Matt, Ben and Will - MMBCC News - Sun 30 Nov

Last weekend at Mt Major

Just after we hit publish last weekend, news came through that Matt Empey won the Elite Men category at round 2 of the Victorian Down Hill Series at Mt. Major at Dookie, near Shepparton.

He is now leading the VDHS!

He broke his bike during practice then he and coach/mechanic/Dad Dave couldn’t fix it on Saturday night. So Elise lent him her Atherton bike. No confirmation yet on whether this means he automatically gets a spot on the Atherton World Cup Team.

(Imagine how good these two could ride if they used shoes!)

In other results Spencer Carmen finished 20th in the very competitive U19 Men and Stu Clark finished 3rd in Veteran Men.

Here are the results.

different grundy wins irish handicap

By Kate Stonnill

Senior Dirt Crits went ahead last Tuesday night despite many riders’ unavailability due to end-of-year commitments.

Damian set the course and passed the baton to son Ben to set out the arrows. Thanks to Ben and also Spencer who assisted.

Nine riders lined up for an Irish Handicap set by Damian. Bruce was first off after his warm up, getting to the race with only a couple of minutes to catch his breath. Ben Ross followed soon after and the race for speed was on, as they were the only two riders chasing five laps.

Next up was Dave Bock, Steve Curnow, then 30 seconds later Luke Vivash, Ben Grundy and newcomer Jasper Watts, all on 3 laps. Then we had a bit of a wait for Lucas Mennen and Micah Chadd to set off on their 2 laps.

The racing was close with Ben breaking away from Bruce on their third lap; Bruce’s elbows weren’t wide enough to keep Ben behind him forever.

First rider in was Ben Grundy who felt advantaged but deserved the win.

Second was Luke Vivash whose fitness is returning, third Micah Chadd, Dave Bock 4th, in 5th was Lucas Mennen (who has shown improved fitness and skill). Then came Steve Curnow 6th, Ben Ross 7th, Bruce Halket 8th and Jasper Watts 9th. 

Here are the results.

Next week it’s another Gravity Handicap at Rifle Butts.

Will wins in Jamieson

By Dave Bock

The twenty eight kilometre Jamieson course is one of the favourites of many Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club roadies. Twenty two riders gathered in Jamieson, to compete out along the Woods Point Road to the end of the bitumen and back.

A big MMBCC welcome to first time racer Will Rooks and to a gaggle of semi-regular Eastern Cycling Club visitors for the night - Craig Oliver, Dale Walton, Dean Tune and Craig Standard.

First out, solo, was Jarrah O’Brien, with a three minute head start on Dave Jagger, and double that on the trio, Dave Bock, Tim Hall and Will Rooks.

Janine Appleton, Steve Curnow, Mark Ruttiman and Craig Wilson started their chase along the picturesque Goulburn River Valley, nine minutes after the start, and Jarrod Appleton and Adrian Dowd, another two minutes later. The biggest group comprising Steve Duke, Heath Hammond, Tim Ross, Dean Tune and Craig Oliver was started at fourteen and a half minutes.

The Block group, Simon Hall, Ben Ross, and Oliver Hall, set out at 16 minutes. The three Scratch riders, Dale Walton, Craig Stannard and Ryder Chadd, the last to start, had a full seventeen and a half minute gap to overcome, if they were to overtake Jarrah, the first to start.

“What kept you?” was the greeting Dave, Tim and Will received from Dave Jagger, as they gathered him up south of Kevington. They passed Jarrah just after the turnaround but the next steep pinch showed the superior legs of Will Rooks, who was told to go for gold, while Tim eased off to stay with the two Dave’s.

Will would not be caught, crossing the finish line three minutes clear of Bocky, Tim H and Dave Jagger.

Only 52 seconds elapsed before a big bunch finish, of Dean, Jarrod, Adrian, Heath, Craig O, Mark, Steve Duke, Janine, Craig W and Tim Ross, with Steve Curnow only spitting distance, 12 seconds, behind.

Ryder Chadd (who claimed fastest time of 47.06) came in with Ben with Craig S, 32 seconds later. Oliver and Simon came in together, followed by Jarrah, then Dale.

Here are the results. Next week it’s the Rob Curtis Memorial Handicap on the Whitfield Road.

Weekend Results

ATC Alpine CC Junior MTB Series Round 3 - Yackandandah

Riders - Ollie, Rueben & Emelia Clark, Stirling & Clementine Aldridge, Logan Hughes, Jarrah Bateup, Willem Morphett

No podiums but apparently the kids all had a ball.

Vic Champ Series Rounds 3 and 4 - Haunted Hills MTB Park, near Moe.

Ruby Dobson (Elite Women) - 2nd Sat, 1st Sun.

Ryder Chadd (U19 Men) - 4th Sat , 4th Sun.

Micah Chadd (U15 Men) - Only raced Sunday, 2nd in his first series race.

Ben Ross (U17 Men) - 7th Sat, 6th Sun.

Alastair Ross (U13 Men) - 4th Sat, 2nd Sun.

No shows - Grundy, Halket.

Tough, muddy conditions for all competitors, especially on Saturday, with intermittent showers on both days. Here are the results.

Vic DH Championships - Kinglake

Mud!

Cooper Hoebergen - 14th in U13 Men.

Blake Riley - 26th in U15 Men.

Spencer Carmen - 15th U19 Men.

Matt Empey - 3rd Elite Men.

Here are the full results.

Good riding everyone!!

Downhillers are just like roadies - MMBCC News - Sun 23 Nov

… now they get handicap races too! More on that later, but first…

Round 2 of ATC Junior MTB Series - Bright

By Tim Ross

A crew from Mansfield journeyed to Bright on Saturday for Round 2 of the ACC Junior MTB series. On a largely flat XC course, times were fast!

Congratulations to Dirt Critters Logan H in his first race, along with Angus A & Willem M. Former Dirt Critters Ben & Alastair rounded out the Mansfield contingent with Ben winning the U15 category.

The next race in the series is at Yackandandah in two weeks time (Sat 29/11); details will be posted as soon as entries are open.

Mansfield will be hosting Round 5 of the series in early February.

South Blue Range track taking shape

Speaking of early February, the track the club plans to use is taking shape. Most of the Junior MTB ‘committee’ have spent the last two Sundays raking and digging the new circuit.

Taking in some of the old Enduro track plus LOTS of new single track, it should be ready to ride soon!

Gravity Enduro with handicapping

By Dave Empey

We had a big field of 20 riders turn out for the on-again, off-again Gravity Enduro. Bruce was putting into place the new handicapping system which, might I say, is working better than his left knee.

Racing was tight with three riders on the same time, to the second; newcomer Dale Larner, Luke Vivash and Ben Ross all 5.59 accumulated time with Ben Ross posting the same time for each lap.

Fastest time of the night went to Ryder Chadd posting a second lap time of 2.38.

Final placings after the handicapping was calculated saw Steve Curnow take the top step on the podium followed by Ben Grundy in second place and Nicole Hoebergen in 3rd place. Here are the results.

Gerry of the night goes to Spencer Carmen with a complete ‘over-the-bars’ out of the start gate and winding himself to boot. To be fair to, Spencer his front chain ring failed, causing all the watts going through the cranks to drive him over the bars and into the ground. He did manage to complete a chainless run and end the night on a high.

Well done all!

Ruttiman rides away!

By Dave Bock

Steve Curnow, Dave Bock, and new to MMBCC Thursday races, Jarrah O’Brien, lined up on Malcolm St, opposite the Lords Ground. Beginning their quest to chase down John Eisner and Dave Jagger, two and a half minutes ahead of them, on their way to Howes Creek Road, the trio made a determined start.

But they were mindful there was fourteen stronger riders trying to do the same to them; and of the stiff headwind they would be facing after turning left into Howes Creek Road until the turnaround point at the end of the bitumen.

Struggling with bike issues, Jarrah found the pace too hot and fell behind.

Three kilometres before the turnaround, with John and Dave in sight, and concentrating on the slowly diminishing gap, Bocky was startled to hear Steve talking to another rider! Mark Ruttiman had ridden away from his fellow 4-minute mark starters, Ben Grundy and another first time MMBCC racer, Fergus Schier, and was getting his breath back for another charge.

Not far after the turnaround, the charge came; Mark flew past Eisner and Jagger just as Steve and Bocky joined them. Even with what was now a tail wind, the four together could not reduce Mark’s lead and the four soon fractured into individual efforts.

Mark persevered to take a convincing win. Crossing the line next was Bocky, then Steve. Dave Jagger finished fourth a little before John, who had the bulk of the field breathing down his neck.

Ryder Chadd crossed with Carl Simmons, who picked up the fastest time prize for the night.

Less than 10 seconds in arrears were Andy Garrett, Bruce Halket, Ben Ross and Jarrod Appleton ,just ahead of Adrian Dowd and Janine Appleton. The final six, Fergus, Simon, Tim, Ben, Jock and Jarrah, trickled in over the next couple of minutes.

Here are the results and many thanks again to Tony Copland for his pics.

Next week it’s the club’s first visit to Jamieson for the season.

Travelling with your bike?

Tony Morris has some car roof racks and a really good quality travel case for sale. Check the For Sale section here.

Scarlett and Wil - MMBCC News - Sat 15 Nov

2025 Alain Guerin Memorial Handicap

By Janine Appleton

Sitting down on a Saturday afternoon collecting my thoughts; procrastinating about writing this article, can be just like racing. I find worrying about the extraordinary effort involved in racing this 32 km course can be overwhelming when you know you haven't had the ideal preparation - with not enough training for numerous reasons. By entering online the night before automatically, I reason with myself that at the least I will make it a kilometre off the startline, and then if dropped it can be a training ride. 

Even with a proper warm up, my cardiovascular system screams at me for the first 15 minutes while it adjusts to the demands of maintaining at least an 80-90 % effort.

There were the usual group tactics discussed at the start line at Botanic Park. Starting in a group of four, we had an advantage over other groups of just two or three, but when we dropped Jean-Daniel Guerin on the Barwite Hill, I was less confident. 

The significant head wind on the way out to the turnaround at Sawpit Gully Road affected the scratch and block group in the handicapping,  Craig Wilson and Tim Hall worked well with me until Barwite Road, when Tim dropped off in the tricky cross wind. 

John Eisner stuck with us for a few minutes before we eventually passed David Bock on the start of the Coombesberg. Surprisingly, Craig was holding my wheel up the hill and I was happy to tuck in behind him down the other side, finally passing Steve Curnow. 

With a quick glance behind, the road was clear, and we just needed to stay strong to the finish.  

Again I was able to hide behind Craig in the last 300 metres before the finish. The plan was to wait till one hundred metres to go, stand up on the pedals, keep my head low and power away. But that was matched and surpassed by Craig’s effort. He deservedly won by a bike length. 

Steve Curnow was 50 seconds behind, followed by Simon Hall, Mauro ‘Jock’ Brega and Adrian Dowd with Jarrod Appleton another 30 seconds behind, followed closely by Dave Bock and Ant Bateup. 

Ryder Chad, Ben Ross and Bruce Halket finished together; a massive improvement in Ben's finishing skill and fitness. 

Forty seconds later was Dave Jagger, Steve Duke and Tim Hall. 

Fastest for the night was again Andy Garrett, with John Eisner, Heath Hammond and Jean-Daniel relieved to finish.  

Congratulations again to Craig Wilson, winning the Alain Guerin Memorial race two years in a row. Thanks to all the marshals and officials, and the Mansfield motorists for their patience during this event. 

Here are the results and many thanks to Tony for his pics. Next week it’s Howes Creek Road, one for the rouleurs.

Chadd boys not feeling the love and Ben Ross takes a tumble whilst Scarlett Darcy shows the field a clean pair of heels on her first night of XC racing.

By Damian Grundy

Well done to everyone for an enjoyable night of MTB Cross Country racing.

Special thanks to Ryder for setting out the course and to Cam Dobson and Kate Stonnill for taking care of the timing.

Firstly, congratulations also to all the MMBCC members who competed at the State Series XC races at Avoca over the weekend. Some great results!!!

Welcome also to our first time XC racers: Scarlett Darcy, Lucas Bellman and James Camilleri. We hope you had fun and look forward to seeing you at future races.

And so, to the racing…

Another Irish Handicap where everyone has a chance (If the handicapper has got it right) 😊.

We are so fortunate to have the Rifle Butts Mountain Bike Park. The trails are fun and challenging. The course was a shortish lap of 2.4km using Bogans, XC and Critters.

With the staggered starts and mixed lap numbers for the competitors it is often confusing until later in the race as to who is actually going to win.

17 competitors faced the starter with your intrepid handicapper (Damian myself) starting first on a 5 lap journey followed a short time later by the somewhat late arriving Bruce Halket.

And so the countdown continued and starts for all competitors, new racer Scarlett Darcy started at 14 minutes delay for her 2 laps and the final competitor James Camilleri started for his 2 laps at 18 minutes.

Early on it was clear to me that Bruce Halket was going to take advantage of his superior fitness and reel me in, but I could see that Ben Ross a little further back was showing little fatigue from his weekend of racing, he was on a flyer and relentlessly catching both us older folks (Bruce & Damian). However, bad luck or miscalculation dealt young Ben a blow when he crashed at the end of his 3rd lap; not a serious crash but a couple of skinned and bruised knees and a mechanical issue with his bike meant he was going to be a DNF for the night.

As all the competitors got onto the course It was clear that Scarlett Darcy was a lot quicker than anticipated and was going to be almost impossible to catch. And so it was! Scarlett crossed the line first for a deserved win.

In 2nd place Elliot Leatham also flew a little under the handicapper’s radar and posted a solid ride for 3 laps.

Bruce Halket raced fast and passed all but the leading two for 3rd. The ever present and supremely consistent Mr David Bock rolled over the line in 4th and Lucas Mennen was 5th. Fastest on the night was Bruce Halket! Well done. What might have been if not for the two ‘Roughies’ ahead of him 😊!

Here are the results.

In a big change from the previous XC night the Chadd brothers, Ryder and Micah, fought out a tough back of the field family race finishing 15th and 16th respectively.

Alastair Ross was the only finisher from the Ross family with Ben’s crash and dad Tim’s absence.

Congratulations everyone!

Rake ’n’ Ride - 3pm Sunday


In case you didn’t already know, MMBCC is hosting a round of the All Terrain Cycles sponsored Alpine Cycling Club Junior MTB Series in February next year.


As part of our preparations, we’re holding a Rake ’n’ Ride session at the South Blue Range course (the van der Hayden’s property, off Rifle Butts Road) Sunday at 3pm.


Please bring along some decent boots, gloves and whatever useful tools you have available, plus, of course, your mountain bike, as we prepare a brand new course for the event.

Speaking of the Alpine CC Junior MTB Series, congratulations to Ben Ross for winning the U15 Boys at Round 2 of the series in Bright today!

MMBCC News - Sun 9 Nov - TIME: 'Trial' and 'to order club kit'

Alpine Cycling Club Junior Series

By Tim Ross and Luke Vivash

Time for me to encourage (hassle?) you all to be a part of the Alpine Cycling Club Junior MTB race series.

The next race is in Bright on Saturday week (Sat 15th November).

Lots of reasons to get involved, including:

• This is a really easy-going and relaxed race series, with the emphasis on participation. There is no better way to give your kids a taste of MTB racing;

• The series caters for the full range of kids, from U5 thru to 15+ with the biggest participation in the U9, U11 and U13 categories;

• Bright is quite a nice place to spend a Saturday morning; and

• Racing now starts a bit later (from 9:30am onward) meaning not such an early start for Mansfield people.

Details about the series can be found here and details and registrations for Bright here.

Contact us at Dirt Crits on Tuesday, or email us for more details.

A reminder that Mansfield will be staging a race in this series in early February; we look forward to hosting riders from across the North-East then.

Time Trial, the Race of Truth

By Beau Geste

Last Thursday, 6th November, under an overcast sky and prevailing nor’easter 15 riders faced the ultimate challenge in cycling… “The Time Trial”. No assistance, no drafting, just rider and machine against the clock.

Chapel Hill Road was the venue, with riders travelling 11km alongside lush green pasture, contrasting poetically with content Angus cattle.

First to leave, and predicted to be fastest, was Andy Garret (the speedster from “over the hill”) followed by Bruce “from the bike shop” Halket and then, the aptly named Ryder Chadd. Ryder will need to watch his form closely as he was joined in this race for the first time by his younger brother Micah.

Andy completed the course in the fastest time of the evening at 16 minutes and 10 seconds, however when times were adjusted for handicaps, the extended podium was as follows. John Eisner 5th, Steven Duke 4th, Mark Ruttiman 3rd, Wil Wilson 2nd and first place was “secured” with a spectacular ride by David Bock.

Welcome to Micah at his first road race and we hope we will see more of the “grandparent” cheer squad.

Thanks to all the volunteers and Commissaires on the night. Here are the results and many thanks to Tony for his images.

Next week will be the Alain Guerin Memorial Handicap. The Memorial is a signature race for the club and we are hoping for a large turnout.

As always presentations and rehydration was at The Mansfield, proud club sponsor.

Club kit

By Bruce Halket

An admin error at Ventou means the Club Kit Portal is still open for purchases. It was meant to have closed but it will close this Monday night.

However, so far there aren’t enough pieces to meet the minimum requirements for production.

A few people have mentioned wanting some club kit, or updating their current old stuff. (We’re all still looking at you John!) Now is the time…

Email Bruce for the code, then click here to see and order the kit.

Vic Champ Series Rounds 1 and 2

By Bruce Halket

Five MMBCC members headed to Avoca on the weekend for rounds one and two of the Victorian XC Championship Series. Now in its 10th year, the series is a tough but fun series for those who don’t mind using their own power to get up hills.

Round 1 on Saturday saw Alistair Ross, Ryder Chadd and Ruby Dobson all finish 2nd in their respective classes. Ben Ross had a mechanical and had to withdraw after 3 of 4 laps.

Round 2 on Sunday was run in the opposite direction on a longer lap and our three podiums placegetters from Saturday repeated their results.

Ben and Bruce both finished strongly but didn’t bring home any chocolates.

The only serious negative to the weekend was Ruby’s Subaru breaking down on her way home.

The next two rounds are at the end of the month at Haunted HIlls MTB Park near Moe.

Finally…

Club road photographer Tony Copland sent Andy Garrett his photo after the ITT on Thursday. Andy then sent it to a mate, who promptly sent the following after running the pic through ChatGPT!

MMBCC News - Sun 2 Nov - Wins for Alistair & Heath

"When my legs hurt, I say: 'Shut up legs! Do what I tell you to do!'" – Jens Voigt

Great Handicapping!

By Damian Grundy

Every so often the handicapper gets it right. And this was one of those nights. With less than a 2 min gap from 1st to 5th everyone in attendance emphatically agreed that the true winner on the night was indeed the handicapper (yours truly 😊)

What a fantastic season we are going to have. It’s fair to say that family pride is going to be a dominant feature of the racing this year. Three Ross’, two Chadds, two Hoebergens… there is definitely much interest not only in the overall placings but there is a high level of fierce intra-family rivalry.

As mentioned, the racing came together at the end for a very close overall battle.

Young Alastair Ross took overall honours in a hard-ridden and well-deserved win. And also taking out family honours for the night.

Spencer Carmen was 2nd and Micah Chadd held off brother Ryder (4th) by 5 seconds for 3rd overall. Ryder had metaphorically ‘come-from-the-clouds’, overtaking Ben Ross in the final few corners. So Ben Ross was 5th.

First female on the night was Nicole Hoebergen who finished just off the podium in 6th.

Tim Ross had a very serious race focus for the night and whilst he was beaten by both sons he achieved a very noteworthy performance of being 3rd fastest rider on course for the night behind Ryder Chadd (fastest) and Ben Ross (2nd fastest).

Here are the results.

Congratulations to all and a special thanks to Ben Ross for marking out the course, Kate Stonnill for the assistance with results and Ryder for picking up the arrows after the race.

Heath’s first ever win.

By Steve Duke (with a little help from Judi)

Fifteen riders lined up for this week’s race. The weather was a big improvement on last week, sunny and warm making for comfortable riding.

First off for limit was John Eisner, shortly followed by Craig Wilson, both starting out solo. Next was the duo of Adrian Dowd and, starting his first race for the season, Jarrod Appleton. They only had a 2 and half minute lead on the biggest group for the evening - Heath Hammond, Steve Duke, Tim Ross, Ben Ross and Mark Ruttiman. It was Mark’s first race with MMBCC recently moving to the area and returning from a 5-year pause from racing.

A further 2 and a half minutes behind were the trio of Darren Bakker, Ryder Chadd and Simon Hall.

Starting in Scratch was Bruce Halket, the ever-reliable Andy Garrett and we welcomed visiting rider Alan Adams, fresh from his recent Age Group win in the Worlds Gran Fondo. Bruce was showing no ill affect from his mishap at Seymour Gravelista, where he raced in the horrid conditions and was the clubs only representative. He was sporting a nice new helmet though.

Early in the race Mark had a dropped chain and was dropped from the other four riders who knew they had to keep up the pace if they were going to keep away from Alan. He continued on with a solid solo ride and we look forward to seeing Mark back again knowing he will be a strong addition to our regular club races.

By the turn around at Long Lane, Craig had made steady progress to the front of the race. The stretch along Barwite Road, as usual, saw plenty of changes in race positions. Bruce being distanced and eventually joining Darren, Ryder and Simon.

Steve’s group caught Adrian and Jarrod and although making great time on everyone else, Andy and Alan were briefly stopped by traffic. It was at this point in the race that Andy told Alan to go for it, knowing that it was his only chance of catching the front riders.

Up the Coombesberg young Ben began the first of numerous break away attempts. Only to be caught each time. He may have an age and weight advantage on his elders but he is yet to be able to keep this on the downhill sections. (Note to you all Alan was clocked going 34 to 36 km/h UP the rise!)

With the final Graves Road section saw the riders making every effort to either maintain position or catch those out in front.

It was a great finish and I am sure that all enjoyed the evening race.

Final placings over the line were Heath, Steve, Ben, Alan, Jarrod (same time). Tim +0.11, Craig +0.44, Andy +0.32, Ryder +0.01, Bruce +0.03, Darren, Simon +2.25, Mark +1.30 and John +0.32. Heath travels down to Mansfield each week from Benalla - congratulations to him for his first ever win in a bike race. We're really pleased your maiden win is with the MMBCC.

Thank you to the handicapper, race marshals, commissaire and Tony, our official club photographer. Here are the results.

Next week it’s the Race of Truth, an Individual Time Trial on Chapel Hill Road.

MMBCC News - Sun 26 Oct - A simple breeze

The last uncomplicated Gravity Enduro for a while

By Bruce Halket

Fourteen keen mountain bikers were on the start line at Rifle Butts Reserve for the second Gravity round of the summer Dirt Crits series.

Winner of both Dirt Crits rounds so far this season (and the road race last week too!) Ryder Chadd looked the likely favourite. But Spencer Carmen kept him honest, finishing only 27 seconds down overall.

Rounding out the extended podium was cross-country racer turning downhill threat Ben Ross, Dirt Critters Meister Luke Vivash (still got the kids covered… for the moment) and Mansfield’s latest successful trail builder, Blake Riley.

And a shout out to Jess who didn’t start the second run after finding herself navigationally challenged during the first. See you next time Jess!

This might have been the last time Ryder will have it so easy though, as from the next Gravity Enduro we’ll be introducing handicapping. Calculations are based on the first two rounds and should give many more a serious chance of a spot on the podium.

Here are the results and thanks to Tim Ross sacrificing his obvious chances of a win to take photos.

Next week is the second XC round of the season.

The tale of the Howes Creek Zephyr

By Baron von Sarous

A perfect evening greeted 11 riders at Lord’s Ground last Thursday for the MMBCC’s 25 km dash to Howes Creek and back — a course known for its rolling terrain and that ever-cheerful Howes Creek Zephyr, which somehow manages to be a headwind in both directions.

The Limit pair, Eisner and Jagger, set off first with a 14-minute advantage, followed by Dowd, Wilson, Curnow, and Appleton at eight minutes. The middle group — Chadd, Hall, Hammond, and Bakker — left at 4.30 minutes, while Simmons and Garrett in Scratch had the hard chase from the back.

The bunches quickly strung out along the route as the wind and hills took their toll. Hammond dropped from his group after strong early work, while Appleton and Curnow fought bravely before losing contact.

At the turn around, the group of Chadd, Hall and Bakker, knew they were a big chance for the win if they could hold it together and keep the pace up.

Meanwhile, the Scratch duo were flying, averaging around 40 km/h, slicing steadily through the field.

By the last of the climbs, Hall, Chadd, and Bakker caught the front-runners and the race was on.

With 400 m to go, Ryder Chadd launched his sprint early, to claim victory, with Bakker and Hall sprinting it out for second and third respectively.

Then came the Scratchies, right on their tail! Carl Simmons took fastest time at 51:01, just ahead of Garrett.

A tough but terrific night’s racing — big thanks to the volunteers, marshals, and the legendary Howes Creek Zephyr for keeping everyone honest!

Also a big thankyou to Simon, Heath, Andy and Carl for travelling to Mansfield to race. It makes a big difference to our club.

Here are the results and thanks again to Tony Copland for making us all look good.

Next week is a handicap road race along the Whitfield and around the Barwite Loop, starting at the Botanic Park and finishing on Graves Road.

MMBCC News - Sun 19 Oct - Events Everywhere!

Lots of events to let you know about this week, local and further afield. We’ll start with the local ones…

Hopwood and the Coombesberg make the difference

By Ben Ross

Thursday night's Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club handicap race was the Barwite Loop.

It was a small field of ten riders with the first person to start being Dave Jagger, three minutes ahead of Adrian Dowd and Tim Hall. Starting two minutes after that was Ben and Tim Ross followed by the ‘Block group of Ryder Chadd, Simon Hall, Steve Duke and Andy Garrett, with Josh Hopwood insisting that he go by himself off Scratch.

The dreaded Coombesberg climb claimed Jagger and Hall and only Dowd managing to hold on to the Rosses as they steamed past.

Meanwhile Hopwood had caught the ‘Block group with Chadd and Garrett holding on.

The Rosses and Dowd were preparing for the finish but at the last corner were caught by Hopwood and Garrett. It was a slow sprint up the hill with Josh Hopwood taking first, Ben taking another win for the Rosses in second and Adrian Dowd rounding out the podium in third (followed by Andy Garrett and Tim Ross in fourth and fifth respectively).

Hopwood claimed fastest time in 30.52 for the 21km around the loop, an average of 39.7km/h, doing the first half on his own!

Here are the results and many thanks to both Alex and Tony for their images.

Thank you to the volunteers who helped make our racing possible.

Next week’s race is Howes Creek Road; entries close at 8pm Wednesday.

Dirt crits Two-way time trial

By Kate Stonnill

The first XC Dirt Crits returned for the season under the direction of Cam Dobson in Damian’s absence.

The course was set by Cam and to avoid any misadventures by riders Cam took the riders on a lap first. The riders then all took off on a bunch start. Not surprisingly the lead was quickly taken by Ryder Chadd with Ben Ross close on his tail on the first lap.

Once back all riders waited for their second attempt at the course except Mika Chadd who decided to keep riding his two laps in quick succession, possibly needing to listen a little more closely to the race briefing at the start.

The winner was determined but who had the most consistent times over two runs. Ryder Chadd took out first and also had the fastest run time, however young Ben Ross stayed close enough to Ryder and proved just as consistent with coming equal first with only 4 seconds separating their two run times.

Second on the podium with a difference of only 5 seconds was Tim Ross, putting father and son on the podium together. In Third was Steve Curnow (+6 sec), 4th Luke Vivash (+8 sec) and finishing off the podium in 5th was David Bock. 

It was great to see a couple of new faces come along and hopefully return.

Nicole Hoegenben came through with the biggest improvement between runs by 17 seconds..

Thanks to Cam for the course and here are the results.

Dirt Critters Update

By Tim and Luke

Great to get started with Dirt Critters again for Term 4.  Welcome to some new faces and welcome back to our regulars.

For our first week we tried out some of the easier XC-style trails, next week we will do a bit of Enduro style riding.

Starting up NEXT WEEKEND is the Alpine Cycling Club Junior MTB Race Series. This is a great series of 7 races over the summer across North East Victoria (including a race in Mansfield for the very first time).  The races in the series are fun, relaxed and cater for everyone from 5 to 15+ years old; a great introduction to Cross-Country MTB racing.  Last year we had up to 20 Mansfield kids racing all or part of the series.  More details, and entries here.  

For more info or queries email Tim or call Luke on 0455 604 785. 

Upcoming Events

With the advent of summer there is lots of racing opportunities available for both kids and adults away from Mansfield. These include:

Alpine Cycling Club Junior MTB Race Series

A series of seven races across North East Victoria including one in Mansfield.  This series caters for kids from 5 to 15+, with predominantly XC (cross country) style races. The series is a fun and relaxed introduction to MTB racing, and a number of families from Mansfield have taken part over the last five years. And this summer it’s sponsored by All Terrain Cycles!

More details here.  Or contact Tim Ross or Luke Vivash on 0455 604 785.

Rookie Cup

Junior Downhill series aiming to introduce riders to the sport. A series of three rounds over the spring (two rounds have already been decided, with several Mansfield kids taking part). Caters for U11 to U17.

More details here or contact Luke Vivash on 0455 604 785.

Victorian MTB Championship Series

This series has 8 rounds over the summer in venues across Victoria (including in Buxton and Eildon).  This is the peak state-based MTB competition, and caters for riders from U13 to Masters 7+ (really old people). In recent times local riders including Bruce Halket, Ruby Dobson and Ben & Alastair Ross have ridden parts of the series. More details here. Or contact Bruce Halket, Cam Dobson or Tim Ross.

VICS (Victorian Inter-School Cycling Series)

A series of eight road-racing events over the summer aimed at school-age kids (upper primary and secondary).  All events are off-road/closed road, mainly Melbourne based. More details here. 

Victorian Downhill Race Series (VDHS)

Six rounds (round one has already been and gone) around the state, culminating in the Mansfield round in March 2026. Go to their Facebook page for more details.

Victorian Enduro Series

More details here.

National MTB Series

Four rounds for both downhill and cross country in four different states (territories.) Click here for more details.

National MTB Championships

Both XC and Downhill. At Mt Buller again this year in March 2026. A great experience racing at the highest level, and a worthy aim and so close to home! Click here for details.

Riders from Mansfield are expected to partake in all of these series, why not give one of them a go!?

MMBCC News - Mon 13 Oct - Hayden Fletcher, Australian Champion!

Hayden Fletcher wins the 2025 Australian BMX Championships

By Bruce Halket

Hayden Fletcher, formally of Howqua Inlet, has finally managed to win the Elite Men’s Australian BMX Championship after years of injuries, set-backs and persistence. Congratulations on a well-deserved win Hayden!

Hayden and his family, especially his dad Paul (and fellow BMXer Adam Baker) were the impetus behind the MMBCC’s push to get a BMX track built in Mansfield over 15 years ago. Venues at the Showgrounds, Mansfield Racecourse and Withers Lane (near the rail trail) were all knocked back in a frustrating attempt to improve cycling infrastructure.

And speaking of Shire decisions, has anyone seen any news on the new gravel routes that were meant to be published this summer after being delayed for public consultations?

Imagine how much sooner Hayden might have won this if Mansfield had a BMX track and he’d not had to travel to Shepparton for training?! And how many other kids might have been following in his footsteps?

Hopefully, if the impending pump track actually gets built, we might get some more people interested in bike riding.

Dirt Crits starts downhill

By Dave Empey

The first Dirt Crits for the summer season kicked off last Tuesday.

There was a brand-new course in place to entice Bruce Halket to race so he could pedal and even a tiny bit of uphill.

Racing was very tight with less than a minute separating the top ten.

Ryder Chadd took the win followed by Spencer Carmen with XC upstart Ben Ross rounding out the top 3 with a strong ride.

Next week is the first XC event. Your resident pain master Damian Grundy will be absent, so course honours will fall to Cam Dobson. Although, in defence of both Damian and Cam, this one won’t be painful for a change, just a bit of fun.

Here are the results and thanks to Tim Ross for the pics.

Bocky stays away

By John Eisner

For some, the traditional start to the Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club season began last Thursday night with locating one’s bicycle, pumping up near flat tyres, charging that solid rear red light and selecting one’s favourite, retro cycling apparel.

And so it began, with a good looking start list, carefully constructed by new handicapper, David Jagger, who had considered individual’s average performances and integrated it into a series of starting groups.

Thus, off went Dave Bock, John Eisner and Dave Jagger.

And so followed: Craig Wilson, Tim Hall, David McDonald, Steve Curnow, Adam Baker, Adrian Dowd, the father/son duo of Ben and Tim Ross, Steve Duke, Darren Bakker, Ryder Chadd, Andy Garrett, Bruce Halket and Carl Simmons.

With a modest headwind heading out towards Tolmie, the groups were looking good with a largish bunch forming at the Scratch end.

With a pleasant tail wind on the way home however, most groups seemed to split up leaving each person to do their own thing.

Out the front though, David Bock had been doing some solid turns thanks to some off-season training in Europe designed specifically to drag Limit (particularly Eisner) along. And to be fair, in turn, Limit responded like a well-oiled machine. With four km to go, Bocky was directed to ride off the front, which he did to earn a well-deserved first place. David McDonald, similarly, rode well off his group to snap up second with Eisner, Jagger and Wilson (on a classy, new, steel bike) making up the top five.

Carl Simmons looked dangerous from the start and finished well up the field to get fastest time.

Many thanks to our helpers for the night and thanks to the Mansfield Hotel for dinner and sponsorship.

Here are the results. Many thanks to Tony Copland for the race pics and to Alex Green for the post-race pics.

Next week is the Barwite Loop. And a reminder that late entries (after 8pm Wednesday night) won’t be accepted any longer.

Welcome back to Dirt Critters for Term 4.

By Tim Ross

First official night is Tuesday 14 October. Potential new riders are most welcome to come along for a look and ask any questions.

Dirt Critters is for primary-school age kids who like to ride and learn new skills in a fun and social environment. We meet at Rifle Butts Reserve on Tuesday after school – 4pm for Grade 3 and younger, 4:45pm for Grade 4 and older (but flexible). Younger secondary school kids are welcome to join us, but are encouraged to move up to senior Dirt Crits which starts at 6pm (there are a number of teenagers taking part in this).

Dirt Critters follows a rough program designed to expose the kids to some different types of MTB riding; some nights it'll be XC (cross country), some will be Enduro style, and some will be Single Track rides. Riders also have the opportunity to participate in races outside of Mansfield if they wish.

Please note that a current Auscycling membership is required for all participants (but otherwise there is no charge).  Google 'Auscycling Membership' and choose 'Race All Discipline' (costs are $81pa for U7, $109 for U13 and $175 for U19). There is the option of a free four week trial for new riders who want to try before they buy. Click here for more details on MMBCC memberships.

For more details on Dirt Critters please email us or call Luke on 0455 604 785.

MMBCC News - Mon 6 Oct - Rrrracing!

Change of plans - Gravity Enduro this week.

Senior Dirt Crits starts back tomorrow Tuesday 7 October, 5:45pm to register, ready for a 6pm start.

Rifle Butts had a clean up yesterday and is ready to go!

This week we’ve had to swap the schedule around and start with a Gravity Enduro. This will be at Rifle Butts MTB Park. Next week Tuesday 14 October will be Cross Country.

Please make sure your AusCycling membership is current. There is no entry fee for the race but if you don’t have a valid AusCycling membership, you can’t start. More details and link to AusCycling here. 

See you all there!

As for the road…

AusCycling has come through with the Public Liability Insurance. Now we’re waiting for Vic Roads; the Police are waiting for Vic Roads too.

MMBCC News - Tue 30 Sep - Racing starts soon...

Ride and Scrape

By Damian Grundy

Ride and Scrape Morning, Riflebutts MTB Park, Sunday 5 October, 10am to noon.

This Sunday 5 October as Daylight Saving begins, don't forget to Spring Forward and enjoy one hour less sleep 🙂

But do come on up to Riflebutts any time between 10am and 12 midday for a ride, and a trail scrape. We will do some trail repairs ready for next week…

Racing starts next week!

By Damian Grundy and Bruce Halket

DIRT CRITS 2025 - 2026 SEASON

As per last season we will alternate XC and GRAVITY each week. Everything kicks off with an XC night on Tue 7 Oct at Riflebutts MTB park. 5.45pm race briefing for a 6pm start.

Tue 14 Oct will be the first Gravity night. Keep your eyes open for notification of the venue for this event. (Sign up for MMBCC News emails and join the club’s WhatsApp feed for the latest info.)

You can find all the details here on the Events Calendar. The first three weeks have already been published, the rest will be added shortly.

ROAD RACING STARTS NEXT WEEK TOO

So long as we get our permits (we’re looking at you AusCycling, Vic Roads) racing starts next Thursday 9 October with a Handicap Road Race on the Whitfield Road.

All the races have been published on the Events Calendar including the links to Entry Boss and the Duty Roster (available in one page here). Please check the duty roster to see when it’s your turn. There’s quite a few new names added to the roster for this season so it’s worth a look so you don’t miss your turn.

Just to let you know, the first race sees Dave Empey, Dave Moore and Cam Dobson on duty (although we know Dave Moore’s away so we’re already looking for a replacement) and the Commissaires are Tim Ross and Bruce Halket.

Club kit

The Ventou webshop for MMBCC kit is open until Sunday night. Here is the link.

If you’re interested, please email Bruce for the login code.

Still no word from John about replacing his old saggy, baggy knicks.

MMBCC News - Sun 21 Sep - UCI WC RR with TA at MH

Watch Talia Appleton in the Women’s U23 UCI World Championship Road Race at the Mansfield Hotel

By Janine & Jarrod Appleton

If you aren't on MMBCC Whats App, you may not know that Browny from the Mansfield Hotel is putting Talia's race on the big TV at the pub this Thursday.

Live from Kigali, Rwanda, the Under 23 Women's Road Race starts from 9pm (coverage start time yet to be announced) and is expected to run until 12.30am. It will be a fantastic opportunity to join with other cyclists and cheer Talia on. We already have a group of 20 confirmed supporters but more would be great!   

We don't have many social events, but we reckon this one will be memorable.  

Please RSVP to this email address if you are interested so Browny can have an idea of how many to cater for.  And feel free to tell your friends about this - they may want to come along too!  

Hoping you can make it…

Club kit

MMBCC Central has had some enquiries about ordering MMBCC Ventou club kit. And, as it happens, Ventou have just launched a new range of high quality jerseys and bib knicks.

As you might remember, we need at least ten pieces to meet the minimum requirements.

If anyone else is interested, please email Bruce and we’ll organise to get the Ventou webshop open to take orders.

Very surprisingly, MMBCC Central hasn’t heard from John about this.

Shifty Fifty Results

In the final round of the Shifty Fifty Series (the Warburton race in November isn’t part of the overall series) MMBCC members had a great day!

In the full Gippy Shifty Fifty at Blores Hill, Ruby Dobson was the first woman home and came 27th overall.

In the Shifty Shorty Ben Ross won! Cam Dobson was 4th and Tim Ross 6th!

Well done all.

Here are the results.

MMBCC News - Sun 14 Sep - MTB Kids & Talia's Rwanda-bound

Vic Schools MTB finale

By Tim Ross

Last weekend was the finale of the Vic Schools MTB Series.

Saturday’s race venue was the Castlemaine Secondary College, with the course running through the school grounds and out onto single track through adjoining bushland. Perfect conditions saw Ben and Alastair Ross and Alex and Henry Manning pit themselves against riders from all over the state on fun but challenging courses including several sets of stairs. Alex finished third in his race, while Ben was just out of the placings in fourth.

On Sunday the race was at Bendigo’s Spring Gully, usually a dry, dusty and rocky bushland course. Except when it starts raining just before the first race, and keeps raining. Before long the trails had water running along them and slippery, treacherous corners.

No matter, our crew (along with all the others) gritted their teeth and battled it out. Alastair raced last and despite having the worst of the conditions had one of his best races of the series.

Series presentations were held after the races (during a brief respite from the rain); Ben only missing out on 3rd in U15 courtesy of a mechanical DNF in his final race. That’s racing!

A bit of a break in the XC racing calendar now until the Vic Champs Series kick off in November.

Talia Rwanda bound

Talia Appleton has been selected for the Australian team to ride the Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda.

If you can help, she needs a hand to get there…

Club kit

MMBCC Central has had some enquiries about ordering MMBCC Ventou club kit.

As you might remember, we need a minimum of ten pieces to meet the minimum requirements.

If anyone else is interested, please email Bruce and we’ll organise to get the Ventou webshop open to take orders. (We’re looking at you John!)

News Shorts

• A new cycling-related iPhone App called CFP (Cycling Fashion Police) has just been released. MMBCC Central has received repeated notifications that there’s now only one MMBCC member who contravenes the App’s basic standards now that Ian Conrick has left town. (The App’s looking at you John!)

• The MMBCC road calendar will be published shortly. The first race is planned for Thursday 9 October. As usual, we’re still waiting on permits.

• Seymour Broadford Cycling Club applied for two weekend races at Yarck later this year and hoped to run ‘Combine’ races for MMBCC and SBCC. Unfortunately, Murrundindi Shire wouldn’t agree to a permit, so we’ll have to try again next summer.

• ATC Gravel Rides are still on at 5.30pm Wednesdays, weather permitting. The Strava segment challenge is still going…

MMBCC News - Sun 31 Aug - Talia's Tour de l'Avenir

Talia Appleton, Sophie Marr, Alli Anderson - U23 ARA Australian Cycling Team

Talia Appleton 3rd in Tour de l'Avenir Femmes

By Janine Appleton

The Tour de L'avenir Femmes, the most prestigious stage race for Under 23 road cyclists, is a week-long French event, with a history of ushering in major future talent. It is essentially a youth version of the Tour de France. This year’s race for women covered 478km with 8,815m of climbing in the eastern pocket of the mountainous French Alps. Seven stages - an uphill time trial at Tignes, followed by two flat stages, two lumpy stages, a mountain stage, and culminating with a challenging ten kilometer mountain time trial starting at 1200m elevation.

Talia Appleton, from the Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club, finished third in the general classification (GC - accumulated time over 7 stages). This is an outstanding result for a rider without a World Tour contract or development or pro continental contract for 2025. Both 1st and 2nd GC riders already race for WorldTour teams: Canada’s Isabella Holmgren and France’s Marion Bunel.

After narrowly missing the overall win in the ProVelo Super League (Australia's National Series) and podiums at National Gravel racing events earlier this year, Talia has focused her training for this event, completing 250 rides over 17,000km with 230,000 metres of elevation on the roads to Tolmie and Mt Buller. She ventured to Girona, Spain, a month ago to conclude her training, negotiating 5-6 hour training sessions in 30-35 degrees, but said that was preferable to 5-6 hours on the home trainer when it was too wet and cold in Mansfield. She was confident that her training showed significant progress, but nervous that she had not raced at all in Europe this season due to having no contract. The challenges non-European athletes face are nearly insurmountable.  

She started her campaign with a third in the uphill prologue and, with the support of the other 5 members of the ARA Australian cycling team, made no mistakes over the subsequent rolling stages. That set her up to soar in the mountains: on the double-stage final day, Talia finished third in the road race and second on the uphill time trial. Both stages finished at nearly 2,000 metres above sea level at La Rosière

Talia Appleton (left) finished 3rd on the overall podium.

"Heading into the final double day of racing in the Alps, I was ready to do everything I could to defend my position on GC,” Talia said.

“To come third on a really tough queen stage after being solo for most of the day was incredible, and then to back up only a few hours later with second in the final uphill 10 km TT felt even better!”

Talia Appleton maintained her GC position from start to finish.

At just 19 years of age, Talia also secured second in the young riders’ classification for riders under 21 years. 

 “It’s still sinking in and definitely a bit of a pinch-me moment!” Talia said. “To finish on the GC podium and have two Aussie women in the top 10 is super special.

“I was really targeting the opening prologue as I knew it suited my characteristics, but I was still a bit shocked to come third and find myself on the GC podium. I was really happy with that result and decided anything else throughout the rest of the week would just be a bonus, especially against so many riders with WorldTour and grand tour experience.”

The ARA Australian Cycling Team finished second overall in the team classification.

“Super lucky to have really great, experienced teammates around me throughout the four lumpy road stages. A result like this definitely wouldn’t have been possible without all of their support both on and off the bike,” Talia said.

Talia heads back to Mansfield in mid to late September, before preparing for National Championships in Perth in January 2026. She is confident that these results will allow her to secure a contract with a team for racing in Europe in 2026 to continue her bright cycling career. 

Ride for the Kids

By Paul Bird 

I head up a Melbourne-based charity - Brainwave - that supports over 1,000 children with brain illnesses and injuries and their families across Victoria

With the doubling of registrations of children with brain illnesses and injuries over the last four years, we have launched a new exciting national challenge – Ride for the Kids. Here’s a short video…

Headed up by ‘Voice of Cycling’ Matt Keenan and fellow commentator and cycling champion, Gracie Elvin, along with exclusive Pedla cycling gear, we are inviting all Australians to set and ride their distance from 1-31 October 2025.

I would really appreciate your club’s support in establishing a team. 

With thanks and best wishes, Paul Bird.

MMBCC News - Tue 19 Aug - Philip Island and the AGM

Ben Ross at Philip Island

By Tim Ross

Ben Ross competed in the final round of the Victorian Junior Road Series last weekend. Held at the storied Philip Island Grand Prix Circuit, the round doubled as the 2025 Victorian Junior Championships. In just his second road race, Ben is still very much in the learning phase of road cycling, so different from the XC MTB racing with which he is familiar. 

What a great venue! A wide, fast and perfectly surfaced track 4.4 km around, with sweeping bends and ocean views to die for. At a venue usually known for its winds, conditions were perfect for the day; clear skies, cool with a gentle breeze. The pit lane sheds, usually occupied by motorcycle mechanics, became the warm up venue for the riders.

The morning was an Individual Time Trial; 2 laps for the U15s, setting off at 1 min intervals in reverse seeding order. Ben clocked just under 16 minutes for the 8.9km, finishing 13th in the field of 20.The winning time of under 13 and a half minutes was a reminder of how far ahead the leaders are.

The afternoon was the road race; 8 laps. The race turned into something of a tactical battle, with sudden surges then slower periods. A couple of competitors were dropped early but the rest managed to stay together until the second last lap when the hard-hitters piled on the pressure, quickly splitting the race apart. In the end there were three groups, with Ben leading the third group home. 

A really great experience and a creditable showing. In the 4 race series, Ben placed third in the VJRS U15 B grade.

AGM Reminder

The Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club Inc Annual General Meeting is on this Thursday 21 August. 

We are planning on having dinner at the Mansfield Hotel from 6pm to 7.20pm, then move to the Mansfield Golf Club for the formal meeting from 7.30pm.  

You should have already RSVPed by now. But just in case you’d forgotten, use the MMBCC WhatsApp feed… now!

MMBCC News - Sat 1 Aug - AGM

Annual General Meeting

The Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club Inc Annual General Meeting is on Thursday 21 August. 

We are planning on having dinner at the Mansfield Hotel from 6pm to 7.20pm, then move to the Mansfield Golf Club for the formal meeting from 7.30pm.  

RSVP attendance by Monday 18 August via the MMBCC WhatsApp feed please.

MMBCC News - Fri 27 Jun - Tracks, Trails & Travel

Mansfield Tracks & Trails

From the MMBCC Executive Committee

Mansfield Shire Council are doing a ‘Tracks & Trails Strategy’ and are currently doing public consultation until 11 July.  It includes a questionnaire and there is plenty of scope to suggest things that would assist cyclists of all types (though it is aimed much more broadly, including walking, cycling, horse riding, etc).  There is also the chance to discuss with Council Officers on Tuesday 8 July during the day at the Visitor Centre. 

We encourage all members, and the wider cycling public, to have input into this, both via the questionnaire and the face to face session.

Here is the link to the Tracks and Trails Strategy | Engage Mansfield.

Recent racing 

By Tim Ross

Despite the cooler weather there are still plenty of opportunities for those wanting to indulge in some racing.

The Shifty Fifty XC series held its final race before a winter hiatus in Castlemaine. Tim and Ben Ross made the trip to be greeted by a rocky and winding course. Unfortunately, only one of them started the actual race, with Tim falling heavily with no apparent excuse on a flat prologue. DNS sounds better than DNF.  

Ben produced a great ride, looking resplendent in his new club kit!) in the Shifty Shorty (25km) finishing third in the U19 class.

The final round of the series will be at Blores Hill in Gippsland in September once the worst of the winter weather has gone.

Over the winter, Auscycling run the Vic Junior Road Series over five rounds. Ben Ross had his debut road race, competing in Round 2 at Broadford recently. Held in wintry conditions at the State Motorcycle Track, the round consisted of two 30km road races (about 14 laps of the circuit), sandwiching a 5km time trial (two laps). Ben completed in U15 B grade, placing first and second in the road races and first in the time trial and comfortably took first place overall for the weekend. He and another competitor were well matched, racing head-to-head in the two road races before one or the other pulled ahead close to the finish.

Vic Schools MTB series round 2 was held at Lysterfield last weekend. Two Rosses (Ben and Alastair) and three Mannings (Alex, Wren and Henry) made up the Mansfield contingent. Perfect racing conditions greeted competitors on courses developed for the Commonwealth Games in 2006 (back when Victoria could afford such luxuries!). 

Alex placed first in U11 Novice, while Ben (U15 Race) and Wren (U11 Novice) both placed fourth to just miss their podiums. Great riding also by Henry (U9) fifth in a very large field in his first ever race and Alastair (U13 Race) twelfth.

Finally…

Good luck and Bon Voyage to the MMBCC’s Elise Empey, who has overcome injury and an aversion to early morning road rides, and is heading overseas next week to join her new pro team for some downhill racing in Europe and North America.

MMBCC News - Fri 23 May - 2024/25 Presentation Night

Feedback please…

If you attended Presentation Night, club sponsors Lesa and Steve Brown from the Mansfield Hotel would really like your feedback. Click here to go to a short survey, let them know your thoughts and you could win a $100 voucher!

Many thanks to everyone who came along to the Mansfield Hotel on Thursday night to celebrate a great summer of racing! All the details, including points scores, are below.

Thanks also to all the crew at the Mansfield Hotel. And to the MMBCC Exec for organising the night.

On to the trophies…

Summer Road Race Series

Ryder Chadd kicked off a busy night by taking out the Summer Road Race Series trophy ahead of Simon Hall and Craig ‘Wil’ Wilson.

L to R: Ryder Chadd, 1st; Wil Wilson, 3rd.

Women’s Road Trophy

Janine Appleton took out the Women’s Road trophy ahead of Micala Jacobs and Di Condie.

L to R: Di Condie, 3rd; Janine Appleton, 1st; Micala Jacobs, 2nd.

Dirt Crits

A different Bateup on the Dirt Crits trophy this summer with Ant taking the win ahead of Ryder and Archie Smith.

L to R: Ryder Chadd, 2nd; Ant Bateup, 1st.

Alain Guerin Memorial Crossover Trophy

Ryder wins again! His consistency across both disciplines see Ryder win Alain’s trophy ahead of a bunch of old blokes.

L to R: Bruce Halket, 4th; Damian Grundy, 3rd; Ryder Chadd, 1st; Ant Bateup, 2nd; Adam Baker, 5th

Congratulations to all the winners. Hope you find something useful to do with your paperweight/doorstop for the next 12 months.

MMBCC News - Thu 15 May - Presentation Night Change

Summer Presentations

Summer Presentations for the 2024/25 race season will now be held at the Mansfield Hotel on THURSDAY 22 MAY.

Presentations will start at 7pm. But… please come along for dinner, starting at 6. If you would like to come for dinner, you need to RSVP by this Sunday 18 May on the MMBCC WhatsApp feed.

The club will shout all Junior members DINNER! (So long as they RSVP!)

MMBCC News - Mon 12 May - Shifty Cardigan

Talia’s Cardigan

Congratulations to Talia Appleton on winning one of the biggest gravel races in the country on the weekend at Derby in Tasmania - defeating newly-crowned Australian Gravel Champion and World Tour rider, Tiff Cromwell, in the process.

Here are the results.

Shifty Shorty at Anglesea

By Tim Ross

Ben and Tim Ross took part in round 3 of the ‘Shifty Fifty’ season on Saturday. Both took the easy (easier) shorter option, completing a ‘Shifty Shorty’ (25 km).

The course was in the heart of Anglesea, a mixture of single track and gravel roads winding through coastal scrub. A very big field made virtues of both patience and taking passing opportunities when they arose.

The race took place in clear, cool conditions; there were apparently magnificent vistas out into Bass Strait but I was too busy chewing my handlebars to notice.

Ben placed first in the juniors (U19), taking the chocolates, while Tim finished midfield in the open category after managing to take the wrong track twice. The signage was good, refer to the earlier comment re handlebar chewing.

It’s a great, casual and well-run series that is well worth your consideration for some off-season riding.

Next one is at Castlemaine on 1 June - click here for details.

Presentation Night

Summer Presentations for the 2024/25 race season will be held at the Mansfield Hotel on WEDNESDAY 21 May. Presentations will start at 7pm.

Please come along for dinner, starting at 6. If you would like to come for dinner, you need to RSVP by Sunday 18 May by using the MMBCC WhatsApp feed.

The club will shout all Junior members DINNER! (So long as they RSVP)

Weekly gravel ridE

Tuesday evening gravel rides are underway for those who are looking for some light(s) exercise during the week. Meet at All Terrain Cycles at 5:30pm sharp for a gravel circuit of one to one and a half hours.

Suitable for either gravel bikes or mountain bikes.

Finally…

Good luck to Damian Grundy and Shannon Rademaker who are heading for Cairns this week to race the UCI Masters World MTB Championships next weekend.

MMBCC News - Sat 3 May - Presentation Night

Happy Election Day to those that celebrate!

Summer Presentations

Summer Presentations for the 2024/25 race season will be held at the Mansfield Hotel on Wednesday 21 May.

Presentations will start at 7pm. But… please come along for dinner, starting at 6. If you would like to come for dinner, you need to RSVP by Sunday 18 May by using the MMBCC WhatsApp feed.

The club will shout all Junior members DINNER!