| Cyclist Kevin’s Conscientious Objection
A keen competitive cyclist from Aberfeldy who took part in last year’s Etape Caledonia marathon is now making a stand against this year’s event because of his passionate objection to closing roads to other traffic and alienating local people.
KEVIN PROCTER, formerly a part time worker at Aberfeldy Recreation Centre, was one of the few local participants in 2007. He has written unprompted to Comment setting out his reasons for boycotting the 18 May event this year, and why he has chosen instead to participate in a rival event in the Borders.
Kevin wrote that he took part last year, “unaware of the distress it would create for local families and businesses due to the road closures.” He explained: “Although the Etape Caledonia always advertised that it would be on completely closed roads, I was astonished when this was actually enforced by the very people who had been elected and installed to represent and protect the residents and businesses along the route.”
 Last year, Kevin (pictured right) achieved an event time of 5hrs and 9mins and so he was, at first, keen to enter this year’s race to try to break the 5 hour barrier. The crunch came when he considered all the reports of personal distress and disadvantage that the event is creating for the local community and businesses. Kevin found that his conscience would not let him support this race again under the completely closed roads format.
Instead, he has signed up for the Drumlanrig Tearfund Challenge Cyclosportif event on 3 May which is held on open roads (see side panel).
Although the entry limit of 300 for the Drumlanrig event is not as great as may be reasonably expected for the Etape Caledonia, there are other cyclosportifs which have comparable entry numbers with no need for closed roads (see below).
“Especially after all the complaints last year, it is very surprising that the Etape Caledonia is being held again, and even more shocking that the complete road closures are once more being enforced,” Kevin observed.
Upset & Dismay
“I am also conscious of the upset and dismay that the Etape Caledonia road closures create for the local church communities around Tummel, Rannoch & Foss, and Fortingall, Weem & Strathtay, and felt that it was wholly appropriate that my chosen alternative cycling event should raise funds for a Christian charity.
“Cyclists are not some sort of demonic army whose sole intention in life is to act like a dictatorial force in pursuit of their own pleasures, at any cost to those whose lives and businesses are adversely affected by their actions. They are, in fact, genuine people pleased to also contribute to the benefit of society whilst enjoying their chosen hobby.
Disrepute
“Of course, practically all of the participants in the Etape Caledonia are totally unaware of the problems they are creating locally, and that ‘road cycling’ has been brought into disrepute by this event in this region,” noted Kevin.
“However, Perth & Kinross Council, and those people who are advising the Etape event organisers, should also be taking on-board the damage they are continuing to create for the broader public image of road cycling - and for its related events of mountain biking and triathlon in this area.
He continued: “As a cyclist, I feel it is great to have a local cyclosportif – but not at any cost. I would fully support such an event, if it was not for the completely closed road format; or at least some efforts towards establishing a consensus of agreement with those local residents and businesses that are adversely affected. This would encompass reasonable financial compensation, both for loss of business and disruption, as well as substantial donations to local charities to compensate the local community for the disturbance caused.
“I am really beginning to question why P&K Council feels that it is either necessary or appropriate to provide financial assistance for the Etape Caledonia, and I wonder whether completely closed roads are required for the whole route. There are many other similar cyclosportifs around Britain, which take place without any additional funding and on open roads. For example the Etape du Dales in Yorkshire, which is held on the same day as the Etape Caledonia this year, and which sold out within 48hours of entries being opened.
Some Hard Questions
In the cycling world, there is a website/forum www.cyclosport.org and, at the time of writing, it has 9,700 members, and lists 85 cyclesportifs (in Britain) throughout the year. The greatest number of events in any single month is 18, which is for May (when the Etape Caledonia is scheduled this year). June isn’t much different at 17. So there are many other events which will also attract cyclists. However there is one sportif which is missing from that website – the Etape Caledonia!
The questions that Kevin raises are:
• Why is an event, which claims to be pursuing national and international fame, not even identified on this “bible” for cyclosportifs in Britain?
• Does P&K Council support the Etape Caledonia event, in the closed roads format, for reasons wider than ‘tourism development’?
• Do other residents wonder how much the organisers of the Etape Caledonia pay the Police for closing the roads, and whether this source of extra funds is an incentive to their implementation?
• Does the sum involved ‘strangely match’ the funding provided by P&K Council?
Bullying Culture
The local authority’s behaviour throughout the lead up to these events, Kevin maintained, is a public demonstration of its indifference to the plight and opinions of local communities and minorities, and of its consequence-blind attitude to the pursuit of ill-informed and predetermined ends. The council has been accused of undemocratic practices and of demonstrating an empathy bypass in its treatment of constituents. Despite calls for justification of its actions, by remaining silent P&K has effectively replied ‘because we can’.
If evidence were needed that a bullying culture emanates in all situations ‘from the top’, then P&K’s problems with this in various of its departments is shown clearly in this very public instance.
“The council’s treatment of residents and businesses along the etape route is nothing short of bullying. What hope is there for rooting out bullying and overcoming it in schools and other institutions and workplaces in our society if the council itself and the police routinely use those techniques?” challenged Kevin.
Mountain Biking Potential
Kevin also asserted that, if P&K Council really wants to attract repeat visitors to the area through cycling, it should address the far greater opportunity in this region provided by mountain biking. The two main centres for this in Scotland are Peebles (Glentress), and Fort William (Aonach Mor) - both of which are about 80 miles away by road. That, argues Kevin, leaves plenty room for an extensive catchment area for a mountain biking centre in this region.
“Fort William held the World Championships last year attracting many international visitors; and Peebles is reported to attract about 1 million visitors a year. If P&K had spent the tens of thousands of pounds on establishing mountain bike tracks and trails and supporting facilities in the forests of Highland Perthshire, instead of subsidising a London based company over two years, then perhaps the taxpayers and voters of Perthshire could expect some reasonable return on their money,” he pointed out.
“I hope that in 2009 we hold an Etape Caledonia event which is entirely free of road closures, and one which provides recompense to all those people and businesses affected by it,” said Kevin.
Meanwhile he waits to learn what steps P&K Council is taking to establish and support the development of Mountain Bike Centres and facilities in Highland Perthshire, ‘where there is a far greater opportunity for repeat visitors’.
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