Club Races
Parnaby Breaks Away to Win
Concongella
Sunday 31st January 2010

	Peter Parnaby

Grampians Vets rider Peter Parnaby led the 5 minute riders' charge to the line last Sunday, taking out the 46 kilometre Concongella Handicap.

Very warm temperatures and a strengthening north easterly wind, combined with the hilly start out along the Landsborough road, made for difficult riding conditions.

Parnaby combined well with fellow 5 minute riders Tony Lloyd and Stuart King, to have the 7 minute riders Peter Mayo, Tony Rathgeber and Les Power in their sights before Joel Joel, and caught them soon after.

The two bunches combined, until they hit the first of the hills heading back to Stawell along the Navarre road, when they lost the 7 minute riders again.

With a chasing wind, the pace was high, and the three 5 minute riders picked up the lone limit rider Meg Parnaby with about 9 kilometres to go. Meg Parnaby put in an outstanding ride to sit on the back at speeds up to 50 kilometres per hour for the remaining distance.

Further back, the scratch riders Frank Kean, Peter Wemyss and Drew Gray had caught the 3 minute riders Sean Prins, Wayne Klauss and Alan Barnett soon after Greens Creek, and were slowly gaining on the riders in front.

However, the 5 minute riders still had a 400m lead with 2 kilometres to go, and on the final hill, Parnaby made the break, quickly opening up a gap and taking out the race from Stuart King and Tony Lloyd.

Drew Gray recorded the fastest race time of 1 hour, 13 minutes.