VCB riders outnumbered in Holmes Cup reliability trial

VCB riders amid the serried ranks of GYCC riders

Velo Club Baracchi riders were seriously outnumbered in the 50-mile close of season reliability trial from Blundeston.

It was the last event in the Holmes Cup series that also includes time trials and six VCB riders were there.

Before this reliability trial the Lowestoft club was in the lead by nine points but this lead vanished when the forty-plus Yarmouth riders all took one point each for finishing.

The great feature of the day, however, was the wonderful warm, sunny weather and an enjoyable ride in company.

Keith Wink was in the first group and other VCB finishers were John Swanbury, Chris Womack, Paul Reed, John Haigh and Richard Allen.

Paul Hayward of VCB represented the club in the popular Godric CC hill climb at Stoke Holy Cross and mastered the climb in 2 minutes and 35.6 seconds.

Morris Bacon won the hill-climb in his first event in DAP CC colours in 2:16.3 and DAP also took 2nd, 4th and 6th.

Morris just missed out on the course record with Liam Gentry second. Harley Matthews and Mark were initially balked by traffic but still managed to take 4th and 6th respectively. Thirty-eight rode.

John Thompson staged his ‘Silly Suffolk 160/200km audaxes from Carlton Colville Community Centre.

There were 36 entries for the 200km event and 14 for the 160km. 29 started in the 200 and 11 in the 160, all of whom finished.

Thompson said, “It was nice from the VC Baracchi’s perspective that Kate Churchill, who finished in in 8 hours 30 minutes was one of the fastest in the 200 along with “Wrinklies” rider, Ian Reid.

Both events followed the same route as far as Framlingham, from which the 160 went via Tunstall to Orford and then Dunwich and back to Carlton Colville via Wenhaston.  The 200 took in Melton, Bawdsey and Orford before re-joining the 160 route.

Finishers in the 200 included three local riders (not members of any club, including Mark Etherton-Nicoll (9:51), Nicholas Cheshire and Sean Day (12:11) and from further afield there was a Mr Corbyn, a distant cousin of the one who comes to mind.