Dennington’s strong ride

The last Godric CC evening time trial of the season featured a strong ride by Paul Dennington of Velo Club Baracchi.

In the 10-mile club event he recorded a new personal best of 24:26.

Chris Womack rode well with 24:39 as did Jenny Anderson with 26:13 and the other VCB times were Mike Wood 28:10 and Mike King 28:35.

John Swanbury and Ali Banks notched up another tandem personal best of 22:34, an eight-second improvement.

The event was won by Jim Burgess of Anglia Velo with 20:50 from Liam Gentry of Strada Sport, second in 21:07.

In triathlon Joe Skipper finished fifteenth in the Wiesbaden 70.3 Ironman European Championships on August 12.

Four days later he went on to ride the fastest time in Gt Yarmouth CC’s club 10-mile time trial with a stunning time of 21:46 on the Somerleyton course. Gentry was second in 22:04.

Ali Banks’ 26:52 won the VC Baracchi Athlete’s Trophy for the best ride in this event without aero aids.  Other VCB times: Jenny Anderson 28:37, Chris Womack 28:40, Richard Allen 29:48 and Anthony Potts 31:37.  Josh Womack achieved 23:12 on the 5-mile course.

On Sunday in the CC Breckland 30-mile open time trial that doubled as the District Championship jenny Anderson had an excellent ride with 1-20:32 and John Thompson’s current flat spot, as he called it, continued with 1-29:05.

The winner on this A11 course that utilised the Attleborough bypass  was Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers with 1-03:24 with Daniel Bloy of King’s Lynn CC second in 1-03:40 and Gentry third in 1-05:08.

Just one tandem was entered, Swanbury and Banks, who had not previously ridden the distance together and indeed there was no tandem 30 in the club records.  They set off well but were blighted by losing the chain twice on slip-roads while changing gear.

The problem was discovered and sorted out after the event, but the additional three minutes or so in hectic roadside maintenance made their otherwise fast progress a slightly less pleasing 1-13:32.

At least this gives some scope for improvement next year and meanwhile it will be the benchmark.