Good news for VC Baracchi road racing in 2016

Velo Club Baracchi’s credentials as a road racing club were underlined at the annual meeting, at which the club’s 2016 road race and it’s re-affiliation to the Eastern Road Race league was announced.

The road race will be in July on a new course based at Ringsfield and will give third and fourth category riders another event to ride.

The club was formed in 1978 as a racing club and its emphasis has been more on time trials for several years, but Mark Richards and James Moore spearheaded the return to road racing this year, laying the foundations for a more comprehensive return to the mass start racing scene.

Membership of the ERRL means that the club’s riders will stand a better chance of getting into Eastern Region races as well as the club’s own. Several riders who have been competing for other teams have decided to return, as it is a good time to do so.

Also at the meeting, club chairman Brian Boxall commented on the time trials, reliability trials and audax events that have been promoted during the year and he observed that the club has been pulling its weight in making provision for the sport.

Next year the club will also run an extra open time trial, as one of the Norwich clubs had pulled out of promoting a 10-mile event in October, so Mark Richards stepped up to do this on behalf of VCB.

Richards also agreed to fill the vacant position of vice-chairman and Boxall continues as chairman, also agreeing to continue in the additional role of secretary for next year, in the absence of another volunteer. John Thompson continues as treasurer and John Swanbury as publicity officer.

The club looks forward to an even more successful year ahead and will welcome new members interested in time trials, road racing or just club riding.

Subscriptions for 2016 can now be paid. There has been a very small increase to £15 for individual members, £20 for family membership and no change to the £5 for any junior members not covered by a family membership. All club details and a membership application are on www.vcbaracchi.co.uk

Thompson also arranged an audax that took place on Sunday. The 104km route was from Carlton Colville community centre to an info control at Wingfield then via Brockdish and Woodton to the main control at Loddon (Rosie Lee tea rooms, then to an info control at Heckingham and via Beccles back to Carlton Colville

34 started this morning and 33 successfully finished. The fastest group of riders got round in 4 hours 22 minutes and included Tim Revell of VCB.

They were blessed by a mild day, nicely sunny at first, with no rain, but a quite strong headwind in parts.

A club run also took place to Dunwich and the riders found themselves at Westleton around 11am so they stopped at the war memorial to the eighteen who died in the First World War and the three who died in the Second. It was Remembrance Sunday and the riders found they were the only people who had chosen to visit the memorial at that time (though it may have been different on Armistice Day).