Dartmoor Classic Sportive, 67 miles, 5th event

                                                                                         

The first 4 photos were taken by Graham Brodie

Sunday 21 June 2015.  The Dartmoor Classic.  All the bitterly cold, dark night commutes over winter and long weekend rides had finally come to this.  A potent cocktail:  Over 3,000 riders.  67.5 miles.  6,300 foot of climbing.  Dartmoor, an environment so inhospitable they built a prison there.   A sideways figure of 8 route starting from Newton Abbot Racecourse through Bovey Tracey, Beckaford, Hay Tor, skirting Ashburton and Holne, up to Princetown. Down past the Warren House Inn to  Moretonhampstead, then Doccombe to Dunsford before turning back to Newton Abbot.  A new strava king of the mountains challenge on one of the climbs.  Mix in a westerly headwind and you have all the hall marks of a great event.

It's iconic.  It sells out in half a day every year.  It's not hard to see why.

Hay Tor

Came down with a sore throat on Friday
afternoon, then a cold.  Thankfully,
not a bad one.  Doesn't even qualify as man flu.
Still, am not feeling great.  That's what paracetamol
is for.  Right? I've raised more than £1,000 now for Jeremiah's Journey and St Lukes.  They need the money and there's no backing out!

I've gone all MAMIL and aero.  I've sun creamed more in hope that expectation. This being Devon, I've also stashed a gilet in a back pocket. Applied anti chaffing cream to strategic bits.  Cleaned and serviced bike.  Bought half of TORQ's supply of energy gels and bars (check their share price) even though there is a feed station at Princetown.  Attached rear bike light out of paranoia it might rain. (It's the lightest month of the year, what am I thinking?)  Inflate tyres to 110 psi.  Probably too hard but don't want to risk a puncture as I am rubbish at changing the inner tube.  Drink lots of water in advance to compensate for dehydrating effects of having a cold.

Get chatting to a guy in the starting pen.  His first time and he's looking forward to it.  Voice in my head: Do I really need another wee or is it pre-race nerves?  Too late.  We leave Newton Abbot racecourse en masse, escorted by a patrol car in a neutralised section until the race...er sportive starts a few miles up the road.

Out through Bovey Tracey, heading towards Beckaford.  Gorgeous countryside - stunning views.  Impeccably
organised and marshaled event.  Great camaraderie.
Did I mention some hills?

Princetown is about half way.  I crammed in the fuel:
Flapjack, bananas, energy bar. etc etc.  More please.

The last 17 miles were downhill or flat and that's
when the fun started.  Got on to a chain gang (ie
a line) of about 6 or 7.  The formation comes from
the fact that it is harder to cycle at the front of the
gang than in the shelter of another rider.  The riders
behind enjoy the slipstream of the rider in front and
the effect is significant - apparently up to 40%

Holne Chase by Joseph Harnett, a cat 4 climb

reduction in effort.  I can't imagine I get quite that
much benefit as I'm nervous cycling in a group and
hang back a little more.

We co-operated well and surprisingly, I felt strong.
During one of my turns at the front,
I glanced back but couldn't see any of the riders.  Unintentionally, I'd left them behind.  Rookie mistake.  Should've learned from my last event!  I carried on, passing the odd rider.  About 5 miles from the finish I was given a lesson in why, at times, cycling is a team sport:  The chain gang, with their relatively fresher legs, cruised by.  Smug boys.  Where had they come from?

I jump on the  wheel of man on a bright green Trek at the back of the gang and dig in.  3 miles left, we shimmy through an outlying estate in Newton Abbot.  Up a hill, I drop a gear into the small ring at the front and somehow go through the entire group.  I'm out front and need to make a move.  Queue the training from Dawn's spinning classes.

Managed to keep a lead until hitting a red light just before the racecourse.  Marshall makes sure no-one jumps it.  2 people catch me whilst I wait for it to turn green.  Noooooo!  One is decked in the regalia of the Yogis, our local rivals.   Now it's all high stakes drama.  Can't be beaten by a Yogi.  Come back Yogi man.  Into the finishing area, the crowd is cheering and I go all out into a sprint (in my head at least), nudge in front and hang on.  Just.  Probably looked like a madman.  Not that I'm competitive or anything.

Official time 4:32:16, but I make it 4:38:04 which includes the neutralised section at the start.  9 mins quicker than last year.  Going to be really wobbly tomorrow.

If you would like to sponsor me, please go to:

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If you want to know more about what St Lukes and Jeremiahs Journey are doing in summer, please go to:

https://www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/

http://www.jeremiahsjourney.org.uk/