A dozen groups have issued a joint statement demanding that the Council of Mallorca and the Spanish Government's delegation in the Balearics do not authorise this year's Mallorca 312 cycling event and that it is suspended until a rigorous and strict evaluation of the public interest has been carried out, based on social and environmental criteria.
The event is scheduled for April 26 and will attract 8,000 cyclists. The groups argue that all it does is intensify tourist overcrowding in spring and they reject the view that it contributes to tackling tourism seasonality. It will once again seriously affect residents along the entire route, who will have their movements restricted for several hours, up to seven in some cases.
Although 312 allows the participation of local cyclists, they say it is conceived primarily as a tourist business and "enriches certain businesspeople through the abusive use of common assets, such as the roads".
The Council of Mallorca is criticised for "turning the island into a theme park" and permitting the violation of the fundamental rights of residents in favour of a tourist business. Unlike fiestas or local races, Mallorca 312 "does not respond to any social need or any general interest, but generates a negative impact on the environment, benefits a tourist sector at the expense of resources and harms the well-being of the residents of Mallorca".
In the event that authorisation cannot be revoked, they insist that total closure of roads should be avoided but that if there is closure, it should in no case exceed two consecutive hours.
The signatories include the environmentalists GOB, the Alternativa per Pollença, the Arran radical youth organisation, and the Indignats de la MA-10 (the residents in the Tramuntana who have been affected by illegal races in the mountains).
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Used to do this event many years back. Once upon a time it actually went around the island. But the police put the halt on that route as the disruption to Palma was too great. Really? And elsewhere now? Way too many cyclists involved now. It’s not enjoyable. How could it be? 8 thousand pedal heads? Good grief. Limit its size. Why so many? €£$ I wonder. The point though is that this event has grown enormously and is making some people very rich and a few others are benefitting but it’s inconveniencing far too many. Sums up the whole greedy free-for-all that is really blighting this lovely isle.
Mallorca it's true has become a large cycle track paid for by the people who own car´s and pay taxes and other fee´s and for sure there is money to be had with these super large event´s such as the 312 I'm friend´s with many mallorcan´s who have participated in this particular event and everyone speaks highly of it , there are simply too many of these event´s in Mallorca and there need´s to be a chief of All cycle event´s and bicycle activity as it in general has gotten out of control and there are many local´s who are very much less than happy about them , there will need to be restricktion´s and limits put on there activity , or only Mallorcan´s can ride bikes , also Good .
Finally people are starting to voice their objections to these many races and the disruption they cause to the local communities and residents. They bring little benefit to local business and cause much frustration to locals trying to go about their daily lives and work.Not to mention the many police standing around for many days blocking roads , escorting these cyclists around the routes. Its a shame that there will probably be No rigorous or strict evaluation of this event and others and as usual will be dismissed and filed in the bin. We can only hope !
So first they want to ban touristic apartment rentals, and next they want to cancel the 312. Puerto Pollença will be very quiet.