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BMW driver filmed assaulting cyclist digs hole on social media; Separate queues for auto + bikes at Halfords; Andy Murray takes up cycling; £13m cycling + walking boost for South West; Winning the Tour "like a drug", says Bernal + more on the live blog

Welcome to Tuesday's live blog, with Jack Sexty at the controls and Simon MacMichael taking over later this evening. ...
UPDATED Sun, Jun 28, 2020 13:58
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BMW driver filmed assaulting cyclist digs hole on social media; Separate queues for auto + bikes at Halfords; Andy Murray takes up cycling; £13m cycling + walking boost for South West; Winning the Tour "like a drug", says Bernal + more on the live blogbmw driver assault 23 june 2020 2 - via twitter.PNG
23 June 2020, 14:09
Chief Superintendent says he will "advise magistrates" over assault driver's attitude

He still hasn't deleted the account, and now Chief Superintendent Raj Kholi has got involved and doesn't have much time for the man's threats or mocking of the justice system. We'll be sure to update on how this one turns out... 

23 June 2020, 15:01
Winning the Tour de France is "like a drug", says Egan Bernal
Egan Bernal and Dave Brailsford (via ITV Cycling on Twitter)

He probably could have chosen a different simile to avoid any unwanted digs, but Egan Bernal used the description to tell France TV about his desire for more success at the highest level. The Colombian said:

"There is nothing like winning a Tour de France, and what follows is winning another Tour de France. It is like a drug. Once you have tried it, you get it, you want more, always more, you never have enough.

"When you win a Tour, you want to win a second, then a third ... and establish a record.

"I will give the show that the public expects and I will be at the height of the race . I will give the best of myself, the best of Egan Bernal."

23 June 2020, 13:28
Cyclists using the (Halfords) cycle lane: retailer creates separate queues for car and bike customers... and guess which one is much longer than the other

With record numbers getting old bikes out the shed and buying new ones alike, the need for mechanical assistance and buying advice has surged... and Halfords have even taken to splitting their queue for 'auto' and 'bike' customers, with the auto queue empty and the line for bike services about eight-deep at this branch. Other retailers/LBS's are available of course; but with Halfords catering to drivers and cyclists, this photo sums up the demand for everything two-wheeled as opposed to four in one place. 

23 June 2020, 13:44
Former Team Sky rider Kanstantsin Siutsou given four year doping ban

 

Kanstantsin Siutsou (photo credit Bahrain-Merida).JPG

The 37-year-old - who last rode for Bahrain-Merida before his retirement in 2018 - has been banned for four years for taking erythropoietin. An out of competition test in September 2018 found the adverse analytical finding of the drug from a sample collected on earlier in the year, and a UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal has now found him guilty of rule violations. 

We haven't received confirmation of the date the ban will start and when it will run to - relevant considering the Belarusian has been retired for almost two years - and will update when the UCI publish their full decision. 

23 June 2020, 13:14
Andy Murray reveals that he's discovered road cycling during the lockdown
Andy Murray, US Open 2012, Francisco Diez, Wikimedia Commons

He's certainly not the first to join in with Britain's lockdown cycling boom, but the two-time Wimbledon champ has revealed that after his wife bought him a bike for his birthday, he now grand slams on the pedals for up to an hour and a half on his regular rides around Surrey. 

Murray wrote in his BBC column: "I've been out quite a bit on routes fairly close to where I live in Surrey ever since. I usually ride for 60-90 minutes and one of my favourite rides is Box Hill, a famous route in the Surrey Hills, where the Olympic cyclists rode during London 2012.

"When I've been out, I've been trying to beat the times I've done the week before. It is a nice way to compete against yourself and give you something to aim for. With the tracking apps you can also keep an eye on what your friends are doing too; it's often a good source of banter."

Murray didn't exactly endear himself to the cycling community back in 2012, when he claimed that "there's very little skill involved in the Tour de France" when asked to draw comparisons between anti-doping efforts in tennis and cycling. He later backtracked, and now eight years on, perhaps he's a few tricky descents away from totally changing his mind...

23 June 2020, 13:51
Bike fits are back at Condor
Condor Bike Fit

Having updated the way that they assess a rider and ensured that both the customer and rider will be safe, Condor are getting back to bike fitting. You don't have to be buying a bike, or even own a Condor, though you could always get yourself fitted for a new Italia RC Disc...

23 June 2020, 12:58
Cars parked in Liverpool cycle lane: no change

After our lead story on yesterday's live blog reported that a pop-up cycle lane in Liverpool had become what the spotted described as a 'temporary car park', a new video has emerged today which shows that numerous cars are still parked on it, with Liverpool City Council yet to respond. 

23 June 2020, 11:57
Cafe stops are back on
coffee - 1.jpg

You'll be able to stop for a caffeine hit mid-ride from the 4th July after the government's latest lifting of restrictions.

23 June 2020, 10:58
Driver caught assaulting cyclist on camera is still digging

The man claiming to be the driver in a video in which he assaults a cyclist following alleged dangerous driving is continuing to post on a newly created Twitter account. He claims he is not scared of the police, believing he will only be handed a fine for his offences. He is also challenging others who have denounced his actions, asking for their addresses and threatening to visit them. 

23 June 2020, 11:44
More good news for the South West, as eight mile stretch of the popular Strawberry Line to be resurfaced
Strawberry Line 2 - via wiki commons

If you've ever cycled over to the Thatchers cider farm via the Strawberry Line, you'll be well aware that wider tyres are recommended... but your chances of a puncture between Congresbury and Sandford could soon be considerably less, as work will start next week on resurfacing an eight mile stretch of the popular cycle route, which has seen usage increase by nearly 50% during the lockdown according to the Bristol Post. 

Some sections will also be widened, and will be closed between 29th-30th June for improvements. It was Thatcher's Cider who allowed the Council to extend the works due to their assistance and co-operation because they own part of the section that will be widened and improved... cheers to that. 

23 June 2020, 11:36
£13 million South West cycling and walking improvements: any of that for outside of Bristol?
Bath cyclist in traffic (via iPlayer).jpg

...asks Darren C in the comments, as most of the improvements mentioned in the press release are for central Bristol and its suburbs. 

We asked the West of England Combined Authority to tell us how much of the cash is earmarked for places outside of Bristol, and they replied saying that there will be pavement widening on numerous streets in Bath City Centre, changes to road space in Thornbury and various upgrades in South Gloucestershire. This includes a £2.9million investment to improve cycling and walking in Stoke Gifford, and the clearing of overhanging branches and vegetation on some of the busiest cycle routes in the county, including on the Bristol to Bath Railway Path and the A4174 Ring Road.

23 June 2020, 09:55
Some Wiggle customers are still claiming they haven't received a response over account hacks

The online multisport retail giant issued a statement last week to promise that all customers who had bogus purchases made on their Wiggle accounts will be refunded; however some still claim they are yet to hear from them, and numerous negative comments are still being left on Wiggle's social media pages. We'll be asking them for an update soon. 

23 June 2020, 08:19
BMW driver 'almost ran over' cyclists, then stopped to launch a vicious assault...and appears to have replied on Twitter to say there are 'two sides' to the story

Around 12 seconds into the clip filmed in the London Borough of Camden, a man on a bike says to the driver of the untaxed BMW: "You nearly ran her over, are you going to apologise?", before the driver then attempts to kick the cyclist off his bike. The driver then goes back to the vehicle - which is left in the road with the hazard lights on - and takes off at speed. The MET Police and numerous others commented under the post on Twitter to urge the person who uploaded the clip to report the incident. 

Bizarrely, someone claiming to be the driver has replied to the thread saying that there are "to (sic) sides to a story", but apologises for the reaction. 

In another tweet, the owner of the account - with a profile picture showing a car that has the same registration plates as the car in the clip - posted: "Lol had to join yesterday after seeing all this". We've a feeling the account won't be live for very long...

23 June 2020, 10:05
23 June 2020, 09:00
£13 million cycling and walking investment announced for South West England
Cyclists in Bristol (licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 by Sam Saunders on Flickr)

The West of England Combined Authority have announced that £3 million will be spent on short-term measures to help with social distancing while cycling and walking, and the further £10 million will be used for 'longer term solutions' to encourage active travel in the region. 

The West of England Mayor Tim Bowles said: “During the lockdown many people have taken advantage of quieter roads to walk or cycle more regularly. This new funding is helping to make sure we can safely move around our communities again, but also aims to create a long term, positive legacy of more cycling and walking in the region as restrictions ease. We have a real opportunity to capture the positive changes we have seen to improve the physical and mental health of residents and cut carbon emissions, improve air quality and ease congestion across the West of England.”

Changes are already been implemented by local councils in the South West, including a reallocation of road space in Bristol suburbs such as Clifton Village, Downend, Filton and Staple Hill. All temporary measures will be reviewed, with the possibility to form part of 'longer-term solutions' if successful. 

23 June 2020, 08:35
Swiss rider completes first ever wheelie'd everesting
wheelie everesting - via strava.PNG

Manuel Schiedegger has had his attempt verified by Hells 500, and claims to have done a wheelie for the whole effort that took him over 21 hours, with nearly 14 hours of 'moving time' according to his Strava upload. Schiedegger was raising money for the Wheels for Nepal charity, and has uploaded a minute and a half of his suffering to YouTube... 

23 June 2020, 09:06
Cyclists are littering the countryside again

But seriously, pick your gel wrappers up folks. 

23 June 2020, 09:08

Can't see the comments? Click here. 

Jack Sexty

Jack has been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of the website including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named Editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master's degree in print journalism and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it's a long story). 

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36 comments

Avatar
Jigzy99 | 4 years ago
2 likes

I wish people would stop referring to Bristol and Gloucester as the Southwest.  It is the West (of England). Southwest is Devon and Cornwall (Penzance is 222 miles from Gloucester) and we are not getting anything like the investment that Bristol/Bath is getting!

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EK Spinner replied to Jigzy99 | 4 years ago
0 likes

well from Penznanc Brstol is probably NorthEast so I do feel your pain, but I would prefer that compass directions were not used as if they fixed places.

My pet peeve in this paticular field is road signs that rfer to "the NORTH" when driving up the M6 these stop about half way up the UK, Aberdeen and Inverness are sill 300+ mile in a northerly direction (and still plenty country north of that)

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leqin | 4 years ago
2 likes

I have to admit that it is amazing the amount of stuff that bicycle riders have littered my countryside bike commute with these past few months. Childrens bicycles - good ones and if I had only thought about it I should have called back and picked them up and made a profit. Three Piece suites - several - one even in a nice leather. Chest Freezer. Multiple Refrigerators. Gas Oven/Hobs. Multiple Microwaves. Kids Toys. Double Glazing Units. Bedding and Beds. Multiple Chidrens Buggies/Pushchairs. Almost 24 whole Bin Liner sacks full of topsoil, Shrubberies. A massive collection of used baby nappies......... and the list goes on and on and on and I haven't any doubt my local councils are browned off with the amount of reporting I have been making to get it all removed.

Bicycle riders are some of the most agrecious flytippers you could possibly imagine and it amazing how they manage to carry so much on just 2 wheels

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brooksby | 4 years ago
4 likes

"Two sides to every story", you say?

"You shouted abuse at me for (honestly!) no reason at all" = "I stopped my car in the middle of the road, came over, and kicked you".

Not sure the two are equivalent, really...

 

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mdavidford | 4 years ago
2 likes

To be fair, whoever parked that second car in the cycle lane had put the mirror in to make room to get past. cool

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Notbuilt2climb | 4 years ago
4 likes

What a dick that BMW driver is!  So much anger.  But this sort of thing is happening everywhere.  Everyone is in such a rush when there is no need to be.  What's going on?  Cycling home from work the other day, I saw a car being driven ridiculously close the back wheel of another cyclist whilst approaching red traffic lights.  He had no where to go and nothing to gain.  Another cyclist tried to make a point of it to the driver but it fell on deaf ears.

Was on the Triangle in Clifton, Bristol lunchtime yesterday and there was a group of about 6 or 7 lads on the MTB outside Sainsburys blocking 75% of the pavement.  And a lot of pedestrians seem to ignore the 2m rule as it is (including inside shops etc).

Great to see the Strawberry line being used so much and the planned works.

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paulrbarnard replied to Notbuilt2climb | 4 years ago
1 like

Notbuilt2climb wrote:

Great to see the Strawberry line being used so much and the planned works.

I rode it on Sunday on 700 24 tires. It was a bit rough. I saw the closure notices.
It would be great to get a good surface on a lot of the old railway lines. Perhaps they can also get the missing link done in Frome or the Somerset and Dorset route opened all the way through. Those would form the base of a great long distant traffic free cycling network in the South West.
My route on Sunday started with the Frome to Radstock cycle path, then on to the Radstock to Bath cycle path which has a terrible hilly gap at Mells. I took the Two Tunnels then the linear parkway through Bath and got on the Bath to Bristol railway path. That took me to Temple Meads in Bristol where I followed the city cycle lanes down the river and to Ashton Court. From there it was quiet roads and a few cycle paths to Nailsea then Yatton to pick up the Strawberry line. I followed that to Cheddar then had to hit the roads again for the rest of the trip back home.  
Continuing the Strawberry line on from Cheddar and putting in the proposed links with Wells, Shepton Mallet and Frome would form a fantastic network.  

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Durin90 | 4 years ago
1 like

Why people keep feeding trolls like the 'big boy' from BMW?
Clearly seen, as soon as cyclist get off the bike, the boy is getting back to the car. Guess it's easier to kick someone while they have a vehicle between their legs. 

Stop making stupid people famous. I know it's tempting to answer, but what's the point? In his head he's the one who did 'nothing wrong' because there are 'to sides of the story'.

Police already queried this, so I hope the guy will get done by them. Until then, let's not fuel his stupidity further otherwise next time he'll really run someone over.

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Rick_Rude | 4 years ago
2 likes

Why does everyone stand around doing nothing in these sort of videos? If was with 2 of my mates and this clown on his own had kicked me, he'd have had a right hook to the side of head from one of them by the time his kick had landed. He wasn't a brick shithouse or anything. 

I also think the police need to change or lobby to changed whatever law it is that stops you doing anything about an obvious crime without the victim coming forward. It's on video. It happened. Do something about it. They are quick enough to jump on victimless crime like someone doing a wheelie on video. 

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jollygoodvelo replied to Rick_Rude | 4 years ago
4 likes

Rick_Rude wrote:

Why does everyone stand around doing nothing in these sort of videos? If was with 2 of my mates and this clown on his own had kicked me, he'd have had a right hook to the side of head from one of them by the time his kick had landed. He wasn't a brick shithouse or anything. 

I also think the police need to change or lobby to changed whatever law it is that stops you doing anything about an obvious crime without the victim coming forward. It's on video. It happened. Do something about it. They are quick enough to jump on victimless crime like someone doing a wheelie on video. 

Bystander apathy, plus also in certain parts of London especially there's a small but significant chance of getting stabbed.

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NZ Vegan Rider replied to Rick_Rude | 4 years ago
0 likes

They're gutless, slow thinking and lacking empathy.

I would've stepped in.

I've worked with youth offenders. If they're about to fight if someone does step in (keeping themselves safe-ish) it usually ends before it starts. People often need a 'big' person to do the right thing.

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Titanus | 4 years ago
0 likes

One of these days there'll be a video of a cyclist that actually completes his/her journey. But then again there might be a video of a sober Irishman so lets not get our hopes up.

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fukawitribe replied to Titanus | 4 years ago
7 likes

WTAF ?

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willnottolerate... replied to Titanus | 4 years ago
2 likes

Wouldn't you rather be watching your Jim Davidson video collection than posting here? If you can find the time click here https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/racism

 

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Gus T | 4 years ago
0 likes

Am I the only one that noticed the BMW driver going back to his car after the cyclist had got off his bike. 

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eburtthebike | 4 years ago
1 like

I look forward to the court reports of Lucus' trial, conviction and incarceration at her majesty's pleasure for at least six months.  Oh, and the confiscation of the car.

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essexian replied to eburtthebike | 4 years ago
1 like

If I may add: "the confiscation and crushing of the car."

 

 

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jollygoodvelo replied to essexian | 4 years ago
2 likes

essexian wrote:

If I may add: "the confiscation and crushing of the car."

Waste of resources.  Just confiscate it and sell, use the funds for driver education.

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kil0ran replied to eburtthebike | 4 years ago
1 like

With all the social media bragging going on I'd hope it would be longer. After all, that's part of what did for Charlie Allison...

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Awavey | 4 years ago
3 likes

 I thought car tax fines were just automatic thesedays, how is driving around for 4months in London,triggering APNR, CCTV,congenstion charge cameras left right and centre,thereby proving you arent keeping the thing off the road, not just result in automatic fines or a visit by the police ? do DVLA not care anymore ?

its just because Ive noticed it seems an increasing trend especially among those who drive like idiots around cyclists especially to not have car tax, makes me wonder what the level is at as a whole, but when Im seeing maybe one a week and Im only checking the really rubbish bits of driving around me, its got to be near like catching fish in a barrel for the police.

 

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quiff replied to Awavey | 4 years ago
0 likes

I don't know how VED enforcement works in practice, but if someone wilfully refuses to pay VED, then chances are they aren't going to pay any resulting automated fines either. I guess effective enforcement for those drivers relies on being spotted by an ANPR car / for another driving offence and then physically pulled over. I can't imagine police priorities allow them to do speculative dorstep visits for VED.    

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OldRidgeback | 4 years ago
11 likes

The nugget in the BMW may claim that there are two sides to a story but the fact is, assault is assault. And if the vehicle deson't have a valid VED, then it shouldn't be on the road and is also uninsured.

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mike the bike replied to OldRidgeback | 4 years ago
0 likes

If only that were true OR. But in fact failure to pay VED doesn't normally affect one's insurance.  This charming young man will be fined and have to pay the back duty.

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Zebulebu | 4 years ago
8 likes

That bloke in the Beemer really isn't the sharpest tool in the box is he?

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quiff replied to Zebulebu | 4 years ago
1 like

His tweets are so self-destructive that I wonder if "a friend" is writing them on his behalf

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eburtthebike replied to Zebulebu | 4 years ago
1 like

Zebulebu wrote:

That bloke in the Beemer really isn't the sharpest tool in the box is he?

Not even the sharpest spoon in the cutlery drawer.

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brooksby | 4 years ago
0 likes

Does it really surprise anyone that Bristol City Council put in 'pavement widening' in Clifton Village before everywhere else?  Still waiting for that pavement widening on the Triangle, guys!

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hawkinspeter replied to brooksby | 4 years ago
0 likes

I didn't know they'd actually done any pavement widening. The only difference I saw was that pop-up lane near Bradley Stoke that lasted 4 days.

Why the Triangle, though? Seems to have quite wide pavements as it is, but then here in St George we have tiny pavements with busy shops. However, the busy road is too narrow as it is with lorries unloading etc. and being the main route from East Bristol into the centre.

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brooksby replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
0 likes

They've removed the on-street parking along the main road through the village (Princess Victoria Street?) and put bollards out so that the pavements are all doubled in width along there (it was always just a single lane of one-way traffic).

The Triangle: problem there is the queue to get into Sainsburys, or into the banks, or into Wilko, or waiting for a bus... The pavement is quite wide but nowhere near wide enough for safe distancing past all those queues without walking on the road, and the bus stops and taxi rank kind of get in the way.

Bristol CC said they were going to remove a traffic lane to allow for safe distancing, but it hasn't happened yet...

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hawkinspeter replied to brooksby | 4 years ago
0 likes

I haven't been along Princess Victoria St in a while though I've been cycling around the Downs and down along Clifton Hill a few times recently. I've seen the queues around the Triangle, but they don't compare to Church Rd where the pavement isn't even 2m wide and has queues.

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