The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Give Etape extension or see its decline, say organisers.
cycling: IMG plan hinges on a raft of controversial new road closures
The organisers of the Etape Caledonia have told councillors they must be allowed to extend the event or see it decline and cease.
IMG wants to increase the 81-mile route to 100 miles which will require a controversial raft of fresh road closures.
The company said the cycle event must be refreshed as its “natural life cycle” is declining in the face of competition and overfamiliarity.
Elected members will consider plans for an extended Etape Caledonia 2018 at a hastily-arranged meeting next week.
The proposals have been fast-tracked before the council’s Environment, Enterprise and Infrastructure Executive Sub-Committee.
In a report to councillors, officers note: “IMG is very keen to continue running the event but has been quite candid that if the event is to survive it needs to evolve and the key to this is the ability to offer an option to a proportion of the riders to complete a longer circuit.
“This is in response to growing demand for longer distances in the cycling community.”
IMGs economic impact statement estimated a net additional impact to Perth and Kinross of more than £1 million.
The proposed extended route would take a loop through Glen Lyon to Bridge of Balgie, before continuing on to Lawers on the side of Loch Tay and via the A827 to Fearnan, before re-joining the main Etape Caledonia route at Dull.
It would be available to 400 riders in 2018, with a view to raising that number to 1,000 riders after the “trial year”.
IMG has carried out its own assessment of the new road closures, monitoring traffic at Bridge of Balgie and at Lawers on two days.
They recorded between 420 and 440 vehicle journeys each day during the hours the roads would be closed.
A spokeswoman for the council said: “The special meeting of the Environment, Enterprise and Infrastructure Executive Sub-Committee next week is to consider the proposal for an extension of the Etape Caledonia route in 2018.
“It is considered appropriate that the council considers the proposal as soon as possible in the interests of all stakeholders, including the organisers.
“We would also wish to make it clear that the meeting will be held in public.”
This is in response to growing demand for longer distances in the cycling community