The miles are being clocked, indeed as they should be but there sems to be a bit more focus for 2012. I’d like to think it was because of the olympics next summer but i’m resigned to the fact it’s an important road season for Westrup, Gentry and myself with the new Strada set-up. New kit has been delivered, training camps have been arranged and we even have a  team car!

The preliminary Eastern Time Trial calendar has also arrived so us VCB “Testers” can start to plan out the year with only a few days to go before xmas. Speaking on the home front – a few riders have contacted me regarding training over 2012 and it looks to be potentially a great season for the VCB TT Squad!

Can’t stop….got a few mince pies to eat! (Then a turbo session to burn it all off)!

On the agenda was a discussion for someone to take over from my reign as event organiser for several years. Nikki Hawkes took the 10-mile “MayDay” Time Trial and the club decided not to continue promoting Road Races in 2012. I can’t say i’m happy about it as i believe a door has been slammed in front of any youngster wishing to race in VCB colours as the priority entry to Eastern Road Race League events has also been lost with this decision. The club have been prominent in 2011 in the Road Race scene much more than in previous years and this would’ve (i thought) been the area for development.

No matter the decision has been made and Time Trials are the order of next season which is good as myself, Liam and Mark still wish to ride the Red/White/Blue in this discipline.

Speaking of the R/W/B…the decision has been made to keep the kit the way it is at least for another year. The request to look at it was in last year’s AGM and the request was based on the RR Team’s need to hve a modern kit in the peleton. Now the RR Team have moved to Ipswich and Strada there isn’t an urgency for this anymore.

Last night the VCB had it’s Prize Presentation Night and the spoils were shared by a wealth of good riders including Liam, Nikki, Pat Harboard, Mike Rainton, Jenny Anderson and Mark Newnham. I took nothing….comes with the territory of being 2nd in every club champonship this year when Gentry was riding! With that Liam Gentry took Rider Of  The Year …..and my raffle prize without me knowing – which he ate when he got home! On a lighter note he left me some Pickled Onions!

This morning I rode out with newly crowned Liam and turned the pedals in anger (sometimes) to remove the exces alcohol from the previous night! 54 miles covered in 2hrs 50mins…that’ll do! Considering I was on the winter bike for the fist time AND i had not ridden the bike since 12 days ago after a bout of back pain I was pretty chuffed. The Strada Road Race Team looked good in their new colours and it was my first opportunity to wear them..nice and warm too.

Hopefully the winter training continues……

The week I was out of action Liam and Mark did the same, although Liam felt challenged and went out on his MTB instead! Not to be missed was the cake and coffee at Wymondham cafe…although I did miss it and i’m gutted!

On a lighter note it’s the Prize Presentation Night this Saturday and more importantly the Chairman’s Breakfast the day after!

The Velo Club Baracchi Downhill and HillClimb championships this morning did not deter us from our 2012 season ambitions and we stuck to the plan. Considering I have my name on the downhill trophy mostly in the past 7-8 years (usually down to a good pizza the night before) I decided to give my VCB club-mates a chance to put a new name on it!

Liam Gentry called off his participation late last night due to a nasty cold that had plagued him all week following his spectacular win in the Holmes Cup Reliability (????). This gave me an opportunity of riding out with Mark W and catching up with his exploits over the last few weeks. His training schedule has been just as in previous years although his commuting has “upped” his game and he was relishing doing more than his all-time record of 9hrs training in one week…by the end of the day he would total 12hrs for the week!

Once we were at Stoke Holy Cross (24 miles) we met up with our Road Team Mates and travelled across to “Wymondham Cafe” – Dave Hurrell’s House (41 miles) where we sat and had coffee & cake before retracing back to Hempnall then across to Loddon and back through the lanes to Bradwell – our starting point – totalling just under 80 miles in just over 4 hrs.

With Velo Club Baracchi’s lead of 10 pts looking a bit fragile, Great Yarmouth turned out in full and although provisional, it looks as though they’ve won it for the 2nd successive year after over a decade of VCB domination.

I rode out with Liam Gentry, no easy task considering our drinking exploits the night before at VCB and Rock Estate rider –  Chris Drake’s 40th Birthday bash! We rode for just over an hour covering 20 miles before the ride even started just to make sure we got in the “compulsory 70″ we’ve promised each week during the winter.

The course travelled through St. Olaves, Haddiscoe, Loddon, Mundham, Ditchingham, Bungay, Rumburgh, Redisham, Brampton, Sotterley, Mutford, Carlton Colville, Oulton Broad and back to Blundeston.

Setting off in the last group we soon started to pick off the groups ahead and by the time we got to 6/7 miles we were the leading group. A dozen GYCC riders followed Liam and I and Duncan Lines from VCB. In the first hour of riding it was clear the Yarmouth riders were not confident in the distance and Gentry and I were left to set the pace at the front of the group. Around half-way the boys in yellow started to take their turns and set a quicker pace with a part-tailwind.

Gentry started to motor with 10 miles to go and the group soon whittled down from over 15 riders to just two small groups of 5 riders and another 6 close behind. As the group travelled through Oulton Broad the gas tap was opened and the 5 riders drifted away into the lead and traditionally Gentry kicked for home just outside Blundeston with me very close to his back wheel taking the slipstream to come in 2nd so-to-speak in a super-fast time of 2hrs 20mins.

On the ride back to Carlto Colville – another 7 miles! Gentry commented on the Yarmouth riders having a “gameplan” and that it didn’t work as he won the event. I then reminded him it’s winter, it was a reliability ride and there shouldn’t be a winner!

At 7:30am when it was a mere 3 degrees outside, I dared to wear 3/4 shorts and thin gloves! Gentry even wore training leggings so it had to be cold! We set out through Henstead, Stoven, Uggeshall, Blythburgh, Westleton, Leiston, Saxmundham, Framlingham, Peasenhall, Walpole, Halesworth, Holton, Bungay, Beccles and back to Gisleham to cover just a shade over 70 miles in just oer 3hrs 30mins at an average of just under 20mph.

I was thinking to myself whilst riding at a steady 24mph at one point how things will soon change and we’ll all be on our winter bikes and mudguards in a few weeks and the weather would take a turn for the worst. The weather turned out great and we rode home in temerature of 14 degrees! From near freezing to near summer in 3.5hrs – Only in the UK!

Next week sees us take on Great Yarmouth CC in the Holmes Cup with a reliability ride of 50 miles starting at Blundeston at 9am. VCB are currently a handful points ahead of Gt Yarmouth but no doubt they will turn out in force so all VCB’ers should ride. No doubt me & Gentry will do about 30-40 miles before we start that!

Solo entrants – Liam, Alex Blake and me from VCB, Bradley Tubby from Rock Estate and composite team of Carl Prewer (run) and Andy “Chopper” Harris (bike) started at 9am by Jenny Hill (Keith Stephen’s partner) for the 5km run, followed by a 19-mile bike leg and then a 5km run again.

Liam and Carl (in my opinion) sprinted off into the distance to leave me, Brad and Alex to fight out the minor placings. Carl came in to T1 to handover to Andy for the bike leg 2 minutes ahead of Liam, Brad and myself soon after and then Alex. A quick transition later and it wasn’t long before Gentry took the lead, I took 3rd place on the road as Brad was suffering from cramp in the cold weather. Alex unfortunately punctured on the last of the 5 bike laps and did not finish. Coming into T2 Gentry set of with a small lead but a fast Carl overtook him to take the lead and the provisional win by 1min 40 secs. Gentry came in with a 1:21:40 – a course record by exactly 2 minutes from 2010. I came in some 10 minutes later and Brad another 12 minutes behind.

As Carl and Andy were a relay team they were not eligable for the trophy but definitely a “challenge” as Gentry described it after the event. I was glad to take nearly 4 minutes off my 2009 time despite being on a road bike and taking the corners “very carefully”. Brad was congratulated for taking this event on considering the weather whereas many decided to stay indoors!

Note from John: – See also the photos of the event  on Keith Stephens Memorial Duathlon – a set on Flickr

Liam Gentry – Keith Stephens Memorial Winner

Carl Prewer – Composite winner.

Rock Estate Brad.

I set off with Gentry at 6.45am from Carlton Colville to meet up with Mark at Bradwell, we then rode out to Hemsby to meet up with the rest. All 8 of us rode quite hard & steady (22mph average speed) to Overstrand where we sat down for another posh coffee and some had some cake. After pretty much taking the mickey out of each other we set off back down the road from where we came.

Our Road Race Team Mates, with the exception of ex-VCB rider  – Matthew Thwaites turned off at Mundesley to return home a little earlier leaving the 4 of us to fight an increasing South East (Head/Cross) wind to return home. This slowed us down a little at times but the speed was still approx. 20mph most of the time.

After a short mechanical stop at Winterton we saw Matt turn off at Hemsby, then Mark in Gorleston and Gentry and I returned to Carlton Colville through Corton totalling 95 miles at an average speed of 19.5mph!

Gentry remarked how his 2011 season was a great success despite him being a stone overweight, he also suggested of “better things to come” in 2012 in Time Trials as well as Road Racing and if anything like todays ride is to be used as a marker I think i’d agree!

 RR Team Photo at Overstrand.

The crash was at 45mph at the bottom of a steep descent and the corner (and it’s gutter) proved too much to handle for the tandem bike and the machine just disintegrated upon impact throwing both Gentry and partially-sighted Iain Dawson nearly into a concrete and metal wall. Luckily enough, after immediate treatment at hospital both were given the all-clear with only minor injuries.

BBC News Link here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-15003394

Back to the return ride:

We set off nice ‘n’ early heading towards Aldeburgh, through Beccles, Blythburgh and Leiston, for a “posh coffee” and then return through Leiston, Yoxford, Sibton, Walpole and Halesworth before meeting and cheering ”Rock Estate” competitors at the Bungay Triathlon. Results here: http://www.tri-anglia.co.uk/events/waveney-2-triathlon

Then a quick “smash” through the Bungay Hills back to Gisleham – round Gentry’s for another coffee! A total of 65 miles, alot of which was at Gentry’s “gentle” 24-25mph! Not quite an off-season ride I had in mind!

The week has been quite a quiet one, with me being off in Birmingham on a business course but I still managed to get in a 1-hr bike session in the hotel’s gym twice and two 10km runs so not that for off-season training….besides….it keeps the weight off and I might pursuade myself to do the Keith Stephens Duathlon on the 9th October….

• Liam Gentry – (VC Baracchi) 1st cat
• Mike Auger – (VC Norwich) 1st cat
• Dieter Rowe – (VC Norwich) 2nd cat
• Mark Westrup (VC Baracchi) 2nd cat
• Nick Esser (VC Baracchi) 2nd cat
• Peter Hargreaves (VC Norwich) 2nd cat
• Stuart Pryce (Notts Clarion) 2nd cat
• Steve Hurrel (Strada Sport) 2nd cat

 
This will take effect in 2012 (subject to ERRL and BC confirmation).
 
Velo Club Baracchi have in the past, allowed riders to ride Road Races with one club and Time Trials in VCB Colours – after confirming this with Pat last night all 3 of us would like to exercise that right and still ride Time Trials in Red/White & Blue. It will be just Road Races that we will ride in Strada colours.
 
I feel I need to state that this move in no way reflects Velo Club Baracchi in a negative way, we have been offered a great package and would be mad to turn it down. Our commitment to VCB and it’s promotions and it’s future is still on the agenda and we intend to support the club in any way we can.
 
Personally, this means that I will be unable to promote the VCB Summer RR, as you know I have already resigned from the Beccles RR. This leaves VCB in a situation where they need organisers for these events to keep it in the racing calendar – it would be a great shame to let these races go, I would be heart-broken considering the fight i’ve had in recent years to keep them on, only to lose them because no-one is willing to take these on. If needed I can offer my experience and advice to whoever takes it on and help them “take the reigns”.
 
From a TT perspective I will still organise the Mayday 10 event and (more importantly) keep you all updated on this blog!!!
 
I hope you will all wish us the very best for 2012.
Any questions please ask away.

http://www.strada-sport.co.uk/
 
Nick Esser