http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13404042
Hope the Police catch them and expose their sad selfishness. At least it appears not to have affected the event!
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
Another sad nimby attempts to sabotage the Etape Caledonia
(13 posts)-
Posted 13 years ago #
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Doubtless we'll see locals who are of course 'entirely unconnected' to this incident coming out with spurious justifications for these reckless actions.
Posted 13 years ago # -
The group connected with the previous action agreed not to do anything for 2010/11.
Posted 13 years ago # -
"Saboteurs have tried to disrupt a mass cycling event for a second time by scattering thousands of nails and tacks on the route."
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/news/Saboteurs-strike-cycle-ride-again.6768880.jp
Posted 13 years ago # -
That report says they got all the tacks, drawing pins and staples but I know someone who picked up a puncture from an industrial staple with 8 miles to go. He was on for sub 4 hour time until that point.
The fast member of Team Marmite was also back (unhappy from the last time as due to the sabotage he finished just ahead of the rest of us). He did 3h 58 mins which would be 30 mins ahead of us anyway thus reasserting his speed credentials. Technically he wore his Marmite top under his other top as he did not like the garish nature of the design.
Strange that there was a year in between without mis-hap. Did I read here the original 5 year deal to close the roads is now up and there will be renegotiation?
Posted 13 years ago # -
"In 1986 he broke the story about Israel's nuclear bomb programme. Today Peter Hounam wants to ban a charity cycle ride. Why?"
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/etape-caledonia-s-foe-is-a-big-beast-of-journalism
Posted 13 years ago # -
What a nut-job. I entered the very first Etape Caledonia but didn't bother turning up when I discovered I'd have to present my bike for inspection and sign on the day before. But clearly a significant proportion of the 3,500 entrants are happy to do that and pay for the local overnight accommodation. How that stacks up against the closure of a couple of back roads servicing sheep farms for three hours is speculation but I'm guessing the event brings more economic benefit than damage.
Posted 13 years ago # -
From the article:
"Today, Hounam lives in Highland Perthshire and is involved with his family's coffee shop and chocolatier business in Grandtully, between the towns of Aberfeldy and Pitlochry. "
"This is an economically fragile area. Businesses that were forced to close on Sunday cannot afford to lose several thousand pounds on a summer Sunday. The figures put about of financial benefit to the area are cooked."
So, basically the well heeled clients of his family's chocolatier/coffee shop cannot be bothered to get out of their cars in order to patronise the establishment. This despite the fact that are a number of alternative routes where drivers may sit in their vehicles unmolested by hordes of cyclists, witness the route map.
Still, "several thousand pounds" lost by not opening for one morning a year? Must be very expensive coffee and chocolate!
Remind me to boycott the Grandtully chocolatier next time I'm passing through...
Posted 13 years ago # -
Posted 13 years ago #
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"Still, "several thousand pounds" lost by not opening for one morning a year? Must be very expensive coffee and chocolate!"
It is. I have bought stuff there several times. Not any more though.
And I did the event last year and found nothing but support and welcome from everybody in Pitlochry and all along the 81 mile route. It was brilliant and really sad that a small bunch of people are determined to ruin it. The thought of keeping the roads open for this is just ludicrous!
Posted 13 years ago # -
I might be up that way over summer "on tour". If I am, I'll make a point to detour into that place and to go in and tell them that I don't intend to buy anything off of them as they are now renowned across the country as an anti-cycling establishment and I hope they are happy.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Aye we should get everyone who is passing to drop in and say that they are boycotting the shop because of the damage they are trying to do to the local economy.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Now folklore! -
"1.35pm: I'm not sure if somebody's been throwing buckets of thumb-tacks out on the road, but there's been another spate of punctures, with Mark Cavendish proving the most high profile victim."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jul/06/tour-de-france-stage-five
Posted 13 years ago #
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