So the recent shooting in South Carolina has stirred the pot regarding symbols of the confederacy in the south. Here in Richmond, a lot of people are "proud" that we were the capitol of the confederacy, and Monument Avenue features a number of statues to famous confederates like Stuart and Lee.

The 2015 UCI courses with the exception of the elite men's ITT course all include a stretch of this famous street, here's the road race course-

Road Circuit

There's a new push by activists in our city to have the courses re-routed to avoid this cobbled street and the symbolism of the statues-

Group wants Monument Ave. axed from upcoming Road World Champion - NBC12 - WWBT - Richmond, VA News On Your Side

Looks like it won't really amount to anything, but it got me wondering. Do you guys think the presence of these statues, which will surely feature in thousands of photos of pro cyclists racing down this street throughout the world cycling media, will harm the image of this event and this country?

Personally, I wish they weren't there in the first place, but re-routing the course doesn't seem like a solution to me. Thoughts?