Give yourself a Xmas pressie - subscribe to MMBCC News…
Xmas Irish Handicap
By Damian Grundy
First of all let me wish all Members of MMBCC and their families and friends a very safe and merry Christmas.
Tuesday the 12th of December 2023 had been a hot, hot day and this probably explains the small turnout of 7 riders. From here on I will refer to them as the MAGNIFICENT SEVEN! Let me name them all given that they deserve all the plaudits for their determination to race and there aren’t that many of them.
Damian Grundy (standing in for Darren Bakker), Tom MacMunn, Dan Hall, Steve Curnow, Ant and Rueben Bateup and David Bock.
It had cooled a little by 6pm and so it wasn’t too oppressive for racing.
A very short and simple course of 1.29km had been set and race distances were relatively short.
The Magnificent Seven were sent on their way at the allotted handicap interval times.
By the end of the race Rueben Bateup who found himself thinking that he had come second but was the actual winner in a finish time of 27min and 28sec.
In 2nd was Steve Curnow, 36sec later. Ant Bateup was 3rd, a further 42sec behind 3rd place and then Tom MacMunn in 4th only 6 sec behind Ant. David Bock was 5th and Dan Hall 6th.
Damian Grundy self-disqualified based on being the handicapper but he was very happy for the hit-out.
Congratulations to all! Thanks especially to Kate Stonnill for managing the timing and results.
Mind the gap
By Ecurb Teklah
Last Thursday saw the Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club host its Xmas Handicap on Howes Creek Road, finishing on the dreaded O’Hanlon’s Road hill.
Starting the festivities off Limit at 14 minutes were Micala Jacobs and David Bock.
They were followed by Craig Wilson, Steve Curnow and John Findlay off 9 minutes; Adrian Dowd and Tim Ross off 5 minutes; Jarrod Appleton and Michael Pearce off 3 minutes (made all the more difficult by the late scratching of Ryder Chadd) and Block saw Bruce Halket, Steve Duke and current points leader, Darren Bakker off 1.30.
Then came our two local ‘pro’ cyclists, Ruby Dobson of Roxsolt-LIV-SRAM and Talia Appleton of Team Bridgelane, as the Scratch group and firm favourites for the win with the ragtag group of 12 vagabonds and miscreants they were chasing.
Block thought they’d ridden really well, catching a relatively relaxed J Appleton and Pearce at about one-third distance. That made it even more of a shock when Talia and Ruby caught them not long after, well before the end of Howes Creek Road.
As the tempo increased, Duke, Halket and Pearce hopped on the back of Scratch as they went past. But as Duke faltered with the increase in pace, Halket was lucky enough to see the gap open in front of Steve’s front wheel - he and Pearce accelerated across the gap to get onto Talia’s wheel.
Dowd and Ross were the next caught with only Tim able to get onto the train, which meant through the turnaround at the end of McMillan Point Drive it was the two young girls leading the way for the three old blokes.
But another decisive gap soon opened. After a big turn on the front, Dobson drifted too far to the back of the group, with Ross, and saw a gap open to the leading trio of Appleton, Halket and Pearce. And it wouldn’t close again.
Halket managed a few obligatory turns on the front but it was all Talia to O’Hanlon’s Road. Bock and Wilson were caught at the base of the climb and all were left in Talia’s wake as she danced on the pedals up the climb to a convincing, even comfortable win (If you can call riding to the line with a heart rate of 196 beats per minute comfortable!)
“For a brief moment I thought I might be able to catch her. But I blinked and the moment was gone!” Halket said after hanging on for second ahead of Mick Pearce. Then came Steve Curnow, Dave Bock, Ruby Dobson, Craig Wilson, Tim Ross, Jarrod Appleton and Steve Duke in the last points scoring position.
Not surprisingly, Talia was fastest in a corrected time of 38.22 - a minute and a half quicker than anyone else.
At the post-race presentations at the Mansfield Hotel, race preparation was discussed in great detail. Halket and Ross prepared for the race by spending the early part of the week with Tim’s boys (Ben and Alistair) downhill mountain biking at Thredbo. With his tongue planted firmly in his cheek, Halket was quoted as saying it shows that those who only ride downhill have no excuse for not racing on the road. “If a 60 year old who can’t descend can do this, what’s their excuse?!”
Steve Duke admitted that his race preparation had been less than ideal. “I’ve spent the last week training with my elbow” he said after attending his son’s wedding in Albury last weekend.
Talia won this one too though, with her preparation based on a race day lunch time ride up Mt Buller!
Many thanks to all our officials and Commissaires and to all the courteous Mansfield motorists who help make our racing so safe.
Merry Christmas to all - let’s have a safe and happy silly season.
Many thanks also to Tony Copland for his images, below, and here are the results.
The point score at the Xmas break shows Darren Bakker, last week’s winner in Jamieson, leading the way on 69 points. He’s followed by Ruby Dobson on 56, then Tim Ross and Steve Curnow tied for third on 50. Then comes Bruce Halket, 47; Mick Pearce, 42; Ryder Chadd, 41; Dave Jagger, 39; Andy Garrett, 37 and Jake Lay rounds out the top ten on 35 points.
Interim BikeSpot Results released
Mansfield got a mention with two spots marked as dangerous. If you know of dangerous places to ride in and around Mansfield, it’s not too late to mark them on BikeSpot.
Here’s the Interim Results and here’s the link to add a spot - you’ve got until the end of January to add to the list.
Upcoming Events
Thu 21 Dec - Pro Kit Bunch Ride. With road racing finished for the year, let’s go for a Thursday night 6pm bunch ride up the Whitfield Road instead, followed by a possible fermented recovery ale. Wear your best/worst pro roadie kit or your Santa costume.
Sat 23 Dec - Gravel Bunch Ride. Meeting at the Botanic Park at the normal time of 8am, another of Bruce’s gravel loops. Bring your gravel bike and your Xmas spirit.