What a difference a year makes....  2011 saw the MTBA National Series round at Mt Buller a mud feast which would have done cyclcross racers proud.  2012 saw a new year of fantastic summer weather and a new agenda of racing: Super D Downhill, a traditional XCO (Olympic Cross course race) and a Cross Country Enduro (well sort of and they called it 'point to point'). Read and view on....

Friday, 20th January saw three young riders (and an old bloke) front up to a 'Super D', 11km horizontal downhill descent over 1km in vertical descent..... what unfolded was both of tragedy and sobering realisation of our own frailness and dependence on our equipment, fitness and tenacity...and the dangers of waterbars...

Ella was the first to realise that equipment can fail as she was faced with a DNF due to flatting on her run down the Delatite River trail.  All was on track according to plan until that fateful puncture.... (we all feel for you Ella...!!)

Ella Scanlan Bloor at beginning of Super D:

Unfortunately Ella suffered a DNF due to puncturing.

What followed on the 'Super D' time trial was both catastrophic to a young man (Mick Hayashi of CORC) and those who witnessed the outcome of hitting waterbars at race pace (probably over 70kph).  Mick set off on the 1km vertical descent 30seconds in front of Harry Herne, who was 30 s in front of Jack Lavis (CORC) and 30s in front of Peter McKellar Stewart (SHCC).  What happened to Mick is conjecture, but Hary and Jack  were on the scene soon after to find an unconscious rider, badly bleeding from the mouth.  It was most likely that Mick suffered an OTB after a nasty series of water bars.  Whilst Harry and Jack stayed with the injured rider, Peter who arrived soon after, continued ahead to to find some race officials and notify them of what turned out to be a very serious fall by U19 rider Mick Hayashi.  All riders were outwardly shaken by the sickening crash of Mick, with only Peter to finishing after reporting of the accident to officials, whilst Harry Herne and Jack Lavis staying with the fallen rider.  Before the carnage here are a few pics at the top of the 'Super D':

Harry Herne:

Peter McKellar Stewart:

and after a 45minute delay in racing - Super Master - Keith McKellar Stewart:

Congratulations in the Super D  to U19ers: Peter McKellar Stewart(12th), Harry Herne(8th - following asssistance to fallen rider) and Super Master Keith McKellar Stewart (6th).

Saturday saw the running of the XCO (Olympic Cross Country). Again we saw the vaguaries of racing with two of SHCC falling foul of punctures (Ella and Harry - one can feel their pain .....)

Ella Scanlan Bloor at XCO (before that fateful puncture):

Harry Herne also was captured in full flight before his DNF due to puncturing, whilst Peter McKellar Stewart (U19) finished 14th and Keith McKellar Stewart (Super Masters) finished 7th in category.

Harry Herne

Peter McKellar Stewart

Keith McKellar Stewart:

The third event of the 3 days of XC, MTBA round 2, 2012 was a 25km XCE, point to point race over 25kms from Mt Buller to Mt Stirling and back again, following the iconic "StoneFly' Trials. Again mechanicals put our junior rider Harry Herne out of contention, 3/4 of  the way around the course.  It was left to Peter and Keith McKelalr Stewart to fly the SHCC flag with a very credible 8th place for first year U19 rider (just turned 17yo) Peter McKellar Stewart and Super Master, Keith, coming in 6th place.

Peter McKellar Stewart at start of the XCE event, Mt Buller 2012

Al in all it was a weekend of swings and roundabouts with some of our junior riders feeling the pain of mechanical failures and realising the realities of lives held in tension with the agony and ecstacy of the sport of mountain biking.  All the best for next round!