The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AS a motorist, you can always tell a tourist. They either end up driving on the wrong side of the road, going too slowly, making a wrong turn or simply not knowing where they are going. Imagine being in that position as a visitor to the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Yesterday, the Bahamian cycling team of Chad Albury, Anthony “Biggie” Colebrooke, Jay Major and Deangelo Sturrup found themselves in a scary situation when they were escorted off a busy Scottish motorway by police in the rush hour traffic while out on a training ride.

According to team manager Barron “Turbo” Musgrove, the quartet were trailing the vehicle that was taking them on the course to the training site.

“The person who was driving just made the wrong turn,” said Musgrove, who was accompanying the driver, a Games volunteer from England. “He just got some bad directions and it almost cost us our lives.”

The Bahamian team, wearing their national colours, were spotted on the M80 near Stepps in North Lanarkshire around 8am yesterday. Motorists tried to warn the team to be careful while others called the police, who responded quickly.

They were escorted off the busy motorway and onto a safe route to the training site.

“It was a scary moment for us,” Musgrove said. “We had cars passing us up to about 60 to 80 miles per hour. After we realised that we had made the wrong turn and there was no way for us to get off, I just told the guys to stay behind our vehicle. 

“The police came and they cautioned the driver, telling him that he should know better. We were a bit concerned but we didn’t know what to do because we were riding with a local driver.”

In a statement a police spokesman said: “Four members of the Bahamas Commonwealth Games cycling team were seen on the M80 between junctions two and three. Police received reports of cyclists on the stretch of road and officers apprehended the four individuals. They were escorted off the motorway and onto a safe route.”

The incident came a day after four members of Sri Lanka’s cycling team also had to be escorted off another busy highway during their training session.

Musgrove, who is also the president of the New Providence Cycling Association, said that while it was an embarrassing episode, he is delighted that they came out unharmed.

“We didn’t know that we were doing anything wrong until we saw the heavy traffic speeding past us,” Musgrove said. “It was a bit scary, but everything worked out when the police arrived.”

After their brush with the law, Musgrove said the cyclists were a bit shaken up but they understood the necessary attention they received. He said they are still prepared to continue their quest to make headlines for the right reasons on the cycling course next week.

The team was preparing for the gruelling road race that will take place on Sunday, August 3, the final day of competition at the Games. Albury and Major are expected to compete in the time trials on Tuesday.