A sportive due to take place in the New Forest next weekend has been cancelled after Forestry England threatened legal action against the organisers.
Some 500 riders had been due to participate in the Beyond New Forest sportive on 15 and 16 May, with routes of 62 miles and 100 miles starting and finishing in Exbury.
But the Advertiser & Times reports that the event has now been cancelled after Forestry England which is responsible for off-road tracks within the New Forest, said it would seek an injunction to prevent it going ahead.
A spokesperson for the agency said: “Off-road cycling is only allowed on specific routes in the New Forest and these are shared paths for people to cycle, walk and horse ride on tracks that avoid sensitive wildlife habitats.
“It’s unfortunate that this event was promoted before the organisers had discussions with Forestry England, as land manager’s permission is required for any events or organised group activities on the Forest before taking place.”
The issue of large-scale cycling events within the New Forest has long been a cause of friction, and the cancellation of the sportive comes just four months after a court told Forestry England to get tough on “out of control” cyclists.
> Threat to axe New Forest’s off-road cycle network as court criticises “out of control” cyclists
The agency had been seeking a three-year extension of access to the network of waymarked tracks – including bridleways, gravel tracks and fire roads – from 2021-23.
But the Verderers Court – which dates back to the 13th century and carries out similar functions to a magistrates’ court in relation to certain matters related to the New Forest –only provided a 12-month extension.
In March, one local, Peter Rejchrt, claimed that cyclists were riding on tracks where they are not permitted and also claimed that racing was taking place, although it appears that he may be confused with regard to how apps such as Strava operate,
He said that “a small, but nevertheless significant local and ‘near local’ cohort of cyclists” were ignoring the New Forest Cycling Code of Conduct and were causing damage to the terrain and wildlife habitats.
He claimed: “Technology allows cyclists to conduct races blatantly and flagrantly using apps like Strava, eg the gravel track down from Abbotswell Millennium Stone car park to Latchmore Brook.”
38 thoughts on “New Forest sportive cancelled after Forestry England threatens legal action”
Anyone in the know enlighten
Anyone in the know enlighten me on how much was on their private shared paths and how much was on the public ones. Also how can they petition the council to ban an event on open public roads?
I’d ike to know this too.
I’d ike to know this too. Presumably quite a lot otherwise a re-route would have been an option, unless they couldnt clear that with CC in time.
Either poor organisation or something fishy going on.
It’s the New Forest, either
It’s the New Forest, either an MP or a local councillor discovered the route was going to pass near/through their land and decided that sort of thing ought not be allowed to happen…
Actually there was a late re
Actually there was a late re-route last year due to flooding. The sportive was early March and was changed from 63 miles to 72 miles, if I recall correctly.
I did the Beyond New Forest
I did the Beyond New Forest Sportive last year. It has obviously changed a lot (the start point in Ferndown wasn’t ideal and has been sensibly moved) but it was all on public roads. Really not sure about this story.
Does this help? Meaningless
Does this help? Meaningless to me…
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wcJFpmoIxu1vYT6eqaceiR3xt40VxVb_&ll=50.87250720819357%2C-1.5834250000000116&z=11
No idea either as not from
No idea either as not from down there but had seen the routes on the websites.
If it’s a permitted cycling
If it’s a permitted cycling route within the environs of the New Forest National Park then they’re all owned and managed by Forestry England. These are high quality, wide, maintained paths designed to keep cyclists off non-permitted paths and also provide access for walkers and disabled forest visitors. There’s no such thing as a public path for cycling in the Forest although a blind eye is usually turned to incidental use – I ride where I’m not permitted because at stupid o’clock AM the paths are mostly empty of walkers. These are narrow paths generally made by ponies and walkers and certainly not suitable for an organised event.
Even the permitted paths have gates that will only take one bike at a time so I don’t see how you’d manage 500-odd riders going through them.
I remember a similar stink being caused by an organiser that was running night running events. Pretty sure they got binned on the same grounds – disturbance to wildlife.
Interested to know if other NPs have similar policies on private companies profiting from access to NP land, anyone know?
Map is here – https://www
Map is here – https://www.google.co.uk/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1wcJFpmoIxu1vYT6eqaceiR3xt40VxVb_&ll=50.856833459048936%2C-1.477067816329396&z=15
Mostly on public roads – the same roads used by UKCE/Wiggle over the years. Might be 100% roads, it certainly is in the sections I’m familiar with. Definitely not a gravel dash – and there’s no mention of any bike requirements on the sign up page…
Bit more digging on this –
Bit more digging on this – there are definitely some forestry track sections out to the east of the route. But what I don’t get is that they’re not rideable even in the dry on a road bike, and there’s a perfectly good road available to re-route them on. Maybe trying to offer some sort of Strade Bianche experience – after all, the Giro has a couple of gravel sections this year…
It was all on the Highway, no
It was all on the Highway, no track, no gravel and no private shared paths.
Hope that helps, with thanks
So the news reporter was
So the news reporter was lying, disingenuous or confused?
Or just under-paid, under
Or just under-paid, under-trained, under-resourced, and a bit slapdash as a result?
Queer things with New Forest
Queer things with New Forest cycle sportives seem to keep on happening, to the extent that some “New Forest” branded events barely enter the national park area.
“Next race : dd/mm/yy” probably isn’t the cleverest way to list your sportives on your website.
Have you written to the newspaper? If you’re right and it’s wrong, Forestry England will surely be seeking a correction.
It still doesn’t add up – there are things in the newspaper article that you couldn’t make up; I know journalists often conflate two different threads not always successfully. Neither Forestry England nor New Forest District Council have jurisdiction over the public roads – were you planning to include the off-road paths at any point?
Is there more to this story
Is there more to this story than there seems? What kind of half arsed organiser takes peoples money without securing the route first?
Also that Peter Rejchrt guy appears to be be a runner who has active park run and Strava profiles. As a research academic ironically he appears to have a bent for anti-cycling anecdata. Smells like selfishness to me.
I’m sure his running along
I’m sure his running along the off road sections is not damaging any paths or anything…..
probably the same people who
probably the same people who organised the Winter Wonderland experience in Bakewell
He claimed: “Technology
He claimed: “Technology allows cyclists to conduct races blatantly and fragrantly using apps like Strava, eg the gravel track down from Abbotswell Millennium Stone car park to Latchmore Brook.”
Was there a typo, or does he really object to nicely scented cyclists racing?
PRSboy wrote:
It’s the latest feature on strava – subscribers only, though.
Was there a typo,
Was there a typo,
It’s Road.cc, what do you think? Although the newspaper article has given me a new word which I thought was a mistake – presentment.
Is presentment where you
Is presentment where you really hate something before you’ve even experienced it?
They’ve obviously been
They’ve obviously been shopping at Ribble.
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/customcolour-scented/
Abbotswell to Latchmore? Don
Abbotswell to Latchmore? Don’t make me laugh. That’s this segment
https://www.strava.com/segments/7570682
(the clue is in the title)
Far more fun riding up it. It’s heavily rutted and potholed and zero technical challenge beyond that.
219 recorded Strava efforts this year.
Oh and why is it rutted and potholed? That’ll be because of the dirty great private house at the bottom with three cars and a horsebox.
Although almost 30 mph down a
Although almost 30 mph down a gravelly potholed path shared with walkers…….
We all remember the scratch
We all remember the scratch-and-sniff editions of Cycling Weekly in the 1980s. The scratch-and-sniff for Laurent Fignon’s hairspray was particularly evocative.
“Technology allows cyclists
“Technology allows cyclists to conduct races blatantly and fragrantly….”
I smell a rat.
Coming from out that way I
Coming from out that way I have to say that if they haven’t got permission to use trails and tracks way beforehand then they’re mugs.
Even then, they’re in no way suitable for mass events.
An old saying “Dont let the
An old saying “Dont let the truth get in the way of a good story”
The event was cancelled simply because the venue pulled out after pressure was applied by Exbury estates and a suitable large venue (Due to covid) couldnt be found with enough space for 500 riders at short notice.
Nothing else in the original article or this one has any factual basis.
We look forward to seeing you all at a Road Sportive soon, but be quick they are selling out fast, other events are also available.
That was helpful – thank you.
That was helpful and makes far more sense – thank you.
Is it helpful? The newspaper
Is it helpful? The newspaper reports it was cancelled because the Forrestry Comm wanted it to be. Organiser now comes on here and says, no, it is cancelled because the Venue caved to pressure applied by Exbury Estates. Why were they pressurising the venue? Was it Covid even though we have a mass vaccination and reduction of infections to a level where the creepiest man in Office stated “you can now be intimate with friends and family” when describing a hug? Was it local shops stating “you aren’t Local”?
Plenty of previous from
Plenty of previous from locals pressuring venues not to host food stops etc for sportives. Most of the UKCE events now leave from Ellingham House (which isn’t even in the New Forest) and there have been problems from time to time running events from the epically-named Gang Warily. Same applies to various village halls used by organisers in the past (Hyde, Minstead, Copythorne)
So I’m correct in this
So I’m correct in this assumption then?
Thanks for your post
Thanks for your post
So is the the newspaper
So is the the newspaper simply inventing quoted speech wholesale, or were the remarks made in reference to a completely different event? Bizarre!
Perhaps the paper has
I think you’re right, the paper has confused events and is attributing quotes about other Gravel sportives to the Beyond event? Found this earlier article:
https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.uk/news/organisers-slammed-for-arranging-80km-new-forest-cycle-event-without-permission-9155240/
Oh! And indeed, the same
Oh! And indeed, the same quote appears in that report also:
[I]“Off-road cycling is only allowed on specific routes in the New Forest and these are shared paths for people to cycle, walk and horse ride on tracks that avoid sensitive wildlife habitats.
[I]“It’s unfortunate that this event was promoted before the organisers had any discussions with Forestry England, as land manager’s permission is required for any events or organised group activities on the Forest before taking place.”[/i]
Thank you IanMK, we’ll make a
Thank you IanMK, we’ll make a detective/journo out of you yet 🙂
One of the stories in the
One of the stories in the ‘Advertiser and Times‘ was ‘New Forest community hall destroyed in overnight blaze’. Can’t think who (
mob of vengeful cyclists)might getting blamed for that one…