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Tour of Britain. Comedy Carnage


Arthur

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One geezer with a little flag would have prevented that.........maybe!!!!!

B. Wiggins. 

So what gives them the right to go around roundabouts & traffic islands the wrong way? Obviously no one has learnt anything from the French race where the riders went through railway crossing boom gates!

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The roundabout doesn't appear to be closed for the race. Traffic certainly seems to be normal in the other direction. Reversing on a roundabout... driving the wrong way on a roundabout... passing a traffic island on the wrong side... Nick 'em all. But that won't happen, will it? It's a cycle race and therefore everybody gets away with the kind of stunt that would get anyone else a ticket. If anyone is nicked, no sympathy at all. Any kind of "road" race should be on a closed road or it simply shouldn't be allowed to take place.

:no:

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The roundabout doesn't appear to be closed for the race. Traffic certainly seems to be normal in the other direction. Reversing on a roundabout... driving the wrong way on a roundabout... passing a traffic island on the wrong side... Nick 'em all. But that won't happen, will it? It's a cycle race and therefore everybody gets away with the kind of stunt that would get anyone else a ticket. If anyone is nicked, no sympathy at all. Any kind of "road" race should be on a closed road or it simply shouldn't be allowed to take place.

:no:

I don't know what arrangements were in place in Norwich, but on Friday in the Peak District there was a rolling road closure during the race. Even so, where we were watching at Chinley there were still a some idiots who ignored the closure and drove out from side roads towards the oncoming second group after the first group had passed. 

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I'm surprised that there wasn't a member of the National Escort Group on that junction. The NEG are responsible for the "bubble" around the cyclists and their support crews. The police go ahead of the whole procession first - they have no real responsibility for the procession..

The other surprise is that there is a gap between support cars - they're normally on each others bumpers. (A mate of mine used to drive one and he has a few stories.......)

 

The other option is for a complete closure of the road and any surrounding junction for a couple of hours before a la Tour de France, but there's no way that's going to happen with the ToB.....

 

Cheers,

Mick

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I'm surprised that there wasn't a member of the National Escort Group on that junction. The NEG are responsible for the "bubble" around the cyclists and their support crews. The police go ahead of the whole procession first - they have no real responsibility for the procession..

The other surprise is that there is a gap between support cars - they're normally on each others bumpers. (A mate of mine used to drive one and he has a few stories.......)

 

The other option is for a complete closure of the road and any surrounding junction for a couple of hours before a la Tour de France, but there's no way that's going to happen with the ToB.....

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

Many of the roads used by the Tour up here in Northumberland were closed for periods of time.   The only road out from where I live was closed from 1pm till 4pm, though roads across the roundabout (i.e. not the Tour route) further away were open until shortly before the Tour passed.  To enforce road closures we had signs, cones and teams of council workmen, some junctions were blocked by council vans to make sure no traffic got in the way.

 

Where vehicles had to travel along closed roads they were escorted in a convoy, even that ceased about 20 minutes before the Tour arrived.

 

 

David

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Oh dear... :-o

 

As Pete Macfarlane said above, it looks like the far side was closed, preventing the, doing a complete loop - certainly as they entered the roundabout, they were not having to stop and give way, and there was no traffic coming around it.  On the other hand, there was no real need by the look of it for traffic coming from the right hand side of the screen to be stopped, travelling in the opposite direction to the race and going off to the left, as there shouldn't have been a conflict between the two, and traffic could flow normally across that part of the roundabout.  It does seem odd that there was no one controlling or directing the cyclists at the junction.  Of course, the drivers of the cars accompanying the race may or may not have been aware that they were on a 'live' roundabout with normal traffic approaching, and may have believed they were still in the 'sterile' area closed/blocked for the race to come through, if they'd seen the partial closure as they entered the roundabout.  Nonetheless, trying to go down the wrong side of the island as they exited, when they could clearly see cars sitting there and approaching, that's a big no-no...

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One probably genuine mistake led to utter chaos, multiple breaches of road rules (which I believe are suspended under dispensation for races) and had the potential to cause a fatal head-on collision with the normally-flowing traffic.

 

Anyone is capable of making a mistake.  The stupidity which followed is inexcusable and is the sort of thing which gives these events a bad reputation.  Not all local communities welcomed the ToB and the extended road closures it brought either.  The inconvenience sometimes outweighs any novelty value or notional visitor income.

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One probably genuine mistake led to utter chaos, multiple breaches of road rules (which I believe are suspended under dispensation for races) and had the potential to cause a fatal head-on collision with the normally-flowing traffic.

 

Anyone is capable of making a mistake.  The stupidity which followed is inexcusable and is the sort of thing which gives these events a bad reputation.  Not all local communities welcomed the ToB and the extended road closures it brought either.  The inconvenience sometimes outweighs any novelty value or notional visitor income.

As far as I know the 'normal road rules' are not suspended.  The only time that might be the case - and then solely by inference, but not legally as I understand things - is when a proper Road Closure Notice has been issued.  We had major problems in our neck of the woods as a result of a commercially organised triathlon event leading to considerable road closures but in practice nothing could be done to prevent a motorist using a closed road in an emergency.  The other problem was that competitors were out practicing/route learning in the weeks prior to the event and unfortunately narrow twisting country roads, ordinary vehicle traffic, and cyclists 'making the best use of road space' were found not to mix - with fatal consequences for one of the cyclists.

 

In the end that event was forced to leave our vicinity as the organisers were the only people who made money out of it and many rural communities and businesses were inconvenienced or suffered financial loss due to road closures.  The area is still popular for cycling 'road race' type events but very few involve statutory road closures although they do seem to be properly marshalled - but if the road is not statutorily closed and there is no policeman present to stop them there is nothing to prevent motorists using such roads while the events are taking place  (and the cyclists are of course expected to comply with normal road behaviour standards and the Highway Code - regrettably an odd few seem not to realise that).

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Acknowledged, but "racing" is strictly prohibited on the public highway, not to mention the speeds attained.

 

There is no requirement to fit a bicycle with a speedometer but the signed or default limits still apply.  As I found out on one occasion when stopped and advised that I was travelling at 45mph in a 40mph zone.  Well it was down the Bow Flyover towards Stratford so i had a fair bit of gravitational assistance.  I had no idea I was travelling that fast; I was still being overtaken by motor traffic.  Nothing came of it.  As Plod said at the time it was more of a timely road safety reminder - he didn't know how experienced I was (which was very) and recognised I was not required to fit a speedo.  I did soon afterwards.  Not the most reliable device but it offered a fair indication.

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Acknowledged, but "racing" is strictly prohibited on the public highway, not to mention the speeds attained.

 

There is no requirement to fit a bicycle with a speedometer but the signed or default limits still apply.  As I found out on one occasion when stopped and advised that I was travelling at 45mph in a 40mph zone.  Well it was down the Bow Flyover towards Stratford so i had a fair bit of gravitational assistance.  I had no idea I was travelling that fast; I was still being overtaken by motor traffic.  Nothing came of it.  As Plod said at the time it was more of a timely road safety reminder - he didn't know how experienced I was (which was very) and recognised I was not required to fit a speedo.  I did soon afterwards.  Not the most reliable device but it offered a fair indication.

When departing via the back drive from my old school we arrived on a nice steep hill and of course the results were only as one might expect with teenage lads - I still have my old cycle with the scratches on the plated outer ends of the pedals from some spectacular lean-overs when taking a corner at the lower end of the hill.  Amazingly no one was ever hurt despite the fact that we regularly overtook cars in the 30mph zone.  BUT the sharp bend at the lower end was right opposite the front door of the police station and while I never heard of anyone getting a rollicking from the constabulary they did apparently make a 'this is how not to do it' road safety film about cycle riding with members of our school as the stars culprits.

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There is no requirement to fit a bicycle with a speedometer but the signed or default limits still apply.  As I found out on one occasion when stopped and advised that I was travelling at 45mph in a 40mph zone.  Well it was down the Bow Flyover towards Stratford so i had a fair bit of gravitational assistance.  I had no idea I was travelling that fast; I was still being overtaken by motor traffic.  Nothing came of it.  As Plod said at the time it was more of a timely road safety reminder - he didn't know how experienced I was (which was very) and recognised I was not required to fit a speedo.  I did soon afterwards.  Not the most reliable device but it offered a fair indication.

 

The speed limits on UK roads applies only to motor or mechanically propelled vehicles, not cycles, confirmed to me by a family member who is also a policeman and cyclist.   However, you can be stopped for dangerous or careless cycling under sections 28 & 29 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and there also the Town Police Clauses Act of 1847 section 28 which refers to penalties for "every person who rides or drives furiously any horse or carriage, or drives furiously any cattle".

 

My only altercation with the Police while cycling was in Norwich many years ago at about 1am, when a policeman instructed me to dismount and push my bike round the corner until I was out of his sight following a long evening in the pub...

 

Martin

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My only altercation with the Police while cycling was in Norwich many years ago at about 1am, when a policeman instructed me to dismount and push my bike round the corner until I was out of his sight following a long evening in the pub...

I have had multiple altercations with the police while cycling. All of them related to travelling two-up on a Raleigh Chopper.

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Dispicable behaviour. They don't even pay road tax y'know?!

WHAT ! This is outrageous !

They should pay double

Once for driving round the correct way and once for when they drive round in the incorrect direction.

 

I shall be writing to my M.P. demanding questions in the house.

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Cue mental image of breakaway stopping to check their A-to-Z.

 

I do sometimes wonder if people forget this is a professional sporting event rather than a bunch of guys out for a Sunday pootle. The comments on some absurd click bait last week included a number of people saying they should have to use the cycle paths "as that's why they're there".

 

It's very odd it's not marshalled better, and that traffic is continuing in the opposite direction. Every time I've seen the ToB it's been closed down for at least an hour before with excellent marshalling.

 

FWIW they're only under the auspices of the Highway Code on open roads. Closed roads they can do what they like. Crossing a solid white line results in a DQ in most amateur road races though.

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That was the funniest thing since the Keystone Cops and it wasn't even staged!

....

Hey! They may all be a load of lemming-scallywags for their lack of Highway Code observance..

Their expectancy may have been different to what we observed to be the case..

But then who hasn't done something as daft as that - if not dafter and hopefully lived to tell the tale?

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