Rain was a feature of the inaugural edition |
Granite trophy made it all worthwhile |
Bigger, better and more moor for your money; that's the message from the organisers of next year's Dartmoor Classic cyclo-sportive.
Having sold all 1200 places for the inaugural event last spring, Mid-Devon C.C./Colin Lewis Cycles are now going all out to make their 2008 edition an even greater success by offering a standard of promotion that will tick all the boxes. “Our first effort at running a major sportive was exceptionally well received and our baptism by deluge provided us with invaluable experience to make it even more attractive next time,” said club chairman Andy Parker.
Scheduled for Sunday 11th May, the event will traverse the rugged beauty of Dartmoor in an anticlockwise direction, with feeding stations positioned near Okehampton and Princetown, home of the infamous Dartmoor prison.
The 100 mile and 100 km routes take riders up onto the open moor much earlier than this year and a greater percentage of both distances will be over moorland roads in the National Park. In an effort to cope with demand an extra 100 places will be made available, with gold, silver and bronze medals being added to the unique Dartmoor Granite trophies, which were so well received by this year's finishers.
An improved timing system will extend to provide splits at intermediate checkpoints and guarantee greater accuracy and more detailed information for all participants. Learning from riders' preferences this year, there will again be a variety of refreshments available around the course, including energy bars, power gels and sports-aid drinks. “With a post-event poll of sportive riders rating the Dartmoor Classic 9 out of 10, placing it comfortably alongside highly respected events such as the Fred Whitton and the Etape du Dales, as well as the cycling media's glowing praise for our first attempt, we are hugely encouraged to try even harder to make it an established fixture at the top of the U.K. sportive calendar.” added Parker.
The event's Grand Depart and headquarters will remain at Abbrook Park, Newton Abbot, where the MDCC run their local initiative for riders in the 4 -16 age group. The Abbrook Aces will be one of the financial beneficiaries of the inaugural event, as will the Dave Rayner Fund and the Devon Air Ambulance charities and, with an increased entry fee, it is hoped donations will be even bigger next year. “We've only just opened for entries and nearly 200 places have already been taken. At this rate, it looks like the event will fill up even quicker than before.” said Parker.
For further information and to enter on-line visit www.dartmoorclassic.co.uk
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