Opposition to Velothon Wales appears to be growing as South Wales prepares to host 15,000 cyclists next Sunday. A number of people have taken to social media to express their annoyance with the disruption while signs announcing road closures have been daubed with the word ‘no’.
Around 15,000 cyclists will ride the Velothon Wales sportive on June 14 with a UCI-sanctioned pro race immediately afterwards in what promises to be a spectacular event. However, with so many people set to take part, disruption is inevitable.
On Thursday, Gwent Police posted a message to its Facebook page advising residents to plan ahead.
“The organisers are working closely with all local authorities to ensure that the event causes minimal disruption to local communities, with affected roads to be closed and re-opened section-by-section to ensure the overall duration of the closure is kept to an absolute minimum.”
Although the police are not directly involved, the post was soon gathering negative comments from those affected, with much of the usual talk of ‘road tax’ and insurance.
A number of local businesses have also had their say, concerned that they will lose out on business. Several have expressed a belief that details regarding road closures could have been better communicated to them.
A Velothon spokesman has admitted that there is likely to be an impact on the wider area with traffic forced off some major roads onto alternative routes. “We are asking people to plan ahead and give themselves extra time to get around the area if they need to travel on this day.”
Some public transport will also be affected and organisers say they are working with bus services to divert routes where possible, although some will be cancelled.
The Velothon Wales website has a section containing information on road closures. It states that after the events have passed through, roads will remain closed for a time “to ensure they are safe and secure for public use”. This will involve removal of barriers, cleaning the roads and dispersing crowds.
In contrast, this weekend’s Tour of Cambridgeshire appears to be taking place with minimal ill-feeling. The nation’s first closed-road Gran Fondo will see around 6,000 riders tackling a 128km route.
74 thoughts on “Anti-cycling feeling apparent as Velothon Wales draws near”
Should remember that social
Should remember that social media is a great forum for a few people to get voices heard the loudest.
From everything I read about
From everything I read about this, the locals aren’t so much against the event, it is the extent of the road closures, the fact that 15,000 are paying £50 and nothing is going back into the community, it is being taken as profit by the organisers.
We have a similar thing happening up here soon, The Etape Royale, but they set aside an amount to go to local charities all around the route, businesses affected by the closures are still not happen as it’s a Sunday and that is the busiest day for businesses around here at that time of year. I was initially very supportive of the event, but have totally changed my mind after numerous discussions with businesses around the area. I was going to work for them as neutral service, I’ve now withdrawn that aswell. There is NO need for that amount of road closures apart from selling the event to cyclists as a closed road event and taking twice the money they would have gotten on open roads.
Quote:the fact that 15,000
So the organizers are not paying any money to the local council for the road closures then???
Must be Mad wrote:Quote:the
I’m sure they are paying a lot of money to the council for road closures, but that doesn’t help those communities stuck in the middle of the course who rely on customers….
Something stinks about this
Something stinks about this event, hardly any publicity or PR. Even the UCI 1.1 race has no pro conti teams at all. Just seems that the event organisers have overreached massively. Why upset locals for such a long period? Build support to an event over a few years Esther than imposing such a disruptive event.
sithlord wrote:Something
Exactly, there is no need for full closures for that length of time, send cyclists off in waves and have rolling closures. Simple, even with the roads closed, I bet the majority will stick to the left hand side of the road anyway. As always happens.
They do have Pro Conti teams there though Cult Energy and CCC Sprandi Polkowice
Then Conti teams are
Bike Aid
Team Rietumu Delfin
AC Sparta Praha
Alpha Baltic
Team 3M
Start – Massi Cycling Team
Roth – Skoda
Team Marseille 13 KTM
Wallonie – Bruxelles
Plus all the British Teams are UCI Conti teams
Anyone complaining about
Anyone complaining about Cardiff city centre road closures due to the one direction gig?
MervO wrote:Anyone
plenty in my office ! but they are used to that and celebrate the money coming in. I suspect most moaning are from the Tory countryside of Monmouthshire and basically Nimby’s are per the New Forest, around Surrey etc. They all share the same kind of thing.
ianrobo wrote:MervO
around Surrey etc? Sort of a big area
There isn’t much problem except with the Box Hill area and the fact that loads of sportives want to use that specific hill and don’t talk to each other so the hill has had 3 sportives all meeting on it on occasions.
The rest of Surrey likes cycling. Huge crowds out cheering for the Ride London Sportive each year, the Olympics and Tour of Britain. The odd loon but the reception for cycling events is fantastic.
Never see crap like this
Never see crap like this directed at events like the London marathon or Great North Run.
Both close huge urban areas down for a day. The disruption from the GNR closures and 50k runners in cars is huge, but people accept it,.
But hey cyclists…..
gazza_d wrote:Never see crap
it’s not that they host TOB, the national RR championships and so on.
But the route which uses main roads, and the length of the closures. information has been rather tardy as well, bare in mind this is a sportive with a race, it’s not going to have a huge spectator attraction.
cities such as London other forms of public transport work, SE wales public transport is not in the same league.
Hi
Road closed for 12 hours
Hi
Road closed for 12 hours outside mothers care home from 0630 to 1830, prisoner in her own home, how is carers to get there and how are we to pick her up for Sunday lunch in her wheel chair. Phoned velothon helpline 3 times each time promised call back. Ah well typical, organisers don’t care about the disabled and infirm and how to help them
PeterW wrote:Hi
Road closed
Tenner says that the emergency services will get through if there is an emergency.
You can rest assured that I was going to compete, but decided against it due to the anti cycling sentiment- I’m not giving my money to a bunch of selfish taffs.
You can thank me later.
PeterW wrote:Hi
Road closed
You do this thing called planning ahead.
My Dad used to live in a road just off to one side of the route of the London Marathon and once a year, his house was completely inaccessible to traffic for the whole weekend.
A mate used to own a shop in Notting Hill and once a year, he had to lock the place up, put heavy duty boards over the windows and take a week of holiday because of the Notting Hill Carnival. He didn’t want to take holiday then but he and his staff had no choice in the matter.
There’s a big field opposite my house, lovely and quiet. Except for one weekend of the year when the town fair descends on it, music and fairground rides til 10pm Friday and Saturday plus all the disruption of it arriving and leaving.
In all those cases, we have to make alternative plans. Life happens around you and sometimes, other people’s needs/wants trump yours – in this case your democratically elected council, in conjunction with various other groups, has decided that the benefits of a big cycling festival outweigh your needs/wants to move around on one day of the year.
London seems to cope quite well with massive scale road closures on a regular basis for parades, festivals, ceremonies, protests, roadworks etc so I’m sure Cardiff can come to terms with it.
Rather than moan on here, you might want to use the time more productively to work out how you’re going to deal with it.
Dear selfish of Wales
It’s
Dear selfish of Wales
It’s called planning and organising.
I am cut off by the Great North Run, and I check the date, make sure I am not on the emergency on-call rota for that period. Roads are closed nearly all day, and then are jammed with 50000 runners all trying to get out of Tyneside on a Sunday evening.
Never known an issue with emergency access though the Great North Run which incidentally passes and closes the main access to the local hospital. I wonder who they cope?
We cannot get out in the car to the shops. I either take the bike, or we make sure we have food in the house to cook lunch. I’m sure your mother has a cooker?
The carers and their company should be able to cope and work around a road closure. The one’s here do (we have lots of elderly needing care visits). Quite a number use bicycles themselves now. There’s a thought.
Can we get this right,
Can we get this right, please? It’ll be 14,999 riders next weekend. 🙁
The organisers have paid for
The organisers have paid for a contractor to make sure the route is in a safe condition for the event ie fill in all the potholes.
That is a good thing in its self if you ask me – the roads will be in a better condition than they have been for years!!
Saying that mind, there are no road closure warning signs yet on a section of the route near me that will be closed all day (unless they’ve been nicked for scrap). I spoke to a corner shop owner yesterday along the road and he said he knew nothing about the event or the road closures.
Its just a few hours on a Sunday – cant see what all the fuss is about. Will be nice to breathe some fresh air for a change!
It’s a cracking sounding
It’s a cracking sounding event, but there are too many participants, the locals are going to get right royaly pissed off. Look out for the story about tacks on the road etc etc etc.
Why are so many people
Why are so many people negative about this event – I thought this was a cycling site not the Daily Mail rejects area.
I assume all you moaners frequent other sites and moan when the London Marathon is about to take place or The Great North Run as was previously mentioned by gazza_d, or do you visit French forums in the run up to the Tour de France and moan about that – have you considered Prozac?
As i’ve already stated, its just a few hours on a Sunday – so what?
I assumed all cyclists would welcome any opportunity to have less motorised vehicles on the roads but obviously not, which leaves me a little confused I must say!
i think all you people being negative about the event do not really ride a bike at all – you probably don’t even own a bike in fact.
yupiteru wrote:Why are so
Several points..
a pro-level spectator event is generally gonna get a decent/better level of support/acceptance from joe public… whether this qualifies is another matter. Road closures are always gonna piss off some people, if more limited rolling closures can be managed that rather scuppers the naysayers. In a similar fashion, if it’s a charitable event, and especially where some of it benefits local communities, that also helps to offset the whinging.
Down here in surrey, ridelondon (organised by the same bunch that organise the London Marathon) seem to have managed this to some degree after full road closures in the first event. Its taken a while, but this year they’re finally allowing tandems, and have a recumbent trial (with hopefully open to ‘bents purposely next year).
The velothon series ban ‘bents, so f**k ’em and the UCI :p
‘Course, the other view that some might take is that sportives are for wannabe racers that can’t be arsed to race and need to be pampered with food stops and support nonsense. If you just want to ride yer bike with others, there’s audax at a fraction of the price..
Tbh I’m kinda on the fence about sportives but imo they’re bloody overpriced…
I appreciate that this is
I appreciate that this is probably the wrong place to suggest such a thing, but the thought of 14,999 cyclists all together in one place would be my own personal idea of hell.
The only silver lining might be that it gets them all away from the rest of the country for a few hours.
I cannot believe the
I cannot believe the differences in one country to anothers like France, Spain and Italy they have there roads closed for hours every single month the TTin the Isle of Man roads closed for 2 weeks every night and they embrace the events with town getting ready for the riders coming through, its regarded as a great a event not a disturbance, if it was the Royal family or an Olympic event would there be such an outcry, instead of complaining go out an get involved and you might just enjoy yourselves.
djfleming22 wrote:I cannot
I think the biggest problem comes from the vocal minority, I participated in Etape Cymru last year and there were a lot of affected families who came out to cheer us on, and I thank them for it. Now it only takes one influential detractor to skew the general opinion and headline a story.
There might be a case to answer that these organising companies come into an area and ride roughshod over the local population, taking the profits with them. Maybe they could do more to put something back into the local economy.
I don’t know, but what I do know is that there is adifference in attitudes between the Europeans and us and we don’t come out well as a nation of selfish NIMBYes!
EDIT: For crikey, I’m not sure the individuals can do that much beyond supporting the immediate area where the event is based. Perhaps the organisation could do more to promote local businesses. Invite local suppliers to show their wares at the start/finish? Use a local supplier for the medals that are often awarded? As these event go through more than one local authority, the (marketing/political) solution has to think bigger.
djfleming22 wrote:I cannot
the Isle of Man TT isnt really a fair comparison, they get 40,000+ visitors turn up who put nigh on 30million pounds into the local economy in just a week, if that many cyclists turned up and spent that much money in the area surrounding Velothon Wales, I dont think youd hear a peep out of the locals.
so whilst its right to say look its only one day of the year, plan ahead,etc etc, I think we have to be mindful of the impact holding an event like this does have, and the return to the whole local community, rather than just Cardiff, isnt necessarily benefitting them all equally from the incovenience to them that it has caused.
and ultimately its not the Olympics, and its not the Royal Family, it is just a bunch of people who just want to ride their bikes around a part Wales on a Sunday.
Awavey wrote:the Isle of Man
I think it’s a perfect comparison; Isle of man £750 per head for a week or £107 per head, per day; I’m spending way more than that for just a one day event. I’m sure that there are a lot of other people staying over, eating out etc. to equally contribute to the local economy.
On the other hand, why don’t people look at the opportunities that something like this can offer? Even if it’s just getting the community together to support the event. At last year’s ride London the children were loving supporting the riders as they went through the villages. Too many Daily Mail readers on here just focussing on the negatives.
As opposed to just a bunch of people who want to drive their cars around a part of Wales on a Sunday…. FFS.
Quote:I cannot believe the
Examples?
Look at the population density of those countries, then consider the way UK sportives are always based around centres of population, in a country with a two minute history of popular cycling.
It is entirely unsurprising that local people who see no benefit from the disruption will be rather upset.
Cyclists do need to think a little bit further than that Garmin poking out in front of their handlebars; how many of that 14,999 are going to go back and contribute to the economy?
crikey wrote:Quote:
Cyclists
Hopefully a lot more than the people sitting on there arse just complaining about.
Cycling growth could save NHS £250m, says report http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/10/cycling-save-nhs-250…
crikey wrote:Quote:I cannot
I am going to this event and looking forward to it. I will spend the whole weekend in the area, one that I would otherwise have spent elsewhere. The benefits of my participation are:
My curry and drinks Friday and Saturday night
My lunches
My B&B in Barry
My fuel fill Sunday evening
What’s more, I am likely to go back there too if it’s as nice as they say it is.
JC
crikey wrote:Look at the
I don’t know about going back, but I have rented a flat for two nights and I’m sure that I’ll spend plenty on food and drink while I’m in town. While that might not directly benefit the garden centre on the route, hopefully one of the waitresses that I tip will be doing up her garden the following weekend.
crikey wrote:
Look at the
Would you describe the New Forest as a ‘centre of population’? It’s certainly a centre of anti-sportive sentiment.
Is there a specific basis for dismissing the research in this way, apart from who funded it?
Looking at the comments on
Looking at the comments on the Gwent police facebook page, the headline to this article is wrong. People are mostly not anti cycling, they are upset about road closures and upset that they didn’t find out about it earlier. Probably a bit of human nature as well – “they never asked me about it!”
Your link is
Your link is broken:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/feb/10/cycling-save-nhs-250m-year-report
and is another example of nonsense science; paid for by British Cycling who have a vested interest in promoting cycling.
My comments still stand; How many of those 14,999 are going to contribute to that area apart from dropping gel wrappers? Cycling and its new found aspirational followers have a sense of entitlement; we’ve bought the bikes, we will ride where we want. If the local folk don’t agree you need to engage with them rather than quote rubbish.
I will be contributing –
I will be contributing – going up there on Friday, staying until Sunday night – accommodation, tourist stuff Saturday, a bit of shopping, hotels for two night, pay to use their damned bridge, etc.
But if they don’t want my money then fine – after all, Wales is renowned for it’s economic prosperity.
~X(
Just to be clear its your
Just to be clear its your bridge, it’s in England.
The ‘Welcome to England’ sign
The ‘Welcome to England’ sign is East of Junction 22 for the M49, the ‘Welcome to Wales’ sign is also well on land on the West side of the bridge before the toll. So it would appear the bridge is in the middle of nowhere.
Don’t know who gets the money, but the toll / entry fee is definitely paid in Wales.
Neither Wales nor England
Neither Wales nor England gets any revenue from the tolls…
“The bridge…is owned by the company Severn River Crossing Plc. As of November 2010, Severn River Crossing Plc was owned
35% John Laing, British developer infrastructure operator
35% Vinci, French concessions and construction company
15% Bank of America, American multinational banking and financial services corporation
15% Barclays Capital, British multinational investment bank
The company’s 2011 annual report showed the same companies still owned, through subsidiary companies, all the issued ordinary share capital of the Plc.”
To be precise the bridge is
To be precise the bridge is owned by the government. Severn River Crossing Plc have a contract to maintain and operate the two bridges. At the end of the contract management of the bridges reverts to the owner ie the British government and who will then collect the tolls.
Disilluioned wrote:To be
So it’s your bridge too.
I was unable to get out in my
I was unable to get out in my car today due to a horse race. Bloody horses – don’t pay road tax, no insurance and what’s more most of them are on drugs.
Seriously though, I do worry about for-profit closed-road sportives. Actually I wonder about for-profit sportives at all – want to ride? got for a ride. Want to ride a route? Do an audax. Want to measure yourself against other people? Do a race or a TT.
My inlaws live near where the Etape Cymru is held and the first year, the level of communication was awful. I understand that it’s improved now. Local people need to feel involved with these sort of events. Sure there will always be some vocal nutters, but if most people see something as worthy (e.g. BHF L2B) then they’ll accept it more readily.
I’ve been looking forward to
I’ve been looking forward to the Wales Velothon all this year and rather naively thought everybody else would be, but then my glass is always half-full…
My family and friends will certainly be benefiting the Cardiff economy as we are treating this as a holiday and have saved up money to stay in a local hotel. We are meeting up with 12 other friends for a meal the night before. My family will be shopping and eating in Cardiff over the weekend.
Sometimes cyclists just can’t win. The last sportive I went on I slowed down for some horses and shouted “bikes”, smiled, said “hello” and just got abuse back about “other cyclists speeding up unannounced”.
leadertheiver wrote:I’ve been
Don’t worry about the negative people on here or else where, the majority of people enjoy the regular events that take place in the area and are understanding of road closures. Velothon will be no different I will be out on the road cheering you on as will many more locals on the day.
Most people realise that tourism is the main industry in Wales these days and so will welcome any visitors with open arms – why? – because they want you to spend money and return and spend more money. The narrow minded business owners who are moaning about losing a few hours trade on a Sunday should be trying to use the event to their advantage not constantly bleating like constipated sheep.
It is not true and very narrow minded for some people (not you obviously leadertheiver) to suggest only Cardiff that will benefit from this event – the food and drink consumed in Cardiff will have been cooked or produced from ingredients from outside the area surely? The same will apply to most items purchased whilst shopping in Cardiff. Also many employees of shops, hotels and restaurants/pubs etc in Cardiff live outside the capitol as well so will most likely spend most of their wages in their local economy.
Take my word for it, it will be an amazing day which you will not forget in a hurry and you will made to feel very welcome by the people of Wales.
You will always get the odd moaning miserable git wherever you go in any part of the world – just ignore them, they have no life, sadly.
So with one week to go I will say ‘Croeso i Gymru” – (Welcome to Wales).
Don’t be all ooh us poor
Don’t be all ooh us poor cyclists, we get treated so badly! This event is a joke, no publicity until just a few days before, overzealous road closures, poor poor social media, and no thought for a. The community and b. The cycling fan. This is how not to organise an event, we must bring the community with us not lock them in their houses for four days. Even the exhibitors that are going are totally confused by the length of the event and closures.
I think the issue is that
I think the issue is that pretty much all the economic benefit will be in Cardiff where people will be staying/eating shopping etc, but the road closures extend quite some distance from there.
The Tour of Cambridge went
The Tour of Cambridge went off fine, but the road closure were too short. They measured the cut-off times from the FIRST rider leaving instead of the last – a 90-minute gap) which resulted in slower riders not finishing and being abandoned on open roads when it was sold as a £58) closed-road event.
I guess it is a case of striking a balance. That said, it only appears to be the UK where everyone gets so annoyed by this. 😕
As a moaning old git my issue
As a moaning old git my issue is not with the riders but the organisers. Despite your knowledge of the event it has come as complete surprise to a lot of the general public. It may have been in the paper, briefly but surprise surprise lots of us don’t buy papers , nor do we scan the Internet and Facebook continually for information such as this. The first time most people found out was when the road closure notices appeared.
Plus the information given by the organisers when they choose to answer has been inaccurate. The response to my query was to direct me onto a road that is also closed.
So please don’t be so selfish and make snide comments about genuine complaints by the non cycling public.
Disilluioned wrote:As a
What do you want them to do, pop round to your houses and tell each of you personally?
PaulBox wrote:Disilluioned
Do what happened up here, a mail shot to every house within the location of the route, tell everyone. Have local meetings that everyone is free to attend
Perhaps give me more than 7
Perhaps give me more than 7 days notice so I can plan.
Disilluioned wrote:Perhaps
Plan what, a newspaper/internet reading class? Communication will only ever work if all parties want to exchange. The organisers of this event could have been trying to let you know about this for months, but if you make no effort to keep abreast of affairs they don’t stand a chance. I heard about this last July/August and registered in September and I live in Hertfordshire, so there must have been something going on. I know that they have also run competitions locally to design the medal etc. So it’s hardly been radio silence.
Can’t you just leave your car around the corner on a different road if you need to go out? I just don’t get why it is such a big deal…
Disilluioned wrote:Perhaps
With the exception of one statement, Disilluioned (sic) has complained throughout using the first person singular. This is not a problem for the local community, it is one selfish individual who cannot bear that others can get out and enjoy themselves. The sort of selfishness that I personally find despicable and any rational human being should be ashamed of.
It’s one weekend out of 51 others.
Two days out of 365 and you are so concerned about a minor inconvenience that you might or might not suffer.
Try looking at the bigger picture and you might see how these 14,999 riders are benefitting you in other areas of your life over the rest of the year.
Take a look in the mirror and grow up!
Why do you find it necessary
Why do you find it necessary to be rude ? Does that nasty habit develop as you grow up ?
Our local community council was not consulted by the organisers and the information posted by both county council and the organisers is factually incorrect.
In response to my question the advice given was for us all to make our way out of the village and use a road that is also closed.
Disilluioned wrote:Why do you
This is a cycling website, just in case you hadn’t noticed. What did you expect – maybe you should try the Daily Mail comments section, you may be within your comfort zone there.
Its just a few hours on a Sunday. Can you really not manage without your car for a few hours?
Where did you plan on going that is so important that it has to occur at exactly the same time as 15000+ people want to do something else?
Cant you see how sad that makes you look?
One of the few good LD
One of the few good LD policies the last GE was to remove the tolls. Nonsense you pay to get into Wales but not out of it.
ianrobo wrote:Nonsense you
Going off topic but this isn’t true. Most motorists that go over the bridge in one direction will return in the other direction. Instead of paying half the amount in both directions (and creating two hold ups) you pay the full amount in one direction. I would assume the fact that you pay whilst heading into Wales is purely incidental and based on analysis of traffic flow during rush hour, sensible locations for the kiosks, etc etc rather than a logic of charging people to enter Wales only.
danthomascyclist
Maybe if going on the M4towards Bristol/London but to get to work I go M5-M50-A40-M4 and get home M4-M5 across the bridge
ianrobo
Maybe if going on the M4towards Bristol/London but to get to work I go M5-M50-A40-M4 and get home M4-M5 across the bridge— ianrobo
Hence my use of the word “most”.
ianrobo wrote:Nonsense you
Indeed. I’m sure plenty of people would pay good money to get out of Wales.
From the Velothon Wales web
From the Velothon Wales web site
PRESS RELEASES
14th May – 1 month to go, Full Road Closures Announced
9th April 2015 – Pros and Sportive Riders Take on the Tumble KOM Challenge at Velothon Wales
19th March 2015 – Teenager takes on Velothon Wales after overcoming mental illness
6th March 2015 – Official Velothon Wales Route Revealed
12th February 2015 – John, 77, looks to put youngsters in a spin at Velothon Wales
2nd January 2015 – There’s no stopping Sophie!
29th October 2014 – Velothon Wales sells out in less than six weeks
25th September 2014 – Velothon Wales opens for entries having sold over 9,000 during Priority Booking Window
9th September – Velothon Wales pre-registrations to close this week following overwhelming demand
13th August 2014 – World class international cycling event comes to Wales
So explain to me why I would
So explain to me why I would look at a cycling website ? It may have been top of the agenda in your lifestyle but there has been nothing on local radio or TV in South Wales. The first I knew about it was on a police Facebook page, who were also very quick to say it was nothing to do with them contact the organisers. My complaint is directed at the organisers who still haven’t answered my legitimate access question. Their best effort so far is to direct me onto a road that is also shut. All westbound exit from my village is closed as is the A48. I am not anti cyclist I own one but I am very anti the organisers of this event whose communications are nearlly all directed at the participants and not the general public. If you want public support and crowds to participate then tell us earlier.
Disilluioned wrote:So explain
The organisers made information available to the media, you can’t blame them if it wasn’t broadcast or you missed it. Perhaps it’s been a busy news year in your neck of the woods. Maybe in future you should try buying a newspaper, or reading a free one that probably gets delivered on a weekly basis.
I couldn’t care less about public support / crowd participation, just suggestions…
i do blame them for the lack
i do blame them for the lack of information and perhaps cynically cleverly keeping quiet. I am still waiting for them to explain how I get out of my village sensibly. Perhaps I’ll park my car on the hard shoulder of the M4 ?
Disilluioned wrote:So explain
I don’t know which local authority area you are in, i’m in Caerphilly myself, but I always make a point of researching online to find out if any events may disrupt my journey to work as I work most Sundays. Caerphilly Council posted the road closures online on the 18th of March so I had enough time to book the day off.
Possibly your local authority did not do this? Or did you not even bother to look? You have to be a little bit proactive after all.
Look on the bright side, at least you have plenty notice for the next four years so there will be no excuse not to plan ahead,
Reasonable notification on
Reasonable notification on this site too.
August 14th 2014:
http://road.cc/content/news/126597-velothon-wales-closed-road-sportive-uci-road-race-coming-cardiff-2015
March 7th 2015:
http://road.cc/content/news/145015-velothon-wales-pro-race-and-sportive-routes-unveiled
April 8th 2015:
http://road.cc/content/news/147857-consultation-begins-velothon-wales-road-closures
Head over to the Daily Mail /
Head over to the Daily Mail / South Wales Argus sites, you’ll love it over there.
Why ? I don’t read those
Why ? I don’t read those papers.
March 6th Wales
March 6th Wales online.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/velothon-wales-route-unveiled-cardiffs-8786137
…It is organised … by a
…It is organised … by a company on behalf of the Welsh Government.
Due to this extensive cycling event there will be road closures in Monmouthshire.
Road
Closed between:
Usk Road (Caerleon-Usk) 7.30am – 15.30pm
A472 (Usk – Little Mill) 7.45am – 15.30pm
A4042 (Little Mill – Llanellen) 8.00am – 16.40pm
B4269 (Llanellen – Llanfoist) 8.00am – 17.00pm
B4246 (Llanfoist – Blaenavon) 8.00am – 17.00pm
If you have any queries about the closures please call the Velothon hotline 0292 144 4880 or email route@velothonwales.co.uk
Why are Gwent valleys people
Why are Gwent valleys people so anti this event? So many other brilliant places to ride in Wales that wouldn’t draw hostility to this extent. If it causes that much upset, move next years event to Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire or Mid Wales. Better roads, cleaner air. Not one to cave in to ignorance, but ultimately no big loss if I don’t turn a wheel in this part of the world.
Our last word on the subject,
Our last word on the subject, the organisers have recognised the problem, made a small change and put in a local access.
Thank you enjoy your day and raise the money for charity.
Reports on twitter from many
Reports on twitter from many sources that someone has laid tacks down. Can you believe the scum who would do such a thing ?
it is always quite
it is always quite interesting to see how upset people get about roads being closed for a few hours. In my area over the last couple of years at least two main roads were closed for months each due to landslips yet despite all the weeping and gnashing of teeth the sky didn’t fall in and sun still came up in the morning and people just took a different route. All of us have had to deal with a local event haven’t we? sports events, military parades, fairs and carnivals, not to mention snow, floods, trees, and accidents caused by the type of folks for whom taking an extra 30 seconds to get to the supermarket or their hair appointment would be the end of civilisation as we know it, just the kind of people, in fact, who moan most about roads being closed.
Quote:and sun still came up
You’re obviously not in the UK, and the attitude is generally different abroad…
More seriously, I wonder how these complainers feel when they are following or participating in the hobby/activity of their choice.
Disruption cayused by football crowds.
The effect on city centre parking for concerts/Chelsea Flower Show.
The effect on parking in popular tourist destinations.
And the list goes on.
Or is this how their selfishness manifests itself. I wonder whether these complainers have no parking signs outside their homes, yet are happy to park in front of someone else’s home.
This selfishness is something I can’t get my head around.
It’s the same with the tacks. Someone has clearly worked out that putting tacks down is the best way to get their point across.
Would they be as understanding if I up the stakes and slash their tyres in order to make my point?
I doubt it. 8}
You think narrow minded
You think narrow minded NIMBY’s think that much ?
More details, for me this is akin to attempted murder
“@AEWJ: @IslingtonCC 35mph crash due to pins on road #velothonwales pic.twitter.com/0veagbJ6rk”
Has anyone seen or heard from
Has anyone seen or heard from disilluioned (sic) or PeterW yet?
I know that 14,999 cyclists had a great time and many hundreds, if not 1,000s, of people spectated and gave their support at the side of the roads and many restaurants and bars were packed out over the weekend.
Can we forget all this as I’m desperately concerned about these two individuals?
Please, can someone put my mind at rest?
Thanks.