Another good week for Richards

Mark “Titch” Richards

Mark Richards has had another successful week, with a win in the Iceni Velo time trial at Snetterton race track, fourth place in an open time trial and second places in two local club time trials.

At Snetterton it was, in the words of the organisers, a rare opportunity for cyclists to put themselves to the test on super-smooth tarmac and without having to worry about traffic.

On a sunny evening with a brisk south-westerly wind, Richards completed the 8.94-mile course at 27.8mph, beating Harley Matthews of Team Pedal Revolution by a single second.  The club’s other two riders in the event backed this up, with Nick Esser fourth and Paul Hayward fifth.

Richards led the VCB times in the Diss & District CC open 25-mile time trial on the A1066 road from Bressingham to Thetford and back.

He was fourth overall with 56:07 and the other club times were Nick Esser, tenth place in 59:02, Paul Dennington 1-01:02, Paul Hayward 1-03:03.  Also, on the tandem and reprising a former partnership, John Swanbury and George Kerridge achieved 58:14, which surpassed their 2008 result on the same course.

John Swanbury and George Kerridge in the Diss 25 (photo: Peter Bolton)

The top times on this rolling course were Ollie Jones of Ipswich BC 54:23, Paul Vickers of West Suffolk Wheelers 55:35 and Daniel Bloy of Team VeloVelocity 56:01.

Simon Daw of Velo Schils Interbike won the veteran first prize, local rider Denise Hurren (Sole Bay Cycle Sport) won the third veteran prize and Verity Smith of Stowmarket & District CC was first woman with 1-03:06.

Richards was pipped to the win in the Godric CC club 10 at Earsham by one second. Zac Coleman of Team Pedal Revolution won in 21:03 to Richards’ 21:04 with Matthews third (21:18).

The other VCB times were good.   Liam Gentry achieved 22:01, Hayward 23:16, Esser 23:19, Lucas He 23:39, Paul Reed 26:54 and Swanbury and Ali Banks (tandem) 22:59.

Forty-three rode, including Ray Ross of Comrades CC, making a comeback at age 80 after major heart surgery.  He wanted to ride at least one event this year and he took it gently to achieve 34:59. Ross has been a competitive cyclist since his he joined Crescent Wheelers as a boy.

Richards’ was timed in at 23:57 for second place at the Gt Yarmouth CC club 10 to the winner, Andy Tyler of VC Cosmique, who was just two seconds quicker.  Dave Loynes of VCB achieved 27:32 and Richard Allen was just outside “evens.”

In the VTTA East Anglian Group open 10-mile time trial from the western end of the Waveney Valley course, turning at Clay’s roundabout, Chris Womack had the better VCB time with 24:34 and Swanbury’s time was 25:51.

The fastest was James Trenchard of Godric CC in 20:54 and on veteran standards the winners were Len Benton of Colchester Rovers CC with a “plus” of 5:27 faster than his age standard and Denise Hurren took the women’s prize with +4:26. Her actual time was 24:32. Verity Smith of Stowmarket & District CC was quicker with 23:47 but at her younger age her plus was lower.