In a busy week for Lowestoft's Velo Club Baracchi, Mark Richards set a 50-mile time trial club record and members staged the Summer Road Race at Ringsfield, in which Nick Esser took ninth place.

Richards was riding in the Shaftesbury CC 50-mile time trial on the A14 and A11 dual carriageways in the Newmarket area.

As usual, fast riders from all over the country flocked to the event and only the best got in.

Richards' time was 1-44:44, a 28.64mph average speed and a personal improvement of 15 seconds for the new club record. He was just outside the top 20 riders.

Carl Donaldson of GS Metro, a Northumberland club, won in 1-36:13 and the top woman rider was Kate Allan of Drag2zero in a remarkable 1-45:36.

The VC Baracchi road race at Ringsfield, in its second annual edition, was for riders of categories two to four. Seven laps through Ilketshall St Andrew, St Lawrence and Redisham gave a distance of 66.5 miles.

Luke Rowell, Liam Gentry, Richards and Nick Esser represented the home club. An average speed of over 28mph over the first two laps proved too much for Rowell and some others, whittling the bunch down by at least 15 riders.

Esser said: 'Mark went early to try and establish a break but he was brought back within a few miles. Liam then established a break of no more than 30-seconds which lasted at least 20 miles.'

Strada Sport's Morris Bacon from Bungay later established a break with two others and despite the fast-moving bunch pressing hard they managed to stay away until the finish, with Bacon taking the win.

The VCB riders were in the next group to finish. Esser said: 'With four miles to go Mark and Liam lit the road up from Redisham and I was third man ready for the lead-out and sprint. No-one had the chance to attack as the pace was 28mph plus all the way in against the wind.'

One rider, Benedict Thompson of VC London, just managed to escape by 10 metres or so and hold off the bunch but Esser was in the remainder of the bunch sprint for fifth place and finished ninth, with Gentry and Richards 18th and 19th.

Lucas He of VCB took second place in the Gt Yarmouth CC club time trial with 23:36. Richard Allen of VCB recorded 30:44.