road racing information


MMBCC will hold a road race every Thursday from October to March (with a couple of weeks off over Christmas). Most races will be run as Handicap races, so no matter how much you ride, or what you ride, we’ll put you in a group to match your fitness and skill levels and give you a chance to win.

There might also be a few Graded Scratch races. You will be sorted into a bunch (or grade) to suit your ability. Each separate grade will be a mass start and the first one back from that grade is the winner. (Remember, you can only race against the group you started with. If you get dropped by your grade, you can’t join another bunch to catch up again.)

There are also Time Trials (usually Individual but sometimes Team) which are races against the clock. You’ll either race on your own or with a small team; the best time wins.

Registration at the start of each race will open at 5.30pm; most races start at 6pm. There will be a few that start late at 6.30pm, with rego at 6pm. The late start races will be labelled as such on the calendar.

Speaking of the road race calendar, there’s a link to it on the Home page.

To make sure races start on time, you must enter with the handicapper, Dave Moore, by 8pm on the Wednesday before the race. Enter via Entry Boss - here is the link. You can check with Dave that your entry has been processed on 0459 020 966. This must be completed by 8pm on the Wednesday before the race or you won’t get a start!

Entry for these races is $5 for Seniors, $2 for Juniors.

For insurance reasons, our races are only open to paid-up AusCycling All-Discipline members of the MMBCC or to riders who purchase a Day License for $40 or a 3-Race Permit for $55. Members of other AusCycling affiliated clubs are also welcome to enter but must have a valid membership card with them.

Beware! You must hold a current AusCycling membership card. You must present your digital card on your phone (or print out of the online receipt). Make sure you have it with you. No license - no start!

NB: Your AusCycling membership must be a RACE membership... a RIDE membership is NOT valid for racing.

MMBCC Heat Policy

If the temperature is 38 degrees or more at start time, the race will be cancelled.
However, if it's below 38, the racing will go ahead.
Here’s the link to Mansfield Weather.

Race Duty

All members who race will be rostered onto Race Duty at some stage. This means either you need to find someone to volunteer (to be a corner marshal, take entries, be a finish marshal, drive a safety car, etc.) OR you need to do the duty yourself! If you are rostered on for duty, it’s YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to organise a volunteer or to do the duty!

This way, everyone in the club does their share of the necessary work involved in holding our races and keeping everyone safe.

Please look ahead at the roster so you are ready to take all the gear at the end of the race the week prior to your week of duty if you are the person listed as in charge

There are usually three names for each race. If your name is first, in bold, YOU are in charge of getting the club trailer to the start and making sure all the roles on the checklist are covered for the race. If you organise a replacement marshal so you can race, you still need to take a few minutes to make sure we have enough volunteers to cover all the tasks necessary and that your 'replacement' understands what's involved.

Here's a brief (ish) rundown on what to do:

  • Get the road race trailer to the race start by 5pm. It's usually at the storage shed near the Secondary College; call Alex Green on 0428 369 886 for details.

  • Within the trailer, in box 1 you'll find the blue satchel with all the Info Sheets.

  • The main one for the Chief Marshal is the one with a big 'M' in the corner. This is the main marshal checklist. Read it and follow the instructions;

  • Each course has an Info Sheet, with the course number in the top corner. Give every marshal a copy of the relevant Course Info Sheet, whether they're a corner marshal, Lead Car driver, etc. Also hand out the turn marshal sheets: the 'R' sheet if they're doing a right hand turn, a 'U' sheet if they're doing a U-turn;

  • Give the Starter the 'S' sheet and the ‘T’ sheet to explain the timing… and make sure they use them;

  • The race numbers are also in box 1;

  • In box 2 you'll find the marshal flags and yellow flashing car lights;

  • In box 3 you'll find all the safety vests which every marshal must wear.

It sounds more complicated than it actually is. But we need you to follow the instructions to keep your fellow club members safe and ensure we can continue to receive race permits from VicRoads and Victoria Police.

The final names are the Commissaires rostered on for the race. The Chief Commissaire has the final say in any decisions for the race - they are in charge! Also, the Commissaire should give each marshal a call in the days before the race to make sure everyone is aware that they’re on duty and know what’s involved.

(Also, please keep in mind the marshals for the next race. Were you able to find everything you needed to organise the race? Race numbers, Marshal Info sheets, Safety vest, etc. How easy will it be for next week's marshal to find everything after you've put everything away in the trailer? The race boxes are labelled with the content that goes into them... following the labels will make it much easier next week!)

Winners of these races listed on the results page and receive a prize worth about $50 from a local business sponsor or cash. Look for results in the local newspaper.

Safe road racing

Handicap road races can take a little getting used to. With safety in mind, and with thanks to the Bathurst Cycling Club and Cycling Tips, we've cobbled together a bit of a rundown of what we should all know.

In a handicap road race, each group/bunch should be:
DECISIVE
To avoid confusion a senior or more experienced member of the group should take control in dangerous situations or sections where rules should be observed, eg neutral zones, overtaking other groups, etc.
The group should discuss this before the start and decide who will take the role for the race. If there is a problem after the event the senior rider might be asked to assist in the enquiry. Senior rider will also report any wrong doings by any riders in the race (such as crossing centre line, unsafe riding, etc.)

FOCUSED
To have any reasonable chance of success in a Handicap Race, each bunch or group needs to work together as a team. Once you get close to the finish, remember the old adage: “Team mates till 200” – is this instance, 200 metres from the finish... THEN you can think about results within the group.
The group should talk together to set some goals (e.g. work hard to get to the hill before the backmarkers) then all members should form a relationship and commit to that goal and look after each other.

SMOOTH
The Bunch should work smoothly and communication is really important for this to happen. 
It is recommended you ride as a paceline, doing ‘track turns’ - as groups usually aren’t large enough in MMBCC Handicap races to warrant rolling turns. 
This link is to a good explanation of sharing the workload in various ways and conditions.
Just as importantly, use correct bunch etiquette, such as minimal braking, no bombing through to do your turn, taking care getting out of the seat and making no unexpected direction changes or rotations is essential! This is really important.
Communication within each group is vital and is required to determine the side to change depending on the wind, and the correct time to change. 
Plus, here are a few terms you’ll probably hear and should understand...
Up the road: towards the centre line of the road.
Down the road: towards the left hand edge of the road.
Track turns: see the link above. 
Rolling turns: see that link again.
Echelon: and again.
And here’s a good trouble-shooting guide to working as a group.

ALERT
The Bunch should try to be aware of the race situation and the relative distances to the group/s ahead and behind. 
The lead rider of a faster group approaching a slower group should call out to warn the slower that they are approaching; make sure the call is loud enough for the slower group to hear and early enough for them to have time to respond the right way. 
The slower group should heed that call, move to the left and allow safe overtaking. 
The slower riders can then accelerate and try to get on to the back of the faster moving group, but only when safe to do so. (Veering right towards the faster group before all the group has passed is only asking for trouble!) 
The faster group is only allowed to overtake on the right hand side, as the slower riders should be on the left, and ONLY when it is safe to do so! 
Remember too, it’s uncool to cut into a rotation spot when you are unsure whether you can maintain the faster pace of the overtaking group.

POLITE
We all realise, even in social activities, sometimes “things get said”. Any arguments that develop on the bike need to be resolved directly after the race. If not, both parties may be disciplined. Shouting and swearing is a definite no-no and all participants are asked to show a bit of control and decorum. 
The MMBCC is ‘the social club with a cycling problem’ and at the end of the day, it is only a club event; as the Starter says at the start line at every race, “We’re not racing for sheep stations!”