THE WITHDRAWAL of the Rosyth-Zeebrugge ferry service in September has created a headache for the organisers of a cycle run.

Planners of the second Auld Alliance cycle ride from Dunfermline to Paris have had to go back to the drawing board as their journey was planned for September 23—10 days after the last Superfast ferry will leave Rosyth.

Organiser Allan Prentice admitted that Superfast’s decision to withdraw the service was a huge blow.

With the 220-mile journey now been brought forward to September 2, it means many riders who had pledged to take part have had to cancel.

Limited accommodation on the sailings means space can only be found for 30 cyclists.

A host of dignitaries in France are being contacted, including the mayor of Paris who was scheduled to welcome the riders in the Champs Elysee on September 30.

Originally a group of 60 volunteers were planning to take part in the charity bike ride.

Mr Prentice said Dunfermline is a vital stopping off point en route as it was there the original Auld Alliance was ratified in 1296.

Aiming to get three times the number of participants this year, it was hoped to raise much more for a hospital in Malawi.

But the blow came when the plug was pulled on the Zeebrugge service.

“It has been very difficult, and we have lost some people who had to pull out because they couldn’t change their holiday arrangements.

“We have 45 intending to go, but now that will be around 22 to 25 people—so half are not able to take up the offer to be part of the ride now,” he said.

“We are still waiting for the hotels to confirm where we can stay too and get us back on course—we may have to put cyclists in several hotels as it is proving difficult to keep everyone together.

“We really didn’t want that, but I think we have to because we are still committed to going,” he said.

Mr Prentice hopes the makeshift arrangements for this year will be a distant memory, and that next year’s event will be plain sailing—provided a new ferry operator comes on board quickly so Scotland does not lose its continental link.

In addition, next year he is planning a cycle ride to NATO HQ in Brussels for the Army, Navy and Air Force Benevolent Fund, but detailed planning for that too may have to be completely rearranged if no-one steps in to run the Zeebrugge route.

Not only are these events to raise funds for charity, they are also to celebrate the increasing popularity of cycling and to promote Scotland as a cycling destination and cultivate continental links.

Mr Prentice said, “It is about charity, but also about supporting the area—and it all depends on if there is a ferry to run.

“We hope to go to Brussels at the end of March—if the ferry is there.

“If the ferry is not there we could not develop these links and promote cycling, giving people a personal challenge to cycle to the likes of Paris or Brussels, taking up cycling as a life-long habit and doing themselves and the environment good.”

Anyone who would like to take part in the revised Auld Alliance ride, or who would like to volunteer to take part as one of the promotional team should visit the website at www.prenticeevents.com.