Womack shapes up

Chris Womack of Velo Club Baracchi showed promise of a special year when so early in the season he rode a personal best time in the Lea Valley 25-mile time trial.

The open event on Saturday was on the A14 and A11 dual carriageway roads from Newmarket to Four Went Ways roundabout and back.

Womack said, “It was dry thankfully with a tail wind out but sticky in places coming back. Being held up at turn by traffic didn’t help.

Womack’s time was shown on the board as 1-01:34, a significant achievement in his first year of retirement.

The event was won by national champion Michael Hutchinson in a “silly time” of 46:36, an impressive average of 32.19mph.

Other times included Ian Cammish of Sonic Cycles 51:44 and Chris Nudds of CC Breckland 56:23

Earlier on the same afternoon along the A143 road near Bungay a 25-mile club time trial organised by Godric CC attracted fourteen riders and Mark Newnham rode the best VC Baracchi time, 1-02:46.

The full result was Matt Ellis (Tri Anglia) 55:35, Neil Turner (GYCC) 58:46, Ian Doe (Diss) 1-01:19, Mark Ready (Diss) 1-02:09, Mark Newnham (VCB) 1-02:46, Lee Cheung (GYCC) 1-05:10, Harvey Matthews (GYCC) 1-05:28, Rob Lines (Tri Anglia) 1-06:31, Richard Sargeant (VCN) 1-06:34, Ian Johnson (Deal Tri) 1-07:13, John Swanbury (VCB) 1-08:30, Gavin Sumner (Godric) 1-09:47, Jenny Anderson (VCB) 1-10:10, John Vidler (Plomesgate) 1-14:25.

John Thompson described his ride in the Bedfordshire Roads CC 25-mile event as an embarrassment but he added that he is remaining positive as he can only get faster.

The time he achieved was 1-18:49, albeit on a difficult course at Tempsford, just north of Sandy, heading south and returning into the teeth of the wind on the A1.

Cammish won with 56:52, which was five minutes slower than his ride of the day before.

Entries for the Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride on May 13 are looking good already and more are needed.  With distances ranging between 7 and 50 miles there is something for everyone in this ride.

Half the proceeds are for the East Anglian Air Ambulance and the other half for other charitable causes through the charitable trust of the organisers, the Rotary Club of Beccles.

Details and application forms for the ride are on www.becclescycleforlife.org