Esser rides well in EDCA 10-mile champs

Esser in the event (photo Fergus Muir)

Nick Esser of Velo Club Baracchi had a good ride in the East District Cycling Association 10-mile championship on Saturday, with 23:25 for fourteenth place equal.

The event, starting at South Runcton, between Kings Lynn and Downham Market, was on single carriageway roads on which the very fastest times are not expected but this year’s champion Matthew Senter of Team VeloVelocity set an impressive new course record in 20:04.

Lee Garrod and Gary Matthews of Sole Bay Cycle Sport achieved 23:05 and 23:14 respectively, while Denise Hurren of that club took third place in the ladies’ medals and also second veteran on standard with 24:18 (+4:45).

In the Lotus League racing on June 6 VCB riders in the top category race were firmly in the middle order of the finishers, with Mark Richards 9^th, Liam Gentry 10^th and Luke Rowell 17^th.

Richards and gentry were part of an eleven-man break that gained 40 seconds and stayed away.  Gentry made his finishing effort a little too soon and ran out of finishing pace. The race was won by Gary Freeman of Fast Test Racing Team.

On the following day Richards rode in the Eagle Crit series at Woodbridge and took seventh place.  There had been no successful breaks so it came down to a bunch finish.  Oliver Jones of Team OnForm won.

Richards was one of the VCB riders who took part as a member of Lowestoft multi-sports club Rock Estate in their athletes’ cup, hosted by Gt Yarmouth CC in their club time trial on Thursday at Lound.  It was ridden on road bikes without aero time trial aids.

Thirty-six Rock Estate riders turned out and Richards won in 23:07.  Other VCB riders’ results, riding as Rock Estate members, included Liam Gentry third in 24:04, Luke Rowell fourth in 25:01, Mark Saunders fifth in 25:04 and Paul Hayward seventh in 25:38.

In a hot and very windy VTTA East Anglian 50-mile time trial on the A11 and A14 roads, Chris Womack and John Swanbury of VCB recorded 2-10:49 and 2-18:54 respectively and were among the four finishers in the 70-plus age category. Fastest overall was Joe Le Sage of Rutland CC aged 44 in 1-50:07.

John Thompson rode the Herts High Five 208-km audax from Ware on Sunday, which goes to the highest points in Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex. He enjoyed the scenery, especially the Chilterns, was lucky with the wind direction and got back in around 13 hours.

In the recent Norwich 100 sportive, VCB members Keith Wink, Paul Killett, Mike Rainton, Mike Wood, Chris Wallis and John Cooper were able to celebrate a successful and enjoyable ride.

Kate Churchill of VCB recently completed the Asparagus and Strawberries 414km audax event starting from Manningtree, with controls at Ixworth, Halesworth, Acle, Wells next the Sea, Barton Mills and Saffron Walden. For part of the time she rode in company with Ian Reed who often leads the local “Wrinklies” rides.