Accessibility links A police investigation has been launched into the incident, which took place at the Etape Caledonia race around Pitlochry in Perthshire on
Sunday. Tacks were strewn on a section of the race, bursting hundreds of tyres. Police said it was a reckless act and it was fortunate none of the 3,700 competitors were hurt. The event, which raised about &pound225,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, had to be stopped, but organisers cleared the road and the race was completed. It is the only cycle race in Britain where all roads are closed to other traffic, a move that is deeply unpopular among local residents. But Kathy James, a race organiser, who runs a bed and breakfast in Aberfeldy, said the event brings millions of pounds to the area. She said: “What they’ve done is they’ve spread, from Rannoch down to us, tiny, tiny carpet tacks – I’ve got one – they’ve just spread the road with them.
“There’s a chap outside who came off his bike, there’s been a lot of people coming off their bikes and basically they had to stop the race further up.