Sportives - Shameful Behaviour

[Beebo]

It's OK have some food,

No it isnt OK to have any of the food.
It's rude to use the route markings, marshals etc if you havent paid, taking food when you haven't paid is theft.
If everyone decided not to pay no one would run a sportive.

 

[Peddlar]

Disgraceful behaviour, not good for people new to the sport, or paying "good sport" entrants

 

[yello]

It's rude to use the route markings, marshals etc if you havent paid, taking food when you haven't paid is theft.

I'm inclined to agree with this, even at this risk of upsetting some people that have already responded. Personally, I think that if you haven't paid then you stay away.

 

[ufkacbln]

...... turn up in a BMW

'nuff said!

Did you really expect consideration, politeness, or even common courtesy from anyone who drives a BMW?

 

[Polocini]

Hi, I put the statement up on the site to end all the messages that I was getting asking who the club were. It was put out on twitter and no further comment has been made. I wanted to end this matter and move on.

Frank- I haven't made an allegation. I have reported the exact facts as witnessed by myself personally and a lot of other cyclists. Naming and shaming will not benefit anyone. It's just part of this whole blame culture the world seems to be full of. Isn't this like saying all supporters of a football team are hooligans because a handful get into a fight. If the club was named what exactly are we going to do? Run them off the road?? Yell obscenities?? This was a MINORITY.

It may be naive but we are cyclists and I honestly thought we were above all this. Lets behave with dignity and move on.

Phillip- thank you for the comment on our website. I don't publish comments on the site but your words were spot on.

I'm not going to comment any further it's just taking away from what was a great event.

Cheers
AL

 

[Nosaj]

I would not feel comfortable riding an event without making a contribution but that is not really the point this steps far beyond what could be considered to be cheeky and borders on something serious.

Not paying, clearing all the food, well it is simply theft, it is stealing OK its petty theft but then so is nicking a charity collection tin, or stealing a radio out of a BMW!!!.

If the organiser can't name and shame then perhaps he could name and thank every single local cycling club (bar one) for not stealing the food.
If I was a chairman/secretary of the club in question the members would no longer be members

 

[redcard]

Hi, I put the statement up on the site to end all the messages that I was getting asking who the club were. It was put out on twitter and no further comment has been made. I wanted l end this matter and move on.

You sound like a politician, giving some of the facts and expecting people not to question the bits you left out. Doesn't usually end well.

I understand you not wanting to tar all members of the club with the same brush, but you then go on to tar every other cyclist as an aggressive bully, which is a bit odd. You also don't credit cyclists with much intelligence - we do understand the terms 'small percentage', or 'a few'.

 

[billy1561]

I agree with Al not naming the club otherwise innocent riders from that particular club could well be targeted for abuse and that's not on.
I rode the event and thoroughly enjoyed it as i have with all the Polocini events Al runs.
Its absolutely correct that we are bigger than them in this and put it behind us. Issuing a meal ticket does not convince me tbh but rather Polocini issue maybe an armband of particular colour on the day from headquarters so no armband no gels or drinks etc...

 

[Hacienda71]

Report the club to BC or the Tri authority that they are affiliated to if the club in question are unwilling to deal with the matter.

 

[Tynan]

good grief there's some fancy dancing going on

just report the facts, I saw six riders in yada yada club kit do abc

five supporters of yada yada fc were fighting

 

[400bhp]

There's some cnuts that ride bikes, same as with anything in life unfortunately.

Perhaps they had an axe to grind?

 

[lukesdad]

BMW reg no. ? That should do it.

 

[fossyant]

There's some cnuts that ride bikes, same as with anything in life unfortunately.

^ This ^

It's the minority that spoil stuff for everyone, so there is no need to name and shame a club, it wasn't the club as a whole, just a small group of selfish idiots.

It also is not the way 'club members' behave in cycling, or certainly not in my experience.

I mentioned it because of the bloody cheek of it !

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Report the club to BC or the Tri authority that they are affiliated to if the club in question are unwilling to deal with the matter.

It is outside of their jurisdiction I'm afraid. Sportives are not within their purview nor do BC actually have any power with regard to conduct of cycling club members unless it directly impacts upon a BC governed event.

 

[BJH]

I have seen this debated on here before re the fact that some organisers of sportives are commercial organisations making cash by "claiming" that the ride is for charity when in fact all of the entry goes to them - the Manchester 100 being particularly singled out. The follow on argument is that these are public roads so the right is their to use them, with many claiming to have made a charitable donation instead.

I don't buy this because the organisers are very clear about your entry fee and I am happy to pay it to cover the marshalls, road marking water stops etc.

In response to the no need to pay argument, I challenged people to make a donation to Christie's and was challenged back on whether I had, because none of my entry fee had gone to them either. I included a screen shot of my donation to Christie's but don't recall any of the none payers doing the same.

I think the people mentioned in the thread start should be bloody ashamed of themselves, commercial organised or not, this is poor behaviour. If you want to take advantage of their facilities then pay for it.

For the free roads idealists argument for events like the Manchester 100, then at least recognise the charity concerned and stump up a tenner or so directly to them, then your argument might be taken more seriously.