The 27-year-old won both line honours and broke the course record, which former Australian champion Peter Besanko set in 1992.

McCartney's record time of three hours one minute and 22 seconds equates to a super-fast average race speed of 44.08kmh and it carves two seconds off Besanko's record.

In cold but dry conditions the 15 scratch men were in good form from the outset.

They had caught the 11-man four-minute markers at the completion of lap one of the three 44-kilometre race loops through Creswick, Newlyn, Allendale, Blampied and Smeaton.

The combined group powered on to be up with the field by the completion of the second lap.

Eight riders survived the savage competition to contest the final sprint for line honours.

McCartney led out early and won from Brunswick's Mitch Docker. Caulfield's Peter Smith was third.

Trent Stevenson from Shepparton was close behind in fourth placing with Jay Bourke turning in a strong ride for overall fifth. Bourke also won the Farmers Arms trophy for the first Ballarat/Sebastopol rider to finish.

McCartney is a Geelong resident but races as a member of the Footscray club.

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and his early initiation into cycling was through his involvement in triathlons.

He has ridden in two Herald-Sun Tours and has raced with success from a Colorado base in America.

He leaves for overseas on Wednesday to ride in the Japan/Korea 10-day tour.

The Creswick race honours the late Fred Icke, who introduced it to the state cycling calendar in 1960 and was race organiser for 21 years.