Dartmoor Classic - Nearly Time!

Paul C, Devon

Today was my first sportive - a great day out and very pleased with my bronze medal standard. Very hard today though - if I never see another wet slippy cattlegrid it will be too soon!.

Thankfully the rain never really spoiled the ride though!

Some manic descenders out there though!

A cup of team and a bacon bap at the end were the best tasting things I've had for ages!

Kris1

Thanks to the Mid Devon road club for the organisation of the event. It went very well, marshalling was great and the route well sign posted.

I just missed out on a silver for the 100k, my computer read 4:50, but official time 5:05. Stopped to chat to my wife and punchered.

I found the course easier than last year, but still a challenge. None of those short steep climbs around North Bovey and those nasty climbs out of Dartmeet and Poundsgate. Oh and none of the 95 degree of sunshine and cramps of last year. The rain and cooler conditions were quite welcome, IMO.

The guy that crashed I hope he is OK, but I think he came a cropper on the cattle grid some way back up the hill. Must have been travelling some! When I passed a motorist had just put a blanket over him to keep him warm. Well I slowed down quit a bit after that

E a bit after that. There was enough rain just to lift the grease off the tarmac, but not to wash it away, made for some slippery bits.

I will be back next year as I have a silver to get.

Cheers

yogi

Managed 6:50 I think? But silver anyway. Got separated from my club at start due to difficulty getting into the car park and queing for the loo! So spent most of the time soloing. Club had a really good showing though. Particularly pleased with our women who have come on great guns. Good to see all the support for us out there... and the road graffitti... oh and the Devil too.

Great day, finished off with a few beers at the pub with some of the team - perfect.

Marcw

Excellent day, I did the 100k and had room for more - whereas last year the 100k left me half dead!
Last year I did the 100k in 6 hours 20 secs missing the bronze time simply 'cause I'd spent too long at Princetown resting. This year I knew it was an easier course so I'd be within the 6 hours so took my time at Princetown. Time was 5 hours 4 mins! Damn, I could easily have had the silver if I'd not hung around scoffing... I won't make the same mistake a third time!

I gather the air ambulance was called for the guy mentioned above, I hope he's ok. I imagine he was coming down hill at speed rounded the bend and hit the wet grid, nasty...

Thanks to anyone I towed behind - 'though I was unable to sneak up on anyone due to my very irritating squeaky De Rosa (apparently it's a pedal thing!).

You Yogi guys look like fun, might try and come to a plymouth ride sometime.

Thanks to the MDCC and organisers for a great sportive.
Marc

yogi

If anyone ever wants to come for a ride with the YOGi's you're all more than welcome.

Has anyone out there got any photos from the event? We'd really like some more for our website. Can't afford to pay but you will get exposure to a wider audience. Just email us on our 'Contact' page and I'll get in touch.

Cheers

symo

Well my first sportif and I loved it 8 Hours 14 minutes and a bronze for the 100 miler, my work colleage Tony managed 6 hours 6 mins. Loved it, wish the 4 weeks I lost from training 4 weeks before the event had not happened but you know I can't control everything, made up most of my time from Warren House inn, steaming past lots of riders and using the speed to crank over most of the hills. Loved it.

Also as a bloody faster descender I loved the ride through M'hamstead. Fully leant over.

Hi to anyone I spoke to (I was in Red and Black on the Red and Black Kiron).

Already sent in my form for next year, aiming for 7 hours.

MrChuck

Missed out on silver by 2 mins I think- the guy in front of me in the download queue was 2 mins quicker and got silver. I stopped to help someone fix their chain so it's all his fault! Lesson learned was not to spend so long at the feed stops, but that said I don't know where I'd have saved the time- I spent all the stopped time shovelling much-needed food in.

Great route though, some of those climbs went on for ever and the descents showed up my crap descending skills.

felgen

That was good fun, I nearly didn't do it as it was all really hard work to get there and I ended up getting to Devon at 12.30am, but I am glad I did. I really suffered as most did going back up onto the moor to Princetown the second time, but after downing loads of sports drink, I finally got over the dehydration and spped increased again in a pretty fast chaingang... in fact it might have been the same chaingang as flambes (me, a guy in red, and two RAF guys). 6h17.....

weeve

6:06 - Tragically quite pleased given Im in my "40th year" and I only started road biking at xmas (sorry - felt like showing off - Im back to work in NL and need cheering up...and too be honest thats not exactly fast when you live in Dutch land...). Anyway not bad as almost whole day was cycling solo bar the last 35km downhill - (if your reading this thanks to the 4 lads who helped me get home at speed - A navycycling guy and three others) and thanks to any organisers/marshalls out there who helped set the event up.

Anyone know the fastest time? two lads in yellow giordana outfits pixxed past me....

mikedeacon

Results are at cyclosport.org

weeve

oh thanks
42nd. Not bad for a grandpa

weeve

just looking at results - and really it matters to me not one jot - but i think the times are mixed up...a lot of the first 40 people are obviously on the 100k route as only stopped the once....maybe the bloke who came second (who probably won...) might like a re-count. haha. see you next year !

Flambes

Yes, have to agree with that! If you remove all the suspect entries ahead of me, I get 14 places higher

Thooms

First sportive ever - did it in 7:39. Didn't realise they took the food stop times into account too lol

7:04 total riding time. Pleased with that, would've liked to have done it in under 7h, but never mind. Pretty pleased with that

Was really well organised and everything, very impressed. Deffinetly doing it again next year...

MrChuck

felgen wrote:

I finally got over the dehydration and spped increased again in a pretty fast chaingang... in fact it might have been the same chaingang as flambes (me, a guy in red, and two RAF guys). 6h17.....

Might've been same group as me (in red)... anyone wearing white/black?

ingrid

I managed to sneak in to womens silver with only 8 secs spare...haha! 7.29. Pleased with that as was just recovering from the worst flu of my life..Considered bailing out and do the 100k route after the first station as cough and chest painful, but couldn't come all the way from Sweden just to give up like that! So I let the suffer fest continue..

Weirdly enjoyed it though, very well organised event. Wish had made an effort to look a little bit better on the photos though

Pip13

Update on the injured rider as posted on the website. Good to hear he was ok -

"Injured Rider: A rider visiting the event from Scotland was unfortunate to be involved in a heavy crash whilst descending at speed from Dartmoor. Eager to finish within the silver standard time a combination of a tricky corner and a damp cattle grid led to him crashing.
Fortunately the next person on the scene was a Mid Devon member and nurse who tended to the injured man, ensuring that he was conscious and did not move, which proved to be timely advice.
The Devon Air Ambulance quickly arrived and airlifted the man to Plymouth. Whilst the rider suffered head injuries and a cracked vertabrae he was discharged from hospital on Monday morning and continued with his holiday.
After contacting the organising team to confirm the wherabouts of his bike he was pleased to hear that it was largely undamaged ! "

weeve

good news about the chap. saw him lying down ...didnt look pretty.

oh and ingrid shouldnt you be cooking my tea rather than wasting your life writing on here? oh right thats me.....ok, I'll get the dinner on when I get in. See you later then. I'll be home at 6

grahamnorton

I was enticed to do my first sportive and roped my son in for his first too. Very nervous to start with .... no idea of the course other than the info on the website. Little training except daily hills in Bristol taking 6 year old on a tag along to school.

Boy was I glad to see Dartmoor prison but if I'd have known how the last 25 miles was we would have pushed harder!! Anyone see us on a pair of retro reynolds frames and no lycra - my son was the 13 year old lookiong like he's just rolled out of a skate park.

Loved the atmoshere on the ride, very friendly and supportive lot. Managed 5hours 07 and will definitely be back next year for a silver

G 8)

yogi

Anyone got any more pictures from the event? Other than the official ones.