After the two previous year’s State Champs had been cancelled due to heat and fire bans it was a relief to see the overcast skies and feel a bit of a nip in the air on Sunday morning at Mount Crawford. 37 riders enjoyed those conditions and the challenging courses set by Andrew Slattery who deserves special praise for his efforts in organising the event. Andrew has been working in Broken Hill so he had to battle the tyranny of distance as well as the usual organisational challenges. Thanks, also, to Carolyn, Helen, Kay, John, Jeffa and Will for their assistance.

Congratulations to all who rode, with a special mention for our young riders who all successfully completed their courses. Results are below, to which I append an unofficial award for persistence over punctures to Philip Hutchinson. Philip flatted early on in his ride and continued to have inflationary problems eventually finishing with his front tyre held together with electrical ties.