Breaking news from the organisers of Xterra England the Vachery Triathlon Festival today when the organisers, Brave Events, have announced that they’ve ceased trading and their two events for 2014 have been cancelled.
Citing a ‘dispute with Surrey County Council’ which has left the company ‘in a position where they are unable to deliver these events in 2014′, Brave Events will be contacting those that have entered either of the races to date.
Here is the statement from Brave Events:
We’re very sorry to have to inform you that Brave Events has ceased trading and neither of the 2014 Vachery Triathlon or XTERRA England events will now take place.
We have had to cease trading following a dispute with Surrey County Council which leaves us in the position that we are unable to deliver these events in 2014. In summary, Brave Events ran the Vachery Triathlon in 2013 on the understanding that the event was approved by the Council to run again in 2014 on the same basis (since it was not viable to run it otherwise). However the Council doesn’t now accept that position – perhaps in recognition of the highly vocal anti open-road cycling furore from local politicians and protesters that we experienced last year – which leaves Brave Events regrettably unable to deliver these events.
It has not been possible to find a practical solution to this problem. A legal challenge would be prohibitively expensive and in any event it would not be possible to continue organising Vachery and XTERRA pending the outcome of such a challenge.
We have instructed insolvency practitioners to assist with this matter and you will be receiving communication from them shortly.
Since 2012 when we first shared our plans for a world class closed road triathlon with Surrey County Council’s Olympic Legacy Team we have worked tirelessly towards that goal. It is saddening to disappoint the triathletes, spectators and volunteers who shared our vision and contributed to the short but stunning sporting success of the Vachery Triathlon and XTERRA England.
Xterra England had a successful maiden race in 2013 (the last Xterra race in the UK was in 2008) at Cranleigh in Surrey, with top off-road athletes Conrad Stoltz and Lesley Patterson just two of the athletes confirmed for what would’ve been August 2014’s race. Vachery, meanwhile, was launched in 2012 before adding a middle-distance leg with the prize pot for 2014’s race reported £10,000. The race was dogged by heated discussions with the local population (see here for more) over its plans to host open-road racing in the Surrey hills.
We’ll have more on this and the future of Xterra in the UK soon.
