as you guys are discussing the reporting about the crash, I'm crossreferencing the email I wrote to the author of said article. (
https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=104712.msg2207455#msg2207455).
Depending on her response, I will write a blog post about the matter.
"Hi Holly,
I’m a colleague of yours working as a journalist with xxx. I’m writing to you with regard to your article on LinconshireLive headlined “They shouldn’t have been there” about the crash on the A15 in the early hours of Sunday morning. (
http://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/they-shouldnt-been-there-cyclists-455755)
I was a participant of the ride, and was probably one of the first cyclists rocking up at the police road block.
You may already be familiar with the event the riders took part. I was a long distance bike ride from Great Dunmow in Essex to Goole and back organized under the auspices of Audax UK and Audax Club Paris (ACP).
http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/17-549/ It’s wasn’t a timed race, but an endurance ride with a time limit of 40 hours for 606 kilometers (377 miles). We left Essex at 6am on Saturday, and had to be back by Sunday, 10pm.
Around 100 people had signed up for the ride.
Some people may think doing such long bike rides is a bit odd. But in fact it’s an activity with a very long heritage. At the root is a 1200 km (745 miles) ride that is organized every four years by Audax Club Paris. This event runs from Paris to Brest and back to Paris and was first run in 1891. It is older than the modern Olympic games (1896) and the Tour de France (1903). These days, it is run very four years, and about 6000 people from all over the world are on the start line (my account on the 2015 edition is available here:
https://cycling-intelligence.com/2015/11/25/87-very-special-hours-my-pbp-2015/) Every year, Audax UK organizes hundreds of rides like the Flatlands 600 , and has thousands of participants. With the growing popularity of cycling, number are increasing.
The ethos of Audax rides is a bit different than bike races or so called “sportives”. Self-sustainability is at the core. The ride is not sign-posted, and riders cannot expect any help or support from the organizer en route. There is a suggested route, but every participant is free to take any legal road. The only requirement is to visit the pre-defined control points and collect a proof of passage. The route given by the organizer is merely advisory.
Against this backdrop, I’m a bit puzzled by the claim in the article saying “ they should not have been on the road,” which is referenced to the BBC. It is true that the A15 was not part of the recommended route, and the police suggested it as an alternative to the B road closed after the fatal accident between a car and a pedestrian. But from the organiser’s point of view, every rider who wanted to take the A15 was free to do so. In fact, the organiser’s route notes explicitly mention the road . (“The A15 might be a viable and shorter route in the middle of the night. “
http://www.aukweb.net/routes/549r.zip , in the file dubbed “INFO”)
I, for instance, had long decided to ride on the A15. Under UK law, it is perfectly legal to ride your bike on this road. (Hence the police suggested it as an alternative.) While it surely not pleasant to ride on it during day time because of many fast cars, it was absolutely deserted at night. I joined it in Lincoln at around 3:45 am and reached the road block 4:23am. Maybe 3 or 4 vehicles passed me, and as there was no oncoming traffic, they easily could use the middle of the road or the other lane without having to slow down at all. The road is straight, and visibility was good at that time, as it was a clear night with no rain. Moreover, it is common practice among long distance cyclists to have at least two really good rear lights, and many wear reflective vests and have reflective tape attached to mudguards and helmets. Like almost all cyclists, I’m also a motorist, and I can’t really comprehend how it is possible to run a group of four cyclists riding as a group – they must have been lighted like a Christmas tree.
I would like to point out these issues to the BBC colleague making the claim that victims of the crash “should not have been on the road”. The problem with this assertion is not that it is not true. Between the lines, one could also read it as blaming the victims. I’m sure that’s not the intention of the claim, but the cursory reader may still take one the message that it was the cyclist’s own fault, since they should not have been on the road.
I would really appreciate if you sent me a link to the BBC story your claim is based on. I also would highly appreciate if you considered tweaking the headline and the claim in your article.
Many thanks and best regards
Olaf"