QUILTER CHEVIOT ETAPE ROYALE - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Quilter Cheviot Etape Royale?
The Quilter Cheviot Etape Royale, organised by WildFox Events, is taking place on 18th September 2016. This closed road charity cycling event follows a circular route covering 102 miles of breath-taking scenery of Aberdeenshire and Moray.
What is the route? The event will start at Ballater at 0600 then head North East via Tarland, Alford, Rhynie, up to Dufftown, then South to Tomintoul, Gairnshiel Lodge. There is a shorter 65 mile linear route which starts at Rhynie and a 45 mile route starting in Dufftown. All three routes finish in Ballater where The Royal Deeside Cycling Festival is offering entertainment over the entire weekend.
Why are we closing the roads? Due to the increased safety offered by closing the roads this type of event is very popular with cyclists. We expect a final tally of about 1000 cyclist to take part, with the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and local residents the top priority.
When will the route be closed where I live? The event will use rolling road closures to ensure that inconvenience to residents is for as short a time as possible. Please view the Etape Royale Road Closure Map and Timings table on the website. We apologise that you will need to plan your day around these restrictions.
How will the road closure work? There will be 17 closure sections and each will be closed in advance of the riders approaching, and reopened after all the cyclists have passed through. Road sections will be legally closed by the issue of a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO). This is a formal order. A team will travel around the route early on the morning of Sunday 18th September, closing roads and driveways to ensure no vehicles come onto the road. The closure will be legally enforced for the safety of both participants and residents. Apart from Emergency access, which will remain a priority, the route needs to be vehicle free at all times. We regret that crossing the route in a vehicle from field to field is prohibited. You are free to walk on the route, however we would ask that you take extra care due to the speed of some of the cyclists. Participants take part at their own risk and by walking on the route so do you. Information road signage will be in place several days before the event.
How long will the road be closed for? Please refer to the Etape Royale Road Closure Sections Timing information sheet available on line. The road closure timings are designed to allow the fastest and slowest cyclists to move through each section safely. There is a minimum pace of 13 mph. Participants falling behind this will be asked to withdraw from the event to minimize inconvenience for residents.
Have you spoken to the regional council?Aberdeenshire and Moray Council have fully approved the event, which was launched last year after extensive consultation with the local community.
Have you spoken to the police? Police Scotland has been consulted and are supportive of the event. They were involved in the final approval process and will be present at the key road closure points during the event. Any additional police resource is being covered by the Event so that your normal local police services are not affected.
What will be the benefit to local communities?
10% of every entry fee will be set aside for local initiatives and causes and like last year this amount will be distributed as donations after the event. If you would like to bring a particular local cause to the attention of the Foundation, please send details .
There is also an opportunity for national and international charities to benefit as the Event grows from strength to strength. This year the official charity partner is Marie Curie.
Lots of people will be staying and using local amenities both when training and during the event. Visitors bring significant income to the North East and the event will showcase the area to a whole new group of people.
What happens if there is an emergency on the route during the event? Emergency response, supported by Event Control vehicles, will have priority access to the route throughout the event.
WildFox Events employ independent emergency medical support, which will be co-ordinated and despatched through our Event Control Centre. In the vast majority of cases the event will not call on local NHS emergency response to help with event incidents. This ensures that local needs are not compromised. On the contrary, event medical resources may well be able to support non-event incidents in the area throughout the event.
What consultation has been carried out? A robust process of approval with both Moray and Aberdeenshire Councils was adhered to along with an extensive consultation period allowing everyone the chance to have their say.
How will the Etape Royale affect business, workers, deliveries or general local travel? WildFox Events will try our best to keep disruption to a minimum. After the success of last year we expect the day to have a positive economic impact in the area. Where we can, we have engaged with local suppliers.
Can I move my livestock within the closed roads? Unfortunately for safety reasons no livestock can be moved across or along the event route during the road closures. Cyclists will be traveling at high speed and crossing the route would be of significant risk. We understand the impact on farms and appreciate your support for this single day.
What happens if I need a vet? As the event route travels through farming communities we are aware that emergency veterinary access may need to be arranged. If you need a vet to attend then contact the Event Control Centre and a solution will be found.
Will compensation be paid to cover lost business revenue? Unfortunately we will be unable to offer this.
We have liaised with local business to ensure the substantial benefit of the event is felt by as many people as possible. Remember, 10% of cyclists registration fees will be given back to the community.
It is possible that I might need Carer access. We will work alongside communities to make sure no-one is left without essential care on the day of the event. Please make us aware if you, or someone you know, may be affected.
Will there be litter collection? We will provide bins at all feed stations and all event staff will be expected to collect anything they see. The vast majority of cyclists will not litter but items can get dropped. There will be a sweep team clearing the route of all event litter and signage.
Will there be toilet facilities and refreshment on the route? There will be sufficient toilet stops along the route. There will also be a number of feed stations on the route, and where it is safe and the road closures allow, we will welcome spectators.
Will the event affect my ability to get to church? As this event takes place on a Sunday morning there may be issues with attending church. We are consulting with local communities and churches to establish congregation timings and to understand where there may be access issues. If you have any concerns please contact your church in the first instance.