Gentry’s win in the VCB road race

McCluskey leads Gentry across a gap

Liam Gentry celebrated his birthday with a classy home win in the 60-rider Velo Club Baracchi Summer Road Race on a circuit through Somerleyton, Lound and Ashby.

Gentry sprints for the line

In a race where the biggest break had only 35 seconds he won with an attack with Lee Desborough of St Ives CC in the final mile and Gentry was the clear winner of their finishing sprint.

They managed to stay clear of a closing bunch led in by Stephen Griffiths of PCH UK An earlier break of half a dozen riders looked strong but never gained more than about forty seconds.

A spent McCluskey makes it to the line

At the finish the bunch contained two other VCB riders who had helped Gentry during the race, Mark Westrup and Ben McCluskey.  McCluskey’s valuable contribution on the last lap was to put in a sprint to help Gentry across a gap.   See also VC Baracchi Summer Road Race July 24, 2011 – a set on Flickr

Westrup happy to finish

In star rider Gentry’s absence last week on holiday, three VCB riders tackled the very quick (26.8mph average) Lotus League racing.  Nick Esser was in the right place at the right time, sprinting to third place.  Westrup and McCluskey paid for earlier efforts.  Ben Nicholson (Iceni Velo) won as the sole survivor of a two-man break.

Long distance expert Mike Rainton had a successful time in the Mersey Roads Club 24-hour time trial.  He awaits confirmation of the distance achieved, in the region of 340 miles, Philip Kelman of Deeside Thistle won with a remarkable 479.19 miles ridden.  There was a north-westerly wind rising to 20mph in the daytime and at night it fell, with temperatures down to 6 degrees.

Mike Rainton sets off to ride 24 hours

A food stop for Rainton during the event

An unusually good evening for the Tuesday evening Godric CC club 10-mile time trial at Earsham  last week gave rise to a close contest among the middle-ranking riders.

John Swanbury achieved 25:04 to Chris Womack’s 25:08 and between the two was Roger Farrow of Gt Yarmouth CC with 25:06.

Mike King of VCB rode his first time trial of the year, with 27:38.  Will Bamber of Cult Racing won in 21:40.

Womack was on good form in the Gt Yarmouth CC 10 at Somerleyton last Thursday with 26:41 and Westrup was even quicker with 24:30 but Swanbury trailed with 28:10.

Womack went on at the weekend to feature with other VCB riders in two open time trials, with a personal best time (by 14 seconds) of 24:15 in the Team Cambridge 10.  In windy conditions Mark Newnham was just outside his personal best with 22:45 and Nicki Hawkes achieved 25:53.  Mark Jones (Oxford City RC) won in 20.02 and Kate Hodgkiss Colchester Rovers CC won for the ladies in 23:24.

At the Diss and District CC 25-mile event, won by Mark Arnold of Team Pedal Revolution in 56.40, Chris Womack’s time was a hard-earned 1-07:56 and Jenny Anderson had to be content with 1-12:42.

Womack said it was exceptionally windy and “very hard work out to the turn on this undulating course, but better on return leg.”

• Pakefield rider Mike Horne, a well known one-time member of VCB and other local clubs, has announced that the social rides from Carlton Colville church on Tuesday mornings at 9am are now supplemented by similar Friday rides at 8am, which may be moved to a later time as the year fades.

These rides, which attract some VCB riders and suit especially the non-racing element probably average about 15mph and tend to be about 50 miles, though occasionally some riders cut short if time is a limiting factor.  The usual riders are keen to attract a few more to join them.  It’s best to have some experience of riding in company, or to be willing to acquire it.