Hayward rides two opens and gets lifetime best; Partridge gets one in Cambridge CC 25

Paul Hayward of Velo Club Baracchi rode two events in the weekend and in one of them notched up a lifetime personal best.

In the Iceni Velo 10-mile event on the A11 road near Wymondham his 21:11 ride lopped 15 seconds off his best time.

Chris Womack of VCB, VCB’s top older veteran, riding in the same event, achieved a season’s best 23:25.

The top ride was by Andy Proffitt of Ipswich BC in 19:07. Kerry Tate of Newmarket Cycling & Triathlon Club won the top ladies’ prize in 22:32.

Hayward’s second ride was in Sunday’s ECCA (plus non-ECCA club members) 25-mile time trial. He took sixth place with 56:41.

A CC Sudbury duo, Leon West and John Bradbury, took the top two places with 51:01 and 52:42 respectively.

VCB’s current top 10-mile rider, Nick Partridge, set his sights on a top 25-mile ride in the Cambridge CC open 25 on the A428 dual-carriageway to the west of Cambridge, a two-lap course between Madingley interchange and Caxton Gibbett roundabout near Cambourne.

He was not disappointed, despite setting off into the headwind on the first leg of the first lap at his customary 10-mile blistering pace and suffering for it on the next lap.

Partridge’s efforts produced a spanking new personal best time of 51:30 (29.126 mph), which placed him seventh in the event and was by far the best improvement of the day.

John Swanbury of VCB also rode and achieved a season’s best 1-02:34.

The course itself is potentially very fast, with a very good road surface.  Many were held back from best times because of the westerly wind and exposed sections of road.

Adam Bidwell of Kingston Wheelers CC won in 49:12 and the women’s event was won by Amy Pritchard of Team Bottrill in 56:39.

Other weekend club riding also continues and the informal group of friends, dubbed “the Wrinklies” but containing a mix of the retired and those with jobs that allow them time off in the week, rides on Tuesday and Friday mornings at 9am from Carlton Colville church.

A majority are VCB members, but other riders who want to come along are very welcome.

When not riding reliability trials, John Thompson quite likes solo country rides, usually with some event planning purpose, as on Sunday.  

He rode via Beccles, Broome, Hedenham and then to Shelton, Alburgh and Wortwell, returning through the Saints after lunch; about 45 miles.