“Look, there’s speedbumps now. What more do you want?” Angry drivers target family of 11-year-old cyclist killed in hit-and-run with hate messages, forcing them to call off ghost bike plans; John Degenkolb defends Picnic PostNL + more on the live blog

In one of the more depressing and concerning cycling stories we’ve seen in recent times, a family in Quebec City has been forced to postpone plans to install a ghost bike in memory of their son, after angry motorists targeted them with “wildly inappropriate” messages.

11-year-old Alex Côté was riding his bike on des Sablonnières Avenue in the Beauport borough of the Canadian city on 29 June when he was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver. He was found by emergency crews in cardiac arrest and rushed to hospital, where he died. A 76-year-old woman, who fled the scene, was later arrested.

Alex’s death sparked calls from residents and campaigners for greater safety measures on a road which does not feature a footpath on either side and, according to one local, has long been treated as a throughfare by motorists, even though it is lined with schools, family homes, and parks.

The Côté family were planning to install a ghost bike yesterday in memory of Alex, which they hoped would honour their son while also sensitising motorists to the dangers faced by vulnerable road users and highlighting the lack of safe cycling and walking infrastructure in the area.

Last month, the local authority started installing 13 new speed bumps near the site of Alex’s fatal crash. The safety measures had been planned months before the 11-year-old’s death.

However, their installation prompted, depressingly, a wave of anger and vitriol on social media, as local drivers directed their ire towards the Côté family and their ghost bike plans with a slew of hate-filled messages.

The whole thing became so ugly that Alex’s father was forced to announce that the ghost bike unveiling has been, at least temporarily, called off.

“Faced with certain reactions from citizens and after receiving hateful messages, we have chosen to take a step back,” he posted.

“We want to ensure this moment remains a positive and respectful gathering and not a source of division.”

> Carol Boardman ghost bike removed by council after complaints it was distracting drivers

According to Mathieu Murphy-Perron, a member of Souliers et vélos fantômes Québec, which helps families organise ghost bike memorials, the messages sent to the Côtés this week were “wildly inappropriate”.

While he did not share any details of the content of the messages, Murphy-Perron told CBC that some locals took issue with the ghost bike itself, claiming it would create safety issues due to pedestrians crossing the road to visit it.

“Concerns that I think are a little unfounded,” he said. “We’ve never seen that in Montreal, despite the fact that there are a great number of ghost bikes installed here.”

He also said most of the messages centred on the installation of the speed bumps, which Facebook users erroneously claimed were being introduced as a result of Alex’s death, despite the plans being in place for months.

“Some people were just saying, ‘Haven’t you had enough, look there’s speed bumps now. What more do you want?’” he said.

“Never in 13 years of supporting grieving families have we seen such a wave of hatred directed at the loved ones of someone who passed away.”

> “He wants bikes in traffic lanes. Give him what he wants”: Cyclists urged to “slow every street down to bicycle speed” and ride in middle of lane amid premier’s war on cycle paths 

The whole sorry debacle has forced local politicians to intervene, city councillor Mélanie Sauvé calling for residents to “learn how to co-exist” after admitting that the memorial was called off as the family “didn’t want things to spill over”.

Meanwhile, Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand said he was “profoundly outraged by this situation”, criticising the drivers who chose “insults over compassion”.

“What world are we living in that someone thinks it’s a good idea to pour their hatred on parents who have been through a sad event like that?” Marchand said, a few days after he was also sworn at by a motorist while unveiling a new cycle lane in the city.

As I said earlier, it’s just thoroughly depressing.

They’re rolling out the big guns now. After NOS and In De Waaier published a series of explosive claims concerning an alleged “culture of fear” at Picnic PostNL on Thursday, the Dutch WorldTour squad has been scrambling to share its side of the story.

In case you missed it, the investigation into the working environment at Picnic PostNL was based on “confidential conversations” with 71 past and present riders and staff.

Those conversations revealed allegations of a “toxic” and “oppressive” culture and “unsafe working situation” at the Dutch team, which left employees feeling “traumatised” and “anxious”, and one rider, former pro Martijn Tusveld, admitting he contemplated self-harm.

Following the report’s publication, Picnic PostNL announced that it takes the allegations seriously and will commission an independent investigation into the team’s culture, while insisting that it does not “recognise” itself in the “overall picture” presented by NOS and In De Waaier.

> “Is he saying this because we didn’t extend his contract?” Picnic PostNL sports director hits out at “unfair and unjustified” claims of “toxic culture of fear” within team

Speaking to me last week, sports director Callum Ferguson, who oversees the Picnic women’s team, criticised, among other things, the investigation for what he regarded as a lack of balance, focusing “only on the negatives” and interviewing former employees with a perceived axe to grind.

That particular defence was echoed this morning by John Degenkolb, one of Picnic’s most experienced, successful riders.

Degenkolb raced for the team, then sponsored primarily by Giant, between 2012 and 2016, winning Paris-Roubaix, Milan-Sanremo, Gent-Wevelgem, and ten stages of the Vuelta for the Dutch squad. After spells at Trek and then Lotto, the German returned to the team in 2022 and has stayed ever since.

“After a week of vacation, it is an important concern for me to share my personal view on the research of NOS with you,” the 37-year-old posted on Instagram.

“In my ten years of 16 professional years at Picnic PostNL I have never experienced a ‘fear culture’ – neither before or after my deliberately return to the team in 2022.

“Critical voices need to be heard and taken seriously. However, all relevant perspectives should be taken into account for a fair and balanced process.

“Our team consists of around 160 employees, among them about 60 drivers per season. In an 18-year team history, there are surely 71 people with negative experiences – but only negative?”

Addressing the journalists behind the investigation, Degenkolb asked: “Why were voices like mine and many others abandoned in the research?”

Just in case you missed ‘em, here’s a quick round-up of our stories from the weekend:

> “Is he saying this because we didn’t extend his contract?” Picnic PostNL sports director hits out at “unfair and unjustified” claims of “toxic culture of fear” within team

> Low Traffic Neighbourhoods cut pollution, reduce road traffic casualties, and support local shops, new research claims

> Check out Silca’s retro-looking bike computer, the AI coaching system that promises real-world rewards, new shoes to keep your feet comfy this winter, and the rest of the week’s bike tech news