MORE than 3,000 cyclists took to the roads of Dartmoor on Sunday for the eighth Dartmoor Classic after starting from Newton Abbot racecourse. Entrants represented a dozen nationalities with many entries from local cycling clubs such as the Tavistock Wheelers and Okehampton Cycling Club. There are three rides in this non competitive cycling sportive — the Grande, a gruelling 107 miles; the Medio, at 68 miles and a women's only route, Dartmoor Débutante at 35 miles. The youngest entrant was aged 15 and the eldest 84 years-old while a fifth of the entrants were woman. The Dartmoor Classic is a non commercial event organised by the Mid-Devon Cycling Club and last year, the event was runner-up to the Ride London event in the Cycling Weekly Reader Poll to find 'Britain's favourite sportive'. On the Saturday, following rider registration, the club entertains its invited guests and national cycling magazine journalists at the Passage House Hotel, near Newton Abbot, which is less than a mile from the Newton Abbot Racecourse start. The well organised event was controlled by nearly 100 cheerful marshals with another 100 volunteers in support. Princetown was the event's central hub. Organiser and founder Ron Keegan said he was proud of the event which was very popular with riders and thanked all those who had volunteered so much of their time to make it such a success. 'Arguably it is Britain's favourite Sportive. As vice chairman of Mid-Devon Cycling Club it has made me tremendously proud to see what a local cylcing club has achieved on a non commercial basis compared to the well sponsored professional cycling events. It's simply the best. '