AIBU to think this event should never have happened.

[DaisiesAreOurSilver]

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mare-newborn-foal-die-because-15637103

Big cycle race of 100 miles in our area yesterday. Road closures from 5.30 am till 12.30 pm. Some streets were totally cut off for the whole time.

Residents were just told they should have parked outside the area the night before. For some that would mean a walk of a mile, given how many roads were closed. One family escorted through because they had a flight to catch but had to wait 25 minutes for an escort.

Carers were unable to visit the housebound clients, meals on wheels couldn't get through and the stewards didn't give a stuff. For some people it wasn't a question of finding a way around there were areas that were totally cut off for the duration.

But worst of all the stewards wouldn't let a emergency vet through and a mare and her foal died. The foal would have been worth a lot of money as was the mare. I hope the owner sues for every penny she can.

Residents are very angry and cannot understand why permission was granted for this to happen. If they try it again vigilantes have said they'll force the roads open if they try to close them. Feelings running very high.

That is disgraceful. It doesn't matter how much notice given, it didn't help those in need to get their food, care etc. I don't mean this as light-hearted as sounds, but there could have been a lot more deaths/serious injuries than the horse. One death, of course, is too much and the organisers should be extremely ashamed of themselves.

Why the venom towards cyclists? Why are they fair game on here?

Yes, that steward sounds like an idiot but as someone else said, it was nothing to do with the fact it’s a cycle race.

We have a marathon here every year and our road is closed for several hours - or is that ok as it’s runners not cyclists?

Just for proportion, one of the cyclists was killed on the event

That said, and as you may guess from my (namechanged) username, I'm no fan of this event. The first time they had it (September 2017) we were stuck in our house from 8am to 6pm, since the course went along the road our cul de sac opens onto and was completely blocked off. My parter is wheelchair bound so that was us **ed for the day. Couldn't drive out of our own home.

However, the local authorities (we're in Birmingham) have received a fucktonne of money from the organisers for this. So peoples inconvenience has a price. Not that they will see a penny of it. (I know, I asked).

Apparently it was a 5-year deal, so there's still time for 3 more events.

DontTreadOnMe I don't have much time for people who are irrationally angry at cyclists because that seems to be the 'trend' now.

As a pp said, road runners are allowed but cyclists aren't?

If I were going to the airport I would make sure I had a route planned. How could they not know in advance or were they staying with friends to be closer to an airport - but then why didn't they know about it.

They lived on the estate that was totally cut off. They notified the organisers in advance and were told an escort would see them through. They had to keep nagging for 25 minutes until the escort did finally arrive. The estate should not have been cut off. Poor choice of route by the organisers. Stupid, actually.

But they didn’t give everyone lots of notice, that’s the issue. If people knew it was happening there was information on the website, but loads of people had no idea. My brother was trapped in his house for the day, and it was a whole day not just 4 hours as with the half marathon.

I live in the area and had no idea it was happening. The stewards were really unhelpful and couldn’t/wouldn’t give directions so I gave up on visiting my Ill relative and went home instead.

A few people I spoke to today said they knew it was happening as they had friends taking part, so went along to cheer the cyclists on - great for them but I don’t see why thousands of people should be trappe din their homes for a whole day so that a few people should have a nicer bike ride.

It’s particularly wrong to see white middle class male cyclists shooting through deprived areas, where no one will be taking part from the poorer areas because they can’t afford the £100+ fee let alone the £2k bikes. At least with running events anyone can buy a cheap pair of trainers and afford the fee.

Disgusting. This never should have happened. I cannot believe the care companies and vet were not accommodated.

We're having an event like this for the first time, in September. Half of the city is going to be cut off from the other half. We're just outside the exclusion zone but buses won't be able to get through and we'll probably not be able to get the car off the drive because of people who will have to move their cars, if they need to use them.

Apparently there are plans in place for carers etc, but who knows if they're any more robust and workable than those in your area, OP.

Presumably the town concerned ( I know where it was) shouldn't have bid - and won- city for sport this year then,

No, you're wrong, I'm afraid. The part I'm writing about was within Warwickshire, not Brum who bid for it. No one in our county bid for it.

I don't have much time for people who are irrationally angry at cyclists because that seems to be the 'trend' now. Imagine if the local people impacted tried to use the roads they pay extortionate levels of tax for? They’d soon feel the long arm of the law, yet will the cyclists and the idiot stewards that cause this mayhem ever get their comeuppance? I don’t think so.

Have a heart folks. Someone died ...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-48253277

Organisers of a 100-mile bike ride in which a cyclist died in a crash have described it as a "day of mixed emotions".

A man is his 50s was airlifted to hospital after falling from his bike about 23 miles into the Vélo Birmingham & Midlands ride in Atherstone, Warwickshire.

He suffered "significant head injuries" and later died.

Disgusting and should be taken further. Hopefully a newspaper picks up the story too.

Oh balls absolutely missed the newspaper story link. Ignore me.

Sad. Ridiculous the family needing to catch a flight could get through but the vet needing to get in for emergency care couldn’t. I’m sure they’d have had to let emergency services through if it were a human woman in labour.

Tour De Yorkshire comes through my town every year but they don’t generally close all of the roads in and out so it’s not hugely disruptive and the roads are reopened as soon as they’ve all passed through (which doesn’t take long). Closing them all for a full day is a total twat move.

The cyclists are not the problem poor planning by the organisation running the event would be the problem. Areas shouldn’t be annex, stewards should know the best way round the closure (including passing points), redirection signage and residents etc should be fully informed of the impact.

Sounds like very poor planning.

This case is tragic and it looks like it might have been avoidable but in general I think sometimes a bit of inconvenience is a price you have to pay for having events take place on public roads. I live in an area where I couldn't move my car because the giro d'italia was taking place last weekend. Yes, a lot of people complained about it but it was also exciting to have the event practically going down our road and also nice to have a break from the traffic!

The problem with the length of time is that this isn’t a professional race it’s amateurs so the length of time for the closure is waaaay longer.

Events like this should be put to local referendum before they’re okayed. Let the people impacted decide.

Ours is a "velo" event, too, so from the description of the Birmingham one, it doesn't sound promising.

What gets me is that ti's area attracts a few cycle races, as it is scenic and quite challenging. We've only ever had rolling closures, though.

We have a similar event round us every year - and we are completely cut off (and rural) literally cannot get anywhere. There are a lot of animals need attending to and that takes some doing. Last year my friends cat was very badly hurt and they wouldn't let her through to go to the vet - well she went! What was even more ridiculous was that there was no issue allowing her back in!

For the first one, some people put nails in the road. Also there was a 10-week bin strike that us Brummies had to put up with - the city was 6 inches deep in uncollected rubbish. But they managed to find the resources to pick up all the overflowing bins and bags on the route. (Which was how I got mine collected. That was a midnight flit that paid off ...).

Imagine all the deliveries that couldn't take place.

It was poor planning. Loads on FB about last minute changes to routes etc, roads closed for much longer than advertised.
For me it's not about cyclists/runners debate, it's about lack of consideration for those who live in the area. Yea have your races but minimise the impact on the locals.
Carers and meals on wheels not being able to get through is an absolute disgrace and there should be no justification for leaving the vulnerable like that.

It shouts to me that the whole thing was underplanned and under-risk-assessed. I get equally grumpy about our local half-marathon now using a route that blocks off a village suburb - they have had to give up on morning services as a lot of people can't get there.

That's disgusting. Of course the emergency vet should've been let through.

Also, the organisers should make sure the route means people aren't trapped in their homes.

Why the venom towards cyclists? Why are they fair game on here?

Who knows? It's very peculiar. Humans don't seem to be able to function without vilifying an out group and apparently it's fine to hate someone because they choose a particular hobby, which for some is a vital method of transport.

What this thread really brings home though is just how completely and utterly dependent so many people are on their cars. It was 7 hours on a Sunday that roads were closed to MOTOR traffic. You could get out, you just couldn't drive. Routes and road closures were known months in advance. All this "completely cut off" stuff is utter nonsense. There are other ways to get around.

I agree care staff and vets should have been categorised as essential and been allowed through. But otherwise, consider this - why do you think the roads had to be closed? Is it perhaps because motor traffic is so dangerous that other users cannot mix with it? The other 364 days of the year pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists will all be desperately trying to avoid those roads because they are dominated by motorists. So frankly stop carping on about the all-powerful cycling lobby. It's a few hours on a Sunday morning - work around it.