Club Races
Larkin Has a Eureka Moment!
Fyans Creek Handicap
Sunday 10th October 2010

	Ron Larkin

Visiting Ballarat rider Ron Larkin teamed with Meg Parnaby to take out the Grampians Vets 44km Fyans Creek handicap last Sunday.

Riding off fourteen minutes, Larkin and Parnaby rode away from twelve minute riders Peter Mayo and Peter James, catching the seventeen minute riders Karen James and Shirley Hetherington about half way through the race, at the turn onto the Sandbar Road.

This bunch then set off after the lone limit rider, Les Power, back after a long period off the bike. They finally caught him approaching Mount Dryden, with about ten kilometres to go.

Further back, the scratch riders Shane Clark, Ken Heres, Frank Kean and Dean Hayward worked hard to reel in the one and a half minute riders Sean Prins, Peter Wemyss, Drew Heard and Ron Hetherington along the Sandbar Road, the combined bunch then powering after the riders ahead.

Meanwhile five minute riders Dan Monaghan, Alan Barnett, Crystal Wemyss and Daryl Elliott had caught the twelve minute riders (Mayo and Peter James) on the slopes of McCracken’s hill, but were still five minutes behind the leading riders, and one minute in front of the chasing scratch and second scratch riders.

At the Mt Dryden turn onto Fyans Creek road, the leading bunch of riders consisted of Meg Parnaby, Ron Larkin, Karen James, Shirley Hetherington and Les Power. They arrived there two and a half minutes ahead of the two chasing bunches, who both came together at the same turn.

Click images to enlarge

Ron and Meg 5 minute riders Peter and Peter

second scratch scratch

Over the closing seven kilometres of the race, the big chasing bunch reduced the gap to about one minute, but Larkin had already crossed the line ahead of Parnaby, with Karen James in third place.

Ken Heres recorded the fastest time of 1 hour and 11 minutes.