LOCALS have hit out at vandals who caused chaos at the Etape Caledonia on Sunday by covering the road with carpet tacks.
At 8am, 3500 riders set off, and the incident happened about 43 miles into the 81-mile course, creating huge risk as riders were sent flying and dozens of tyres punctured. Highland Councillor Ken Lyall told the PA: “There has been a concerted campaign by some who are against the race, but I never thought anyone would stoop so low. “It could have caused more than a few injuries, but luckily it didn’t.” The tacks had been strewn over five miles of road between Innerhadden and Schiehallion, holding the race up for an hour and a half while organisers scrambled to deal with the safety risk. He added: “What kind of message does this send to cyclists and visitors from outside Perth and Kinross and Scotland “I hope this act of vandalism only makes the organisers more determined to make it a success. They may need better mechanisms to check the road, leaving less time before the runners reach the places.
“The thought of losing 3500 cyclists and thousands more people who come to watch the race is just madness.”