PHILLIP Island’s mountain bikers put in another strong showing at Round 2 of the Joy Ride Rookie Cup, held at Mt Major near Shepparton — in Victoria’s premier junior downhill racing series.
The event drew some of the state’s fastest junior gravity riders, with competitors tackling the steep and technical trail in sunny but windy conditions.
The standout performance came from Maxen Mills, who stormed to second place in the U15 Men’s category with a time of 1:56.58, just 2.97 seconds off the win. Placing him in elite company by smashing the two-minute barrier on this tough and technical course.
Other strong results from the Phillip Island Crew were Miller Micallef (2:10.72), Ry Sheers (2:20.53) and Hugo Wright (2:40.21) also recorded solid mid-pack results in a massive and competitive field of almost a hundred riders, with Zac Basterfield (2:53.07) and Bodhi Cooper (3:14.84) rounding out the Phillip Island contingent in U15 Men, all sending it down the course to the cheers of the Phillip Island supporters.
In the younger categories, Kody Sheers claimed an impressive 3rd place in U11 Men with a 2:49.82, backing up his second place from Round 1 at Mt Taylor and establishing himself as an up-and-coming youngster on the downhill scene. Will Walker (3:12.33) also put in a great effort and gained valuable experience in his first race on the downhill circuit.
The U13 Men’s group saw Flynn Wright (2:45.01) and Eli Rogan (3:01.12) representing the Island with solid mid-field results against a large field of riders.
For the U17 Men, Zac Sund recorded a competitive 2:13.69, while Hamish Dakers-Hock and Ethan Tilley both showed strong pace before recording DNFs on race day after promising early qualifying runs.
Get well soon vibes go to Kody Lewis, who was injured in practice and didn’t get to compete on Sunday. And Blade Rogan, who is recovering from an MTB accident in the lead up to the event.
Parents and supporters praised the growing Phillip Island downhill community, noting how quickly the young riders are adapting to the technical courses and faster competition.
With strong representation across all junior age groups, the Island’s next generation of riders is clearly making its mark on Victoria’s downhill scene.
The next round of the Joyride Rookie Cup is at Eildon on November 8 and 9.