Richards is VCB 10-mile champ; Hayward takes second in the fourth cats

Time trials:  Mark Richards of Velo Club Baracchi became the club’s 10-mile champion with the top ride in Godric CC’s club event last week.

Eight VCB riders turned out to contest the VCB club championship in a large field of 44 riders, led by Richards in 21:14, pressed the closest by Liam Gentry in 21:47.

The VCB times were Richards 21:14, Gentry 21:47, Paul Dennington 22:26, Paul Hayward 23:19, Nick Esser 23:35, Lucas He 23:49 PB), Dave Loynes 23:53 (PB) and Paul Reed 26:34 (PB).  John Swanbury and Ali Banks rode the tandem in 23:05.

Some of the riders

Junior rider Lucas He’s personal best ride reveals that he is the club’s best junior since Adam Bedford lowered the junior record to 23:16 and that would make a good target for him.

Lucas went one better in the Gt Yarmouth CC 10 on Thursday at Lound by winning it.  His time was 24:42, an excellent on that somewhat slower course. The second rider was Chris Hodds of the home club in 25:20.

Chris Womack rode Sunday’s Stowmarket & District CC on the undulating Course A12 Wickham Market bypass course and achieved 24:23, which won his age category (60 to 69) and a £10 prize.

The winner was Lloyd Chapman of Veloschils Interbike RT with 19:22 (a new course record), followed by Stuart Fairweather of Plomesgate CC in 21:17 and James Trenchard of Godric CC in 21:32.  The fastest lady was Francesca Rust of Ely & District CC in 24:42.

On the previous weekend Chris Womack recorded 23:20 in the Anglia Velo open 10 and the prize for best veteran aged 60 – 69 with a “plus” of 5:32 against his veteran standard time.  The quickest rider was 18-year-old Ollie Jones of Ipswich BC with 19:50.

Road racing:

VC Baracchi’s road racing started with the Wednesday evening Suffolk Cycle Racing Series at Trinity Park and featured a second place for Paul Hayward in the 4^th cat race.

There were four VCB riders in the race 4th cat race started fast as it always does and Keith Wink was caught out by the pace but stayed the distance in a following group. George Kerridge was somewhat nearer to the action but Hayward and David Loynes made themselves busy in the leading group in the lead group.

Hayward on the podium

Hayward stayed ever-attentive at the front throughout. Loynes progressed lap by lap from the back of the bunch to the front and then assisted Hayward in the sprint for the line. Hayward was first round the last corner but a slightly bigger gear meant there was no kick and one rider managed to come round him just yards from the line.

The seniors race was split into two groups, the 3rd cats starting 1 minute ahead of the E/1/2 group. Nick Esser, Mark Richards and Liam Gentry, all second cats, were in this second group to start The pace was steady but fast at around 26mph for the first 15 minutes and the front group was caught with relative ease.

Esser said, “Once caught, a few 3rds were trying their best to stay in the front bunch, making positioning difficult for us wanting race & not just survive.”

Two riders, Ross Fawcett of Ipswich BC and Lloyd Chapman of Pedal Heaven, went off the front at 30 minutes and stayed 15-20 seconds off the front for the remainder of the race.

The pace changed from 22 to 34mph within seconds throughout the rest of the race with Mark & Liam trying their best to either attack or drag back the duo but to no avail. Chapman won and Frank Longstaff of Team Corley Cycles won the bunch gallop for third.  Esser tailed off in the lead-out & came in 100 yards off the back but Gentry was eighth and Richards eleventh.

VC Baracchi tiders were out in force at the Diss & District CC Road Race based at South Lopham.

The 65-mile race consisting of 7 laps of a flattish course proved to be quite a fast affair at times, although the 24.6mph average speed did not reflect that.

Gentry and Proffitt’s break (photo by Fergus Muir)

Gentry was in attendance at the front from the start and after a couple of failed attacks from other riders he managed to stay away for over 15 miles with Andy Proffitt of Ipswich BC, with Richards at the front of the bunch trying to discourage a chase.  Despite Richards’ distraction the duo was pulled back just after halfway.

The bunch climbing out of Kenninghall on lap 3 (photo by Fergus Muir)

James Moore, making a comeback after knee injury, showed some form at the front a few times in the race, with Esser “always there or thereabouts.”

In the end a two-man break were allowed to slip away with just over a lap to go and a chasing trio slipped away with three miles to go.  For the rest them it was a long sprint for 6th place and the VCB riders all came in safely in a blanket finish with Gentry the best-placed in eleventh.

Esser said, “The results never reflected the effort Mark and Liam put in to make a race of it, but that’s racing!”