Dennington suffers setback to his time trial year
One of the Velo Club Baracchi’s time trial contenders, Paul Dennington, who rode so well last year and shows huge promise, took a tumble riding home from work last week.
After what he described as a “misjudgement” Dennington is now recovering from a broken collar bone, two broken ribs and a puncture to his right lung.
He added, “I can only sit and rest hoping my body mends quickly so I don’t miss out on the whole season.”
Dennington has been training hard for the season and shift work has also allowed him time to get out with the “Wrinklies” who ride on weekdays and will miss his company.
He has sent his regards to club members and the Wrinklies he added, “To quote a famous phrase, I’ll be back!”
John Thompson of VC Baracchi continued his committed Audax riding with the Shaftesbury CC Springtime 162 km Audax.
It was originally just over 160km but road works route amendments in the closing stages made it slightly nearer the advertised distance, albeit probably slightly easier, avoiding a steep hill at around 95 miles
The HQ was the Shaftesbury CC club hut at Ugley, Essex and Thompson said, “It was pretty hilly ride by East Anglian standards, finding some of the steepest hills in Essex, some in Hertfordshire and ironically the toughest was in Cambridgeshire.”
The first leg was to an info control at Terling, then to the popular Speciality Tea Rooms run by a cyclist at Stisted and after an info control near Bures the riders stopped off at the HQ at 115km into the ride.
Here, said Thompson, beans on toast and apple pie and custard went down rather well.The final leg that skirted into Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Places of note included Littlebury, Heydon and Manuden.
Thompson completed the ride in just over ten hours, of which he said, “I don’t think it is bad considering the hilly nature of the route.”
He also managed to fit in a 20-mile ride the next day, going via Elsenham and Stansted (the village, not the airport) and then following lanes skirting Bishop’s Stortford back to Takely.
This Sunday Chris Womack is entered in the Gt Yarmouth CC open 25-mile time trial on the Somerleyton course and he will be hoping that the forecast of slightly warmer weather than that of last weekend of late will prove correct.
