Cycling star Jeremy returns to grassroots

Callum Start and Henry Howells are joining Normandy's Velo Club du Bocage, which has a long-standing link with MDCC going back 40 years.

Start, 19, is from Bovey Tracey and Howells, 18, hails from Kingsbridge, and both have graduated through the MDCC's age-group coaching and racing programme over the last decade.

Two of the club's former professional stars, Jeremy Hunt and Yanto Barker, returned to their 'roots' to compete in the British National Masters Road Race Championships based at Bridestowe near Okehampton at the weekend.

Ex-national road champion Hunt, 49, who rode for Team Sky and several European squads during a distinguished career, and former UK junior champion and Commonwealth Games racer Barker, 43, earned podium places in their age-groups.

The 60-65yrs title went to MDCC 'supervet' Robin Delve, former World, European and UK Masters Cyclo-Cross champion.

Jacob Start and Bayley Woodger finished 19th and 26th respectively in the Under-14 section of the National All-Terrain Youth Championships at Wyke, Yorkshire.

Planning will soon start for the 2024 Dartmoor Classic after a successful 15th edition of the marathon 'sportive' ten days ago.

More than 2,000 entries were received for this year's event, based at Newton Abbot Racecourse, but the organisers are looking to boost numbers nearer its 4,000 capacity with several new features.

They may include a slightly altered route, to accommodate the popularity of gravel or off-road riding.

Torquay's WorldTour pro Harrison Wood (Cofidis) is currently on a mid-season high-altitude training camp in the French Alps, in preparation for his next major test, the Tour of Poland later this month.