Thompson here, there and everywhere

John Thompson of Velo Club Baracchi often features somewhere in the reports of the club’s activities and he was in action again on Saturday.

His results are usually modest but it is nice to reflect also on his contribution to the sport, which includes riding more open time trials and many more audax events than most other current VCB riders and also often in the past taking responsibility for organising events.

Though some other club riders are content to bash round the Somerleyton course in local club time trials Thompson’s enthusiasm is for open events.  He is often to be found on far-flung courses,
always riding in the club’s colours and enjoying every minute.

It must have been a pleasure for him, therefore, that Saturday’s Norwich Amateur Bicycle Club’s 10-mile open event involved travelling no further than Wortwell for the headquarters and that the course was the local favourite from Church Lane Redenhall to Clays roundabout and back on the A143 Bungay bypass.

On Saturday Thompson and John Swanbury were the club’s only members in the event, which attracted an entry of fifty-seven riders.

Thompson himself would acknowledge that he is not a particularly quick rider but every event provides that personal challenge and at every level there are rivals.

Thompson’s time was 28:32 and quite a pleasing one in the somewhat windy conditions; mostly a side tail wind on the way out and a side head wind on the return.  He was just beaten by John
Newman of NABC (28:21) but beat Terry Law of CC Sudbury (28:57), having been ahead of both of them on time at just over half distance.

John Swanbury was pleased with 25:16 though one of his regular rivals, Phil Hollingsworth of East Anglian CC, was quicker by one second.

The winning time was 20:49 was set by top seed Daniel Bloy of King’s Lynn CC, one of only about four riders under the age of 40 taking part.  Paul Jay of Team Velovelocity.co.uk was second with 21:42 and Glenn Taylor of Rochford Rangers RT third in 21:50.

Chris Nudds of CC Breckland with 22:39 at age 65 (a “plus” of 5:35 against his veteran standard time of 28:14) stood out as a dominant veteran, as did 82-year-old Peter Baumber of Cambridge CC with 26:58 (+5:25).  Sally Withey of VC Norwich had a sound ride to win for the ladies with 25:00.

The VCB’s Baracchi Trophy 2-up 25-mile is on September 22 at Somerleyton.

Club members who want to take part in the club 25-mile championship (which could not be run on September 1 because of road works) must now enter the Godric CC open event on September 29. The closing date for entries is September 17.

Earlier in the week the informal group known as the Over the Hill Gang or briefly,”the Wrinklies,” that includes VCB riders, enjoyed one of the war late summer days on their ride from Carlton Colville church.