Messages of support

we have all been overwhelmed by the many kind messages of support we have received since our run in with mr bellion – 

hi chris, lynne and team,

i’ve just received your email via sientries and read the post on the website.

as a fellow event organizer that has faced similar nastiness and unreasonable (rude, horrible, aggressive, selfish, shitty) behavior from locals professing to be doing it for the good of the community or environment, i have every sympathy for what you have been going though!

i am deeply frustrated and saddened by this as i attended your boxer event last year and i thought it was friendly, respectful, superbly organised and absolutely brilliant. i loved taking part. i am gutted that you will not be running any more as i would definitely have been doing another.

i totally understand the difficulties of organising events and it is impossible to please everyone. there have been times when i have wanted to jack it all in too! unfortunately i cannot afford to so i soldier on and try to remember, as i hope you will too, that there are far, far more people that enjoy and really appreciate what you do, than there are people like that nasty, small minded idiot who have nothing better to do than make other people miserable.

your events were brilliant and you will have made a lot of riders extremely happy by giving them  stunning routes, encouraging them to get out and keep fit whilst also providing work and economic benefit to the local area.

what ever you decide to do in the future i wish you all the best (and hope that miserable sod steps on a rusty nail soon!) 😉

kind regards,

chloe

love swimrun

to all at top dog events,

i am really sad to hear receive this news and know how hard a decision it must have been for you.  i also understand how difficult things have been the last few years for companies like yours.

randomly, i have never actually taken part in one of your events, but have been signed up for at least four of them – and i suppose that tells the story in itself!

thank you so much for always being so good to communicate with – you are clearly all passionate cyclists and have been doing this because you love your region and you love cycling.    i genuinely wish you all well and will definitely do one (or more) of your routes at some point in the future and tip my hat to you.

in manx gaelic – gura mie mooar eu as gow kiarail!  (thank you very much and take care)

chris coole

isle of man

hello again,

okay – i had assumed your cancellations were due to all the covid stuff – i have now read your reasons on your website. i have absolutely no words for that.   you guys could not have done more and could not have been more patient, accommodating or helpful. i will not utter what i actually think of this gentleman who has sabotaged your events.

we had a similar thing on the isle of man where a bloke removed all the signs which resulted in the event being cancelled and it has not run since.

the police got involved on the island but they were not able to identify who it was.

all the best again,

chris

very sorry to read that, chris and lynn.

so frustrating we live in a world where we have to endure plonkers like that.

any idea where i can find the chap’s email address?

best wishes to you both,

rich

sorry to hear about all the mess. what’s the world coming to ?? all the best ady

i’m sad about  what  happened with the events, i was useing those events to work my yearly training around, that person should find something real to complain about, like the invasion of the ukraine, its only one day a year, and i know that i carried my litter with me until i got home, is a shame ????.

ian

sorry to hear about your run in with a local.    the event last year was great and a welcome break from the crap that people had to ensure because of covid.    i live in an area that’s full of people like him and you have to ignore them otherwise you would never do anything!

don’t give up your passion because of the minority.

take care.

david.

fair to say mike’s a *%&£ in every sense of the word. what a shame that  such a cretin has forced you to withdraw from putting  on the sportives which over the years thousands have enjoyed .

thanks for all your efforts over the years .

we’ll miss you

all the best

pete

sorry chris,but bad decision to cancel all sportives.  what you should have done is stop all competitors at t junction as you turn into dentdale(even have feed station there),and neutral time for 5 minutes,so you could talk to each and everyone,about the steep hill,that on no account must any litter be dropped,not just in dentdale, but on the full sportive route.  totally wrong that this guy has won the day, can’t believe you made the decision you have, unless there is more to this, than what you have stated.  to finish would like to thank you and your team for all the sportives, i have been a part of,you put on excellent ones.

mike.

what the hell are these people up to!

don’t let it spoil the event!  there will never be any other events if this nimby gets his own way and ruins it for everyone.

fact that he is a cyclist shows what a disgrace he is.

well done for keeping your tone of response well considered!

don’t give up!!  i’m happy to help place signs up the evening before and have our solicitors put this guy on notice; to sue him for damages arising from any injury resulting from his actions.

the ride must go on.

garry lewis

hi, wow just read about the trouble you have had with some/one resident.

really sorry to see what you have had to deal with, some people just can’t help themselves. small minded etc….

your events were great and very enjoyable.

thank you for all your effort organising the events.

chris.

blimey. mike is an angry man isn’t he.

the blunt-headedness is staggering.

yours have been some of the best organized and most enjoyable sportives that i’ve taken part in. thank you for that. and for all of the time and effort you have all put into them over the last few years.

i’m obviously gutted that you’re cancelling future events, but completely get why.

take care folks. and thanks for the rides!

mark.

dear top dog team

my friends & i are so sorry to hear the hassle that you have gone through with this absolute imbasil!

it is so difficult to get really safe & well organised events & then idiots like this just ruin it for everyone! all his claims are baseless & if he didn’t want to live in a place that people want to visit why is he even living there!?!.

either way what he has done is criminal & you gave him every opportunity to communicate & come to a compromise! well done for all your efforts i’m just sorry that you had to be the ones to back down.

best wishes

a very upset cyclist

hi,

i was disappointed to see that the ram had been cancelled, but knowing how much effort people like yourselves put in to make these events happen, you should not be subject to such nonsense from that individual.

however, please can you advise when i expect to receive my refund?

thanks in advance,

matt

hello chris and all at topdog events,

gutted absolutely gutted for you all. i think that you are on a no win battle with this guy chris????????????????????. one man to ruin the enjoyment of a lot of people????????????. all i can say chris is many many thanks for all the sportives you and all involved have organised recently. i and no doubt many others have thoroughly enjoyed every single moment of them. personally i think topdog events are up there with the best????????????????. the organisation, routes, feedstops and friendly atmosphere are all brilliant. i really hope to see you riding somewhere someday chris i would like to personally like to say thank you to you and everyone involved for some of my happiest times riding.

many thanks once again top dog events from one very disappointed bike rider

kevin mather????????????????

dear chris

i was very sorry to hear that you have decided to stop running the events.

i appreciate that this must have been a very difficult decision after investing so much time establishing top dog.

on reading the correspondence, i realized how frustrated you and your team must be with the objector. it is desperately sad that one misguided and selfish individual can be so damaging.

my friends and i are going to travel from the isle of man to lancaster anyway and ride the route. if you can post the gpx file this will save us from getting too lost.

i sincerely hope that you will take satisfaction from all the overwhelmingly positive feedback on your events.

your hard work has been much appreciated by many people who have greatly enjoyed the rides.

best wishes

bill

dear top dog events,

i’m sorry to learn of the cancellation of the upcoming the ram yorkshire dales sportive and most of all the closure of your business, especially as cycling events like yours taking place in the north west are almost non-existent.

i was wondering if it would please be possible to get the gpx file for the event or at least confirm if the komoot route i’ve plotted (komoot – the ram – yorkshire dales 68 mile sportive) is accurate, as i intend to turn up at the start point on the day at 09:00am and see if anybody else turns up and wants to join.

i’m sure there will be others who have booked, planned  and prepared for the event and will not be willing to  let one miserable old bastard ruin our day out, as cyclists most of us already have thick skins with cars up our asses while cycling down narrow country lanes, so i would have thought the chaps comments would have been water of a ducks back for you as well, although there are probably a lot of things i haven’t considered from an event organizers position / point of view but ultimately i wouldn’t like to give that guy the satisfaction letting him think he has won.

best regards and the best of luck for the future.

scott

thanks chris

let us know what plan b is when you are able to do so.

we really enjoyed our weekend away the last time.

regards

bill

dear chris and co

i was so sorry to hear about your problems with mike of cowgill.

it is sad that one individual, with his fixed views can disrupt all your hard work and perseverance and prevent the enjoyment of so many enthusiastic cyclists.

there is no way of reasoning with such an entrenched position.

i am really sorry that you feel you have no option but to jack it all in after all your efforts. i have enjoyed each of your events that i have entered and will endeavor to ride the routes again.

i wish you all the best

thanks and regards

clare harris

you have my sympathy. reading the correspondence it is clear that mike is the nutter. not you, or the riders who take part in your events. i have enjoyed two sportives with you and found them to be well organised, clearly signposted and perfectly safe. thanks you for that.

this man is clearly a crackpot.

take a step back, take a deep breath and maybe see a way to return, albeit on a different route.

very best wishes,

steve thompson

dear top dog,

whilst not a client of yours, though i would have become one this season, i have just read your announcement of closure and the recent correspondence.

i was very sorry that you have been driven to closure and also sorry, and concerned for you all, that you have had to deal with the attitudes and unpleasantness that are expressed and reiterated in the correspondence from a member of the public. mike appears to be an unpleasant person who has latched onto an issue that he refuses to let go and even refuses to acknowledge that other views and behaviours are either valid or justified.

some people will never move from the dogma that they are right and we just have to cope with them as best we can.

anyway, my very best wishes to you all.

richard

dear chris & lynn,  and the rest of the team

a short note to say how sorry i am about you having to cancel your sportives this year and in particular the circumstances behind the decision.  it must be a difficult time for you all.

i have just seen your latest newsletter and your ideas for the future.  sounds brilliant and i would really like to take part in these whenever you set these up.

take it easy for a while, recharge your batteries and i look forward to hearing from you in the future.

all the best

michael

so sorry to hear about the news i really enjoyed your events and chatting to violet in many of them. i was just wondering how i retrieve the voucher below for the cancelled castle sportive last year.

many thanks gary sudworth

hi chris,

at 57 this would have been my first sportive, so sad you have had to cancel but i do understand.

we have decided to ride the route if you could forward me the route file.

i pity this man going through life so bitter and he is so happy to upset so many people for his own point of view which is frankly pathetic.

he should grow up and be an adult.

it sounds like quite a few people are going to ride it and it would have been far better to have an organised event.

chris.

hello sorry to hear you’ve decided to cease trading, such a shame, but wishing you well.

hope you will raise again with what was some fantastic cycling events.

we are thinking of riding the ram this sunday the 10th anyway!

would it be possible to send me the strava link.

many thanks

all the best

duncan

hi

i was really sorry to hear about the ram being cancelled. my first cycle only (usually tri) event and i was really looking forward to it.

cant believe that argument – it’s ridiculous. national parks are for everyone to enjoy and, sure litter should be no tolerance, but that guys sounded like he doesn’t want people near “his” patch.

im still intending to do the route on the same day and really looking forward to it, although its not an organised event. i wondered whether you could share the gpx route with me? obvs all at my own risk etc.

best

sean

hi

we had a great ride today, we met up with one other rider.

the area has fantastic scenery, and would like to do it again.

i hope you will continue to put the sportive on in the future.

thanks for all your help and all the best for the future.

chris who we sent a gpx of the ram route too 🙂

thanks chris,

it’s a massive shame that individual “spoilsports” can ruin things for so many others. it hurts when a handful of people can be so in-your-face selfishly disruptive, and ruin things for the greater numbers. i know it’s hard at the time, but if one was able, when confronted with selfish bullies, to recall the vastly greater number of people who you bring joy to…..

i’ll take another look at the events & dates and endeavour to be there on a top dog event.

thanks again.

roger

what a horrible excuse for a human being. i’m so sorry to hear you’re unable to continue…

zoe
chris this sounds so familiar, we get this every year with tour series, women’s tour and tour of britain, even on the day of the event, trying to stop us putting up infrastructure (podium/gantry) it’s spread nationwide this kind of behaviour.
thankfully outnumbered by the residents who are pleased to see things going on.
paul.
please please please report this self obsessed nutter to the police!!
jill.

sorry to hear there will no more events, i had been looking forward to taking part sooner or later. good luck with the future!

pete

trying to reason with these people is likely to be a complete waste of time and effort, i can’t help wondering whether they would have any objection to a running event on the same route that was similarly signposted. dod.

chris, i’m gutted for you. i hope you have a plan to take care of yourself. maybe a good ride out.
dave.
we at 3-1-5 health club have always supported chris, lynne and top dog events who have offered nothing less than pure professionalism, organisation and faultless service through-out every event, before, during and after. we will continue to support our partners on the journey ahead, whatever that journey may be. we are also very sorry that they’ve felt they had to cancel their events. i know it was a very difficult decision to make.
i had been looking forward so much to booking on most of your amazing rides during 2022 especially the beast. i am so sorry chris and lynne for you both and the rest of the team .
violet (74 years old)