Halls Gap VVCC Open 2009
Vallins Leads Scratchmens Charge
Halls Gap - Saturday 30 and Sunday 31st August 08

NOTE - The following race description was gleaned from various sources, and is an approximation at best. Please overlook any minor inaccuracies, as it is not possible to see the whole event as it unfolds. Feel free to contact us if there are major errors in facts!

Veteran cyclists from all over Victoria competed for $4600 in prize money last weekend, when the Grampians Veteran Cycling club held their annual two day cycling carnival at Halls Gap.

Forty-six kilometer graded scratch races on Saturday afternoon saw over 90 entries, with local riders Stuart King and Les Power taking out first and second place in Division 5.

Sundays handicap attracted 130 riders, but flooding of the Mount William Creek at Mokepilly forced a change from the normal 60km course. Overcast but mostly dry conditions made for good racing, with an exciting finish to top it all off.

The 25 and 23 minute riders combined after the first 20 kilometers, with local riders Meg Parnaby, Tania Walter, Tony Rathgeber and John McIntyre providing much of the firepower to propel the group along.

With 12 kilometers to go, they still had a good lead, but the scratch riders were blasting their way through the field, and had picked up the combined 4 to 10 minute riders, creating a 40 strong chasing bunch. Eight minute Grampian’s riders Drew Heard, Daryl Elliott, and Dean Hayward, along with 10 minute rider Gerard O’Brien, were swept along in the charge.

Between the limit riders and the large chasing bunch was the remnants of the 12 to 17 minute bunches, with local riders Alan Barnett, Peter Mayo, Stuart King, Tom Eldridge and Les Power working hard to try to hold off the chasing hordes.

However, there was no holding back the scratch riders, who broke free of the large pack over the closing stages of the race, overtaking the limit riders only 2 kilometers from the finish.

George Vallins from Colac took took out the sprint and fastest time (1 hour 21 minutes), with John Macague (Central Vets) second, and Mark Winnen from Warrnambool third.

First female home was Leigh-Anne Dynon from Central Vets, and Drew Heard was the first Grampians rider home.

Handicap Results

1st George Vallins(C), 2nd John Macague (C/V), 3rd Mark Winnen(W), 4th Jeff McLean (W), 5th Richie Belliville (W), 6th Marty Taube (C), 7th Andrew Weightman (G), 8th Roy Clark (E), 9th Adam Smith (Eu), 10th Wayne Hatley (W).

1st Grampians rider was Drew Heard.

1st female rider Leigh-Anne Dynon, 2nd female rider Mandy Hosking (G), 3rd female rider Fran Medina

Scratch Races Results

Division 1
1st Jamie Goddard 2nd Roy Clark 3rd Scott Keating

Division 2
1st Mark Winnen 2nd Doug Garley 3rd Damien Bourke

Division 3
1st Jeff McLean 2nd Rick Buckwell 3rd Ray Russo

Division 4
1st Ivan Howes 2nd Neil Maurer 3rd Leigh-Anne Dynon

Division 5
1st Stuart King 2nd Les Power 3rd Steven Bright

Division 6
1st Robert Logan 2nd Sabrina Smythe 3rd Kate Winnen

A SPECIAL THANK YOU

The Grampians Club would like to thank all those who helped make the event run as smoothly as it did, and who helped on corners, with salads etc on the day. A special thank you to Tony Lloyd who was the main organiser behind the scenes, and to the VVCC race officials and handicapper who always do a magnificent job beforehand and on the day.