Welsh charity cyclists in Spain get £7k bike customs charge

The group is raising money for Prostate Cymru

A cycling club has said it faces closure after being charged thousands of pounds on a charity bike ride in Spain.

Riders said they were told to pay an €8,500 (£7,330) tariff by Spanish border officials when they collected their bikes.

The club raises money for Prostate Cymru and some of its members have been affected by prostate cancer.

The Spanish customs authority has been approached for comment.

Some Welsh politicians said they were "appalled" by the charges.

They, along with the club, have been trying to find out why the tariff was applied as the riders were not given a clear reason.

Huw Irranca-Davies MS said the charges had "no good reason" behind them, and suggested they could be a result of post-Brexit import fees, which he believes should not have been applied to riders on a charity event.

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The cyclists, from the Tap It Out cycling club based in Pyle, Bridgend, had raised more than £16,000 for the cancer charity ahead of the 600-mile ride.

Some team members flew to the starting point in Santander and sent their bikes by ferry.

The bikes were taken to Santander by ferry

When they tried to collect the bikes however, they were faced with an unexpected fee.

Riders said they appealed to Spanish customs officials to explain that it was a charity event, but they were unable to reach a resolution.

The team said their only option was to pay the fee or cancel the ride.

Head of the group, Nicky Morgan, 46, said they raised the money from the club's accounts, but as a result they will now have to "fold the club - shut it down".

'My jaw just dropped'

The trip had already been rearranged twice due to Covid, and Mr Morgan said organising the ride had been "really stressful".

"My jaw just dropped," he said, when the additional hurdle of a customs fees became apparent.

"We were doing a charity event. It never entered our minds that we were going to sell bikes or be accused of selling bikes."

The group is riding from Santander to Lisbon

Rhys Lloyd, 33, decided to take part in the ride to represent his dad who usually participates in the club's trips but is too ill.

"We all know somebody who's been directly affected (by prostate cancer)," he said, adding that the group was passionate about raising funds for the charity.

Mr Lloyd said members of the group felt like they had been "held for ransom" and the cost would "bleed a big hole into the club".

Another rider, 48-year-old Scott Sidoli-Kenny, lost his mum to stomach cancer two years ago, and has lost colleagues to cancer too.

With one in eight men diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, he just wanted to "raise the funds and awareness" for Prostate Cymru.

'In the dark'

In a letter to the Spanish customs authority, Huw Irranca-Davies MS and Chris Elmore MP said the charges "negated the very purpose of the charity bike ride - to raise funds for Prostate Cymru which is a cause dear to so many people - but also has left a very sour feeling in relations".

They went on to demand a "full and immediate response explaining why these charges have been made".

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Speaking to BBC Wales, Mr Irranca-Davies said he had a long history of supporting Prostate Cymru.

He added that he and other politicians had been unable to get in touch with the Spanish authorities, leaving them "totally in the dark" about why the fee had been imposed, but said that they'll "keep on working to get the money back" for the club.

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