Bathurst Cycling Club

20/06/2026

Road racing is still on.
Dress appropriately, bright colours are 👌🏻 and a tail light/head light is a good add on for the rain showers for visibility.

19/06/2026

💥X - Roads Handicap - 47km💥
Tomorrow, Saturday 20th June
Sign on 1.00-1.15pm
Race start 1.30pm
Enter via Webscorer

Event registration: X-Roads Handicap - 47km @ Orton Park, Australia. Saturday, June 20, 2026 01:30 (GMT+10)

18/06/2026

AUSCYCLING ESPORTS CLUB SERIES
Three Bathurst Riders have already qualified for the 2026 Esport Masters Championships after the second round of the 2026 Auscycling Esports Club Series this week.
Fran Walker and Mark Windsor both lead their age category ranking after winning their category in the first two rounds. Meanwhile Tony Shaw moved to second overall in his Age Category after finishing second to Adam McInosh in the second round on Tuesday Night.
Bathurst Club President David Hyland scored good points in round 2 of the 2026 series while Stu Holt preformed that well in his first appearance for the Bathurst Clubs Esport team that he was disqualified from the race for too much power in the first intermediate Sprint his allocated grade. It was a tough way to start the series, but it was an impressive debut by Stu to the My Whoosh On-Line Racing Platform.
With the Western Division Esport Championships coming up in a fortnight it was great to see former Western Division President Andrew Docking racing in Round 2.
The racing continues next Tuesday night... If you have a smart trainer signup to the Bathurst Team.

18/06/2026

Perfect mild night for Chopfest.
5.45pm see you there

17/06/2026

Check out 7NEWS Australia 7News Central West story on Luke Tuckwell’s world professional circuit runner-up performance in the 78th Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes in France.. Also check out the segment on Luke in “Around the Grounds” in the Western Advocate .. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1PGpNx2sPm/

14/06/2026

TOUR AUVERGNE RUNNER-UP:
So Proud of Luke Tuckwell finishing runner up in the 78th Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes.
He was attempting to become only the third Australian to win the prestigious Tour Auvergne - Rhone-Alpes (formally known as the Criterium du Dauphine), behind Phil Anderson in 1985 & Richie Porte in 2021. But it is worth remembering both these Aussie legends had a number of starts before they eventually won. Luke Tuckwell was also attempting to become one of the youngest ever winners – in fact only legendary American Cyclist Greg LeMond would have been younger than Luke by just a couple of weeks.
It was a giant task, but the young Australian was in the leading pack onto that final climb on the final day. We can only be amazed and proud of what he has achieved in his first year on the pro tour. With less than 10km to go in the entire tour, Luke was still with UAE Team Emirates star Isaac del Toro and was the virtual lead of the tour by over 40seconds, but with 8.8km to go the Mexican attacked to take the win for the powerful UAE Team Emirates team.
The cycling community across the central west of NSW cheered on Luke and his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe teammate Maxim Van Gils as they charged up the mountain for Luke Tuckwell to finish second overall in the major lead-up event for the Tour de France. That’s BIG!!!..
There is no doubting that Maxim Van Gils is a very popular rider in the Orange, Bathurst region at the moment, he did an amazing job for Luke.. and Van Gils has just become a big deal in the Central West of NSW Australia.
In finishing on the podium in the Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, he joins a very exclusive club of six AusCycling Road & Esports Champion Aussie cyclists - namely Phil Anderson, Richie Porte, Cadel Evans, Michael Rogers, Ben O'Connor and now Luke Tuckwell !! … That is very Impressive – We are so proud of this young Aussie Champion, as he equals the best finish in the event by Australian Superstar Cadel Evans.
What a start to Luke Tuckwell’s Pro Career.
Photo – Luke back at the Westen Division Champs in 2012 – After he collected his trophy, he actually helped with the race commentary for the Senior Division1 Championship.

13/06/2026

LUKE STILL IN YELLOW!!
The local cycling fans here in the central west of NSW Australia were worried about Luke Tuckwell all alone at the foot of that final Mountain in Stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne Rhône-Alpes overnight.
No not worried about him losing the jersey, (as what will be, will be), but just worried about the huge pressure on this young man, both physically and mentally with such an enormous task ahead of him. So much stress..
His age and vulnerability highlighted by the yellow outfit as the climb bite at him. Yet he seemed to continually refocus and positively get his mind on the task and just chip away at it -- and just moving back into a rhythm as others around him blew up.
At the top of the mountain, it was clear we didn’t have to worried about Luke, as GC riders are a different breed, they face the challenge and deal with it. Luke proved last night he is a GC rider as he can cope with the stress and remain in control.. Yep he held the yellow and will lead the field into the final day of the 78th Tour Auvergne - Rhone-Alpes... Wow.
Whatever happens in the final stage.. he will still tackle the stress head on.. and do the best he can… and win or lose – he will learn, grow and adapt to that new level of stress… and improve even further. Cause he is a GC rider.. and he is getting better & better at it.
It has been great TV – thanks for the coverage SBS Sport SBS Australia SBS On Demand –--
All the best Luke Tuckwell Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe from the bike community back home..

13/06/2026

2026 VALE CIRCUIT HANDICAP:
Presented by Bathurst Isuzu UTE Australia & Clancy Motors Bathurst.
At the halfway point Rosemary Hastings still led the 2026 Vale Circuit Handicap, but she was about to be caught by Peter Hickey and Bruce Hutton who in turn would be soon caught by Michael Buttsworth Darren Fenton.
At the back of the field the two scratch marker Steve Bennett and Charlie Gascoyne had quickly caught the block bunch of Brian Draper, Lachlan Weber and Tony Shaw and were threatening the 4min bunch of Scott James, Jeff Parsons and David Reece.
Soon after it was clear that the scratch markers would win the 2026 Vale Circuit Handicap with Gascoyne and Bennett riding past the entire field to take the top two positions after catching Michael Buttsworth who again made the podium.
Lachlan Weber impressed in his first Bathurst start, catching Darren Fenton at the finish line to take 4th. Sixth was Tony Shaw in front of Bruce Hutton who had led the field into the final lap. Rounding out the top 10 was Brian Draper, Jeff Parsons and David Reece in front of Scott James and Peter Hickey. Rosemary Hastings was the top female rider recording 1:15:06 on the historic course.
2026 VALE CIRCUIT HANDICAP Result:
1 Charlie Gascoyne (Scr), 2 Steve Bennett (Scr), 3 Michael Buttsworth (6min), 4 Lachlan Weber (1min), 5 Darren Fenton (6min), 6 Tony Shaw (1min), 7 Bruce Hutton (10min), 8 Brian Draper (1min), 9 Jeff Parsons (4min), 10 David Reece (4min).
Fastest Time - Charlie Gascoyne 46:15, First Female - Rosemary Hastings

13/06/2026

TODAY’S VALE CIRCUIT CLUB RACE:
Today we raced the historic Vale Circuit handicap, with the event celebrating this old Race Circuit as one of the most historic cycling roads in Australia.
The Bathurst Cycling Club running race events on these roads south of the city for over 130years with official events organised in the mid-1890s (on Penny Farthings and the first Safely Bicycles)
Of course, the racing not only restricted to cycling but also auto racing between the World Wars, where the Vale and Gorman Hill roads became the famous Vale Motor Racing Circuit which would host the Senior and Junior Australian Motor Cycling Grand Prix’s.
For over a decade the Vale Circuit has been used for the Bathurst Cycling Championships and prior to covid the roads used for NSW’s Qualifying round of the World Grand Fondo Cycling Championships.
Thanks to today’s race officials and organisers.. Attached are a few photos of the historical significance of the event – remembering the circuit also follows the route of the State Heritage Registered Cox’s Convict Road (which opened up inland Australia in 1815).
Stay tuned for the race reports..
Spoiler Alert - after watching Luke Tuckwells performance over night pulling on the yellow jersey Tour Auvergne - Rhone-Alpes, a very motivated Charlie Gascoyne of Orange rode through the field to take first and fastest. More Soon…

12/06/2026

MASTER CLASS
Has been wonderful following the coverage of the 78th Tour Auvergne - Rhone-Alpes on SBS. The event famous as a form guide for the Tour De France.
Around the coffee shops of Orange and Bathurst the talk off the last couple of day was about Luke Tuckwells performances in the early stages of the Tour Auvergne - Rhone-Alpes.
None of the locals missed him attacking the big names in the first stages. His reactions to make that move in stage 1 move were excellent.
The new rule of the stage 3 TTT stage was a super performance as his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team were not suited by their multiple GC contender’s approach. However, to have three riders finish that high on GC after that TTT has proved to be a master stroke… Yet still it would have taken a mighty performance by the team (physically, tactically and with perfect technique).
Luke taking yellow was a brilliant performance, the new rules of the TTT meant all the other teams had identified just one leader. This makes it almost impossible to cover a team with three team leader options.
The stage 6 performance was impressive; they got the right people in the move. Then Luke Tuckwell surprised a few people by letting his Red Bull - BORA – Hansgrohe teammate Maxim Van Gils go up the road with a couple of riders. But the team was confident in Lukes’s ability, as he would then attack his group to ride across to cross to Van Gils and then would toe them to the finish for Van Gils to take the stage, and Luke to hold off the charging Paul Seixas & Isaac del Toro. Top effort.
Who knows what Seixas & Del Toro.. etc are capable of on the weekend, but whatever happens it has been a mighty performance by Luke and the Red Bull - BORA – Hansgrohe team this week – top effort – enjoy the Yellow lads.. We are looking forward to some late nights watching SBS Sport ..