Club Races
Grampians Riders Do
Well in Combine.
Lake Learmonth
- Sunday 26th July 2009
A large
field of thirty-five cyclists competed in the Eureka
Veteran Cycling Club combine held at Lake Learmonth,
near Ballarat. Thirteen riders from the Grampians
Veterans Club combined with Eureka for the forty-eight
kilometre handicap event.
Fine but
cold (5 degrees!) conditions greeted riders as they
lined up for the start, but riders soon warmed up
during the three lap circuit
around the Lake Learmonth district. Undulating
hills across the back section of the course, reminiscent
of Sandbar Road near Lake Lonsdale, made for an interesting
race.
Marilyn
Morley with a twenty seven minute handicap held off
the chasing bunches for two laps. Meg Parnaby, Sue
Parker and Phil Cochrane were driving the fifteen
minute bunch but were soon captured by Bob Morley,
Shauna Heard, Tania Walters, Tony Rathgeber and Ron
Larkin.
These two
groups combined and worked well holding off the chasing
bunches until three kms from the finish.
Further
back in the field the eleven and eight minute bunches
of Tony Geor, Rob Parker, Brett Caddy, Peter Parnaby,
Peter Mayo, Tony Lloyd, Alan Barnett and Rob Kina
had all combined and were making up ground quickly.
The four and a half minute second scratch bunch of
Drew Heard, Dean Hayward, Gerard O'Brien and Andrew
Rushton had all of the riders in front within sight
but just missed out on catching them before the finish
line.
The five
man scratch bunch made up of seasoned locals including
Peter Kiel and an injured and very courageous Doug
Garley were unable to catch the main field by thirty
seconds.
Rob Kina
took out line honors after breaking free with 300m
to go, after nobody opted to chase him down. Peter
Mayo was first out of the bunch for second place
followed by Brett Caddy ahead of Peter Parnaby
and Alan Barnett.
Ken Heres
led the scratch bunch out for the fastest time prize,
however it was the master Doug Garley who again took
the money.
Many thanks to the Eureka club for
the great BBQ afterwards, and for hosting the event.
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