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!