VELO Club Baracchi time trial rider Joe Skipper overcame a three minute loss of time before he started and a flattening tyre during the event to achieve the club's fastest time in Sunday's East Anglian CC 25-mile open time trial.

VELO Club Baracchi time trial rider Joe Skipper overcame a three minute loss of time before he started and a flattening tyre during the event to achieve the club's fastest time in Sunday's East Anglian CC 25-mile open time trial.

Despite his tyre problems both before and during the event on the A11 near Attleborough, Skipper achieved 57:28.

Liam Gentry made his ride difficult as well, taking a wrong turning and having to re-trace his route and adding about a mile, finishing in 57:50.

Nick Esser, just back into competition after a recent accident was the club's next fastest with 59:32, which was a very good effort as he had only just been able to dispense with the cast on his arm.

However, the various problems for the team took away hopes for the team competition prize and a club record. The three fastest VCB riders were third-fastest team.

Esser said, 'When warming up all competitors were thinking that it was going to be a 'flyer' but as soon as the event started the wind picked making the final 7 miles really difficult and slow. All finishers were surprised how the wind picked up and how they flew to the far turn just past Snetterton but only to find things slow up completely on the way back.'

Next in the VCB finishing order was Mark Newnham, happy with his strong ride in 1-00:54. Ian McCluskey achieved 1-2:10. Nicki Hawkes was the fastest VCB lady with 1-9:24, just ahead of John Thompson with 1-9:37, itself a good ride. Tracey Prewer beat the 20mph mark with 1:14:42.

Peter Balls of West Suffolk Wheelers with an impressive 51:54, with Mark Arnold riding for www.tt-weekly.com second in 52:35 and Jim Burgess of Anglia Velo third in 53:47.

Lowestoft rider Simon Asher of VC Norwich, who gained his road racing experience last year with VCB, took second place in the VC Revolution road race.

Asher made his own break only five miles into the race following the lead of Basil Moss (Cambridge CC) and they worked well together, managing to stay away throughout the race. They gained a minute-and-a-half at one point and were able to save a few hundred yards of this advantage at the finish.

Entries for the Beccles Cycle for Life charity ride on May 9 are starting to arrive in greater numbers. The youngest rider entered so far (on a family application) is aged just four and the oldest entrants so far are three aged 73. It really is an event for everyone, with a range of distances between 7 and 50 miles.

Information and entry forms for Beccles Cycle for Life ride can be found on their website www.becclescycleforlife.org or by telephone on 01502 562775.