Thursday 6 March 2014 - Barwite Loop

Twenty four cyclists fronted up for last Thursday’s 20km Barwite Loop Handicap in perfect cycling conditions.

Birthday boy , Dave Clark struggled in the early hills as did Dick Forrest but Katie Moore broke away and was joined on the Coombsberg by David Bock, Ian Conrick and John Eisner. Gus Muscara also caught up to the the group and together the five rode well down the back strait.

Embarrassingly, Stefan Vaivars was forced to use the small chain ring on the ascent up the big hill but Josh Hopwood rode strongly off the front of his scratch group, skipping block and eventually joining Anthony Plummer, Jason Parker, Dave Moore, Di Condie and Jodie Batchelor who in turn caught Bock et al in a well handicapped finish.

In the end Jason Parker led out and in a tussle of tired legs, Plummer and Eisner contested the final sprint with Anthony winning by a wheel. Jason was third and Josh fourth (and fastest) with Dave Moore, Jodie,Di, Gus, Dave Bock and Katie making up the top ten.

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Thursday 27 February 2014. Howes Creek Road.

Howes Creek Rd was again the venue for last Thursday’s Cycling handicap.
Deb Salatenna took off first followed by Di Condie, Katie Moore, Craig Wilson and David Bock.
Next off was Tony Copland, Allan Gerrans, Ian Conrick and Janine Appleton followed by Jason Parker and Will MacDonald.
The bigger scratch group of Bruce Halket, Jock Brega, Foley Lachal, Cam Lachal, David Dunn and Tom MacMunn were given four minutes.

Fresh back from knee surgery , Craig looked ok as his group worked consistently and kept the field at bay. Janine joined Will and Jason and together they chased the Wilson group however Craig rode well off the front and Bocky and Di worked well to stay away as well.

In the end it was Craig, Bocky and Di on the podium with Will, Jason, Janine, Foley, Jock, Tony and Bruce rounding out the top ten. Thanks to the Delatite Hotel for some refreshing rehydrating drinks after.
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Thursday 13 February 2014. Benalla Road.

Deb Salatenna and Sue Hall combined as an effective duo as they set of as the limit group in last Thursday’s handicap cycling race. Some four minutes later. Will Grundy, Tony Morris, Katie Moore, Tim Hall, Di Condie and David Bock set off in pursuit with the group of Tony Williams, Alain Guerin, Tony Copland, Jodie Batchelor and Janine Appleton two minutes further back. Steve Flew, Christine Hopkins, Will MacDonald and Dave Moore made up the intermediate group with Cam and Foley Lachal, David Heatley, Damian Grundy and Jock Brega making up block. Set a tough assignment, Mitch Greenway and Kian MacKinnon left just over a minute later as the scratch duo.
Straight away Mitch punched hard and rode away from Kian before catching and riding away from block. Riding well together, Sue and Deb stayed out until the well sorted intermediate groups caught them with only three k’s to go. In the final sprint, Tim Hall timed it well and took out a good win with a very close bunch scrapping for the rest of the top ten with Tony Copland getting up over Jodie for second and Di, Janine, David,Tony Williams, Katie,Deb and Sue rounding out the remaining ten spots.

 

4 up Sprint next. Entries via SMS to 0438 513 355 by 8pm Wednesday please.

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Thursday 6 February 2014. Howes Creek Rd

Despite temperatures in the mid thirties, 29 cyclists fronted up for the 25km Howes Creek Rd Handicap Last Thursday.
Sue Hall, Will Grundy and Deb Salatenna took off early and did a lot of hard work without the assistance of a bunch. Di Condie, Jodie Batchelor, David Bock and John Eisner worked well to catch Geoff Jones and Katie Moore and eventually Andrew Calvert-Jones.
At the rear of the field, scratch caught block and the effort over the rolling hills in the heat was intense.
Thanks largely to a solid effort by Jodie Batchelor, the group managed to stay away until it fragmented over the last few hills and Jodie rode off the front to take a good win.
A tactical course confusion by Andrew let John slip into second place with Andrew third. David Bock rode consistently to place fourth with Janine Appleton continuing her good form to beat the rest of her group and place fifth. Tony Copland, Sue Hall, Katie Moore and Will Grundy made up the top nine and Tony Williams tactically slipped into tenth to record a score towards the club championship.

Thursday 30 January 2014. Black & Tan

MMBCC race report

 

The Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club held another Black ‘n’ Tan race on Thursday 30 January as part of the current Summer Series. 

With a scorcher of a day forecast, the normal course of 30km with two 'tan' sections was shortened to 26km with only one section of dirt - Mt Battery Road. Even with the concession to the heat, only 16 names were on the start list; a couple of late scratchings meant only 14 ‘hard nuts’ actually started.

In his second race after a fairly long lay-off, Tim Hall won easing up by 10 seconds in a time of 59.19, corrected to 56.19.

Second was mountain biker Kian Lerch-MacKinnon in his first ever ‘proper’ road race, in a corrected time of 45.58 to also claim fastest time. The dirt obviously suited him.

Third place went to Cam Lachal in 48.13; another mountain biker on the podium.

Alain Guerin, Tom MacMunn, Jodie Batchelor, Mauro Brega, David Bock, David Clark and Tony Copland rounded out the top ten points-scoring positions.

Special commendation to Andrew Calvert-Jones who was last to finish on his heavy, upright hybrid bike. It aws also Andrew’s first race back for a long, long time. Despite his pleas on the start line that the Handicapper must have mistaken him for his brother Will, he was sent off with Tony Copland and Will MacDonald, rode most of the race alone and completely lived up to his expectations!

Jodie Batchelor’s first Handicap Race with the MMBCC since moving to Mansfield last year was a rude welcome; she was heard to say she thinks this type of race will kill her or toughen her up!

Steve Plummer and Bruce Halket both punctured on the dirt of Mt Battery Road and need to take a good, hard look at themselves; and their equipment.

Many thanks to our officials and volunteers: Jenni, Di, Julie, Sue, Helen, Tim and Daryl. We couldn’t race without you! 

The MMBCC’s Summer Series continues on Thursday 6 February with a Handicap Race along Howes Creek Road, starting at the Lord’s Ground. Entries via SMS to 0428 503 437 by 8pm Wednesday 5 February please.

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Thursday 28 November - Handicap Race

Handicap Race - Thursday 28 Nov - Whitfield Rd / Coombes Hill (Course 16) - 29km

Another wet Thursday didn't deter a good field of starters in the 34km Whitfileld road handicap last week.

Rachel Greenway, Deb Salatenna, Will Grundy and Sue Hall took of first as the limit bunch. Dick Forrest, Jeoff Jones, Di Condie, Daryl Rielly and Gerard Canavan were next followed by Mark Calvert-Jones, John Eisner, Ian Conrick, Tony Williams, Peter Ellett and David Bock. Craig Wilson, Allan Gerrans and Will Calver-Jones made up the intermediate group being chased by Anthony Plummer, Steve Plummer, Christine Hopkins Mick Feeney and Will MacDonald. Lastly, 20 minutes after limit, the scratch bunch took off consisting of Jock Brega, Foley and Cam Lachal, Ross Hopkins Jarrod Appleton, Damian Grundy and Darren Bakker.

Limit more or less fell apart leaving that group to do a long time trial and similarly David Bock and Gerard Canavan felt the heat of their respective groups. Di and Darryl worked well and got caught half way down the Barwite road by the Tony Williams group who were quietly working away in the wet. Further back scratch and block joined up but it was Allan Gerrans who rode strongly through his group and the next to take the lead heading up the Coombsberg. At the jump it was with some surprise that Ian, John and Tony latched on to Allan and stayed to the sprint finish where Allan pulled away to take the win. Tony rode well to take second over John with Ian coming fourth after leading out. Craig Wilson finished soon after in the money in fifth position.

Thanks to all our helpers and officials and to our sponsors: The Deck and Alpine Butchery. Congratulations to Allan who won the Alpine Butchery best effort for the night voucher.

Thursday 14 November - Handicap Race

Handicap Race - Howes Creek Road - 14 November

 

An impressive field of thirty cyclists lined up for the Howes Creek Rd 25km Handicap last Thursday. First off were Rachel Greenway and Zoe Coghill Followed by Loretta Armitage and Sue Hall. Six more bunches set off until finally Foley Lachal and Mitch Greenway departed as the scratch group with a fifteen minute handicap.
In a solid headwind, Rachel and Zoe held the pursuing bunches back until just before the turnaround where the bunch of Di Condie, Julie Dolling ,Geoff Jones, Tony Morris, Daryl Riley and Janine Appleton caught them. At the rear of the field , Jock Brega faced mechanical difficulty and settled in for a cruise with James Black while Josh Hopwood sat up to wait for Mitch. Together these two worked through the field that was slowly consolidating into a large, fast finish towards Malcolm street.
In a consistent effort, Janine Appleton rode off the front of her bunch to take out a good win with Tony Morris riding well to finish 17 seconds behind. In a mass finish forty seconds later, Mitch Edged out Stefan Vaivars who rode well tactically in the final k's. Julie , Di , Josh , Darren Bakker, Cam Lachal and Steve Plummer made up the top ten.
Thanks to our crew of volunteers and officials and to our sponsors, The Deck and The Alpine Butchery.

 

Thursday 31 October - Stewart's Bus Lines ITT

Stewart's Bus Lines Individual Time Trial - 31st October

A big field of 28 cyclists fronted up for the annual, Stewart's Bus Lines individual time trial over 11km last Thursday, held at the start of the Chapel Hill Rd. In perfect spring conditions, competitors took to the road with thirty second gaps. Sue Hall rode strongly to record a time of 22mins 35 seconds with first time appearances for the season from John Lithgow, Mick Feeney, Jack Hutchins, Tristan Mioni and Rod Stewart.
 
Mitch Greenway rode strongly with a record time of 15mins 16 seconds for the course to take out the fastest time for the night followed by Bruce Halket (16.27), Tristan Mioni (16.39), Mauro Brega (17.19) and Cam Lachal (17.57). Christine Hopkins was the fastest female with a quick 18.59. It was Sue Hall's ride though that saw her edge out Geoff Jones by a second for the handicap honours ( 23.35 vs 23.36). In a close result Mitch Greenway came third (23.46), Zoe Coghill fourth (23.54) and Janine Appleton fifth (24.05).
 
Thanks to Rod Stewart and Stewart's bus lines for sponsoring the event again and likewise to the Deck and Alpine Butchery for their support. This weeks race is the 4-up sprint on Graves Rd - entries to John by 8pm Wednesday 0428503437.

Saturday 26 October - Black n tan

Porter, pot holes and punctures 

As part of Tourism North East´s Cycle Salute festival, the Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club hosted its `dreaded´ Black `n´ Tan race as an Open event on Saturday 26 October.

The Black `n´ Tan is regularly held by the club but this was the first time riders from outside the club were invited to race. The idea of dirt roads must be a bit intimidating as only three visitors braved our roads; Roeland Suys, Lewis Rattray and Scott Gigante made the drive up from Melbourne to take part.

What´s with the name? Here´s how the race was promoted on the Cycle Salute website -

Black `n´ Tan: (noun) a blended beer drink comprising a mix of stout and lager.

Black `n´ Tan: (noun) a splendid Road Race comprising a mix of sealed (black) and unsealed (tan) roads. Often ends with the consumption of the liquid Black `n´ Tan (fermented recovery beverage!) by participants. A 30km road race with two sections of dirt road on an `eyeglass-shaped´ circuit on the outskirts of Mansfield.

The mix of bitumen and dirt presented an equipment selection problem for riders. Bike and tyres needed to be robust enough to cope with about 5km of dirt but be fast enough for the 25km of sealed road. Some interesting choices were made which had consequences for many among the 16 starters.

Julie Dolling began proceedings from the Mansfield Holiday Park, as the sole Limit rider. Rattray and Gigante made up the Scratch group 15 minutes later.

Rattray was the first to succumb as he punctured almost as soon as he got onto the dirt of Scullys Lane. That left Gigante on his own off Scratch and made his job extremely difficult.

Suys was flying! He dropped all his companions from Block in the first half of the race; but tactically waited for Foley Lachal and Josh Hopwood to help him into the wind along Barwite Road. It did the trick... he dropped Hopwood and Lachal near the Showgrounds and rounded up the remnants of the 6-minute group (Steve Plummer, Cameron Lachal and Darren Bakker) on the dirt of Mt Battery Road.

Then his equipment choice cost him - he punctured hear the top of the hill.

That seemingly left the two Lachals, Hopwood, Plummer and Bakker to fight it out; but gaining fast was a flying Gigante! He´d gone right through the field on his own and had the leaders in sight with only a kilometre of dirt left.

Then HE punctured!

Foley attacked and got a gap on Cam and Hopwood. It looked to be Foley´s race with just the dirt descent to Graves Road left.

However on that short, rough section Foley, Cam and Bakker all punctured too!

Instead of stopping, the Lachals kept riding. A rapidly finishing Hopwood was able to get past Cam at the ford but there just wasn´t time to catch Foley, who took the win on a flat front tyre!

Hopwood took second ahead of Cam with Plummer fourth. Bruce Halket, Dolling, Alain Guerin, David Jagger, Stefan Vaivars and Tony Copland rounded out the top ten.

The Alpine Butchery prize for Fastest Time also went to Foley Lachel for a corrected time of 51 minutes 14 seconds.

Many thanks to our officials and volunteers: Sharron, Leonie, Tilly, John, Tony and Geoff. We couldn´t race without you!

Many thanks also to Dean, Chris and the new team at the Hotel Delatite for sponsorship of this race. Once the liquor license is sorted out, we´ll celebrate the Black `n´ Tan with a few Black `n´ Tans!

The MMBCC´s Summer Series continues on Thursday 31 October with the Stewarts Bus Lines Individual Time Trial on Chapel Hill Road. (Barbecue afterwards at Chateau Wilson - BYO everything.) Entries via SMS to 0428 503 437 by 8pm Wednesday 30 October please.