Club Races
Danny Returns in Top Form
Polkemmet 54km Handicap
Sunday 17th April 2011

	Danny Monaghan

Having returned only 10 days ago from his summer job as a ski instructor in the USA, Danny Monaghan proved he is in excellent shape when he took out the Grampians Vets 54 kilometre Polkemmet handicap last Sunday.

Ideal weather conditions prevailed, with very light winds, almost unheard of on the normally windy Polkemmet course!!

Along with half a dozen other Grampians riders, Monaghan has been preparing for the South Pacific Vets Cycling Championships, to be held over the Easter break at Maryborough.

Riding his first handicap event since his return, Monaghan took the handicappers by surprise, riding at a level it usually takes him some weeks to regain. He dominated the eight minute bunch, ably supported by another in form rider, Geoff Richards, with Drew Heard and Peter Parnaby playing supportive roles.

Under the power of Monaghan, the 8 minute riders caught the ten and a half minute riders Stuart King, Tom Eldridge and Richard Clarke at about the 35 kilometre mark, with the combined bunches then working hard in pursuit of the limit riders Meg Parnaby and Damian Rabl, who were still well out of sight.

Further back, the five minute riders Daryl Elliott, Gerard O’Brien, Crystal Wemyss, Dean Logan and guest rider Daryl Hobbs were struggling to gain ground on the riders in front, especially once the 8 and 10 and a half minute riders combined.

Scratch riders Chris Scott and Peter Wemyss, along with guest riders Dennis Kelly and Mark Pumpa, set off at a cracking pace, with powerhouse Kelly doing some mighty turns out in front. With about ten kilometres to go, they had the 5 minute riders in their sights, and were working hard to close the gap. However, they split on the last hill, with Kelly breaking free, pursued by Peter Wemyss and Mark Pumpa, trying to regain the lost ground.

In the meantime, the combined eight and ten and half minute riders had caught the limit riders with five kilometres to go. Not easing up, they powered on to the line, with Monaghan taking the sprint by a narrow margin from Stuart King. Richard Clark was third.

The 5 minute riders finished some distance behind, with scratch rider Dennis Kelly catching them a few hundred metres from the finish, and taking out the fastest race time of 1 hour and 20 minutes and 25 seconds, an average of 40.5kph.

This was a course record time, beating the previous time held by Ian Blackie of 1 hour, 21 minutes and 15 seconds.