Womack personal best and a new Velo Club Baracchi tandem record at 30 miles

 

Sunday’s strong breeze made the CC Breckland 30-mile time trial on the A11 road more of a challenge than it would have been for the Velo Club Baracchi riders.

Chris Womack was able to ride a personal best 1-16:05.  His previous 30-mile rides were on the slower Somerleyton course and on a faster day he might have expected to go a little quicker.

The wind was fairly strongly against for ten miles after the first five and then again for the last five, with crosswinds in places on the course.

John Swanbury and Ali Banks, who had set the club tandem record last year at 1-13:32, were able to bring this down to 1-11:55.  Unlike last year, when the chain came off twice, they had no mechanical problems and were able to keep just above a 25mph average.

The other tandem team in the event (Don Saunders and his grandson Declan Davis of CC Breckland) was, as expected, much quicker indeed with a 1-06:06 result for the win.

This event doubled as the East District CA championship and the winner was Daniel Bloy of King’s Lynn CC with 1-04:03 from Matthew Smith (Newmarket Cycling & Tri Club) 1-05:11 and Steve Gorbutt (Diss CC) 1-06:35. 

Jason Turner of Norwich ABC was fourth with 1-08:05 but took the third prize on the “one rider one prize” rule as Gorbutt was second on veteran age standard for which the prize was worth a fiver more.  First on age standard was Chris Nudds of CC Breckland with +14:57 (actual time 1-11:58) and third was Brian Davies of Anglia Velo with +13:06 (actual time 1-16:25).

CC Breckland deserved a prize for the organisation and catering, including excellent innovational bacon rolls, but had to make do with the team prize for the quickest three riders.

Sally Withey of VC Norwich won the ladies’ prize with 1-20:24, run closest by Jenny Anderson (GYCC) 1-23:23.  VCB’s John Thompson did not finish as he suffered a puncture.

Patrick Harbord won the VCB Athletes’ Trophy last Thursday with his 26:05 ride at Somerleyton without aero aids in the GYCC 10-mile club event.  This was originally recorded as 27:05 because of a mix-up over the numbers, and when it had been corrected Richard Allen’s time became 29:33.  Joe Reynolds of VCB slotted between them with 28:47.

Ali Banks was unaware of the VCB competition that night and rode full aero in 25:51. Nineteen riders in all took part, the fastest of whom was Harley Matthews of Strada Sport 22:38.

The last Godric CC evening of the season attracted a good turn-out of 33 riders.  Jim Burgess of Anglia Velo was fastest with 21:36, having already ridden with club-mate Simon Scott on a tandem in 20:24.

VCB times were John Dupen 24:30, Mark Womack 26:39, John Thompson 28:42.  Swanbury and Banks rode the tandem in a season’s-best 23:03, which could have been quicker but for a tractor and trailer of straw in the way.

The next Holmes Cup competition between Gt Yarmouth CC and VCB is the GYCC 25-mile club 25 at 9.30am from Market Lane north of Somerleyton on Sunday September 1.  VCB riders are encouraged to attend.