Club Races
Duel Results in Draw
Fyans Creek Handicap
Sunday 9th October 2011

A close battle between Daryl Elliott and Danny Monaghan resulted in a finish too close to call, so both riders were declared joint winners of the Grampians Vets Cycling Club’s 44 kilometre Fyans Creek Handicap.

	Danny and Daryl

Elliott, along with fellow two and a half minute riders Peter Parnaby and Stuart King, took off at high speed, and looked like they would catch the four and a half minute riders Damian Rabl, Danny Monaghan and Les Dunn after about the first ten kilometres. However, the four and a half minute riders settled in and lifted their game to hold off the chasing riders until the Sandbar Road, where these two bunches came together, just past the half way mark.

Having gained reinforcements, this combined bunch kept the pace high, making it difficult for the chasing scratch riders Dean Hayward, Sean Prins, Geoff Richards and Drew Heard, who had reduced their two and half minute deficit to about one minute, but then failed to make much more of an impression.

Still out in front were the limit riders Meg Parnaby and John McIntyre, who put up a great battle but succumbed to the combined middle bunches with about 4 kilometres to go.

Once into the final straight, the middle bunches had it all to themselves, with scratch still several hundred metres behind. Stuart King did the hard work of leading the bunch towards the line. Elliott was the first to jump, followed closely by Monaghan, while Peter Parnaby missed a vital gear change and quickly lost contact.

Approaching the line, Elliott still held a slender lead, but was tiring, while Monaghan was closing the gap. The two hit the line together, with the outcome so close that they were declared joint winners. Stuart King was third.

Dean Hayward brought the scratch riders home to record the fastest time of one hour and ten minutes.