Brian Cookson asks LOCOG to reconsider charging of Box Hill road cycling Olympic event
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games has been asked by the head of British Cycling Brian Cookson to give a second thought to their intentions of charging a fee from the spectators who would be coming to watch the road cycling races at the
upcoming London 2012 Olympic Games.
The LOCOG plans to charge the spectators who will be present at the Box Hill area in order to view the Olympic cyclists as they cross the place. Cookson has made the suggestion to the Olympic organisers to review their plans of charging the spectators as
it is against the norms of the road cycling Olympic event.
Brian Cookson, who is the president of the British Cycling, expressed his views in the following manner while talking to Telegraph Sport, “It would be absolutely better if it was free of charge because cycling is a sport that is traditionally free to watch.
I do appreciate the difficult environmental issues that have to be resolved in the sensitive environment of Box Hill, and you can't have an unrestricted free-for-all like the Tour de France. But while the numbers have to be managed, it would be absolutely
better if it was free of charge.”
According to the plans of the LOCOG, two points of the Box Hill will be charged. These are the part of the road called the Zigzag as well as the top part of the mountain known as the Donkey’s Green. The entire length of the Box Hill is 2.2 km long and the
LOCOG plans to charge the key areas so that the number of people present to view the event may be managed.
It has been estimated that the total number of spectators that will be charged for watching the road cycling events through Zigzag and Donkey’s Green will be 15,000. The male Olympic road cycling events will feature a total of nine loops of the Box Hill
while the female road cycling events will be having two loops of the area.
The LOCOG maintains that the charging of the two Box Hill areas will not be a problem as the major portion of the road cycling event will be free to watch.
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