Brunswick CC Road Championship 2026 - Race Report

Numbers at the club champs have been a little light on in recent years post Covid, so it was encouraging to see almost 40 riders from under 11 to under 65 make the trip to Balliang. Close to half the field rode the Northern Combine ITT in the morning, making it a two stage event for the purists amongst us. Great to see many Brunswick riders young and old on the podium for that event. 

Under postcard conditions, Mr Pink assembled the riders, gave them their orders and sent them on their way. One 10km lap for U11s, two 10km laps for the U13s and two 25km laps for the rest of the field. It was great to see so many families riding in the same peloton, the Fuad family (Zafran, Ziqry and Nasir), the Fitzgeralds (Lucas and Tim), the Moulds (Michael and Stuart), the Christensens (Fletcher and Glenn), the Kirmizis (Aziz and Omer), the Dempsters (Rhett and Jed), the Muscats (Domenic and Isabel), the Disseldorps (Oscar and Felix) and Brunswick power couple and former club champs Bella Gadsen and Che Dungey. It's a great testament to the club to have so many families and couples all competing in the same race.

U11s sprint finish

Master's 2 correspondent and former club road champion, Che Dungey arose from his death bed to contest yet another club championship. I've enjoyed the rivalry and banter with Che over the years, but it has come to a point where I realise that this want to be sprinter has been living rent free in my head and just rolling around Balliang for a couple of laps just to dust me in the sprint. I told him early on that was my plan. Could I finally get one over him? Only time would tell and there's no better person to tell the story than Che himself, a man with a short name, that is more of a statement, than a label.

Road club champs is probably the best road racing on the calendar and the 2026 edition being the most memorable in recent times with a solid turn out across all categories.

The friendly sledging started early with u19 Sam Hudson quipping “I don’t think it’s coming home for you this year, Che”. He wasn’t enthused to learn that I skipped the usual ride out to drive Eddie Jirovic who would be hard to beat in final sprint. I similarly wasn’t enthused that Michael K drove out former club track and road champion and long range and gravel specialist Oskar Moore. The 80k ride out is actually the perfect warm up. To continue disappointing each other, Michael K wasn’t a happy chappy that I skipped the earlier time trial and decided to save my legs for the road race. The huge bunch rolling out from the memorial hall had the feeling of the Warrny neutral zone with the amount of riders. The under 11s were putting in a fierce opening pace while the rest us took notes on how to launch an attack. The local ponies were also inspired by the speed and took off galloping. With the u11s finishing and u13 turning left for the final loop, Lysander T launched a blistering attack that quickly sorted out who was going to roll turns, and who was simply trying to stay in the wheels. The first set of Staughton Vale rollers had a few of the Masters (Andrew G/Michael K) and myself cosplaying as Elite on the entry form (but actually masters 2, 6 & 7) trying to bridge back on. With a bit of help from Michael Williams, our Blackburn guest and Elliot B, we managed to return to the group before the gravel. 

Lead bunch onto Box Forest Rd

It was a short lived reprieve as the kids were channeling their inner Wout van Aert and keeping it at 420w across the whole sector. With the masters 10seconds down, we tried rolling 30seconds turns but didn’t make any inroads on the bunch and were resigned to setting sustainable friendly pace for the last lap. Any skipping of turns didn’t go unnoticed by Michael K who demanded to see a note from my doctor. I was fighting for my god-damn life to stay in the wheels on the climbs while the others chatted away. 

Coming into the final granite road climb I could see Bundjil the eagle circling over. Usually a good omen on Wadawurrung Country, I was more fearful of it picking my bones by the gutter if I got dropped. Hanging in over the climb and coming into the gravel, I’m always happy to practice some two-wheel drifting. I managed to get a few bike lengths and put the pressure on. Michael K was happy to return the favour with a counter attack but not fierce enough to drop either Andrew or myself. 

Unfortunately for sprint finish favourite, Eddie J was off the side changing a flat at this point of the course. Michael K took us to the line for a sprint but was happy to leave the door open on the gutter side of the road for me to come through for a resounding mid placings finish. Lysander reportedly taking the win from a messy bunch sprint and proving that training consistently really does pay off. The excitement didn’t end with plenty of sprints for line honours for remaining u15/17s, masters and women’s.

So while Che did dust me in the sprint, I was quick to remind him that I was claiming GC honours in the Masters category having ridden both the ITT and the club championships on the same day.

Our final correspondent is a former club champ, Oskar Moore, who was riding at the pointy end of the race.

This year’s club championships featured probably the best weather Balliang has ever had! A beautifully still and sunny 16 degrees created a jovial and relaxed atmosphere at the start line, where the entire field, from U11 to Masters 7, rolled out together.The “tradition” of the main field following the U11’s on their 10km lap was a great opportunity to witness the future of the club in action, and to be inspired by the young riders as they pedalled their hearts out.  The flag dropped as the U13s turned left for their second mini lap, and the attacks began immediately.

In the absence of the usual crosswinds, the bunch remained largely intact until the first undulations before Granite Rd, and even after some fierce attacks up the infamous berg, there remained a decent-sized bunch..

Going into the second lap the attacks were put on hold, with everyone taking some respite before the Granite Rd climb. A pre-emptive attack of 2 riders sustained a small lead into the climb, with a 3rd bridging across over the top, but despite the 3 rolling hard turns down the descent, the bunch regained contact, and it was gruppo compact leading into the Box Forest Rd gravel sector. (bar a well-timed counter attack from Eddie J, who unfortunately punctured)

Once again, attacks rolled at the beginning of the gravel, but the combined strength of the bunch and the lack of wind disadvantaged small groups and solo moves, so the race looked to be heading for a sprint finish. One final flyer leading into the final corner was quickly closed down, and the sprinters battled it out over the final few hundred metres.

All-in-all, a great day was had, with many races within the race, across the various age groups.

If you have never ridden in a Brunswick Club Road Championship, now you know what you are missing out on and we will hopefully see you at the next one. Thanks to our correspondents for their race reports, to the commissaires for running a safe race and the volunteers who kept us safe out on course.  

Results 

*not a BCC member

U11 Boys

1 Rhett Dempster

2 Domenic Muscat

U13 Boys

1 Aziz Kirmizi

2 Hugo Boddam-Whenham*

3 Jed Dempster

4 Zafran Fuad

5 Fraser Moloney

6 Felix Disseldorp

U13 Girls

1 Isabel Muscat

U15 Boys

1 Michael Moulds

2 Oscar Disseldorp

3 Ziqry Fuad

U17 Girls

Gabriella Rojo-Rodriguez

U17 Boys

1 Omer Kirmizi

2 Elliot Birney

3 Rigby Colegrave

Overall Men

1 Lysander Tansley

2 Tristan Ingham

3 Fletcher Christiansen

4 James Maxted*

5 Sydney Grace-Myler

U19 Men

1 Lysander Tansley

2 Tristan Ingham

3 Fletcher Christiansen

4 James Maxted*

5 Lucas Fitzgerald

6 Sam Hudson

Elite Men

1. Sydney Grace-Myler

2 Oskar Moore

3 Michael Williams*

4 Che Dungey (M2)

5 Eddie Jirovec

Elite Women

Alana Forster*

Women M123

1. Bella Gadsen

DNF Violet Zhu

Men M2

1 Che Dungey 

DNF Fuad Nasir

Men M4

1 Glenn Christiansen

2 Stuart Moulds

3 James Hunt

Men M5

1 Steven Crowe

2 Tim Fitzgerald

Men M6

1 Michael Kanizay

Men M7

1 Andrew Gannon