Olympic test event: Sunday riders sneak into peloton, but drivers fume at road closures

It would seem the race organisers are at fault . When I marshalled inthe English part of the Tour De France some years back, specific instructions were given, we knew when the closure ( rolling one) would take place and how long after we could re-open the road. To my recollection it was about a half an hour.
Marshalls shoudl be fully instructed, I was last year in the Tour of Britain.. no problems there either.

Poor organistation like this endangers public goodwill.
Sian Charlton

"Hurrumph. Damn the royal wedding too, that meant road closures, and head of state visits, and protests, any form of public occasion or sport, that BLOODY LONDON MARATHON TOO and all of it can go to hell.. WHY CAN'T I JUST DRIVE MY CAR WHERE I WANT WHEN I WANT IN A BUSY CITY! I mean, it's just ridiculous. I paid a lot for this car! Why does everyone else want to drive when i want to drive? Why can't they all use public transport FOR GAWD'S SAKE! Or . er.. bikes? hmm well yes. BLOODY TRAFFIC! ARRRGH WHY OH WHY!""

: )

there are always complaints from motorists re: any road closure for whatever reason even if given months prior warning of the impending event! remember a licence to drive is a privelidge not a right to own me being amongst them give other road users the courtesy they deserve sometimes.

These cyclists should have been spotted by marshalls with radios (there weren't that many) and the should have had the motorcycle outriders stop them.

The amount of barriers put out would have taken quite some time to retrieve, although if they had used their marshalls to assist with this it could have been done much quicker (once the race passed the marshalls were instructed to wait to be stood down - what a waste of staff time)

Just out of interest: wouldn't it have been possible to have "just on time" full road closures??

I mean: allow cars and other road users to CROSS (not use) the race route, and close the barriers just before the guys pass! There were plenty enough marshalls for that, and that would have avoided situations like people having to do huge detours around one fully closed road. Seems a bit too much to close the whole thing for all that time before and after the race has passed really!

There will always be people in their cars complaining and not knowing, but that seems a simple enough solution!

And @rbx, the barriers in the park were probably also for the deer, wouldn't want to have one of those cross when the guys come through at 30mph!

We managed to get tickets up Box Hill but it was a farce. Nowhere on the website did it say that we had to push the bikes up the off road path (werent allowed to ride, was told off by the stewards although there was hardly anyone there!)to a cycle park at the top deisgned for 3500 people.

But there wasnt! there was probably 1000 max! and to top it off which we all thought was just bang out of order was they made a guy in a wheelchair take the off road path to the viewing points and through the woods!!! now what would be the problem pushing him up the zig zag road keep in mind the peloton were still an hour away at this point?!!! awful treatment!

Only good thing was because the roads were still closed on the way back to traffic and the route took us home, we got to ride the route home which was brilliant. Could they not keep it closed for the Olympic day and just let people ride the route and have the experience of roads traffic free? All in all, im glad i wont be paying £50 for a viewing at Box Hill when you can see more of the race in the royal parks which we will be doing....Cav for Gold!

the picture of the guy on the course is brilliant, however I hope it doesn;t set a precedent as things could get silly with people trying to join in.

Wouldn't it be much easier if they just ran the barrier collection trucks, say, half an hour behind the broom wagon convoy and thus, progressively opened the roads on way back?

Would need some planning and practice but much smoother if executed well and should reduce road closures substantially.

Of course, other road users could also keep their eyes open and read the flood of signs advertising road closures well in advance, instead of ignoring them and cribbing on their daddy's media platform later.

As for the now famous assos cyclist, give him a break. Doubt that his initial act was deliberate. Yes, he should've stopped the moment he realised the race was still on but the real fault again lies with the organisers for not briefing stewards well enough about when the race passes and the cyclists are allowed to cross roads.

My issue was with the barriers in Richmond Park. I had hoped that at least inside the park it would be open viewing without the barriers.

"Wide berth: Even The Mall in London had to be cordoned off to allow the cyclists through"

Umm, please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't The Mall always closed to traffic on a Sunday?

The Whale aside, this was a great event and it was nice to see that a bike race can still draw a crowd in the UK!

"One driver, 56-year-old Alan Ashworth from Bromley, who was travelling to work in Kensigton..."

Typo aside, I have some advice for Mr Ashworth: take a train to London Victoria (between 16 and 32 minutes from Bromley on a Sunday), take the Underground Victoria Line northbound to Oxford Circus (roughly 7 minutes), change onto the Central Line westbound to Notting Hill Gate (roughly 9 minutes) and then stroll down to Kensington - as and when the Circle Line is actually running again, you can take one train direct from Victoria to High Street Kensington. I know, amazing what public transport can do for the public, isn't it.

And as for those who joined the race on Sunday - cocks.

I've just read the Wail's coverage. They're showing pictures of a well-attended race, huge crowds and a rousing Brit victory, and whining about traffic disruption. Glass half empty, or perhaps stolen by te gayz and immigrants.

For caption competition:

"Follow that pie van!"

Simon - you nearly gave us a heart attack! Something I suspect would do the same to EH if he were required to ride one.

Nice to see him looking so svelte (albeit 6 years ago) - I suggest a caption comp. I'll start with

"Greggs is that-a-way"

All for the criticism of the two people that joined the route.

However, the closure of the roads was seemingly totally bizarre, and if it's the same as that next year, I'll be out the country for the weekend.

Having watched the riders fly past at Kingston Bridge, including the ultimate stragglers about 10mins back, I rode out towards Windsor, and came back via Walton. Bearing in mind the ride had passed through the area over 2 hours previously, and all the people had long since dispersed the roads were still closed and I was allowed to cross, but not ride them.

In speaking to a couple of police guys, they said they were waiting for the all-clear from the event organiser, and until they'd got that, they couldn't open the roads. Equally, they couldn't understand it either. It sounded like they were remaining closed to allow all the barriers to be gathered up.

Bearing in mind that scaffolders, builders, dustmen etc all work from trucks with traffic around them, this seemed a bit daft.

Overall, whilst it was a good event, anyone in a car trying to get somewhere that already didn't like cyclists won't have had an epiphany by any means...and I can't really blame them

What a dickhead getting onto the course and trying to ride along.

Sorry but there are major safety implications doing this. Looks like a typical MAMIL looking at the beergut under the Assos top.

"The Mail added that the situation got particularly heated near Earls Court when a wedding convoy found itself caught up in a traffic jam."

That had nothing to do with the Classic, that road is always like that...

Quote:

Holmes himself isn’t a huge fan of road cycling

Holmes himself isn't a huge fan of any exercise by the looks of it.

Love that Flickr picture:

Quote:

Looks like a slight lapse in security somewhere on the test event course let this guy join the pro's for a few minutes.. He looks pleased though..

He's probably just pleased that his Assos kit hasn't split at the seams, and his expensive bike cracked under his weight.

Anyone got photos of Eamonn Holmes on a bike (or doing ANY form of exercise?)

I've tried and only found a snap of him playing golf - must've been crazy golf or a round played in the famous stadium at Troon/Sandwich/Wentworth ad nauseum

Oh well. If it is going to annoy a few drivers, then I guess we can do without the Olympic road races.

Keep Holmes at home!

FFS. How many months have these half witted drivers had to make alternative arrangements for ONE day?