Historic cycle race opens with Oddicombe Hill climb

The lung-bursting ascent of Torquay’s Oddicombe Hill will be a spectacular feature of the first day of the Totnes-Vire Two-Day cycling stage race this weekend (writes Dave Thomas).

Most of the best amateur and semi-professional riders in the south of England will tackle the twisting test against the clock which forms the second stage of the historic race on Saturday (3.30pm).

The hill, which rises 330 feet in .7 of a mile at an average gradient of 12%, will be closed to allow the riders – and anyone else who fancies a go – to test their climbing legs.

Oddicombe was reintroduced to the 51-year-old Totnes-Vire event last year and proved a big success.

The race will start at Paignton’s Torbay Velopark on Saturday morning (10.45am) with a 42-mile closed-circuit ‘Criterium’, where regular time bonuses will help to crank up the competition.

Then it’s on to Oddicombe Hill in the afternoon, before the action switches on Sunday to a potentially decisive third and final road race stage over 69 gruelling miles between Hatherleigh (10.30am), Halwill Junction, Okehampton and Jacobstowe.

All three stages are once again being named in memory of the MDCC’s former and much-missed stalwarts Colin Lewis, Ken Robertson and Roy Hopkins.

After his recent victories in the Evesham Vale and Primavera Pursuit races, Exeter’s George Kimber is probably the pre-event favourite.

But Kimber, who is expected to play a major role in British Cycling’s National Road Race Series this season, is the only member of his Spirit Racing Team taking part this weekend, which may leave him vulnerable to rivals with more support.

Meanwhile, Torquay pro Harrison Wood (Anicolor-Tien21) battled his way to 15th overall in the five-day Volta au Alentejo in central Portugal.

Wood was only 34 seconds down on promising fellow Brit Noah Hobbs (EF Education-Aevolo), who dominated a series of sprint finishes.

The terrain didn’t really suit climber Wood, who did well to produce a gutsy display after damaging his right shoulder and knee in a third stage crash.

Wood will hope his aches and pains will have eased before Spain’s prestigious Grand Prix Miguel Indurain this Sunday.