Welcome to a new week on the road.cc live blog with Simon MacMichael, Jack Sexty and the rest of the team.
Live blog: Ex-Sky and British Cycling medic Dr Richard Freeman allegedly ordered testosterone for athlete’s use, Campagnolo EPS Super Record 12-spd IS a thing – Insta gallery, Govt ‘action’ on air pollution, Astana ‘rap’, Robbed bike shop crowdfunder+more
All today’s news from the site and beyond as we start a new week
Mon, Jan 14, 2019 19:19
SUMMARY
14 January 2019, 19:19
Here's our Monday morning catch-up of some stories you may have missed over the weekend
Registration open for the North Cape 4000 ultracycling event (+ video)
Manchester’s Beelines renamed the Bee Network after copyright issue with London firm
Scarborough hotel to become first Bike and Boot Inn geared towards cyclists and walkers
Gangs of lads on bikes in Liverpool are … just out for a bike ride
Peter Sagan to race an aluminium bike! See his Allez Sprint Disc in detail
14 January 2019, 19:19
Video: Late crash at Down Under Classic leaves way clear for Ewan to win
The Santos Tour Down Under, the opening race of the 2019 UCI WorldTour season, doesn’t start until tomorrow, but some of the biggest names in the peloton fought it out for the win at the Down Under Classic criterium in Adelaide on Saturday which acts as an annual curtain raiser to the event.
A late crash took out a number of riders including Italian champion Elia Viviani of Deceuninck-Quick-Step, with Caleb Ewan of Lotto-Soudal avoiding the crash and taking the win from Bora-Hansgrohe’s Peter Sagan.
14 January 2019, 19:19
#ICYMI BoTY 2018/19 Sportive and Endurance bikes
On Saturday we counted down out top 10 mile munching bikes of the last year… you might have missed it if you were out mile munching yourself. So here it is again just in case.
road.cc Sportive and Endurance Bike of the Year 2018/19
14 January 2019, 19:19
Strava down... what did you do instead?
Thoughts and prayers to all those affected as Strava was failing to upload activities yesterday (full story here). With thousands of rides technically having not happened, we just skipped straight to the cake instead…
14 January 2019, 19:19
Fair point?
If you think cycling is athletic and can’t be reliable transport as the body ages, spend some time watching people trying to climb out of their cars.
— kylie (@inter_stitial) January 12, 2019
14 January 2019, 19:19
Peak Copenhagen
A #Copenhagen moment …
Congratulations to the Newlyweds!
MT @Pedamdam | #Cycling | #JustMarried pic.twitter.com/bORsqYpGbF
— Anders Adamsen (@anderspreben) January 12, 2019
The bike rules in the Danish capital!
14 January 2019, 19:19
Crowdfunder for Bad Ass Bikes of Burrington after burglary
The bike shop Bad Ass Bikes, located right on Burrington Combe hill in Somerset, is trying to recover from a burglary in which bikes and most of their tools were stolen. A crowdfunder has been set up to help the popular bike shop which reads: “Bad Ass Bikes suffered a break in the early hours, taking not only the bikes but his tooling too. Being a workshop first, the stealing of tools will have a devastating effect on this shop. Knowing how hard he and his family work, knowing that anyone can always pop in for a coffee and a chat, they are so so much more than the shop that they work in. Like with many great community shops, any issues you have they are always there.
“I feel it’s time we all gave something back and help get BAD ASS BIKES back open and keeping our bikes turning like new again. We all know the payment will repaid through the shops humour, great coffee and an honest opinion cycling or non-cycling related.”
If you want to donate, the link is here.
14 January 2019, 19:19
Campagnolo 12 Speed Super Record EPS - detailed shots on Movistar bikes
We’ve heard rumours, seen some of the parts from a distance and now this Instagram post from Movistar confirms that Campag’s new Super Record 12 speed electronic groupset is now adornding their 2019 bikes. On Canyon’s Ultimate with a matching power crank, we reckon it’s looking pretty fine.
14 January 2019, 19:19
Police criticised for calling out red light jumping cyclists day after Manchester hit-and-run tragedy
Can you see this Police Motorcycle
6 pedal cyclists, at 6 junctions clearly couldn’t, they all decided they didn’t need to stop at ATS in @GMPCityCentre with #GMPSRTT Motorcycle waiting for the lights to change. ATS are relevant to all road users, not just vehicles. TOR’s issued. pic.twitter.com/GY24Y1HS9e— GMP Traffic (@gmptraffic) January 13, 2019
Referencing the death of an 11-year-old boy in Manchester yesterday, one Twitter user replied: “So a child is killed on the lawless roads of Manchester, the day after you think tweeting about a few cyclists being given tickets makes our roads a safer place? Not many people killed on the roads by pushbikes, plenty killed by cars though #priorities”
Although some mentioned that the law still needs to be upheld regardless of other events…
Still an offence though isn’t it.
Are you suggesting that everything should stop when there has been such a serious incident?— Retired PC (@pc_retired) January 14, 2019
What do you think?
14 January 2019, 19:19
Sustrans "disappointed" over government's lack of action on air pollution
Whilst it is important that the Government has a strategy for tackling all forms of #airpollution, we are disappointed by its failure to tackle solutions to reduce emissions from motor vehicles, – our comment on Clean Air Strategy https://t.co/pfGVPtLGqR #walking #cycling pic.twitter.com/yuTfoZ8pRh
— Sustrans (@sustrans) January 14, 2019
The CEO of the cycling and walking charity Xavier Brice has commented on the government’s Clean Air Strategy, saying the government have failed to tackle issues caused by emissions from motor vehicles: “Whilst it is important that the Government has a strategy for tackling all forms of air pollution, we are disappointed by the Government’s failure to tackle solutions to reduce emissions from motor vehicles. The Strategy is overly reliant on reactive measures and technological solutions to address poor quality air, leaving other, currently ineffective, pre-existing plans to tackle roadside emissions.
It is clear we need fewer, not just cleaner, vehicles on our roads to truly tackle poor air quality, and while the Strategy acknowledges this it does not provide any new funding or measures aimed at achieving a meaningful shift towards walking and cycling.
We call again on the UK Government to take meaningful action on road transport emissions by investing more into high-quality cycling and walking infrastructure which allows families to cycle and walk to school and amenities with confidence so that it is the most obvious choice for shorter journeys.”
14 January 2019, 19:19
“Why cycle on the road when there’s a perfectly good cycle lane?”
OMG, this is unbelievable @CadenceMag #cycling #cyclinglife #cyclisme #scotwhitlock #cyclepaths pic.twitter.com/cX4soyGSz3
— Simple Saddle (@SaddleScot) January 13, 2019
14 January 2019, 19:19
Astana Pro Team guilty of 'dope' violation
The Astana Pro Team have just dropped a dope rap, are the kids still calling it that? It’s quite special…
The first ever Pro Cycling Rap, by Astana Pro Team! Talented riders, but even more talented rappers? #AstanaProTeam #AstanaRap #AstanaRappers pic.twitter.com/zL24wAqPNo
— Astana Pro Team (@AstanaTeam) January 14, 2019
Although they’re not the first to try, as Pro CXer Kevin Pauwels showed us back in 2015, neither of them come anywhere near the great John Barnes when it comes to the sport/rap crossover though, in our opinion.
Before you watch either it’s worth bearing in mind they contain things you can never unsee or unhear again. Just saying.
14 January 2019, 19:19
It has been alleged that Dr Richard Freeman, who formerly worked for Team Sky and British Cycling and was at the centre of the ‘Jiffy Bag’ investigation, ordered testosterone patches “to administer to an athlete to improve their athletic performance.”
The allegation is contained in pre-hearing information published today by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.
Dr Freeman is due to face a tribunal in Manchester on 6 February and could potentially be suspended from practising or even struck off if any of a number of allegations against him are upheld.
While most of the allegations will be familiar to anyone who has followed the story over the past couple of years, the one that Testogel patches were ordered for an athlete’s use is new – and one that could potentially see UK Anti-doping re-open its investigation, closed last year, into allegations of wrongdoing at British Cycling and Team Sky.
British Cycling’s former head of medicine, Dr Steve Peters, has claimed that the patches were delivered to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester in error, although it has been alleged that they were ordered specifically from an Oldham-based supplier.
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Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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Latest Comments
Pub bike 2 hours ago
If anyone reading this article is looking for reasonable alternatives Decathlon sell a range of bum bags including one with a bottle holder that comes with the bottle all of which are less than £20. I've got a bum bag I bought a few years ago to replace a North Face bum bag that has lasted really well including commuting and cycle touring that was only £10 and that doesn't seem to have any of the drawbacks of the pack on review.
Pub bike 3 hours ago
@Borisface The frameset is similarly priced to e.g. Condor aluminium framesets such as Italia RC Integrato so it doesn't look too far off the mark. Obviously if you dress any old frame up with Campag Record 13 wireless and some decent wheels the final price is going to be somewhere north of £5k.
VecchioJo 3 hours ago
@Freddy56 @hotspanners Hi, just for for starters I didn’t boycott the race, if you read to the end of the article you’d have seen that I decided I was going to attend and try and implement a positive change… Just for clarity, if it helps with the credibility of my words and something I didn’t include in the blog for brevity and fear of willy-waving here’s an incomprehensive list of cycle events I’ve helped organise over the years - all Brighton Big Dog MTB events (about 12 i think), three league CX races and one Singlespeed CX Euro Champs (niche, i know), a few SAMS MTB races - maybe three or four it was a while back now, a Morvelo City Cross, I’ve stood on a corner in a high-vis vest at quite a few MTB, CX and road races too, and just helped wind up tape at last weekend’s CX race. I’ve also had the privilege to design logos, draw images, and create one-off pieces of artwork and give away prints as prizes for enough races and events for me to forget how many, all for free as part of ‘doing my bit’… Also if you made it through to the second half of the article you’ll have read that I have every sympathy for event organisers because of the experience of all the above and also from having conversations with various organisers on a regular basis so I am acutely aware of all the challenges faced. I chatted today with the future local CX race organiser mentioned, face to face in a field, and he has a similar hatred of AI and is more than happy for me to create a hand-drawn image to promote that race and also help out on the ground where possible… Might even draw a duck in there somewhere for giggles…
Rendel Harris 5 hours ago
@Borisface Not entirely sure why some alleged good times set in the last century validate the silliness and ignorance of your rejection on the grounds of materials and weight of a bike that the reviewer (who, if you look at his bio above, has rather a lot of experience himself, not only of riding bikes but of engineering too) describes as "absolute perfection in every aspect". Thanks for the unrequested permission but I'm not actually looking to spend 6k on a bike at the moment; if I was, on the basis of this review and the photographs I'd certainly be putting this on my shortlist and looking for a test ride. But then in this area at least I have an open mind, you see.
hotspanners 5 hours ago
@Freddy56 as the article says, Jo boycotted our race because he thought we’d used AI to design our flyer. I’m with him 100% but he got the facts wrong. People don’t like AI slop. It’s lazy and generic. But you’re right - these grassroots events run off volunteering. I wave flags, design kit and artwork, ferry things to our lockup etc - perhaps Jo could be the change he wants to see. He could volunteer to the London and SE CX league that he races in to help them out with artwork - he created Mint Sauce!
Freddy56 6 hours ago
Currently riding home powered by this for the last 6 months after someone stole my SeeSence beam, LOVE it. super durable and batter life gets me home on full beam for 55 minutes
Freddy56 6 hours ago
Comments and an article by people who organise NOTHING! Promoting an event is mostly by volunteers and an AI poster done at midnight after sorting the British cycling insurance, the toilets, the Marshalls, the council and a landowner is so draining. The effort is massive for usually a small team. Grab a flag and help rather than moaning about a generated image...o look the image is eye catching so it must work .
Freddy56 6 hours ago
I have Wizzard works bag from 2018 (bought for my 30th) and this is a complete rip off it!!
Borisface 6 hours ago
6 times division champion, 1st cat road man, semi-pro for 3 years. Sub 21 min 10 and sub 55 min 25 on a steel road bike. Forty five years riding. Forgotten more about riding bikes than most on here will ever know. If you want to pay £6k for an aluminium road by all means go ahead.
Rendel Harris 7 hours ago
@Borisface Probably for the best, if you're as ignorant about bikes and materials as your comment suggests you wouldn't appreciate it anyway. Go and buy something on the UCI weight limit made out of the latest space age super carbon and wobble around on it looking daft and feeling uncomfortable and to hell with aesthetics, practicality and real-world use cases, at least you'll have the right numbers ("6.85 kg, awesome!") and words ("Yeah, it's UHM 12k carbon, actually") for the cafe. Enjoy!
7 thoughts on “Live blog: Ex-Sky and British Cycling medic Dr Richard Freeman allegedly ordered testosterone for athlete’s use, Campagnolo EPS Super Record 12-spd IS a thing – Insta gallery, Govt ‘action’ on air pollution, Astana ‘rap’, Robbed bike shop crowdfunder+more”
I heard about the government
I heard about the government’s plan to tackle air pollution (if such a spectacular failure to address the problem can be dignified with the word “plan”) on the news today, and all they talked about was wood-burning stoves, as if motor vehicles just don’t exist. Yet another catastrophuck to join all the others this ultra-shambles has inflicted on us.
I know we shouldn’t really get political on a cycling website, but this shower of utter incompetents has to go. And I’m being polite.
I thought the current plan
I thought the current plan was to not worry about air pollution. It’s only the poor people that will be affected as the more well-to-do people can live somewhere nice and green. The only problem is that dastardly NHS that will spend more money trying to prolong the proles’ lives – a quick bout of privitisation will fix that. Right comrades?
“Handlebars” by Flobots:
“Handlebars” by Flobots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLUX0y4EptA
“C’mon Let Me Ride” by Skylar X featuring Eminem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhxPBrxxaqc
“My Bike” by Y.N.RichKids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rSH5K5LlE8
“Biking” by Frank Ocean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYGPcfUqzL0
That cycle lane (?) reminded
That cycle lane (?) reminded me that I hadn’t looked at Warrington Cycle Campaign’s Cycling Facility of the Month site for a year or so. Nothing has changed, and I’m eternally surprised at the incompetence of our planners. It’s a pretty close race between them and this government.
http://wcc.crankfoot.xyz/facility-of-the-month/
What was the reasoning behind
What was the reasoning behind the soc-called cycle lane? Did they have a tin of paint left over out of the painted lines budget?
brooksby wrote:
they often get put in when the council road planners are treating cyclists as best way to describe it is “pedestrians with a bike”.
and their reasoning is they believe its safer for cyclists if you want to turn right on a bicycle at that kind of junction rather than waiting in the middle of the road and no doubt holding up the important motor traffic whilst waiting for a suitable gap 🙂 for you to turn left first on that little loop, which swings you round facing the way you want to go,and handily gets you out of the way of the vehicles, then you just cross over the road you were on, as if you were a pedestrian…just with a bike…and then you join up with no doubt some shared cycle path theyve put in on the right hand side we cant see in that picture, which may go some distance or may stop within a few metres.
they are quite common with councils who dont really understand cycling infrastructure or cyclists needs, and yes they laughably do always claim its infrastructure that promotes cycling
brooksby wrote:
It’s another 3 metres to add to their total bike lanes created, six if you count using it in both directions, every little (apparently) helps…