“Ned Flanders: You were bicycling two abreast?
Homer Simpson: I wish. We were bicycling to a lake.”
The Simpsons, “Dangerous Curves”, Season 20, Episode 5.
Dirt Critters coming to an end
By Tim & Luke
For our final Dirt Critters THIS TUESDAY, we will;
• Meet at Rifle Butts Reserve at 4pm (BOTH the younger and older groups);
• Have a quick ride around some of the trails there;
• Ride down to the Botanic Park via Rifle Butts Road, Monkey Gully Road and Highett Street;
• Have a BBQ tea; and
• Finish up at around 5:45pm (parents to collect their kids from the Botanic Park).
We should have a couple of 'Jigsaw Jumps' at Botanic Park for kids who'd like to have a go.
We need plenty of parent riders to ride with the kids so that they get safely down to Botanic Park. Thanks in advance to our wonderful parent helper riders.
We also need a couple of volunteers (perhaps parents who aren't riding) to head down to Botanic Park and cook a BBQ ready for our arrival. We will organise the food, etc. If you are able to help in this way please let us know via email.
Looking forward to wrapping up a great summer of Dirt Critters. See you on Tuesday!
MTB Nationals at Awaba NSW
By Kate Stonnill
By all accounts it was a technical, “janky” course. I was glad they were all in one piece by the end of the weekend, as were their bikes!
Elise - 2nd in Elite Women.
Matt - 24th in Elite Men, made up 15 sec from his seeding run. (That’s him in the black kit.)
Zac - 30th in Junior Men but changed before I could get photo.
Final Dirt Crits
As has often been the case this season, a storm last Tuesday forced another Dirt Crits cancellation.
Hopefully, this coming Tuesday’s last Dirt Crits for the season, a Gravity Enduro, will go ahead without any weather interruptions.
A perfect Autumn evening
By Dave Bock
Perfect Autumn conditions greeted the sixteen cyclists fronting up for the final Thursday evening race for the MMBCC Summer Road Race Series.
For the bunch of four riders setting off first, as the Limit group, Ian Conrick, Dave Jagger, Dave Bock, and John Eisner, the task was straight forward; head out on the Mansfield-Whitfield Road, turn around at the Sawpit Gully Road intersection, then race back and swing left to the finish line in front of the Mansfield Showgrounds. All this while working together to keep their speed high enough to avoid being overtaken by the chasing riders.
The first trio of chasers, with a time gap of four and a half minutes to close down, were Janine Appleton, Steve Curnow and Craig Wilson.
Tim Ross and Adrian Dowd followed four minutes later. Setting off ten minutes after Limit, the quartet of Steve Duke, Mick Pearce, Carl Simmons and Dave Moore had a minute and half on the Block pair of Damian Grundy and Dave Empey. With a minute to close down to catch Block, in a solo effort, and twelve and half to overtake Limit, Andy Garrett, the one Scratch rider, faced a huge task to have a shot at the win.
After the turnaround, seeing the gaps back to chasing groups, Limit began to think they might be in with a shot.
At the 80km sign coming into town, with not a chase in sight, they dared to dream of a win as they turned left into Battery Road.
They ceased to be a team and became competitors! Ian Conrick took the win ahead of Dave Bock, Dave Jagger and John Eisner.
Over two minutes later, the first of the chasers crossed the line with Carl Simmons taking fifth and fastest time of 42.25. Then came Pearce, Moore, Ross, Dowd and Appleton. Block and Scratch finished in the order they started.
A big thanks to all the volunteer Marshals and Commissaires, particularly the non-racers, who give up their time so others can.
Here are the results and many thanks again to Tony Copland for his pics. Another great season of images - thanks very much for all your snaps Tony!
With Easter/Good Friday holiday traffic expected to be an issue next week, that was the final race of the MMBCC Summer Road Race Series.
Thanks to everyone who helped organise the races, to all those that officiated and all those that competed.
Keep your eyes out for news of the summer series presentations soon. That’s when we’ll find out who won the Summer Road Race Series, the Road Race Women’s Trophy, Dirt Crits and the Alain Guerin Memorial Crossover Trophy.
This weekend’s results…
From the 2024 Gravity Enduro Victorian State Championship and round 3 of the Victorian Enduro Tour.
Rueben Bateup - 3rd (out of 17) in Under 15 Men.
Ant Bateup - 9th (out of 30) in Veteran Men - 35 seconds slower than Rueben!
Archie Smith - 14th (out of 38) in Under 21 Men.
Adam Baker DNSed after discovering his frame was broken!
Well done all.
Roof racks for sale
This week’s road race winner, the bloke who claims he’s half an inch too tall to be a midget wrestler, has some roof racks for sale.
Finally…
Notification has just come through that the Ridley Fenix scheduled to be ridden on the Tour of Flanders Sportive ride next Saturday won’t arrive in time. It’s been swapped out for a Scott Addict with Ultegra Di2. Forecast is for rain - proper Flanders weather! :)
