Etape Cymru route to change after locals object to lack of access to villages

Just looking at the price of the kit and bikes these days it's not surprising that there is resentment . It's become a willy waving contest for the fairly well off second homes brigade and it's alienating the rural public, especially in some rural areas where people still live and work. I am not defending bad behavior but you do have to try and understand it.

I'm local too (this thread is beginning to sound like an episode of the League of Gentlemen), and have ridden the event for the past two years.

I work at the local hospital, and quite a lot of colleagues at work were actually affected by the road closures. While they all supported the event, many told me that they had received no formal notification of the closure and if I hadn't told them of the event the first they would have known was when they woke up on Sunday morning (perhaps to go into work) to find a traffic cone (with a note attached) in the middle of their drive.

One thing that struck me was that most of the route was a loop, so local residents were generally only inconvenienced for part of the day. Granted, those living further round do endure a longer road closure as the field inevitably starts out quite compact but then strings out as the route wears on and the slower riders take much longer to get round. However, the first / last 15 miles or so were an out-and-back section meaning that those residents really were inconvenienced all day. I think things could have been significantly improved for those people by using one route out of Bangor-on-Dee and another route back to Bangor-on-Dee.

I did suggest this to the organisers shortly after last year's event.

I think the smartest move over the next three years, would be to release a generous number of low-cost/free tickets to people living on the route in recognition of the inconvenience. Incentivise local participants who in turn will encourage local support. Also, saboteurs will attract less support if they're risking the lives and effort of the neighbours.
I'm also an ex-local, BTW!

I'm also a local, albeit ex (now living in England) and the route is on the roads I rode throughout the first half of my life. Any closed road event is going to have a knock on effect for locals and the telling them their excluded from the event, stay indoors or Buggar off somewhere else for the weekend won't help. It's getting them involved in it in a party atmosphere kind of way. It looks like Etape Cymru manages that to an extent. It needs to continue and develop in that manner to succeed year on year, else end up in the state the New Forest sportives seem to be in.

Quote:

Most of the yokals have never been out of their villages for years anyway. Maybe they are scared of the outsiders!!! ( Which is quite common in North Wales)

Until you said this, your post was quite sensible. As a local yokal (sic), I find this statement quite offensive and indicative of an attitude that can only have a negative impact (An attitude which is quite common in The Ignorant).
Signed up and looking forward to riding local (closed) roads.

Not being party to the discussions with the locals, surely better communication and planning is order of the day. I've lived in areas (outside North wales) where cycle races were common sights and rolling road blocks minimised disruption to the local populace.

"Stranded in their homes."

On a positive note, as someone who lives about 5miles from the route, apart from the tacks my experience riding last year was of great support by locals. Lots of clapping and the odd saucepan...ide highly recommend it!

I think more effort should be put into encouraging local people to participate and understand why cycling is such a great sport and social activity. Perhaps making opportunities so locals can raise money for local charities and schools. Working with the tourist board to promote how much the increase of visitors to the area helps local businesses and boost the local economy as well as showing locals how to take advantage of this opportunity.

I live and cycle in the area and most weekends in the summer the roads are mad busy with cars and motorbikes so the thought of no traffic I feel is a bonus.
Using the excuse they couldn't get out of their homes is bullshit, being inconvenienced one day a year and knowing months in advance is no big deal and anything you needed to do I am sure can be done either side of the event. Most of the yokals have never been out of their villages for years anyway. Maybe they are scared of the outsiders!!! ( Which is quite common in North Wales)

Have no strong opinion about what is really a 'sporting' story rather than a cycling one, but can't help but observe that motorists and their high speeds, plus a lack of provision for anyone else, means many country roads are 'closed' to anyone not in a car, pretty much all of the time.