Partridge opens his account

New Velo Club Baracchi member Nick Partridge opened his account with sixth place overall and second veteran prize on age standards in Saturday’s open time trial.

CC Breckland staged the 10-mile event on the B1108 from Hingham to the outskirts of Watton and back, where the first leg into the wind was the longer of the two.

Partridge, who lives in Saxmundham and enthusiastically switched this season from Plomesgate CC, is clearly destined to put in some good times for VCB, as his 21:45 result indicated.

Paul Hayward, the club’s vice chairman, also put in a good time, 22:49, just outside the top ten.

The club’s two older veteran rivals, Chris Womack and John Swanbury, both now 72, had a reversal of fortunes with Swanbury the faster with 26:28 to Womack’s 26:54.

This unaccustomed order will probably not endure the season as Womack is almost consistently the faster but, on this occasion, he was put off by failing to start his computer and mistaking some other place for the finish line, neither of which will have helped.

The wind was expected to be mainly a headwind for the first 5.5 miles but there were some gusts from the side and the return was faster, but not all the time.

It is an interesting course and quite good for a “B” road, with quite a good roundabout.  The promoting club marshalled the pedestrian lights just before the roundabout to discourage anyone from setting them to red as the riders approached.

The top three places were filled by Team VeloVelocity riders, Ben Stancombe 20:33, Stuart Fairweather 21:17 and Daniel Bloy 21:18.

Mark Richards of DAP CC, a VCB second-claim member, took fourth place with 21:33.  The women’s winner was Cindy Berry (Pedal Power Ipswich) in 24:26.  About 60 rode.

One or two riders were out on the wet Sunday morning but for most the weather kept them indoors.  John Thompson was one who ventured out, but even he cut short his ride.