[QUOTE 3709801, member: 76"]Today was day one of the Tour of Wessex. The day that took in Cheddar Gorge.
I drove up the Gorge on the way out at about 9.30, and I was left wondering if we as cyclists do ourselves PR harm at times. Clearly I drove carefully, but at times there were groups of 30+ cyclists taking up the whole road, both sides! Then when they met cars coming down they started with the abuse, I had the window open and heard three drivers called a c**t by three different cyclists on three separate occasions! Each time by a rider who was on the wrong side of the road and had to dive over. Before I got into the Gorge I saw lots of riders cursing pedestrians too.
On most sportives I have done the riders have been staggered through the start, but it didn't seem to be like that today, literally hundreds of cyclists seemingly taking no account of the impact they were having on everyone around them. I even had two sprint past me on the last of the climb, then immediately sit up and slow to a bloody crawl, christ knows how I missed them! Car drivers were getting frustrated and making rash moves, it was awful.
So, I suppose I don't know how I feel about it all, pleased to see so many cyclists, but overwhelmingly sad when I think about the negative impact they will have had, especially to the Daily Mail reading, Jeremy Vine listening 'they are all lycra louts brigade'
Should we think again about some of the bigger sportives?[/QUOTE]
Yes, Sportives are the devil's work. The actions of the few drag us all down.