VCB riders wind up time trial season; a second place for Mark Richards

The last local open time trials of the year took place at the weekend, hosted on the A143 Waveney Valley course by Norwich Amateur Bicycle Club and based at Wortwell Community Centre.

Mark Richards of Velo Club Baracchi was in the frame to win the Saturday afternoon 10, which had attracted over ninety entries, but was surprisingly beaten by one of the riders near the end of the field who had not been rated highly as a time triallist.

The winning time. 20:27, was recorded by Barnabus Purbrook of London Dynamo, whose form against the watch came as a surprise to many, but he turned out to be a good second cat road racer like Richards himself.

Richards took second place with 21:06 and other VCB solo times were James Moore 22:07, John Swanbury 25:12, Ali Banks 25:23 and Richard Allen 29:44. Allen was pleased with a good steady ride and respectable time.

Richard Allen approaches the finish

Swanbury and Banks had opened the proceedings with the only tandem entered, timed in at 22:33.  They then rode again solo later in the order for their individual times.

The finish is in sight – it looks painful (Photos by Fergus Muir)

Other seeded riders Richards had beaten in this event included Paul Jay (Team VeloVelocity) 21:09, Stuart Fairweather (Plomesgate CC) 21:44, Geoff Frost (Team VeloVelocity) 21:53, Jason Turner (Norwich ABC) 22:09 and James Rush (CC Sudbury) 22:14.

The top lady rider was Verity Smith of Newmarket & District CC with 23:35. Roger Sewell of Hounslow and District Wheelers was the top veteran with his 23:51 ride, which was beat his 25:52 age standard by a “plus” of +5:01.

Sunday’s NABC 25-mile time trial was entered by thirty-seven and most rode.

Swanbury and Banks were VCB’s only riders and they had decided they needed solo times at 25 miles for their year’s records, having usually ridden the tandem this year.  Swanbury achieved 1-05:26 and Banks 1-06:29.

The winner was Stuart Fairweather of Plomesgate with 55:58, with Paul Jay (TVV) second in 56:18, Jim Harwicke of Plomesgate third in 57:12, John Swindells of Iceni Velo fourth in 57:18 and Paul Rooke of West Suffolk Wheelers fifth in 58:09.

Hardwicke was also second veteran with +10:50 so he will take that higher value prize, with Swindells bumped up to third prize on scratch.  The top vet on standard was the Hounslow visitor Roger Sewell with +11:56 from his 1-01:56 scratch time. Jennifer Smart of VC Norwich won the for ladies with 1-06:08

John Thompson rode the “Cambridge Autumnal” 214km audax from Girton, passing through Framlingham.  The route there was broadly via Newmarket, Bury St Edmunds and Debenham.  The next control after Framlingham was at Hawstead (153km).  He spoke of it as a “cyclists’ mecca” as it was a café connected to a cycle shop, with videos of cycling events showing in the cafe).

He added, “Because of a road closure at Six Mile Bottom the route back had to be changed to go via Balsham, which made it 214 instead of 203km” and he took 12 hours 45 minutes in all.