ZAC Marshall not only won his second Golden Wheel title on the weekend, but he also secured a sizeable share of brownie points.
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The 19-year-old former Wagga rider, now based at Illawarra, handled the tough conditions best to beat Albury's Steve Kilpatrick by about five metres in the five lap handicap on Saturday night.
It added to his 2017 title after illness robbed him of a chance to defend his crown last year. But the two women closest to him also reaped the benefits.
"When I won the first one I gave the pendant (awarded to the winner) to my mum (Sonia) and this time I gave it to my girlfriend, so she was happy," Marshall said.
"I might keep the next one, definitely."
Starting off 30 metres, the NSW Institute of Sport rider caught the leading bunch before unleashing a race-winning move with about 250 metres to go.
Bathurst's Glen Carter finished fourth, with Bankstown's Daniel Samuel third.
"Max Housden and Luke Britten dragged me onto the back of the bunch and from thereon it was all about as much recovery as possible beforethe last lap.
"It's one thing to catch up to the bunch, but it's another to get around 24 riders when you're at the back," Marshall said.
"My first win I did it off scratch so it was a bit more special to me, but still it's great to come back to the Wagga carnival and get another win.
"The conditions were really tough. It was pretty cold and there was also a massive headwind into the home straight, which was good and bad.
"It was hard racing but it also meant some of the slower riders were getting more fatigued at the end because of the wind, which made it easier to get around them in the end."
Last year's Golden Wheel, which he missed due to illness, was the only time he hasn't ridden in the event since he started racing in 2005.
Illawarra ensured a clean sweep of the headline events when Amelia Trkulja took out the women's event ahead of Wagga resident and St George club member Lara Batkin, with Illawarra's Tahlia Dole third and Tolland's Rebel Brooker fourth.
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