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The weekend’s Wiggle New Forest Spring Sportive had to contend with sabotage in the form of nails laid along the road of Bransgore, resulting in 20 cyclists suffering punctures (source: Daily Echo).
The act of sabotage followed the posting of notices warning of a "massive cycle event" that could encourage the "abuse of our tranquil locality" and "put members of the public at risk" (source: BBC).
Tensions between cyclists and some local residents are being tackled by ‘top level talks’ according to New Forest East MP Julian Lewis.
He said: “I’m hoping that the cause of the provocation will sooner rather than later be sorted out but taking the law into one’s own hands is not the way forward. Doing something illegal and dangerous is never the right thing to do.”
The New Forest seems to be a magnet for sportive controversy – last October’s event saw signs ripped down and one route made ‘impassable’ due to a farmer covering the road with mud (source: Surrey Comet).
