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Cycling proficiency “simple” solution to UK’s immigration crisis, claims right-wing commentator, who says all aspiring citizens should be made to take bike test; Tour de France finally hits the mountains on Bastille Day; Giro recap + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Speaking of that war of words…
> “They do this a lot, like they’re the only ones getting bottles”: Fuming Tadej Pogačar tells Visma-Lease a Bike to “pay respect to everybody” after pushing Matteo Jorgenson in Tour de France feed zone clash
“We suffered, but we also enjoyed it… I think”: The Tour de France finally hits the mountains – after Mathieu van der Poel inspires second-fastest stage in history with epic, ill-fated breakaway
After nine long, gruelling, and surprisingly GC gap-inducing days traversing across northern France, the Tour de France peloton finally hits the mountains today, thanks to a saw-tooth, leg-aching – and hopefully, ambush-friendly – route across the Massif Central on Bastille Day.
Zac Williams/SWpix.com
Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert, however, will surely be wishing the Tour organisers had decided to forgo la fête nationale and instead opt for the traditional Monday rest day, after the Alpecin-Deceuninck pair spent almost the entirety of yesterday’s 174km stage to Châteauroux on their own out front.
And while it looked for a while that Van der Poel could pull off his greatest Tour exploit yet, despite the duo’s gallant effort, it wasn’t to be, as the former yellow jersey was caught with just 700m to go, Tim Merlier proving himself the heir to Mark Cavendish’s throne with his second stage victory of the race in ‘Cav City’.
Zac Williams/SWpix.com
“It’s hard to not be able to finish it off, but I think we put on a good show today,” a tired and sore Van der Poel said at the finish. “We suffered, but also enjoyed today… I think.”
Well, all that suffering wasn’t for nothing, Mathieu, as your stint at the front with Rickaert ensured yesterday’s stage was the second-fastest ever at the Tour, averaging 50.013kph, just 0.3kph or so shy of the record set on stage four in 1999, when Mario Cipollini won in Blois.
Zac Williams/SWpix.com
(Of course, Merlier’s name will be the one attached to the stage in the record books, but real cycling fans will know it was all down to the Alpecin two-up time trial, right?)
Fast forward to today, and the riders are following up the second-fastest Tour stage ever with the hardest route of the race so far – a constant up-and-down 165km trek through the Massif Central, featuring a record seven Cat 2 climbs in one stage (with a bonus Cat 3 for good measure).
Ouch…
Will the French baroudeurs triumph on Bastille Day? Or will the war of words between UAE and Visma finally erupt on the road?
Giro d’Italia Women recap: Elisa Longo Borghini “speechless” after securing second straight pink jersey triumph after stunning mountain coup at Monte Nerone
Is Elisa Longo Borghini the most battling, entertaining bike racer on the planet?
Well, the Italian champion made another strong claim to that designation at the weekend, as she pulled off a sensational coup to overhaul the hitherto serene pink jersey Marlen Reusser on the road to Monte Nerone, to secure her second consecutive overall victory at the Giro d’Italia Women.
With all eyes on Saturday’s 14.8m climb to the summit of Monte Nerone – the climb billed as a potential race decider – Longo Borghini and her UAE Team ADQ teammate Silvia Persico instead attacked early, slipping away on the short descent of an unclassified climb, down into Piobicco.
Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse
On the valley road to the foot of the final climb, the duo quickly built what turned out to be an unassailable lead, in GC terms anyway, as the bunch dithered.
The flying Sarah Gigante may have used her for-now unbeatable climbing talent to blast past Longo Borghini towards the finish for a second mountain win, but the 33-year-old stayed calm as Reusser wilted 30 seconds behind, the pink jersey slipping through her fingers.
At the finish, Longo Borghini and Reusser were both overwhelmed, one joyous, almost disbelieving, the other disconsolate, weighed down by the harsh reality.
Yesterday, Longo Borghini did what she had to do, keeping Reusser in sight as Anna van der Breggen attacked on the motor racing circuit of Imola, the scene of her final rainbow jersey in 2020, only to be bested by another double stage winner, Liane Lippert at the line.
Massimo Paolone/LaPresse
Speaking at the finish in Imola, Longo Borghini – sinking in another win at a race she’s busy making her own – said: “It’s been an incredible journey with UAE Team ADQ. It’s been eight days of completely full gas, we created actions, we believed every single day, and we stayed humble.
“And I can’t be much more thankful to my teammates than now, because if I wear this jersey now, it’s because of them. They were super committed, they were never surrendering, and I’m just speechless.”
“The average speed makes me feel better about my own power”: Lotto rider Lennert Van Eetvelt loses Garmin in first kilometre of Tour stage… but is reunited with computer four days later
If you want to pretend you could keep up with the Tour de France peloton, go and have a look at Lennert Van Eetvelt’s power data for the stage five time trial in Caen.
The young Lotto rider – who’s having a very quiet debut Tour by his precocious standards – dropped his Garmin in the first kilometre of the 33km effort against the clock, prompting an appeal from the 23-year-old on Twitter.
That appeal failed to pay off – until, that is, yesterday morning, when Van Eetvelt was reunited, thanks to the teamwork of a roadside fan, a police officer, and organisers ASO, with his bike computer… and the very average data it logged:
“Guess what?! Thanks everyone for the help and the ASO worker for getting it to me!” the Belgian wrote yesterday.
“The average speed makes me feel better about my own power,” one fan said in the comments.
The Tour pros, they’re just like us, eh? We can dream…
Not-so-giant revenues for Giant
> Giant’s revenue slumps by 25% in spring after positive start to 2025, as bike brand takes £102m less than first half of last year
What do you do instead of desperately trying to follow Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar around France? You go to your home UCI Mountain Bike World Cup race in Andorra and win it, of course
I reckon Tom Pidcock has this whole racing in July business sorted.
First mountain bike race of the year, easy commute from your house, nice win under your belt, fancy new kit to promote, job’s a good ‘un.
Much better than all that ‘racing around France for three weeks’ nonsense, I say…
Attaque de Alaphilippe on Bastille Day!
It’s the quatorze juillet – so it was written in the stars that Julian Alaphilippe would attack from the gun on his own, right?
He’ll probably be caught on the climb and jettisoned straight out the back within a kilometre or so, blowing spectacularly.
But who cares? It’s Bastille Day and it’s classic Lou Lou, you have to love it.
“I’m happy it’s the last time I have to race here, put it that way”
I think it’s fair to say Geraint Thomas will be pleased to see the back of the Massif Central after today:
“I’m happy it’s the last time I have to race [in the Massif Central], put it that way”
Daniel spoke to Geraint Thomas before stage 10 about the fight for the breakaway and his relationship with the Massif Central 🏴#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/mYkLyYmszU
— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 14, 2025
A massive, fairly unwieldy group of 30 or so riders, including Ben Healy, Simon Yates, Joe Blackmore, and that man Julian Alaphilippe (but not Thomas), has winched its way clear, and is currently two minutes up the road.
UAE Team Emirates are busy tapping out a steady pace at the front of the peloton, keeping the group within arms’ reach, though it remains to be seen whether they’ll let the breakaway forge a bigger gap over the upcoming string of Cat 2 climbs.
That decision may be taken out of their hands – following João Almeida’s crash-related abandon yesterday, one of the team’s other climbing domestiques, Pavel Sivakov, is already out the back today, reportedly suffering from illness, further damaging the squad’s strength in depth.
Surely Pog can’t be bothered with all the rest day yellow jersey press duties?
Dutch cycle lanes could soon have speed limits, as government also targets increasing helmet use “without leading to a reduction in people cycling”
The Dutch government has proposed a trial to allow local councils to introduce speed limits on cycle paths and bike lanes, the move said to be in the name of safety and coming alongside other proposals such as testing whether routes are improved by moving electric cargo delivery bikes onto roads.
Read more: > Dutch cycle lanes could soon have speed limits, as government also targets increasing helmet use “without leading to a reduction in people cycling”
“WTF is that saddle angle?!” Ultra-cyclist Alex McCormack unveils “hill climb era” Fairlight Strael… but everyone’s obsessed with only one “ball-busting” thing
Alex McCormack has had quite the few years.
The 26-year-old Brit, despite only taking up the sport properly two years ago, has already scooped up some of the biggest ultra-cycling prizes on offer, including the 1,300km Atlas Mountain Race in Morocco in February, the Hellenic Mountain Race in May, last year’s record-breaking ride at the Highland Trail 550 in Scotland, and the 2023 Further Elements Scotland.
But that glittering palmares doesn’t mean the Fairlight Cycles rider still can’t cop some stick from cyclists on Instagram for his bike set-up.
Over the weekend, McCormack showed off his Fairlight Strael 4.0 (worthy of a perfect 10/10 rating according to our reviewer Stu), which he used for a recent 24-hour hill climbing record attempt.
“The Strael has entered its hill climb era. Stripped back and under 8kg,” McCormack wrote on Instagram.
“The ride I wanted didn’t come off this time, lots of positives and some valuable lessons/ But the legs’ll be back, as will the bike. Unfinished business.”
> Review: Fairlight Strael 4.0 105 Di2
However, despite the stripped-back bike’s sleek looks and cool componentry, some cyclists in the comments were only obsessed with one thing.
“Love the frame and all, but WTF is with the saddle angle?” asked one user.
“Saddle set for 20 per cent climbs only,” added Zac.
“I think the saddle slipped forward?” joked Dale.
Meanwhile, another commenter chipped in: “WTF if that saddle angle? Trying too hard to be hip, but actually just ball-busting!”
And at this point, Fairlight had had enough.
“I’m not sure a tipped saddle is hip,” the brand’s account replied. “That is how he runs it, his results speak for themselves. You do you.”
Fair enough.
You know it’s Bastille Day at the Tour de France when…
… Err, riders are wearing bleu, blanc, rouge nose straps?
It was all part of the plan!
As the breakaway’s gap continues to increase, and Ben Healy rides into the virtual yellow jersey, albeit narrowly, one of the big social media revelations of the day is that Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert’s day-long escape yesterday was pre-planned… so Rickaert could make it onto the Tour podium as the stage’s most combative rider.
According to MVDP’s good mate Freddy Ovett (whose dad used to be a runner or something), the Dutch star text him on Saturday night to make sure he was watching the following day’s stage from KM Zero.
“Jonas and I, duo attack behind the car,” Van der Poel text Ovett.
“WTF why” came the reply.
“We want to try and ride with two whole stage,” Van der Poel text back. “His dream is to get on the podium of the Tour, for combativity.”
Talk about a plan well executed. Just a pity for Van der Poel the stage didn’t end 750m sooner…
Cyclist sets off on 250-mile ride for charity… on penny-farthing
Forget the Tour, the mountains, and Ben Healy’s constant attacking, the most impressive cycling performance of this week will take place on a bike trail in Suffolk.
Ben Clowes is taking on the Wolf Way cycling trail in Suffolk to raise money for Ormiston Families, aiming to cover the 250-mile route in five days and raise at least £2,000 for the charity.
Oh, and he’s doing the ride on a penny-farthing.
“I always say to people that riding a penny-farthing is like learning to ride a bike for the first time,” Clowes told ITV ahead of his Jeremy Vine-approved ride (I imagine, I haven’t heard from Jezza to suggest otherwise).
“You know, when you’re five or six and you learn to ride a bike and you get that feeling every time on the penny farthing. It just puts a smile on your face. It puts a smile on other people’s faces as you ride by, it’s a great bike to ride.”
Ben, who set off yesterday with the aim of finishing on Friday, says he’s planning sleeping under the stars during his five days riding long the Wolf Way trail – though he’s a bit concerned about the weather forecast.
“It’s not great riding the penny-farthing in the rain because the tyres are very thin. There’s no grip on them, really when it’s wet,” he says.
“So, I’m a bit worried about the rain. Other problems, really narrow paths through forests that can be quite bumpy. So again, I’ve got to be quite careful not to not to come off. The only way really to brake is, you get down with one foot on the step and you rub a foot against the back wheel to slow down.”
The penny-farthing rider is raising money for Ormiston Families, a charity based in Suffolk that works with families and children to best support their needs.
It’s happening, it’s happening!
30km and two climbs to go in today’s stage, and Ben Healy is driving on the breakaway, six minutes ahead of the UAE-led bunch (and, crucially, two minutes ahead of Tadej Pogačar on the virtual GC), the yellow jersey within his grasp:
And yes, I’m getting slightly carried away.
Lenny, just how hard is today’s Tour de France stage?
If you needed a visual reminder that today’s stage through the Massif Central is bloody difficult, look no further than Lenny Martinez – who’s placed himself in the KOM competition with a strong ride on the early climbs – and his nosebleed moment, as Ben Healy and Quinn Simmons drove on the pace:
Oh, and Visma-Lease a Bike have taken over at the front of the peloton, and are currently eating into Healy’s virtual GC lead, perhaps as part of another attempt to keep Tadej Pogačar in yellow, to ensure he doesn’t have the most restful rest day.
I’m getting slightly nervous…
Dublin food delivery cyclist settles for €60,000 over dooring by driver parked in cycle lane
A delivery cyclist from Dublin is to receive €60,000 damages for injuries suffered in a dooring incident in the city, a driver having been partly stopped in a cycle lane when a door of their vehicle was opened into the rider’s path.
Read more: > Dublin food delivery cyclist settles for €60,000 over dooring by driver parked in cycle lane
“I didn’t even feel that good”: Tour stage winner Simon Yates admits he’s “still a bit tired” after Giro d’Italia victory – but says he took opportunity “with both hands”
2025 has turned out pretty well for Simon Yates, hasn’t it?
After a brilliant, last-gap, ‘don’t call it a redemption’ victory at the Giro d’Italia in May, the 32-year-old landed his third career Tour de France stage win this afternoon on the Puy de Sancy – despite, he admits, still feeling the effects of three weeks in Italy.
“I didn’t even feel that good,” Yates said at the finish. “It was a really hard start to be there. And that’s why I took advantage into the final corners at the bottom of the last descent, because I was looking for a bit of a head start. And I just did my best from there.
ASO/Billy Ceusters
“It’s been a long time,” he said, reflecting on the six years that had passed since his last Tour stage triumph in 2019. “But actually I wasn’t expecting any opportunities here. We came here fully focused on Jonas and the GC. And the stage played out in a way that I could be there for the stage, and I took it with both hands.
“It’s not easy, I’m still a bit tired from [the Giro] but I’m getting better every day. I was a bit rusty at the start but I’ve been growing into the race.”
Now, that’s a frightening prospect.
The British and Irish take over Bastille Day: Ben Healy pulls off sensational ride to take yellow jersey as attacking Tadej Pogačar ensures nail-biting finish – and Simon Yates continues superb 2025 with perfectly executed stage win
He did it.
Shay Elliot. Sean Kelly. Stephen Roche. And now Ben Healy.
The EF Education-EasyPost rider, the epitome of ‘never say die’, has raced, head down, into the history books this afternoon on the Puy de Sancy.
ASO/Billy Ceusters
Despite the attacking intent of Visma-Lease a Bike, a late, blistering acceleration from Tadej Pogačar, and a lack of co-operation from his breakaway colleagues (a self-inflicted consequence of his bloody-minded GC bid), Healy has become the fourth Irish rider to wear the Tour de France’s yellow jersey, holding off Pogačar by just 26 seconds to lead the Tour heading into its first rest day.
And, on France’s big day, Britain and Ireland were the nations lighting the fireworks, Simon Yates riding away from the Healy group on the final climb to take a perfectly executed stage win, the icing on the cake of his Giro-winning, career-defining 2025.
ASO/Billy Ceusters
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider was one of the five surviving members of the massive breakaway of the day who made it onto the last of the eight categorised climbs, a whittling-down process aided by Healy’s dogged determination to claim yellow, forging on unaided at the front in a staggering ride which even saw the Irishman catch and then drop the attacking Quinn Simmons on the penultimate climb.
Unlike Simmons, Yates judged his effort to perfection, making use of Healy’s lead-out into the climb to ride away at the foot of the Puy de Sancy, a brief challenge by Thymen Arensman – a rare spot of light for the doom-laden Ineos Grenadiers – undone by Yates’ experience and know-how in the final kilometre, the elastic snapping for good.
ASO/Billy Ceusters
Ironically, it was Yates’ Visma team who, in the closing 30km, appeared the biggest threat to Healy’s yellow goal, a flurry of attacks from Jonas Vingegaard’s teammates Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss isolating Pogačar, his UAE team, stricken by injury and apparent illness, missing in action on the final climbs, forcing the world champion to react and cover his own moves.
But, of course, this is Tadej Pogačar we’re talking about. On the final steep ramps to the finish, the Slovenian flipped the script, attacking hard and dropping everyone – except, of course, Jonas Vingegaard, who, time trial woes aside, has matched the defending champion pedal stroke for pedal stroke so far in this Tour, with his favoured high mountain terrain still to come.
But just as Healy’s advantage began to melt, a game of bluff then ensued between the Tour’s big two, interrupted – bizarrely – by KOM points grabber Lenny Martinez, who paced Pogačar and Vingegaard to the line.
ASO/Billy Ceusters
Just beyond the line, a nervous Healy stood watching the clock.
The 24-year-old had, remarkably, inexplicably, finished third on the day, riding first Michael Storer then Ben O’Connor off his wheel during those final, steep three kilometres, despite those two riders sheltering in his admittedly small slipstream for much of the final hour.
That ride, dogged, determined, ferocious yet calculating, in the end proved enough, just, as four minutes and 20 separating the Irish attacker and an ice-cool Pogačar at the finish – and, crucially, 29 seconds on GC. Almost four decades on from the country’s sole Tour win, courtesy of Stephen Roche in 1987, Ireland finally has its hands on the yellow jersey once again.
ASO/Billy Ceusters
In the GC battle, meanwhile, the psychological hammer blow of Pogačar and Vingegaard’s apparent ability to ride away at will proved more significant than the minimal time gaps on offer, as the pre-finish détente offered not just Healy the opportunity to grab yellow, but the likes of Remco Evenepoel and the increasingly confident Oscar Onley to limit their losses to just six seconds.
But the GC race will wait for another day – this year, France’s big festival belonged to Simon Yates, who’s busy turning 2025 into a proper party. And yellow? Well, that belongs to Ben Healy, arguably the man of the Tour so far.
And I don’t think even the most patriotic Frenchman would begrudge him the honour.
Cycling proficiency “simple” solution to UK’s immigration crisis, claims right-wing commentator – who says all “aspiring British citizens” should be made to take bike test (and don’t worry, he mentions number plates and pavement riding too)
You have to hand it to the Critic’s Adam James Pollock (well, you don’t, but you know what I mean). When it comes to right-wing commentator bingo, his latest offering for the conservative magazine nabbed quite a few full houses.
In just eight short paragraphs, the writer – who also found the time over the weekend to pen a column for the Spectator titled ‘Why Northern Ireland hates Paddington’ – managed to squeeze in references to small boats in the English channel, immigration, Deliveroo illegal e-bike riders, Net Zero, pavement cycling, bike number plates, MAMILs holding up traffic, and the cycling proficiency test.
The Telegraph would be proud.
And the thesis at the centre of this Venn diagram-mashing diatribe? That immigrants to the UK should be made to take the cycling proficiency test.
“How better to bestow proper cycling etiquette upon the immigrant delivery population?” Pollock asks, in his column, intriguingly headlined ‘Bring back the cycling proficiency test’ (which, Adam, hasn’t gone away, of course. You’re just not at school anymore).
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“While looking at a list of what really matters to voters, I noticed that the same points keep arising: immigration, safety, infrastructure, jobs. How could we solve all of these issues at once? Surely there must be something the government is overlooking. And then, like a hangover or a Deliveroo cyclist, it hit me, full force,” Pollock writes.
“The cycling proficiency test. A more clear predictor of British birth than having a tin of loose-leaf tea in the cupboard which is never used, the cycling proficiency test bestowed proper cycling etiquette upon generations of children across the United Kingdom.”
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have made Adam any more empathetic to people on bikes, as he goes on to contrast e-bike delivery riders with “the typical cyclist, the middle-aged-man-in-lycra who sets off Sunday morning to hold up traffic”.
Turning his attention back to immigrant e-bike delivery riders, Pollock continued: “As a precondition for both entering Britain through the legal migration routes and for receiving any form of benefit after arriving here illegally, aspiring citizens should be required to undertake the cycling proficiency test. It would both allow them to more easily integrate into British culture while also making them aware of how our road transport system works.”
Yes, Adam, like all those dangerous, close passing drivers on our roads…
“It would at least make them aware that they should ‘get off the bloody footpath’, a phrase I have often found myself disparaging the reckless balaclava-clad cyclists with,” he writes, before bringing up that classic trope of the anti-cycling political writer: number plates.
“For those utilising bicycles on a regular basis in metropolitan areas, a similar system to car number-plates could be introduced, easily checkable to find out whether or not the cyclist should really be on the road,” he argues.
“This would doubtless prevent innumerable road traffic collisions from occurring, while also freeing up job roles for those suffering from joblessness who are struggling to get back into work.
Ah yes, the key to Britain’s “innumerable” road safety problems: number plates for Deliveroo riders. Because that works so well for motorists, the ones really involved in the “innumerable” collisions on our roads. Problem solved, Adam, well done!
He concluded: “A booming new sector could be created, one of cycling proficiency test instructors and adjudicators, regulation enforcers and back-end data analysis professionals, and perhaps tutors for those young students for whom the test is a recent memory.”
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Of course, the irony is that Pollock is repeating, loosely, a call for more cycling training by the UK’s national bike training scheme, Bikeability, who in May urged the government to enshrine mandatory cycle training into the national curriculum as part of a series of reforms designed to make the roads safer.
Alongside calling for an immediate nationwide ban on pavement parking, default 20mph speed limits for motor vehicles in all urban areas, and spending at least 10 per cent of transport funding on cycling and walking, the charity argued that increasing levels of Bikeability training is “associated with lower levels of people being killed or seriously injured”, despite the training not yet being available on the curriculum.
It also recommended improved training for adult cyclists, including the development of a national training standard for commercial cargo bike use.
Somehow, I don’t think the Critic’s Adam was really thinking about cyclists’ safety when he penned his column at the weekend…
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70 Comments
Latest Comments
* 'processing' > 'proceeding'
I don't think it does - just processing on without regard to the circumstances. Replace it with 'pushing' if you like - makes no difference to the point. From what I can see in the video, he'd completed the turn and had sufficient opportunity to slow - it wouldn't have taken much of an adjustment.
@Backladder Under the new hierarchy of road users we cyclists have a duty of care to pedestrians. In this instance the duty of care amounts to two things. First avoid the pedestrian. Tick. Secondly point out the error of their ways to try to improve their safety in future. Tick.
There are several things on this planet, that when I look at them, my skill crawls and bile salivates in my mouth; and Michael Gove is one of them. So perhaps my thoughts on this are biased. And I shall keep them to myself.
As someone who regularly unleashes the fruitier sections of his vocabulary on drivers who do things that put me at risk of injury or worse, I have to say I agree with Jack here, the misdemeanour is not sufficiently egregious to justify the aggression. In this situation, which one faces numerous times in a day cycling in London, I find a simple "I think you'll find it's actually my light, chap/madam" suffices and nine times out of ten it elicits a sheepish apology. If the pedestrian wants to up the ante by giving back I'm quite prepared to respond in kind, but it's not a situation that requires such immediate aggression. That said it is Michael Gove so some forms of aggression would be justified, if the cyclist had said, "Exports are down 14% and we didn't even have a small boats problem before Brexit, you idiot" I'd cheer him on.
@rjfrussell Well, now you mention it, the sound of fans cheering you on coming through the speakers would sometimes be quite nice ;-)
Generic …like virtually all new carbon road and gravel bikes. …it no longer looks like a Bianchi, nor a Specialissima. Mainstreaming in the bike industry is rife, as if everyone needs an aero race bike, despite the fact that 90% of customers don’t. …Small frame makers rejoice! Carbon is on its way out.
@mdavidford Barreling suggests he was travelling at speed whereas he had just started riding and was making a turn so his balance might not have been good enough to have slowed and adjusted his line.
Not sure what relevance what he'd just done previously has to the question.
Shurely an internal investigation *might* have taken place, which if it did, and if it came to the conclusion there had been any wrongdoing (two big ifs) "unfortunately the officer being investigated has retired and so there's no further action we can take"?
70 thoughts on “Cycling proficiency “simple” solution to UK’s immigration crisis, claims right-wing commentator, who says all aspiring citizens should be made to take bike test; Tour de France finally hits the mountains on Bastille Day; Giro recap + more on the live blog”
Another option for a “booming
Another option for a “booming new sector” – regular driving tests.
Or writing proficiency tests,
Or writing proficiency tests, to ensure ‘journalists’ and ‘commentators’ aren’t churning out tired old dog-whistle rubbish.
“Hey ChatGPT, write me a
“Hey ChatGPT, write me a guide to spotting articles created with AI”.
Sounds like you want an
Sounds like you want an authoritarian state where nobody is allowed their opinion even if it is crap. Believe me, you wouldn’t want to go down that road…..
(No subject)
Methinks Adam James Pollock
Methinks Adam James Pollock needs to look in the mirror to work out where bad cycling habits come from.
The current generation of them, and the ones he cares (cries?) about so much:
the food couriers who are mostly not white, are simply learning from and copying the bad cyclists of yesteryear…
And I wonder what colour the majority of them were.
What? What on earth has
What? What on earth has colour or race to do with a cyclist discussion. What does it matter, it’s behaviour that counts, regardless of race, colour, gender, ethnic origin or any other differentiation you could choose. Safe riding, safe driving, safe roads and lanes for all with consideration to other road and pavement users. That’s what matters. And it’s sadly lacking😕
Discrimination has definitely
Discrimination has definitely got the better of Mr Pollock: Everyone – not just new arrivals need to take the cycling proficiency test, and for the benefit of all there should be an extended practical section of the test where you have to cycle along a busy road that has no cycling infrastructure.
Adam Pollock wrote:
As others have pointed out here ad-nauseum, number plates don’t prevent collisions, unless they are large enough to prevent vehicles from ever moving.
Pub bike wrote:
As others have pointed out here ad-nauseum, number plates don’t prevent collisions, unless they are large enough to prevent vehicles from ever moving.— Adam Pollock
He hasn’t thought it through properly, if I put a car number-plate on my bike any fines will go back to the owner of the car I took it from!
Man seeking interaction in
The latter never happened, the first seems quite believable.
TBH if people are prepared to come over here and do insecure work for peanuts riding dodgy cycles on UK roads in the hope of “a better life” * … perhaps the problem is not that the UK is “too soft” and/or it isn’t doing well enough, but that it’s still doing far better than most places AND that their expense. (If not directly conniving in their misfortunes, at least only concerned about the best short-term deal for ourselves. “America First” may be a relatively new slogan on the block, but the UK’s been doing that for centuries; just more quietly in recent decades…)
* The BBC at least has had some sketches at looking at some of the complexities of migration (e.g. asylum-seekers here) – indeed they were doing so 20 years ago… So there’s push (threat / “no life” at home), pull (aspiration, perhaps family or social connections) … and once people have left what happens next may be more or less out of their hands. So a grey/black economy cycle-delivery job may be the best or only option.
Actually ‘America First’ goes
Actually ‘America First’ goes back to the mid 19th century
The cycle numberplates
The cycle numberplates proposal doesn’t stand up to real life experience. In London the bikes with the most visible identification are Lime bikes, which are as a perentage of cyclists are some of the worst offenders for traffic laws. So despite being able to report the mmore easily, it doesn’t seem to have made any difference. Even with motor vehicle numberplates, if you report to the Police you saw one jumping a red light nothing will be done without video (and then only a small chance it gets actioned).
Don’t worry that’s never
Don’t worry that’s never going to happen, cycle number plates is an extreme fantasy, though if Farage got into power who knows what’ll happen🥴
If Farage gets in he’ll be
If Farage gets in he’ll be introducing compulsory use of cycle lanes, number plates for cyclists, mandatory helmets and high vis, and I’ll be engaging in some civil disobedience.
Compulsory use of the cycle
Compulsory use of the cycle lanes that he’s having all torn out?
mdavidford wrote:
Seems reasonable – if they make it compulsory to use all the cycle lanes they have ripped out that they didn’t have in the first place – like LTNs?
Saw an article in the
Saw an article in the Grauniad at the weekend: Reform made a big thing about saving millions of pounds by getting rid of all the DEI roles. Reform control ten councils and it appears- following a FOI request- that there are a grand total of five DEI positions in those councils. In total
You’d think they’d do their research before writing their policies…
brooksby wrote:
Their target demographic aren’t likely to be reading policies, but just wanting to vote for the cruelest people with a dash of racism.
bensynnock wrote:
Why keep it civil?
Milkshake?
Milkshake?
Cycling proficiency /
Cycling proficiency / Bikeability isn’t mandatory even for British citizens so WTF is he on about? Is he saying he wants all adults to have proper cycle training? No, didn’t think so
All adults should have proper
All adults should have proper cycle training, gets cyclists into employment they’d enjoy too
Quote:
What this pigshit thick wanker seems to forget is that many of the racist pricks taht’s he’s fawning over also hold driving licences, these bigotted knobheads have been through an etiquette test and are still ignorant fuckwits that shouldn’t be allowed outside without a responsible adult. And stop bringing the civilisaed nations down by using Britain and U.K., you’re talking about england, dumbshit! #AndBreathe
A valid point, if a little
A valid point, if a little more expressive than I would have written it 😉
He appears to forget that most if not all British adults (born here or not) have passed a driving test and yet a great many of them still quietly “forget” (or just plain ignore) the rules and guidance they’ve been taught when it suits them…
brooksby wrote:
Blue touch paper was lit after seeing a complete imbecilic right wing toss pot telling someone to speak english in england. I fucking hate them! I do, however, apologise if anyone is unhappy at my language, excluding right whingers, in which case, go fuck yourself!
Yes I’m unhappy for one, my
Yes I’m unhappy for one, my kids read this column. You criticise others but see the need to use bad language to put your point across. Why?
Because I have a large
Because I have a large lexicon, I’m extremely expressive and I am extremely comfortable using extended vocabulary. Isn’t english such a beautiful language? I am also more offended by selfishness and bigotry than I am by what you label as ‘bad language’. It’s a great opportunity to teach your kids how to use this rich and colourful language. I’m sure they’ll be cussing with the best of us when you’re not in earshot. Feel free to read and censor before letting your kids read, but I ain’t changing.
I, for one, am horrified by
I, for one, am horrified by your bad language.
“taht’s”? “bigotted”? “civilisaed”? You should be ashamed of yourself.
Obviously not that enraged as
Obviously not that enraged as I went back and corrected the ones I saw. Enraged enough to allow some to slip through.
Derek S wrote:
Oh, not again, Nigel…
Take responsibility for your
Take responsibility for your own kids.
don simon fbpe wrote:
OT, but thinking about imbecilic right wing toss pots – did you see the news at the weekend where The Orange One congratulated an African premier on his excellent English and wondered where he’d been taught? The premier being the leader of Liberia, which has English as its official language and which was founded by Americans who wanted the freed Blacks to go and live somewhere (else)…
I did indeed, and I imagine
I did indeed, and I imagine that I won’t be getting a visa for USA any day soon.
I never imagined I could out
I never imagined I could out-radicalise a right-wing commentator, but here we are — I believe his suggestion should be taken even further:
I propose that every individual must complete a compulsory cycling proficiency test before obtaining a driving licence (for cars, lorries, or motorbikes). Furthermore, I suggest that everyone be required to repeat this test and demonstrate at least 30 hours of competent cycling every two years in order to retain their licence for the aforementioned vehicles.
Those with physical disabilities would, of course, be exempt from this requirement.
anke2 wrote:
And everyone sit an intelligence test before being allowed to vote.
Haha any preference on which
Haha any preference on which party they intend to vote for? Or all voters😉.
All voters, should sort the
All voters, should sort the wheat from the chaff.
don simon fbpe wrote:
Whilst I appreciate where you’re coming from, that kind of thing has a history of being abused.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/voting-literacy-test
That is indeed an abuse, but
That is indeed an abuse, but I think it’s fair to say that in modern times we all have access to some of the best education in the world, failing to take advantage of this is a choice.
hawkinspeter wrote:
Wasn’t that a plotline in a dystopian TV show?
brooksby wrote:
Possibly you’re thinking of the Twilight Zone episode Examination Day.
Tom_77 wrote:
Not that one, but thanks. Found it – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Years_and_Years_(TV_series)
brooksby wrote:
That’s an underrated show in my opinion
Love it! Devil is in the
Love it! Devil is in the detail of course and parliament would water it down to appease objectors, but basically anything to both teach all cyclists ( including delivery riders) how to use roads safely and help motorists understand cyclists and their fears has got to be one answer to motorist/cyclist battles. Other nations like Holland recognise this far better than we do, and also provide more safe lanes and infrastructure, which are also of course essential.
Derek S wrote:
Holland you say? Did they secede again (from either The Netherlands or the UK)?
More training and indeed regular (re)-testing would only be a good thing. Perhaps proportionate to the degree of danger from the vehicle / difficulty in operating it safely under the conditions it’s used in?
I think we should start them young and this should be on the national curriculum.
However I don’t agree with ” has got to be one answer to motorist/cyclist battles “… I think that’s a misunderstanding of the “why” and what the key differences are between “Holland” and here:
a) In NL the infra (and more importantly the whole layout of roads and streets, affecting patterns of motor vehicle access) and rules (e.g. speed limits – also influenced by infra) have been modified with the effect that cyclists aren’t often “in the way”. And if they are they may be your neighbours or your family.
b) That (and much more *) means that “everybody cycles” – cycling is just another entirely normal way of making some journeys. So “cyclists” don’t really exist as an out group (except perhaps “wielrennen” AKA “sports cyclists” / “roadies”?)
So … while we should, I doubt teaching cyclists “how to use the roads safely” will change much if anything. Cyclists already have very strong motivation for mastering “avoid getting hit”. Those who don’t – and I do occasionally see some wild stuff – may be working under a different set of motivations (e.g. they’re young and reckless, or working for subsistence / illegally and it’s all miles safer than where they came from, or perhaps just high).
Teaching drivers more won’t shift the dial much either while most people drive. Note that many people already ditch very quickly unlearn things shortly after passing. e.g. the majority don’t bother when it comes to strictly obeying 20mph speed limits.
Cyclists will still be a rare out-group, “in the way”, might will still be right.
Fundamentally mass motoring doesn’t mix well with cycling, without measures like the Dutch (and others to a lesser extent) have taken. * Which include stuff sometimes considered “out of scope” to reduce the demand for driving e.g. deliberately increasing some motor journey times, vastly improved public transport, attention to multi-modal transport and making great places for walking. And a design-and-road-safety philosophy which produces some quite different designs through starting with a very slightly different set of axioms.
anke2 wrote:
If they are physically fit to drive, they are equally fit to cycle.
whosatthewheel wrote:
Not necessarily…
Reminder that an experienced
Reminder that an experienced cycle courier obeying traffic laws will earn £6p/h working for JustEat
Adam James Pollock seems to
Adam James Pollock seems to have discovered how to use AI to write an anti-cycling article. No human writer could have got that much complete nonsense on one subject into a mere eight paragraphs.
Presumably he gets paid by the word, and even minimum wage is pretty good if you don’t actually have to write anything yourself. Even better if you get paid by the click.
“And then, like a hangover or a Deliveroo cyclist, it hit me, full force,” Somebody should.
Sooo. anyone can come to the
Sooo. anyone can come to the UK from mainland europe via official means driving a car, van or articulated lorry with the steering wheel on the wrong side and we dont give a shit. but anyone wants to sit on a bike? ooohh thats got to be tested to make sure you know what youre doing.
Could Road.cc scrape the
Could Road.cc scrape the barrel any lower when dredging up anti-cycling articles? It’s become as pointless as the trolls it continues to publicise. Time to vote with my feet
Perhaps everybody should be
Perhaps everybody should be made to do the cycling proficiency test and be required to put in 100 hours each year on a bike as a requirement for a driving license.
“The Cycling Proficiency Test
“The Cycling Proficiency Test. A more clear indicator of British birth than having a tin of loose leaf tea….etc”.
“It hit me as hard as an SUV being driven by a distracted, overweight motorist on his way to the chippy (Sorry Deliveroo bike).”
Such a witty writer.
Where can I subscribe to “The Critic.”
Mr Blackbird wrote:
I don’t know about subscribe, but I reckon these people might be able to sort you out.
I get through quite a lot of
I get through quite a lot of loose leaf tea, Yorkshire Gold, full on flavour.
ktache wrote:
“Do it fer Yorksher!”
ktache wrote:
So much better than that forrin rubbish.
eburtthebike wrote:
Someone was trying to interest me in Chinese tea the other day – Oolong or something? No thank you, I’ll stick to the honest local Scottish stuff!
I get through quite a lot of
I get through quite a lot of loose leaf tea, Yorkshire Gold
Pfff!! What could be more aristocratically British than Earl Grey?
wtjs wrote:
Which reminds me of the appalling joke about the communists not meeting in any cafe that served Earl Grey. Not because of the aristocratic connections, but because proper tea is theft.
Happened to read this today
Happened to read this today in a Guardian article on the right’s increasingly apocalyptic race-baiting rhetoric:
Think that tells us all we need to know about that particular journal (last reported circulation figures fewer than 9,000 paying readers).
We had a planning application
We had a planning application to make a recent development of three houses “gated” in the Forest of Dean! Not noted for the gangs of armed men roaming the streets.
Maybe they were worried about
Maybe they were worried about wild boars?
Perhaps they should be
Perhaps they should be worried about wild boors…
brooksby wrote:
They’re very shy and run away fast.
eburtthebike wrote:
Unless, as I found out some years ago in your beautiful part of the world, you’re riding on a forest trail that the boarlets have just crossed ahead of you but mama boar hasn’t: she emerged from the undergrowth about 50 yards ahead and gave us a proper face down for about thirty seconds. Fortunately, having made it quite clear who was the boss of the forest and that it wasn’t us, she then trotted off to round up the little ‘uns.
Yes, you do have to be
Yes, you do have to be careful if the mother has hoglets.
I’m all for investing in
I’m all for investing in greater access to Bikeability training. I hope that should the government allocate more funding to improve opportunities for people to learn to bike safely, they’d get his full support. Extend the offer to people on Job Seekers’ Allowance too – as well as anyone else that wants it.
Of course if the current government were to announce such a thing, the righ-wingers would immediately reject the ‘freebie culture’ that rewards ‘illegal immigration’ or ‘lazy spongers’ and claim it’s part of a conspiracy against cars.
Meanwhile, Labour’s comms team being entirely useless, they’d announce it as a proposal to ‘turbo charge the economy’ in a doomed attempt to avoid attacks by the right-wing media, which allows for bad faith takes from the left-wing commentators who are just as guilty as the Daily Mail columnists when it comes to relying on anger and self-righteousness to drive traffic to their opinion pieces and social media posts.
Isn’t ‘turbo-charging’ (of
Isn’t ‘turbo-charging’ (of bicycles) what all these people are complaining about in the first place?