“They’re moaning because they have to drive properly”: Cyclists blast Mail and Sun over “nonsense” claims ‘11ft-wide’ bike lane is “barely used” and “dangerous”; Pogačar’s agent dismisses crypto concerns; Cyclists “an afterthought” + more on the live blog

Remember all that tabloid furore a few years back in Dorset about “Britain’s biggest bike lane”?

When the Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and the Sun banded together to brand the county’s new cycling infrastructure “shambolic” and “unsightly”, and claim that motorists were now afforded less space than people on bikes, that drivers were constantly being forced to “pull over” to avoid crashes, and that cyclists were ignoring the bike lanes anyway?

Well, it looks like the Mail and the Sun – or, to be more precise, the Dorset-based news agency charged with finding some juicy anti-cycling filler for them – have been digging through their archives and have decided to revive an old classic.

The target of their tabloid ire this time is Poole’s Ringwood Road protected cycle lane, which the Mail has described, utilising the type of journalistic balance we’ve all become used to, as a “monumental waste of money” that is used by “only a handful of cyclists”. Oh, and it cost too much, too.

To be honest, the headline sums the whole article up: “The £17million ‘white elephant’ cycle lane everyone loves to hate: Council builds 11ft-wide track with just three problems – it causes traffic jams, looks ugly and no one uses it.”

Lovely.

“The new bike lane is over 11ft wide in places which means cyclists have more room than motorists using the now restricted 10ft wide carriageway alongside it,” the Mail goes on to claim.

“Yet there are claims the brand-new cycle lane is barely used – with sample monitoring suggesting that hundreds of cars, lorries, vans, and buses are using the shrunken road stretch for every single cyclist alongside them.”

And the source of the Mail’s ‘evidence’? The guy who runs the anti-cycling Facebook page ‘BCP & Dorset Motorists’, of course.

> “Not everyone has the option to drive”: Council addresses backlash over controversial cycle lane projects, including row over ‘driveway-blocking wands’ and ‘Britain’s biggest bike lane’

“All the anecdotal evidence suggests that cyclists are rarely seen using the new cycle path. And these narrow roads actually increase congestion,” Steve Moody told the paper.

“They aren’t going to reduce emissions by increasing congestion but this is lost on the council. A major issue is that the main road has become really narrow to make way for the extra wide cycle path and it is dangerous.”

Naturally, Moody believes the scheme is all part of the ‘war on motorists’ (though judging by his answer, it’s clear the journalist was the one who broached that rather cliched subject).

“There is definitely a war on motorists and people are really fed up with it,” he said. “This is all part of the council wanting to reduce car journeys by 50 per cent, that is their stated aim. To do that you are going to have to make anti-car measures.

“What they haven’t taken into account is that people need their cars for work and for business and things like shopping and taking their kids to places like school. Can you do your weekly shop on a bike?

“The whole Ringwood Road project is an absolute fiasco and a monumental waste of public money and resource.”

Tell us what you really think, Steve. Of course, that entire story was based solely on Mr Moody’s perspective, a man who runs a page set up to defend ‘motoring’ interests and criticise local cycling schemes.

Thankfully, since the Mail and Sun’s stories were published, quite a few other locals were on hand to counter Steve’s claims.

“Literally everything in the article is wrong,” Ross Hodder, a member of BCP Motorists’ cycling counterpart BH Active Travel, said.

“It didn’t cost £15m, it is not wider than the road, congestion is not worse, lorries and buses have no problems, it is very well used by kids going to and from school etc etc. We would be happy to debate on the real facts, but why kick off with just a load of nonsense?”

Good morning, have a great Monday.🧐

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— @CycleNottingham (@cyclenottingham.bsky.social) March 16, 2026 at 5:41 AM

Meanwhile, the claims made about the bike lane’s width – and its impact on traffic – also came under scrutiny, especially when taking into account the photos used by the Sun to illustrate their point.

“Narrator: the cycle lane is not wider than the road,” wrote David Highman, while John sarcastically added: “Even so, that traffic jam looks pretty grim.”

“There are two car lanes. If you make the bike lane narrow, there will still only be room for two (slightly wider) car lanes,” noted Lars. “So how can the width of the bike lane impact congestion? Would this road move more cars if there was no bike lane at all?”

“Looks ugly?” asked Judy Winwood. “Get a life! Roads look ugly! Show me a beautiful motorway!”

And Craig said: “This is an enviable cycle lane. Raised from the road and differently coloured. I didn’t know we did that in Britain. Amazing.”

Steve won’t be happy with that appraisal.

> “Do they ever tell drivers to get out and push?” Locals slam ‘Cyclists Dismount and Use Footway’ signs as cycle lane closed due to roadworks, leading to “horrifying” close passes – but council insists signs “comply to required legal standards”

“I read the article. It was a Daily Mail space filler, a word salad,” said Simon Connolly.

“The change is a much-needed infrastructure boost for pedestrians, less spray, dust and fumes. A template for all major roads.

“The benefit for cyclists is obvious. The change for motorists, almost none, still two crawling lanes of traffic.”

Phil McConnell wrote: “Brilliant Daily Fail reporting. ‘Anecdotal evidence…’. ‘Cars have to turn at right angles…’.”

“They’re only moaning about the junctions because they have to slow down and actually drive properly,” argued Darren Elbrow.

“There is a primary school at the bottom of that road, and a senior school on one of the side roads off it. I guess all those kids should mix with cars, or be driven to school?” suggested Engineer Like A Girl on BlueSky.

> “It feels like little shards of broken glass”: 13-year-old girl injured on new cycle lane surface, as council faces safety questions

Meanwhile, the Ranty Highwayman said: “I cycled this road before the new cycle track was finished and it wasn’t fun, even with the speed boost I got from the electric bike I was on.

“The road was only ever one traffic lane each way and what is there now is what should be a boring and basic provision for a main road.

“And of course, it objectively isn’t wider than the road it runs next too – it’s a two-way track which is way more efficient than the road is for motors in terms of space used.

“But it appeals to the frothing gammonati.”

And that’s the whole point, isn’t it?

In January, you may remember, we did some digging into KuCoin, the crypto platform which had just announced Tadej Pogačar as its new global brand ambassador.

Well, it wasn’t pretty. A quick recap: Last year, for starters, two of the company’s founders pleaded guilty to a criminal violation of anti-money laundering laws.

According to the Department of Justice, KuCoin flouted US anti-money laundering laws by failing to implement effective anti-money laundering and know-your-customer programmes while also failing to report suspicious transactions and register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, despite serving thousands of customers in the US.

The DOJ also alleged that KuCoin handled over $9 billion in illicit and criminal transactions between 2017 and 2024.

> Why has Tadej Pogačar partnered with a “disgraced” crypto scheme guilty of violating anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws?

In the same year, Canada’s national financial intelligence unit FINTRAC also fined KuCoin around $14.5 million, again for violations of anti-money laundering and terrorist financing laws.

In the UK, KuCoin was placed the Financial Conduct Authority’s unauthorised firms list in 2023, the government noting that the platform lacked the regulatory approval to provide services in the UK.

Perhaps most worryingly, last September a team of investigative journalists found that KuCoin – described by the journalists as “disgraced” – was linked to a criminal network and crypto empire used to launder $1.5 billion and protected by former Thai prime minister (and ex-Manchester City owner) Thaksin Shinawatra.

According to the reporters at Whale Hunting, the company has connections to an alleged ‘pig butchering’ scam across south-east Asia, involving human trafficking, torture, and forced detention.

KuCoin has also been accused of been “systematically providing infrastructure” for Iran to evade sanctions “through a network of front companies”. The reporters concluded that the platform operates as a “global gateway” for illicit finance, while potentially funding the Iranian regime.

As I said, not great.

But don’t worry, because Pogačar’s agent has pointed out that the four-time world champion isn’t the first cyclist to dabble in the crypto world, and that all the money he earns from the deal is going to charity anyway. So it’s all good.

> “We do not have a doping problem”: Tadej Pogačar’s agent opposes “stupid” plans to monitor riders’ power data, insisting cycling “now has credibility”

Speaking to the Domestique Hotseat podcast, Alex Carera said: “Many, many crypto companies are sponsoring cycling and sponsoring sport in general, football teams, in the NBA, in cycling now.

“For example, the first crypto company sponsoring cycling is not KuCoin, but it’s Zondacrypto for the Canyon team.

“20 to 30 years ago in the sport, there were many cigarette companies sponsoring, or alcohol brands. 10 years ago, there were many bad companies, and five years ago and now, energy drinks also.

“But I want to also say that we have accepted this sponsorship because, for Tadej’s private sponsors, he uses the money not for himself but to help the new generation of athletes and, in general, the people. Because he gave all the money to the Pogi team.

“The Pogi team is based in Slovenia with 200 children. Tadej Pogačar pays the employees from his pocket. He pays all costs. He gives helmets, clothes and gives everything.

“And the second part, they give the money to the Tadej Pogačar Foundation. He created it with Urška [Žigart] three years ago after Urška’s mother passed away. The foundation gives this money to the hospital to help people fight against cancer.”

> The angry backlash against NFTs in cycling, and how Bike Club NFT is trying to turn the tide

Addressing the criticism of the deal, Carera said: “People post bad comments or criticism because they see only one part of the story. Okay, I agree if I sign the contracts, take the money, and they spend it to buy a new car. In this case, we accept the critics.

“But if we receive the money, not for us, but to give to the people in need, it’s different. If you don’t accept this money, then nothing goes to the people who need it. It’s a bit like Robin Hood.

“People don’t always know the full story because we don’t like to shout, ‘I take the money to give to those in need’. Charity should be done quietly. Otherwise, you get criticism anyway; some say you’re doing it just to look like a good guy.”

Cycling campaigners in Oxford have accused the city’s road planners of implementing “car-centric” schemes which treat people on bikes as an “afterthought”, as they launched a new design guide which aims to deliver “safe, inclusive and high-quality cycling infrastructure across the city”.

Published last week, campaign group Cyclox’s ‘Design Guide for a Better Oxford’ calls on Oxfordshire County Council to reduce speeds, install more protected cycling infrastructure, and improve bike transport to schools in a city where a shocking number of cyclists have been killed in collisions with drivers in recent years, sparking debates about the state of its bike networks.

The design guide also focuses on junctions and how they work for cyclists, collision investigations, and coroners’ findings, while urging the council to emphasise inclusivity in its cycling infrastructure and build bike networks that are “coherent, direct, safe, comfortable, and attractive”.

> “We cannot build more roads”: Cycling campaigners call for “bold” congestion charge to tackle car-dependency in Oxford

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Cyclox’s chair, Dr Alison Hill, who was seriously injured in a collision with a coach driver while riding her bike in the city in 2023, said she hoped the guide would help steer council officers, planners, and developers away from “car-centric” schemes.

“At Cyclox we spend a lot of time and effort responding to consultations and highlighting unsafe junctions and cycle ways,” she said.

“We have brought a lot of our expertise together in this Design Guide [and] it sets the cycling standards we want to see.

“We strongly recommend that the council and any other developers use it to guide any changes or innovations they make to roads and pavements in Oxford.”

> Cyclists call for 20mph limits on all Oxford roads by 2029 – but bus company says lower speeds would lead to congestion, longer journey times, and “less attractive” travel

Meanwhile, Robin Tucker, the co-chair of Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel, added: “Oxford’s busy streets are a challenge for any transport planner, and increasing the levels of cycling are essential for solving both mobility and health problems.

“The Cyclox Design Guide highlights key problems and solutions to enable better results. We at CoHSAT encourage all transport designers to read it in conjunction with the latest guidance.”

> “Huge public health benefits to more children walking and cycling”: Oxford’s low-traffic neighbourhoods defended after criticism of controversial scheme’s £4m cost

In response to the guide, a ‘friendly’ piece of advice to those in power, Oxfordshire County Council said: “We welcome any input from Cyclox on matters of cycling safety.

“Indeed, they have played a significant role on our cycling and vulnerable road user safety working groups set up since 2022 after Oxfordshire County Council made a commitment to Vision Zero – an ambition to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from road traffic collisions in Oxfordshire by 2050.

“We look forward to reading their guide and continuing to work with them in the future on improving safety for all road users, particularly the most vulnerable.”

Here’s something for the BCP & Dorsets Motorists Facebook page to stew over…

Cycling side-by-side isn’t bad behaviour—it’s human behaviour. It’s how parents talk to their kids. How friends catch up. How communities form.

If bicycle infrastructure is too narrow for people to ride and talk together, the problem isn’t the people. It’s the infrastructure.

Nørrebro, Copenhagen.

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— Melissa & Chris Bruntlett (@modacitylife.com) March 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM

Ready to be very confused? Because it’s time to step through the looking glass and into the bizarre, mind-boggling world of bike tech regulations, the UCI, British Cycling, Dan Bigham, and social media debates…

> Concerns wrong handlebar width rules being enforced at British road races, as Dan Bigham questions “disappointing” lack of communication from British Cycling over UCI’s controversial new rules

Another reminder, just in case we needed one, of the crux of the cycling hi-vis debate, courtesy of New England-based cyclist and safety campaigner ‘Gravel Influencer’ on BlueSky.

“I think I was pretty visible today when a woman pulled out of a driveway without looking and nearly hit me,” he wrote, alongside a photo of him wearing an orange helmet and jacket.

“I had a blinking front light too. Hi-vis will never be a solution for poor infrastructure and dangerous drivers.”

Hard to argue that he ‘came out of nowhere’ there.

While Gravel Influencer’s post sparked an online therapy session of similar experiences, Jean came up with a novel solution.

“Have you considered hiring a marching band to precede your cycling?” he asked.

Now, there’s an idea…

It may only be March but the hunt for new sponsorship deals is well and truly on within the cycling world, with Equipo Kern Pharma announcing this morning that the pharmaceutical company which lends the team its name is stepping away from the sport at the end of 2026.

Kern Pharma has been the title sponsor of the second-tier Spanish team since it was founded in 2020. The squad has earned a reputation for developing young talent and scoring high-profile breakaway wins.

At the 2024 Vuelta a España, Kern Pharma bagged three stage wins courtesy of Pablo Castrillo (twice) and Urko Berrade, in the most successful showing for a Vuelta wildcard team since 2012. Along with Castrillo, the team gave a platform to other riders now riding in the WorldTour, such as Castrillo’s Movistar teammates Roger Adrià and Raúl García Pierna, while Igor Arrietta and Pau Miguel have moved on to UAE and Bahrain-Victorious respectively.

In a statement announcing the decision to leave the sport, the president and CEO of Kern Pharma, Raúl Díaz-Varela, said: “For Kern Pharma, sponsoring the cycling team has been much more than a sporting endeavour; it has been a statement of principles. Over these seven years, we have demonstrated our belief in young talent, consistent effort, and long-term projects.”

“We are very grateful to Kern Pharma for their support and contribution during this stage of our project, which has allowed us to realise many of our dreams and inspire the public,” added team general manager Juanjo Oroz.

“We have experienced moments that we will cherish forever, and Kern Pharma will always hold a special place in our story.”

The British cycling community has united this week to pay tribute to Larry Hickmott, the founder of British racing site VeloUK and a familiar face to almost everyone in the local domestic scene, who passed away following a short illness.

Chronicling bike racing in Britain since the 1990s, Larry left British Cycling in 2011 to set up VeloUK, which quickly became the country’s definitive resource for results, reports, news, interviews, and photos from the UK’s domestic scene, all captured by Larry from the finish line or by the side of the road.

“A stalwart of the domestic scene, Larry was a tireless figure, devoted to covering cycling across the country,” British Cycling said in a statement at the weekend.

“An ever-present face on the side of the road or inside the velodrome, Larry was committed to sharing his passion with others, spotlighting riders from across the spectrum of the cycling community, from crits to championships.

“His dedication for cycling was unrelenting, and the wider community benefited immensely from his tireless efforts in chronicling the sport.”

Cycling commentator Jex Cox also paid tribute to Larry, writing on social media: “He gave so, so much to our sport here in the UK. For getting on for 25 years, if Larry hadn’t arrived on these shores and decided to start handing out his printed newsletters at Hillingdon races, covering the British scene, then so many of us would have had no clue what was going on.

“I was lucky enough to race with him, be interviewed by him, interview him, and simply catch up with him in far flung and often obscure parts of the British Isles.

“An at times underappreciated agitator who got things done. A guy who was prepared to sleep in a cold camper van that kept breaking down in order to report on the races we have held so dear, so many of which are sadly, now gone.

“Larry’s legacy is not gone though. The vast body of reportage and in-depth interviews that he did, will, I hope, be there forever, to remember a golden age of British professional racing. He will be missed. Thank you Larry.”

Everyone here at road.cc send their condolences to Larry’s family and friends.

 

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I have to say, this puts my 250km solo ride around the island when I was 17 (including Sa Calobra, mind you) into a bit of perspective…

By the time we reached its final weekend, Paris-Nice may have been all over bar the shouting, thanks to the dominant brilliance of Jonas Vingegaard and the heavy snow which reduced Saturday’s queen stage to a minor royal stripped of their titles (so much for the Race to the Sun, eh?).

But, as Dani Martínez will tell you, a bike race is never over ‘til it’s over.

The Colombian was sitting pretty in second place behind Vingegaard yesterday morning, a result of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s epic ride in the wind and the rain on stage four, aiming to secure his best stage race result since his runners-up spot behind Tadej Pogačar at the 2024 Giro.

That is dreadfully unlucky 😳

Daniel Felipe Martínez crashed into a teammate as they moved up through the bunch, which could impact his GC ambitions in the final stage of Paris–Nice. He’s back on the bike and chasing 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/MvcgfHEQvl

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 15, 2026

However, with 50km to go, disaster struck – a brief moment of inattention for Martínez’s Kiwi domestique Laurence Pithie, looking around in the group, saw him touch wheels with his leader, sending him careening into a stone lay-by.

Holding his ribs and looking in considerable pain, and with the rest of the race disappearing up the road, Martínez’s 2.28 advantage over EF’s Georg Steinhauser looked suddenly under serious threat. Especially when the gap to Steinhauser’s group ballooned to over two minutes.

But some good old-fashioned grit and terrific teamwork from his Red Bull teammates Pithie and Alexandr Vlasov saved the day, limiting the gap to just 44 seconds and saving Martínez’s second place – a superb result considering, as he admitted after the stage, he was considering jumping into the team car after his crash.

“It was a really strong week for the whole team – everyone did a great job. Unfortunately I crashed on the final day,” the Colombian told his team website.

“The pace was very high on the second climb and I tried to move up towards the front when I went down and hurt my ribs and my arm. For a moment I thought about stopping, but thanks to the support of my teammates I was able to continue and make it to the finish.”

He continued: “This is cycling. Nothing is for sure until you cross the finish line. I had really good legs and everything was under control until the penultimate climb. My teammates were doing a spectacular job.

“I made a mistake, I went down, and it was quite a hard crash. But I got back up and kept pushing. The team did a fantastic job. They’ve been amazing all week long, including today, and this is a podium we achieved together.”

So much paint. This is my current favourite.

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— James (@jawida.net) March 15, 2026 at 9:35 PM

Move over Blowin’ in the Wind and Masters of War, a new protest anthem for the youth of 2026 has just dropped. And it’s a pro-Decathlon plea to Paul Seixas…

 

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Jonas Vingegaard, it’s fair to say, is back.

After missing the UAE Tour through injury and illness, the Dane kicked off his season with a bang, dominating a freezing, windy, chaotic edition of Paris-Nice to secure his maiden triumph at the Race to the Sun.

Vingegaard’s imperious ride around Nice yesterday – combined with Dani Martínez’s misfortune – also saw him seal the biggest winning margin at Paris-Nice (4.23) since 1939. Which, considering the race’s hardest day on paper was reduced to a 47km sprint stage thanks to the snow, is some going.

Not that the Visma-Lease a Bike leader had it all his own way, of course. Outside the Ineos-occupied Riviera Stadium (no Promenade des Anglais this time, bleedin’ local elections), Vingegaard was pipped to the line by Lenny Martinez, who put in a terrific ride to follow the Dane when he blew the race to bits.

And Vingegaard’s dominance must also be placed within a context which saw then-race leader Juan Ayuso and UAE’s Brandon McNulty crash out in atrocious conditions on stage four.

But still, two stage wins and a record-breaking winning margin at Paris-Nice – not the worst way to start a season where you’re aiming to reclaim your place at the top of the grand tour tree, is it?

Infernal from MVDP 🤯

Mathieu van der Poel is absolutely splitting the race to pieces in a bid to shake out the sprinters 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/dDrmfmhu1D

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 15, 2026

Meanwhile, over in Italy, UAE wonderkid Isaac del Toro sealed his own emphatic stage race success at Tirreno-Adriatico, after calmly seeing off the relentless attacking threat of his mate (and hometown hero) Giulio Pellizzari in Camerino on Saturday.

And while yesterday’s stage to San Benedetto del Tronto is usually a straightforward affair designed for the sprinters, Mathieu van der Poel clearly didn’t read the script, the big Dutchman blowing the field to shreds halfway through the stage on the final climb of the day.

Good training for next week’s Milan-Sanremo perhaps, but ultimately Van der Poel’s exercise in pissing everyone in the peloton off didn’t quite go to plan, everything eventually coming back together and his Alpecin teammate Jasper Philipsen crashing in a chaotic finale which saw Jonathan Milan power to the win.

Karlijn Swinkels beats Anna van der Breggen to take her first ever World Tour victory at Trofeo Alfredo Binda – Comune di Cittiglio 🤩#TrofeoBinda pic.twitter.com/Eqt4pmShzj

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 15, 2026

And at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda, UAE ADQ’s Karlijn Swinkels outsprinted Anna van der Breggen to take the first WorldTour victory of her career at the prestigious Italian one-day race, after attacking alongside the former world champion and Uno-X’s Mie Bjorndal Ottestad.

Van der Breggen played all of her tactical cards in the final kilometre, refusing to come to the front, but Swinkels played it cool for a well-deserved breakthrough win.

An absolute shocker from the weekend here:

> “Bike theft in London has become organised and brazen”: British cycling team manager ‘threatened with large knife’ during latest bikejacking