ABOVE: Andrew Meagher negotiates a bend with style.

BELOW: Wodonga’s Brydon Foster gathers momentum.

BELOW LEFT: Wangaratta’s Eli Schulz-Dahlenburg.

Pictures: MATTHEW SMITHWICK

A RECORD number of racers and a bumper crowd descended on the “Mecca” of downhill mountain bike racing at the weekend.

More than 300 riders attacked Mount Beauty’s Big Hill mountain bike park for the third round of the Victorian State Downhill Mountain Bike Series, with local racers taking on some of the best riders in Australia.

Organiser Mat Gardiner said the weekend couldn’t have gone any better.

“It was a fantastic weekend, an excellent event,” he said yesterday.

“There were 312 riders who registered, which was a record for any state series round in Victoria.

“Ten of the riders were hurt during practice on Saturday but we still had 302 riders racing today, which was a record.

“There was an awesome crowd here as well.”

Gardiner said Mount Beauty was fast becoming one of Australia’s most popular downhill mountain bike locations.

“Mount Beauty has been a big part of mountain biking and it’s getting the reputation as a Mecca of the sport in Victoria and even Australia,” he said.

“It has formed a reputation of having fantastic terrain to race on and our expertise of hosting events like this is getting better.”

After all entrants familiarised themselves with the Big Hill course on Saturday, racing got under way yesterday in several categories, including elite men, elite women, juniors, veterans, masters, super masters and fun runs.

Gardiner said several local riders shone.

“Josh Button took out the men’s elite title, he’s an elite world cup rider, but two Mount Beauty riders came second and third,” he said.

“(Brothers) Liam and Joel Panozzo came second and third, which was a great effort, while Mount Beauty youngsters Mitch Pasuallo and Nick Iaria came first and second in the under-15 boys race.

“It shows we’re producing brilliant riders at both ends of the age groups.”