Details of the Velo Club Baracchi prize presentation

Members of Velo Club Baracchi voted Liam Gentry the club’s “Rider of the Year” and he received the trophy at the club’s annual presentation evening.

Three other members with outstanding achievements were nominated, but this popular win reflected Gentry’s outstanding performances in road racing, time trials and duathlon and his new club time trial records of 20:35 for 10-miles and of 3-51:46 for 100 miles.

Gentry spoke graciously and gave fulsome praise for fellow club riders including Ben McCluskey who had helped him to victory in the club’s Summer Road Race.  He said he would certainly support the club in the long term despite joining with Mark Westrup and Nick Esser to road race for a sponsored team next year.

Gentry also won the trophy for club road race champion, club time trials short course best all-rounder (with an average speed of 27.58mph over distances up to 50 miles), the 10-mile, 25-mile and 100-mile championships, the Baracchi trophy (with Mark Drake) for a two-up time trial and the Keith Stephens Memorial Trophy for duathlon.

Brian Boxall, club chairman, introduced the winners.  Neil Turner, the secretary of Gt Yarmouth CC, was the guest of honour to present the trophies and certificates for time trial performances and road racing.  Thirty riders had competed for the club in time trials and Mark Westrup and Nick Esser earned the second and third place certificates in road racing.

A new 50-mile cup for 50-mile veteran time trial championship on scratch results was presented to the club by Freda Randall and her son Gary in memory of her late husband Ernie, a former chairman and stalwart of the club.  The Ernie Randall Memorial Trophy was won by new member Gary Matthews.

Veteran rider Chris Womack who returned to cycling a few seasons ago won the 10-mile veteran championship with a new club record of +6.32 on standard, the 30-mile club and veteran championships, the 50-mile veteran championship on standard and the veteran best all-rounder with a record “plus” for one 10, two 25s and a 50-mile time trial of +68.18.

Also demonstrating the rewards of training and dedication, Jenny Anderson came back from injury to win the 50-mile club and women’s championships with a record time of 2-15:35 and the women’s 25-mile championship.  She was awarded the Rose Bowl Trophy for meritorious performances.

Not to be outshone, Nikki Hawkes set a record at 25-miles of 1-03:32 and lifted the 10-mile and 30-mile women’s championships.

Mike Rainton lifted the 100-mile John Porter Memorial Trophy and the club 12-hour and 24-hour and best all-rounder trophies.  To reflect these performances and his charity fundraising of thousands of pounds by his five Lands End to John O’Groats charity rides and participation in the last stage of the Red Arrows coast-to-coast charity ride, Rainton was awarded the Charles Grimmer Memorial Cup.

Other winners were vets 10-mile and 25-mile scratch trophies Mark Newnham, tandem 10 and 25 miles John Swanbury and Ali Banks, vets 25-mile John Swanbury, Baracchi Handicap Trophy Mark Newnham and Ben McCluskey, Bernard Dale Memorial Trophy (for hill climb) Pat Harbord, Athlete’s 10 Paul Bedford, veteran road race champion Mark Westrup.

Norman Harlow of Gt Yarmouth CC received the Holmes Cup won by his club for the inter-club competition with VCB.  Laura Gambling of CC Breckland won the Jane Travers Memorial Trophy for her ride in the women’s category of the VCB open 10-mile time trial in May.

• See previous news item for links to other photos

• Members accompanied the Chairman Brian Boxall to the Chariman’s breakfast at Bungay the next day.  This will be covered next week but meanwhile here’s a taster:-
  

  The Chairman at work