Brien claims GP Doug Garley

EUREKA Cycling Club members were greeted with perfect cycling conditions for the 2022 edition of the GP Doug Garley on Sunday, 7 August.

Garley was the first Eureka Club champion and a legend of Victorian cycling on both the track and road.

As a young man he competed in Europe and he represented Australia on multiple occasions.

Prize money for the event was boosted thanks to a generous donation from Matthew Bowman and a small, yet high quality field assembled for the race that was contested over 43.5 kilometres, with 15 of them on unsealed roads.

The 15-minute pairing of Dennis Shaw and Danny Whelan had the race lead at the halfway mark, with the main threat appearing to be from Stu Brien and Dean Wells from the four-minute group.

The one-minute pack of Ash Braszell, Dayne Pearce and Jason Hendry were also closing fast in a race that came down to the last few hundred metres.

Brien and Wells took the lead with just 500 metres remaining, which was contested on a final gravel climb.

The pair sprinted away to ensure a one-two result before Brien packed too much punch in the push to the line.

Shaw and Whelan took the third and fourth placings with Ash Braszell claiming fifth in a fastest time effort.

GP Doug Garley, 43.5-kilometre handicap results – 1st – Stu Brien (4 min), 2nd – Dean Wells (4 min), 3rd – Dennis Shaw (15 min), 4th – Danny Whelan (15 min), 5th – Ash Braszell (1 min).

Ride of the Day – Peter Livitsanis

Fastest Time – Ash Braszell (1 min), in 1h 7m 20s, ave. 38.5kph.

– BY DEAN WELLS