Drivers told to prepare for 'Wiggins effect'
Posted by James Cox on Monday, 6 Aug 2012, 17:24 in UK Motoring
The success of Britain's cyclists at the Olympic Games over the past week is expected to result in a surge of riders taking to the roads in order to follow in the footsteps of their gold medal-winning heroes. So far, the UK has won four gold medals and one bronze in track cycling events, with the finals of the men's sprint due to take place this evening. A further three medals – gold, silver and bronze – were won in road race events last week. Surry Police has warned motorists to remain vigilant and to expect an increase in the number of cyclists on the county's roads. According to a report by the BBC, the Force believes members of the public are likely to want to attempt the Olympic cycling routes used by Bradley Wiggins and other members of Team GB last week. Surrey Police also had a warning for cyclists, reminding them that the roads were closed during the Olympic events and to be aware of other road users. Accommodation providers in Surrey are reported to have already started taking bookings for next summer from cycling enthusiast keen to ride the Olympic route. In Wales, there has been a "real surge" in interest in organised non-competitive events thanks to the success of Britain's elite athletes, according to Welsh Cycling's director of development, Ian Jenkins. "That was triggered off by Beijing but we're expecting another spike this year with Bradley Wiggins in the Tour de France and all the Olympic coverage that's upon us," he said.
