Welcome to Tuesday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
- News

Ducklings “a threat to cyclists” – so Natural England destroys eggs; Handlebar owl; W Mids Police close pass calculation; Sutton storms out…; Boardman on BBC Question Time; New Merida Reacto LTD 2020; NTT Pro Cycling kit revealed + more on the live blog
SUMMARY

But cyclists...
You know you’ve had luck on your side when you’ve driven for over 50 years without a license and never been prosecuted. But alas, all good things must come to an end. A small collision has finally revealed one mid-Devon man’s secret to us.#sneakyseptegenarian
1059 / 3656 pic.twitter.com/W5Ux9vzkWU— Alliance RPT (@RoadPolAlliance) November 10, 2019
Sustrans support Bristol's ban on diesels in inner city areas
We very much welcome Bristol’s diesel car ban. The upcoming #GE2019 provides political parties with an opportunity to develop ambitious plans to reduce car use & curb polluting vehicles before 2040 – our @JamesCleeton in @guardian https://t.co/Z5yWKz79mF
— Sustrans (@sustrans) November 12, 2019
Some have suggested the ban will hurt traders or even that it doesn’t go far enough, but Sustrans say they “very much welcome the ban”. Bristol will become the first UK city to enforce any type of outright ban on diesel engines in 2021.
Dimension Data becomes NTT Pro Cycling for 2020
New team colours for the 2020 season…
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/K2MAuRtmlB
— NTT Pro Cycling (@NTTProCycling) November 12, 2019
The World Tour team established in 2007, whose roster includes Edvald Boasson Hagen and Mark Cavendish (the latter until he leaves for Bahrain Merida at the end of the year), have unveiled a complete rebrand and new kit ahead of the 2020 season.
In a statement released this morning to coincide with the launch of the rebrand in Tokyo, NTT said: “The new kit will grace the WorldTour and the sport’s biggest races throughout 2020. It’s a brand that riders – old and new – will wear with immense pride, while at the same time continuing to showcase the impact that bicycles have in changing lives through NTT Pro Cycling’s work with Qhubeka, which has recently distributed its 100,000th bike.”
The team also said they have used technology to help assemble their new look squad: “Each of the riders were selected with the help of a technology solution that was co-innovated by NTT and NTT Pro Cycling. The solution leverages advanced data analytics that helps the team to select riders, prepare its race calendar and assign the right riders to the right races. Technology also helps the team monitor the health and wellness of its riders through a mobile application, and business-focused applications such as asset tracking, vehicle tracking and monitoring, help the team to function as a well-organised global business. Together, we’ve created the most technically advanced team in the WorldTour.”
There might be another recently rebranded team who might also stake a claim for the most ‘technically advanced”, but if they say so…
Everyone loves a queue - and Sam Bennett shows us how to take advantage of the fact
Arrived at my gate and there was no seats left at the gate.
So I pretended to que. All the elderly irish jumped up to que in a panic!
I strolled off and took my time to choose whatever seat I wantedThey are standing 50minutes before our flight pic.twitter.com/TwV3YbIjnn
— Sam Bennett (@Sammmy_Be) November 11, 2019
Well the British and Irish love queueing more than most, and Bora–Hansgrohe’s Sam Bennett used the fact to his advantage to pull this dastardly airport stunt. “The worst type of criminal”, according to fellow Irishman Ryan Mullen!
You are the worst type of criminal
I love it
— Ryan Mullen (@ryanmullen9) November 12, 2019
A sweat patch to plan your hydration needs
We missed this last month, but US energy drink brand Gatotrade have made a sweat patch that they say will determine what type of sweater you are and therefore calculate your hydration needs. Everyone’s sweat rate differs and it will also change depending on what climate you’re in, so Gatorade say they recommend completing a training session with one of the single-use patches in the climate you plan to be riding in/racing in for the most accurate results.
We’re not sure of prices or availability this side of the pond, but Gatorade say they will be on sale by summer 2020.
No idea...
pourquoi ??? pic.twitter.com/mHiCKJ5wfG
— RUSTINE (@ritaxben) November 11, 2019
Merida unveils Reacto Ltd 2020
Merida has unveiled its 2020 Reacto Ltd, a special edition of the aero road bike that’s now going into its third product year.
“For the 2020 Reacto Ltd we have taken the full carbon CF2 frame and not just specced it with a well thought through componentry package, but more importantly, have given it a unique look and appearance,” says Merida.


“The design is inspired by architecture, modern interior design and the relationship between light and dark. It shows its beauty with clear and straight shapes; a fluid interaction between shapes and geometry.


“The keen-eyed observer will notice the arrangement of three rectangles on the head tube, positioned one above the other, fitting seamlessly into the geometric design aesthetic, while also, based on the oldest Chinese classic text I Ching (Book of Changes), symbolising ‘power’.”
Read our review of the Merida Reacto Disc Team-E


The Reacto Ltd comes fitted with a complete Shimano Ultegra Di2 drivetrain, including Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes, and special edition Reynolds AR 58 DB wheels.


The bike also features Merida’s lightweight Expert stem, saddle (with an integrated toolbox and mini tool), thru axles (with integrated 4/6mm Allen key) and handlebar.


The S-Flex seat post is designed to add comfort and it comes with an integrated rear light.


The Reacto LTD will be available from December 2019. Price? It’s £4,000.
Shane Sutton says he expects "the truth" from today's hearing
“What do you expect from today Shane?”
“The truth”
Key witness & ex British Cycling & Team Sky Performance Director Shane Sutton arrives to give evidence at the Dr Freeman medical tribunal & tells @dsj_itv what’s coming pic.twitter.com/GI3lTn0hRF— Dan Roan (@danroan) November 12, 2019
Sutton has arrived in Manchester to give evidence at the medical tribunal of former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman. Freeman has claimed that the Testogel was requested by Sutton to treat erectile dysfunction, and that he was “bullied” into ordering it – Sutton has strenuously denied this, so he could be given a hard time by Freeman’s lawyer.
Shane Sutton evidence at Freeman tribunal: further arguments about what can and can't be reported
We have now been kicked out of the tribunal and they have gone back into private session.
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) November 12, 2019
Sean Ingle of The Guardian, attending today’s hearing, says the chair has announced that Freeman’s health issues can be discussed in open session – as can Sutton’s erectile dysfunction – but no other issues related to health. They haven’t yet decided how to deal with a possible appearance from Dr Steve Peters, the former head of medicine at British Cycling who Freeman’s lawyer wanted to cross-examine. Shortly after these announcements, the tribunal went back into private session.
To clarify...
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The legal arguments that delayed Sutton’s appearance yesterday were related to whether his health issues could be discussed in public. The tribunal eventually decided that his alleged erectile dysfunction could be discussed because it was already public knowledge, but any other health issues of Sutton’s that might be relevant can’t be made public.
Chris Boardman to appear on BBC's Question Time this week
I can’t speak for the others but I’m appearing on Question Time this Thursday to ensure everyone is aware I’m politically unviable. https://t.co/EhGefELKc2
— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) November 11, 2019
Boardman has confirmed that he is set to appear on the late-night shouting match formally known as Question Time, which will take place in Brighton on Thursday evening to be broadcast at 10:45pm on BBC1. As Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner, presumably Boardman’s appearance will be most relevant to discussions about active travel, and promoting cycling and walking – so we can probably expect him to have to ‘debate’ with fellow panellists of a certain political persuasion on these matters.
On an edition of the show filmed in Glasgow on 29th October, the program’s host Fiona Bruce incorrectly told an audience member that Leave.EU had not broken the law, when in fact they were fined by the Electoral Commission. Bruce claimed she “misheard” the question.
Cannondale have done an e-road, and it looks pretty special


Weighing just 11.3kg with completely concealed cables on the top-end model, this one might just be the best of the lot. Read all about the brand new Supersix Evo Neo over on eBikeTips.
Harry Tanfield signs for AG2R La Mondiale
Bienvenue à @Harrytanfield94 Harry rejoint l’équipe pour 1 saison.
Welcome @Harrytanfield94 Harry joins the team for 1 season. #allezALM pic.twitter.com/ibyNtClmyj
— AG2RLM Pro Cycling Team (@AG2RLMCyclisme) November 12, 2019
With Team Katusha–Alpecin in turmoil, Tanfield will be relieved to have struck a deal to ride with the French World Tour team AG2R La Mondiale. Tanfield has signed for the 2020 season, and AG2R were particularly keen to sign him to improve their standings in Classics and Grand Tour time trial stages.
Shane Sutton appears at Richard Freeman tribunal: Freeman's lawyer accuses Sutton of being " a habitual and serial liar"
More O’Rourke urges the chair to say no to a video link for Shane Sutton if he goes back to Spain, before suddenly changing tack. “He is a habitual and serial liar. He is a doper, with a doping history …” Chair then interrupts.
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) November 12, 2019
The chair of the panel stopped QC Mary O’Rourke short when she was in the middle of labelling Sutton as a liar and a doper with a “doping history”. Explosive developments before Sutton prepares to speak.
"You called me a doper and you don't even know me", shouts Shane Sutton at Freeman lawyer
Staggering exchanges in the Freeman tribunal.
A furious Sutton tells O’Rourke she’s defending the wrong man. He calls her “a bully”.
“You’ve called me a doper and you don’t even know me” he says, banging fist on the table.
Chair steps in— Dan Roan (@danroan) November 12, 2019
Sutton is furious at Freeman’s lawyer for accusing him of being a doper when she ‘doesn’t know him’. He also said he intends to sue O’Rourke for defamation, and he wants the accusations that he is a “liar and a doper” retracted.
Sutton has currently left the room for “a smoke”, according to the BBC’s Dan Roan.
Sutton makes bizarre attempt to answer erectile dysfunction accusations... and leaves the room
Another bizarre moment in the Dr Freeman medical tribunal as Shane Sutton addresses allegations of erectile dysfunction. “You are telling the press I can’t get a hard on – my wife wants to testify that you are a bloody liar.”
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) November 12, 2019
As well as the quote above, Sutton has also challenged Freeman – who is sat behind a screen – to “look him in the eye”, and once again accused his lawyer of lying. He says he swears ‘on his daughter’s life’ that he didn’t order Testogel, and that Team Sky and British Cycling were part of “the cleanest programme in the world.”
O’Rourke is asking Sutton he assumed it was more than one box of Testogel in a statement to the GMC. Doesn’t answer. Then – shockingly – says he is leaving the tribunal!
— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) November 12, 2019
Following the question above, Sutton says he’s now leaving and they’re trying to bring him back into the room. On that note we’ll leave our live coverage there, look out for a full story on road.cc wrapping up this extraordinary and sometimes bizarre day at the tribunal later this afternoon.
Something a bit different on the handlebars ...
ICYMI: Mikoto has a hoot: A pet barn owl enjoys a front-row seat on a bike ride in Ichihara, Japan pic.twitter.com/zFa92hAXxd
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 12, 2019
West Midlands Police have a formula for calculating safe passing distance ...
We thought it was about time we put this out, been around since the start of #OpClosePass but we didn’t want people to be concentrating on specific distances instead of the obvious #S3RTA1988 offence & the resulting profound impact on the victim an #OpClosePass offence can have. pic.twitter.com/txdQ4eUq85
— Mark Hodson (@markandcharlie) November 11, 2019
An egg-streme measure? Natural England approves destruction of 4,500 duck eggs because ducklings 'pose a threat to cyclists'
Seriously @NaturalEngland, this is just BULLSHIT! Ducks pose no danger to cyclists, whoever fucking thought this shit up should be sacked & stop this bollocks! Want to see what real danger to cyclists is, go stand in the road! Can guarantee it ain’t ducks! https://t.co/BML4qQp8GU
— @2_Wheeled_Wolf (@2_Wheeled_Wolf) November 11, 2019
It’s fair to say many people aren’t very happy with the news that Natural England have seemingly decided that ducks pose a threat to them when travelling on two wheels – as they have agreed to the destruction of 4,500 mallard eggs over three years at sites in Bedfordshire and Suffolk, because the ducklings when hatched will pose a “safety concern” according to documents obtained by The Independent.
Dangerous Ducks! Mallards are a ‘safety concern’ for passing cyclists, licence holder tells #NaturalEngland… just when you thought it couldn’t get any more ridiculous… https://t.co/589RGq2PTP @Team4Nature @Animal_Watch @RareBirdAlertUK @MarkAvery @JournoJane
— Jason Endfield (@JasonEndfield) November 9, 2019
The person who applied to Natural England for approval to destroy duck eggs in Bedfordshire said they carry “risk of disease”, and the ducks often walk out in front of cyclists and pedestrians. Wildlife campaigner Jason Endfield wrote on his blog: “I am struggling to find the words to express my disbelief and despair that Natural England decision makers thought it appropriate in any way to issue a licence to an applicant that seriously considered ducks to be a threat to cyclists. Surely someone at the agency should have challenged this stupidity at an early stage rather than proceed to issue a licence that legitimized the wanton destruction of wild birds eggs for such spurious reasons.
…”The staff at Natural England need their heads examining if they think that they can defend this decision. The real or imagined problems caused to humans by ducks could surely be solved much more rationally than resorting to clumsy egg destruction.”
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Latest Comments
"All that's required is an to roads policing" - that's a big all... Although no doubt the "idiots just keep coming" aspect does apply: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz9lel2wz93o "Man charged after car crashes through bowling alley" - luckily they only skittled over skittles.
Almost any change to roads and streets is accompanied by a period of heightened danger, and in the UK "look out for cyclists" will need to be learned... practically. And over the time it takes for cyclists to become a regular feature. OTOH once (if...) good designs are in and frequent enough such that drivers encounter them AND the cyclists on them regularly (another big if) I don't think they should be much more difficult than a footway to deal with. These things are all over NL - don't have the collision stats but they should. (NL isn't perfect but collecting info on the safety of designs to feed back into better designs as required is part of the "sustainable safety" philosophy - if they're really a killer I think they'd be altering these.)
I'm in the happy position of agreeing with everybody here! I've never considered a bike with a stand, yet I'm impressed by the ingenuity and adaptability of this axle. I tow a Yak Bob with a Robert Axle, employing my El Cheapo Vitus gravel bike and I just have to be very careful where I stop. Hedges are generally a dead loss, and I seek walls, telegraph poles and signposts and generally lean the widest part of the Bob against it. One very awkward task is removing the two steel pins which lock the trailer arms onto the special mounting slots on the Robert axle, and when you have one out, the sodding weight in the trailer can twist the whole caboodle and bend the Bob fitting before you can get the other out and unhitch. I doubt if a stand would help with that. You can imagine that this combo is a real pain when you have to get it over the bridge at railway stations, and it nearly resulted in Merseyrail nearly parting me and the trailer on the platform from the bike on the train. It's a long story for another time. Another axle example recently featured on here, with a 12mm front axle bearing the Herculean weight limit of a monster American front rack.
This has nothing to do with the type of bike - it's the type of behaviour that's the problem. Banning the sale of such bikes will not curtail the behaviour. They'll just find another type of vehicle and continue to drive dangerously as there's such a lack of enforcement. I'd sooner see them ban the bally. But really, all that's required is an improvement to roads policing.
The EAPC Bill is welcome, but full of holes. What's to stop an overpowered but temporarily limited e-bike being sold and subsequently delimited? This is often a trivial process.
@KiwiMike Yeah, in my over four decades of riding all over Europe I've never 'been for a ride in the countryside'. That must be it. Or, and I know this is a wild concept, you just accept that I just voiced my personal experiences and never missed a kickstand, like I wrote. Anyway, what's the big horror of laying your bike on its side for the very few occasions where there is nothing to lean your bike against?
They may have looked, but did they see?
Ds2025: where they are going wrong is that they are crushing the motorbike rather than the person sat on top of it. If they did the latter this issue would be solved in less than 24 hours.
I came this way today with the car boot sale in operation. There was a marshal at the entrance, who stopped a car turning right across the cycleway as I was approaching. So that certainly works. I think it necessary for the marshal to be there, I couldn't say if the driver would have turned if he hadn't been there but you always have to suspect the worst. Unfortunately there is no marshal at the exit, and there was certainly a car stopped across the cycleway as I was approaching it. But he pulled onto the road before I reached it, and the following car stayed off the cycleway as I went through. Ideally there should have been a marshal there too. On the whole, though, it's a really high standard piece of infrastructure. Just a pity it doesn't extend a bit further.
“absolute carnage” So right! Just look at the bodies piled up, blood running in the gutters and injured people limping away. It's a bit of a problem with a road, delaying some people for minutes at a time: it isn't carnage, let alone 'absolute carnage'. Anyone who exaggerates so ridiculously really shouldn't be allowed to comment in public, unless they want to demonstrate their idiocy to all and sundry.
42 thoughts on “Ducklings “a threat to cyclists” – so Natural England destroys eggs; Handlebar owl; W Mids Police close pass calculation; Sutton storms out…; Boardman on BBC Question Time; New Merida Reacto LTD 2020; NTT Pro Cycling kit revealed + more on the live blog”
“… could be given a hard
“… could be given a hard time…” – crafty

Wow! Boardman on Question
Wow! Boardman on Question Time. Are the BBC finally dropping their thirty year campaign about not mentioning the benefits of cycling? I wonder if they’ll let him tell the truth about helmets?
burtthebike wrote:
They’ve said he’ll be on the programme, not that he’ll be allowed to actually speak.
It’ll be like when they have a female comedian as a panellist on Mock the Week
burtthebike wrote:
I suspect there will be at least a couple of helmets on the panel with him.
burtthebike wrote:
Wow! I wonder if you’ll ever read any of those pieces on the BBC about the health benefits of cycling and walking that i’ve previously sent to you?
fukawitribe wrote:
I read both of them, and the ten thousand BBC articles about health, pollution, congestion, climate change and obesity that didn’t mention cycling.
That Merida has got to be one
That Merida has got to be one of the most boring limited editions I’ve seen in years. Paint it black and add a stripe, I hope someone in the design department got an appropriate bonus for that!
RobD wrote:
I hope not! Any bonuses need to go to the Department of Marketing BS. Epic level BS there, massive kudos to them!
The twitter feed from that
The twitter feed from that journo at the Freeman case it the best thing on the internet today, take a butchers – @seaningle
peted76 wrote:
Sean’s on it! We may be sending someone up to Manchester ourselves at this rate.
How can the journalists
How can the journalists report on this case without doing double entendres?
‘The prosecution went in hard on Mr Sutton’
‘He stood up and gave a robust performance’
The were no soft questions.
The lawyers thought long and hard about what to ask.
Long live Finbar Saunders and his double entendres!!!
Don’t even mention asking for
Don’t even mention asking for an extension!
Shane Sutton is media gold…
Shane Sutton is media gold… now he’s only gone and stormed out!
peted76 wrote:
But not before calling Freeman “spineless”…
What an utter farce.
peted76 wrote:
I think the word you wanted was “withdrawn”.
Whatever his story, will it
Whatever his story, will it stand up in court?
Ah yes a screaming and a
Ah yes a screaming and a holering, he’s justifying why Freeman wanted that screen; dodgy text message sounds like a threat to me. I wonder how many times Jess Varnish has spat her coffee out reading Twitter. Sutton would be comedy gold except too many have paid a price for me to laugh.
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The Merida frame/fork stripes
The Merida frame/fork stripes don’t line up with the wheel stripes. Or is it just me?
Why has nobody commented on
Why has nobody commented on the duck story? It is eggsactly the story we need to get in puns. Or has everybody terned to the Sutton Knob story for their punning?
Edgeley wrote:
Looks like that meme was wasted. I’ll be sending you the bill.
Must agree with the sole
Must agree with the sole comment re Bristol, ban/restrict them all or none, a halfway house doesn’t do squat if you want to encourage/coerce people into active travel/using public transport.
The destroying of duck eggs is BS, the main reason as mentioned is actually to reduce poo on picnic tables, but the old, let’s use everyone’s favourite hated outgroup to use as an excuse to deflect the vitriol is clearly to the fore … arseholes!
Is nobody going to say “WTAF?
Is nobody going to say “WTAF?” about that drivetrain???
brooksby wrote:
Built to cope with Robert Förstemann?
Such a shame that the only
Such a shame that the only subject that Chris Boardman will be able to talk about is bloody Brexit, as that’s all that’s fucking talked about on QT, week in, week out by leftie luvvies.
biker phil wrote:
I thought it was the hot topic of the right wing Nazis…… my mistake.
What do ducks and the inland
What do ducks and the inland revenue have in common?
They can both stick their bills up their ass.
I wonder how many baby
I wonder how many baby squirrels he has to feed that barn owl every day.
ConcordeCX wrote:
He could maybe speak to someone about all these ducklings I hear are going spare (edit) going cheap.
15 years or river and canal
15 years or river and canal side commuting, more when you throw in utility and leisure riding and I have never, ever had a problem with ducks.
Geese, they are a lot bigger and can be vicious, they poop everwhere too. Canada geese, I could do a few less of maybe, but not to the extent of destroying eggs. Egyptian geese are so very cool, and I like them a lot.
Swans are very big, but they are quite chilled. Did once find myself in a huge roost late one night, which was disconcerting, but only mildly.
Coots and moorhens are fine, and always fun to watch.
I do find the male duck aggresive courting of female ducks a little bit objectional, but that’s because I’m anthropomorphising their rapey behaviour, that’s nature for you.
None of them should be killed while in eggs though.
And trying to put the blame on cyclists…
I blame Jamie Oliver, it’s
I blame Jamie Oliver, it’s his fault duck eggs are popular.
Could Natural England show us
Could Natural England show us the data for cyclist/duck collisions and the ksi rate?
I suspect they’d just duck the question.
burtthebike wrote:
It’s madness. Just quackers.
A job for the Whitehall
A job for the Whitehall mandarins?
Excellent work on the duck
Excellent work on the duck puns folks! I’ll be rounding them up on today’s blog and trying to follow up on Natural England’s alleged mallardpractice…
Jack Sexty wrote:
one word: Quackers
Jack Sexty wrote:
Pluck them.
burtthebike wrote:
Eider similar reaction.
Dead ducks, that’s fowl. They
Dead ducks, that’s fowl. They get me down.
So the ducks will find their
Whoever hatched the plan to have the ducks’ eggs terminated will find they’ve cooked their goose.
I think it is a simple
I think it is a simple misunderstanding. For most of us the words “…destroyed at birth” have us thinking of Donald Trump not Donald Duck.
We sometimes get ducks on our
We sometimes get ducks on our BMX track. The ducks are fairly smart and get out of the way. As long as you know they’re around, you can ride round them.
Killing ducks for the reason of cycle safety is simply absurd. Post signs warning cyclists to take care and slow down instead.