Appleton’s apples

A BREEZY evening greeted the Mansfield Mt Buller Cycling Club’s handicap race last Thursday. Starting at the Botanic Park, riders headed north along the Mansfield-Whitfield Road to a turnaround at Sawpit Gully Road, then it was back towards town and around the Barwite Loop to finish on Graves Road - a total of 32 kilometres and the longest course on the MMBCC calendar. Before racing got underway, we welcomed a newcomer to Thursday night racing; Oliver Hall (son of Simon, nephew of Tim) who pinned on a number for the first time. Then drama at the start when a sudden air leak could be heard from Jarrod Appleton; thankfully it was just his front tyre going down and nothing more anatomically disturbing. There were 23 entrants on the start list, starting with Micala Jacobs and Judi Duke, off as Limit, through to Talia Appleton and Jake Lay as the Scratch group 19 minutes later. The two most likely groups were the larger ones: the four-strong nine minute group of Jason Parker, Adrian Dowd, Rueben Bateup and the hastily re-inflated Jarrod Appleton followed by the five-strong 4.30 group of Darren Bakker, Steve Duke, Dave Moore, Ryder Chadd and Ant Bateup. As expected, the larger groups rode well in the windy conditions, especially the 9.00 group; Parker, Dowd, Bateup and Appleton rounded up all the out markers by the Coombesberg and began to discuss which of them was fresh enough to sprint for the win; they decided it was to be Rueben’s turn. But two of the Halls, Oliver and Simon, had other ideas. They were the only two caught riders able to hang on over the hill and were looking to become the flies in the nine minute group’s ointment. When it became clear that Bateup didn’t have the kick to outspend the Halls, Appleton sprinted instead and took the win. Jarrod mentioned later it was only his third MMBCC win in his 12 years living in Mansfield. Simon Hall got up for second ahead of son Oliver who got on the podium in his first race. Next came Adrian Dowd, Rueben Bateup, Jason Parker, Andy Garrett, Ryder Chadd, Darren Bakker and Bruce Halket rounded out the top ten. Fastest was Jake Lay in 50.30, which is an average speed of 39.7 kilometres per hour. Many thanks to our Commissaires and marshals, especially the last-minute fill ins. Next week’s race is the Alain Guerin Memorial Handicap, to be held on the Howes Creek Road course for the first time.

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