Local News on the ACC Road Race Debate

[quote="Tony"]Having said all that, escalating the actions of the PCSOs involved is not likely to get anywhere. Road racing on the highway is a privilege and needs police support to do it.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Grahame"]That's two reports that I have read in which the race referee (presumably the commisaire?) is quoted as having sanctioned the PCSOs' actions. Has anybody written to the BCF mentioning this and the resultant endangerment of the racers?

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Tony"]From the description given of the way the race was stopped, the actions of the PCSOs were inexcusible. I saw them trying to chase the bunch in their car (whatever dreadul little tin box it was). It was like a cross between a scene from Postman Pat and the Professionals. There is nowhere to overtake the bunch safely on that circuit - not even in a powerful vehicle. Had the PCSO known what they were doing, they should have driven the wrong way around the circuit waited at a place where they could clearly be seen and stopped the lead car (and thereby the race) as it approached them. The police are fully aware of the race timing and the circuit being used (as far as I know) - so this should not have taken too much lateral thinking.

Having said all that, escalating the actions of the PCSOs involved is not likely to get anywhere. Road racing on the highway is a privilege and needs police support to do it.

What road races really need is for the on-coming traffic to be obliged to stop for the peloton. 60 or 80 riders are always going to spill over the road at the slow points as the bunch concertinas. It cannot be avoided and requires co-operation from on-coming traffic. Unfortunately, a lot of nimbies seem to live around that part of Surrey....