Richards earns VC Baracchi 10-mile and 100-mile championships

Mark Richards is the worthy winner of two of the Velo Club Baracchi championships, at the very different disciplines of 10 miles and 100 miles.

The hard-fought Velo Club Baracchi 10-mile championship was ridden within last week’s Godric CC club time trial at Earsham, as well as the event as a whole.

Nine of the club’s paid-up members and another former member in VCB kit but riding for Rock Estate took part in the 27-rider field, the best club turn-out for some time.

Richards’ time was 22:07, relegating his most dangerous rival Liam Gentry on 22:13 to second place in the championship and seeing off Paul Dennington (22:54) and James Moore (23:07).

Other VCB times were Chris Womack 24:28, Ali Banks 24:54, John Swanbury 25:18, Keith Wink 25:25 and Mark Womack 26:22.

It was Wink’s second time trial. He rode once last year and bettered that time, so we may see him again. Danny Sayer, riding for Rock Estate, is a former VCB rider on a comeback and he achieved 27:02 after many years out.

The weather was fairly kind, with a distinct headwind out and a tailwind return and the event was held up briefly by a stubble fire that had closed the A143.

The 100-mile East District Cycling Association 100-mile event on the A11 (Spooner Row to Snetterton and back via the Mulbarton turn, four laps) was used as the VCB championship and three of the club’s riders rode.

Richards lays the bike over (photo by courtesy of Fergus Muir)

Richards achieved a stunning time of 3-56:31 in his first ride at the distance to clinch the club championship win over the club’s record holder Liam Gentry, whose record stands at 3-51:46.

Liam Gentry (photo by Fergus Muir0

Gentry was the runner-up with 4-03:30, perhaps not going so well before the end of the event. The club’s top veteran, Chris Womack (68) rode an excellent 4-25:34, just 44 seconds slower than his 3013 personal best, though this time on a road bike with tri-bars and aero wheels, which offered him a more relaxed position.

The club’s veteran championship is theoretically decided throughout the season but it appears Womack sealed it with this ride. His time was a veteran “plus” of 58:40, by which he beat his age-related standard time of 5-24:04.

Chris Womack in the 100 (photo by Fergus Muir)

Joel Wainman of Team Swift won the EDCA championship in 3-33:28, from Dave Green of Team VeloVelocity (3-40:42) and Lawrence Wintergold of Hounslow & District CC (3-47:55) and the women’s champion was Mary Blowers of Chelmer CC (4-12:26).

John Thompson, fearing the Godric event might be cancelled because of the fire, rode the Diss 10 instead. The winner was Lee Shipp of Diss CC in 21:50.

Thompson also rode the Verulam CC 25 on the A1, a surprisingly hilly course, finishing in 1-14:40. Ross Clarke of TMG Horizon won in 53:05.