Richards paves the way for VC Baracchi road race success

Mark Richards of Velo Club Baracchi paved the way for a resurgence of road racing in the club by earning his third cat racing licence with results at the Lotus League series at Hethel.

All riders start as fourth category riders until they move up the categories. Richards, with a third place and a fourth place earned the points for his promotion.

Mark (Titch) Richards and Lewis Pendle

Richards went on to ride to ninth place in Sunday’s Strada Sport 50-mile categories 3/4 road race, just south of Norwich, organised by Nick Esser.

For at least the first two laps he was at the front of the race, including working in a in a leading break with Richard Pendle of Iceni Velo.

Finally, three got away who couldn’t be brought back. Nobody would work with Richards, he said. He led the bunch into the finishing hill, hoping to hang on for fourth. He had done too much work, he admitted, but was deservedly happy with his showing and ninth place.

The early formation of the break – there goes Titch

Andrew Holmes of VC Revolution won with Elliot Fullerton of VC Norwich second and Tim Guy of Iceni Velo third.

VCB member James Moore also rode, in neutral kit. He is about to transfer his first claim allegiance to VCB from Strada Sport now that VCB has reinstated its British Cycling affiliation and registered this year’s new kit design.

Another of the club’s members, Stephen Grant, has raced with some success at Lotus, also earning a third cat licence with a third and two fourth places, though he was racing for Strada Sport and apparently intends to continue for them, nevertheless retaining VCB membership.

In the Stowmarket & District CC 10-mile open time trial on Sunday on the Wickham Market bypass Chris Womack was the fastest VCB rider with 24:09. Ali Banks achieved 24:55 and John Swanbury 25:01.

The riders were split into age categories A to D and all the VCB veteran riders were in category D, won by Chris Nudds of CC Breckland in 23:09. The overall winner was Matthew Senter, a King’s Lynn CC senior, with 21:11.

It was a lovely sunny morning and there was little wind, but the course was much less easy than it might look, with some drags and about 70 metres of elevation gain and of loss over the distance, contrasting with around 15 metres on the Earsham course.

Mark Womack of VCB was the club’s sole rider in the Gt Yarmouth CC 8.25-mile time trial from Lound, with 22:41 for sixth place in a field of twelve. Steve Konrad of the home club won by more than two minutes in 19:12.

Godric CC’s 10-mile time trial last week was cancelled because of a road traffic accident that was still blocking the A143, though not related to cycling.

The “Wrinklies” rides on Tuesdays and Fridays from Carlton Colville church at 9am remain hugely popular, with quite a large pool of riders, of whom usually at least a dozen and sometimes nearly twenty turn out each time. This is not club-based, though some of the riders are VCB members. Newcomers are welcome. The usual distance is between 40 and forty-five miles.