Nothing tacky about this 81-mile two-wheel triumph

THE Perthshire Etape Caledonian cycling event – which fell into chaos last year after tacks were strewn across the course – went off without a hitch yesterday.

The UK's only closed road cycling event saw 3,750 attempt the 81 miles of Perthshire countryside, starting and finishing in Pitlochry and rising to the top of Schie-hallion mountain.

Celebrities, includ-ing record-breaking cyclist "Flying Scotsman" Graeme Obree, were there in a bid to renew faith in event, which each year raises around 200,000 for Mac-millan Cancer Support.

After last year's problems wiped out record-breaking bids, this year Robert Bateman completed the course in the fastest time yet. In three hours 29 minutes and 51.004 seconds, he beat UK Alpine ski team member David Ryding by seven tenths of a second.

One of the last to finish was Hollyoaks star Darren Jeffries, who crossed line after eight hours and ten minutes, gasping: "That was the hardest thing I've ever done."