Kerridge edges it in a close contest at the season’s end

 

George Kerridge of Velo Club Baracchi was the club’s fastest rider with 23:54 in the Norwich Amateur Bicycle Club’s open 10-mile time trial on Saturday from Wortwell.

There was nothing that Chris Womack could do to match Kerridge, but he certainly tried and was the second-fastest VCB rider with 23:56.

Ali Banks also rode a fast 10 with 24:23 and Paul Dennington, who lost most of his season with an injury, made his end-of-season comeback with a 24:55 ride.  John Swanbury’s time was 24:59.

These were the second rides in the event for Swanbury and Banks who rode the tandem first in 22:37, their fastest of the year.  The Anglia Velo duo of Jim Burgess and Simon Scott was always destined to be faster, and they won in 20:23.

The winner of the solo event was also Burgess, who was streets ahead in 20:51.  He led Paul Jay (Team VeloVelocity.co.uk) 22:12 and Liam Gentry (Strada Sport) 22:17.

Womack picked up the veterans’ second prize for performance against his veteran age standard.

This last weekend of the time trial season concluded with the NABC open 25 on Sunday morning and this year the mist was kind enough to lift before the event was to start.  Womack recorded 1-03:15 and John Thompson 1-13:16. 

The Swanbury and Banks tandem team were pleased to achieve a season’s-best 59:05.

The top solo riders were Daniel Bloy (King’s Lynn CC) 54:33, Jason Turner (NABC) 55:57, Geoff Frost (Team VeloVelocity.co.uk) 57:23 and Paul Jay Team (VeloVelocity.co.uk) 58:30.

Womack also picked up a veterans’ prize and the results on age standard. The results were were Chris Nudds (CC Breckland) +10:05, John Adams (Stowmarket & District CC) +9:53, Womack +9:05 and Geoff Frost (Team VeloVelocity.co.uk) +9:03.

Sally Withey of VC Norwich was the fastest lady with 1-05:47 and Jenny Anderson (GYCC) was second in 1-07:48. Harvey Hall (CCB) won the junior prize in 1-04:05.

John Thompson has sent details of what he called “Il mio piccoli giro di Calabria” – “My little tour of Calabria,” in which he clearly involved himself in Italian life, including sitting in the sun with a beer in perfect weather when not logging up his 450 or so miles.

The tour started and finished at Lamezia Terme and the hardest part was the first two days.  On the first day he was climbing from sea level and on the second day his 50 mile ride was equally challenging.

He added, “Overall this was one of the most rewarding tours I’ve done, but also one of the toughest” with relentless climbing, both inland and on many coastal stretches.  Even on the flat there were coastal headwinds to contend with.  He enjoyed the roads in the Sila and Aspromonte national parks.

• This Sunday’s Keith Stephens Memorial Duathlon, (Gisleham School at 9am) is an informal “entry-on-the-line” event at which all are welcome and the “Silly Suffolk” Audax (150 km and 200 km) is also scheduled (Blundeston Village Hall at 8am).