VC Baracchi concedes Holmes Cup to Gt Yarmouth CC in reliability trial finale

Undaunted by the massed ranks of Gt Yarmouth CC riders, six Velo Club Baracchi riders set off and completed the 50-mile Holmes Cup reliability ride from Blundeston on Sunday.

The VCB reliability riders

It was a warm and pleasant day and the ride started after overnight rain had just stopped.

The Holmes Cup competition between the two clubs usually consists of two 10-mile time trials (one of them handicapped), a 25-mile time trial and this end of season reliability trial.

The 25-mile event fell by the wayside this year and in the Good Friday 10 Gt Yarmouth CC took 20 points to VCB’s 1 on the handicap results.

The balance was nearly redressed in the scratch results of VCB’s May Day 10, with VCB taking 18 points to GYCC’s 3 points.

VCB’s score on May Day had been earned by Paul Dennington, John Dupen, Titch Richards, Chris Womack and John Swanbury.

Close as the two teams were in time trials, there was to be no happy ending to the year for VCB, as there was one point on Sunday for each rider and the Yarmouth club turned out 29 riders to VCB’s six.

GYCC en masse

The final score was thus 52 to VCB’s 25 and the cup stays with Gt Yarmouth CC, as it has done since that club increased phenomenally in size a few years ago.

The six VCB riders on Sunday were Mark Womack, Chris Womack, Mike Wood, Dennington, Swanbury and Richards.

Heading towards Thurlton

Norman Harlow of GYCC summed it up for both clubs by saying, “A great day, regardless of the result; just a good ride out with a group of mates.”

Chris Womack (and Mike Wood)

The route was via St Olaves, Haddicoe, Loddon, Thwaite, Ditchingham and Bungay to Rumburgh, picking up a tailwind for the return run that included Redisham, Brampton, Stoven, Sotterley and Oulton Broad on the way back to Blundeston.

Mark Womack gives us a smile

John Thompson organised two “Silly Suffolk” audax rides. Twenty-nine riders completed the 166km (103.75 miles) ride and 22 completed the 201km (just under 126 miles) ride.

The “166” route from the HQ was Carlton Colville Community Centre included full or info controls at Metfield, Thornham Magna, Orford, Dunwich, Wenhaston and Carlton Colville.

The “200” route was the same to Framlingham, included controls at Worlingworth, Bawdsey and then to Orford to ‘re-join the “166” route.

The “200” started in the rain, but by 9am for the start of the “166” it had stopped and the sun got out, making it a lovely day for being on the Suffolk coast.

VCB member Steve Cone and his son Glen completed the “166” in 8hrs 40mins. Thompson said, “I was again pleased by the comments I got about the routes; everyone finishing in high spirits because they enjoyed them so much.”

• The VCB hill climb is this Sunday at Dove Hill near Wortwell and the club run from the Colville Road roundabout at 8.30am will head out to the venue via the freewheeling competition at Jays Hill, Sotterley.