London Edinburgh London 2025

[adamhearn]

Perhaps he had no alternative but this comes across as an utter train wreck - was there literally no contingency in place? Someone asked about a time extension and they got shut down rather decisively. I suspect Audax Club Parisienne would have had to agree a time extension and knowing the way the Audax organisations seem to operate, it'd be a mountain to move... People have invested a shoot ton of time and money to participate on this ride and to abort it without any transparent discussions seems pretty unfair. I feel sorry for all the volunteers and riders.

 

[Jameshow]

I would have thought a 24hr pause would have been the order of the day. Riders to seek shelter and b+b overnight.
Let it blow through and continue. I'm not expert in race or audax organisation. I guess insurance would be the deciding factor.

 

[LucretiaMyReflection]

There will be a limit to how each control can be extended though, so that will also play a part. Mickleton seems to be sheltering around 120 riders due to the storm without being set up for that many.
A difficult decision either way.

 

[DCLane]

Perhaps he had no alternative but this comes across as an utter train wreck - was there literally no contingency in place? Someone asked about a time extension and they got shut down rather decisively. I suspect Audax Club Parisienne would have had to agree a time extension and knowing the way the Audax organisations seem to operate, it'd be a mountain to move... People have invested a shoot ton of time and money to participate on this ride and to abort it without any transparent discussions seems pretty unfair. I feel sorry for all the volunteers and riders.

There is the ability to give a time extension, but this was going to be 20+ hours. Facilities, riders and volunteer availability will have affected their decision.

 

[StuAff]

It would be unreasonable- and some cases impossible- for many riders and volunteers to alter travel plans, take more time off, for controls to be open longer…

 

[adamhearn]

My comment was not focused on the cancellation itself but more the the announcement, I felt it needed something like "after consultation with our volunteer team we concluded that we could not safely complete the event within a reasonable time extension". Whatever the words it would have shown the organisers worked on ideas as best they could (I'm sure they did).

 

[StuAff]

Posted on FB:
"Sadly we didn't make it this time!
We just told riders that we're truncating #LEL25 and inviting them to join us on the ride South tomorrow morning.
After two extended pauses we still didn't have clarity on when it would be safe to let riders head North again. With continuing forecasts of wind gust of over 50 miles per hour over some the most exposed terrain in Britain, it was just too dangerous to continue.
But with rest stops and control points ready for the riders on the return journey, the only choice was to bring the riders home.
So, if you are along the route please grab a moment to welcome back our returning heroes as they battle home through the windy East of England.
And if you know one of our army of helpers, who have gone above and beyond what any volunteer could be asked to do... let them know that they're awesome"

 

[StuAff]

Posted by @srw over on YACF:
"It's absolutely the right decision to cancel. It's much easier to allow rider discretion to prevail if you're only offering barebones support. But with schools having to be handed over on Saturday, volunteers and riders (for many of whom this will have been their only experience of a typical British summer, let alone an atypical one) needing to get back to reality at the end of the week and the meeja, hungry lawyers and risk-averse insurance companies waiting to pounce if something goes catastrophically wrong even for one rider, the decision was made much less difficult.

It's actually easy to bounce back from reputational damage if you handle it well. A reasonably open lessons learned exercise, an admission of any mistakes made in handling and comms and an explanation of how you'll manage the next event differently will go a very long way to restoring confidence. So far I haven't seen a bum move."

 

[srw]

Posted by @srw over on YACF:
"It's absolutely the right decision to cancel. It's much easier to allow rider discretion to prevail if you're only offering barebones support. ...

It's actually easy to bounce back from reputational damage if you handle it well. A reasonably open lessons learned exercise, an admission of any mistakes made in handling and comms and an explanation of how you'll manage the next event differently will go a very long way to restoring confidence. So far I haven't seen a bum move."

Thanks Stu.

For context, someone else on that thread had argued for allowing rider discretion and said that the organisers had trashed the event's reputation by cancelling.

My comment was not focused on the cancellation itself but more the the announcement, I felt it needed something like "after consultation with our volunteer team we concluded that we could not safely complete the event within a reasonable time extension". Whatever the words it would have shown the organisers worked on ideas as best they could (I'm sure they did).

That was covered by the regular drum beat of announcements. Number 1: pause, update at time X. Number 2, at time X: we all want you to be on your way but it needs to be safe. More at time Y. Number 3, at time Y: sorry, it's unsafe and we can't continue.

I don't know how much was preplanned and how much was done on the hoof, but it was well done. In emergency situations the job of the leaders is to make difficult decisions, consulting privately. Danial, a volunteer, (a) owned the decisions, and (b) made sure the Comms came when he said they would. That's considerably better than many people who are paid vast amounts to do this sort of thing.

 

[srw]

Two final observations. First, apart from one or two very vocal and angry critics the online mood, including from a number of groups of overseas riders, is supportive. Second, this, also from YACF:

"Am in Brampton as volunteer. Saw all the riders who arrived here.
Maybe a couple of dozen riders holed up here after the event was frozen. Almost every one was in a bad way after yad moss. These are the sharp end riders, who know their stuff, experienced, fast. One was still shivering in fear and needed a medic. Others very happy to be stopped. Not one protested that they wanted to go on. This was absolutely the right decision"
.

 

[StuAff]

Two final observations. First, apart from one or two very vocal and angry critics the online mood, including from a number of groups of overseas riders, is supportive. Second, this, also from YACF:

"Am in Brampton as volunteer. Saw all the riders who arrived here.
Maybe a couple of dozen riders holed up here after the event was frozen. Almost every one was in a bad way after yad moss. These are the sharp end riders, who know their stuff, experienced, fast. One was still shivering in fear and needed a medic. Others very happy to be stopped. Not one protested that they wanted to go on. This was absolutely the right decision"
.

That from our own @mmmmartin

 

[iandg]

I stood at a roadside in Moffat to guide riders into the control. Was struggling to stand up in 60mph+ winds. From my experience of riding in wind (21 years in Stornoway) I'm surprised that 2 riders made it that far.

 

[rogerzilla]

AIUI one rider actually made it to Embra before the "head south" order went out, so will be the only real finisher.

 

[iandg]

AIUI one rider actually made it to Embra before the "head south" order went out, so will be the only real finisher.

Yes, Ian McBride arrived at Moffat at 09.39 and left before 10.00 and the "lock down" announcement. Another person did a solo DIY helpers ride/route check the previous week so could also be officially validated for the ride.

 

[StuAff]