DUBBO Cycle Club’s David Gerrish continued his good association with the Keegan Downes Memorial Coonabarabran to Gunnedah Sundowner Handicap after finishing seventh in Saturday’s event, while Jason Farr was victorious in his division in Sunday’s Gunendah to Tamworth graded scratch races.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Gerrish, who won the event in 2012, finished only three seconds behind 2016 winner Ben Marshall (Oliver’s Real Food Racing team), with Manning Valley Cycle Club’s Glenn Mathiske in second and Matthew Smithson (Penrith CC) in third.
The 111km Keegan Downes Memoral is named in honour of the Gunnedah-based cyclist that was tragically killed in a road accident in 1991.
Fellow Dubbo riders Adam Mitchell (+32 minutes; DNF), Simon Meredith (+18 minutes; 53rd) and Jason Farr (+14 minutes; 41st) also tackled the undulating course.
Farr is also a former winner of the 1994 Coonabarabran to Gunnedah Sundowner Handicap and actually rode the same bike in the 2016 race as he did 1994.
The 111km Keegan Downes Memoral Coonabarabran to Gunnedah Sundowner Handicap, was first run in 1967 and has run continuosly from 1975 and is named in honour of the Gunnedah-based cyclist that was tragically killed in a road accident in 1991.
Sunday’s Gunnedah to Tamworth graded scratch races were run in persistant, sometimes torrential rain, with strong cross and head winds present throughout the 106km course.
Farr, who returned to competitive cycling in late 2015 after almost two-decade break from the sport, was victorious in division five, staving off a late attack over the final kilometres to beat the Murwillumbah pair of Dion Harris and Robert Wilmoth.
Mitchell crossed the line in 13th in division one, which was won GPM-Stulz rider Sam Hill ahead of Attaque Team Gusto rider Ben Hill and GPM-Stulz rider Joel Walsh, while Mudgee Cycle Club rider Joel Burke, who often contests Dubbo Cycle Club events finished second in the Division two event.
Illawarra Cycle Club’s Simon Meredith, who also contests a number of Dubbo Cycle club events finished second in division four behind Inverell rider Peter Baz, with Gerrish crossing the line in fourth in a sprint finish.
Dubbo’s Sam Fitzgerald finished 10th in divison six after getting into a six rider chase in the final 30km, however with 20km remaining a dropped chain on the climb out of Currabubula meant he lost time on that group, which was unable to catch breakaway rider Brian Bagster, who is a former National Masters Road Rac Champion and the 1982 winner of the Coonabarabran to Gunnedah Sundowner Handicap.
Dubbo Cycle Club will hold racing this Saturday with a 36km handicap event for round 10 of the Dubbo City Toyota Road Racing series on the Benalong Road course, while some of the club’s talented juniors will head south for the Gwen French Wagga Wagga Junior Two Day Tour on Saturday and Sunday June 25 to 26.
