Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Racing => Topic started by: David Martin on 07 August, 2015, 06:39:53 pm
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http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/south-yorkshire-road-race-cancelled-as-police-suspend-all-racing-in-area-186443?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social
It would be interesting to see under what authority they have been able to take this decision. The Cyle Racing on the Highway act has specific authorities and permissions laid out.
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Martin Porter QC is pretty convinced that South Yorkshire Police's actions are "unlawful":
https://twitter.com/martinporter6/status/629642456833855488
http://thecyclingsilk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/so-what-powers-do-police-actually-have.html
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The piece I saw on this (earlier, so I've lost the link) suggested that British Cycling had had concerns about revisions to the law in ?2012 that effectively gave any individual copper the power to ban events. I think it linked to their consultation response, or something similar.
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Update from the police (http://www.southyorks.police.uk/news-syp/update-cycle-races-south-yorkshire)
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That seems is if progress may be made. Shame about "vibrant".
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Cheshire Police have been taking a similar stance.
In both cases, there is some evidence that the incidents causing the reaction by the police were not races, but were more likely to be sportives. The public, of course, see cyclists with numbers on, and not unreasonably assume that a race is being held.
Personally, I believe that some sort of regulation/supervision/permission/notification is needed for sportives/charity rides etc if we are to protect our currently regulated events such as road races and time trials.
The "Wiggins effect" has been responsible for an explosion in cyclist numbers, it would be very cruel irony if it also killed off the very sport that started it.