ADAM Murchie took out a hard fought win in round 11 of Footscray Cycling Club’s Winter Road Season, held around the Flinders Ave circuit in the shadow of the You Yangs, with a stand-out performance by Trevor Hutchings earning high praise and second place.
Early in the race, Hutchings, Miles DaCosta, Josh Zammit and Liam Dove broke away and built up quite a good lead, at which stage Murchie and Jason Costin hit the bunch again and managed to bridge the gap to the breakaway.
As the six approached the finish, Murchie found himself in the prime position.
“Trevor attacked with me on his wheel and gave me an armchair ride and we swapped turns for the last few kilometres… and I held him out,” Murchie said.
He crossed the line to take the win just ahead of Hutchings in second place, with Costin pushing clear of the chasers to take third.
B Grade raced hard and fast for the full five laps, but unusually the large field remained intact, meaning it would be a mass bunch sprint up the narrow and uphill final straight along Flinders Ave.
Phil Tehan hit the bunch as they approached the last corner, and took four other riders with him.
It looked like they may be able to break away, but the bunch put the hammer down and brought them back, at which stage various riders hit the pack one after the other, leaving riders strung out approaching the line.
It was 36-year-old Greensborough resident Mark Gallagher who made the most of the remaining 200 metres, kicking past his competitors and building up a slender lead and held on.
