South West Gravel Race.

The Mid Devon Cycling Club experienced a triumphant day at the inaugural South West Gravel race, which was organized by Sportiva. This event took place at the sublime Escot Park in Ottery St Mary. Despite the harsh, cold, and wet conditions, the club’s performance was outstanding.

The day’s activities began with a race for young and Novice cyclists, lasting for a duration of 50 minutes. The Mid Devon Youth Academy emerged victorious, sweeping all age group categories in a testament to their early season form. Lauran Fox and her sister Eva Fox championed the female juvenile and youth races respectively, while their teammate Lara Dix finished in a respectable second place. In the open juvenile race, Matt Homles took first place, closely followed by teammates Ben Piction and Benjamin Simcock, who came in second and fourth respectively.

In the open youth category, the club dominated the podium, with Dexter Townsend finishing first, Henry Cadwallader in second place, and Edward Fraile-Whysall securing third place. As the day progressed, the weather worsened and rendered the ground saturated. Despite these conditions, Shaun Davey managed a fourth place finish in the highly competitive Senior Open category.

In the Vet 40 Open, James Williams clinched fourth place, while Andrew Taylor mirrored this feat in the Vet 50 Open category. Unfortunately, Jonathan Gale, Dave Allen, and Andy Friend experienced mechanical problems during their races.

Robin Delve triumphed in the Open 60 race, while Forbes Pryde finished in eighth place. In the Vet 40 Female category, Clare Capper came in second, followed by Juliet Elliott in third place. Emily Simcock secured sixth place in the Vet 50 Female category, while Catherine Kilburn and Jackie Shute finished second and fourth respectively.

Over this eventful weekend, the Mid Devon Cycling Club also hosted a South West cluster as part of the British cycling pathway. This initiative aimed to unite all cycling clubs in the South West for a collective training session to enhance their skills for the upcoming season. The session was a success, with representation from five clubs and 35 riders, ranging from 10 to 15 years old. They relished a two-hour coaching session at the Torbay VeloPark.