There are times when
professional cycling is
targeted by protestors,
notably on Stage 16 of last
year’s Tour de France when
leading riders, including
eventual winner Geraint
Thomas, were temporarily
blinded as police dispersed
protesting farmers with
pepper spray. And the Tour de
Yorkshire was in the spotlight
(so they take up less storage
space and work quickly),
while Bike Hike allows you
to create, edit and view
courses using Google Maps
or Ordnance Survey maps,
which is useful for assessing
terrain and identifying danger spots.
Social fitness network Strava is
popular with professional cyclists
and amateurs alike, and is increasingly
sharing its data with local authorities
to help make the roads safer for
cyclists. And safety is a key
consideration for a professional race,
too – the course must be challenging,
but the organizers and local authorities
have to be aware of danger zones
this year when anti-fracking
campaigners protested against
the recent takeover of Team
Sky by Ineos, one of the world’s
biggest chemical companies.
“There was a case of
sabotage on Stage 3 when
someone poured cooking oil
on a climb, which rendered it
unusable,” recounts head of
operations Bob Brayshaw. But
he was proud of the response.
“We took a look at it, deemed
it unfit and neutralized the
race. We very quickly found an
alternative route and restarted
the race. It’s the same protocol
in the event of a serious crash,
or any crisis, and it’s quite
simple: do we stop the race or
do we go on? Then, if we stop
the race, do we start again?
There’s very little confusion in
this scenario.”
Storming the barricades
Managing traffic isn’t the only challenge authorities face
on race day. Sometimes the crowds can turn ugly
such as roundabouts, tight junctions,
challenging road surfaces and
particularly steep climbs and descents.
On the day itself, race organizers
use software from C Track, a vehicle
tracking and asset monitoring
company. “It’s what local authorities
use to track vehicles such as road
sweepers and waste removal lorries,”
says Brayshaw. “The vehicles have
Above: Police ensure
that crowds remain at
a safe distance when
watching the event
A law in the UK requires
that emergency
services share and
coordinate information
to effectively prepare
for incidents
| Special Events
July/August 2019 Traffic Technology International
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