Womack’s purple patch

Chris Womack of Velo Club Baracchi continued his massive purple patch with a medal-winning 100-mile time trial on the same weekend as yet another sub-hour 25-mile ride. 

The 66-year-old rider recorded a splendid personal best time in the East District CA 100 on the Besthorpe – Wymondham – Larling circuit, achieving an average speed of 22.7mph and a time of 4-24:50. 

Despite the ruts on part of this A11 course Womack rode well and was perhaps a little lucky with the weather but took advantage of it. 

The early morning start was postponed for 30 minutes because of mist and the temperature warmed up from about 14 degrees at the start, Womack reported on a “side backwind wind going south toEast Harlingand head to side wind heading back to Besthorpe.” 

Womack won both the open handicap prize and an EDCA medal. 

The outright winner was Grigor Wallace of Team Midland Racing 3-33:32, ahead of Joe Wainman (Team Swift) 3-34:20 and Mark Turnbull (Leigh Premier RC) 3-36:50.  The fastest lady was Lucy Gossage (Cambridge CC) 4-05:38. 

Other times includedLowestoft’s Joe Skipper (Strada Sport) 3-53:39. 

Womack rode the 100 back-to-back with Saturday’s API Metrow 25-mile time trial on the A14/A11 roads turning atFour Went Waysin which he achieved 58:49, just outside his recent personal best of 58:35. 

The weather was very hot at 28ºC with a stiff wind blowing, making the outward leg quiet fast but in turn the return very tough. 

Womack forgot to charge his Garmin up so the battery died at 2 miles, showing that at that point he had already built up to an average speed of 27.1mph.  He said, “This was a pain as I didn’t know how I was going, only to find out at the finish that I had done the 58:49.  If I had had the use of the Garmin I could have increased the speed and got another PB.  Never mind, I was still pleased to have got a hat-trick of ‘under the hour’ three weekends on the trot.” 

The winner was Peter Lawrence (Team MDT) 48:54 and fastest lady Helen Reynolds (Hemel Hempstead CC) 55:28.  Godric CC’s James Trenchard of Bungay rode well with 54:22. 

Earlier in the week Womack warmed up with 24:43 in the Godric CC 10-mile club time trial. 

Club-mates John Swanbury and Ali Banks brought the tandem out for its first spin of the year, recording 23:10.  Their time and Womack’s might have been quicker if the resurfaced section of the road had settled down a little more. 

The fastest three solo riders were Harley Matthews (Strada Sport) 21:40, Lee Calderon (Iceni Velo) 22:28 and M Smith (NCA) 23:14.  There were fifteen solos and the tandem pair. 

No VCB riders took part in the Gt Yarmouth CC club 10 in which Joe Skipper showed the way with 22:16. 

The 8.30am Sunday club run was well supported and went via Halesworth and Peasenhall to Saxmundham, Leiston and Dunwich for tea and cakes, returning by way of Wenhaston.