Etape Caledonia sabotaged
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I don't know that the Scots can be all that opposed to cyclists. All along the route we were cheered by local people outside their houses or along the side of the road. Given that the weather wasn't exactly great in the early part of the day, they had clearly made the effort to get out of bed and support us.
I felt very welcome, I must say. It was great!0 -
No, my point is that, when I was there at least, 'English bashing' was someting of a hobby of a certain faction of the locals. Still, I guess that the sort of people who commit such acts will do so on almost any excuse.GavH wrote:aurelio wrote:another guy in my department was stabbed
I was stabbed in Bournemouth one night - what exactly is your point? That people only get stabbed in Scotland?0 -
I'm up in pitlochry, having been one of the (amazingly) lucky ones that got no punctures and got through before they closed the road and changed the route. Every local we've spoken to this afternoon is desperately sorry and stresses that this is a minority view. The roads are closed mostly for 3 hours or so - in most places people are out supporting.
We were debating whether to boycott tv event in future "to teach them a lesson" but actually the people who've don this are probably e-commuters who've moved into the area and don't benefit from the massif injection of cash this givesth local economy, so instead we've all decided to enter, in advance, for the next 30 years.
Many thanks to the hospitable people of perthshire!0 -
Its alright for you guys. I was planning to lay my stair carpet after the event and now I'm wondering what happened to that bag of tacks I bought in B&Q & which I Iast saw in the back pocket of my jersey.
Joking apart, it was horrendous. I managed, somehow, not to get a puncture, but there were people dropping like flies around me. It felt like riding in a minefield. Not good. Glad nobody got hurt. I'll be back next tyear. Don't let the actions of a tiny minority of morons win the day.0 -
I'm just back from the event and shortly after I punctured (a good 20 miles beyond the initial incident), I passed a guy carrying his bike. I asked him if he'd run out of tubes but he said that he's seen a guy running across the road spreading something on it and diving back into the river bank undergrowth. He managed to get a description to the next marshall. This together with the fact that some early riders got through without damage suggests to me that there was more than one source of tacks and therefore more than one suspect.
If the 2 police motorcycles I saw leaving Pitlochry on a lowloader are anything to go by some police property was damaged; might improve the chances of them getting their men.================================
Cake is just weakness entering the body0 -
As I said a bike does not 'a cyclist' make. This was a local Nimby, one of a seemingly sizable and organised lobby, who probably used a bike, if they did, because with the road closure notice in effect it was the easiest way for them to get to their 'target' location.BigG67 wrote:Police are actually questioning based on they think it was a cyclist. I spoke to a guy who was questioned based on the description.0 -
aurelio wrote:
As I said a bike does not 'a cyclist' make. This was a local Nimby, one of a seemingly sizable and organised lobby, who probably used a bike, if they did, because with the road closure notice in effect it was the easiest way for them to get to their 'target' location.BigG67 wrote:Police are actually questioning based on they think it was a cyclist. I spoke to a guy who was questioned based on the description.
Fair point. Like the difference between a man and a gentleman.0 -
Trying to find a contact method with ACRE, but no luck...seems their pathetic cowardice extends beyond attacking innocent individuals.0
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Real shame this. I had to pull out after 50 miles as I had punctured all 3 tubs.
I am gutted by this as I was well on course for a sub 4 hour ride. The group I was in was one of the first to hit the tacks and it was mayhem. Puncture shouts all around. Its a wonder no one came down in the melee.
I did notice poster in Aberfeldy against the closed roads for the Etape. Are these people responsible??
Spoke to a rather nice local man that told my family all about the events in Aberfeldy on Saturday. I really feel sorry for him as I may have expressed my disgust rather more strongly than I should have. He was obviously embarrassed by the actions of a small minority.
Generally on the route everyone was great, cheering and clapping. Again what a shame but I will not be back.
The expense of this event coupled with the cost of travel and lodgging and then factor in 3 tubs at £60 each. Not a cheap weekend.
To make matters worse I lent my noraml wheels to my wife who got round without a puncture.
Anyway. Well done to all who did get round it is a very well organised event.
Will I be back............ Not a chance
Flood0 -
A shame but remember, this looks like one idiot, hardly an organised campaign.
Let's hope the police get to work, the actions of this miserable man are perhaps criminal damage and certain to include other offences because of the way they made the road dangerous.0 -
looking on my Garmin at the route I actually covered. It looks like the organisers decided to cut off part of the course (the south western spur out to Croftgarbh. I thought it was shorter than I was expecting!
Can anyone confirm?0 -
yeah they cut out about 6/7 miles. The loop at the bottom of the climb. Not sure why but they seemed to be concerned about tacks on the road down the descent0
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Sounds like you have some degree of resentment yourself there...Marzipan wrote:And what you all don't seem to realise, and to be honest, I think your being quite ignorant, is when you shut the roads, you shut ALL the roads. In big cities, its easier, as you've got a back road to drive, or you have a bus or a short walk. Its not like that here. And its busy all the time. Also, some of us don't have the luxury of having a bike. Theres so many tourists here every year, that I walk down the main street some days and don't recognise a single person. Also, some of us don't have the luxury of having a bike.0 -
Yeah they cut out the Fortingal loop aft the base of the Schiehallion descent.
It's very narrow single track there and the surface isn't that great so I recon they ditched it more for the safety aspect of trying to funnel 3000 bikes through it at once rather than there being more tacks.
I luckily got through without any punctures too but it was just insane heading past all the folk by the side of the road replacing tubes, never seen anything like it.How's that for a slice of fried gold?0 -
More information from the organisation determined to stop the road closures.Kléber wrote:A shame but remember, this looks like one idiot, hardly an organised campaign.
Battle Continues to Stop May Road Closures
Road Rage as P&K Spends £27k on Cycle Marathon
Perth and Kinross’s controversial decision to back another Etape Caledonia cycle marathon has strengthened the determination of the ACRE (Against Closed Road Events) campaign supporters.They have resolved, if necessary, to take action through the courts to keep roads free for use by everyone in the area, and are gathering and seeking more donations for its fighting fund.
...ACRE does not represent ‘a small vocal minority’, as some critics including the council like to make out. We already have over 450 signatures to our petition and many of these people have pledged £50 to keep the fight going.
...ACRE is calling for everyone who agrees with its stance, and has yet to ‘sign up’, to make contact with the campaign. Peter Hounam can be contacted at peterhounam@mac.com Contributions to campaign funds, or pledges of financial should legal/professional fees be incurred, can be directed to ACRE at OffiZone, 2 Kenmore Street, Aberfeldy PH15 2BL.
http://www.commentonline.co.uk/general/ ... dRoads.htm0 -
aurelio - I think you have to be a little bit sensitive to the very different lives of country people and city people. I can imagine it's quite disruptive to have a big pile of tourists swamp a tiny place. No doubt they don't all behave impeccably.
City people (and I include myself here) have a bit of a habit of just descending on these tiny rural areas to have their fun and then just bugger off again.
Marzipan is not condoning what happened today, so I think we need to be a little more understanding of the other point of view...0 -
I was lucky to have no punctures and to get through before they changed the route. I reckon maybe a hundred or three may have been lucky. A guy I finished with (with a low start number) did the whole route despite 3 punctures.0
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Given Hounam's previous - if anyone is friendly with any Mossad cyclists suggest you get them signed up for next years event - I am sure Hounam would like to make their acquaintance again0
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It's still one bloke with the tacks Aurelio, I don't know if the campaign has "claimed responsibility". Could just be a teenage prank. If it is a member of the campaign then given the witnesses, the guy will be caught.
(surprised to see your anti Scots sentiment Aurelio, I had you down as an internationalist sort!)0 -
If you are saying that I think its a bad tihng, then I certainly haven't put my point across correctly. I think the cycle race is a great thing for Pitlochry. All I'm saying if the shoe was on the other foot, you might understand why some local people are against the roads being shut, i never said that i personaly was. I work at the Scotlands Hotel, and we had quite a few of the cyclists staying at the hotel and i was shocked and disgusted at the fact that someone had done this, as i did say to quite a number of people that i spoke to.
I certainly think this was the act of a single man, most likely a farmer, who was crabbit at the fact that the road had been closed. You'll also find that the "locals" that are against this event, are actually people that have come from other places to live in this area. I say this from the fact that I'm born and breed from Pitlochry
I just hope this doesn't put anyone off coming next year as it is such a great event and Its nice to meet all the people that enter.0 -
>I would like to hear ACRE come out and condemn this action.
> I'm listening.
From the BBC website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tay ... 054215.stm 'We don't condone what has happened, but it shows there is real frustration from people who feel the authorities are not listening to them.'
Mealy-mouthed equivocation. Or, to put it another way 'everything before the 'but' is b*llsh*t'
I will avoid jumping to conclusions - I will wait and see who seems to be involved. But if it is a local rubber-nut then I 'll happily bocott. Not Pitlochry, who seem to have embraced the Etape but the villages further west. Shame, I was thinking of going up and spending some time in Kinloch this summer & it's a nice spot. But I'll take my money where I feel welcome, thanks :roll: .0 -
Writing this from Pitlochry. Response from people living here that I have spoken to is disgust at the actions of a mindless twat.
More typical response from people here is encouragement along the route and a great welcome at the finish.
The event is great, unique in the UK and for a great cause that, very likely, all of us will have reason to be grateful for in future.
IMO the best reaction to this is for everybody to put names down ASAP for next years event.
BTW plug for Rosemont hotel, for getting up at an even more ungodly hour than we did to put on a great breakfast.Martin S. Newbury RC0 -
Foz72 wrote:>I would like to hear ACRE come out and condemn this action.
> I'm listening.
From the BBC website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tay ... 054215.stm 'We don't condone what has happened, but it shows there is real frustration from people who feel the authorities are not listening to them.'
Mealy-mouthed equivocation. Or, to put it another way 'everything before the 'but' is b*llsh*t'
I will avoid jumping to conclusions - I will wait and see who seems to be involved. But if it is a local rubber-nut then I 'll happily bocott. Not Pitlochry, who seem to have embraced the Etape but the villages further west. Shame, I was thinking of going up and spending some time in Kinloch this summer & it's a nice spot. But I'll take my money where I feel welcome, thanks :roll: .
Even is it isn't an actual ACRE bod responsible (and is a farmer as suggested), ACRE's stance legitimises it in the eyes of such idiots. I'm sure that whoever did this feels both personally wronged and that he/she is "representing" the "local community".0 -
Marzipan
Unfortunately I will never be back in this area. I have spent a lot of money both to get here and also whilst here.
Why would I want to come back here???
I agree it is a lovely area but so is the lakes, other parts of Scotland etc etc.
So no I think there will be many who think the same0 -
We stayed in Aberfeldy last year and were not made to feel welcome in the pub. The landlady at the B&B briefed us that there was a degree of anti- Etape sentiment. Bizzarely, she believed that the issue was jealousy - that Pitlochry was getting the prestige (and the money)0
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>Around this time there were frequent reports of gamekeepers threatening and even running down people on bikes. I also recall that when a huge part of the Cairngorms were passed over into public ownership the former owner made the transfer conditional on bike being prohibited from ever having access.
Three points. Take it you are talking about the Mar estate? First of all it wasn't passed into public ownership, it was given to the National Trust for Scotland - my dad left the NTS in anger at them accepting the conditions of the bequest.
Secondly, the condition of the bequest was to 'disocurage' cycling, not to prohibit it.
Thirdly, this was probably because, even before the new access legislation, there was a legal right to cycle a Right of Way. Almost anywhere you'd care to cycle at Mar (up to to White Bridge or Derry Lodge) are very well established, ancient rights of way. They could 'discourage' all they like but nothing they could do to legally prevent access. Those who knew their onions gave the finger to the signs at Linn of Dee and rode on regardless.
> Ever since I have made a point of spending my money anywhere other than in Scotland.
Your loss, sunshine, your loss.0 -
I did not intend to come across as being inherently 'Anti-Scottish', I was just pointing out some of the bad experiences I had with 'the locals' when I lived up there for a while.Kléber wrote:It's still one bloke with the tacks Aurelio, I don't know if the campaign has "claimed responsibility". Could just be a teenage prank. If it is a member of the campaign then given the witnesses, the guy will be caught.
(surprised to see your anti Scots sentiment Aurelio, I had you down as an internationalist sort!)
To be honest, given what has happened historically, I can understand why some 'Scots' should be rather anti-English. Also, as I and others have already pointed out, many of the worst problems associated with 'Nimbys’ and so on up there can be put down not to 'Scots' but ex-pat Brits who happen to live in Scotland. (A 'breed who in my experience are generally pretty contemptible).0 -
Just back from Pitlochry, and a miraculously sunny day ruined by some moron. I punctured twice shortly agter crossing the start line for the climb. The time texted to me was 5h 24, including two puncture stops, over an hour standing still and the safety car descent.
It was very noticeable that a lot of the puntures were delayed by up to 10 miles as the tacks worked their way through the tyres - if someone had a blowout on the descent of Shiehallion (sp) this would have been manslaughter.
I know the event has been agreed for the next few years, but how can you legislate against one person (if it was) with a box of nails.
I can't see me going back, unless there is some kind of guarantee from the organisers for what is a very expensive even to enter.
Mainly I just feel sad, given the astonishing reception from massed crowds at the finish line, and the folk out watching at 7am on a morning so miserable I could harly face it myself. Heartfelt thanks to everyone in Pitlochry who have made this a special experience the last two years.0 -
I would like to add my voice to that of not generalising the locals. I received lots of encouragement and support from the people along the route. The majoirty in the area want the event it is just a minority that have decided to make an issue out of not being able to drive for 5-6 hours on a Sunday.
BTW: I was lucky only 1 puncture.0 -
aurelio wrote:many of the worst problems associated with 'Nimbys’ and so on up there can be put down not to 'Scots' but ex-pat Brits who happen to live in Scotland.
You can't possibly be an ex-pat Brit who lives in Scotland. It's a contradiction in terms.
As a frequent tourist to Scotland (my Mum and her family are originally from Kilmarnock) I can honestly say I've never encountered any sort of anti-English sentiment at all. Not when on family holidays on the banks of Loch Rannoch or Oban, not while walking the Great Glen Way, nor when on a stag weekend in Edinburgh.0
