Etape cycling event is a success

May 18 2010 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

THE UK’s only closed roads cycling event, the 81-mile Etape Caledonia, went off without a hitch on Sunday.

Event organiser IMG, in conjunction with Tayside Police and Perth and Kinross Council, tightened up security at the fourth annual Highlands race to thwart a repeat of the sabotage at last year’s event.

At the 2009 race, carpet tacks strewn across the road punctured hundreds of tyres, including those of Finland ex-pat and Aberdeen-based racer Veli-Matti Raikkonen, who heroically went on to win regardless.

An event spokeswoman said every precaution had been taken to ensure a hassle-free event, with vehicles sweeping roads along the route from 2am to minimise the window of opportunity for would-be saboteurs.

“Every angle was covered, we had more marshalling and more police officers, including a couple of bobbies on bicycles at Pitlochry, which we thought was a nice touch,” she said yesterday.

Sunday’s race, starting from Pitlochry at 7am sharp, pulled a record 4500 entrants – half pledging sponsorship proceeds to Macmillian Cancer Support – although actual competitors on the day numbered 3700.

“That’s pretty normal in mass participation events. People tend to sign up then later realise just how far 81 miles is and how much training is required to get up to appropriate fitness levels,” said the spokeswoman.

Only 100 competitors failed to cross the finish line, including “celebrity calamity” Ben Fogle, presenter of TV show Country Breaks, who came a cropper at Schiehallion, escaping with a few cuts and bruises.

“We had another celebrity entrant, Darren Jeffries – OB in Hollyoaks – who ended up getting off his bike and walking to the finishing line!” she said.

“He finally walked into town at 3.10pm and said it was the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life.”

In addition to television personalities, competitors also featured Olympians and international cycling champions, such as the legendary ‘Flying Scotsman’, Graeme Obree.

Overall winner was Falkirk’s Robert Bateman, who crossed the finish line clocking three hours, 29 minutes and 51 seconds, narrowly trumping Lancashire’s David Ryding who came a close second.

“We were absolutely delighted with the way the event went,” the spokeswoman added.

“There was a real party atmosphere and the community of Pitlochry was out in force, with about 10,000 spectators in town and around the course.

“There was absolutely no sign of the anger and protestors that we’ve seen at previous years’ events.”

As for race protest group Anti Closed Road Events’ latest announcement that it planned to stage a rival event next year, she said: “It’s not an event.

“They’re saying cyclists can come up and cycle in the Highlands at any time, with it culminating in a series of mini events.

“We think this would put cyclists at risk, even with just hundreds instead of thousands of cyclists on unclosed roads.”