Things are at last beginning to quieten down after this years MacMillan Etape Caledonia Cycle Challenge. While the event hit all the newspapers for the wrong reasons, namely some one (or group of people) decided to cover a large section of the course (I have read 8 miles) with carpet tacks. There were lots and positives which came out of it all.

• The event has only being going three years and is growing each year. This year it sold out with 3,500 entrants.
• The event attracts people from all over the UK and further a field to a part of Scotland many would not otherwise have come to. Many return out with the event on holiday.
• The event organisation is excellent despite the incident! We see cyclists say this on blogs everywhere.
• The cyclists are a real credit to their sport – this came through when they were all held up for over an hour while the route was swept. The camaraderie I saw at the top Schiehallion feed station were they we held up was second to none, sharing repair kits, helping each other out, jokes and great banter.
• I believe I am right in saying that the whole of Highland Perthshire including those who are not happy about the roads being closed on the Sunday morning have condemned the incident. Many have joined the “We support Cycling in Highland Perthshire” poster campaign.
• The Highland Perthshire Etape Activity Group are a group of locals, businesses, Etape organisers and Council who are all working to make the Etape Caledonia a special weekend for cyclists and their families and also locals too, by running a number of events ov er the Etape weekend across Highland Perthshire.
• We are seeing more cyclists in Highland Perthshire and there is definitely a greater interest and awareness of cycling in Highland Perthshire as a result (in my opinion) of the Etape event being staged here. We are starting to see early signs of Highland Perthshire organising itself to a new level focusing on cycling. More on this, as and when there is something concrete to report.

I understand that the 2010 Etape Caledonia registrations are filling at an extremely fast rate, with many cyclists saying they will not be deterred by the actions that halted this year’s event. What I can promise you is that we in Highland Perthshire are working hard to make sure the Etape Caledonia a Cycling Festival that is on the national cycling calendar as a must do each year. We hope to have more events surrounding the Etape Caledonia event in 2010. Watch this web site we will post details as and when we have anything to report.