Cyclists pushed their limits at the first Mid Devon open Time Trial of the year on the thrilling S4/10 route. The event saw a fantastic turnout of riders battling for personal bests and podium finishes. Cornish rider Steve Lampier stole the show with a blazing time of 19 minutes and 23 seconds, claiming the title of Fastest Rider whilst Mid Devon’s Maria Weymouth secured the Fastest Woman title with a time of 25 minutes flat.
The competition was fierce across all categories. Mid Devon’s Donald Brooks secured second place for the men, clocking in at 19:53 respectively. The event wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of numerous volunteers. Other Mid Devon results: – Andrew Parkins 8th 00:20:58, Mark Sanders 11th 00:21:36, Kevin Weymouth 12th 00:21:45, Clive Vallance 16th 00:22:54, Peter Loader 26th 26:23, Ian Deakin 28th 00:27:31.
Sunny skies and a challenging course greeted riders at Round 2 of the South West MTB XC Series held at Ashcombe. Mid Devon CC enjoyed a strong youth turnout, with several riders achieving podium finishes. Lauren Fox took second place in the Under 14 category, while Matt Holmes and James Allen secured third-place finishes in the Under 12 and Under 16 categories, respectively. Henry Cadwallader rounded out Mid Devon's success with a first-place finish in the Under 16 category.
The Mid Devon cycling club also made a triumphant showing at the UCI Gralloch Gravel World Series race in the breath-taking Galloway Forest Park, Scotland. There were some outstanding performances from the tea, with hundreds of entries across various age groups. Cathy Cook led the charge with an impressive 11th-place finish, followed closely by Martin Smith (14th), Shaun Davey (20th), Jason Kettle (23rd) and Ian Gaffney (28th). Andrew Parker (89th) and Dave Cook (108th) also put in strong performances. Meanwhile, James Williams’ podium hopes were dashed by a puncture, instead finishing in a commendable 126th place.
Finally, to the Ken Robertson Memorial Club Classic, and he must have been looking down as over 100 MDCC members road the three routes of the Dartmoor Classic. The HQ was at Newton Abbot Rugby Club and ages ranged from 9 to 80, with 39-mile, 67-mile and 109-mile paths available across Dartmoor.
Starting early at 06:30 to gain the most favourable conditions, the members rode their challenging routes. Many hours later, they arrived back at the finish to receive their commemorative medal and other rewards. Whilst eating their free meal, they were able to watch the ‘Queen’ stage of the Giro d’Italia in which club honorary member Harrison Wood rode for the French Cofidis team.
It is one of the most joyous days of the annual calendar when everyone can honour their former VP, who passed away in December 2022- he would be so proud.