Second place for Esser and fifth for Jones in VC Baracchi’s road race

Nick Esser of Velo Club Baracchi and new member Charles Jones seized the opportunity to make a mark on home ground in the club’s own road race at Ringsfield on Sunday.

Esser rode strongly throughout the race, ably supported by Jones and also by George Kerridge and Dave Loynes.

Esser in second wheel at the end of an intermediate lap

Esser crossed the line in second place and his ride earned him twelve British Cycling points, which were enough to top his tally up to 40, the number required to become a second cat rider.

Jones took fifth place and earned six BC points.  The club’s riders with points are now the second cats Mark Richards (54) Liam Gentry (46) Esser and Jones.

Kerridge and Loynes both finished strongly in the bunch.

The riders set a spanking pace that worked out at about 26mph, faster than one might have expected. There were a number of attempted breaks but none of these stuck and at the line there was not a lot of time separating the bunch as it thundered in, though the winner, Spencer Laborde of Iceni Velo, had a small gap and so did Esser over the following riders.

Laborde also won the sprint or prime at the end of lap three to add to his prize money, but he had just become a second cat so he was ineligible in this race (a Regional B for third and fourth cats) for more points.

Third place went to James Sale of Pro Cycle Hire and fourth to Tony Meader of Eagle Road Club.

Gentry and Richards as established second cats could not ride but they drove lead cars and the first aid car was manned by Nicki Hawkes and Keith Wink.  Many of the club members supported the organiser, John Swanbury, with leafleting, marshalling, course marking, headquarters administration, catering and so on.

It was the club’s first road race for about five years and went through Ringsfield, Ilketshall St Andrew, St Lawrence and Redisham.  There was support at the roadside and in front gardens from residents who had received advance publicity. There were 52 riders at the start and after some punctures and a few who were shelled out at the brisk pace 42 riders finished.

Dave Loynes in the VCB kit in this one

The weather for the event was sunny and warm and a westerly wind picked up, which made the run into Redisham down Hogg Lane very brisk.

Paul Dennington of VCB was second equal in the Gt Yarmouth CC club 10-mile time trial at Lound with 23:38, matching Andy Tyler of VC Cosmique.  Steve Konrad of the home club won in 23:06.

Dennington’s ride was only one second different from his previous ride on the course, which showed great consistency.  He was he only VCB member in the event.

The Godric 10 last week was rained off, though in its usual annoying way the rain lifted just before the scheduled time of the start, but that was not soon enough.

The East District CA 100-mile time trial did not feature any VCB rider and was won by Mark Turnbull of Torq-Performance in 3-36:59.