Richards rides Tour of Cambridge TT

Mark Richards of Velo Club Baracchi had a very good ride in the Tour of Cambridge UCI World Cycling Tour 16-mile time trial on closed roads near Peterborough.

Mark “Titch” Richards (photo in EDCA 25, by courtesy of Fergus Muir)

The event had professional timing to an accuracy of tenths of a second and a professional-style electronically controlled starting ramp. Conditions were not ideal with strong gusting winds.

Richards was 112^th out of the 533 riders (38^th in his age group), in a time of 39:55.34 and the field was headed up by Matthew Bottrill of www.drag2zero.com in 34:11.1. Daniel Bloy of Team VeloVelocity, a frequent winner in East Anglia, was in 25^th place with 37:31.38.

Richards also rode the EDCA 25-mile circuit championships organised by CC Breckland and came ninth in 59:54, one of only ten riders under the hour. Jason Bouttell of Team VeloVelocity won this. Riders were advised to avoid lurking peacocks which had “made amorous or belligerent advances to riders in the past” and prefer blue kit.

Everyone complained of horrible windy conditions in the Shaftesbury CC middle-markers 25 on the A11 including VCB’s Chris Womack, who achieved 1-03:17. Peter Cockbain of South Bucks RC won in 57:09 in a tight contest at the top.

Paul Dennington and Mark Womack have both tackled recent Gt Yarmouth CC time trials on their tough 8.25-mile course that now misses out Lound but includes the sharp left turn at the bottom of the waterworks hill.

Womack commented, “You have to take this corner very slowly but it then gives you no speed for the hill that follows. Both Paul and I have found it a great strength building course.”

The week before last Dennington was third in 19:41 and Mark Womack was twelfth in 23:07 with a field of 15. The winner was Steve Konrad of GYCC in 18:54, which is 26.19mph.

Last week Dennington came second in 19:42 and Mark Womack was ninth in 19:11 with a field of 16. Louis Julian of Pedal Revolution won in 19:28.

Dennington also rode Diss CC 10 on the last Tuesday in May and came second in 22:56 to Lee Shipp of Diss (22:45). Twenty rode.

Last Tuesday’s Godric 10 was ridden in a 25mph wind, gusting to 35mph or more at times, which whipped soil into the air across the road from a nearby field at one point, like Sahara dust.

Just five riders were prepared to ride and they achieved mixed results. Simon Scott of Anglia Velo had a great ride to win in 23:25 and so did George Kerridge of VCB, second in 24:29.

Making up the field were Jim Keeble of Rock Estate 26:51, Mitch Porter of Godric CC 27:41 and John Swanbury of VCB 29:03.

John Thompson in the Finsbury Park CC 50-mile TT on the A507 and A1 roads near Tempsford, was disappointed with 2-34:58 and commented on a “strengthening north-westerly wind” and difficult course. Paul Gamlin of Northover Vets Team won in 1-47:36.

Before the club run

The VCB club run was well supported and took in about 60 miles on a route that included a wide loop including Halesworth, Fressingfield and Harleston. (Additional photos are here: Club cycling 2015 | Flickr – Photo Sharing!  )

On the club run

In the country