Club Races
Monaghan Dominates at Fyans Creek
Fyans Creeek Road, Sunday 26th April 2009

	Danny Monaghan

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.