Club Races
Rathgeber Snatches Victory
Quarry Road
Sunday 7th February 2010

	Tony Rathgeber

Ideal weather conditions greeted Grampian Vets cyclists on Sunday morning as they tackled the 48km Quarry Rd course around Lake Lonsdale.

Light winds tend to favour the front markers, and the 8 ½ minute bunch of Les Power, Tony Rathgeber, Damian Rabl and new rider Crystal Wemyss looked to make the most of their opportunities, setting a fast pace from the outset.

As the race progressed, this group gradually reeled in the 14 minute markers Meg Parnaby and Frank Stokes, and by the Sandbar Hill had caught this pair along with outmarker Larry Bales.

Further back in the field scratch markers Tim Schneider, Peter Wemyess, Drew Heard, Sean Prins and Dean Hayward were struggling to close the 2 minute gap to Alan Barnett, Gerard O’Brien, Peter Parnaby, Tony Lloyd and Daryl Elliott, but a huge effort by Schneider brought the two bunches together approaching the Quarry Rd Hill.

The combined group charged home in a high speed chase that was to bring them within 200 meters of the leaders approaching the finish line.

Sensing the danger from behind , Crystal Wemyss attacked in a bid for victory, but Rathgeber managed to chase her down and sprint past on the line to take out the race. Rabl crossed the line for third place.

Drew Heard was the first of the scratch riders home, taking out fastest time of 1 hour 11 minutes.