A busy calendar of events this summer has forced the organisers of Dartmoor’s inaugural Hell of the West Off Road Sportive to change the event date.

Organiser Simon Young said: “We have decided that the event would work much better if pushed into the start of the cyclo-cross season. Our intention was to create an event that can become a great option for those that can’t ride the Three Peaks, either because they live too far away, because they couldn’t get an entry or because they fancy a challenge that is less competitive and more about adventure.

“With this in mind we have changed the date of the 2012 event to run on the same day as the Three Peaks, Sunday September 30. The south west region has been crying out for a single lap off-road sportive for years and we are keen to make sure that the Hell of the West fills that gap.”

Everything else remains the same, there’s an option to shorten the route for riders that aren’t up to the full 100km distance on the day. The event is open to riders on any kind of bike as long as it is capable of being ridden off’road. The route, which starts from the Parke Estate on Dartmoor, is described as “a good mix of gentle off-road, more technical off-road and a few road linking stages.”

More information is available www.hellofthewest.co.uk