“Social media is the cancer of our society”: Tadej Pogačar says it’s not worth following news and it can “ruin your day”; Chris Froome backs TdF free-to-air campaign; Cyclists criticise ‘Caution School Ahead’ on bike lane + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“It’s only fair if you want to buy a massive SUV that you should expect to pay more for the space it takes up”
“Delete that s*** now”: Everyone’s favourite ProTeam Unibet Tietama Rockets turns public enemy number one after posting Studio Ghibli AI art
Folks, a quick and easy lesson on how to lose followers on social media and turn cycling fans against you: Don’t use AI art. Sounds simple enough?
Perhaps not, for ProTeam Unibet Tietama Rockets, commonly seen as a light-hearted underdog Dutch team and well-liked by many cycling fans, who’re finding themselves the target of fans’ ire after they posted AI art to celebrate Lander Loockx’s victory at Paris-Camembert, made in the style of Studio Ghibli — you know, the mechanism which preys on legendary animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s (and countless others) decades of hard work.
Apologies for ruining your day, but here’s a range of replies under the social media posts:
“You guys are having a good season but this is the biggest L. AI garbage. Computer Rendered Artificial Pictures.”
“Delete this stolen AI crap.”
“Nobody wants your soulless AI slop.”
“Love Paris-Camembert, love that you won. Don’t love this.”
“You paid a photographer, but you stole from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, whose work AI stole from. Lost all respect for you for doing this.”
“F*** no, not cool, delete that s*** right now.”
Maybe if we bully AI art users enough they’ll go away?
More Tadej Pogačar merch, this time with goats and Roubaix pavé
Following on the quite nice-looking Pogi merchandise that came out of the Strade Bianche crash, showing him battered and bruised rising out of the bushes, a man on a mission, (with a surprising quick turnaround time too), the world champion is back with some more t-shirt merch offerings.
With the next two weekends marking some of the most anticipated races of the calendar, with Tour of Flanders this Sunday and Paris-Roubaix the next, Pogačar has released a tee-shirt with himself, his trusty Colnago and a few *wink* goats on the French cobbles.
“Happy to announce collaboration with Fette for project Paris-Roubaix Course,” wrote Pogačar on social media. “The all new T-shirt design but Fette team is already online on www.tadejpogacar.com. This project is to help me get through Hell of the North, but more importantly goes for good cause to Tadej Pogačar Foundation. See you everyone first this Sunday on Ronde van Vlaanderen and next sunday Roubaix.”
“A complete disgrace”: Cycling fans slam Vuelta organisers for snubbing Equipo Kern Pharma — team that won three stages last year — for Q36.5 Pro Cycling
A Spanish ProTeam and winner of three stages through Spanish riders Pablo Castrillo and Urko Berrade in the 2024 edition of Vuelta a España — surely you’d expect them to get the nod for this year?
But no, Vuelta organisers have released the team selection for this year’s Spanish Grand Tour and Equipo Kern Pharma has been snubbed the invitation, instead choosing Tom Pidcock’s Q36.5 Pro Cycling.
Besides Q36.5, the other teams to get a wildcard/invitational entry are the UCI ProTeams, Burgos Burpellet BH and Team Caja Rural IGA, who, along with the 18 WorldTour teams, will line up at the start line in Turin on 23 August.
Fans are really struggling to see the reasoning behind the decision for the invite (other than the British rider’s big name signing over the summer), with many criticising the organisers.
“A complete disgrace. Kern Pharma wins three stages and doesn’t get in but Burgos or Q36.5 get the wildcard. Stop ruining the sport we love,” wrote one person. Another fan labelled it a “lamentable decision”, while yet another questioned: “Kern Pharma, three stage winner in 2024, and they aren’t there? What kind of interests are behind it?”
“Car brain strikes again”: Cyclists criticise ‘Caution School Ahead’ sign on bike lane, pointing that “drivers of two-tonne killing machines” are not given the same warning
On a day when active travel campaigners have urged for higher taxes to be levied on SUV owners, social media users have pointed out how a ‘Caution School Ahead’ sign on a bike lane, but not on the main road, might come off as duplicitous.
Cyclist and environmental campaigner Ola Løkken Nordrum posted the image of a Dublin bike lane with the sign, writing: “The car brain strikes again. Cyclists are warned to watch out for schoolchildren crossing the road, but are subsidised drivers of two-tonne killing machines (sorry, “hard-pressed SUV owners”) given the same warning? Of course not.”
Many agreed with Nordrum’s post, one person suggesting that it was “too late for April Fools”, while another said: “That’s at the end of my road, it’s been baffling me too.”
However, others pointed out that there would ideally be sign posts warning drivers that they’re approaching a school zone. One person wrote: “School children barely pay enough attention to notice cars, so they are less likely to notice a bike. Sometimes it’s good to be reminded that there are pedestrians who pay so little attention that it almost seems deliberate.”
Recently, we reported that a headteacher of a junior school in Cumbria had expressed excitement at the prospect of new cycle lanes being built outside the school to enable more children and families to make safe and active journeys to and from the site. However, the local councillors didn’t share the same level of excitement, many claiming the proposed infrastructure would “shrink” space for motorists and slow down traffic.
Last month, another segregated cycle lane near a London primary school was in the news, with a cyclist claiming that it was “blocked twice a day by parents parking illegally” during the school run, the council apparently dismissive of the issue suggesting “it doesn’t matter because it’s only twice a day”.
“If I’m freaked out on a road, I’m riding on the sidewalk”: Lance Armstrong claims “distracted driving” has made cycling more dangerous and says he “avoids long, straight roads like the plague”
Chris Froome angrily takes to social media to share number plate of motorist who allegedly tried to drive into him “multiple times”, calling for her to “face the consequences”
More of Froome’s Instagram tales…
Visma-Lease a Bike reveal special kit for Ronde van Vlaanderen
Wout van Aert and Visma-Lease a Bike will be hoping to bury the ghosts of Dwars door Vlaanderen with this special kit for the big day…
“Paint is not infrastructure”
Paint is not infrastructure! 👀
— Transport Action Network (@transportaction.bsky.social) 4 April 2025 at 15:34
Chris Froome joining in the good fight, urges followers to sign petition to parliament to save free-to-air Tour de France coverage in the UK (and comes out as a road.cc reader)
British cycling icon, four-time Tour de France winner, two-time Vuelta a España winner, Giro d’Italia winner… and road.cc reader Chris Froome has extended his support to cycling fans in trying to move Parliament in light of free-to-air cycling all but facing a demise in the UK amidst Warner Bros. Discovery claiming exclusive rights for the sport and then charging fans £30.99 per month.
Yesterday, a cycling fan launched a petition to parliament calling for the Tour de France to be protected under UK broadcasting law, in a bid to ensure cycling’s biggest race remains free to air on British television.
Good ol’ Froomey has shared our article on his Instagram with a link to the petition as well, urging his followers to sign it. Chapeau.
“Social media is the cancer of our society”: Tadej Pogačar says it’s not worth following social media and news as it can “ruin your day” (also reveals he’s not a fan of both champagne and beer)
Ouch Tadej.
A UAE Team Emirates XRG press conference was the site of several interesting remarks and quotes from Tadej Pogačar as the world champion answered questions about social media, his career and goals, Visma and Wout van Aert unravelling at Dwars door Vlaanderen, his upcoming showdowns at Flanders and Roubaix with Mathieu van der Poel… and his aversion to champagne and beer.
When asked whether social media could be a “burden for top athletes”, the 26-year-old Slovenian said: “I mean, social media is the cancer of our society. You can be on social media all day, and there are a lot of positive things, but always the negative things come out the most.
“It can ruin your day and it’s really not worth it to follow social media and news, no offence to you guys,” Pogačar said, referring to the journalists present in the room.
“It’s best not to care about those things and the easiest way to not care about those things is to not read them and not be anywhere present.”
The response would probably reflect a maturing on the part of the Slovenian, because if I remember correctly, exactly two years ago he was replying to Twitter memes… 15 minutes before the start of the Tour of Flanders.
He was also asked if he’d be waiting to exact revenge on Van der Poel at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix — the latter being the first time the three-time Tour de France winner will be visiting the Hell of the North.
His response, as classy as ever: “Revenge for Sanremo at Ronde? I don’t know why I would be bitter or looking for revenge when nobody did anything bad to me, so there is nothing about revenge.”
He also added: “I don’t think about what I want to be, how people see me. I want to do whatever keeps me interested in cycling and not to lose motivation and just give up, because it becomes boring, every year it’s the same. I just want to get all the experiences of cycling, so when I retire, I will not have any regrets and say that ‘I did my best in every aspect of cycling’.”
Perhaps the most controversial moment of the press conference came when he was put on the spot and asked: “What tastes better, post-race Belgian beer after Flanders victory or a glass of champagne after Tour de France?”
His answer might be one many didn’t see coming (especially if they read a former dodgy version of this blog’s headline… it’s been a long week): “Champagne is not my favourite, and I don’t drink a lot of beer. The best feeling is to get home to your bed and have a chill night without any stress.”
Surprisingly, this would also come as another U-turn from Pogačar, whose agent literally less than 12 months ago claimed that he indulges in the odd pint after races to “recover and relax”…
Or maybe, it makes complete sense for an elite athlete with an immensely increasing amount of pressure to actually want to relax instead getting sloshed? I know a Slovakian former world champion who would disagree…
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@mdavidford Same day, Same badge. They're out there! and no such driver has ever considered 'not driving' anywhere, or climate change, or not having a Panzer or 'cyclist ahead' etc. etc. ttps://upride.cc/incident/pg21fwa_bmw_uwlcross/
@mctrials23 When I was planning my 2025 World Record ride I raised this issue with Jenny Graham. She said Guinness was set up for records like balancing the most number of books on your head, not these multi day efforts. Fortunately, WUCA are putting in place much clearer rules and I expect that the Guiness rules will be less relevant. They are also quite limiting, I am the first disabled person to do the challenge, but Guiness don't recognise brain injury under their disability category. With regard to comparing the different routes, Mark Beaumont did a great GCN interview on this at the time of Laels last attempt. He pointed out that there are two approaches. Go fast which means avoiding Asia with big loops in North America, or keep to the 'spirit' of the challenge. The latter means if you put your route on the living room wall it looks like you circumnavigated the world. Jenny and Mark's rides were the latter, Lael's the former. I originally had a route very similar to hers but decided my record would be 'tainted' by being within the rules but not the spirit. So I went to one like Mark suggested, with over 7,000 km in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and China.
@mdavidford Yeah, definitely Wilcox. And the depth of the research used here is also attested to by the consistent misspelling of Victor Bosoni's name...
@swagman - Lots of cyclists own cars - Lots of those car-owning cyclists like to drive their bikes nice places to cycle (we don't all live in the Lake District) - Lots of those holiday-making-car-owning cyclists like to use campsites when they do that - Lots of those holiday-making-car-owning-camping cyclists would find this setup interesting – Ergo, it's not a new low for road.cc but a perfectly legitimate and appropriate product review.
@swagman - Lots of cyclists own cars - Lots of those car-owning cyclists like to drive their bikes nice places to cycle (we don't all live in the Lake District) - Lots of those holiday-making-car-owning cyclists like to use campsites when they do that - Lots of those holiday-making-car-owning-camping cyclists would find this setup interesting – Ergo, it's not a new low for road.cc but a perfectly legitimate and appropriate product review.
Just to say your Tredz link is to the Continental Grand Prix, not the GP5000, they’re very different tyres.
Concur with KDee's comment. Also, how would a Vittoria T60 be the equivalent comparison, when this tyre has a centre section optimised for tarmac (or very hard packed gravel)? Surely Vittoria's T30 would be the equivalent?
Erm, Ruggins did manage to ride her bike very fast, perhaps in part because she'd headed up towards the Arctic Circle before the worst of the heat took hold. Are you perhaps thinking of Lael Wilcox?
@Rome73 The solar panels top up the battery. A battery is still needed especially when there isn't enough direct sunlight onto the panels to provide assistance. Brings a new meaning to fair-weather cyclist.
roadcc sinks to new low, next week wee reviewing electric cars !
15 thoughts on ““Social media is the cancer of our society”: Tadej Pogačar says it’s not worth following news and it can “ruin your day”; Chris Froome backs TdF free-to-air campaign; Cyclists criticise ‘Caution School Ahead’ on bike lane + more on the live blog”
Quote:
I do not think it means what you think it means. Unless there isn’t actually a school ahead at all.
‘Double standards’, perhaps?
Inconceivable?
Inconceivable?
Maybe they’re not teaching
Maybe they’re not teaching caution there, they’re teaching wild abandon? “Throw yourself in the road, darling!”
The benefit of putting it in
The benefit of putting it in the cycle lane means that it won’t get worn out as quickly. Unfortunately that would seem to be the only benefit. IUt should straddle all lanes or be replicated in each lane, or be written on a road sign.
Armando Iannucci
Armando Iannucci
“Today is Day One of humanity’s Idiolithic Era.”
Where everybody uses stones
Where everybody uses stones in different ways?
🤔
Quote:
Now I don’t do any of this InstaTok business, so I could well be wrong, but it looks to me like he’s only outed himself as a follower of someone else who reads (or at least, is aware of) road.cc.
Let’s hope he doesn’t read
Let’s hope he doesn’t read Road CC, the amount of articles they write putting a downer on him.
Is it just me or is there a
Is it just me or is there a link or embed missing for the image of the Dublin bike lane from Ola Løkken Nordrum?
Weird – it was there earlier.
Weird – it was there earlier.
Does this count as social
Does this count as social media?
I agree with Pogacar
I agree with Pogacar regarding social media. The likes of Facebook, Instagram have done untold damage, especially to the minds of young people. They have their uses when used to promote a business, but that is all in my opinion. Never been on FB etc, not interested.
The likes of Facebook,
The likes of Facebook, Instagram have done untold damage, especially to the minds of young people
FB has its uses! Fortunately, there aren’t any young people among the ranks of the Bloomers, so our minds haven’t been damaged- it’s my body I’m worried about. One of these is me and one is our MP- any guesses?
wtjs wrote:
Was it number 3? They seem to stand out…
Cat Smith MP 2nd from left
Cat Smith MP 2nd from left