AGM/Awards 2025

Annual General Meeting Meeting Minutes 18th January 2025, Cafe 3 Sixty, Bovey Tracey

Present: 81 members present – names available on request.

1. Apologies: Ray Baines, Graham Brodie, Fiona Cock, Shaun Davey, Matthew Holmes,
Evie Horsfall, David & Fiona Incoll, Richard Larkin, Charlie Meredith, Nicky Quant, Ben Picton,
Angela and Steve Sanders, Ben Tisdall, Dexter Townsend, Jack Troake.

2. Minutes of the 2024 AGM: Circulated to all present in advance. Proposed for adoption by
Mike Gratton and Seconded by Ron Keegan without changes. Passed.

3. Presidents Remarks – Not recorded (very funny though :))

4. Reports from Officers:

Chairperson: – Mike Gratton

Another year comes and goes and 2024 was a good one for the Mid Devon CC as we consolidated a lot of the plans and projects that we had ongoing.

The Dartmoor Classic which is our flagship event has had a revamp for 2025 and the entries are coming in much faster than they did for the 2024 edition which is great news. With changes to all routes, a new E-Bike route and offers for Cycling Clubs and Charity partners, we hope to bring back some of the success from previous editions.

The Youth Academy goes from strength to strength and with the help of the Rider Support program funded through the Classic we are able to provide opportunities for many Youth and Junior riders, many of whom we’ll be celebrating later on this evening. Special thanks to Rob Woodger, Andy Parker and Martin Burrows for all of their hard work as well as all the other coaches and volunteers. I think it’s safe to say that we are the leaders in developing Cycle Sport talent from across the South West and when we see the results coming in from riders like Nick Makin and Lauren Fox on a National level, it makes us all extremely proud.

One of the key steps forward we took this year was around the membership and onboarding process. Thanks must go to Clare Baines for the amazing work she has done and continues to do in this area. We are a broad church with over 400 members, so engaging with the different facets of the club and new members has always been a challenge. Claire has put countless hours in and I know she along with other members has some fantastic ideas about developing new pathways for riders coming into the club which is great to see.

Our senior riders performed admirably in races across various disciplines. We topped the SW Regional Rankings for the 2nd year in a row. Stand out performances on the road were from the returning Charlie Meredith in both Totnes Vire here in the UK and the Prix de Jumelage in Vire itself in France on the road. Offroad Catherine “Killer” Killburn took a medal in the World Masters CX Chaps in Berlin – a fantastic achievement by her.

On the Social side, many trips were organised all around the UK and Europe. It’s fantastic to see, and very inspiring. The trips to Brittany, Geneva and Portugal all looked amazing and made me very jealous. It’s great to see our community pulling together to organise these and create lifelong memories for all of those involved.

In closing, thanks to the committee and all of you for making the club a privilege to be involved with. Here’s to a great 2025, with strong legs and plenty of tailwinds.

Secretary: – Paul Martin

2024 was a year for maintaining the main structure for running the club and this was achieved with a reduction in the number of committee meetings, nearly all of which are held online. The full range of events has continued for the social members with the Looe Ride back going ahead in spite of the storm the day before. An increasing number of members now make a weekend of these events by riding out the day before and an overnight stop. The next event is 6th April starting at Weston Super Mare riding back to Cranbrook or if wanted, a further 15 miles back to Abbrook.

The Brittany trips were again a success and with the second weekend exploring to the west of Roscoff has opened that option for when the trips return in 2026. This year will see near 40 members going to Majorca in May courtesy of the exceptional efforts of Linda Simpson working with the Love Velo company.

The Ken Classic was again very well supported and enjoyed near perfect weather and as one experienced rider said, “it’s good to see all sections of the club come together for one event.” There are many club groups who organise their own trips away and in 2024 there were groups who completed the Portugal End to End ride with Peak Tours, just managing to miss the extensive wildfires that swept that area in September and August a group rode the Coast & Castles route from Tynemouth to Edinburgh with Peddle Power, to mention just two.

Treasurer: – Mark Sanders

The Balance sheet continues to show a good position. There was no new capital spend however depreciation of £8k was provided for the van and Velopark Project.

The rider support costs were supported by the Dartmoor Sportive for the year. The overall deficit of £11k was made up with the £8k depreciation as above plus a £1.5k write off of old clothing the club had held for a number of years and an exceptional vehicle repair of £1.5k.

The overall level of the Bank balances has fallen slightly after the above expenditure, although it is still in excess of £123,000 (of which £103,000 is on one-year fixed term deposit). The aim is to maintain these funds along with any Dartmoor Classic contributions.

Membership: – Claire Baines

Membership has risen from 397 to 420 members by December 2024

There has been a review of existing practices and best welcome practices in other cycling/sports clubs. This has resulted in development efforts being placed in:

Welcoming new riders to the club, primarily through prompt responses to contact queries, clear signposting for newcomers in the Abbrook courtyard, all to give new riders a common ‘first ride’ experience in order to benefit from basic advise/knowledge of MDCC riders at the outset.

Clear materials are being developed and will be issued to all new members in order to ‘on-board’ these riders as they make the transition from being an ‘interested cyclist’ to ‘aware and prepared club member’. These are in place on enquiry.

Early feedback on a) and b) has been very positive from both new riders and visiting riders from other cycling clubs. A further benefit has included that these activities have allowed the pipeline of ‘New Rider’ profiles for The Hub newsletter to be reinvigorated which will be of interest to all members.

The 2024 membership cycle has been characterised by steady interest in new memberships during both spring and autumn. The Dartmoor Classic sportive generated the busiest period of interest in new memberships between July – October 2024. For this reason, it is envisaged that during the DC event 2025 a dedicated membership stand will be re-established with clear signage and promotion. The 2024 decision to combine Membership and Merchandising at the DC village will be continued in some form as the 2024 stand was busy with enquiries on both days.

Going forward into 2025 efforts are being placed on: (a) delivering a great MDCC membership ‘offer’ at the DC village and (b) reinvigorating the Intro/Step Up Ride format and schedule (currently dormant) as a mitigation measure to protect the longer term diversity of the club. Offers of interest/participation from all club members are encouraged and should be made to Claire Baines at claire@middevon.cc.

Welfare and Safeguarding: Colin Butler

Last year the policy was brought up to date, along with associated policies and procedures. One significant change is that volunteers, including the committee, are now asked to complete an application and go through a safeguarding check depending on their role. This is all reflected in the updated information on the Web site.

There is now clearer information about reporting concerns. During the year there have been NO Safeguarding incidents reported.

The other area that club members will be aware of, following articles and information in the Hub, is the encouragement to ensure riders are carrying ICE details (In Case of Emergency). We may ride regularly with someone but would we know how to contact their Next of Kin if there was an accident? Recently the committee have also made available ‘Space Blankets’ for individual members and ride groups to take following a 2 hour wait for an ambulance after a recent accident. (No ambulance was available, so they had to make own way to hospital.)

Lastly, with the winter and dark days, dress accordingly and remember to be seen. Although we all try to ride safely there are a smattering if accidents each year. Our aim is to ensure preparedness for these eventualities.

Youth Academy: Rob Woodger

2024 was an exceptional year for the Mid-Devon Youth Academy, with 34 riders proudly representing the club across a diverse range of disciplines, including track cycling, mountain biking, road racing, and cyclocross. Here are some remarkable performances that truly stood out: Matthew Holmes, Eva Fox, Lauren Fox, and Edward Fraile-Whysall excelled in the Southwest Circuit Series, dominating every round while wearing the leader's jerseys and ultimately securing their titles as Southwest champions.

Dexter Townshend had an impressive debut season with the club, fully committing to the National Road Series throughout the UK. After eight rounds, he finished an impressive 14th in the series, consistently achieving outstanding fourth-place finishes, particularly in Scotland.

Lauren Fox delivered an incredible performance, achieving two national podium finishes in the National Road Series, along with a stunning first-place victory in the first round of the National Cyclocross Series. She also secured two additional podium finishes and capped off her season with a remarkable second-place finish at the National Championships. Lauren has truly made her mark, and we eagerly anticipate what 2025 holds for her.

Edward Fraile-Whysall, Bayley Woodger, and Dexter Townshend represented us at the European Youth Tour in Assen. Despite facing challenges with COVID, all three boys demonstrated remarkable grit and determination by achieving top 10 finishes in various stages, showcasing their talent on an international stage. Henry Hatton competed in the National Schools Hill Climb, gaining invaluable experience as an under-10 rider.

James Allen and Lara Dix had an outstanding season in mountain biking and cyclocross, consistently improving their national results in every round. Many of our young riders walked away with awards in the Southwest Cyclocross Series this season, reinforcing our strength and depth both nationally and across the Southwest. Meryn Kitching achieved a fantastic 3rd place in the national time trial for road bikes, while Bayley Woodger secured 8th place in the TT bike category.

Jacob Start, Bayley Woodger, and Edward Fraile Whysall represented the Southwest at the School Games in Loughborough, delivering an impressive performance in the team pursuit on the track despite having limited experience. Overall, our club has proven itself to be a formidable force, and we are excited to see what the future holds!

Time Trialling: Mark Sanders

MDCC continued to run a number of open time trials. However, the annual Teign Valley Hilly had to be cancelled because of poor weather. The 10 mile TT held on the Buckfastleigh course ran successfully on 15 May with Steve Lampier winning being closely followed by our own Donald Brooks in a time of 19:53. On 14 July we ran the South West Championships 25 mile TT organised by Peter Loader again on the Buckfastleigh course with Conrad Moss coming out on top. Lee Sanderson organised the Haytor and Widdecombe hill climbs on 7 September with Callum Orchard of Okehampton Wheelers winning both events with Jacob Start finishing a creditable 3 rd in the Haytor climb and 6 th in the Widdecombe one.

Other significant achievements by MDCC riders included our World Champion triathlete Don Brooks who achieved 3 sub 20 minute rides in local events and just missed a sub 50 minute 25 TT ride with a personal best of 50:02 in Cornwall and another pb in the Welsh 50 mile event with a 1:45:04. Bayley Woodger whilst concentrating on his road racing managed a creditable result in the CTT National Youth Championships with a 22 minute ride on a tough course. Remarkably Jack Troake completed his only time trial in 2024 over 50 miles with a personal best of 1:43:05 a great result. Maria Weymouth won a number of local 10 mile TTs and performed well in the National 10 mile championships. James Piercy, Nicholas Makin and Felix Whetter produced personal bests and we are hoping for more of the same this year.

The veteran riders also performed well with Kevin Weymouth, Peter Loader and Ian Deakin improving their results on the past season. The most travelled were Mark Sanders and Robin Delve who finished first and second in the Vets on target RTTC Classic series and both competed in the UCI championships in Aalborg.

Road Racing: Andrew Parker

2024 has been another successful season for the Mid Devon with National success and solid regional results.

The club rounded out the season ranked the first club in the South West with 208 licence points 110 more than the next club. More impressively we were ranked thirty third Nationally.

The outstanding performances of the year were by Nick Makin, claiming a round of the National Junior series and a stage of the prestigious Junior Tour of Ireland. Nick was part of a crack Mid Devon team that took part in the Jumelage twinning stage race in Vire. The team of six performed well and gained some great experience on the rolling roads of Normandy. An honourable mention should go to Shaun Davey for stepping up to compete in his first race abroad and supporting a team of younger riders. The trip gave us the opportunity to cement our relationship with our twin club the Velo Club Bocage and we look forward to returning in 2025.

After an absence of several years Charlie Meredith returned to racing, taking several wins along the way and reminding everyone of the talent that he has.

Josh Snow became our leading rider in regional competition, quickly rising through the category’s after only starting racing a year ago.

It was great to see the Mid Devon foreign legion of Henry Howells, Callum Start, Ewan Warren and Harrison Wood continuing the careers in France and Spain. It should be recognised that the club provides a competition pathway for young riders from six years old and gives them the support to take the step into competing abroad and realising their ambitions.

Not forget our senior riders Jason Kettle, James Williams, Andy Hitchens, Mark Sanders and Robin Delve who continue to inspire and mentor the younger riders.

2025 is shaping up to be a good year with riders from our Youth Academy stepping up to the Junior ranks and bolstering our road racing teams.

Off-Road: Martin Smith

2024 was another great season across the off road categories for the club with some top class results in Cyclocross MTB and Gravel events around the UK and Europe. The club came together again with a small army of volunteers to help Rob Woodger and Martin Smith host another National Trophy Cyclocross round at our Velopark course. A packed weekend of fast racing because it also turned out to be one of the driest ever CX races at the Velopark since the club started hosting events there! Unfortunately our round of the South West CX league and South West Champs had to be cancelled due to storm weather the following weekend.

In the South West Cyclocross League, James Bovey bettered last years 3rd place by taking the overall series win in Vet 50 Open with Nicky Quant taking 2nd in the Vet 50 Women, Jackie Shute 4th, Killa 5th.
Emily Simcock claimed an overall series podium V40 Women with a well earned 3rd. Lara Dix took the Series win in Junior Women and also produced some brilliant results in the National Trophy rounds to place 10th in the overall standings for the series with Eva Fox in 11th.

In Belgium, Robin Delve claimed another win at Kermiscross Ardooie in the Vet 65-69 race and also claiming a top spot in the Gravel World Series in Villars and therefore qualifying for the UCI Gravel World Champs in Belgium, a race that was unfortunately stopped due the death of a competitor. Robin’s huge European adventure saw him cover 14000 miles getting to 20 events. At the Masters Cyclocross World Championships in Hamburg last December, Robin finished a valiant 5th that was on the back of an excellent 3rd place in the European Championships in Pontevedra, Spain. While Killa also took a brilliant 3rd place podium at the Masters Worlds. Killa also took podiums at the National Trophy events in Torbay with a 3rd place and a silver medal at the National Championships last weekend. In the overall trophy series Killa placed 7th with Jackie Shute in 10th.

There have been some great XC MTB events across the region with the Soggy Bottom events and the South West XC Series. Again, we don’t have as many riders across the adult age groups racing MTB but some more great results from James Bovey in the South West XC Series races and Soggy Bottom Series at Newnham Park. Andy Taylor again producing some strong rides.

There were no comments or questions about the officer reports.

5. Election of Officers for 2025

President: Ron Keegan
Vice Presidents: Ron Georgi, Ron Keegan, Andrew Parker & Andrew Perkins

Chairperson: Mike Gratton
Honorary Secretary: Paul Martin
Honorary Treasurer: Mark Sanders
Membership: Claire Baines & Liz Trinder
Mountain Biking: Ben Tisdall
Off Road: Martin Smith
Road Racing: Andrew Parker
Welfare: Colin Butler and Maria Woodger (Youth Academy only & ex committee)
Youth Academy: Rob Woodger

The team, as above, were re-elected unanimously

6. Appointment of new Vice Presidents:

Both previous recipients of the club’s ‘Long Service’ award.’

Pat Ash – “A member for over 40 years. 1980s she raced time trials of 10 miles, 25 miles (including the ladies national 25 held in Usk against the likes of Denise Burton and the world champion at the time, Mandy Jones) and over 50 miles.”

Chris Ash – “He has been almost ever present on club runs for over half a century. Throughout this time, he has regularly supported and competed in countless club and open events and, through cycling between his home to his place of work, has clocked up the equivalent of several times around the earth. He is the epitome of the reliable and regular club cyclist.”

Proposed by: Ron Keegan and Seconded by: John Roux. Passed unanimously.

7. Appointment of new Honorary Life Members:

Martin Burrows – It’s with honour that we induct Martin Burrows into Life Membership of the Mid Devon CC to recognise the contribution he has made. Martin joined the club in 1987 and along with his younger brother Matt competed in road, circuit and time trials, before long his father Phil was helping with Time Keeping. Martin raced with distinction competing in National Junior events, representing Devon and Cornwall and achieving a second category licence, having a killer sprint was his trademark move. Later in his career he competed regularly at Newport Velodrome.

However its Martin’s contribution to coaching that his proved invaluable, Martin was there at the conception of the Abbrook Aces our Youth Cycling offer over twenty years ago and led the first coaching session. Since then Martin has become a level 3 coach, coaching road, circuit, time trial, cyclo cross and track and is still making a regular contribution to the coaching sessions at the Velopark.

Martin has also become a British Cycling tutor delivering coaching courses to new candidates and encouraging them to support the development of youth cycling in the South West. He also runs his own coaching company KOM coaching which nurtures and supports bike riders to achieve their goals.

We would like to offer our thanks to Martin for an outstanding contribution to Mid Devon CC for nearly 40 years!

Steve Sanders: Steve has been part of the club for a very long time and may well be the longest serving member. He joined Mid Devon in 1969 (or there about) at the age of 14 and has been a member with some gaps when he was a member of other clubs. Steve is always telling stories of the early days – including Ken Robertson knocking on his door to and come cycling at the club house in Torquay; where he used to race/Marshall etc.

When living in Devon Steve supported the Dartmoor Classic event and took a substantial role as the site manager setting up at the racecourse. Steve marshalled for the various races, time trials and the cyclo cross event over the years.

Dave Thomas: Renowned local journalist and has reported on cycling in the area for some 40 years. He was advised, and decided, not to join the club previously so he could maintain his independence in reporting on all aspects of cycling. After the AGM he was our guest of honour and presented all of the awards.

Ian Whitear: It’s with great honour that we induct Ian Whitear into Life Membership of the Mid Devon CC to recognise his outstanding contribution over the past decade. Ian has been an integral part of the club, dedicating countless hours as a volunteer and timekeeper for our time trials.

Ian’s unwavering commitment and meticulous approach have ensured the smooth running of countless events, fostering a sense of camaraderie and competition among riders. His reliability and passion for the sport have made him an invaluable asset to the club. For the past ten years, Ian has exemplified the spirit of selflessness that keeps grassroots cycling thriving. His dedication behind the scenes has enabled riders to focus on their performance, knowing that the events are in safe and experienced hands.

Many thanks to Ian for his exceptional contribution to Mid Devon CC and the cycling community.

8. Close of meeting: The Chair thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting at
1945h.

P Martin – 19th January 2025

Mid Devon Cycling Club 2024 Trophy Winners

T H Woods Novices Cup Most Improved TT Rider Bayley Woodger
W A J Best Cup Fastest MDCC in WAJ Best Mens 25 mile TT Don Brooks
Golden Jubilee Cup Fastest in an Open 50 mile TT Jack Troika
Junior Club Champion Cup Most Points in Road and Circuit Racing Nick Machin
Vire Trophy 1st MDCC in Prix de Jumelage’ in Vire Shaun Davey
Davey Cup Road Race Champion Charlie Meredith
Monte Trophy Most Improved Road Racer Josh Snow
Vire Blue Trophy Best Newcomer Road Racing Caio Waters
De – Vey Cup, Paignton Regatta Club Award – Young Rider of the Year Henry Cadwallader
Chairpersons Cup Club Award – Most Reliable Rider Claire Baines
Bert Roberts Club Award – Most Improved Rider Andy Walter
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Cup Club Award – Long Service Tony Watson
Cecil Paget Trophy Club Award – “Goes the extra mile” Sarah Hall
The Hammer Trophy Club Award – The Hammer Trophy Mark Whalley
Johnston Regatta Cup Off Road Rider of the Year – Women Lauren Fox
Davey “Knobly” Cup Off Road Rider of the Year – Men Robin Delve
President/Colin Lewis Award Most Merited Ride of the Year Lauren Fox
Max Vautier Cup Club Member of the Year – Member Vote Mike Gratton

MDCC Events Calendar 2025

Sunday 23rd March MDCC Primavera Road Races Hatherleigh 1000h Volunteers needed
Wednesday 2nd April Club 10 mile TT Dartington 1900h
Saturday 5th Colin Lewis Grand Prix Torbay Velopark
Saturday 5th/Sunday 6th April Totnes Vire Road Races TBD All Day 4 race event, volunteers needed mostly on the 5th
Sunday 6th April Club Ride Back Weston Super Mare 0730h Meet Cranbrook
Sunday 13th April Haldon Heroic Gravel Sportive Exeter Racecourse 0800h Various routes
Monday 14th April Club Committee Meeting online 1900h
Friday 18th April Good Friday ‘Hilly’ 19 mile TT
Saturday 27th April Taunton Flyer Sportive Taunton 0700h 3 routes
Wednesday 7th May Club 10 mile TT Teign Valley 1900h
Wednesday 14th May Open 10 mile S4 TT Buckfastleigh Town Hall 1900h
Saturday 10th May Moor 2 Sea Sportive Exeter Racecourse 0730h 3 routes
Wednesday 4th June Club 10 mile TT Teign Valley 1900h
Sunday 22nd June Dartmoor Classic Sportive NA Racecourse 0630h Members needed as volunteers
Wednesday 2nd July Club 10 mile TT Dartington 1900h
Sunday 6th July Open 25 mile S4 TT Buckfastleigh 0700h Includes VTTA National Championships
Monday 7th July Club Committee Meeting online 1900h
Sunday 3rd August Ken Robertson Regatta Crits Torbay Velopark
Wednesday 6th August Club 10 mile TT Teign Valley 1900h
Sunday 24th August Devon Grit Gravel Sportive Exmouth 5 routes
Tuesday 2nd September Club Committee Meeting Barn Owl 1830h with Dartmoor Classic Committee
Wednesday 3rd September Club 10 mile TT Dartington 1900h
Sunday 7th September 1. Haytor Hill Climb & 2. Widecombe Hill Climb 0900h and 1100h
Saturday 13th September Lands End 100 Sportive Marion 0730h 3 routes
Sunday 26th October Autumn Leaves Ride to Exmoor Sampford Pvberell 0900h
Monday 17th November Club Committee Meeting online 1900h
Saturday 27th December* Boxing Day’ Club 10 Mile TT Teign Valley 1100h Fancy Dress