VC Baracchi riders excel at the GYCC local season’s opener

Paul Hayward sets off (photo by Fergus Muir)

The local cycling scene burst into frenetic action on Friday with the Gt Yarmouth CC open 10-mile time trial and some good rides by Velo Club Baracchi riders, with prizes won.

Mark Richards (photo by Dominic Austrin)

Mark Richards of VCB excelled with second prize in a time of 21:41 behind Paul Jay of Team VeloVelocity, who won in 21:32. Third prize went to Oliver Milk of Tri-Anglia in 21:48 and VCB’s Liam Gentry shared fourth with John Swindells of Iceni Velo in 22:12.

The fastest veteran on scratch was James Trenchard (Godric CC) in 21:44 so he took this financially better prize for that rather than for also having the third-fastest time.

Dennington (photo D Austrin)

Other VCB results were Paul Dennington 22:32, George Kerridge 23:35, Paul Hayward 23:38, Dave Loynes 25:09, Chris Womack 25:32 and John Swanbury 25:56.  It was Loynes’ first event and he not only won the prize for fastest novice but is likely to improve greatly on this good start as the year progresses.

Dave Loynes (photo D Austrin)

George Kerridge (photo D Austrin)

Chris Womack (photo D Austrin)

John Swanbury (photo D Austrin)

VCB’s Nicki Hawkes achieved 26:31 to win the lady veterans’ prize for her “plus” of 2:32 (i.e. the time by which she beat her veteran age standard).

Nicki Hawkes (photo D Austrin)

Hayward (photo D Austrin)

Sixteen-year-old Lucas He’s time on the road in his first event was a very promising 27:11, though a penalty will be added, equal to the 50-odd seconds by which he missed his start time.

Lucas He (Photo D Austrin)

Dennington won the fourth veteran prize on standard with his “plus” of 4:22.  Sean Taylor of RAF CA and Jim Hardwicke of Plomesgate CC shared the top honours with +4:37 from their respective rides. Peter Balls of Team VeloVelocity was third on +4:25.

The fastest lady was Kimberley Halton-Farrow of Tri-Anglia with 23:44 and the fastest junior/juvenile was Dougal Toms of Iceni Velo with 23:47.  VCB missed out on the team prize by six seconds to Plomesgate CC.

James Drake of Rock Estate won the Derek Evans Memorial Handicap award.  Rock Estate times were Drake 24:22, Leigh Butcher 26:12, Jim Keeble 26:20 and Oliver Gardner 27:19.

John Thompson rode the “Double Dutch” 208km audax in about 12.5 hours on Saturday from Huntingdon, including Ramsey, March, King’s Lynn, Holbeach St Matthew and Spalding.

He said, “To Kings Lynn with the roaring tail wind was great and it was reasonable from there to Holbeach St Matthew, which was partly side-tail and tail wind.  However, a change of direction from Holbeach St Matthew put us into the teeth of Saturday’s wind.”  There is little shelter from the wind across the Fens.

On Sunday he enjoyed a little ride of around 30 miles including Oundle.

The club run on its way

The VCB club run on Sunday was well attended, with the majority of the riders sticking together to head into the strong wind to Blythburgh, Dunwich, Middleton, Saxmundham and Framlingham, where they stopped for coffee.

There followed a lovely tail wind to Dennington, Fressingfield, Metfield, St James, Rumburgh, Weston and home, 65 miles in total.

They saw Gentry and Richards at Framlingham coming in the opposite direction.  Four other riders went to Halesworth, Walpole, Peasenhall, Yoxford and a café stop at Middleton before returning through Wenhaston, covering about 50 miles.

The other group