Velothon Wales road closures criticised by businesses

Some Velothon road signs in Abergavenny have been vandalised in protest at the closures

Businesses fear they will lose thousands of pounds and residents claim they will be trapped in their homes as roads are closed for a major cycling event.

About 15,000 cyclists will descend on south Wales when Cardiff hosts Velothon Wales on Sunday.

The 140km (87m) race will also go through Newport, Torfaen, Monmouthshire and Caerphilly, with some roads shut.

Organisers said they contacted those affected so they could plan around it.

Anna Jones, of Usk Garden Centre, in Llanbadoc, told BBC Wales' Jason Mohammad programme she expected the business to lose about £10,000 because customers would not be able to get there.

"We've got to think about our future and the fact that our trade is 12 weeks of the year and to be closed on a Sunday is a disaster for us," she said.

"No one has sat us down around a table, looked for alternatives."

'Enormous distress'

Carol Knight, wedding organiser at Glen Yr Afon Hotel in Usk, said a couple getting married at the venue had to get special permission from race organisers for the bridal car to travel to the hotel.

"It's caused an enormous amount of distress... it was thought they would have to cancel it [the wedding]."

"We [the hotel] would support anything that supports tourism in Wales, and we have no issue with this particular event, it was just landed on us in February and we weren't thought of."

David Evans, who lives in Talywain, Torfaen, said the road closures would leave him "marooned" and he had to cancel plans "because there's no way I can get out".

Speaking in the Senedd last week, First Minister Carwyn Jones said Velothon organisers should have spoken to residents and businesses earlier, but he was confident they were now informed of the consequences of the event.

But Steve Jenkins, chairman of Caerphilly Cycling Club, said many businesses would be benefit from the race.

"There's thousands of cyclist coming from across the country, and they have to eat, they have to sleep. There's going to be spectators going to the event; they'll be spending money along the route," he said.

Velothon Wales organisers said: "Over the past six months, we have engaged with hundreds of businesses and thousands of residents along the route to inform them of the event and the associated road closures so that they can plan around it."