Welcome to the Spring Carnival of Mountain Biking in VIC, the start of the Gippsland XC Series 2022 – Three Shimano MTB Grand Prix 4-hour cross-country events and this is Round 1!
Make this a smashfest, show off your sponsor logos, re-kindle your love for XC racing or catch the racing bug with us!
Virtual Briefing
Full Briefing
We are thrilled to have you on board for the first Shimano MTB GP racing in VIC for 2022, supported by the Wellington Shire Council! The Spring Carnival jumps into the well maintained trails at Blores Hill Mountain Bike Park. A favourite venue for lots of riders!
Conditions have been dry for the past few weeks, so the overnight rain will be well received making conditions prime for racing. The series will combine three races in 6 weeks – short and sharp and easy to train for ! The VIC Rocky Trail crew is ready for racing.
This year the combination of trails will have riders racing clockwise and enjoying more flowy descents. The course is suitable for all levels of racers. On offer a good combination of single track and fire roads allowing a lot of passing options. Riders get to experience the Smiley over and over again, one of the local favourites! We are teaming up with one of the country’s most active mountain bike clubs – the Gippsland MTB club. If you haven’t raced a Shimano MTB GP and you are about to have you’re first #rockytrailracer experience… it won’t be your last!
We can’t wait to see you smashing it! Remember, your race photos are included in your entry. Be sure to download them after the race and share your stories using:
#rockytrailracer
#shimanomtbgp
sponsored by:
ABOUT the venue
Venue
Blores Hill MTB Track, Tinamba West VIC 3859
Access and site parking is from Tinamba Glenmaggie Road. Look for the large MAXXIS FLAGS and be careful when turning into the site as the road can be busy with traffic.
Blores Hill is a short 10mins drive from Heyfield with ample camping opportunities at the neighbouring Caravan park or Lake Glenmaggie. This is a long established trail network offering many features from rocky outcrops to descending creek crossings mixed with lots of fun flowy runs. With a dedicated and proud trail care team we can guarantee racers will be spoilt with superb conditions for racing again this year.
Race map
Check out our new Trailforks feature – loads of stats!
Tracks used are:
- Short start loop heading up the Family loop before returning back on Bluegreen into the transition area before entering into the full course loop.
- Right turn into The Loser, onto M&M then the BMT.
- The KOM will be located on Switchbacks being 700m long and climbing 30m – 11% gradient
- Long fast cruise down Smiley J then into lower tramway linking back to Bluegreen.
- Lap is 11.1km long and the loop has a total of 150m climbing and descending.
Weather information
With all the wild weather hitting the East Coast, Blores Hill has received less then 10mm to date with another 10mm expected overnight . Trails were dry so the rain is welcome and locals are predicting hero dirt.
Event Format
Solo racers and pairs teams race for 4 hours and receive a placing across age categories for adults and junior shredders and in the General Classification (GC).
- 9am mass start for all riders
- Complete as many laps as you can in 4 hours.
- You may start your last lap by 12:59pm (the 3:59 hour mark) and that lap still counts.
- Solos – you keep going round and round.
- Teams – this is a pairs relay. Only one of you may be out on the race track at any time. There are now strict rules on how many laps each pairs racer must complete. As soon as the team records one lap you’re in the results.
Schedule – for all participants
Friday
Track marking underway for XC event and you can practice on it but we won’t have any services (marshals, first aid) in place.
Saturday
7:30-8:45 am Registration open to pick up your number plate.
8.45 am Rider call up, be race ready.
9 am Race start
1.00 pm Race finish – you finish the lap you are on but can’t start a new one.
approx. 1.45pm Last Rider and Sweeper across the line and event finishes.
2.00 pm Ceremony
Timing:
Race plates with passive timing chips, automatic race timing and LIVE results online all day.
Event Facilities & Services:
- Event centre: large gravel area combining parking and transition.
- Coffee: Koffee Cup will be on site for your morning hot drink. Please support those who support us.
- Food: Sadly we have no FOOD VENDORS available for this race. Please bring your own supplies or Heyfield is a short 10min drive away.
- Tech Support: not available.
- Parking: Parking is located on site, please follow the directions of the parking marshalls.
- Toilets: two portaloos on site
- Water: No water on site – please bring sufficient personal water needs
- MEDICAL: On site in the event centre and roaming out on track. The Race Director mobile number is available on your race plate for any issues out on track.
- TEAM TENTS – Are welcome – please email jo@rockytrailentertainment.com to secure your spot in the Event Hub – plenty of space available!
Rider List and Results
All weekend you can find links to Rider List and LIVE Results via the drop-down menu from the event page on our website! Before the race day the page will display the RIDER LIST and from the race start onwards it will switch to LIVE then on Sunday after the race to final results. You can check these now and throughout the weekend via your mobile devices – to reduce touch points we will not have any public display computers on-site.
Emergency contacts:
Race Director – Bob Morris 0458 299 558
Event Manager Jo Parker 0424 955 332
GIPPSLAND CROSS-COUNTRY MTB SERIES
This event is part of a 3-Race Series in Gippsland in 2022! Rocky Trail have put together three epic cross country mountain bike events over three weekends across Central Gippsland in October and November this year. Race all events and win a pair of Rocky Trail Racing Socks! Find out more!
GP: What you’re racing for
Each race offers official winners race plates, which is a set of special additional classifications:
- KOM/QOM with a polka dot race plate,
- Junior Sprint Winner (male/female U18 fastest lap time) in white,
- Best Sprinter for the fastest adult lap time (male/female) in green and a
- Solo GC Winner plate in yellow for male and female outright solo winners.
Racing the series
We will deliver the most expansive 4-Hour XC Series with events in NSW, ACT, QLD and VIC. Here is the the way we will calculate points:
- You will get points against your name in the category you are racing in. Meaning that if you swap teams, which is likely to happen with such a big line up of events, you will not lose your hard earned points but keep accumulating them.
- Each event offers a stand-alone race and race winners in the age categories are awarded with trophy number plates and accolade plaques, which can be collected and displayed on the number plates.
- Each race also offers the opportunity to accumulate points to go into the overall series ranking and the new points classification across all Rocky Trail events, which will form the “league of extraordinary #rockytrailracers.”
- Each race result and the relevant points count towards a rider’s series rankings.
- The series will be split into: NSW/ACT, Queensland, Victoria and additionally we will crown the overall Australian Shimano MTB GP Champions.
- Riders need to complete at least 2 races in one category to be eligible for an individual series podium ranking. Every race counts.
Insurance
You don’t need to be a member of any cycling association to race with Rocky Trail. Some offer great insurance packages which are worthwhile checking out and you are in charge of your own health insurance when racing with us.
Rocky Trail Merchandise:
- Rocky Trail Jerseys designed by Dharco ($75-$85)
- New in: Rocky Trail X Sendy Hoodies $65 and T-shirts $35
- Socks $15
- Mudguards $20
- Rocky Trail hats made from recycled materials “eco-choice” – $30
- Available from the Rocky Trail rego desk all weekend!
Rocky Trail X Dharco Jerseys
Rocky Trail X Sendy Hoodies & T-shirts
General Merch:
Event Photos:
Outer Image Collective photographers will be on site to snap that action photo you have been dreaming about.
Volunteers welcome
Rocky Trail is always looking for crew to support the riders. If you can lend a hand, complete our online form https://rockytrailentertainment.com/home/volunteering/ or contact Jo at jo@rockytrailentertainment.com to be part of the team. Riders luv seeing supporters at our events.
Event updates during the race / weekend:
We always announce any major updates including any new COVID restriction announcements mainly via the FB event page, as well as our news blog and email newsletters.
COVID-specific Event Guidelines
Rocky Trail Entertainment has all required Covid Safety plans and requirements in place.
We ask that if If you are showing any signs of the cold or flu or have a fever, that you please NOT come to the race. Please contact us immediately and we will transfer or refund your entry.
Now, get ready!
Do you have any questions?
Talk to us via our online chat – click on the orange circle symbol on your bottom right screen corner and we’ll be right with you! (We always love talking bikes, racing and riding!)
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