Vélo Birmingham...the locals are getting angry!

[Pale Rider]

The Marie Curie Etape Pennines sportive in County Durham was cancelled partly due to complaints from locals.

The farming lobby is quite powerful in that part of the county, so anything that can be said to interfere with that - even if it doesn't - is on dodgy ground.

Similar reaction from other businesses as noted by @Dogtrousers above.

They regard the benefit as largely non-existent, and some reckon the sportive has a negative impact on takings that day, not least because locals steer clear of the affected areas.

 

[oldwheels]

Businesses are bound to have varying reactions. Some will make a shedload of money and others will lose big time. We used to have a tourist based shop. When a car racing event comes here hotels and pubs benefit but our takings for two days did not even pay for the electricity far less staff wages and we eventually decided to cut our losses and just close up for this annual event. The tourist were simply driven out.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Am I the only one whose mental DJ staerts playing "Ghost Town" on seeing this thread title?

 

[Dirk]

Am I the only one whose mental DJ staerts playing "Ghost Town" on seeing this thread title?

Ghost Town was about Coventry, not Birmingham.