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Reflections on the Tour of Mansfield 2024

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Mountains and bicycles.  What a combination and what better place to put them together than in Mansfield, just 2.5hrs from Melbourne.  This is my second trip to Mansfield for the  Mansfield-Mt Buller Cycling Club's (MMBCC) Tour of Mansfield , a 3 stage event held over 2 days on the 16th and 17th March, 2024.   Stage 1 an undulating 10km Time Trial on the outskirts of the town, suited to the power rider. Stage 2 a 37km circuit with something for everyone.  Flat sections, a steep climb (Col Du Tolmielet 6.4km at 7.2%)  and a fast flowing descent. The higher grades riding 2 and 3 laps. Stage 3 the Queen stage of 45km from Mansfield to Mt Buller (15.3km at 6.2%). This was going to be my 3rd 3 stage tour after Mansfield and Bright tours in 2022.   Before I had even entered this event, I fired off an email to the Aus Cycling event co-ordinator and Jarrod Appleton, the President of the MMBCC to ask if they would consider adding a Men's Masters 6+ (55+) category, like the Tour of Br

2023 Year in Review

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If someone had asked me five years ago, at what level do you think your cycling will be at in 2023. I would have replied better than where I am now. In 2018,  aged 50 I dipped my toe into the local road racing scene as a novice in D Grade.    Looking back on the year, 2023 is the year where I became a more rounded cyclist.  What I mean by that is being competitive  in a wider range of events and better race craft.   Highlights from Strava The type of riding I did this year varied more from previous, where I focussed on Zone 2 riding for the first four months of the year as I prepared for an Ironman and I credit this with the improvement experienced.  Following the Ironman , I returned to road racing and had my most successful season ever, with 8 podium finishes and that promotion to C grade that I had been working on for a few years.  All up, I completed 29 events across triathlon (Olympic, Half and Full IM), Individual and Team Time Trials, C riteriums, graded scratch races and Handic

Euroa Everest - Once in a Lifetime

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In a Talking Heads moment, an existential question is posed; And you may ask yourself "Well, how did I get here?"  Bending that slighty, the most frequently asked  question on Friday 22nd December 2023 was what made you want to do an Everest?  What led me to the bottom of the Strava segment, Kelvin View Short KOM , a category 3 climb of 3km, with 218 metres of vertical gain at an average of 7.2% and riding it 41 times?   Strava segment - Kelvin View Short KOM What lead me to this place on this day, was the culmination of events, people, thoughts, feelings and actions. Firstly, for those of you who are wondering what an Everest is all about, let me explain. The concept of Everesting is fiendishly simple: Pick any hill, anywhere in the world and ride repeats of it in a single activity until you climb 8848m. You could also walk, run or do this virtually on one of the many indoor training platforms which capture elevation. There are a few rules, such as no sleep and the unwritte

Angelo De Francesco Memorial Handicap - Race Report

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Welcome to the running of the Angelo De Francesco Memorial Handicap, held at Glenarou on Melbourne Cup day 2023.  Nothing like the promise of some decent prize money to draw a few riders out of the woodwork on a public holiday.   A field of 62 gathered in warm conditions aided by a gusty northerly breeze. 7:30 bunch caught by Chop In the mounting yard Bruce and Faye are busy dispening the numbers and transponders.  Meanwhile the jockeys, I mean riders are lathering up with sunscreen for what's sure to be a cracker of a race in sunny conditions.  At 9:30am, the starter has the first riders in his control and the limit group is away with Simon Bol and Tommy Gray getting a 48min headstart on scratch. On paper, this is a very open race.  The 22, 12 and 7:30 (3rd scratch) groups all have riders capable of upsetting scratch and staying away.  The undulating course with a few steep pinches, could be just enough to upset the the heavy weights of the regular Sunday crit circuit.  Meanwhile