Club Races
Monaghan Dominates
at Fyans Creek
Fyans Creeek
Road, Sunday
26th April 2009
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Danny
Monaghan |
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After dominating
the rest of the field for much of the race, Grampians
Vets cyclist Danny Monaghan took out a well deserved
win in the 44km Fyans Creek Handicap last Sunday.
Strong
winds and pre-race showers had some riders reluctant
to leave the warmth of their cars, but the weather
cleared as the limit riders Meg Parnaby, Tom Eldridge,
John McIntyre and Peter Parnaby set off. Riding off
7 minutes, they had their work cut out after the
early loss of McIntyre with a mechanical problem
Four and
a half minutes behind, the middle bunch of riders
Glenn Ford, Tony Lloyd, Peter Mayo, Les Power and
Stuart King put in some big turns to reduce the limit
rider’s lead to 2 minutes
as they turned into the fierce head winds along the
Sandbar Road.
However,
the scratch riders Alan Barnett, Dean Hayward, Danny
Monaghan and Sean Prins were only 30 seconds behind
the middle bunch by then, and soon after the scratch
and middle bunches combined.
This larger
group soon reduced the remaining lead of the limit
riders, and caught them soon after McCracken’s
Hill, attacking them at high speed under the driving
force of Monaghan. This temporarily split the whole
field, with Monaghan, Prins, Ford and Peter Parnaby
briefly getting away, but they were soon caught by
the regrouped riders behind.
Another
two kilometres down the road, Monaghan surged again,
and broke clear to ride solo for the next 4 kilometres,
before being reeled in once again by the chasing
riders.
With half
a kilometre to go, Monaghan jumped again, taking
Ford with him, and in a show of sheer power charged
to the line ahead of Ford, with Stuart King the best
of the rest, some distance behind.
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