marshalling was good and the feed stations reasonably generous,” he said, before adding that, unaware of the extra water stations, he had knocked on a stranger’s door to top up his bottles when he ran dry.

Ian homer enjoyed the challenging terrain of mid devon:

Ian Homer enjoyed the challenging terrain of Mid Devon

For Ian Homer from the Cardiff Ajax club, the topography made a change from the valleys of South Wales where he normally rides. “The course seems to attack you all the time, there are lots of short, sharp climbs and it wears you down by attrition," he said. "It was also phenomenally hot, but it is a great ride and the organisation was awesome.”

Peter abel and son had plenty to celebrate:

Peter Abel and son had plenty tocelebrate

For some riders there was an extra incentive to get round the course in a decent time: England’s World Cup match with Germany. Most must have wished they hadn’t bothered, but there was at least one exception. Peter Abel, a German national from Dortmund, was taking part in his second consecutive Dartmoor Classic and he, along with many other riders, watched the game in a social club next to the event village.

He said it was the attractions of Devon and the shared experience of the sportive that had brought him back to the West Country. “I always thought England was a flat country where it rained all the time,” he said. “I was astonished by the hills when I came last year but I liked it so much