Dartmoor Classic Medio: Rider 4249

05:00 am the alarm on my phone rings. The bike was stowed in the car last night so there is just myself to get ready. Shower, no shave - did that last night to speed my exit - marginal gains. I down a hot black coffee and a bowl of granola with sliced banana, the fuel of the early morning cyclist. Two large 750ml water bottles filled with my favoured electrolyte and two further soluble tablets put aside with emergency jelly babies for later. Helmet, shoes, gloves, glasses, AVP jersey .. check. Last application of sunscreen, insect repellant and chamois cream and I'm ready for the off.

06:00 am arrive at Andy's. Load one Specialized Allez, helmet, shoes, gloves, glasses .. check. SatNav gives an ETA at Newton Abbot of 07:20, but it does not factor in the time of departure, should take 20 minutes off that. Power up the iPod and select my Dartmoor Classic playlist. Andy's face is a picture. Queen's "Bicycle Race" opens the sound track of our drive west towards the Moors.

Signing in at Ride HQ

07:00 am we arrive at the car park selected for a quick exit post ride - marginal gains. The cyclist unloading next to us is from Leicester, the Classic attracts cyclists from all over the country. It has an amazing reputation and was voted the 2nd favourite UK sportive in 2013, behind RideLondon, and I'm privileged to have a place on both. After unloading from the 'tour bus' Yeti, we follow the mile and a half cycle route to the Newton Abbot Race Course depart. The anticipation builds.

Rider numbers

08:00 am having signed in, numbers added to jersey and bike and time chip to helmet, we are directed to our starting pens, 100 cyclists to each. The organisation is slick. Our time to depart comes quickly and we are lead out of Newton Abbot behind a motorcycle outrider. There is a bit of jostling for position as we get used to riding in close proximity to so many other riders. Awkwardly, a set of traffic lights bring an unnatural break to our impressive peloton, but this puts Andy and I out front for the first set of photographers, strategically positioned around the course.

One piece of traffic we have to give way to

09:00 am the sun cream and perspiration is now stinging my eyes as we climb to the top of Haytor. 15 miles and 1250 ft of ascent, supporters lining the way ringing cow bells and chalking good will messages on the road give us that real TdF treatment. The general road going traffic has little choice but to yield to our weight of numbers and the red flag bearing marshals formalise the blocking of junctions and roundabouts as we climb. That is until we meet a laden tractor up one narrow lane. This is one piece of traffic we have to give way to!

10:00 am from Haytor we drop steeply down towards Ashburton, exhilarating and slightly unnerving to speed along within an unfamiliar group. We turn off before the town to follow the very appealing River Dart. Oh how I would like to dismount and take a plunge. Before I have opportunity to fulfil this cooling experience, we turn away from the river to climb Holne Chase Hill to Ventford Reservoir. It is here that I pass the first crash. The cocktail of a brief down hill run, loose shingle and a tight turn at the reservoir had taken one poor cyclist off guard and brought his ride to an abrupt end.

At the feed station

We're just two and a half hours into the ride now, and we coast into the feed station at Princetown. It is swinging, with hundreds of bikes and riders arriving, refuelling and departing. There is a real carnival atmosphere mixed with anxious looks from those in queues for water, eager not to waste valuable seconds in their challenge to get a good time. The clock is still running. We're in no rush. We refill water bottles, replace consumed energy bars and enjoy a tasty slice of homity pie and quiche. Yum yum.

Rider 4249

11:00 am we'd taken the main B3212 road out of Princetown towards Moretonhampstead. This is a straight and rolling road high up on the moor. Build up enough speed on the descents and you can just about make it to the top of the next rise. Andy picks up a bit of time here such that I'm able to make him out in the distance on the peaks but then lose him from view as I descend into the next trough, like two boats bobbing on the high seas.

12:00 noon our last climb of the day, and what a sting in the tail it is. Doccombe hill is a winding steep ascent which climbs out of Moretonhampstead for no more than 2 miles but seems to last longer. There appears to be no end. It's like climbing a twisting Escher drawing. Fuel from my homity pie has been used and I am thankful for the couple of jelly beans that had been handed to me on the climb out of Princetown. My legs are singing madly, my knees and tendons join in with the chorus but Andy sticks with me and with that encouragement, level road is sighted ahead.

Medal finishers!

1:00 pm the home run, riding on levelled tarmac, winding our way briskly through the back streets of Newton Abbot. We'd zip up our jerseys ready for that victorious ride across the finishing line, again holding back from riders ahead to ensure the cameras catch us in a clear shot.  Our time of 5hr 09mins is good, winning us both bronze medals. Andy is just 10 minutes off silver and I, being in the class of veterans, a mere 3 minutes off the same. Could the feed station stop have been a little shorter, should Andy have kicked on and left me in his dust, could my legs have spun a little faster? Probably, but we had a great day and that's what we set out to do. I'm very proud to have completed the ride and having any medal is a bonus. I never thought I'd say it, but if the opportunity presents itself, I'd do it again!

Next .. 10th August RideLondon-Surrey 100 in aid of Diabetes UK



Check out this YouTube video created of the ride by a fellow cyclist, Nigel Yeo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RJY7f9S8Eds