Introduction
2009 represented the third running of the MacMillan Cancer Support Etape Caledonia – UK’s only mass participation closed road cycling event.

The event saw 3,000 cyclists take to the highlands of Scotland on 17th May. Pitch was contracted by event organisers, IMG, to generate coverage and engage media and celebrities to participate in the event. Those who took part included Sky presenters Dermot Murnaghan, Georgie Thompson and Rob Wotton, The Sunday Times’ Kate Spicer, Chei Amlani from the Daily Telegraph and Warren Pole from Live! magazine.

Crisis
Local protestors had shown opposition to the event in the two previous years and peacefully demonstrated against the closed-road nature of the event along the route. Event organisers, IMG, had liaised with the authorities before the race to ensure the roads were closed for a minimal amount of time and make aware the protestors to everybody involved. As the cyclists reached the major climb, Schiehallion, the protestors had scattered carpet tacks over the road leading to many punctures, but thankfully no serious injuries to cyclists.

Management
Pitch staff manned the event village in the hosting town of Pitlochry managing the media that turned up to report on the incident. Whilst managing the media in the town Pitch also issued statements on behalf of the event organisers to the national media.

The participating journalists finished sporadically after different experiences. The Pitch team was there to greet them on their return from the ride and provide them with statements and interviews with event organisers to ensure a positive message was portrayed in the media about the event, condemning the actions of a few.

Results
The majority of participants enjoyed the event despite the attempted sabotage conveying positive messages of team spirit against the protestors to the press.

The event raised over £300,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support and neither the riders or event organisers were deterred for future years.

Pitch developed national coverage across all major media titles. The resulting coverage was positive about the event and its management and critical of the protestors who tried to damage the spirit of the event.

Pitch generated PR print coverage of the event to the value of £700,000