Club Races
Danny does it Again!
Concongella Handicap, Sunday
9th November 2008
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Danny
Monaghan |
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Grampians Vets cyclist Danny Monaghan
took out his second race in 3 weeks last Sunday when
he sprinted to victory in the 46km Concongella handicap.
Monaghan,
along with fellow 6 minute riders Sean Prins and Tom
Eldridge, had reeled in the limit riders Meg Parnaby,
Shauna Heard, Les Power, Tania Walter and Frank Stokes
after the first leg out to Joel Joel.
This combined
group then made good time across to Greens Creek, taking
advantage of the almost perfect riding conditions.
Meanwhile,
backmarkers Ian Blackie, Frank Kean, Rick McIntosh,
Drew Heard and Gerard O’Brien
had worked hard to catch the 2 minute riders Alan Barnett,
Tim Schneider and Mark Uebergang halfway between Joel
Joel and Greens Creek.
This formidable bunch of riders
then upped the pace to catch the 3 and a half minute
riders Leon Gibson, Jamie Bennett and Stuart King several
kilometres after Greens Creek.
With 5km to go, the
leading group of riders still had a good 500m lead,
but under the pressure of holding off the fast closing
pack behind, the leading bunch started to fragment.
With
2km to go the gap had narrowed to 200m, with several
riders breaking away from both the lead and chasing
groups. Monaghan, Prins and Eldridge put all they had
left into the last hill climb before the finish, and
managed to hold their lead with Monaghan just touching
out Eldridge for first place in the sprint, with Prins
a close third.
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Clcik
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Danny Monaghan
leads the combined limit and 6 minute
bunches towards Greens Creek.
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The large chasing bunch was only 100m
behind, with Ian Blackie taking out the fastest race
time of 1 hour 10 minutes..
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