Home

  1. News & Reports
  2. Racing Calendar
  3. Riders
  4. Training Rides
  5. Club Records
  6. Membership
  7. Gallery
  8. Classifieds
  9. Contact
  10. Forum
 Image

RESULTS 2008
JAN FEB MARCH APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
 

RESULTS 2007 (click month to view)


 
September 2008
(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 21.09.08

George Kerridge of Velo Club Baracchi rode a course best and new member Simon Scott, in just his third time trial, rode a very respectable new personal best of 25:57 in the East Anglian CC open 10-mile time trial on Saturday.

Kerridge’s official time was 23:46 and Scott’s father-in-law, John Dupen, was just ten seconds quicker, with 23:36. The other VCB solo times were John Swanbury 24:45 and John Thompson 27:04.

Kerridge was very pleased with his time as he has worked all season to try to get a “23” on the single carriageway Earsham course and this first result was well within that zone. He was only slightly disappointed when the time showing on the results board, 23:36, which would have equalled Dupen, was later corrected.

The fastest rider was Nik Bowdler, visiting from Farnborough & Camberley CC, with 20:27. He beat Stowmarket & District CC’s star rider Lee Bark, who achieved 20:57, and his Stowmarket club-mate Andrew Leggett, with 21:55.

Clare Ella of Lincoln CC, being at age 40 a first year veteran, was the quickest woman by more than four minutes with a very slick 23:24.

Capitalising on good form, Kerridge and Swanbury then set a new club record tandem record of 22:25 in the tandem event after all the solos had started. This was a 13-second improvement on the previous club record they had set on the A11 dual carriageway in June.

The tandem event was won by Geoff Bateman and Joe Empson of Anglia Velo in 20:40. Starting a minute behind the VCB tandem they overhauled it just before the turn but on the tailwind second leg the VCB pair lost less time.

It was one of the best days of the year for sunny warm weather and the light wind in the right direction for the course.

The next morning was very similar for the East Anglian CC 25-mile event, won by Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers.

Mark Newnham of Velo Club Baracchi missed his start time and had a late start penalty added to his time of 1-04:12 on the road, to make 1-12:12. John Thompson finished in 1-09:31 and John Dupen did not finish.

This weekend it is the turn of Norwich Amateur Bicycle Club to run local open time trials on both days and this will round off the season apart from some more distant events.



(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 15.09.08

For a number of Velo Club Baracchi riders the highlight of the weekend was a sunny Sunday club run from Cotmer Road to Dunwich via Halesworth, Peasenhall and Saxmundham, for refreshing tea and cakes.

It was a round trip of just over sixty miles and others joined and left the ride near their homes en route.

Over the winter, particularly when the last of the organised events has taken place next month, this is the sort of ride that will keep the racing men and women fit until the next season in the spring.

The cyclo-cross season will come in between, in which a minority of the VCB riders may participate. The club’s greatest cyclo-cross enthusiast of recent years, Tim Bonnett, now races as a first claim rider with Lotto Olympia Team Interbike so it will be good to watch his progress.

In the meantime it was lucky that a dry weekend gave the club’s riders the opportunity to ride out on their summer bikes and enjoy the countryside at its early autumnal best.

On Saturday John Dupen had travelled all the way to the Andover Wheelers 10-mile time trial, where he achieved a quick time, 22:09.

In the category for riders aged 50-plus he came 19th out of 57 with a time of 22:09. The event winner was Neil Coventry of www.agiskoviner.com with 20:02.

There was a fast start down Thruxton Downs, in Dupen’s case reaching 36mph. The turn was at the 5.5 miles point, with a shorter return to make the 10 miles. His average speed was just over 27mph on this fast dual carriageway course.

Dupen said that in his present purple patch he had hoped to beat his season’s-best time of 22:07, which he set in May in the Shaftesbury CC event at Six Mile Bottom. He so very nearly did so and was disappointed to be slower by two seconds.

Saturday’s ride was a veteran “plus” of +6:03 (inside his age-related standard time), but Dupen had also been looking to set a new club veteran record. The club record he was tilting at stands at +6:21, set last year by John Swanbury.

This weekend local riders have a choice of two 25-mile club time trials. Godric CC has one on Saturday afternoon on the A143 and on Sunday at 9.30am a Gt Yarmouth CC event will take place on the Somerleyton circuit.



(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 08.09.08

John Dupen of Velo Club Baracchi won the club’s 50-mile championship with a personal best ride on Sunday.

His time of 2-02:51 was the fastest VCB time in the CC Breckland time trial on the A11 from Besthorpe, which had been chosen for the Baracchi club competition.

Fellow VCB riders were so impressed with this ride that the photos were checked afterwards to make sure Dupen’s bike was not powered by electricity!

The event also incorporated the Veteran Time Trials East Anglia Group championship, so there was much emphasis on performances against veteran standard, in which respect Dupen did well, beating his standard time for his age of 53 by 28 minutes and seven seconds, for a so-called “plus” of that figure.

Mike Rainton, with a time of 2-11:37 at age 62 actually gained a bigger plus (+29:48), so Dupen did not get everything his way.

Ian McCluskey was the second-fastest VCB rider with 2-08:58 (+18:40) and the club times were rounded off with 2-14:48 (+25:26) by John Swanbury and 2-23:06 (+23:09) by Mike Wood.

Nick Esser rode in the senior category, hoping potentially to challenge Dupen for the best Baracchi time on scratch, but traffic on a roundabout pushed him onto a bad line and he crashed out, probably on a patch of oil, leading to his retirement from the event.

There were 55 riders entered and most of them presented themselves to the starter, despite the uncertain weather. It was not too windy and the heavier rain held off until the last 15 minutes or so and the conditions were mostly fine, so many of the performances were good. The course had been revised and many of the riders thought it excellent, as Larling Hill did not feature in it.

The fastest rider was 42-year-old Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers with 1-47:43, with Lee Bark of Stowmarket & District CC second in 1-50:44, while the best veteran on standard was Ron Back of West Suffolk Wheelers in 2-02:40 at age 69 for +47:19.

Laura Robinson of CC Breckland rode a personal best 2-04:49 for the women’s prize. Coached by Mick Gambling of the same club, she had been scheduled to try for around 2-06:00, which would also have been a best time, but had been able to raise her speed over the last ten miles (where many riders flag) and pull off an even better time.

Personal bests may not have been too common the day before in the Norwich ABC 10-mile time trial but Mark Newnham of VCB achieved one. His time of 23:36 in the on a wet and windy Saturday event on the A143 from near Redenhall took advantage of the tailwind on the slightly longer outward leg, but clearly he was able to ride well into the wind on the return.

Dupen was the fastest Baracchi rider with 22:58 for sixth place and the other club times were Mike King 25:48 and Richard Allen 28:46.

The event winner was Mark Solley of Mildenhall CC in a class of his own with 21:14, with Martin Pyne of Anglia Velo second in 22:00. Ron Back of West Suffolk Wheelers was again the best on standard (+7:48).



(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 01.09.08

John Dupen of Velo Club Baracchi, who has been consistently the fastest of the club’s time trial riders in recent weeks, took one of the club’s records on Sunday.

Riding in the East Anglian VTTA open time trial on the A14 and A11 roads from Newmarket to Four Went Ways, Dupen set a new VC Baracchi 25-mile veteran record.

His time of 57:25 was a “plus” of 15:25 (inside his age-related veteran standard time), so the record set at +14:59 ridden by Reg Annis in 1996 was well beaten. It was Dupen’s best ever plus, by 19 seconds.

Dupen was also the fastest VCB rider in the event but Paul Clarke, like Dupen, also improved on his current best time. His 1-01:28 was a good ride on a hot windy day with mostly a mixed bag of side-winds on the dual carriageway course with a somewhat harder return leg.

John Swanbury rode a year’s best time of 1-02:16 (+14:55). Mike Rainton, who instead of choosing something less strenuous as a preparation, had ridden from Manchester to Chesterfield the day before, achieved 1-05:32.

Other riders who shone included Laura Robinson of CC Breckland, who rode so well that paradoxically she may have been disappointed. With 1-00:10, she so nearly missed out on going under the hour.

Ian Cammish of Planet X won on scratch, in 51:21. 78-year-old Ron Hallam of South Pennine RC defied his age as always, this time with a1-00:05 ride.

Earlier in the week the Diss & District CC rounded off their summer season of evening time trials with an event on the usual Billingford A143 course supported by twenty-seven solo riders (including seventeen of their own) and one tandem, ridden by Swanbury and Clarke.

It was Clarke’s first tandem ride and he found that stoking the old Claud Butler was much harder than anticipated, but together they achieved a pleasing 24:24. Richard Allen of VCB also took part, timed in at 28:29.

There was a tailwind start and it was the headwind return from the Needham Road roundabout that gave the riders a challenging time.

The fastest rider was Brian Starr of West Suffolk Wheelers with 23:39. 15-year-old Tom Fitzpatrick of the home club took second in 23:58, just clear of another four riders within the next seven seconds including Jonny Ramsay of Diss with 24:01 for third place. Fergus Muir of TA East, the EDP cycling correspondent, rode his trike round in 31:03.

The last Gt Yarmouth CC evening time trial at Somerleyton gave their former member James Eman of Anglia Velo his only chance to ride the Somerleyton 10-mile course this year. He added a very pleasing quick ride of 22:28 to his tally this year to win the event. This was 31 seconds under his previous course best, and was an excellent for this circuit.

Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike was second in 23:36, with Mike King of VCB third in 27:03 and Richard Allen of VCB fourth in 28:32. There was only one other rider, Adrian Ford, who punctured. Eman described the conditions as “nice and warm with a westerly wind, but not too strong, there was plenty of shelter.”


 August 2008
(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 25.08.08

Three Velo Club Baracchi riders achieved personal bests in the CC Breckland open 10-mile time trial on the A11 at Besthorpe.

Duncan Lines, Mark Newnham and Mike Wood were all able to take advantage of the tailwind start and make the best of the hard return for their best times, while John Dupen was the quickest Baracchi rider.

The Baracchi results were John Dupen 22:48, Mark Newnham 23:45, George Kerridge 24:02, John Swanbury 24:22, Duncan Lines 24:46, Paul Clarke 24:52, Mike King 25:11, Mike Rainton 25:17, Mike Wood 26:36, John Thompson 26:42.

Richard O’Rourke of Flitch Crono won in 19:55 from Nino Piccoli of API-Metrow (20:11), Lee Bark of Stowmarket & District CC (20:24) and James Eman of Anglia Velo (20:49). Ron Hallam of South Pennine RC was the veteran winner with 23:47 at age 78. Laura Robinson of CC Breckland won the women’s prize in 24:20.

John Dupen had ridden on Saturday in the Redbridge CC 25-mile time trial on the “E2” course from Newmarket on the A14 and A11, in which his time was 59:26. John Thompson’s time of 1-08:43 was his fastest this year. The winner was Richard O'Rourke (Flitch Crono) in 51.14.

The Gt Yarmouth CC club time trial on the hard Somerleyton course attracted eleven Baracchi riders but none of theirs. On this occasion most of the riders had decided on an “athletes’ 10” with no aero aids. Pat Harbord excelled with 24:28 on his road bike but most of the times reflected the lack of tri-bars and aero wheels.

Recently-joined Daniel Crompton rode a personal best 27:31. Mike King was riding his usual machine and was pleased with his fastest time on the course for a number of years.

The times were Pat Harbord 24:28, Mike King 25:58, Andy Harris 26:45, Nick Esser 26:53, Ian McCluskey 27:03, Daniel Crompton 27:31, Richard Allen 27:54, Mark Newnham 28:02 John Swanbury 29:06, Paul Bedford 29:09, Nikki Hawkes 30:15.

Earlier in the week the last Godric CC club 10-mile time trial of the year, with 22 riders, included eight from Velo Club Baracchi, with Dupen fastest again in 23:19 and a puncture for Mike Wood that kept him from starting. The other times were George Kerridge 24:27, Paul Clarke 25:05, Mike King 25:22, John Swanbury 25:51, Mike King 26:13, Mike Rainton 26:35 and John Cooper 28:23.

Riding the undulating Plomesgate CC club course seems as if it does one good, like organic food, so Paul Clarke and John Cooper grabbed one of the last helpings on offer this year. Fast times are not on offer so Clarke achieved 26:08 and Cooper 29:00. Fastest was Jim Hardwicke of Plomesgate CC in 24:11.

On the road racing scene, Lowestoft’s enthusiastic young rider Joe Skipper of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike took third place in his team road race. On his way to join the winning break Skipper put in a blistering attack that nobody was able to match.

His club-mate Chris Guy led home a break of five riders that also included Shaun Aldous of the same club, Oliver Caddy of Cambridge CC and Harry Penn of Mammoth Lifestyle RT.

Guy finished ahead of Penn with Joe Skipper rounding off the podium and Aldous fourth and Caddy fifth.

Skipper had previously ridden two-up in 22:36 with Godric CC’s Mike Hudspith in the Godric time trial.



(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 18.08.08

Two members of Velo Club Baracchi have notched up memorable performances.

Tracy Prewer won the women’s section of an open time trial and Paul Clarke set a new current best time with 1-01:45 in a 25-mile time trial.

Prewer rode the King’s Lynn 25-mile event on a sporting course starting at Fincham, all on 'A' roads. She said, “It was so windy on the way out, that on the way back I was 9 minutes quicker! All I kept thinking when I was struggling against the blustery wind was that the cyclists in Beijing don't give up when they are suffering, so neither should I.”

Her efforts were all worth it in the end. There were another four women in the event but she managed a win in a time of 1-14:49.

Taking into account the course and the weather, it was a pleasing result. Prewer commented, “I have had a look at what I did last year in very similar conditions, and this year’s time was almost two-and-a-half minutes quicker. Lee Bark from Stowmarket won the men’s event in 55:29.

Paul Clarke and Mike Rainton were both entered in the Shaftesbury CC open 25-mile “middlemarkers” time trial on the A14 and A11, passing through Four Went Ways.

Clarke’s time of 1-01:45 compared with 1-02:27 shown on his entry, being the fastest time he had ridden in the current and last three seasons. Rainton, with 1-03:54, was just thirty seconds slower than his current best but it was a good result to squirrel away for this season’s best times.

Among the older veterans, Godric CC rider Jim Caplin achieved 1-06:27 and Ray Ross of Comrades CC, another regular competitor in the Godric CC club time trials, finished in 1-06:18.

The fastest rider, James Whatling of PCA Ciclos Uno, despite having a previous current best of 58:02, was actually a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is actually a strong roadman, who took third place in the Beccles Road Race, for example, and rode a time of 21:49 during the10-mile time trial stage of a Surrey Road Racing League event this year. He slimmed his previous 25-mile time down by a huge chunk to a more realistic 51:56.

Most of the Velo Club Baracchi riders forgot the inter-club Holmes Cup 25-mile time trial at Somerleyton, but not Nick Esser, Richard Allen or new member Daniel Crompton. Esser won in a fairly slow (for him) time of 1-05:40, one minute ahead of Brian Henderson of the Gt Yarmouth club. Paul Anderson of Yarmouth also rode.

Crompton had made an impressive start in the sport with a 20mph ride the previous week to record 30 minutes at the 10-mile distance, despite wearing trainers and not having set up his bike to best advantage. In the 25-mile ride and properly kitted out he looked good and rode well, but unfortunately missed a turning.

The other times and the scores between the two clubs will be mentioned another time.

A VCB club run of six riders went on Sunday via Halesworth and Darsham to Dunwich, taking a shorter route than usual in view of a downpour that led the riders to hurry for their tea and cakes. At least there was a tailwind home and the riders were back before the next big shower. Members not taking part in competition meet at the roundabout in Cotmer Road at 8.30am on Sundays and set off towards Stoven, usually picking up others along the way.



(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 10.08.08

Time Trials

Velo Club Baracchi riders John Swanbury and George Kerridge won the tandem event in the very windy Anglia Velo 10-mile open time trial on the A11 with 23:21.

It was their first victory, albeit over just one other team made up of a husband and wife from Warwickshire. By coincidence both teams were on modernised Claud Butler vintage tandems more than 50 years old.

Setting off a minute behind, the Baracchi riders overhauled the Leamington Spa C & AC team of Steve and Christine Walker at the turn and gained just over another minute by the finish. The opposition finished in 25:34.

The two VCB riders had also ridden in the solo event, in which John Dupen was the fastest VCB rider with 24:00. Though this was well off his best, it showed how hard the windy conditions were, with a fast start and slow return leg.

The full VCB results were John Dupen 24:00, George Kerridge 24:35, John Swanbury 25:19, Paul Clarke 25:26, Mike King 26:11, Mike Rainton 26:28, John Thompson 28:49.

Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers won with 21:05 from James Eman of Anglia Velo (21:30) and Paul Ashby of Fat Birds CC (21:32). Laura Robinson of CC Breckland won the women’s event with 25:21.

John Dupen was also the fastest Baracchi solo rider in the previous week’s Godric CC 10-mile club time trial, with 23:00. Despite worsening rainy conditions this was one whole minute faster than he later recorded in the wind on Sunday.

Riding two-up rather than on a tandem, George Kerridge and John Swanbury achieved a fairly brisk 23:26. Jim Caplin and Adrian Perkin of Godric CC also rode two-up and achieved 26:43.

The fastest rider was James Eman of Anglia Velo with 21:26, a little faster than his subsequent ride on the A11. Paul Clarke rode in 25:58 and Mike Wood punctured before he could even start.

George Kerridge, Paul Clarke and John Cooper of VC Baracchi have taken part a number of times in the Plomesgate CC club time trials on their sporting 10-mile course on the road through through Tunstall Forest and the village of Tunstall. There were 23 starters last week.

Kerridge was particularly pleased to have reduced his time to 24:46, as the course is reckoned to be fairly slow like Somerleyton and perhaps a minute slower than the Godric one at Earsham.



Road Racing

Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike rode to eighth place in the Eastern Region Road Race Championships in Saffron Walden, though this gave him sixth place in the region, as two riders in the race were from elsewhere.

It was a hard course of 75 miles or so with a strong field, ridden in heavy winds and from the beginning attacks were going and being brought back, so the bunch was strung out for a long while with the weaker riders being shelled out.

Eventually a group of about five got a way. Skipper attacked and took Dan Kogan of PCA Ciclos Uno across with him but this then sparked a reaction from the main field and after about half a mile the escapees were caught.

Kogan then attacked up a hill and this took Skipper by surprise. Others got across and it built up to five riders, though some were dropped again and the lead group lost some advantage and reduced to two, allowing others to reach it, including Skipper, Phil Hetzel of Ipswich BC and James Ward of Cambridge CC.

The course was so hard that that though the lead group increased to nine, it was very fluid and riders were lost from it, so shortly before the finish, after further attacks and counter attacks five riders were away in front. One of these, Hetzel, had to retire from exhaustion and another three, including Skipper, were clear of what remained of the bunch.

All seemed to arrive at the line well separated, with out-of-district Martin Smith of AW Cycles first, Kogan second, David Cook of Altura third and Digby Symons of Cambridge CC fourth. Skipper took eighth and nineteen finished.

Skipper observed, “I don’t think I was 100 per cent, as two weeks before the race I had a very big week where I raced three times. I came thied at Redbridge Road Race, second in the (Godric club) time trial at Bungay riding the 10 miles in a personal best of 22minutes 23 seconds on a road bike, and then winning the Double Iron Man UK Relay on the Saturday.”

“Training included cycling over 400 miles, running ten and swimming two. And didn't eat enough before the event. I was a bit gutted as I was hoping to win this but at the end of the day gave all I could.”

Skipper says he is looking for sponsorship to enable him to compete in the top racing in England, i.e. Premier Calendar racing and also racing abroad, so as to take his racing to the next level. This may be a good opportunity to support an up-and coming rider, who can be contacted at 18 Kirkley Cliff.



(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 03.08.08

Mike Rainton of Velo Club Baracchi cranked up a personal triumph in the CC Breckland 12-hour time trial, in which the provisional result shows he covered 213.6 miles.

Despite Sunday’s mixed bag of weather this was the best he has done for a few years and is very close to his 2002 distance of 218.92 miles.

The event only attracts endurance riders willing to ride from 6am to 6pm, to see what distance can be achieved. Rainton has always been up for that kind of challenge.

The full provisional result was 1 Paul Smith (PCA Ciclos Uno) 288.0, 2 Dave Green (RAF CC) 279.6, 3 Trevor Mayne (Birdwell Whs) 277.8, 4 K Roesner (Fat Birds CC) 270.9, 5 B Philips (East Grinstead CC) 260.4, 6 M Fountain (Didcot Phoenix) 242.9, 7 P Hollingsworth (East Anglian CC) 237.9, 8 P Walton (Herts Whs) 235.4, 9 M Yardley (Lincs. Police CC) 227.2, 10 D Glover (Norwich ABC) 225.8, 11 D Jewson (Kings Lynn CC) 223.8, 12 M Rainton (VC Baracchi) 213.6, 13 T Reynolds (CC Breckland) 211.3, 14 T Goodall (Norwich ABC) 206.5, 15 A Ward (Wisbech Whs) 205.6 16 S Rush (Tri-Anglia) 201.8, 17 B Foster (Norwich ABC) 191.9.

Nick Esser of VCB was entered in the Team Cambridge 10-mile time trial, fully subscribed with 120 riders faster on paper than 22:37. Disappointment ensued as the event was abandoned in a heavy downpour after twenty-five riders, including Esser, had started.

Esser finished and was given a time of 23:33, which he knew to be a minute slower than he had actually ridden, so the outcome was, for the time being at least, rather unclear.

On Sunday, Esser went further afield to Sandy, Bedfordshire, for the Hitchin (middle-markers) 25-mile time trial on the fast course known as the F1. Similar weather, with blue skies followed by a downpour and with stronger winds held everyone back. Esser said his time, 1-02:06, was not bad for the day. The winner was M Harrison from Concorde CC with a 56:40, who beat his nearest rival by over two minutes.

Godric CC’s club time trial has become a very popular event, with thirty-one riders last week, including ten from Velo Club Baracchi if second-claim member Joe Skipper is included.

Skipper, in his Lotto Olympia Team Interbike strip was second-fastest with 22:23 on his road bike, behind James Eman of Anglia Velo, whose 21:27 was a personal course best. Mike Auger of VC Norwich was the third-fastest with 22:55.

The fastest first claim Baracchi rider was John Dupen with 23:03, beating Godric CC’s Mike Hudspith (23:36).

Other Velo Club Baracchi times were George Kerridge 24:11, Duncan Lines 24:57, Paul Clarke 25:15, John Swanbury 25:15, Mike King 26:46, Mike Wood 26:55, John Thompson 27:02, Richard Allen 28:17 and Will Garrod, celebrating recent fatherhood with a 28:20 ride.

Skipper was also fastest round the Somerleyton course with 24:26 (including 39 seconds late start penalty) in the Gt Yarmouth CC club time trial in very warm conditions just before the weather broke last Thursday. Other times were Brian Henderson (GYCC) 26:18, John Swanbury (VCB) 27:17, Mike King (VCB) 27:36, Tom Robinson (come & try it) 28:44.

John Thompson rode the Colchester Rovers CC 47-mile sporting time trial on “B” roads and lanes near Maldon with quite a few hills. His time of 2-28:26 compared fairly well with others.
Anthony Stapleton (Chelmer CC) won in 1.53.01

Velo Club Baracchi is staging an 8-mile "Come & Try It" time trial suitable for new riders this Sunday. The start is between Blundeston & Lound at 10am. There is no need to apply in advance but Nick Esser would answer queries (07879 680145).


July 2008
(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 28.07.08

Velo Club Baracchi rider Lee Cole, a relative newcomer to the time trial scene, rode a personal best time of 25:57 in the Godric CC club time trial and he looks set to improve further.

He was one of seven VCB riders in the 24-rider event, ridden on a warm overcast evening with little wind and, as the saying goes, “no help anywhere.”

Fastest of the seven was John Dupen with 23:34. The other Baracchi times were George Kerridge 24:43, John Swanbury 24:49, Mike Rainton 25:44, Mike King 26:12 and John Thompson, who also rode well, 26:36.

The fastest rider of all was James Eman of Anglia Velo with 22:05, followed by Mike Hudspith of the home club in 23:17 and Karl Sherry of Tri Anglia, third in 23:41, with Dupen fourth and Geoff Bateman of Anglia Velo fifth in 23:49.

Nick Esser achieved a pleasing new personal best by 30 seconds in the Shaftesbury CC 50-mile time trial on a course based on the A11 and A14 near Newmarket with his 2-03:26 ride.

The winner was Michael Hutchinson of In Gear Quickvit RT with a remarkable new British competition record of 1-35:27, blasting away the 11-year-old record of Kevin Dawson by nearly two minutes. Having started one minute behind Esser, Hutchinson swept past in no time and went on to average around 31.4mph. Ian Cammish of Planet X was beaten by more than six minutes and Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers was third in 1-44:18

The Diss & District CC 25-mile time trial on the Bressingham to Thetford road was a less speedy event, won by visiting rider from the North London-based sponsored club Arctic Premier RT, David McGaw of in 54:24. However, Ormesby rider James Eman of Anglia Velo was his closest rival with 55:49. Andrew Leggett of Stowmarket & District CC was third in 56:11.

Eman was elated with his second place and also with his time on the particular course.

It was an excellent morning for riding but the combination of a road that seems to have no level sections at all and with about forty feet of elevation to regain on the return made for a challenging event. The return leg was definitely the harder of the two, with a slight headwind into the bargain.

John Thompson and Tracy Prewer of Velo Club Baracchi recorded 1-12:30 and 1-13:42 respectively.

A new club record was set by John Swanbury and George Kerridge of VC Baracchi on Swanbury’s modernised pre-war tandem. They achieved a new personal best by ten seconds with 59:57. They had averaged well over 26mph to the turn and had to work hard to keep the average a fraction above 25mph at the finish.

The women’s winner was Laura Robinson of CC Breckland, who just pipped Emilie Fisher of XRT/Elmy Cycles by four seconds with a 1-04:42 ride, despite suffering a puncture in the last half mile.

Joe Skipper, the successful young Lowestoft rider in Lotto Olympia Team Interbike, finished just seven seconds down on the winner in the Redbridge Road Race, in the same time as his team-mate Shaun Aldous and Mark Jervis of Python Racing Team.

The winner was Digby Symons of Cambridge CC, with time for a full victory salute and with James Ward of the same club just four seconds behind him. The winner covered the 67.3 miles at an average of 25.3mph. Skipper was well placed to challenge for the win, but was unlucky with his tactics at the end of the race. Symons himself had previously failed to get a win for about three years.


(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 21.07.08

The Velo Club Baracchi 25-mile time trial championship was staged in the Godric club event last week, with victory for John Dupen and Nikki Hawkes, two completely new champions.

Dupen may have been helped slightly by the absence of any defence by Adam Bedford, who had a riding injury, but the other riders, especially Pat Harbord and Mark Newnham, did their best to make his task a hard one.

Despite just failing to dip under the hour, Dupen made sure of the club win, though triathlete Oliver Milk of Tri-Anglia and Mike Hudspith of the home club both had the measure of him in the overall positions.

A delighted Nikki Hawkes was riding her first “25” so she surprised everyone when she relegated Tracy Prewer to second place in the women’s competition. Hawkes and Mark Newnham spent a cycling holiday in the mountains earlier this year and this is usually a sure-fire way of picking up form, as their times both showed.

The full result of the event, including the riders from other clubs, was Oliver Milk (Tri-Anglia) 58:03, Mike Hudspith (Godric) 59:20, John Dupen (VCB) 1-00:01, Joe Skipper (riding as second-claim VCB) 1-00:24, Pat Harbord (VCB) 1-00:31, Mark Newnham (VCB) 1-00:50, Mark Elmy (Godric) 1-01:33, Andy Harris (VCB) 1-02:04, Nick Esser (VCB) 1-02:22, Mark Ready (Diss) 1-02:32, George Kerridge (VCB) 1-02:45, John Swanbury (VCB) 1-03:42, Andrew Townsend (Stowmarket) 1-05:52, Mike Rainton (VCB) 1-06:34, Paul Barwood (Godric) 1-07:12, Gavin Sumner (Godric) 1-08:26, Nikki Hawkes (VCB) 1-08:53, Tracy Prewer (VCB) 1-10:14. Mike Wood (VCB) 1-10:24,

Tracy Prewer took third place in the women’s section of the East District 25-Mile Championship on two laps of a flat A47 course near Wisbech, with 1-13:05, behind Emilie Fisher (XRT/Elmy) 1:4:07 and Laura Robinson (CC Breckland) 1:4:38.

The wind was across the course with more help on each return leg, apart from the last few hundred yards. John Thompson also rode and he achieved 1-11:31.

The District Championship was won by Lee Bark (Stowmarket & District) with 54:16, with Paul Ashby (Fat Birds CC) second in 55:12 and James Eman (Anglia Velo) third in 55:35.

Velo Club Baracchi staged a successful road race around Somerleyton, Lound and Ashby on Sunday, though none of the club’s own riders featured in the places.

A full field rode out from the St Olaves village hall for the seven-lap race of about two-and-a half hours’ duration, which was won by Shaun Aldous (Lotto/Interbike), with Phil Hargreaves (VC Norwich/Fitt Signs) second and Phillip Murrell (Finsbury Park CC) third.

A powerful looking group of eleven broke away and most spectators expected it to stay away, but Dereham rider Geoff Frost of API-Metrow led a chase that got race back together.

Unfortunately after these heroics Frost crashed out in an incident at Somerleyton and suffered a broken collarbone for the second time this year, though he had perked up enough later in the day after treatment to vow that he would be back on the bike soon.

Later, with about two laps to go a small group away, four of whom took the top places. At the finish Shaun Aldous attacked and dropped Phil Hargreaves in the sprint for a clear win.

Mark Pearson, Mark Westrup and Pat Harbord also rode and Harbord looked good but gave up his chances while assisting the club’s medic until the ambulance arrived for Frost. The event was well organised for the club by Nick Esser and many of the club members assisted on the day.



(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 14.07.08

Mark Westrup of Velo Club Baracchi took second place in the last of the year’s Lotus Cars Cycle Race League meetings at the Hethel track, relegating the Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike to third place.

The winner Ben Nicholson, also of the Interbike club, who also hails from Lowestoft. Pat Harbord was 10th and Westrup was also third in one of the intermediate sprints.

The runaway league winner of 2008 was Phil Hetzel of Ipswich BC but Nicholson was fifth, Westrup eighth and Skipper ninth despite irregular attendance. The league’s ten handicap races have been very popular with road racers of all abilities, including Juveniles, so Lotus Cars have again been a great help to the sport for allowing them on their test track.

Mike Rainton had a tilt at the 100-mile VC Baracchi veteran time trial record. Recently we said that Mike Wood had taken it from Reg Annis, but in fact Rainton had broken it twice in between, so he had actually been dispossessed by Wood.

Riding in the ECCA 100-mile event incorporating the VTTA East Anglian Championship on the A11, A14 and for the “last 20 miles or so of torture” on smaller roads, 62-year-old Rainton achieved 4-58:59, which was a “plus” of +47:24 against Wood’s +48:07, leaving Wood’s record intact. This leaves Wood not only holding the club record, but with the satisfaction of having set it in near gale force weather, with his club-mates, even including Rainton himself, very happy for him.

The best veteran 100-miler on the day was Ken Platts of CC Cambridge with a very creditable 3-46:34 at age 56, a “plus” of +104:44, which certainly sets an amazing level which few could achieve.

John Dupen rode a speedy 10-mile time trial on Saturday in the Team Economic Energy 10-mile event on the A11 Six Mile Bottom course, recording 23:08.

The event was won by the reigning National Champion, Michael Hutchinson of
In-Gear Quickvit RT in 19:50.

On the Sunday morning a chill air from the south-west made the Wolsey Road Club open 5-mile time trial seem a little uninviting and one veteran rider suggested he might wear his winter gloves for the first time in July. However, it was not quite so bad on the road.

John Dupen was the fastest Baracchi rider with 1-01:14 and the other Baracchi times were Andy Harris 1-05:50, John Swanbury 1-06:07, Mike Rainton 1-07:08 and John Thompson 1-10:00.

The fastest rider was Lee Bark of Stowmarket & District CC with 54:07, just one second faster than Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers. Among the older veterans, Peter Baumber of Cambridge CC stood out with 1-06:49 at age 77 for a “plus” of +20:07 quicker than his age-related standard time.

The In the women’s category Laura Robinson of CC Breckland beat the holder and inaugural winner of the Pat Pepper Memorial Trophy, Emilie Fisher of www.elmycycles.co.uk by 34 seconds, to win it this year with 1-03:21.

In the Godric CC club time trial last week John Dupen was second overall and also the fastest Baracchi rider with 23:30. Other VCB times were George Kerridge 25:08, John Swanbury 25:53, Mike King 27:26 and Mike Wood 28:53. The winner was Mike Auger of VC Norwich with 23:07.



(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 06.07.08

Velo Club Baracchi riders have been pulling personal bests and club records out of the bag despite some windy weather.

Tracy Prewer achieved a new Velo Club Baracchi record on Sunday with her 1-08:21 ride in the Norwich ABC 25-mile time trial, beating Sarah Sargeant’s 2003 time of 1-08:34.

There was quite a lot of wind blowing along and across the A11, giving help on the first short leg to the Mulbarton turn but making the next leg to the East Harling junction quite hard. On the final return leg quite long sections had more of a side wind than a tail wind, so speed was not as easy to achieve as the riders may have hoped.

Prewer was surprised to find herself in form despite having concentrated on longer rides. After setting her new personal best she said, “I am extremely pleased with that, seeing as I rode a 50-miler last week, 100-miler the week before and a 30-miler the week before that. I don't even like the shorter distances, but perhaps now I shall change my mind!”

The fastest Baracchi rider was the in-form John Dupen in 58:30, followed by Nick Esser 1-00:55, Prewer 1-08:21, John Thompson 1-09:11 and Mike Wood 1-10:28.

John Swanbury and George Kerridge set a new club tandem record with their first ride together at the 25-mile distance. They lopped two minutes and 36 seconds off the club 25-mile tandem record with 1-00:07, hoping next time to beat the hour. No other tandem was entered.

The solo event was won by Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers with 52:31 from James Eman of Anglia Velo, 53:20 and Andre Dyason of PCA Ciclos Uno 53:50. Fastest woman was Catherine Essex (King’s Lynn CC) with 1-00:14 but Laura Robinson (CC Breckland) was pleased with a personal best 1-02:21.

On Saturday in the Norwich ABC 10-mile time trial John Dupen led the Baracchi times with 23:13. Others were Ian McCluskey with 24:03, Andy Harris 24:28, Paul Clarke 25:13 and John Thompson 27:10.

Ian Cammish of Planet X won, with Andrew Leggett of Stowmarket & District second in 21:24, and Alan Newark of Planet X (21:59) was actually third-fastest but won instead the veteran first prize for a “plus” of +8:03, which relegated regular winner Peter Baumber of Cambridge CC to second with +7.57.

In the 15-rider Godric CC club time trial Duncan Lines and Mike Wood of VC Baracchi rode personal bests. Lines’ personal best was 24:55 and Wood’s was 27:22, 30 seconds faster than his best ride of 2007. John Dupen was second-fastest, with 23:43, twenty seconds slower than the winner Mike Auger of VC Norwich. Mike King rode the event for the first time in two years, with 26:02 and John Swanbury achieved 25:27.

Just three hardy souls braved the new chippings on the Somerleyton course in the Gt Yarmouth CC club time trial and the winner was Lee Cole of VC Baracchi in 26:47, with Mike King second in 26:49 and Adrian Ford of Gt Yarmouth CC third in 29:00.

The roadies also had their fun. The Wednesday evening 27-mile road race on the Lotus test track at Hethel was won by Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike in 1-01:10, with his club-mate Chris Guy second and Mark Westrup of VC Baracchi third. Westrup also took third in the second sprint and was second in the third sprint, with Pat Harbord third.



June 2008
(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 29.06.08
Mark Westrup of Velo Club Baracchi put in a very strong performance in the Redgrave Road Race, finishing in tenth place in a very closely-contested sprint finish.

He had stirred it up earlier in the race with a special effort leading to a sole breakaway on lap one, but none of the breaks made in the race were successful.

As all the riders left in the race charged for the finish line Westrup was unfortunate to find himself boxed in and following the wrong wheel, but in the last few yards he fought hard for his place.

The winner, Alan Lovegrove of Team Welwyn, came to the fore as a gap opened for him just before the line, just beating Robert Hunt of API and Jonny Ramsay and Trevor Banham, both of Diss & District CC.

Pat Harbord, Nick Esser, Ian McCluskey, Ben McCluskey and Nick Esser also rode for the Baracchi club. The McCluskey father and son both punctured and the other two Baracchi riders finished further down the bunch.

Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike continued his good form with fifth place in the Shaftesbury CC Road Race, which was won by Dan Staite of Python RT. Skipper was supported by his team-mate Dennis Van Gaveren, who finished seventh. Only 22 riders finished, the rest being withdrawn with 2 laps to go as they were too far behind.

The results of the 100-mile time trial in the strong winds, reported last week, mean that Velo Club Baracchi’s 2008 100-mile champions are Ian McCluskey and Tracy Prewer.

In the midweek CC Breckland 10-mile open time trial on the A11 there were some good times but the going was far from easy on the headwind return.

John Dupen was the fastest Baracchi rider with 22:50, followed by Paul Clarke 24:39, John Swanbury 24:51 and John Thompson 27:44.

The top places went to Andre Dyason (PCA Ciclos Uno) 20:57, Alan Newark (Planet X) 21:05 and James Eman (Anglia Velo) 21:29. Laura Robinson (CC Breckland) was the fastest woman with 24:25.

Paul Bedford though it might be fun to ride the Gt Yarmouth CC club 10-mile time trial and found himself to be the only rider. Battling through new tar-spray and chippings on the roads he completed the course decently on the right side of “evens” (20mph) to announce his return to competition.

Though the Godric CC and Diss & District CC club time trials attract a good entry there is a crisis further east. The Velo Club Baracchi Wednesday events are suspended this year because of the lack of interest, as most riders prefer other evenings or other venues.

The Godric CC open 10-mile event on the Earsham course on Saturday drew out a winning ride in the women’s category from VC Baracchi’s Jenny Anderson with 27:19.

In the Godric CC open 50-mile time trial on Sunday, Tracy Prewer of VC Baracchi achieved 2-31:26 and John Thompson did not finish. The fastest woman was again Laura Robinson with 2-14:02.

Many thought it hard, with a significant headwind on the westbound leg from Stockton to Needham, though by contrast there was a pleasant tailwind on the return stretch, which was helpful up the hills from Needham and towards Stockton. Ian Cammish of Planet X won with 1-52:02.

(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 23.06.08
The East District Cycling Association 100-mile time trial on Sunday turned into the most gruelling event of the year for the Club Baracchi riders who took part.

Five started and four finished the ride against the clock but the sunny weather was spoilt for the riders by some seriously-high winds.

The winds raking along the open sections of the A11 gusted up to 60mph at times, making riding in the tucked position on tri-bars frequently impossible in the battle to keep upright.

The fastest of the VCB riders to finish was Ian McCluskey, who was about 30 minutes down on what he might have expected on another day, with 4-54:54. He reported that at times on the headwind legs he was down to 13mph. On the extremely fast tailwind returns it was quite another story.

Mike Wood, at age 66, was particularly impressive in these conditions with a 5-08:39 result. It was not so very much slower than McCluskey despite Wood’s extra sixteen years. This earned Wood a “plus” of +48:07 (i.e. under his veteran standard time by that amount).

This appears to be a Velo Club Baracchi record, as Reg Annis achieved +44:26 in 1995 at age 73 and does not appear to have been beaten previously. Checks on this will be made. Wood is a solid endurance rider and genuinely modest, so when he reported, “I had no trouble staying the distance,” one can be sure it was perfectly true.

Tracy Prewer, with another remarkable feat of endurance, rode into second place in the women’s category with 5-25:07. John Thompson achieved 5-52:35 and was lucky not to run completely out of steam in the challenging conditions.

Nick Esser started well enough but climbed off without completing the event when he realised how near his limit he was riding, with his heart rate “in the red.”

The fastest rider was Lee Bark of Stowmarket & District CC with 4-04:37. The fastest woman was Laura Robinson of CC Breckland with an impressive 4-51:52 result.

On the previous Tuesday in the Diss & District CC 10-mile club time trial it was a much lighter headwind return and John Dupen of VCB was the fastest rider with 23:58. John Swanbury achieved 26:27.

The East Anglian CC open 10-mile time trial on Thursday on the A11 near Besthorpe was not as fast as might have been hoped, as there was a steady headwind on the return leg. Nevertheless there were some good rides.

John Dupen was ninth overall with 22:40. The other Baracchi times were Nick Esser 24:01, Paul Clarke 25:14, John Swanbury 25:38, Mike Rainton 26:18 and John Thompson 27:18. Seventy-one rode and James Eman of Anglia Velo was just two seconds slower than the winner, Mark Solley of Mildenhall CC, whose time was 21:27.

In the Veteran Time Trials Association event on the A11 between Newmarket and the Four Went Ways roundabout, Dupen went a little quicker, 22:31. Paul Clarke did so too, with 24:50. Conditions were warm, but windy and hard on the first leg.

The winner was Ken Platts of CC Cambridge, with a swift ride timed in at 20:23. Mike Hudspith of Godric CC was the only other fairly local rider, with 23:34.

Mike Rainton and Alex Blake are presently nearing the end of their ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats for charity. Hopefully some of the southerly and south westerly winds will help them along.

(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 15.06.08

Velo Club Baracchi riders staged their annual Baracchi Trophy two-up club time trial last Wednesday, to honour the club tradition.

The club took its name in 30 years ago from the professional event, the Trofeo Angelo Baracchi, which traditionally took place at the end of the season as an invitation-only, two-up team time trial in Italy. Bergamo-based businessman Mino Baracchi created it to honour his father, Angelo Baracchi, but it has not been run since 1990.

The origins were in an amateur road race held from 1941 to 1946. In 1947 and 1948 this became a professional race, with the team time trial format first being used in 1949.

The inspiration for the name of Velo Club Baracchi when it split from Lowestoft Wheelers in 1978 lives on in Lowestoft, though Lowestoft Wheelers no longer operates.

So the local two-up Baracchi Trophy is staged on the Somerleyton 25-mile course. On Wednesday the fastest of the four teams was that of Patrick Harbord and Adam Bedford, who zipped round in 59:30 in successful defence of their title.

Second were Andy Harris and Ian McCluskey in 1-02:28 to deny last year’s second-placed Nick Esser and Ben McCluskey, Ian’s son. Their time was 1-04:04.

John Swanbury rode with Jenny Anderson, who was riding for the first time. They were pleased enough with 1-10:28. Paul Clark rode solo in 1-11:48. The timekeeper was Ray Skipper. Paul Bedford and John Haigh were there in support.

The club’s 30-mile time trial championship on Sunday was a low key affair in the Gt Yarmouth CC club time trial from Ashby, using two and a bit laps of the 25-mile Somerleyton course, with variations. It was not well supported, but 30 miles is not a particularly popular distance.

Pat Harbord had the potential to win and set off at quite a pace, but had a different route in mind, so he went off course, letting in Nick Esser to win the club championship with his 1-18:39 result.

Jenny Anderson was the faster of the two VC Baracchi women, with 1-30:36 to Tracy Prewer’s 1-32:32. The other Baracchi time was that of John Swanbury, with 1-28:45.

The fastest rider was the VC Norwich visitor, Phil Hargreaves, with 1-16:01. Paul Lynch of East Anglian CC achieved 1-22:45 and the home club’s one rider, Brian Henderson, finished in 1-23:06.

John Thompson rode the Lincolnshire RRA 25-mile time trial on an L-shaped course starting on the A52 just west of Donington and turning on the A15 just south of Sleaford.

On the day it was basically headwind out and tailwind return and Thompson remembers saying to himself this time last year that he should forget any thoughts of “as it's Lincolnshire it must be flat!” There were some hills to grovel up and Thompson achieved 1-13:05, which he said was “Okay for the day and the course.”

The event winner was Ian Dalton (Cherry Valley RT) in 54.46.


(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 10.06.08
Joe Skipper of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike, a home grown Lowestoft talent from Kirkley Cliff, was the confident winner of Velo Club Baracchi’s Beccles Road Race, open to riders of all the top categories down to third.

His winner’s points will now move him up to first category status and he proposes to celebrate by sending out his applications to more top races.

Skipper went into the race with confidence he could win, though not believing himself to be quite as fit as when he tackled the divisional championships the previous week, in which mechanical problems forced him to retire.

The win came from a successful break with Daniel Kogan of PCA/Ciclos Uno and Kevin Chambers of API Metrow. They put a good distance between themselves and the bunch, but their task was then made easier by a train at the railway crossing in Ringsfield, which held up the bunch.

Special rules apply at the railway crossing. If everyone had been caught, the break would have been set off and given the same time advantage as before, but as only the bunch was caught it was just their misfortune. They chased and chased for miles, but to no avail.

None of this detracts from the achievements of the first three riders and Skipper was able, with 82 miles in his legs, to out-sprint the other two by about three bike lengths, a big enough margin to allow himself a two-handed victory salute on the line. The chequered flag was appropriately waved by his mum!

Phil Hetzel of Ipswich BC, an elite rider, was the next over the line, 25 seconds down, with a loose group of about five or so, followed shortly by the rest of the finishers.

Ian McCluskey of Velo Club Baracchi, finished very strongly, making an escape from the bunch within the last mile, but he was caught before the line and was provisionally placed fifteenth. This was a big achievement for him at the age of 50, against younger opposition.

Other Velo Club Baracchi riders in the race were Pat Harbord, Adam Bedford and Nick Esser, who was still looking cheerful as he brought up the rear. The race organiser, Richard Allen, gave thanks for all the help he had received from other club members and supporters on the day and from Suffolk Constabulary. It was an Eastern Road Race League event.

John Dupen was the fastest Baracchi rider in the Godric CC 10-mile open time trial on Saturday, which was plagued by wet conditions and a side-wind across the revised course from Redenhall to Clay’s roundabout and back to Wortwell. He finished seventh, with 23:54.

The field was reduced by about half, to 31 riders. The winner was Mark Solley of Mildenhall CC in 21:45 from Alan Newark of Planet X, with 22:13. The other VCB times were John Swanbury 26:26 and John Thompson 27:24.

The Sunday Godric open 25-mile event benefited from the better weather and was also won by Mark Solley, with 55:25 from Gary Rushmore of King’s Lynn CC with 56:58 and Angus Jardine of Ipswich BC with 57:04.
John Dupen was again the fastest Baracchi rider with 1-03:29. Other Baracchi times were Mike Rainton 1-06:50, John Thompson 1-10:23 and Mike Wood 1-11:55.

In the previous Godric CC evening “10” the VCB times were John Dupen 23:56, Mike Rainton 25:36, John Thompson 27:37 and Mike Wood 27:43. John Swanbury and George Kerridge achieved 23:29 on the tandem. Fastest was Mike Auger of VC Norwich with 23:06.

Three VCB riders were the sole participants in the Gt Yarmouth CC club “10” won by George Kerridge with 25:26 from Lee Coles with 28:00 and Will Garrod with 28:52.

Mark Westrup was seventh and Nick Esser ninth in the Lotus Cars Cycle Racing League on June 4 and the previous week Pat Harbord featured in the top ten.


(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 01.06.08
John Dupen won the Velo Club Baracchi 10-mile championship on Sunday with the fastest VCB ride in the East District CA event on the A11 near Besthorpe.

His time of 22:43 was 12 seconds faster than the 22:55 achieved by Nick Esser and last year’s champion Patrick Harbord slipped down to third with 23:17 with a determined Ian McCluskey fourth in 23:24.

George Kerridge rode well with 23:25 and Andy Harris, usually a roadman, rode his first time trial for many years in 24:05.

The club’s own championship billing for this event had tempted out a big gathering of VCB riders and the other VCB times were Mark Carroll 24:29, Paul Clarke 24:40, Mike Rainton 24:47, John Swanbury 24:49, John Thompson 26:09, Tracy Prewer 26:49 and Jenny Anderson 27:13.  Tracy was pleased with that result, which shows improving form.

John Swanbury and George Kerridge were riding straight after taking part in the tandem section against the formidable teams of Geoff Bateman and Joe Empson of Anglia Velo and Bobby De’ath and Iain Dawson of CC Breckland.

The CC Breckland pair won in 20:01, followed by the Anglia Velo team in 20:45, but the Velo Club Baracchi riders, Swanbury and Kerridge, were pleased with 22:38, which lowered the VCB club record from last year’s 22:51.

The new District Champion is Ormesby resident and former Gt Yarmouth CC rider, James Eman of Anglia Velo, who set his winning 20:11 time as last man off, beating Paul Ashby of Fatbirds CC by ten seconds and Mark Solley of Mildenhall CC, who recorded 20:47.

Ron Back of West Suffolk Wheelers won the veteran category with a “plus 8:11” from his scratch time of 23:49 at age 69.  Emilie Fisher of Elmy Cycles won the women’s category with 23:04 but Laura Robinson of CC Breckland ran her fairly close with 23:33 with an outstanding personal best. 

Conditions were dull and overcast, with slight occasional drizzle and a slight headwind on the first leg.  By comparison the previous week’s Wednesday 10-mile open time trial organised on the same course by CC Breckland was held with a strong tailwind start and a side headwind return.

The strong southerly wind put quite a few off riding, but actually competitors got full assistance out to the turn at Browick and were quite well protected on the way back by hedges growing up well on elevated approaches to the railway bridge.

It produced a crop of promising rides by the Baracchi riders and again John Dupen was the fastest, with 22:33.

Other VCB times were Paul Clarke 25:04, Mike Rainton 25:37, John Thompson 26:45 and Mike Wood 27:39.  The event winner was Phil Nudds (CC Breckland) in 21:26.  The CC Breckland tandem pair of De’ath and Dawson recorded 20:16 and CC Breckland’s Laura Robinson gained her previous personal best of 24:22, which she went on to smash by 49 seconds on Sunday.

 

 
 
May 2008
(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 26.05.08

Lowestoft lad Joe Skipper of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike struck top form on Sunday with a canny win in the Reg Cogman Memorial Road Race at Wicklewood. It was his first win.

Open categories 2, 3 and 4, the 70-mile road race was hit by rain shortly after it started, but Skipper rode confidently in the conditions. Nick Esser of Velo Club Baracchi was one of those who did not complete the race.

After a number of early unsuccessful attacks, a group of six escaped near the end of lap 2, gaining a lead of about 30 seconds and Mark Arnold of API bridged across to it about half a lap later. Then towards the end of lap 3, Skipper and a Maldon rider also managed to reach it.

About thirty seconds later there was a crash and one rider went down. Skipper noted that everyone was weary and the group split to just four, staying away until they were caught at the end of lap 3.

The race then stayed together for most of lap 4 until about 3 miles before the end of the penultimate lap when two riders got a lead on the bunch and finally about a mile before the finishing hill a group of three got away, to form what became the decisive break of the race.

This group contained Ben Nicholson, one of Skipper’s team-mates, so as they went up the hill Skipper just followed the wheels of the attacking riders making sure he didn't chase his team-mate down. After they crested the hill he looked back and saw he had a lead of five to ten seconds, giving him the chance to attack hard and catch the leaders within a mile.

Skipper commented, “The group then worked really well, with Ben getting dropped a couple of miles from the finish. As we went up the hill the group just split with me taking first by a couple of metres.”

In last week’s Godric CC 10-mile club time trial Joe Skipper limbered up for his road race with the fastest time, riding a road bike. His time was 22:58. Next was Mike Auger of VC Norwich in 23:33, with John Dupen of Velo Club Baracchi third in 23:42, two seconds faster than Geoff Bateman of Anglia Velo.

Other VCB riders were John Swanbury 25:45, Mike Rainton 26:39, John Thompson 27:30, Mark Carroll 27:39 and Mike Wood 29:21.

The Ipswich BC weekend 10 and 25-mile open time were held on 'farmyard' humpy courses in the Tunstall area.

In the “10”, Jenny Anderson of Velo Club Baracchi recorded 27:51 and John Thompson 28:43. The winner was Lee Bark (Stowmarket and Dist CC) in 22:14.

In the “25” that took place in wind and rain the Baracchi times reflected the conditions. Jenny Anderson achieved 1-16:31, Tracy Prewer 1-17:42 and John Thompson 1-17:46. The winner was again Lee Bark in 57:53. Jenny Anderson could have been a little faster had she not punctured at about 400 metres from the finish.


Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report Supplement 21.05.08

Lowestoft roadman Joe Skipper has just changed teams again and now rides for the Lotto Olympia Team Interbike, a heavily sponsored and successful Essex team.

Last year he was Velo Club Baracchi’s road race champion and in between he rode with some success for VC Revolution. He is a sports science student at Essex University.

Skipper rode the Fred Whitton Challenge on May 11 to try and better his last year’s time. This is a gruelling 112 mile sportive ride around the English Lake District, taking in six of the major passes en route.

Starting and finishing at Coniston, the route includes the climbs of Kirkstone Pass, Honister Pass, Newlands Pass, Whinlatter Pass, Cold Fell, Irton Pike, and towards the end the brutal Hardknott & Wrynose Passes.

This is reputed to be the hardest one day ride in the country. Riding over the Hardknott Pass with 100 hard miles in the legs already and without getting off and walking is a task most people could not achieve.

This year with very good weather it was going to be quick for a few riders. It is just short of being a proper race but Skipper could be proud of his ninth-place finish in a time of 6-10:22. The quickest time was by Rob Jebb of Wheelbase, who had been ill last year and so wanted to get the quickest time title back, which he did with James Dobbin of Arctic Premier RT. They both finished in 5-40:40.

Skipper rode this event as a Velo Club Baracchi rider as this is his second-claim club and the road racing rules, which would have required him to ride for his first-claim club, did not apply to the event. Shaun Aldous of Skipper’s new club Lotto Olympia Team Interbike was 21st in 6-23:29. There were 597 finishers.

Last Sunday both Skipper and Adam Bedford of Velo Club Baracchi, who is at Sheffield, rode in the British Universities Sports Association road race. Skipper was unlucky. He punctured on the first lap, was given a wheel by the neutral service vehicle, but left with no help to get back into the race when the vehicle just drove off, which put paid to his race.

Skipper chased for a lap and a half but was three-and-a-half minutes down and not making up any ground so he pulled out, very disappointed.

Bedford did better. He managed to last for four laps of seven and was dropped after the long climb when a rider he was with came through way too hard for his turn on the front while they were trying to chase the bunch down.


(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 20.05.08

Nick Esser of Velo Club Baracchi had a good ride in the Lotus Cars Cycle Racing League at Hethel last Wednesday, in which to his own surprise he took seventh place.

He gave credit to club-mates, in the case of Pat Harbord for dragging him round for the hour and in the case of Ian McCluskey and Andy Harris for leading him out, though possibly rather too early.

The top places were taken by Phil Hetzel of Ipswich CC who seems unbeatable locally at present, Chris Guy and Ben Nicholson of Interbike, Mark Farrow of API, Ken Roesner of Fatbirds CC and Richard Muchmore of Crest CC.

This week is the Reg Harris road race at Wicklewood in which the Baracchi club is usually well represented, but this year only Esser flies the flag.

Duncan Lines of VCB credited the recent fitting of tri-bars to his bike with helping him to a new personal best by over a minute in the Godric CC club time trial last Tuesday. His time was 25:32.

Other Baracchi times were John Dupen 23:23, John Swanbury 26:06, Mike Rainton 26:26 and Mike Wood 29:16. As usual lately, it was rather cold and windy. The fastest rider was James Eman of Anglia Velo with 22:16.

John Dupen of VCB tried his luck in the Lea Valley 10-mile open time trial, but it was not as fast as last week’s ride. It was not a good day, with wet roads drying and a fairly strong NNE wind. Nevertheless he achieved 22-59. It was fast to turn (5 miles at 29mph average) and the return very hard, especially last three miles. National champion Michael Hutchinson of In Gear Quickvit RT won in 18:54. James Eman of Anglia Velo rode a new 10-mile personal best by 5 seconds, now 21:21.

James Eman of Anglia Velo was also the clear winner of the Gt Yarmouth CC 25-mile Thursday evening club time trial around the Somerleyton course, with 58:57.

Other times were Oliver Milk (Diss & District CC) 1-1:57, Nick Esser (VCB) 1-4:39, Mark Newnham (VCB) 1-5:06, Brian Henderson (GYCC) 1-7:05, Lewis Bird (GYCC)1-10:22, Jenny Anderson (VCB) 1-13:24, Nicky Hawkes (VCB) 1-14:16, Richard Allen (VCB) 1-14:21.

A notable aspect of this result was that two VC Baracchi women time trial riders were there, both beating “evens” (20mph) and also beating Richard Allen into the bargain.

There was a 10 to15mph NNE wind that made it slow from Blundeston to Bradwell but this meant a nice tail wind on the fast section from Bradwell to St Olaves. It was also quite sheltered through Herringfleet. There were a lot of walkers around the course, which made life interesting in the start/finish lane, blocking the road!

(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 12.05.08

Mark Westrup capitalised on a strong Velo Club Baracchi presence in the Lotus cars Cycle Race League to take fourth place.

The Baracchi team was strong and helped to drive the 26-mile race along, but it was Westrup who capitalised on the team tactics. He showed the strength and positioning skills to be nearly in the right place at the right time, picking up at least one place in a sprint along the right hand side of the break.

Other VCB riders in the team were Pat Harbord, Nick Esser, Andy Harris, Ben McCluskey and Ian McCluskey. He race winner was Phil Hetzel of Ipswich BC from Nathan Miller of 53-12 Multisports and Chris Guy of Interbike RT.

On the time trial scene John Dupen was this week’s hero, having made a successful foray to the 10-mile open time trial staged by Shaftesbury CC at Six Mile Bottom, where he picked up a sizzling time of 22:07 (27.5mph average) which was also a veteran’s category “plus” of 6:05 inside his age-related standard time.

It was a day of fast times by riders from far and wide, so even with this excellent result Dupen was in 64th place overall. The national champion, Michael Hutchinson of In Gear Quickvit RT won in a stunning time of 18:26 from Ian Cammish of Planet X, who lagged by 1:15 to achieve 19:41. Sam Barker of Planet X was third in 19:55. Someone in the Baracchi club commented that they should try doing that round the Somerleyton course!

In the Gt Yarmouth CC club time trial at Somerleyton, combined with Velo Club Baracchi which provided all the riders, Mark Newnham was the fastest with 25:19. Other times were Will Garrod 29:04, Mark Carroll 29:21, John Thompson 29:24, Tracy Prewer 30:33 and Nicky Hawkes 34:17.

John Thompson rode the Wisbech Wheelers 25-mile time trial on two laps of the 'flat as a pancake' but fairly exposed A47 course, in a time of 1-10:25 and the winner was John Tuckett (AW Cycles.Co.UK/Giant) in 52:43.

It was a tail wind out and headwind return and a slightly disappointed Thompson thought he was for a while on his fastest ride for some time until running into a sticky patch in rising headwind on the second return.

Quite a number of Velo Club Baracchi members took part in the Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride on Sunday, including the tandem teams of Paul and Andrea Bedford and John and Susan Haigh. Solo riders included John and Jonathon Pitts. There were 300 riders entered in the event, a record number.



(Lowestoft Journal) Cycling Report 05.05.08

In the round-the-houses Ixworth Criteriums on Monday, Mark Westrup and Pat Harbord of Velo Club Baracchi rode with panache and some success.

They rode in the category 3 and 4 race, in which the winner was Dominic Schils of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike, who had ridden back-to-back with the junior event. Though he had recently been promoted to second category, he was able to take part with the third cats as he had already entered.

Schils streaked off early and six others went with him, including his club-mate Ben Nicholson, Baracchi riders Westrup and Harbord, Robert Hunt of API and two others. Later in the race the elastic snapped and Schills got away again off the front of this group with two others, but the other four continued to chase and the bunch was nowhere. On the line Westrup took 5th place and Harbord 7th.

John Dupen found in the masters’ category that exertions in a time trial earlier in the day had left him with little in the tank. Joe Skipper of VC Revolution, last year’s Velo Club Baracchi champion, took on a hard ride in the top race dominated by the Rapha Condor elite riders.

In time trials, John Dupen of Velo Club Baracchi surged ahead of his recent close rival George Kerridge in two recent events, one last week and the other on Monday.

In the Godric CC 10-mile club event Dupen achieved 23:47, more than a minute faster than Kerridge, who was timed at 24:54.

John Swanbury and Mark Carroll gave John’s tandem its first 2008 competition ride in the Godric event, in 25:51.

James Eman of Anglia Velo beat his club-mate Geoff Bateman by a minute and five seconds, with Dupen third. There were sixteen solo riders and the fastest Godric was Mark Elmy with 24:21.

On a sunny Bank Holiday Monday morning Velo Club Baracchi staged an open 10-mile time trial from Wortwell to the Bungay “chicken roundabout” and back. The event secretary, Nick Esser, took his duties seriously by trying out the course, riding as number 1 to get back quickly and continue his job. With 23:45 he was very nearly the fastest VCB rider but just over an hour later John Dupen finished in 23:44 to beat him by a second.

The other Baracchi times were Mark Newnham 24:26, George Kerridge 24:51, Mark Pearson 25:27, Nigel Seago 25:59, Mike Rainton 26:50, Jenny Anderson 26:55 and John Thompson 27:46. Jenny Anderson took second place behind Laura Robinson of CC Breckland (25:10) in the women’s category.

On the tandem, despite enjoying a better ride than on the previous Tuesday with 25:09, John Swanbury and Mark Carroll were pipped to the prize by the visiting team of Kevin Godber and Kent Hallington of North Notts Olympic RC with 24:51.

The fastest riders in the event were achieving some excellent times. Ian Cammish of Planet X won in 21:11 from Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers with 21:27 and Geoff Platts of De Rosa RT with 21:33.

The Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride is at 10am on Sunday May 11 from Beccles Middle School on Castle Hill. Distances offered on country roads are 7, 15, 25 and 40 or 50 miles and entry on the day is now the only option. It is best to arrive early.

 
 
April 2008
28th April
With a quicker ride than George Kerridge could manage in the Godric club time trial, John Dupen of Velo Club Baracchi overcame Kerridge’s apparent upper hand in the time trial scrap between them.

Dupen’s time in the Tuesday evening 10-mile event was 23:43 and all Kerridge could do to try and match it was 24:19, despite having had the beating of him on each of their previous two rides.

Both were quite good times and the other Baracchi time in the 22-rider field was John Swanbury’s 25:43. James Eman of Anglia Velo showed everyone the way to do it with the fastest time of the evening, 21:45.

Dupen, Swanbury, Mike Wood and John Thompson rode in the East Anglian CC open 10-mile time trial on the A14 between Rougham and Woolpit on Sunday, where they found the conditions not quite as good as at the Godric event previously. The ride had been eagerly anticipated, as the course is considered reasonably fast, but there were disappointments.

Dupen’s time was 23:49, six seconds slower than at the Godric event, but consistent none-the-less. Swanbury had to be content with 26:29, which was 46 seconds slower. Wood achieved 28:44 and was just pipped by Thompson’s 28:40. The consensus was that the ride was “sticky” even though that might be difficult to explain, but it could be that the light side-wind was not from the best quarter.

There were 65 riders entered and the fastest time was by Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers, with 21:29. The winner of the “best on veteran standard” prize was Alan Newark of Planet X with his 21:50 ride at age 60, which gave him a “plus” of 7:58. The tandem pair of Chris and Phil Nudds of CC Breckland whizzed round in 21:13.

On Bank Holiday Monday, Velo Club Baracchi will stage an open time trial on the Earsham course. It has attracted an entry of 77 solo riders plus two tandems. As a sign that spring is upon us, nine of the club’s riders are entered on the solo category and two on a tandem.

The Beccles Rotary Club organisers of the Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride have been making a big push for last minute entries in advance by the closing date this Saturday, but after that there will be entry on the day. The ride is at 10am on Sunday May 11 from Beccles Middle School.

More information can be obtained by ringing 01502 716616 or 713837or from the website www.becclescycleforlife.org from which last-minute advance entry forms can be downloaded.

Numbers so far are very promising but many more new riders are welcome to make it the best year ever. Distances offered on country roads are 7, 15, 25 and 40 or 50 miles, the top distance for the keenest riders.



20th April
Nick Esser of Velo Club Baracchi was in excellent early season form in the East Anglian CC 25-mile time trial near Wymondham with a time just over the hour.

Against a very strong wind and wet conditions on the return leg from East Harling, which brought Esser down to 15mph at one point, he managed to finish in 1-00:15.

As James Eman of Anglia Velo won the event with a 54:46, Esser commented, “I think someone forgot to tell him it was difficult out there.” Second was Neil Kirk of North Notts CC in 54:49.

John Thompson of VCB allowed the conditions to slow him on the return to the point that with 1-15:03 he just failed to beat 20mph.

The weekly contest between George Kerridge and John Dupen of Velo Club Baracchi was won again by Kerridge. Both of them went faster than the week before, with 24:40 and 24:47 respectively.

Other Baracchi times were 27:15 from John Swanbury and 29:10 from Mike Wood. Yet again the cold was a major factor, but the wind was light.

James Eman of Anglia Velo was the fastest with 22:18.which compared well with his 22:46 ride the week before. Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper of VC Revolution was second on his road bike with 23:46, the only other rider under 24 minutes.

Joe Skipper of VC Revolution took seventh place in his new club’s road race, having missed the break which went at the start of lap 2, in which seven riders gained about a minute-and-a-half
before the bunch started to chase.

Two riders were dropped from the break and then two more punctured, Dennis Van Gaveren of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike and S Griffiths, who where the force behind the break, so it started to come back together. When two more riders got across to it from the bunch, Vince Divine of Finchley Racing Team and Philip Hersey of Eagle RC, they pushed up the speed again and the bunch stopped chasing.

The break of four went on to sprint for the finish, with Vince Devine first, Lee Rowe of VC Norwich second, Philip Hersey third and Neil Chapman of Maldon & District CC fourth. There was one other rider away behind them, followed by Skipper in an attack from the front of the bunch with Dennis Van Gavaren, who had managed to get a wheel change.

The two of them sprinted off the front of the bunch in the last half mile with Van Gavaren just getting sixth in front of Skipper and then the bunch came in about 10 seconds later.

The Beccles Cycle for Life entry forms and information can be obtained by ringing 01502 716616 or 713837. Alternatively entry forms for all categories in this seventh annual charity ride on May 11 are available (with full information) on the website www.becclescycleforlife.org

So far the organisers have been very pleased with the advance entries but will welcome as many more new riders as possible. Distances on country roads range from 7 miles for youngsters and families through 15, 25 and 40 to 50 miles, the top distance for clubmen and other keen riders.



13th April
George Kerridge and John Dupen of Velo Club Baracchi made rode well in the first Godric CC evening club time trial of the year. Kerridge was the faster with 24:23 to Dupen’s 24:52.

James Eman of Anglia Velo (formerly of Gt Yarmouth CC) was the fastest with a powerful 22:46 ride, which made up for his failure to complete the VC Baracchi open time trial because of a braking problem on wet roads a few days before. He looks likely to be one of the top local riders this year.

Most riders are waiting and hoping for warmer days, as faster times usually come as the weather improves.

Nick Esser of Velo Club Baracchi took a trip to Ford's Test Track in Dunton, Essex for the Team Economic Spring Rumble, a mass-start road race on a closed track.

Esser’s race for 3rd cats started behind a National women's race and managed to lap them twice. No-one managed to get off the front and it all ended in a sprint finish.

Esser managed 9th place in the gallop for the line, though he said that it could have worked out better for him if he had realised they were approaching the last lap before the bell was rung. He had been thinking there was at least 30 minutes to go and he was taking it easy in the middle of the bunch at that point.

After the bell for the last lap, Esser spent all his time trying to get to the front for the sprint, which was upon him in no time. The winner was Craig Northam from Dulwich Paragon.

Good weather for the inaugural Glade CC Spring Road Race greeted a full field of riders, who included Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper of VC Revolution. It was staged on a new Littlebury-Elmdon circuit to the west of Saffron Walden in Essex.

A break of seven riders quickly established itself on the first two laps of this seven-lap 81-mile race. The finish hill out of Littlebury slowly accounted for more and more riders as the race went on, and the gap dropped initially to 1 minute 30. At the finish six riders had come together and then there were two pairs just over a minute and a half down. Skipper was in the second of these, in tenth place.

The organisers of the Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride on May 11 have been delighted to report that a team of twenty riders from a local courier company has signed up. So far a majority of the riders entered are first-time participants, though many previous riders are joining them.

Money raised will be shared between the East Anglian Air Ambulance and the charitable trust of the Rotary Club of Beccles.

Besides the team category that is being promoted quite hard are individual rider, juvenile rider and family rider categories as before. Distances on country roads south of Beccles range from 7 to 50 miles and the event caters for everyone.

Entry forms and information are available on the website www.becclescycleforlife.org or by telephoning 01502 716616 or 713837.


6th April
Tracy Prewer kept going despite the cold in the Velo Club Baracchi open 25-mile time trial on Sunday and she found that staying the distance was enough to win her category.

On the arduous two-lap event in wintry conditions around Somerleyton, Lound, Bradwell and St Olaves, she picked up the women’s prize with a plucky finish in 1-23:35, likely to be her slowest “25” of the year.

Just over one lap completed was quite far enough for her club-mate Jenny Anderson, who was one of six riders in the event who did not finish. Another ten solos and the tandem pair chose not to start.

Mark Pearson of VC Baracchi completed the distance in 1-11:34. James Eman of Anglia Velo was one of the non-finishers.

The top riders in the men’s field turned on the style. Even though nobody went under the hour, Glenn Taylor of API Metrow ran close, achieving 1-00:25. It was quite a tight contest between Duncan Murphy of Cambridge CC, second in 1-02:14 and Phil Nudds of CC Breckland, third in 1-02:37.

In the veteran category a splendid ride by Chris Nudds of CC Breckland in 1-04:43 at age 59 gave him the win with a “plus” against his age standard of +11:20. His team-mate Alan Stevenson, aged 61, came in with 1-06:48 for second with +10:23. CC Breckland also picked up the team prize.

John Thompson organised the event and there was a full support and catering team on the day. At least the St Olaves village hall was warm and the chilled riders were able to thaw out eventually.

In the top “National B series” race staged by Maldon CC on Sunday for categories E/1/2/3 the finishers were whittled down to about fifteen souls from around forty-five starters.

Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper continued his strong showing, taking seventh for his new club VC Revolution.

There were two riders away and they held on to the end. Skipper, with Andy Lyons and another two riders tried to split their group of nearly twenty riders in the cross wind sections and hard parts of the course. The problem was the wind just wasn't really strong enough and they were able to hang on. They did lose a few and by the end there were about ten in the group, with one rider just managing to chip off the front in the closing stages taking 3rd, and Skipper fourth in the sprint, seventh overall.

Darren Barclay of Arctic Premier RT won. Philip Hargreaves of VC Norwich took eleventh place. There were no local finishers in the Regional B race, won by junior rider Dominic Schils of Lotto Olympia Team Interbike.

There has been a lot of interest in the new team category in the Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride on May 11. Already a Women’s Institute team has entered and a team from Colchester, with promises of others. The organisers hope that teams from work and voluntary organisations will enter.

Also available are individual rider, juvenile rider and family rider categories as before. Entry forms are available on the event website www.becclescycleforlife.org or by telephoning 01502 716616 or 713837.
 
March 2008
31st March
If Joe Skipper, VC Revolution rider from Lowestoft, thought that he might show a clean pair of heels riding in the Dengie Marshes Tour, he soon found otherwise.

Known as the “Paris-Roubaix“ of the Eastern Region, the race was more than ninety per cent of the ride on unclassified farm roads, with a section on each of the 6 laps that was worthy of a top cyclo–cross.

Bedraggled riders standing with a punctured wheel held in the air, wanting race service, were a regular sight on the course, near Burnham-on-Crouch, just as in the early season north European classics.

Heavy overnight rain, following 2 weeks of harsh weather had produced a course that covered the riders and their machines in mud and soon after the start all seventy of them were strung out over the course. Skipper was as muddy as any.

The faster riders shot off quickly from the start to take advantage of a good section of road and get away from the herd. Skipper found himself in the third group on the course, but was reported to have ridden well, despite a modest result.

He said it was a great race even if he failed to star in the top finishers, taking 22nd place, eleven minutes down. He said, “Everyone wanted to be at the front to see what was coming and to be first in to the farm track at the end of each lap. If you stopped like I did when I got stuck in mud, the race just rode away. Having good handling skills in the soft stuff was a bonus which I seemed to lack. I was playing catch up most of each lap but I still finished with no punctures.”

Billy Joe Whenman of Sport Beans/Wilier won the 110.7km race in 2-49:00, an average speed of 39.3 kilometres per hour.

Nick Esser and George Kerridge of Velo Club Baracchi took part in the Godric CC 25-mile time trial on two laps up and down the road between Bungay and Redenhall.

Esser was not expecting much after a morning’s work and in the wind, which was blowing right down the Bungay bypass from the south west.

However, Esser was the fastest with a 1-01:53. George Kerridge was less than five minutes over the hour.

Ben McCluskey and Nick Esser intend to ride the Maldon road race this weekend. Also taking place this Sunday is Velo Club Baracchi’s 25-mile open time trial round the Somerleyton course, organised by John Thompson.

Thompson himself rode the Stevenage CC 115km (72 miles) Audax last Sunday to Thaxted via Newport and back via Buntingford through some very pleasant and hilly lanes. Thompson started at 10.40am and finished at 5.30 pm, making fairly steady progress even despite a slow puncture in one of his tyres towards the end that he stopped occasionally to pump up.

Details of the Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride on May 11 and entry forms are available on the event website www.becclescycleforlife.org or by telephoning 01502 716616 or 713837.



24th March
Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper, whose selfless actions were mentioned last week, had a good result on Monday, away from the distractions of the previous week’s crash.

Riding for his first claim club, Velo Club Revolution, Skipper took second place in the National B race at the Bill Temme Memorial Criteriums on the Ford test track at Dunton in Essex, which escaped the overnight snow.

There were about 25-30 riders in Skipper’s race. He said that after a lot of attacking there was a quiet spell, so he attacked. He got in a group of seven and though this was not working very well and everyone was attacking each other it stayed away and Skipper took second place in the sprint. Adam Norris of Heron Cyclesport won.

Nick Esser of Velo Club Baracchi, which is Skipper’s second claim club, rode in the Regional B 1-hour race, which started with a bang with one rider trying to escape in the first 200 yards. After the first ten minutes of 'new season' fresh legs the race calmed down on the 1-mile banked track.

Esser remained within the peleton and finished comfortably in 30th place in the bunch finish, thinking of warmer climates and better opportunities.

The local action had been on Friday in the 10-mile open time trial along the Waveney Valley course from Wortwell to the Bungay “chicken roundabout” and back, organised by Lynn Evans for Gt Yarmouth CC.

A cold but partially sunny day with a very strong north-westerly side-wind greeted the riders. Two thirds of the seventy-five who had entered took the start.

Esser was the fastest Velo Club Baracchi rider, one of about five riders prepared to ride in shorts despite the cold, another of whom was his club-mate Mike Rainton. Esser’s time of 24:50 was a very sound result considering the weather. George Kerridge and Mark Newnham also rode very well and all three declared they enjoyed themselves.

The two Velo Club Baracchi women riders were in the prizes. Jenny Anderson was the scratch winner with 31:42 and Tracy Prewer was second on handicap behind Maureen Nichols of Wolsey Road Club.

The Baracchi times were Nick Esser 24:50, George Kerridge 25;41, Mark Newnham 25:58, John Dupen 26:05, Mike Rainton 29:20, John Swanbury 29:36, Jenny Anderson 31:42, Mike Wood 31:57 and Tracy Prewer 32:50.

Andrew Leggett of Stowmarket & District CC won with an impressive time of 22:04 from Andre Dyason of PCA Ciclos Uno with 22:31 and Leggett’s club-mate Lee Bark with 23:13. James Eman, now of Anglia Velo, too fourth place with 23:30.

Mark Cozens’ website www.mphotography.co.uk contains proof photos of all the action.

The other time trial of the weekend was a 25-mile open event staged by Diss & District CC on Sunday. With a trike event within it and a category for classic bikes, there were some brave performances despite gathering snow clouds and some driving snow showers. Mark Cozens pictures of the event include one of the EDP’s redoubtable cycling correspondent, Fergus Muir, on his tricycle and a picture of a penny-farthing rider in the snow.

The club run was caught out by the Sunday snowfall but fortunately it did not settle on that occasion.


17th March
Lowestoft rider Joe Skipper, who was Velo Club Baracchi’s 2007 road race champion, is now riding well for the Essex-based Velo Club Revolution, which was formed last year.

Skipper retains second-claim Velo Club Baracchi membership but has joined the Essex club because his university there has no cycling club of its own.

On Sunday he did he right thing by acting unselfishly when an accident happened to one of the riders with him in the Ed Taylor Road Race at Thurlow in Essex.

Fifty-three riders elected to start in the wet conditions and Skipper was in a break of three with Digby Symonds of Cambridge CC and Dan Kogan of PCA/Ciclos Uno, with whom he worked well and they drew out a significant of one minute over a pursuing group of fifteen.

On the sharp S-bends at the back of the circuit they met a car and Symonds was unable to avoid a collision with it. Skipper stopped to check on him and Kogan rode on, unaware of quite what had happened.

Skipper rode on when the mobile first aiders arrived but had sacrificed a perfect chance to finish in the top three. In the bunch sprint he put in a strong sprint finish in the bunch to take tenth place in the race. Kogan had not been caught and he won the 80km race in a time of 2-10:02, two minutes ahead of the bunch.

Symonds was treated in hospital and was able to post a message on the Eastern Road Race League website later in the day to tell other riders of his broken collarbone, but that he was in as good spirits as could be expected.

Skipper had also taken fourth place in the Lea Valley Youth CC Crits 2/3/4 race the day before, behind Dennis Van Gaveren and Dominic Schils of Interbike RT and Nathan Edmondson of Glendene CC.

The miserable weather put paid to the Gt Yarmouth CC 25-mile open time trial on the Somerleyton course, as there was water across the road from overnight rain. Nick Essser and Ben McCluskey of Velo Club Baracchi decided to ride round the two-lap course in full thermal kit to see what they could achieve as a two-up team without tri-bars.

Esser said with just a little smugness, “All the "aero" folk went home, probably to do a turbo session in their nice warm sheds!” He and Ben thought they would prove that “roadies” like themselves were made of sterner stuff, though he added that the decision made to cancel the event was certainly the right one.

John Thompson rode the Comrades CC 156km Audax on Saturday for which the HQ was at the Comrades CC hut at Ugley in Essex.

The event took a similar route to the previous week’s, via Gt Bardfield, Castle Hedingham and Thaxted, back to the HQ at about 70 miles, then a loop just across the boarder into Hertfordshire. The distance in miles was 97.2. Thompson started at 9am and finished around 5.30pm, having enjoyed his day out.

This weekend, weather permitting the main local event is the Gt Yarmouth CC 10-mile time trial on Friday, in which a number of VCB riders are entered.

On Monday Nick Esser and Ben McCluskey aim to ride in the Bill Temme Memorial Criteriums in London.

10th March
The good weather last weekend gave Velo Club Baracchi riders more opportunity to hone their fitness for the new season and they were lucky that the storms held off till Monday.

Baracchi riders Nick Esser and Jenny Anderson rode last Sunday’s Gt Yarmouth CC 50-mile reliability ride and completed it in three-and-a-half hours including a puncture stop.

The two Baracchi riders were joined by Esser’s training partner, Ben McCluskey, whose path had crossed theirs in the first few miles. The three of them continued through Oulton Broad, Sotterley, Uggeshall, Halesworth, Homersfield, Bungay, and Haddiscoe and found the actual distance to be more like 55 miles.

Esser’s time in the previous week’s Gt Yarmouth reliability ride westbound to Postwick, near Norwich, returning through Wroxham to Great Yarmouth was three hours and fifteen minutes in a very strong wind.

John Balfour of Velo Club Baracchi took part with Esser in a previous Gt Yarmouth CC ride, in which they covered 50 miles in just over three hours.

This Sunday Esser and McCluskey will ride their first time trial of the year, the Gt Yarmouth CC 25-mile event on the Somerleyton course. As “roadies,” they plan to shun tri-bars and other aero aids, to see what they can achieve riding as a two-up team in the Baracchi tradition.

Richard Allen, who has a regular training route close to home, has been seen out training a lot further away, really getting in the pre-season miles, so perhaps he will be seen more regularly in local time trials this year.

John Thompson rode the Shaftesbury CC 160 km (100 miles) Audax on Saturday from the Shaftesbury CC club hut at Ugley in Essex, riding in the Thaxted and Coggeshall area and returning to the HQ

He had a steady ride and enjoyed it, but also brought back fond memories the bacon roll and apple pie chaser at his headquarters stop at about 68 miles before setting off again on the final loop just into Hertfordshire.

Alex Blake also rode this event as part of his training for the end-to-end charity ride, the Race against Time, in which he and Mike Rainton will take part this summer. Blake is up to £840 towards his £2,000 fundraising target.

On Sunday another successful Velo Club Baracchi training run headed via Halesworth, Sibton and Laxfield to Pulham Market for a break at Goodies farm shop.

The riders included Paul Clarke, Will Garrod, Duncan Lines, Mark Newnham, George Kerridge, John Dupen, Mike Rainton, Mike Wood and for part of the route Pat Harbord and John Swanbury. They passed Ian McCluskey heading back from the Laxfield direction.

Garrod, who joined the club last year and took part in two late-season events, is working on his fitness and he may well be someone to look out for in competition this year.

The ride set off fairly briskly with local rider Mike Horne, who joined the ride for its early stages, driving the pace with John Dupen.


3rd March
With the racing season only a few weeks away, the 8.30am Velo Club Baracchi club run from Cotmer Road on Sunday was very well attended.

At one point the group comprised a good dozen or so riders, with some joining and a few leaving along the way. The group went via Halesworth to Laxfield and then via Fressingfield to the Waveney Valley for the return to a café stop in Bungay on the way home, covering at least 70 miles.

Those riding well included John Dupen, Mike Wood, Mike Rainton and George Kerridge, Pat Harbord and Nicki Hawkes, to name a few. Our cycling correspondent put in an appearance and had to cut out a few miles to catch up again, joining a small group for carrot cake and a mug of tea at Bungay, which was possibly the best feature of his ride.

The best feature of the day was the sunshine that dominated, despite some high cloud. The brisk westerly winds, with a little south in them, made most riders’ return journeys quite easy.

Other riders were out and about. Ian McCluskey, for example, has been riding regularly and keeping a fairly low profile, so perhaps he will be seen on the veteran road racing scene this year. His path crossed that of the club run at Holton. His son Ben also has the potential to produce a few good road race finishes this year.

It seems likely that the road racing and time trial teams will be boosted by new members and there is every indication that the strength of Lowestoft’s successful Baracchi club will be maintained. Prospective new members can download an application form from www.vcbaracchi.co.uk or contact the club via Life-Cycles shop in Newcombe Road, Lowestoft.

For the first time in many years it appears there may be at least three VCB lady members taking part in time trials this year. Joining Tracy Prewer is Jenny Anderson, previously of Gt Yarmouth CC and new member Nicki Hawkes. It would be surprising if this were not a year of keen competition.

John Thompson went to the Gt Yarmouth CC reliability ride but then set off on a course of his own. Nick Esser, however, took part in the event on the correct course.

There have been a few time trials in the East Region this year but none have been entered by club members. The first really local one is a Gt Yarmouth CC open 25-mile time trial on the Somerleyton circuit on March 16. It is a fairly hard course and in early Spring conditions can be even harder.

For many, the traditional start of the local season will be the Gt Yarmouth CC Good Friday 10-mile time trial (March 21) form Wortwell along the A143 to Bungay and back. Quite a number of Velo Club Baracchi riders are known to have entered this already and there ids still time to do so.

Very welcome advance entries are also being received already from the keenest entrants in the Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride on May 11, promoted by the Rotary Club of Beccles.

The event is suitable for cyclists of every kind, whether regular riders or families with youngsters and there is a range of distances between seven and fifty miles.

This year the organisers are pressing to encourage teams from workplaces and voluntary organisations to join and ride as a team. Details for riders of every kind and photos from last year are on the website www.becclescycleforlife.org from which entry forms may be downloaded.
 
February 2008
25th Feb
It was a weekend double for John Thompson of Velo Club Baracchi. With an event on offer on each day, he elected to ride both.

On Saturday he rode a 100km Audax run by the Victoria CC, based at their club hut in at Ugley in Essex. The route was a figure of eight round the Thaxted and Hatfield Broad Oak area of Essex and the checking was carried out at the HQ at around half-distance.

Thompson found that the distance worked out at about 66 miles, which is further than standard, so he thought his time of around 5.5 hours was respectable considering the keenness of the wind and inclusion of plenty of hills, together with the necessity to check the route through some “very nice lanes.”

On Sunday he rode the VC Norwich 50 + 5 reliability ride that he describes as the tour of the railway bridges. Because, as he put it, his legs knew they had been working hard the day before, he went for the “soft option” of 4 hours. Nevertheless the group were “not hanging about.” Thompson’s time was closer to three-and-a-half hours.

The wind probably helped as much as it hindered, but some stretches were very hard, especially the last 7 miles into the teeth of it.

The route is took Thompson from Hellesdon to Aylsham, Melton Constable, North Elmham, Reepham, Cawston and Frettenham to finish at Old Catton village hall for tea and cakes.


17th Feb
John Thompson of Velo Club Baracchi successfully completed the East Anglian CC 75-mile time trial in the five-and-a-half hour group.

The event started at Cromer Rd, Hellesdon and the route went via Roughton, Holt, Guist, Dereham and Watton to finish at Colney.

Thompson rode steadily in a mixed group of riders, showing consideration to two riders who were having a less easy time, until with 18 miles to go they invited the others to ride on, at which the pace picked up.

Them as Thompson explained, “Two fast lads caught us and we were able to work with them; that is, in my case, until I punctured with about 5 miles to go. However I still finished with 15 minutes in hand.”

The Velo Club Baracchi club run from the Cotmer Road roundabout was again well-supported and went first to Halesworth, as has become the norm, joined by various extra riders along the way. One of the riders was Nicki Hawkes, who may well be a rider to watch in the season’s competitions.

Shortly after Halesworth on the way to Laxfield the riders caught up a group of cyclists from the Woodbridge area who were going the same way and both groups rode together for some time before the VCB riders peeled off.

Other Velo Club Baracchi riders were out training. Pat Harbord and Ian McCluskey were seen on their way to Norwich and Ben McCluskey put in a circuit round Peasenhall and Yoxford, briefly linking with the club run.

Such sunny days are really welcome at this time of year, giving the club riders the chance to train in the dry and bring themselves and their bikes back home without the usual winter covering of grime.



12th Feb
John Thompson of Velo Club Baracchi rode the Norfolk CTC 200km Audax on Sunday, taking eleven-and-a-half hours.

His ride from Colney took him on a fairly complicated route and he had to check regularly to avoid error.

After reaching Harleston via Metfield it was back to Colney via Homersfield, then out on another leg to Hempton near Fakenham and back via Dereham.

Thompson’s ride took him past Shotesham Ford by the footbridge and it brought back memories of when he attempted to ride through on a 1960s Lowestoft Wheelers club run and fell in.

The club run from Cotmer Road was well supported and turned into ride of 70 miles or so to Aldeburgh and Thorpeness. Those taking part included Pat Harbord, Mark Newnham, Nicki Hawkes, Mike Rainton, Alex Blake, George Kerridge, Duncan Lines and Rob Simons.

Membership renewals are now overdue and the club will welcome enquiries from prospective new members. There is a website www.vcbaracchi.co.uk from which membership forms may be downloaded and contact with the club can also be made via the Life-Cycles shop in Newcombe Road.

The early events of the racing season will soon be upon us and in the meantime the club’s riders are looking to get fit for another successful year.

Tim Bonnett never quite completed his cyclo-cross season this winter. Out of a possible eight counting events in the East Anglian Daily Times series Bonnett rode six, which gave him enough points for sixteenth place in the league.


4th Feb
The cold and windy weather blighted a 100km reliability trial from Oulton promoted by John Thompson of Velo Club Baracchi to the extent that only two riders took part.

One of these was Thompson himself, who decided on the four-and-a-half hour option and completed it well within the time.

The other was Mike King, who commented that, “I suspect the wind and the risk of ice put most folk off. There was wind aplenty but no ice.”

King was aiming to complete his ride in 4 hours and went just over this by just under 4 minutes. He said, “John had at least a 10 min start and it took me all the way to Laxfield to catch him. My, I had forgotten how awful some of those hills around Heveningham are. I was down to 8mph in places!”

“John Thompson said he would coast round in four-and-a-half and as I was aiming to beat four hours, I continued alone. I flew to Harleston but turning towards Bungay the strong side wind caused problems. The bit from St Olaves was purgatory and the last hill had me almost walking! I just failed to crack the four-hour barrier with 4-03-55, averaging 15mph for 62.5 miles. I had little energy left for the 3 mile slog home into the teeth of that wind.”

Beccles Cycle for Life date

The website of the Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride is now up-to-date with all the details of this year’s event. The ride is on Sunday May 11 and the event is promoted as usual by the Rotary Club of Beccles with help from Life-Cycles of Lowestoft and Velo Club Baracchi.

There are three basic routes of 7, 15 and 25 miles, which give the riders the option of riding 7, 15, 25, 40 or 50 miles.

The organisers have written, “We anticipate enthusiastic support on this our seventh Beccles Cycle for Life. As all Rotarians contribute their time free, all sponsorship collected goes directly to the nominated charities.”

“Last year’s event proved to be a great success and our thanks again to all those who supported and participated in it. Some 234 riders were involved and we distributed over £6,500 to East Anglian Air Ambulance and our charity fund.”

“Our own fund is a charitable trust that has through 2007 continued to support the Waveney Sailability project plus many other local charities and good causes. We have also supported Kidney Research UK, Optua, and Break”

“So please try to persuade your family and friends to join you. Why not ride as a team with others from your work, company, club, pub, your village or neighbourhood to help make this event an even greater success? For the first time this year we are introducing a category of team riders to cater for business and other social groups.”

East Anglian Air Ambulance is the main charity again this year. Entry forms are available on the website www.becclescycleforlife.org
 
January 2008
28th Jan
A very pleasant bright day tempted out some of the Velo Club Baracchi regulars on the club run, including Mike Rainton and Alex Blake, both anxious to train whenever they can.

Last week we mentioned that Alex Blake had announced his intention to ride in the sponsored Race for Life from Land’s End to John O’Groats in aid of the Bishop Simeon Trust, helping disadvantaged and poorly South African children, as Mike Rainton did last year.

Mike Rainton has now made it clear that he will be joining Alex and the other riders in this year’s event, despite his “never again” reaction to last year’s gruelling ride.

Last year Rainton found that with just five days allowed he was pushed to the limit each day. He expects that this year’s six-day schedule will make each day easier, but with the possible downside that after the first five days there will still be another left to ride!

Also on Sunday, John Thompson confirmed he had ridden the VC Norwich 50-mile reliability ride and got round in 3hrs 5minutes, adding that he believed the route to be about half a mile short so his time was consistent with recent rides.

The event started on the Cromer Rd at Hellesdon and went via Holt, Cromer, the Aylsham by-pass, Frettenham and Spixworth to finish at Old Catton village hall for tea and cakes. There was a headwind to Holt but after that it was generally easier.

John was able to extend to some of the riders an invitation to ride in the 100km reliability ride he has organised for this Sunday from Oulton Community, starting at 8.30am for 4.5 hrs, 9am for 4 hrs and 9.30am for 3.5 hrs.

There was a blank week on the cyclo-cross front, as the Norwich ABC event had to be cancelled at the request of the landowners, due to damage that would be caused to waterlogged land. Accordingly the last event in the East Anglian Daily Times series is next Sunday, February 3, at Hillyfields, Colchester.



22nd Jan
Mike Rainton and Tracy Prewer of Velo Club Baracchi both won medals in the East District Cycling Association last year and they were collected on their behalf by John Thompson at the EDCA luncheon.

Rainton won a bronze medal for third on handicap in the 15-mile championship. Tracey Prewer won a silver medal in the 100-mile championship, a bronze medal in the 50-mile championship and another in the 25-mile circuit championship.

Thompson rode 47 miles into a headwind to Carbrooke, beyond Norwich and Hingham, where he received the medals for them, later savouring the tailwind home.

Joe Skipper of Velo Club Baracchi entered as an Essex University rider in the Colchester Rovers CC Mistley Cross, an Eastern Daily Times Cyclo-Cross League event, where he finished 50th, two laps and 1:48 down on Nathan Miller (53:12). Shaun Aldous of Interbike RT was second. Skipper is better known for his skills on the road.

Club member Alex Blake has announced that he is set to take part as Mike Rainton did last year in the Race Against Time. He commented, “I thought I needed a challenge and it didn't take much persuasion!”

The distance from Lands End to John O'Groats is 874 miles but this year the duration has been increased to 6 days cycling. Alex will be raising money for the Bishop Simeon Trust and would really welcome support. Details of the event are on http://www.theraceagainsttime.com and it is possible to sponsor him on line http://www.justgiving.com/alexblake

The previous week John Thompson enjoyed having some support for the 50-mile reliability trial from Oulton he organised for Velo Club Baracchi on Sunday, including riders from other clubs

The rider who set himself the hardest ride was club member John Dupen, who rode to and from Redisham. The extra distance will have made his total about 80 miles, on top of 50 miles ridden the day before.

The three-hour group was Dupen, Mike Wood, Nick Esser, Robert Simons and Shaun Aldous of Interbike RT.

Aldous rode over from Bungay and terminated there on the return. Simons pulled out, but two of the other three completed the full course, as set. Esser extra miles from Gorleston to the start and as he went straight home from St. Olaves he would have completed the distance plus a little more.

The three-and-a-half-hour group consisted of John Thompson, Jenny Anderson (Gt Yarmouth CC), Mike King, Paul Lynch (East Anglian CC) and Jon Colborne (Fat Birds CC) from near Dereham on a tandem with his daughter, Henrietta, aged nine. All of them got round in time. Thompson, King and Jenny Anderson finished in about 3hrs 11mins.