There are three length of races available at the Dartmoor Classic: Grande (~100miles), Medio (~65miles) and Piccolo (~35miles); I had entered the Piccolo, which meant a leisurely 0830 start compared to 6am for the Grande riders! Due to living in close proximity to the race venue, I travelled to Newton Abbot race course the day before to collect my race numbers and timing chip. The registration area was a little chaotic, but I collected my pack quickly and had the added bonus of discovering I had forgotten about ordering a cycle jersey!

The following day, on arriving at the race course prior to the start, we found out that the car park was unavailable - it would have been useful to be informed of this in advance, however parking was found nearby at the local gym and we went over to the start line. The 'real' start line was actually 3 miles away at Kingsteinton and riders were being set off in groups of about 100 following a safety car. There was no seeding prior to the start, and due to starting in the 2nd wave of Piccolo riders, this meant having to listen to the race brief twice and then spend the first 5 miles of the course overtaking slower people and those on hybrids/mountain bikes etc.

The course itself was beautiful with some stunning Dartmoor scenery, technical sections and a reasonable amount of climbing/descending! The marshalls with big red flags at each turn point ensured that individuals remained on course, and they were universally friendly. The roads were not closed for the race, but the biggest danger apart from the occasional Sunday driver behaving like Toad of Toad Hall, were the cyclists themselves - from the novices with no knowledge of the Highway Code to some more experienced riders showcasing some very dangerous 'skills'. There were feed stations on route, however I did not use them due to cycling the short route. 

The timing finish, as per the start, was not at the race course, meaning that cyclists had a further 3 mile cycle back, which was a bit of an anti-climax, and means the race is not the distance originally billed (31 rather than 35 miles for the Piccolo). At the race course, there was a 'finisher's funnel' and event village, where spectators could wait and medals were collected, and you could get a photo on a podium with your time displayed. A nice touch is the fact that there are Gold, Silver and Bronze medals relating to finish times for each length of race.

In summary, the Dartmoor Classic is a nice race with some stunning scenic cycling at a good price, however it is somewhat lacking in occasion, and better logistical planning would add to the experience. However due to living in the local area and having the opportunity to often cycle in this beautiful region, it is not a race I would personally choose to participate in again.