Organisers of the annual Cape to Cape MTB event have thanked locals for their understanding as traffic and parking issues arose on Friday.
Margaret River locals took to social media on day two of racing to express concerns over vehicles parked on both sides of Osmington Road, close to host venue, Colonial Brewery.
"The bike riders are parked on both sides of the road, even on an S-bend and down Bramley River Road," wrote one concerned local who had passed through the area on Friday morning.
Cape to Cape race director Nick Christopher said recent wet weather had hampered their parking arrangements, and steps were being taken to help riders find safe parking spots.
Read more:
"The Cape to Cape team are thrilled to have been able to bring the event back to the region for the first time since 2019, with more than 1,000 riders joining us for four days of racing, providing a great economic boost for the area," Mr Christopher said.
"Unfortunately, the recent wet weather meant that the paddock that was planned to be used for parking was not accessible ahead of today's stage.
"Once this was discovered we worked with the team at Colonial Brewing to be able to fit as many cars as possible onto their property, with some parking flowing onto surrounding roads.
"We are working with riders to make the parking situation as safe as possible, with our off-peak arrival and departure times assisting with this."
Drivers were also delayed on Friday morning, with some complaining of being late to school and work after traffic was stopped to allow riders to cross Bussell Highway as part of the second stage.
"Friday's stage also included a crossing of the Bussell Highway this morning, which was overseen by a Traffic Management company," Mr Christopher explained.
"During this time more than 1,000 riders safely crossed the Bussell Highway.
"Ahead of the event these changed traffic conditions were communicated to the community through a letterbox drop, newspaper advertising and the local community noticeboard.
"On behalf of the Cape to Cape team I'd like to thank the community for their hospitality and support of the event, the Margaret River has some of the best mountain biking in Australia and we're love being able to share it with so many riders."
Nicky Lefebvre
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
