Registration for one of the country’s most popular cycling events, the Dartmoor Classic Sportive, opens this Saturday (5th November) when cyclists from across the globe have an opportunity to book their place on this iconic sporting event.
Organised by the Mid-Devon Cycling Club, the 11th Dartmoor Classic will take place on 2nd July 2017. Up to 4,000 places are available and such is the demand for the event that organisers expect all places will be snapped up in under 24 hours, repeating the success of the past three years.
This year’s event features three separate routes over 35, 65 and 105 miles, each over the rugged testing terrain of Dartmoor. Marshalled by over 120 volunteers to help minimise the impact of the event on local communities, The Dartmoor Classic, which starts and finishes at Newton Abbot Racecourse, regularly receives accolades for the professional nature of the event. This year a further 50 'volunteers' will present at the HQ and feed station, which will once again be held at Princetown Primary School.
Run solely by club members and volunteers, the Dartmoor Classic stands out among cycling sportives as a not-for-profit event that has helped raise over £150,000 for local causes, organisation and charities over the past ten years. It also brings hundreds of thousands of pounds into the local tourism economy and spends thousands of pounds with local businesses to help promote and stage the event each year.
Commenting on this year’s Sportive, event promoter Andrew Perkins said: "We're very excited about the 11th Dartmoor Classic Sportive, which sees riders from across the globe come to Dartmoor to enjoy some of the world’s most dramatic cycle routes. Last year over 3,500 riders made it to the start line. 50% of those came from outside Devon with entrants travelling from as far as France, Thailand, the USA, Canada and China. As the reputation and draw of the event continues to grow, we expect even greater international interest, which is great news for cycling and for tourism, although our intention is to retain our existing cap on rider numbers.”.
According to Visit South Devon, more than half a million pounds will be spent in the local economy on accommodation, hospitality and day trips by competitors, friends, family and supporters over the course of the event weekend.
Sarah Stride, Acting General Manager for Visit South Devon commented: “Events like the Dartmoor Classic are invaluable for the tourism industry. They bring visitors in to the local area and showcase the incredible beauty of Dartmoor and South Devon.
“In the case of the Dartmoor Classic, thousands of participants and their supporters will pass through many of our enchanting South Devon towns and villages including Bovey Tracy, Manaton, Moretonhampstead and Dunsford. They’ll pass iconic natural scenery including East Dartmoor Woods and Heaths, Becky Falls and Haytor leaving a lasting impression on participants, friends and their families, which is likely to result in a significant number of return visits.”
Any surplus made from registration fees and sponsorships are shared between local charities and Mid Devon Cycling Club, which uses funds to offer coaching and development to young riders and to support aspiring young riders taking part in bigger stage races and national events. This year’s sponsors already include Saddleback, Castelli, SiDi, Rotor, ZipVit, Shimano, Madison, Ocean Torbay BMW, YellowJersey, Continental, and STRAVA.
Simon Emery, Head of Business for Ocean Torbay BMW said: “We are delighted to be an official partner of the South West’s premier cycling event for 2017, the Dartmoor Classic. This event attracts cyclists from all over the South West and far beyond and we are thoroughly looking forward working with the Mid Devon Cycling Club and making it another great event for next year’s entrants”.
The website will open for registrations at 8am on 5th November 2016 at www.dartmoorclassic.com
The Dartmoor Classic is a UCI registered cyclo sportive promoted by Mid Devon Cycling Club since 2007. It regularly features in rider polls as a 'Favourite Sportive' and is considered to be one of the UK's leading and most 'iconic'.
The event has grown year-on-year from a relatively modest start with 750 riders up to its present incarnation boasting 4,000 riders.
The event is run across Dartmoor over 3 routes the Grande (105 miles), the Medio (65 miles) and the Piccollo (35 miles). The Grande and Media take in the iconic climbs of Beccaford, Haytor and Princetown.
The event features a Strava sponsored closed road King/Queen of the Mountain section in 2017, motorcycle outriders provided by British Cycling's National Escort Group and support from many sponsors and partners including: Saddleback, Castelli, SiDi, Rotor, ZipVit, Shimano, Madison, Ocean Torbay BMW, YellowJersey, Continental, and STRAVA.
The proceeds of the event are shared between local charities and invested back into Mid Devon Cycling Club principally to support young rider coaching and racing.
The event headquarters are Newton Abbot Racecourse.
