Chris Womack voted VC Baracchi Rider of the Year

After his stellar season as Velo Club Baracchi’s best veteran, club members voted Chris Womack their Rider of the Year at the trophy presentation night, presided over by the club chairman Brian Boxall at the Carlton public house.

Chris Womack with one of his many trophies

Womack had set new veteran records at 10, 25 and 50 miles to win the trophies at those distances and he also took the 100-mile club and veteran trophies, the club best all-rounder trophy and the veterans’ BAR with a record.

Brian Boxall with Chris Womack and the Rider of the Year trophy (its usual mascot had taken the day off, temporarily unglued)

In the senior ranks Mark Richards had also been nominated for the rider of the year after his great rides which netted him the club championships at 10, 25 and 50 miles as well as club record times at those distances.

Lots of trophies!

Richards won the short course best all-rounder competition in a record speed just under 30mph, had exceeded 30mph in a 10-mile time trial and was second in the club’s road race championship.

Ian McCluskey presents the Kvaerner 25-mile Trophy to Mark “Titch” Richards

Another nominee for the best all-rounder trophy was Liam Gentry, who won the club road race championship, 30-mile time trial championship and the Bernard Dale hill climb trophy.

Gentry was unable to attend, so Ali Banks, the last man in the hill climb competition, accepted the Bernard Dale trophy for him from Jenny Dale.

Jenny Dale presents the Bernard Dale hillclimb trophy to Ali Banks, for Liam Gentry

Ian McCluskey of Diss & District CC, a former VCB member, presented the other trophies and certificates except for the Ernie Randall 50-mile scratch veteran trophy won by George Kerridge and received for him from Freda Randall by Chris Womack.

Chris Womack picks up George Kerridge’s Ernie Randall trophy from Freda Randall on his behalf

Nick Esser, who was also a nominee for best all-rounder, was third in the road race championship, the veteran road race champion and also 30-mile time trial champion.

The Baracchi Trophy for a 2-up time trial was won by Gentry and Richards and the handicap version by Paul Dennington and George Kerridge.  Paul Hayward won the freewheel trophy.

Where’s Gentry?

The other awards included the vets scratch championships for Dennington at 10 and 25 miles, the ladies’ 10-mile championship for Nicki Hawkes and the ladies’ 25 and 50-mile championships for second-claim member Jenny Anderson.

Lucas He, the club’s fastest junior, won the Junior best all-rounder trophy and a special mention for his 10-mile time, only a few seconds outside the club’s junior record.

John Swanbury and Ali Banks won the tandem trophies at 10 and 25 miles and Swanbury was also awarded the Charles Grimmer memorial trophy in recognition of his and his team’s work to reinstate road racing in the club by obtaining the club’s re-admission to the Eastern Road Race League and promoting the road race on a new course.

With the tamdem 10-mile double egg cup

Pat Womack was awarded the Ladies’ Rose Bowl for her support of the sport and Denise Hurren of Sole Bay Cycle Sport won the Jane Travers memorial trophy for her win in the club’s open 10.

Pat Womack with the Women’s Rose Bowl Trophy for her support of the sport (and Chris)

There were twenty-two certificates to record the best times ridden by each of the club members in time trials.

Nick Esser with his certificate

As the weather predictions were so dire, members abandoned the idea of a club ride to the Chairman’s breakfast the next morning and made their own ways to gather at Posh Pigs.