Race chief slammed over road chaos

6:49pm Tuesday 1st July 2008

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BILL Owen, organiser of last month's Abergavenny Festival of Cycling, has come under fire from local riders caught up in the chaos of the International Criterium.

Owen slammed the actions of "Mickey Mouse" second, third and fourth category riders at the event - claiming their refusal to clear the road before the race was "crazy and stupid".

But in response Steve Thomas, a member of Abergavenny Road Club with years of race organising experience, has written a letter of complaint to British Cycling criticising Owen's own public handling of the situation.

He said: "The manner in which Mr Owen's press release has been written and launched is clearly an attempt to 'get in first' and influence the opinion of readers.

"His blatant contempt for Mickey Mouse second, third and fourth category riders' is merely a smokescreen to hide his, and his organisation's, own inefficiencies.

He said: "I attended the event as a competitor, together with my children who took part in the youth races.

"Mr Owen took a unilateral decision on the night to cancel the support second, third and fourth category race as a result of the event organisation falling behind schedule - a matter Mr Owen clearly blames on the actions of riders as opposed to acknowledging any apportionment of responsibility with the organisation itself.

"I am not denying that the situation was probably compounded by the riders warming up on the circuit, but the fact of the matter remains that the circuit was nowhere near ready at the advertised times."

Thomas added: "Mr Owen demonstrates a clear contempt for the grassroots riders of the sport - the second, third and fourth categories.

"I would suggest that the manner in which he spoke to the riders waiting on the start line in front of a crowd of several hundred people was hardly professional."

"Anyone who was there will have noticed the immediate 'flatness' of the atmosphere around the course after the youth racing was finished - because if you send home 50 riders and upset them, they'll take all their supporters, friends and relatives with them. Again, hardly a great advert for the sport."

Thomas claims additional problems on the start line were as a result of the second, third and fourth category race being brought forward to a 6.30 start to accommodate youth racing only added to the event programme after lobbying by Welsh Cycling.

"The decision to change the start times was not communicated to British Cycling. Even the chief commissioner was apparently taken by surprise", he said.

"As a road race event organiser of 20 years and also more recently having had significant involvement in our Club's promotion of National Trophy Cyclo-Cross and British Championships I fully understand the value of proper preparation and planning. The whole situation could, and should, have been avoided through some simple measure put in place at the signing on venue and immediately at the principle entrance to the course.

"It is quite clear in my mind that the primary responsibility for the failure to have the course ready on time must rest with the race organisation."

He concludes: "All in all I find this a very sad state of affairs and a very poor advert for our sport. I trust that British Cycling will look into and review this matter thoroughly."