Fast times in warm conditions

Last Thursday’s East Anglian CC open 10-mile time trial on the A11 road was favoured by near perfect conditions and Lowestoftriders made the best of it. 

The fastest Velo Club Baracchi rider was Mark Newnham with 22:46. 

John Swanbury dipped under 24 minutes for the first time in four years with 23:48 and VCB secretary Nicki Hawkes (riding for Team VeloVelocity.co.uk) rode a personal best 24:27 for second place in the ladies.  John Thompson rode a very respectable 27:04. 

Liam Gentry and Nick Esser of Strada Sport had good rides with 20:33 and 21:58 for fifth and 23^rd places in the event, which was won by Jason Bouttell of Team VeloVelocity.co.uk in an impressive 19:32 from Bungay rider Jim Burgess of Anglia Velo and Dave Green of RAF CA (second equal in 19:58). 

The fastest lady was Sally Withey of VC Norwich with a personal best 23:24. Carlton Colville resident Brian Davies also had a good ride with 23:37 for third place on veteran standards. 

Earlier in the week in the Godric CC club 25, Mark Womack sliced a huge chunk off his previous best with a 1-06:22 ride.  Faster, however, in the Baracchi club were George Kerridge 1-02:07, Swanbury 1-04:47 and Ali Banks 1-05:06.  Hawkes achieved 1-05:28 to beatJenny Anderson(GYCC) whose time was 1-06:44. 

The fastest rider was Lee Calderon of Iceni Velo in 56:48, one of three riders under the hour in the 18-rider field. 

On Sunday the riders in VC Baracchi’s open 50-mile time trial organised by Thompson were treated to strong blustery winds on the two-lap course along the A143 between the Needham and Stockton roundabouts. 

The riders had the benefit of tailwinds when riding towards Stockton, but the headwind in the other direction included some gusts from the side, so it was not an easy morning. 

VCB members acted as marshals and other helpers so only two club members were riding in the 37-rider event. Chris Womack, who had not been completely well and started to suffer, dropped out after one lap and Swanbury was timed in at 2-24:25, in which was reflected some difficulty with the conditions over this distance. 

The three were fastest riders were Andy Stuart (VC St Raphael) 1-56:17, Jason Turner (NABC) 1-56:54 and Glenn Taylor (Shorter Rochford CC) 1-58:00. 

Withey won for the ladies with 2-22:14 and Stowmarket & District CC won the team category. 

Two lady riders set off to create a national tandem trike record in the event as no ladies’ competition record at the distance existed. 

Essex rider Jane Swain of Willesdon CC and Lindsay Clayton of VC167 (a cycling club based in Darlington) pedalled their Jack Taylor machine round the course in 2-32:11, which the organiser, Thompson, thought was quite good in the conditions.  This record is now just waiting to be broken, which should be an appealing target.