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 newly-minted handicapper, 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.