Mark Cavendish edits sign to mark 31st Tour de France stage win; Primoz Roglic reveals crash injuries; Rider protest; £100k for pothole claim cyclist; Rowe fined for ‘insults’; Boardman tipped for National Cycling Commissioner role + more on the Live Blog
SUMMARY
Rowe wasn't happy with race officials' decision to allow Geraint Thomas no help
…. 2/2 the peleton I spoke to the jury and said this was not correct under the extreme circumstances of a nasty crash and a mangled shoulder. I shouted at the jury and said some words i shouldn’t of. There ya have it, peace out ✌️ #chill
— Luke Rowe (@LukeRowe1990) June 28, 2021
Ineos Grenadiers rider Luke Rowe has been handed a 300CHF fine and docked 20 UCI points for “assault, intimidation, insults, threats, or improper conduct.”
Rowe said in a tweet that once he had helped Thomas back to the peloton, he “spoke to the jury and said this was not correct under the extreme circumstances of a nasty crash and a mangled shoulder.”
Rowe admitted that “I shouted at the jury and said some words I shouldn’t of.”
Rowe has a very valid point and you can see why he was angry when Primoz Roglic crashed with 10km to go. The Jumbo Visma team car came past Roglic and his teammates and proceeded to sit in front of the group, towing them up to what was the second group on the road and limiting the time that Roglic lost in the general classification.
While Rowe was indeed wrong to speak in the way that he did, the lack of consistency in which the rules are applied must be incredibly frustrating.
TDF situation update
Yesterday’s stage was another that was marred by big crashes with Roglic’s mountain domestique Robert Gesink and GC hopeful Jack Haig failing to finish. Aussie sprinter Caleb Ewan is also out after a high-speed crash in the closing meters. Here’s where things stand.
Ineos Grenadiers look to have come through the carnage with the best GC placing. Giro winner Richard Carapaz is in third, just 31″ down on yellow. Wilco Kelderman is quietly sitting at 38″ while last year’s winner Tadej Pogacar is at 39″. Geraint Thomas is at 1’07” while Primoz Roglic had a disastrous day, slipping to 1’35”.
It’s another sprint stage today and given their dominance yesterday, Alpecin-Fenix will be feeling confident about launching Belgian Tim Merlier to a second stage win.
The Times names Chris Boardman as favourite to oversee active travel in England
The Times’ Transport Editor, Nicholas Hellen reports that Chris Boardman is currently favourited to become England’s first National Cycling and Walking Commissioner.
If accurate, the claim, which appeared in the print version of the Sunday Times, would see the former Olympic champion aim to take the successes and knowledge gained during his time as Greater Manchester’s Cycling Commissioner and apply it on a national scale.
Hellen suggests that one of the main aims will be to entice a portion of school run parents out of their cars, with safe cycles lanes being key to this aim.
Back in February, Grant Shapps said that the government wants “half of all journeys in towns and cities to be walked or cycled by 2030,” however, Shapps lacked information regarding the funding that would be made available past 2025 to make this possible.
The move to appoint a Walking and Cycling Commissioner in a national role could be one step towards achieving this goal.
"The situation is far from good": Primoz Roglic will "see how it goes" on stage 4
The Slovenian is one of many battered riders taking to the start line today, but arguably he is more battered than most… at 1m 35 secs down in the general classification and 56 secs behind his main rival and countryman Pogacar, can Roglic do the unthinkable and get himself back into contention in this state?
More war wounds for Jumbo-Visma
Unfortunately for Steven Kruijswijk this isn’t the latest hip custom shoe design from VeloKicks, just a very bloodied leg.
Kruijswijk himself shared the pic via his Instagram account apologising for messing up Sepp Kuss’s bike. Those two Euro last 16 matches were definitely eventful last night, but not this eventful!
Suplest bring out Spartacus to show off shiny new EDGE+ GAME ON ltd edition shoes
Cancellera is rocking the new EDGE+ GAME ON shoes that are “vivid and ready to perform where the sports world is competing”, according to Suplest. Two BOA dials sit atop of the Japanese microfiber upper, and the carbon sole has Suplest’s ‘Solestar’ insole that allows “an efficient boost power to the pedal during the whole ride.”
All that attention to detail and borrowing Fabian Cancellara for your promo means these shoes don’t come cheap – they’re priced at 379 euros on the Suplest website.
Fastest LEJOG in history completed by relay team
As that stage was pretty hectic yesterday, we’re still catching up from some weekend news on home soil… a big one being the setting of a new provisional Guinness World Record for riding LEJOG as a relay team, who completed the official route in a time of 38 hours 54 minutes – for reference, the Road Records Association record for an individual on a conventional bicycle is held by Michael Broadwith, who completed the route in 43 hours 25 minutes back in 2018.
The team of 12, which included Torq Fitness owner Matt Hart, had to pass a GPS-enabled baton during changeovers to satisfy Guinness rules. “By relay, Steve meant splitting the route into sections and each rider having 3-4 focussed efforts of roughly an hour, taking it in turns to do the distance whilst passing a GPS baton”, as it’s explained on the Torq Fitness website.
Starting at 5am on Saturday, the team finished at around 8pm on Sunday, smashing their 40 hour target and raising £640 for the Jigsaw charity at the time of writing.
Tour de France stage 4 underway: riders plan to pause then ride first 10km 'slowly' in protest, while CPA deny official protest will take place
#TDF2021 – Stage 4 started. Riders on their way to Km 0.
There will be a minute stop and then first 10 Kms paced slowly as a sign of protest against yesterday route.#LFRLive
— La Flamme Rouge (@laflammerouge16) June 29, 2021
To protest against yesterday’s route following a stage marred by horrendous crashes, it was reported that riders will pause for a minute at kilometre 0 (which should be coming up any second now at the time of writing) and will ride the first 10km slowly.
There were some suggestions that any protest would be cancelled, as teams failed to reach an agreement. Here is the CPA’s statement on the matter (translated) released about an hour ago, that denies that any official protest will take place:
After the crashes during the third stage of the Tour de France, the riders discussed the measures to be taken to underline their dissatisfaction and the lack of attention on problems related to safety.
Although their frustration is great with foreseeable and preventable incidents, the riders wish to underline the respect they express towards their sponsors, their sports groups, the organisers and their international institutions. The spectators are very important to them, so that is why they will be practicing their profession as professional cyclists today.
The riders of the Tour de France ask, in return for the respect they express, the same for their physical integrity, which is why they are asking the UCI to set up discussions with all the parties and stakeholders to adapt the 3km rule during stage races.
With this noble proposal, the riders intend to show their understanding to all parties and to open up to a constructive dialogue rather than prompting actions that could create difficulties for cycling and the fans. However, the riders and the CPA will be determined to pursue the changes that are more than necessary.
Rider protest: reports of 'disjointed stoppage', and CPA recognise mini-protest
At KM 0 of today’s stage of the Tour de France, riders paused in solidarity as part of their calls for UCI to set up discussions to adapt the 3 km rule during stage races. #SafetyFirst #StrongerTogether
— CPA Cycling (@cpacycling) June 29, 2021
While denying that a protest would take place an hour ago, the CPA has now tweeted “in solidarity” with the riders, who stopped at kilometre 0 as rumoured.
According to our news editor Simon MacMichael, the protest looked disjointed with a number of riders – including Julian Alaphilippe – appearing to be unhappy with what was going on.
To refresh those who aren’t regular followers of pro cycling, the CPA, which has existed since 1999, is a not-for-profit organisation set up to defend the interests of professional cyclists. The mission statement on its website says: “The CPA works towards giving riders the opportunity to defend their interests, see their rights respected, and demand improved working conditions. Gathered in the strong and cohesive community of the CPA, the riders can make their voices heard in negotiations and in the dialogue with the other key players of world cycling, such as UCI, teams, and race organisers.”
That smug feeling of being Swiss on a mostly French breakfast table
Après une belle nuit, Stefan Küng a choisi d’exhiber ses couleurs nationales 🇨🇭 pour chambrer ses coéquipiers français ce matin. 😅 (Instagram @jacopoguarnieri) #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/c6eut7pB53
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) June 29, 2021
Following a shock result for the Swiss national football team over their neighbours last night at the European champs, Stefan Kung of Groupama–FDJ (a French team, whose riders are overwhelmingly French) decided to rub it in at breakfast. Guess who’s going to be on bottle-fetching duty for Groupama during today’s stage…
Cyclist gets £100,000 compensation from Surrey County Council for pothole injuries
An FOI request has revealed that Surrey Council alone paid £400,00 in compensation for pothole-related incidents between April 2019 and March 2020, and one of those was a £100,000 payout for a single cyclist’s claim. Surrey Live report that the council is yet to confirm if the pothole in question on Leith Hill Road in Dorking has been fixed.
Countrywide, councils in England paid out £8.3 million in compensation claims and legal fees in the same period. Manchester topped the charts, with claims totalling £1,165,279.
The other Geraint Thomas is having problems again
— Geraint Thomas (@geraintthomas) June 29, 2021
Probably more so at this time of year more than any other, the Twitter notifications of Geraint Thomas (not a professional cyclist) are flooded with things meant FAO Geraint Thomas (professional cyclist). As can be seen from this pinned tweet we expect that it peaked three years ago when Geraint Thomas (professional cyclist) won the Tour de France; but still Geraint Thomas (a university lecturer in visual effects, not a pro cyclist) is having to virtually bat them off left, right and centre…
Done. Enjoy the tweets about cars, Lego, and lack of cycling. #imnotthecyclist https://t.co/Tampeksl7W
— Geraint Thomas (@geraintthomas) June 28, 2021
Looking forward to the Olympics, other Geraint Thomas?
TDF stage 4 update: Cav wins... the intermediate sprint
💚 @MarkCavendish takes 3rd place at the intermediate sprint and scores 15 points in the green jersey classification.
💚 @MarkCavendish prend la 3ème place au sprint intermédiaire et marque 15 points au classement du maillot vert. Affaire à suivre !#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/T4xgLAlCRH
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 29, 2021
He might not have took the stage yet, but Cav has shown his intent by taking an intermediate sprint. Will the Manxman put the icing on the cake of his remarkable comeback this afternoon?
Cav takes stage 4 in dramatic sprint
HE’S DONE IITTTTTTTTT!!!!!!
Mark Cavendish of Deceuninck Quick-Step has taken the win on stage 4 of the Tour de France!
After a half-hearted rider protest at the top of the day, the pace gradually ramped up and the expected sprint finish looked certain to materialise.
Brent van Moer held off the chasing pack for a surprising amount of time, going solo from the breakaway with just over 10km left to ride. It looked good for the 23 year-old Lotto Soudal rider who has form with this sort of move.
Moer took stage 1 of the Criterium du Daupine at the end of last month and while the sprint teams waited for a team to really take up the chase, Moer buried himself to hold the gap at over a minute until the final 6 kilometres.
But it was the Manx Missile that turned the clock back to take the sprint and it’s what we love to see.
"So many didn't believe in me": Cav talks to the press after amazing victory
Just pure emotion.
Mark Cavendish. One of the best ever. Simple.#ITVCycling pic.twitter.com/6xWkCOc00m
— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) June 29, 2021
Cavendish told ITV4 that he didn’t believe he would ever come back to the Tour de France in an emotional interview, thanking his team for believing in him.
The greatest sporting comeback of all time? We can’t think of anything better.
Cav "back where he belongs"
Back where he belongs 👏#TDF2021
Photo: A.S.O. / Charly Lopez pic.twitter.com/60aKEQ9lXK— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) June 29, 2021
Class is permanent. On this – a memorable evening for many of us who reside on or in between the British Isles – we’ll leave you with a bunch of uplifting Cav-related tweets. Whatever your talent, hobby, profession etc… never give up!
So awesome seeing @MarkCavendish prove the doubters wrong today 🤫😁 #TDF2021
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 29, 2021
When sporting greats fade, you question whether the standards have increased, whether that athlete would have won in the modern era, even at their peak.
Mark Cavendish has now beaten three generations of the best sprinters, on the biggest stage. No more questions needed.
— Daniel Lloyd (@daniellloyd1) June 29, 2021
Remember: Lion never sleeps! 🦁
LEGEND! 👏🏻 @MarkCavendish#TDF2021
📷 @GettySport pic.twitter.com/ulfuEy6Mky— Michał Kwiatkowski (@kwiato) June 29, 2021
Never in doubt eh, @GeraintThomas86 😜
Congrats, @MarkCavendish #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/TOln8s83um
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) June 29, 2021
“I don’t know what to say, man!”🤯@MarkCavendish showed that class is permanent as he returned to winning at @LeTour following some impressive work by @deceuninck_qst 🎥
____#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/E8BKfR9I23— Velon CC (@VelonCC) June 29, 2021
Hang on...
That sign needs a little update 😉
Le panneau doit être mise à jour 😉
x31 @MarkCavendish #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/If6bDU4Gzd
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 29, 2021
We’ll go one better, and share Cav editing this sign to correctly read 31 victories rather than just the 30 he’d won as of summer 2016. Will we see him make it to 34 to level the great Eddy Merckx, or even 35 to surpass him this TDF? We wouldn’t put it past the greatest sprinter of all time.
> “The stars aligned” – Mark Cavendish wins first Tour de France stage win in five years
29 June 2021, 07:45
Full story, that will be updated shortly. We're welling up!
“The stars aligned” – Mark Cavendish wins first Tour de France stage win in five years (+ video)
The peloton left it very late ... but made the catch of escapee Brent Van Moer just metres from the line
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Latest Comments
Bit confused now Tom, you said that "AFAIK nobody said he’s going to ride to win the GC", I gave you an example of Seixas himself talking about going for GC, now you're saying there you are, there is evidence that he's talking about the GC? I know that, it was me who shared the quote.
Couldn't have a much more perfect example for a certain poster of how cycling continues to feel the full force of climate change...
@Rendel Harris Oh, and by the way. "But I will not take risks for something other than the GC." - this could just as well be read as "I won't take any risks unless it's really, really worth it." They're not even talking about snatching the maillot jaune for a day, but about the GC. Who wouldn't, if they had a opportune shot at that?
Here's a photo I took on Alpe d'Huez at TdF 1991. L to R: Gianni Bugno, Miguel Indurain, Luc Leblanc. They would finish the stage in that order, Bugno winning. Yes, colour film was available in 1991 but that day I chose to use black and white knowing that many years hence it would look epic.
Riding a bike is green. Pro cycling is not. Don't greenwash us by confusing one with the other.
The first 750 words of this article comprise a detailed explanation of the ways in which cycling continues to feel the full force of climate change. Perhaps more time reading what's actually written before rushing to spaff nonsense everywhere might help your comprehension.
Sadiq Khan and TfL cannot be accused of neglecting cycling. They have greatly improved provision in London. Yes there is a lot more that could be done, but we need to be patient. The public finances aren't in good shape, so things are going to b e tight for some time.
@Rendel Harris "ultimately football at every level is played on roughly the same size to pitch, the goals are the same size and there are eleven players on each team." Except they don't. In a senior team a 16-year-old plays against adults, under tougher competition, plays more matches and under greater mental strain. If your argument was vaild, I could easily counter it by sayng that riding the very same bike on the same roads as in training, 150 km a day, should not be such a big deal for a pro cyclist.
The TdF yearly circus generates human and atmospheric pollution. Big time. Airplanes, choppers, trucks, cars for teams, media, VIP and other involved parties. But pro cycling is a profitable business, ask ASO. Don't spoil the party with questions about carbon footprint, side-road waste, recycling (pun intended). Also, why does ASO not have a plan B case of high temperatures - earlier departure times, shortened stages, ... ? Based on this week's weather forecasts, several stages are likely to be cancelled. Quote of the day : "But as cycling continues to feel the full force of climate change, ..." In what ways?
@Podc I heard that Scunthorpe CC's experiment with wrapping the name around the jersey under the arm to make it fit didn't go too well either.
29 thoughts on “Mark Cavendish edits sign to mark 31st Tour de France stage win; Primoz Roglic reveals crash injuries; Rider protest; £100k for pothole claim cyclist; Rowe fined for ‘insults’; Boardman tipped for National Cycling Commissioner role + more on the Live Blog”
When riders who crash in the
When riders who crash in the last three kms are given the same time as the group they were with when they crashed, surely the same principle should be used to allow riders who crash to be drafted back to the peleton? Don’t blame Rowe for unfurling a bit of choice verbiage.
I feel like starting a
I feel like starting a JustGiving page to fund raise for his fine!
Rendel Harris wrote:
But that misunderstands what the 3km rule is there for. It’s not so that you are not disadvantaged from a crash; it’s to stop the GC teams from riding at the front for the last 3km and getting in the way of the sprinters. (Having said that, I don’t blame Rowe either!)
Steve K wrote:
Yes I understand that’s what the 3km rule is there for but it has the subsidiary effect of meaning that riders who crash are not overly disadvantaged, I’m simply suggesting that that effect could be applied for the whole length of the course.
Literally what I’m saying. By
Literally what I’m saying. By pointing to the Rogilic incident, I’m showing how stupid the commissaire’s decision was. No wonder Rowe had a go at them.
Who commissaires the
Who commissaires the commissaires?
IanMK wrote:
I have always kind of got the impression that they are a little like the stewards at F1 Grand Prix. They are given the framework and rules by the FIA but it is up to them how they apply them on raceday.
Same with the commissaires at the big races.
Seems like another
Seems like another inconsistent rule.. no help for G but in the same stage, it’s fine for Rojlic to get help.
I was half expecting Rojlic to be docked time for that drafting yesterday, clearly, that doesn’t seem the case.
peted76 wrote:
It isn’t the rule that is inconsistent, it is the application. If the application of the rule was the same for everyone, and Roglic had, likewise, been allowed no assistance, I imagine Rowe wouldn’t have kicked off the way he did.
Think he was upset before
Think he was upset before Roglic went down. There does appear to be an anti-Ineos/Sky interpretation of some rules, other than the running without a bike one!
Will be interested to see how
Will be interested to see how Cav does in the sprint today. With Ewan out and Sagan sore from yesterday he might be in with a shout should he survive the stage relatively intact.
Not sure what happened to Cav
Not sure what happened to Cav yesterday… maybe the run-in didn’t suit him, or the Wolf Pack were looking after Alaphillipe, or he wisely decided he’d let the day pass while he remained uninjured.
PRSboy wrote:
He said he had to brake hard to avoid the last big crash, nearly came off but managed to get a foot down but his front wheel was wrecked, by the time it was sorted he had no chance to catch the leaders and he coasted in five minutes down (stopping to check on Ewen as he came in, which was a nice touch).
He came down in the second
He came down in the second last crash, broke his front wheel and coasted in. There are also reports that he stopped when he saw Ewan had been in the final crash and checked to see if he was OK.
Have there actually been many
Have there actually been many more crashes in the Tour this year, or does it just feel like there have been…?
Maybe it is more about the
Maybe it seems more due to the people involved – there are always crashes in the first week, although the one with Sagan and Ewan was a bit weird !
seems like we should also
seems like we should also differentiate between types of crashes and what is part of course design, road furniture, racing incident or spectator caused,
some are part of the sport , some are avoidable
Chris Boardman seemed
Chris Boardman seemed dismissive in his post-race commentary of any likely complaints about the route being dangerous yesterday, saying that the race takes place on roads, and always has done.
glad that Primoz’s mum was on
glad that Primoz’s mum was on the line to make sure he was ok starting this morning.
Correction – we’ve raised
Correction – we’ve raised over £11,000 for Jigsaw South East, not £640 as stated above. You can contribute here if you’re keen to support us, post-event!
https://www.justgiving.com/team/under40hours
Link is broken? Do email info
Link is broken? Do email info@road.cc to clarify, thanks and congratulations!
Jack Sexty wrote:
Just a couple of trailing characters – try this: https://www.justgiving.com/team/under40hours
Speaking of LEJOG relay teams
Speaking of LEJOG relay teams, the InternationElles (www.internationelles.com) are currently riding their world record LEJOG attempt to raise awareness of inequalities in cycling & boost womens cycling.
Re: Cav, better comebacks? I
Re: Cav, better comebacks? I’m not sure there are many. You’d be in the same conversation as Monica Seles, Tiger Woods, maybe Ali? Best comparison for me might be Mario Lemieux returning to the NHL after Cancer treatment, and spending the rest of his career at the very top of the game (including another short-lived retirement), the only serious challenger to Gretzky as the Ice Hockey GOAT.
If the reports are true, that
If the reports are true, that CB will be made Active Travel commissioner, that would be great news, with the caveat that the funding will have to be comensurate to the task i.e. something like 10% of the transport budget.
It is of considerable interest that the Welsh government has postponed all road building pending analysis of its benefits and climate change effects, and the English road building plans are the subject of legal action, challenging their validity on grounds of climate change. If road schemes are cancelled, as they most surely should be, it would free vast sums for Active Travel.
agreed, but I do wonder if
agreed, but I do wonder if such a role is even achieveable at a UK wide level though, you really need lots of CBs spread around the regions pushing the message & focussing on the local problems, because assuredly whats needed in London or Manchester isnt remotely the same as whats needed in less urban parts of the country.
and when theres only him how does he not end up taking on too much and being spread too thinly.
Very true. It would need a
Very true. It would need a network of local Active Travel champions and huge changes in the government approach to transport, with no more road building and legal powers to provide the necessary infrastructure.
Many councils already have
Many councils already have Cycling & Walking Champions (clumped together as active travel funding often encompasses both) or their equivalent. My wife holds the position on Cheshire East Council and has been incredibly active in completing ‘cycle safaris’ in each town in the Borough alongside active travel campaigners such as the local cycling campaign groups, Sustrans reps etc etc and then written reports and plans for infrastructure changes. These are a requirement if you want to apply for funding.
What she struggles with is getting the funding to facilitate the changes. The council leadership are supportive, but not to the point of stripping budget from roads and drivers and reallocating it to active travel.
Central government does put money up for bidding (not enough, but some) so having CB becoming a national Tsar will be a huge boost – he will have influence at government level to drive budget change and although my wife has already engaged with Chris (as Cheshire East borders Greater Manchester) having a formal relationship where he can push and influence outside of GM will be a huge benefit. He will draw up plans and tell government what infrastructure will cost. He will also ensure LTN1/20 is adopted and proper, up to date infrastructure becomes the norm – we can say goodbye to white painted murder strips.
It all comes down to money. If government wants to become serious about delivering what they claim they want to see, then the likes of CB will hound them to put their money where their mouths are. At the moment very few people of influence are doing that. If you don’t have a supportive MP (which means Tory on the whole) then they don’t push it at all. They are completely at odds with their own government. If your MP is Labour, they will more than likely be supportive, but will be ignored by the government. This is why we need someone like CB who will literally just drive this change irrespective of who is in power.
well he seems to have ended
well he seems to have ended up as chair of Sport England instead so either peoples wires got crossed about his new role or he’ll be spreading himself even thinner if he ends up as some kind of UK active travel champion as well.
Im not sure it matters whose party your MP belongs to, MPs only count this stuff in terms of votes for them, if an MP thinks its a vote winner, theyll support it, if they dont most of them, there are exceptions of course, arent anti enough to go out of their way to campaign against it and theyll simply judge things by the size of their postbags.
its the local councils with responsibility for the roads who I find have the most say about bringing in active travel schemes and supporting cycling or not as the case maybe, and some of them often clash with all the various local governance even with councils from the same party because its all about who has power and the money and silliness like that.
and thats where if you had a Chris Boardman style advocate working at that level youd get the most benefit imo, because you need to translate those high ambitions the government sets with the budget they do provide but with very little detail behind it, to get things done, and very few local councils have anyone championing this stuff, yours excepted clearly, or owning the responsibility for it, explaining what it is all about to the public in clear simple to understand chunks.
plus I dont think its any good saying at a national level just implement LTN1/20 and its all fine, because it doesnt really go beyond dealing with urban solutions, which isnt a criticism of LTN1/20 but theres a gap here when you arent dealing with urban solutions what do you do? .What use to someone is having a segregated cycle lane in the middle of a town even just 10 miles away from where they live, how does that get them using their bike instead of a car ?