SOUTH DEVON pro Jon Locke has set his heart on fighting for a victory on 'home soil' when Stage Four of next week's Tour of Britain cycle race hits Teignmouth.

And he thinks he has a real chance of beating some of the best riders in the world after tackling the gruelling 112-mile stage from Minehead on Sunday.

Locke, 25, the former Mid-Devon CC/Colin Lewis Cycles No.1, joined four teammates from the UK's top-rated Rapha Condor Sharp team and around 2,000 'amateurs' on the Prostate Cancer Charity Tour Ride at the weekend.

But the Rapha Condor boys were doing it at near to race pace!

The Tour itself hits Teignmouth next Tuesday, September 14, when big crowds will pack the Promenade at the end of what promises to be a decisive stage.

"I believe there's a real chance of doing something good," said specialist climber Locke.

"Even if the stage wasn't in Devon, it's the sort of course I'd be looking forward to racing.

"But being on roads I know so well makes it a bit special.

"It's going to be hard, that's for sure.

"We did the ride on Sunday purposely to see the course, and get in a good training ride.

"As well as the climbs, there's a lot of lanes and tricky descents as well.

"If you're not right at the front, you need to know when you should be moving up and where the good opportunities to attack are.

"John Herety (Rapha Condor manager) told us to race each other yesterday, and it was pretty hard.

"But I'm going well at the moment, and I went well again on Sunday."

Several of the top teams on the international circuit, including Sky Professional Racing, Cervelo Test Team, Garmin Transitions, Team HTC-Columbia, Team Saxo Bank and Skil-Shimano, will take on the best that the UK has to offer.

Olympic gold medalist Bradley Wiggins, fourth in last year's Tour de France, leads the Sky squad.

Heinrich Haussler and veteran Dartington pro Jeremy Hunt are in a strong Cervelo team.

Mark Renshaw and former world time trial champions Bert Grabsh and Michael Rogers head the HTC-Columbia team. There are 17 teams in all.

The Minehead-Teignmouth stage hardly has a flat yard on it, including major climbs over Exmoor, the Blackdown Hills and Sidmouth's feared Peak Hill.

Locke raced up it once as an amateur, winning a hill climb there.

"Some faces are going to drop when the race turns the right-hander onto the seafront at Sidmouth," said Locke.

"You can see the hill straight ahead of you, rearing up, and it looks so steep.

"But even on the run-in to Teignmouth, up out of Dawlish and Holcombe, it's hard.

"The next stage (Five) on Wednesday (Tavistock to Glastonbury) is over Dartmoor on roads I also know well.

"One of those two days I want to make sure I'm up there.

"But it's the Teignmouth stage which should turn into a proper race. It's hard all the way."

The Tour of Britain starts in Rochdale on Saturday and finishes eight stages later in London on Saturday, September 18.