Club Races
Hayward Leads the Scratch Riders Charge
Fyans Creek Handicap
Sunday 8th August 2010

	Dean Hayward

With the scratch riders getting up, Grampians Vets cyclist Dean Hayward timed his charge to the line to perfection last Sunday, taking out a clear win in the 44km Fyans Creek handicap.

Cool but sunny conditions greeted the field as they lined up for the start, with Meg Parnaby and John McIntyre first away.

They made the most of the light winds and their 10 minute start to stay out of sight for most of the race. Four minute riders Stuart King, Damian Rabl and Tom Eldridge also set a solid pace, and at the half way point had taken out time on the 3 minute riders Tony Lloyd, Peter Mayo and Tony Rathgeber, who were soon afterwards engulfed by the scratch riders Dean Hayward, Drew Heard and Alan Barnett.

With 10 kilometres to go the limit riders still held a minute advantage over the 4 minute riders. However, the combined 3 minute and scratch riders were closing in fast, finally catching the 4 minute riders with about 3 kilometres to go.

It was only a matter of time before Parnaby and McIntyre were also reeled in, and that happened with one and a half kilometres to go, bringing the whole field together for the final sprint.

With the final straight a full kilometre in length, it is easy to misjudge the sprint and go too early. Heard lifted the pace early, but Hayward bided his time, making his jump late and quickly opening up a gap to win by several bike lengths from Heard, with Stuart King in third place.

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Dean Hayward, Drew Heard and Stuart King

Hayward also recorded the fastest time of 1 hour and 14 minutes.