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Mount Royal Cemetery is banning cyclists from its grounds as of Aug. 1, saying high-speed riders are showing “flagrant disregard of the safety of pedestrians and of the character of the cemetery.”

“It’s unfortunate, but it’s a step that has been overdue for a while,” said David Scott, the executive director of Mount Royal Commemorative Services.

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Families and other visitors used to be welcome to pedal their bikes through the picturesque cemetery, a National Historic Site of Canada founded in 1852.

But in recent years, spandex-clad bikers who speed down its winding paths have been threatening the safety of mourners and the site’s tranquility, Scott said.

“The volume and the speed are just incompatible with our basic purpose,” he said.

The cemetery has made repeated efforts over the past two years to get competitive cyclists to slow down and respect the sanctity of the environment, all to no avail, he said.