News: Surrey Police Halt Surrey League Race

On the day of Wiggins’ Tour de France win and in the area of the county the Olympic road race will be the centre of attention, a round of the Surrey League was stopped by the police today.

According to Michael Humphreys (Chair of the Eastway Users’ Group the commissaire, ambulance, escort and riders were all in agreement that the Police action in halting the race was unreasonable and without due cause.

Some riders reported that others were seen to be straying across dotted white lines on the centre of the and a warning had been given, but Police presence seemed to be entirely a negative factor on the day and for this to happen on the ‘special day’ in Paris is pretty depressing for the sport as we come into the start of London’s Olympic Games.

Our thoughts are with the organisers and many helpers out on the course who did so much work voluntarily for no outcome, only to receive the sanction of the Police. In the wider context of Britain’s spectacular success at the Tour, those who’ve ever ridden events in any other country just wish the conditions and climate of opinion towards cycle sport on our roads could be improved.

Police actions in this are key and their support is vital to lead public opinion, since Britain’s roads are not exactly the most welcoming environment for training or racing.

With the GB riders shortly to stay in the county of Surrey to compete in the Olympic Road Race to run over its roads, it is to be hoped that Surrey Police will be able to say this was a rogue decision taken by an officer who seemed to have a chip on the shoulder about cycling events on public roads. He seemed to know nothing of road racing and also claimed to have known nothing in advance about the long-scheduled event which is just one of many many events organised each year by the Surrey League.

The League’s road race events are long-established and only operate with full permission of the sport’s governing body and the relevant highways and Police autthorities.

This is the personable view of one supprter of a rider taking part in today’s race. For official comment you would need to contact the Surrey League (www.surreyleague.co.uk), British Cycling at regional level (www.southeastcycling.co.uk/ ) and at national level (www.britishcycling.org.uk) and of course anyone wishing to follow up the story should contact Surrey Police (www.surrey.police.uk/) for comment and its officially-considered view on why a well-organised cycle sport event had to be stopped.