The challenging climbs of the Dartmoor Classic will welcome riders from as far away as the USA when the event takes place on 27th June 2010. This year’s event, which offers a choice of 100 mile and 100km courses, has sold out as of early March. The organising club, the Mid Devon CC, has set up a mechanism for those entered but unable to compete to pass this on to a new applicant. For more details visit the website.
Multiple entries have been received from the ‘States and a strong contingent from Holland and Germany. One couple are coming from the much flatter Isles of Scilly, which should make training something of a challenge in itself.
Peter Savage from New York is entering for the first time, but he is no stranger to challenging climbing…..he won his age group in the granddaddy of North American hill climbs up Mount Washington, which features 4750ft of climbing over 7.6 miles with gradients up to 22%. He has won his category on several hill climbs in the USA, uses cross country skiing as winter training ,and regularly does 5000ft of climbing on training rides. Mark Talbot, also from the States, heard about the event through the cycling press. He has competed in several 100 mile events and half ironman races.
Peter Abel, who is from Germany and who competes in high profile events in Italy and Austria such as the Eddy Merckx Classic, is taking part for the second time. The Damhuis family from the Netherlands organise the winter triathlon in Enschede, and train on skates as well as bikes.
In the past riders have had to brave sweltering heat and torrential downpours. With weather prediction not proving itself to be an exact science, participants in the 2010 Dartmoor Classic will have to be prepared for anything.
