Great VCB rides in the National 25 by Richards, Moore & Gentry; also by VCB junior Lucas He at Godric 10

A trio of good VC Baracchi riders did the club proud in the RTTC National Championship 25-mile time trial on Sunday on a local A11 course.

It was not just an ordinary domestic time trial but an occasion this year for the top riders in the country to compete on the Norfolk dual carriageways past Spooner Row and Attleborough.

Mark Richards was the quickest VCB rider with 53:00 for 59^th place, but James Moore was a revelation and impressed with a personal best 55:41 for 98^th place which beat Liam Gentry by two seconds, who completed the trio with 100^th place in 55:43.

The national championship was won by previous winner Ryan Perry of Langdale Lightweights RT in 46:31 from Richard Bussell of Aerocoach (46:34) and Kieron Davies of DRAG2ZERO (47:47).

Among the local competitors James Trenchard of Godric CC, a Beccles teacher, achieved 54:16 for 79^th place.  Former VCB member Ian McCluskey of Lowestoft, riding for Diss & District CC, was 108^th in 56:34 and Harley Matthews of Team PedalRevolution was 45^th in 51:56.

There was a heavy tailwind out and a stiff ride into the wind on the return. VCB’s Chris Womack had entered but a puncture on the way to the start disappointingly kept him out of the event.

Last Tuesday’s Godric CC club 10 was won by Harley Matthews in 20:41 from Richards, who achieved 21:27.

The ride of the day, however, was by 16-year-old VCB junior Lucas He, with a personal best 23:18, just two seconds outside the club record.

Lucas He

This achievement was closely followed by a great first ride by VCB’s Shaun Davey, who set his mark at 26:04.

Other VCB times were Paul Dennington 22:32, Nick Esser 22:56, Paul Reed 26:34 (equalling his personal best) and the tandem duo of John Swanbury and Ali Banks 22:51.

Harley Matthews also won the Gt Yarmouth CC club 10 at Lound with 22:04 from Richards 22:28 and the home club’s Steve Konrad 23:11, with Esser, fourth in 24:13.

Dennington was sixth in 25:07, Paul Hayward of VCB seventh in 25:09 and He ninth in 25:29.  Liam Gentry’s time of 26:49 might seem a bit slow, but not when the fact that he did it on a mountain bike was factored in.

Other VCB times on this sporting course were Paul Reed 29:14 and Richard Allen 30:17. Twenty-three rode.