“Daily threat to me is two-wheeled”: Pedestrians being “terrorised” by “arrogantly dangerous cyclist idiots”, says Lib Dem peer – after claiming “there is no culture war against cycling”; Five star reviews for Vuelta’s hail hotel + more on the live blog

A Liberal Democrat peer says there is “outrage and anger” that pedestrians are being “terrorised” by “arrogantly dangerous cyclist idiots” on a daily basis – but insists there is “no culture war against cycling”, as social media users accused the former MEP of using Reform-style language against people on bikes.

Sarah Ludford (that’s Baroness Ludford to you) made the comments as part of a debate on X over a clip showing cyclists riding through a floating bus stop in London.

The video was initially posted on the social media platform over a year ago, but was reshared last week by the National Federation of the Blind of the UK, going viral in the process and racking up over 13 million views.

.@cityoflondon these floating are not safe or accessible for blind people… pic.twitter.com/GueglZkF25

— NFBUK (@NFBUK) August 18, 2026

Responding to the video, the pro-active travel page Bob from Accounts wrote: “You will never guess what Floating Bus Stops are called in Europe: Bus Stops. They work fine everywhere else; the real danger is cars. Here in the UK, we have a culture-war bias against people who cycle.”

Baroness Ludford, however, wasn’t having any of that.

“There is no ‘culture war’ against cycling,” she wrote.

“There is outrage and anger that pedestrians are being terrorised on pavements and road crossings, with disabled people trapped at home too frightened to go out, by arrogantly dangerous cyclist idiots. Where’s the social justice in that?”

Ludford, a former Islington councillor, was made a life peer in 1997, before being elected as a Liberal Democrat MEP for London in 1999. During her time in Brussels, she criticised the European Commission’s decision to shelve a proposal on HGV blind spot cameras, after a cyclist was killed by a lorry driver in the capital.

However, her current stance on cycling has attracted criticism from cyclists on social media, who accused her of stealing Reform’s pro-motoring clothes.

“If you were Reform, I’d get your tone and language,” West Yorkshire Cycling said. “If MPs don’t want to be abused, then perhaps you shouldn’t lump all cyclists in with the ‘arrogantly dangerous cycling idiots’.

“If you want people to stop at these crossings, why not spend your time asking for the Highway Code to be updated? The Highway Code claims zebra crossings have flashing beacons.”

In response to West Yorkshire Cycling’s complaints, Ludford said: “I am not an MP. I did not do that. For others knocking me who have failed to read my other replies: I have commented on my experience as a non-driving pedestrian; thoroughly aware of the huge danger of cars and lorries, but the daily threat to me is two-wheeled.”

“You used language your party would be appalled by if a Tory or Reform had used those same words,” the cyclist replied.

After another X user accused her of “stoking a culture war against cyclists”, linking anti-cycling rhetoric to the fatal assault in Leicester this week, Ludford said: “Your slurs are tedious, untrue, and completely unjustified.

“My work on cyclist safety as an MEP is easily findable by googling… Maybe stop the defensiveness and accept that some criticism of modern cyclists’ behaviour is valid.”

’Twas in another grand tour, one of toil and blood

I was buried in the hail and the road was full of mud

I came in from the wilderness, a racer void of form

“Come in,” she said, “I’ll give you shelter from the storm”…

(I’ve been told I’m not allowed to do the whole song, but I reckon the ‘In a world of marginal gains and men who are fighting to be warm’ is a goer. Ah, well.)

Yesterday’s hail-induced cancellation at the Vuelta a España did at least result in two positive outcomes: a gallery of brilliant photos and some unexpected five-star reviews for a local hotel.

Stage three of this year’s Vuelta, in case you missed it, was brought to a grinding halt around 15km from the finish in Font-Romeu as large chunks of hail battered the peloton, some of whom, including Felix Gall, had already ducked for cover in a handily located hotel near the top of the Col de Mont-Louis.

As word filtered through that the stage had been suspended, red jersey Tadej Pogačar carried out his patron duties and waved the group to a halt. The rest of the peloton soon joined their colleagues in the old-school environs of the IGESA Village Club Mont-Louis Les Sorbiers, where they were quickly informed that the stage had been abandoned altogether.

The sight of a full grand tour peloton, soaked to the skin and shivering, inside the IGESA Village Club – as some hotel guests looked warily on – invariably resulted, in my opinion, in some of the best photographs of the entire season.

Come on, these two are practically renaissance paintings:

Majestic. Though, I have to say, my personal favourite is of Wout van Aert – who initially sheltered in a roadside van before making his way to the hotel – standing in the lobby as an older couple sit at the side, disapprovingly glaring at these bloomin’ bike riders who’ve interrupted their lovely afternoon in the Pyrenees:

I reckon the IGESA Village Club – whose staff were quick to dish out towels and hot drinks to keep the riders warm – won’t be too displeased with the disturbance, the hotel’s Google reviews piling up glowing five star references in the aftermath of yesterday’s stage.

“Warm and welcoming reception area with friendly staff, and a nice place to be able to shelter from any inclement weather in the area,” the Picnic PostNL team posted yesterday.

“Perfect location in hailstorms, and even towel service provided two minutes after 180 cyclists came unannounced. They deserve every star they can get!” added Uno-X’s Tobias Johannessen.

An account claiming to be Urška Žigart’s boyfriend even got in on the act, but I think we’ll need verification on that one.

It wasn’t long, however, before the peloton’s resident hotel reviewer, Magnus Cort, chipped in, with a rare seven out of seven review from the moustachioed accommodation expert:

The place will be booked up until 2030 at this rate.