Cowan’s doings in Kiwi land; also VCB reliability ride details

Tim Cowan, who rode for Velo Club Baracchi regularly until he left for New Zealand some years ago and was mentioned last week, has declared his intention to re-join for 2016, so that his rides on the other side of the world will be of particular interest to old friends.

Cowan is an engineering systems manager for an international company. His recent cycling exploits have included a round of the Auckland Cyclocross champs for a 10^th place finish.

He also rode the K150 road event, which was135km with 1800m of vertical climbing, finishing in seventh place.

Cowan in the NZ road event

Finally he rode the Lake Taupo Huka Challenge, 85km of single track MTB action for five hours in the saddle. He said, “I could have ridden harder but it was a pure fun event for me. I will race it next year properly.”

Cowan in the Lake Taupo Huka Challenge

Reliability Rides

John Thompson of Velo Club Baracchi has arranged reliability rides for VC Baracchi, to take place on January 10.

The start and finish will be from outside Life Cycles’ shop at far western end of Mobbs Way, (Oulton industrial estate, off Gorleston Rd), with the 4-hour riders at 8.30am, 3.5 hours at 9am and 3 hours at 9.30am.

Paul Bedford has kindly confirmed that riders can use the facilities in the shop. There should also as usual be refreshments at the finish.

Two Sundays ago Thompson rode “Santa Special” 203.3km audax, organised by Suffolk CTC.

It started and finished at Gt. Bromley and the controls were at Wickham Market, Halesworth, Palgrave, near Diss, Sudbury and Monks Eleigh before the return to Gt. Bromley.

The weather was mild and to start with there was a tail wind to Halesworth, then a mixture of help and hindrance between Sudbury and Monks Eleigh. The wind dropped considerably in the late afternoon so the last 33km or so from Monks Eleigh were mostly good and there was a “sting in the tail,” the 1 in 10 hill just south of Manningtree with about 5 miles to go.

The riders largely escaped the rain, though it rained hard nearby.

Other riders have been out training over the holidays, especially as four of the club’s riders are in the New Year’s Day time trial. One of these, Liam Gentry, was one of two riders who crossed paths with Thompson at Sotherton on ride last Sunday.

The rain caused Thompson to ride a shorter route than he had intended and he kept his waterproofs on throughout. He went via Uggeshall to Halesworth, then Walpole and Peasenhall, where and eventually onwards to Kelsale, Theberton and Westleton to Dunwich, for a light lunch in Dingle Hill and a return via Blythburgh, the A12 to Frostenden and then Henstead, around 45 miles in all.