Devon County Council's cycle training contractor, the Plymouth School Sports Partnership, are looking for dynamic and enthusiastic individuals to work as part of their freelance instructor team, delivering cycle training in Plymouth, the South Hams and West Devon starting in September 2013.
Interviews will take place in June 2013, with training for those who are not qualified as National Standard Instructors, taking place in July.

Closing date for applications is 24th May 2013

To apply for an application form or for further details please email:
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Please note: All successful applicants will be subject to a enhanced DBS and Safeguarding check.

To find out more about the National Standard for Cycling Training visit the Bikeability website

The recently completed Town Quay Bridge linking Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton is proving popular with almost 3,000 cycling trips made over the bridge in the first month. The Racecourse section of the Teign Estuary Trail was provided with the kind co-operation of Newton Abbot Racecourse.

This section will be closed during race meetings - see below for dates and times

The path will be closed,by racecourse staff, to protect the health and safety of the riders and horses. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Also please note these timings may change. The racecourse staff may need to open or close the gates earlier or later. This is dependant on health and safety issues or changes to race times due to the requirements of the TV companies broadcasting the racing.

April 2013

Tuesday 23rd 12:30pm – 5.30pm

May 

Thursday 9th 1pm  – 6.30pm
Monday 20th 1.15pm – 6.30pm
Tuesday 28th 1.15pm – 6.30pm

June 

Wednesday 5th 1.15pm – 6.30pm
Monday 10th 1:30pm – 6.30pm
Tuesday 25th – evening 5pm  – 9:45pm

July 

Monday 8th 1:15pm – 6:15pm
Monday 15th 1:15pm – 6:15pm
Sunday 21th 1.15pm – 6.30pm

August 

Saturday 3rd 1pm  – 6.30pm
Wednesday 21st – evening 4:40pm – 9:10pm
Thursday 22nd – evening 4.30pm - 9pm
Saturday 31st 1.15pm to 6.45pm

September 

Sunday 1st 1:10pm – 6:10pm
Tuesday 24th 1:20pm – 6:20pm
Monday 30th 1pm – 6pm

October 2013

Friday 11th 12.50pm  – 6:10pm

We take this opportunity to remind all users of this Trail and other shared paths in Devon to be polite and considerate and take responsbility for their actions. This includes:

• Cycling at a speed that is appropriate to the conditions e.g. when the path is busy. Let people know you are coming -ring your bell or a friendly 'Hello' often works wonders. Be a cycling ambassador!
• Be aware of other people on the path and try and let them pass if they are progressing quicker than you.
• Dogs should be kept under control on a short lead (Highway Code rule 56). Some people are vey wary of dogs. Always clear up after your dog.

Devon raises the bar (and finish line) for Tour of Britain’s 10th edition

Devon will make history as the first stage of The Tour of Britain to host a summit finish when Britain’s premier cycle race returns to the county in September to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The organisers of The Tour and Devon County Council have this evening announced that Devon will host Stage Six from Sidmouth to Haytor in Dartmoor National Park on Friday 20 September. It will be the first time a stage has finished with a SKODA King of the Mountains climb in the modern era of the race.

It will be the seventh consecutive year that The Tour will have visited Devon. In that time it has brought in more than £21 million to the local economy and showcased the county to a worldwide audience. Last year alone generated more than £7.3 million in Devon in a record breaking year.

This year’s Devon Stage will start on the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sidmouth and will cover around 85 miles (137 km) of the county before finishing with a testing climb at Haytor in Dartmoor National Park. The route will also see 96 of the world’s top cyclists race through Honiton, Willand, Tiverton, Stoke Canon, Exeter, Starcross, Chudleigh, Moretonhampstead, and Bovey Tracey before the challenging climax in Dartmoor National Park.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: “2012 was an incredible year for cycling and the best ever Tour of Britain played a key part in that. The crowds that turned out across Devon were truly amazing and we take great pride in comparisons with The Tour de France. The growing number of spectators and worldwide TV audience makes The Tour of Britain the perfect platform to showcase Devon as a premier destination for cycling tourism, and we are seeing more and more people cycling in our county.

“With The Tour marking 10 years of its modern era, what better way to celebrate than with a stage that not only breaks new ground with a gruelling mountain-top finish at Haytor, but also illustrates everything our county has to offer; from our internationally renowned Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site at the stage start in Sidmouth, to our beautiful market towns and the historic city of Exeter, before reaching the rugged beauty of Dartmoor National Park.

“We will be hoping to attract record crowds again this year and hopefully when people see what our county has to offer, whether they’re watching on TV or from the roadside, it will encourage them to visit in future.”

Last year’s record Tour saw more than 220,000 spectators line the route from Barnstaple to Dartmouth. They roared on Devon rider Jonathan Tiernan Locke who was wearing the IG Gold Jersey in the county on his way to becoming the first Briton to win the race overall. The crowds were also treated to seeing Britain’s Mark Cavendish racing in the rainbow stripes as the then reigning world champion, although the stage was won by Euskaltel Euskadi’s Pablo Urtasun.

The Tour last raced through Sidmouth in 2010 and Haytor featured as a SKODA King of the Mountains climb in 2011 when Jonathan Tiernan Locke dominated the climbs and went on to win the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey. 

Among the world class teams which have been revealed to be competing in the 2013 Tour are Sky Professional Cycling Team, Omega Pharma – Quick-Step, Garmin – Sharp, Vaconsoleil DCM, Cannondale and Orica GreenEDGE.  Full details on the final line-up of teams for The Tour of Britain will be announced in the Summer.

Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of The Tour organisers SweetSpot Group, said: “The 2013 Tour is a special occasion marking 10 years of the race, and it is fitting that we will see the drama of a mountain top finish for the first time. Devon always provides a picturesque setting for exciting and tough racing. We always receive tremendous support from the crowds in Devon and have seen spectator numbers growing on the climbs on Dartmoor over the past few years, so this stage will provide a unique atmosphere.”

At the national launch of the 2013 Tour in Covent Garden it was revealed that the race would start in Peebles in Scotland on Sunday 15 September and finish in London on Sunday 22 September.

For more information on The Tour of Britain, visit: www.southwesttourofbritain.co.uk and www.tourofbritain.co.uk and on Twitter follow @SWTourofBritain.

The stages of the 2013 Tour of Britain are:

Stage 1 – Peebles – Drumlanrig Castle
Stage 2 – Carlisle – Kendal
Stage 3 – Knowsley Individual Time Trial
Stage 4 – Stoke-on-Trent to Llanberis
Stage 5 – Machnynlleth – Caerphilly
Stage 6 – Sidmouth to Haytor, Dartmoor National Park
Stage 7 – Epsom – Guildford
Stage 8 – The London Stage, presented by TfL