Dartmoor Classic

If you’re a cycling fan then the West Country has a beautiful and diverse natural environment with stunning coasts, charming rural countryside and wild moorland to explore on two wheels. One of the most outstanding areas of the region is Dartmoor, a National Park covering 368 square miles of unspoilt moorland and home to the Dartmoor Classic, one of the toughest cycle races in Britain.

The race is held every year, and competitors can choose between a 35, 67 and 107 mile course. The Dartmoor Classic features a stunning route through some charming South Devon hamlets lined with thatched villages and meandering high banked lanes. If you’ve got time to stop for a breather in the middle of the race, you’ll be able to see cascading boulder-strewn rivers and gorges, and the dramatic beauty of Dartmoor’s granite Tors.

The Dartmoor Classic Grande Depart will leave Newton Abbot Racecourse via the main entrance and turning RIGHT towards Kingsteignton. The Dartmoor Classic is a non-commercial Sportive cycling challenge promoted by the Mid-Devon Cycling Club

A real festival atmosphere!

Whether you are a keen cyclist hoping to compete or just a spectator, this acclaimed cycling event has a real festival atmosphere, with food and trade stalls, entertainment and plenty of vantage-points to watch the race from. Although entrants find the many climbs to be tough and challenging, the excitement of the competition and the incredible views make this a regular draw for cyclists across the UK. An unforgiving race, it can test the stamina and strength of even the strongest competitors. But the sense of achievement you’ll get if you manage to complete the race will be enormous.

You do have to be careful on Dartmoor though, as its own micro-climate means that weather can be very unpredictable at any time of the year. This means that although the event is held during the summer, it can be cooler and more suitable for an exhausting cycle race, so remember to pack a jumper just in case. The Dartmoor Classic is the highlight of many visitors’ South Devon holiday, especially if they’re a keen cyclist. So if you fancy pushing yourself to the limit, or just prefer watching others do it for you, head on down to South Devon and discover our version of the Tour de France.