Pedalling with purpose at Tour de Moor ride

HUNDREDS of generous-spirited cyclists pedalled with a purpose yesterday to make this year’s St Luke's Hospice Plymouth’s Tour de Moor bike challenge a memorable and successful occasion.

- By JACKIE BUTLER

Wearing striking orange branded T-shirts, more than 900 riders turned the wild landscape of Dartmoor into a thrilling two-wheeler spectacle while raising vital funds to support the charity’s compassionate end-of-life care for local people and their families.

There was a choice of routes for of all ages and abilities: the 53km Beast Mode tested the stamina of the bravest riders aged 12 and up, while the 28km Adventurer Style offered a slightly gentler, but still exciting, ride. Families, beginners and more casual cyclists enjoyed the 11km Mini-Moor, a scenic spin along Drake's Trail.

The weather was kind too - chilly to start, but bright and dry with plenty of autumnal sunshine - making for a perfect morning of cycle action.

Many riders took part in memory of loved ones and friends who have been cared for by St Luke’s, knowing that every pound raised helps another family receive the same specialist holistic hospice support when and where they need it most, with the majority taking place people's own homes.

Andrew Shelton from Plympton was taking part for the fourth time, riding 53km route in memory of his father-in-law Paul Michelmore, who died in August, and his grandma, Joyce Hoskin. They were both cared for by St Luke’s at the end of their lives at the hospice’s specialist unit at Turnchapel.