Cycling world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II; Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Sarah Storey, UCI, British Cycling, Tour de France and Tour of Britain pay respects + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Cycling world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
It has been a strange and, for many, unprecedented 24 hours, leading to the announcement from Buckingham Palace yesterday evening that Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, had died aged 96. Tributes have poured in from across the globe, and whilst there are thousands of important tributes, as a cycling website we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t report on the way the news was received across the cycling world…
This evening we join the nation in mourning the loss of Her Majesty The Queen, at the age of 96.
Our deepest condolences and sympathies are with the @RoyalFamily at this time. pic.twitter.com/Ed6JxqyNGM
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) September 8, 2022
The Tour of Britain late last night confirmed all remaining stages had been cancelled and sent “our deepest condolences to the whole of the Royal Family”.
Your Majesty, thank you for being our leading lady for such a long time. I will treasure having had the fortune to meet you & always be grateful to have been honoured by you too. Thoughts with the whole family 🙏🏻 #QueenElizabeth #RestInPeace pic.twitter.com/48UIMSc8iz
— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) September 8, 2022
Sir Chris Hoy joined the tributes, writing: “I share the sadness and sorrow of all Britons and many others around the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Her Majesty on a number of occasions and always admired her tremendous dedication and absolute commitment to her role, as well as the generosity and compassion she offered to all those she met. Her Majesty The Queen devoted her life to our country, guiding us through so many historically significant moments with great leadership.
“My thoughts are with the Royal Family at this very sad time.”
The Tour de France shares the grief of the Royal Family and the British people in this difficult period. Sincere condolences.
Le Tour de France présente ses sincères condoléances à la famille royale et au peuple britannique. pic.twitter.com/eDKnRY28VM
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 8, 2022
"The true joy of cycling"
Queen Elizabeth II (1926- 2022)
🌹 🚲
The true joy of cycling. 🇬🇧 #QueenElizabeth #londoncycling #cyclist pic.twitter.com/4ggGDiCkX8— Cycle Spirit London (@cyclespirit) September 8, 2022
Raleigh thanks Queen for "leadership, your dedication, and your humour"
Thank you for your leadership, your dedication, and your humour.
Rest in Peace, Your Majesty. pic.twitter.com/fHHbIVaJd7— Raleigh Bikes UK (@RaleighBikes_UK) September 9, 2022
"Surreal final night of Tour of Britain": How cancellation unfolded...
So, the surreal final night of this year’s @TourofBritain ended like this:
6:28pm – two-minute advance warning of the news while in media centre
9pm – first statement published from a Tesco car park
10:30pm – second statement finalised and live from Moto services
3am – bed pic.twitter.com/4jTeZsPDl3— Nick Bull (@nickbull21) September 9, 2022
UCI pays tribute to "an icon with a timeless legacy"
HM Queen Elizabeth II.
An icon across the world with a timeless legacy who will be greatly missed. RIP pic.twitter.com/jGvnoyT3fL
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 9, 2022
More tributes from across the cycling world
The passing of our Queen was inevitable but, somehow, never expected. A catalyst for peace, the World will miss her. I met and shook hands with her in 2005 at the Palace. She said: ” Cycling is getting very popular now, isn’t it.” How right (as always) she was.😢s
— Phil Liggett (@PhilLiggett) September 9, 2022
It is with deep regret that we learn of the death of Her Majesty The Queen. Our prayers and sympathies are with her family during this sad time.
The Duke of Richmond and Gordon pic.twitter.com/TvqRoSr6HS
— Eroica Britannia (@EroicaBritannia) September 8, 2022
"A symbol of stability and an absolute role model for tireless public service": Reader tributes
A quick round-up of some of your comments under yesterday’s story:
EnjoyTheRide: “God bless Her Majesty, a symbol of stability and an absolute role model for tireless public service. Amazing to think she inaugurated the new prime minister just two days ago, what an inspiration.”
hirsute: “Not a huge monarchy fan but she was brilliant.”
Under the Tour of Britain cancellation story some wondered why the race had been called off, but we’d just say there are logistical factors, notably the major policing operation, which a major bike race relies on to run safely, plus the fact as I write this the Premier League has postponed this round of fixtures, with many sporting events already cancelling weekend arrangements and many more expected to follow.
I’ll add this: my understanding is that there are also serious operational reasons, involving police resources (motos), why this decision was taken. Officers have been recalled for duty in London.
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) September 8, 2022
National Mourning Guidance
As per the National Mourning Guidance, major events, entertainment and sports have “no obligation to cancel or postpone events and sporting fixtures”. This may have implications for smaller races or sportive-style events this weekend, with the decision on holding events “at the discretion of individual organisations.”
With that said, it seems likely plenty of road races, time trials, mass-participation events and similar cycling activities will be postponed this weekend. Best to check with your event’s organiser.
Queen Elizabeth's reign in Tour de France wins
37 different riders won the Tour de France during the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth ll.
— CafeRoubaix (@CafeRoubaix) September 8, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on 6 February 1953 following the death of her father George VI, with her coronation on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey. The following month Louison Bobet became the first of 37 different riders to win the yellow jersey during her 70-year reign. Bobet won the first three, in fact, and it took until 1958 for a non-Frenchman to win the race under the new Queen’s reign, Charly Gaul climbing to yellow in 1958.
The 60s saw Jacques Anquetil win four in a row to become the first five-time winner before, at the end of the decade, a cannibal stormed onto the scene. Through the 70s French success continued, with the fifth and final of Belgian Merckx’s wins in 1974 signalling a ten-year run where the home nation won yellow in eight of the ten editions, spearheaded by Bernard Hinault’s five.
New nations emerged to the top step of the podium in the 80s, Greg LeMond taking the world’s biggest bike race stateside in 1986, before Stephen Roche’s famous win of ’87.
Two more LeMond Tours followed, the final act before Miguel Indurain’s dominance of the nineties. Riis, Ullrich and Pantani’s superhuman performances followed, we don’t talk about the noughties, do we?
So that brings us to the decade when Britain sat atop the cycling world: Wiggins, Froome, Thomas, Cavendish. It doesn’t get much better than that…
Fred Wright wears black armband at La Vuelta
Black armband today for Fred Wright. pic.twitter.com/Rv8AZXs02A
— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) September 9, 2022
Tour of Britain cancellation brings forward Richie Porte's retirement
The Tour of Britain was Richie Porte’s final race as a professional cyclist, it remains to be seen if he adds one more late-season day out to have a proper send-off. The Tasmanian’s glittering palmares includes a seemingly never-ending list of week-long stage race wins: 2x Paris-Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie, Catalunya and, of course, eight stages and two GC wins at the Tour Down Under.
On the Grand Tour front, finishing on the podium at last year’s Tour de France is no doubt the highlight. Now, anyone want to move some things around and get him on the start line at a home World Championships? Just an idea.
Raise a wee dram
🥃 to the QUEEN 👊
— Brian Smith 𝕆𝕃𝕐 (@BriSmithy) September 8, 2022
9 September 2022, 08:12
9 September 2022, 08:12
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There's another big question, which perhaps applies to a lot of cycle schemes: Where is the cycle parking that allows people cycling in that street to stop and use the local businesses?
Two further points deserve a mention: 1 - We DESPERATELY need real research into cycling and disabled people. Narratives around cycling vs disabled people are common, and cannot be dismissed because we do not have objective research into how many disabled people cycle, and on what forms of cycles. From my own knowledge, huge numbers use standard cycles - but I have no demographic data of actual or potential use, only surveys of experience from disabled people who DO cycle. 2 - In respect of point 1, 40% of disabled adults (and 1/3 of retired people) do not have a driving licence - non disabled adults is 22% do not have a full driving license. That is published ONS data. To invert that - 60% of disabled adults have a full driving license, compared to 78% for non-disabled. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/disability-accessibility-and-blue-badge-scheme-statistics-2023-to-2024/disability-accessibility-and-blue-badge-statistics-england-2023-to-2024 This is a question about basic equality.
@KiwiMike In the first paragraph it says "It requires the matching £25 Thule InLock Universal Panel to fit to your bike" which weighs 730g. I mentioned Ortleib panniers because they are quite heavy. You can get much lighter panniers. Saying a pannier is lightweight compared to Ortleib panniers isn't saying very much. For example the Altura Ultralite Vortex Waterproof also doesn't use a plastic rack mount, weighs 260g and currently costs £40 on their website. It does not need a Thule InLock to mount to the bike. I see their Altura Thunderstorm Adventure 15L Pannier weighs 690 grams, which also doesn't need the InLock. There is a trade-off here between weight off the bike vs weight on the bike but both items are still relatively heavy compared to other "lightweight" products. A Tubus Fly rack for example weighs less than 400g. This rack and two of the Altura Vortex panniers don't weigh much more than the Thule bag on its own without the InLock and rack.
@licenced I would be all in favour of grants for ebikes for people like yourself, at a minimum making up the shortfall between the cost of an equivalent unpowered bike and the powered one. As I said above in response to Trolly, the financial benefits of helping people with disabilities to get out and ride, in terms of alleviating the burden on the NHS of treatment for mental and physical illness caused by lack of exercise and independence, would mean the investment would quickly pay for itself.
I don't know enough about Ayr local politics to get a proper handle on this, but those Independents look like the type of Foggy from the "Last of the Summer Whine" party we currently have throughout England, who are Reform or Restore without the logo. Given the Conservative Party culture-war politics since about 2023 they now 'have permission' to be cavemen in public, and to make populist claims divorced from any evidence - which is the facilitator of policy failure. I'm not sure what game the Labour MP is playing, but the constituency has had MPs from SNP, Con and Lab within the last 10 years elections so is contested (but not usually marginal) and perhaps tends away from extremes (Corbyn really poleaxed Lab in 2019).
@OldRidgeback Leith Walk news: https://cycling.scot/news/scotland-s-bike-lane-networks-break-new-records Vehicle counter statistics: https://storage.googleapis.com/dft-statistics/road-traffic/downloads/traffic/local_authority_id/dft_traffic_local_authority_id_29.csv (from https://roadtraffic.dft.gov.uk/local-authorities/S12000036)
@OldRidgeback Unfortunately I don't think it's true that cycle journeys outnumber car journeys in Edinburgh. The latest news I heard (will post link separately) was that there was a recent survey (conducted in May 2026) in which the number of bikes exceeded the number of cars on Leith Walk in the morning rush hour. Whilst that is positive news, the unspoken implication is that outside of the morning rush hour, in locations other than Leith Walk, and potentially at time of year other than May (which typically has fairly clement weather), the number of cars still outnumbers the number of bikes. I haven't found good statistics for "number of trips" by mode, but Government statistics (link to follow) show far more cars than bicycles at pretty much every counter location in 2025.
The team bibs are excellent. I've tried Assos, Endura, Veloccio, 7mesh, Fox, Castelli. No question for me, the Rapha ones are the best ... tested at Istria300 and ~20,000km per year training. I buy their bibs despite not being a fan boy - models wearing mustaches is a huge turn off. I do like their support of Lachlan and Kate Courtney. From my perspective ... buying bibs every 3-4 years does not seem enough to sustain a company. I do not buy anything else because I get my jerseys from events. If event promoters offered an upcharge to get a Rapha jersey for the team event, I'd try it.
Their statement reads the same as the copy for this bibs
@Rendel Harris I reckon this can be fixed with a simple new law. The operators of vehicles on list A (ebikes, escooters, range rovers, teslas, carbon race bikes, bmws, and so on) may not pass, obstruct, or even approach vehicles on list Z (my bike).
12 thoughts on “Cycling world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II; Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Sarah Storey, UCI, British Cycling, Tour de France and Tour of Britain pay respects + more on the live blog”
I was thinking what year is
I was thinking what year is that TdF photo from? Some research and I make it 2009 and that’s Alessandro Ballan in the WC stripes.
Erm, no. The TdF did not come
Erm, no. The TdF did not come to the UK in 2009. That is the 2014 Grand Depart royal photo op in front of Harewood House in Yorkshire, England.
Ok, so (quick check) it’s Rui
Ok, so (quick check) it’s Rui Costa.
Lovely photos of the Queen
Lovely photos of the Queen cycling – and no helmet or hi viz in sight.
They’re called a “crown” and
They’re called a “crown” and “regalia”. I think she wasn’t licenced then. That’s an amazing headlight though – is that carbide?
I’m sure there will be some
I’m sure there will be some on here who still think that we should have headlights like that and that, LEDs, along with disk brakes and electronic gears, are the work of the devil.
We took the wrong turn at
We took the wrong turn at copper if you ask me. Like most people I’m probably slightly nostalgic for the technology level of my early adult years. EverReady bike lights can stay dead and buried though!
chrisonatrike wrote:
Take that back!
I thought I was king of the road with 3 of them on the front with uprated bulbs and all 3 wired into a switch on the bars. . . . . . . . .OK, they were still rubbish, point taken. ?
I loved the gentle light you
I loved the gentle light you got as the batteries died, the plastic brackets and the momentum the chunky D-cells gave the flying light. 🙁
Ummm, not so much “carbide”
Ummm, not so much “carbide” (whatever that is) as “broken” I think
You’re right, looks electric
You’re right, looks electric not carbide. Lack of maintenance there – shocking (if you put your finger in the socket)! Is that a Raleigh Superbe or sports? Some interesting features on the former.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/superbe.html
Nuff said…
Nuff said…
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/sep/10/cancer-breakthrough-is-a-wake-up-call-on-danger-of-air-pollution