Sir, – So Paul Lazenby says (D&S letters, July 11) that those who had the gall to object to and express our views on the Tour de France bike race are mealy-mouthed, are we?

As a true-blue, dales-type, blunt-speaking Yorkshireman, when I want to call someone mealy-mouthed I would say to his or her face and not from behind a newspaper.

Mr Lazenby used as an example the Great Yorkshire Show. Does any road closure associated with this event cause businesses to close or stop people getting to work?

No it doesn’t, because any road closed has an alternative route offered, unlike the roads closed for the bike race – does Mr Lazenby have an alternative route into Wensleydale from Knaresborough.

No I have not either.

A lot of businesses had to close that day because either staff could not get there or customers could not, or both. On the race route are four quarries, I assume they were shut as I was working in Wensleydale at that time and had been for two months.

I could not get on those roads, so neither could lorries and a lot of those lorries are owner-driven, so that is money lost.

We have been brainwashed by Gary Verity and Co that millions of pounds came into the area. Really? Well how about sharing it with those of us that lost a day’s business.

That’s what my whinge was about.

If Paul Lazenby and Leonard Shepherd (D&S letters, July 11) had asked locals their views, they would have been told by most their thoughts in words they didn’t know existed. I also read the race will bring people flocking back to North Yorkshire.

Really? Where are they going to fit in? The last time I was in York, it was shoulder to shoulder. Also, the last time I travelled from Skipton to Aysgarth, the road was like the A1. So do we need more?

I think not.

MALCOLM RAINFORTH Knaresborough.