Cars tyres 'punctured by Velothon protest tacks' on A4042 near Abergavenny

A PONTLLANFRAITH woman said she saw several cars parked up with flat tyres on the Velothon course near Abergavenny. Other parts of the course had had tacks thrown on the road in protest at the cycle race.

The woman, who did not want to be named, was driving to work in Abergavenny shortly before 8am when a silver Audi a few cars in front of her had a blow-out, and had to pull over to the side of the road where there were already two or three cars changing tyres.

Cars had to manoeuvre around the Audi on the narrow stretch of the A4042 near Goytre and Nant-y-derry as she drove from Pontypool, she said.

She added that the site was close to where a Velothon road closure sign had been defaced with the word ‘prison’.

Her employer said she was thankful there wasn’t an accident: “It’s very irresponsible – there are a lot of twists and turns on that road.”

UPDATE: 8.11am

AROUND five cars are reported to have had their tyres punctured this morning by tacks on the road on the Velothon route at Goytre this morning.

The stretch of road affected is the A4042 between Abergavenny and Pontypool at Goytre near Nantyderry and was part of the Velothon route.