Competition for VC Barachi 10-mile top dog hots up!

The competition for 10-mile “top dog” in Velo Club Baracchi hotted up last week with strong performances from Paul Dennington and Mark “Titch” Richards.

It was Dennington’s turn to shine in the penultimate Diss CC club 10 of the year at Billingford, where he achieved his very first 21-minute ride, or more precisely 21:53. This personal best was a big achievement on a single carriageway course.

Richards’ own personal best stands 21:29 that he had achieved in early August on dual carriageways near Newmarket. John Dupen is the other current club member with a “21” this season, (21:18), ridden near Hull.

Just missing out on further 21-minute rides in the VC Norwich open 10 on Sunday, Richards beat Dennington by 22:04 to 22:25. Richards took eighth place overall.  Seventy rode.

Dennington and Chris Womack (23:55) took age category first and second places in their respective categories and John Swanbury achieved 24:45 .  Club secretary Nicki Hawkes, riding for Team VeloVelocity, won the ladies’ prize with 24:49 and a share of the team prize.

There was a good ride by George Kerridge in 23:27 and John Thompson achieved 28:01.

The course was on the A11 from Attleborough to Snetteton and back and there was light rain for part of the time, but the early morning start beat the later Bank Holiday downpour.

Chris Womack rode in the National VTTA 25-mile Championship in fine weather on the A14 and A11 dual carriageways in which he achieved 59:03, another splendid ride for the 67-year-old.

The fastest rider was Rob Pears of Procycling Magazine RT (49:59) but the prizes were on veteran standards and Eric Marsh (aged 84) of Ciclos Uno won with +22:11 (i.e. his time was 22:11 below the VTTA standard for his age) and his actual time was 1-03:21.

Second was Derek Stewart Deeside Thistle CC aged 78 with +20.52, followed by Brian Sunter of Condor RC aged 71 with +20.03.  Womack’s plus was +13:41.

Local rider, former VCB member Mark Newnham of Anglia Velo, achieved 58:20.

Richards won the club’s “Athlete’s Cup” with his ride of 25:02 on a road bike without aero aids against other VCB members similarly equipped in last Thursday’s Gt Yarmouth CC club 10 at Somerleyton.

Joe Reynolds stepped up with a course-best 28:28 to run him the closest and other VCB times on this breezy evening and sporting course were John Swanbury 30:00 and Richard Allen 30:06. Only the VCB riders were riding “old school.”  The GYCC winner was Harley Matthews (21:59).

The full results for the club in the Diss CC 10 were Dennington 21:53, John Swanbury 25:43 and John Thompson 27:36.  The event was won by Steve Gorbutt of Diss CC in 21:28 from Jim Burgess of Anglia Velo 21:41 and Dennington was third.  Twenty-eight rode.

Thompson rode Saturday’s 160-km audax promoted by Suffolk CTC as part of the annual Mildenhall CC rally, setting off from there to take in Acton, Buxhall, Diss, Larling, Brandon and Hockwold.