Road. Meet us at Botanic Park from 6pm to cheers on the starters.
Ride High Country Gravel Network launched
Tourism North East has launched their new gravel network throughout north east Victoria. Here’s the launch information and here is a link to the Ride High Country website to check it all out.
Isn’t it funny how Mansfield isn’t mentioned!? It must be due to all those thousands of gravel cyclists coming here threatening our Mansfield way of life. (Can someone please insert a ‘rolling my eyes’ emoji here.)
We just have to be patient…
Busfleet’s shuttle service for bike riders from Mansfield to Mt Buller for the coming Summer started this weekend!
It’s called the Locals Day Out. With a day pass you can get on and off the bus, with your bike, at different points between town and the hill, including Delatite Winery, the Hunt Club in Merrijig and Mirimbah.
And for MMBCC members, Busfleet are offering a discount on the 8am service.
Use this link to their booking portal and put in the code MMBCC when it’s time to pay.
Go to their website for more details. Please note: the discount only applies to the 8am departure from Mansfield.
Volunteers wanted
The Great Vic Bike Ride is coming to Mansfield for two days later this month. Bicycle Network and the Shire are looking for volunteers to help out…
Finally…
Congratulations to the Chadd boys for some great results at the Rocky Trail Shred & Flow at Haunted Hills on Saturday.
