OKAY, so here goes, I'm going to be unpopular for this view, but ask almost everyone who lives in Buninyong/Mt Helen whether Ballarat should be the "Cycling Capital of Australia" and the response will be 99 per cent negative.
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I'm not so much against the bike races, but the organiser's "Stuff you, we're in charge" attitude for the two days.
Business owners in Buni wear a massive loss every year 'cos bike riders don't buy food or drinks, they bring their own as do their support people.
The garage can't even function properly because the scaffolded seating and start/finish line obstruct the entrances and even if they didn't, no one is allowed to even use the roads for a three-kilometre radius around the town!
Try getting to the pub for a lazy Friday meal and you have to leave your vehicle three kilometres out of town and walk!
I've been refused entry to my own driveway in years gone past because I happened to live on the bike route. All they have to do is embrace the local businesses, share the love and respect people (ratepayers) who live there and they'd get a much warmer reception.
DEB HART
Mt Helen
