“It’s murder to keep that speed”: Drivers unhappy with 20mph speeds; Behind the scenes at the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men; Second successive sprint likely at Vuelta + more on the live blog

Yesterday First Minister of Scotland John Swinney unveiled the Programme for Government, effectively the country’s King’s Speech without the big hat and ermine.

Sadly for this blog, cycling-related policies were somewhat lacking, beyond a restated pledge of £226 million for active travel funding to “continue to transform communities”. That said, given these things tend to require significant budgeting, maybe Holyrood wasn’t the place to find active travel news north of the border yesterday.

Instead we can turn to our beloved local authorities, and the newspapers who scrutinise them. Over the weekend, both the City of Dunfermline and Glasgow City Councils unveiled their proposed expansions of 20mph speed limits.

> “Safer, less polluted, easier to cross”: Campaigners call for blanket 20mph speeds divides city residents

> “This is a nightmare”: Instructor tells learner driver going 15mph behind cyclist in a 20mph zone

It should be said that though the councils may be implementing the scheme, they’re acting with the impetus of the Scottish Government’s own 20mph Transport Strategy, promoting a “slower today for a safer tomorrow”.

The main pledge is to “roll out our national strategy for expanding 20 mph zones, with more roads and areas reducing their speed limits to 20 mph – making our streets feel safer and encouraging active travel”. It’s hardly a ‘blanket’ speed limit, though even the ‘blanket’ speed limits were hardly such.

Still, try saying that to the local social media users!

“Fife Council just hate motorists end off [sic]”

“Concentrating on the speedometer instead of driving safely,” one Facebook user wrote, which I think implies they have a background of a Finnish rally driver with a mastery of high-speed safety like that.

> Reducing speed limits to 20mph protects cyclists and doesn’t delay traffic, new research finds

“Why not just outlaw cars and get us all on a bike, will that make them happy . No cos then they won’t get any money for fines (Parking, Speeding and LEZ and using bus gates)”

“How wonderful everybody will be so much safer knowing if they get skelped by a car at 20 mph things wont be that bad… will this new clowncil rule apply to our lovely overseas delivery drivers who break every road rule on a daily basis.”

Honestly, whittling down the best this morning was difficult but I think we have our winner, based largely on the unexpected morbidity of the metaphor:

“It’s murder to keep that speed. Need to use cruise control”

> Cyclist casualties down 28% and 900 fewer road injuries since 20mph limit introduced in Wales – but driving instructor still brands change a “total disaster”

Happy Lloyds Tour of Britain Men day to all who celebrate! I will be celebrate in a few hours by being driven around Greater Lincolnshire, ideally avoiding cracks in the road…

> “And drivers wonder why cyclists ride in middle of the road”: Cyclists mock country roads with deep cracks by posting photos of their bikes standing in them

*Frank Lampard voice* No but seriously it’s a great day out and I’m looking forward to sampling all of Lincolnshire’s hospitality.

The race itself is stacked with champions from country, continent and commonwealth. Tim Merlier and Olav Kooij both won stages at this year’s Tour de France and are expected to battle later in the race. Meanwhile UAE line-up and could win the race overall with several riders, though I’d pick Tim Wellens over Benoit Cosnefroy, just because I’d like to see him roll back the years.

Today’s stage starts and finishes in the cathedral city with a looped circuit within the day’s circuit. If it produces anything like as exciting a race as the Lincoln Grand Prix, with five ascents of the 11.3 percent Michaelgate climb, then we’re in for a treat.

I’m most looking forward to the incongruous sights of foreign riders by deeply British places. Filippo Ganna outside Greggs. Jasper Stuyven beside Boots. Yannis Voisard stroking a pet haggis on stage 5. You get the idea…

Sadly not reality but an exaggeration by a fearmonger…

> “Massive” cycle lanes “taking over the streets”, claims Irish MP – in town where only 1km of bike paths have been built in a decade