Does Britain actually like cycling Forget the medals we keep winning, the warm glow of going “green” and the transport implications: do we, as
a society, value cycling It’s a question I often debate on my daily commute: if I’m using up fewer of the earth’s finite resources, occupying less space on the road and keeping myself fit and healthy in the process, why is everybody trying to kill me It’s a question participants in the in Perthshire will have been asking too last weekend as they found themselves the victims of a crude protest against the event: carpet tacks strewn across the road. And it’s a question organisers of this year’s will be contemplating as they attempt to lift the profile of the race, and road cycling in general, with their first mass-participation event, the Prostate Cancer Charity Tour Ride on 6 September. Starting at , the route is a boot-shaped slog that passes through Stone, Uttoxeter and lots of stunning Staffordshire countryside, before looping around Leek and heading back to the Britannia. I tried a good chunk of the middle section last week (I’m tempted to say I did all of it but the truth has a way of getting out) and I learned two important lessons: the Potteries are surprisingly lumpy and tastes delicious at the top of a drizzly Gun Hill but is almost inedible anywhere else.
I have no doubt the route will make for an excellent day’s riding and I’m certain the 3,000 places available will be snapped up. I’m also sure the local economy will benefit and pots of cash will be raised for a worthy cause.