Etape Caledonia vandalised

[rogerzilla]

Locals opposed to road closures are the prime suspects.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tay ... 054215.stm

This is actually pretty dangerous - apart from the initial risk of a high speed front wheel puncture, imagine falling on a bed of tacks as a result.

[Mick F]

I made some disparaging remarks about the race when I was there last year. The town was full of cyclists and support, and talking to the locals, many can't stand the race. It blocks the roads, cuts off the town, and tourists and locals alike are disrupted. Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely no sympathy for the saboteurs - downright awful and dangerous thing to do, but I do have sympathy for the locals.

Although I sort of enjoyed the carnival atmosphere there, I could really have done without it. I was tired and hungry after riding from Edinburgh, all I wanted was a quiet meal and a few pints before retiring for the evening. If I'd have known anything about the race, I may have reprogrammed my Grand Tour.

I suppose the Etape Caledonia is something you like or you don't, but still an unforgivable thing to do.

[lindagordinho]

I was up in that area last week touring. We rode many of the Etape roads, they were well signposted with warnings about the closure. It's only ONE DAY, for pete's sake, and draws thousands of people to the area to spend their money (kerching). People we spoke to were very positive about the event. We met folk doing the Etape who had gone up a few days early to make a holiday of it (kerching). The route looked amazing, we were talking about coming up to do it ourselves, next year (kerching).

We probably won't now. How to have a good day ruined - some of the locals are so hostile they will try to make you have an accident. Clearly we would not be welcome.

I suspect it isn't anything to do with the closed roads. Some people in this country just hate us because we're cyclists. Clearly they think it's acceptable to sabotage the roads with no regard as to the potential consequences - injury, damage to property, or even death.

If the event had been a fun run in aid of Macmillan Cancer Relief, can you imagine anyone sabotaging the roads then? The roads are routinely closed for fun runs all the time. People on bikes are targeted. People on foot are not.

I've never felt more miserable about road cycling than I do at the moment. Our sporting events are being cancelled willy nilly because of the prohibitive cost of police cover, and even our fun days out are a target for the sinister cyclist hating lobby.

[rualexander]

Just came across this :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tay ... 054215.stm

[iamanidiot]

I saw this. What a pathetic course of action to take. However much you are inconvenienced by closed roads you've got to see that events like that will always bring money into an area. Someone really bears a grudge against cycling. I can only suggest that the perpetrator was raped by a bicycle at some point in their life.

[Si]

<Two threads on this merged into one.>

[cjchambers]

Hmm I'm unconvinced this was an 'anti-cycling' action. To me, it appears more like an 'anti-huge-sporting-event-descending-on-my-home-town' action. Dangerous, wrong, ill-thought-out, probably counter-productive, but not an attack on cyclists in general.

[pwward]

I did a big race in New Zealand last year around lake Taupo in the north island, 10,000 + riders doing 160, 320 or 640 kms. Almost all the roads were open to traffic, one of which is the main north-south highway. No problems at all. Signs were up warning of delays to drivers.

I wonder if this event has to be traffic free?

[tb]

I agree with cjchambers. I don't think this was necessarily an anti-cycling attack. I think it was more likely some nasty small minded idiot / idiots with a grievance towards other people who might possibly be enjoying themselves.
It's a shame that we have to live amongst such pond life who are prepared to put other lives at risk.

Strengthens my resolve to remain a cyclist.

[thirdcrank]

It could easily be one of those things where publicity encourages imitators.

[Manx Cat]

I read on teh BBC website earlier this morning at work - might as well get to work earlier now so I can use the internet there.

Etape Calodonia ride was sabotaged. I cannot belive the narrow mindlessness of some folk. Just cos the roads were shut for 3 hours! Our main roads here are shut for nearly a month to cover road races of some sort or another and they are pretty well accepted and welcomed by most.

Anyway read it here....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scot ... 054215.stm


What a disappointment for all the hard work the organisers do for this ride, and the riders who took the time and trouble to train and get there....

Mary

[Hemipode]

What a moronic thing to do.
If someone has an issue with the event this is not the way to publicise your problem.
I don't believe actions like this help anyones cause. It' just a minor form of terrorism or stupid vandalism.
There are some sad individuals about

[Romeo Whisky]

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/di ... e_race.php

potential murderers here. Astonishing and dissapointing that someone can feel so strongly about a road being closed for an event to do something like this:

Police have launched an investigation after hundreds of cyclists competing in a Perthshire charity race were forced off the road to mend punctures after several miles of the route were strewn with carpet tacks.

It is believe that local protesters, upset by the disruption caused by the Etape Caledonia event, were responsible for the sabotage.

The 81-mile cycle race, now in its third year, had attracted around 3500 competitors from all over the world yesterday, but police stepped in to halt the contest on the Schiehallion mountain road for an hour after a number of competitors suffered flat tyres after cycling over the tiny nails en route to the summit.

[Si]

<A couple more threads merged in>

[etape]

Etape Caledonia: Sunday 17th May 2009



Official Statement from the Organisers of the Etape Caledonia



As organisers of the Etape Caledonia we wanted to fully update everyone of exactly what happened at this year’s event – specifically regarding the course sabotage.



A large number of carpet tacks were scattered along sections of the course, by who we can only assume to be protestors of fact that it is a fully closed roads cycling event. This safety issue was highlighted by the lead group of cyclists experiencing punctures at a specific section 43 miles into the route. Subsequently hundreds of additional cyclists also received punctures as they approached the area.



As a result of safety concerns, in co-ordination with the local police and council, we implemented immediate safety contingencies. This included temporary stopping the race mid course while the roads were made as safe as possible. Once we were satisfied with the safety of the course the event was resumed. We are continuing to work with the local police and council to get to the bottom of what happened this year and ensure it won’t happen again.



As organisers of many mass participation events, we want to wholeheartedly thank every single competitor for their amazing attitude, patience and spirit. It was an inspiration.