GO NORTH, YOUNG MAN

The West Country Classic sounds like the latest sportive to be added to the calendar in Devon and Cornwall, but it?s actually a bit further afield, in Norway.

The experienced sportive rider has been there and done it all in the UK, and possibly even France and Italy. But the calendar just became a bit more exotic, with entries now open for the West Country Classic, which starts in Bergen and heads up the spectacular Hardanger fjord on a 170-kilometre ride to Voss. The three major climbs are tough, rather than severe, with the largest, the Kvamskogen, topping out at 464 metres above sea level.

Last year, 1,200 cyclists took part in the event, setting off in groups according to ability. The 2007 event takes place on June 9.

To register for the event, or find out more, contact Alexander Krogstad, of the organising Bergenck cycling club, at Alexander.krogstad@dlapiper.com. There are direct flights from London, Manchester and Aberdeen to Bergen, and there is a ferry from Newcastle.