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“LOGOC failed to contact these parties before planning the route” Battle for Box Hill OLYMPIC CRISIS NEWS | Weekly Review 14 JULY 14, 2011 www.cyclingweekly.co.uk Photos: Rob Lampard LOCOG’S POOR PLANNING Botch hill Comment by Will Irwin THE Olympic road race is one of the most mouthwatering prospects for London 2012. Who could fail to be itching for a free roadside seat on beautiful Box Hill next year? But the vast majority may well miss out again. Instead, we will get a grade-A lesson in organisational incompetence, elitism that is a distant departure from Olympianvalues,and,mostimportantly, no opportunity to see any Olympic cycling at all in 2012. That so-called “small restricted area” on the hill is also the best bit of the climb — the only part worth standing on — where the riders won’t be tearing past at 30mph. LOCOG has failed to do its homework on the status of Box Hill. International law dictates that large numbers of spectators would never have been able to visit the climb, yet they didn’t bother to check. This adds insult to injury after the debacle that saw so many missing out in the lottery for velodrome tickets. The Olympics was founded in the best Corinthian sporting spirit. It has its own charter, all about participation and legacy, apparently. The organisers need to take a long look at the Box Hill scenario, and ask themselves whether the situation they’ve engineered really represents those values. The answer is an emphatic no. Andy McGrath AFTER missing out on the vast majority of track cycling tickets, prepare to be short- changed at the Olympic road race: you’ll need to wear a wristband to get anywhere near the best bits. The London-Surrey Cycle Classic (August 14), the test event for the 2012 Olympic road race, provides a taste of the restrictions imposed on would-be spectators on two key parts of the route. According to a press release from LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games), restrictions will be imposed on the grandstands at the Mall for the race’s start/finish and on the Zig Zag Road at Box Hill, the jewel in the crown of the Surrey circuit. There are to be fences and barriers on the restricted part of the climb, with security enforcing the area. The Mall and Box Hill will have capacities of 3,500 and 3,400 respectively. The restrictions stem from Box Hill’s status as a protected SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). A new species of butterfly was recently discovered, meaning there will be one restricted area, according to LOCOG spokesperson Emma Pickles. The protection of orchids has also been cited, by Natural England, the government’s adviser on the natural environment, as a reason for the limitation. Yet it has emerged that LOCOG failed to contact these interested parties before planning the route; Surrey County Council indicated that it was only involved late in the process (see page 16). Wristbands only CW understands that the wristbands required to access key parts of the course will be made available through application to local councils and British Cycling, as well as from British cycling magazines. “We wanted to make sure that people from the cycling community will be able to attend,” Pickles said. Spectator areas on Box Hill for non-wristband holders will be limited. For the London-Surrey Cycle Classic, the view on to the Mall will also be restricted to replicate the grandstand seating in force for the Olympic road race. Considering the abundance of similar climbs in the area, we asked LOCOG: why choose Box Hill, given its known status as an SSSI and the subsequent likely restrictions on access? “It’s a really good technical aspect and great visually from a broadcast point of view. It [the restricted area] is only a small area of Box Hill; Box Hill is huge,” Pickles said. Unfortunately, the thousands who want to watch on the beauty spot’s slopes look set to be left out. RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED DUE TO WILDLIFE CONCERNS Box Hill declared ‘limited access’ for Olympic road race Zig Zag: protected zone for the Olympics 1998 Prutour: last pro race on Box Hill
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Wristbands only Comment by Will irwin RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED DUE TO WILDLIFE CONCERNS Zig Zag: protected zone for the Olympics LOCOG’S POOR PLANNING “LOGOC failed to contact these partiesbefore planning the route” 14 juLy 14, 2011 www.cyclingweekly.co.uk photos: rob Lampard
Transcript of box hill1
“LOGOC failed to
contact these parties before
planning the route”
Battle for Box Hill
OLympiC Crisis
NEWs | Weekly review
14 juLy 14, 2011 www.cyclingweekly.co.uk
phot
os: r
ob La
mpa
rd
LOCOG’S POOR PLANNING
Botch hillComment by Will irwin
THE Olympic road race is one of the most mouthwatering prospects for London 2012. Who could fail to be itching for a free roadside seat on beautiful Box Hill next year?
But the vast majority may well miss out again. Instead, we will get a grade-A lesson in organisational incompetence, elitism that is a distant departure from Olympian values, and, most importantly, no opportunity to see any Olympic cycling at all in 2012.
That so-called “small restricted
area” on the hill is also the best bit of the climb — the only part worth standing on — where the riders won’t be tearing past at 30mph.
LOCOG has failed to do its homework on the status of Box Hill. international law dictates that large numbers of spectators would never have been able to visit the climb, yet they didn’t bother to check.
This adds insult to injury after the debacle that saw so many missing out in the lottery for velodrome tickets.
The Olympics was founded in the best Corinthian sporting spirit. it has
its own charter, all about participation and legacy, apparently. The organisers need to take a long look at the Box Hill scenario, and ask themselves whether the situation they’ve engineered really represents those values. The answer is an emphatic no.
Andy McGrath
AFTER missing out on the vast majority of track cycling tickets, prepare to be short-changed at the Olympic road race: you’ll need to wear a wristband to get anywhere near the best bits.
The London-surrey Cycle Classic (August 14), the test event for the 2012 Olympic road race, provides a taste of the restrictions imposed on would-be spectators on two key parts of the route.
According to a press
release from LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and paralympic Games), restrictions will be imposed on the grandstands at the mall for the race’s start/finish and on the Zig Zag road at Box Hill, the jewel in the crown of the surrey circuit.
There are to be fences and barriers on the restricted part of the climb, with security enforcing the area.
The mall and Box Hill will
have capacities of 3,500 and 3,400 respectively.
The restrictions stem from Box Hill’s status as a protected sssi (site of special
Scientific Interest). A new species of butterfly was recently discovered, meaning there will be one restricted area, according to LOCOG spokesperson Emma pickles. The
protection of orchids has also been cited, by Natural England, the government’s
adviser on the natural environment, as a reason for the limitation.
yet it has emerged that LOCOG failed to contact these interested parties before planning the route; surrey County Council indicated that it was only involved late in the process (see page 16).
Wristbands onlyCW understands that the wristbands required to access key parts of the course will be made available through application to local councils and British Cycling, as well as from British cycling magazines. “We wanted to make sure that people from the cycling community will be able to attend,” pickles said. spectator areas on Box Hill for non-wristband holders will be limited.
For the London-Surrey Cycle Classic, the view on to the mall will also be restricted to replicate the grandstand seating in force for the Olympic road race.
Considering the abundance of similar climbs in the area, we asked LOCOG: why choose Box Hill, given its known status as an sssi and the subsequent likely restrictions on access? “It’s a really good technical aspect and great visually from a broadcast point of view. it [the restricted area] is only a small area of Box Hill; Box Hill is huge,” pickles said.
unfortunately, the thousands who want to watch on the beauty spot’s slopes look set to be left out.
RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED DUE TO WILDLIFE CONCERNS
Box Hill declared ‘limited access’ for Olympic road race
Zig Zag: protected zone for the Olympics
1998 prutour: last pro race on Box Hill
