Dartmoor Devil Lives Up To Its Name!

Sunshine, 22 degrees and light winds make ideal conditions for taking part in a 100mile sportive. Unfortunately thats not what Richie and Roul encountered on the moors last weekend! Richie’s face pretty much tells the tale but his full race report appears below. Still another fine performance fom the Tripurbeck chaps – nice one!

Dartmoor Devil

James Horton, Roul Rothman and Richie Robson headed down to Bovey Tracey to do the brutal Devil Audax ride.  This was James and Roul’s first and Richie’s third.  The route covers 106 kms and takes in numerous 20% plus hills along lanes that haven’t been tarmaced in years.  Along with the Exmoor Beast this event is up there as one of the hardest rides on the cycling calendar.

With the leaves falling on the roads this made them very treacherous and the weather forecast to be clear and sunny it turned into monsoon style rain. After 22kms Roul had a tyre wall blow out and had to abandon – James and Richie carried on to all 4 check points – the last 30kms from Princetown – home of Dartmoor high security prison back across the moor was particularly difficult with energy running low and Richie’s core temperature dropping due to being totally soaked through / the last 10 miles taking in Widdicombe’s 20% mile long hill which is hard enough on any day but throw in torrential rain causing the roads to be like rivers, Richie’s body close to shutting down and under no circumstances ever consider getting off a walking having gone over the summit it left a 4 mile downhill ride to the finish at Manaton.

Richie would like to thank James for being his trusted domestique and getting him to the finish and circa 15th place out of 150 starters.