“Oops, bike lane was a mistake… Good luck cyclists”: Commuter protests “worst cycle lane in the world” with homemade signs; Peter Sagan and Thibaut Pinot’s (very different) Tour de France farewells + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Weekend roundup
From the annual conversation around doping at the Tour de France to crazy cycling fines, world championships woes, and a what will henceforth be known as beergate, here’s what you may have missed over the weekend while you were glued to the telly:
> Racing against shadows: Jonas Vingegaard, Jumbo-Visma, and cycling’s eternal questions
> Finish of UCI Cycling World Championships events moved after road closure complaints from locals
> “Netflix effect” could be behind rowdier Tour de France crowds, says race director
> The Tour de France Femmes’ Long and Winding Road: A brief history of the women’s Tour de France
Peter Sagan celebrates never having to ride the Tour de France again
And off he goes, 12 stage wins and seven green jerseys later, with all the nonchalance of a man who would be happy if he never saw a pair of dropped handlebars again in his life…
Think what you want but @petosagan is the boss. We will miss him and his antics in the peloton @LeTour #Sagan #CouchPeloton pic.twitter.com/Tr11M7R8dd
— christophe mallet -🎖️onm -🚴🎾🏎️ (@cmallet) July 23, 2023
Of course, the soon-to-be-mountain biking three-time world champion couldn’t bow out of the race that helped define his career without treating us to another classic Sagz moment, delivering a refreshingly honest assessment of his relief at never having to ride the damned thing again.
“Finally, I’m so happy, so glad that it’s the last one. I’m tired,” he told Eurosport, and basically any other broadcaster who tried desperately to probe a tear, or even some degree of reflection, from the Slovakian star on the Champs-Élysées after yesterday’s final stage.
“It’s the last one, so what? Life continues, the show must go on. I’ve had a good time in cycling, in the Tour de France… But I’ve had enough. I’m happy it’s the last one.”
Now, that’s the kind of inspiring parting message I’d want to see on a t-shirt…
Merci Thibaut Pinot (sha la la la la la la la, Thibaut Pinot)
Meanwhile, on the complete opposite end of the emotional spectrum, another member of the much-vaunted Class of 1990 bowed out of the Tour de France – a race in which Thibaut Pinot has experienced, and forced basically every cycling fan in the world to experience with him, the most thrilling highs and crushing lows – with another rendition of his song (what else?) ringing in his ears…
Right place. Right time
Thibaut Pinot.#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/hKTbAVWyxw
— Phil Jones (@roadphil) July 23, 2023
I’m not crying, you’re crying…
And while we’re all getting teary-eyed at Thibaut bidding the Tour adieu, let’s soak in one more time that moment on the Petit Ballon on Saturday:
Please can we take a moment to celebrate the very act of celebration, to salute the spirit that brings these people to the top of a mountain in pilgrimage. There is simply no sport like this. Nothing hits like this. @ThibautPinot @GroupamaFDJ @LeTour @eurosport @gcntweet pic.twitter.com/CKIcIWrnv9
— Orla Chennaoui (@SportsOrla) July 22, 2023
That’s the way to bow out of the Tour de France. Merci, Thibaut.
Cyclist charged over pedestrian’s death in riverside footpath collision
Thames Valley Police have confirmed the man was charged with causing bodily harm by wanton or furious driving in relation to the death of an 81-year-old pedestrian in Oxford last year.
Read more: > Cyclist charged over pedestrian’s death in riverside footpath collision
And now on to the most important part of the post-Tour analysis…
With the men’s Tour over for another year, and as the Paris hangover begins to slowly dissipate, it’s time to turn our attention to what these last three weeks were really all about…
Yep, that’s right, the road.cc Fantasy League!
And it was a pretty spectacular Tour for your resident live blogger, who secured an impressive victory in the road.cc staff league, smashed the family competition, topped the Northern Ireland charts, and battled Guillaume Martin-style to tenth place overall (although the whole system malfunction thing before stage 19 might have played a part in that particular lofty position. And before you ask, it was nothing to do with me… Or was it?).
Anyway, congrats to road.cc reader dborgbrant, whose team Egan sealed a commanding victory with a whopping 3,109 points.
Because that’s what this Tour thing is really all about, isn’t it?
Tour de France Femmes stage two: GC contenders set to come to the fore on hilly stage through the Massif Central
After Belgian champion Lotte Kopecky upset the sprinters with a devastating attack on the Côte de Durtol to solo to the first yellow jersey of her career – with Lorena Wiebes winning the sprint behind for a wholly predictable, but still scintillating, SD Worx one-two in Clermont-Ferrand – today’s second stage of the Tour de France Femmes could see a GC battle that already began to crackle yesterday explode into life.
After Clermont-Ferrand ensures it gets its money’s worth with yet more stage hosting duties this month, the riders will take on a constantly lumpy trek through the Massif Central, where the short, sharp climbs should suit classics specialists such as race leader and double Tour of Flanders winner Kopecky.
However, the final climb of the Côte de Trebiac – 3.4km at 5.8 percent – tops out at just 1.4km from the finish, which also features a last-minute kick to the line in Mauriac, and could draw out the punchier of the overall contenders, like Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, and possibly even the pre-race big two, Annemiek van Vleuten and Kopecky’s teammate Demi Vollering.
(A.S.O./Thomas Maheux)
Or maybe Elisa Longo Borghini, who looked so strong before her crash at the Giro Donne and who was perfectly ensconced near the front of the fracturing chase behind the rampant Kopecky yesterday, could storm away on the final run-in and make it two for two for national champs at this year’s Tour?
In any case, we may have a more telling indication of who’s got what it takes to don yellow in Pau by the end of today…
“It’s to get more people riding bikes, it’s not necessarily to create the next world champion”: Ten days to go until the Scottish world championships
The men may be just waking up in Paris, bleary-eyed and exhausted, while the women are currently racing through the Massif Central, but don’t forget – there’s just ten more sleeps until the inaugural Mega Worlds kicks off in Scotland next Thursday!
And, if you forget about the potential strike action, locals complaining about road closures, and dodgy road surfaces, it is shaping up to be a cracking celebration of all things cycling…
“It’s going to be really special for me” 🚴
Mountain Biker Isla Short talks all things @CyclingWorlds and its legacy for Scotland.
#PowerOfTheBike #GlasgowScotland2023 @ScottishCycling pic.twitter.com/EdC2JvrXsR— Scottish Government (@scotgov) July 24, 2023
And, as someone who’s planning to spend most the 11-day long championships cramming in as much bike race spectating as is physically and emotionally possible, I for one can’t wait…
Trial to begin of twin brothers accused of murdering charity cyclist after drink-driving collision
The murder trial of Alexander and Robert McKellar, accused of hitting charity cyclist Tony Parsons while driving under the influence before murdering him and disposing of his body on a country estate, is set to get underway at Glasgow’s High Court today.
Mr Parsons — who was 63 when he was reported missing while on a 104-mile charity bike ride from Fort William to his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, in September 2017 — was last seen at around 11.30pm on the evening of the 29th outside the Bridge of Orchy Hotel in Argyll and Bute.
Read more: > Trial to begin of twin brothers accused of murdering charity cyclist after drink-driving collision
“I hope this will give others hope and help people have open conversations about suicide and mental health”: New BBC documentary on Josh Quigley set to air on Friday
A new documentary on Scottish ultra-cyclist and mental health campaigner Josh Quigley – a former seven day cycling distance world record holder and persistent round the world rider – will air on BBC One this Friday evening at 7.30pm, chronicling the Livingston man’s battle with depression and how riding a bike gave him a “new lease of life”.
The programme ‘Cycling Saved My Life’ follows Quigley as he (ultimately unsuccessfully) attempts to represent Team GB at next month’s cycling world championships, and details how he grabbed a second chance at life after a failed suicide attempt, following a battle with alcoholism, in 2015.
“I know from my intense battle with depression how isolating it can be. I hope my story can inspire others to find their purpose, and show it is possible to come back from the brink,” the 30-year-old, who discussed his struggles with mental health on the road.cc Podcast in 2021, says.
> Riding 2,179 miles in a week: Josh Quigley interviewed on the road.cc Podcast
“It was exposing my life for six months, but I completely trusted Jordan [Laird, director] to tell my story in a positive way that could impact others. I hope this will give others hope and help people have open conversations about suicide and mental health.”
Despite only taking up cycling a few years ago, in 2021 Josh completed an around-the-world ride at the eighth time of asking and broke the world record for the most distance cycled in a week, covering a staggering 2,179 miles.
Those amazing feats came after five years of extraordinary ultra-cycling frustration. He abandoned a 2016 attempt after riding more than 10,000 miles, and his run of bad luck ramped up in 2019 when he was fined £75 for cycling through Bedford Town Centre towards the start of his trip.
Just weeks later he had his bike stolen in London, and after buying a new bike and making it to Australia, he found himself having to fly home to get a new passport and fly back again because he had damaged his old one with sweat.
Just a month later after resuming his trip, Josh was hit from behind at 70mph by a driver in Texas, suffering a fractured skull, ribs, pelvis, and ankle as well as a punctured lung.
> Josh Quigley breaks North Coast 500 record
Following his arduous recovery, Quigley set a new North Coast 500 record in September 2020, raising funds for the Baylor Scott and White Medical Centre in Texas, where he was treated after the 2019 incident, in the process.
In January 2021 Josh then suffered multiple fractures while training in Dubai, coming off his bike while descending at around 35-40mph. Just a few months later he made his first attempt at the seven-day world record but was forced to abandon due to injury… before returning to the same course to finally take the world record later that year in September and bury those past demons.
> Josh Quigley completes round-the-world ride – two years after driver almost killed him
“Cycling is my purpose now, and I’m giving it absolutely everything,” he says. “I’ve missed out on the Championships in Glasgow, but like every setback in life, that’s only made me stronger. I won’t stop until I make it to the Tour de France.”
The documentary’s director Jordan Laird added: “There’s a moment in the documentary when Josh talks about looking at a pint of lager and asking: ‘There must be more to life than this?’
“That brought home how universal this story is. Josh could have been one of my mates, I know so many people feel like him, who experience mental health issues but don’t talk about it. Any of us could have been in that situation. While it was cycling that Josh found purpose in, it could have been anything.
“This is a story of the transformative power of sport, of how sport can save someone’s life. It’s a story of resilience, determination, and ultimately, survival.
“It’s a regular guy putting every ounce into something. Watching him has had a huge impact on my life and I think his story will have a huge impact on others. It’s been a long time in the making, and I can’t wait for people to see it.”
Our Lives: Cycling Saved My Life will air on BBC One at 7.30pm this Friday. It will then be available on the BBC iPlayer.
Annemiek van Vleuten down in crash which sends Elisa Longo Borghini off the road
Chute de Van Vleuten ! La championne du monde et tenante du titre repart après un gros gadin au coeur du peloton…
Suivez la 2e étape du Tour de France Femmes sur Eurosport avec #LesRP #TDFF2023 https://t.co/Hl7lHTITuQ pic.twitter.com/kDqoPBrJbh
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) July 24, 2023
Scary moment for the defending champion here, though she’s now safely back in the bunch as the pace ramps up towards the increasingly tough and hilly finale.
Classic British weather at the Tour de France
Bit of a contrast weather-wise to yesterday! The weather has gone rather grim 🌧️#TDFF2023 pic.twitter.com/h3FkdThAZz
— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) July 24, 2023
Not fun #TDFF2023 pic.twitter.com/oki1G7VbFz
— Tim Bonville-Ginn (@TimBonvilleGinn) July 24, 2023
Lovely.
When your cyclocross skills come in handy
There were some cyclocross skills in use today by @Yarakastelijn at the #TDFF2023 #WatchTheFemmes
Watch live*, get highlights and in-depth analysis at https://t.co/rCZHyIz1o2 (*some territory restrictions apply) pic.twitter.com/shrvhz3VUk
— GCN Racing (@GcnRacing) July 24, 2023
2019 European champion Yara Kastelijn putting her ‘cross tekkers to good use on the kind of slippery corner normally reserved for British town crits…
Liane Lippert powers past Lotte Kopecky to take breakthrough win after tense, chaotic Tour de France Femmes stage
German champion Liane Lippert timed her sprint to perfection at the end of a difficult, tense, and chaotic day at the Tour de France Femmes, powering past yellow jersey Lotte Kopecky on the tough drag to the line in Mauriac to secure the biggest win of her career so far.
The 25-year-old, whose victories have been confined to her home championships since winning the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in February 2020, has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough success for some time now, recording a plethora of top tens at the world championships, the classics, and at the biggest stage races.
𝑨𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆
Liane Lippert takes the victory for @Movistar_Team at Stage 2 of the Tour de France Femmes 👏#TDFF2023 | @LianeLippert pic.twitter.com/cDjFTD6Ni3
— Eurosport (@eurosport) July 24, 2023
And if the ever-increasing weight of expectation wasn’t enough, she was forced to overcame a spill in the neutralised zone and a later crash that also brought down her Movistar team Annemiek van Vleuten, before navigating the tricky, rain-soaked final kilometres, that saw several riders, including Uno-X’s Maria Giulia Confalonieri and Jumbo-Visma’s breakaway rider Eva van Agt, hit the deck hard.
Lippert then remained cool amidst a flurry of attacks on the final climb – with Kasia Niewiadoma responsible for most of the pressure exerted on the dwindling bunch – and then expertly followed the wheels as SD Worx’s Demi Vollering (who, for most of the stage had been showcasing her best Pogačar-Vingegaard impression alongside Van Vleuten) hit the front to string things out in the final kilometre for the comfortable looking Kopecky.
But the German’s uphill sprint proved too strong for the yellow jersey, who she surged past in the closing metres to secure the first of what may now prove to be many, many victories on the biggest stage.
🇩🇪🇩🇪 LIANE LIPPERT JUST WON A @LeTourFemmes avec @GoZwift stage 🇩🇪🇩🇪
The victory she long sought and deserved. So happy for you.#RodamosJuntos! @Telefonica pic.twitter.com/JDZKQXpElD
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 24, 2023
“I think it might take a while to realise it, and I’m really happy and proud,” Lippert said after the finish. “I crashed twice, in the neutral and on the climb, so there was a bit of stress. But the team did so well, and everyone was a big part of this.
“We came back after the crash and stayed calm in the rain. But I always stay calm in the rain, so I was actually happy when it started.
“I’ve been waiting so long for a win, and to win at the Tour de France, I couldn’t wish for more.”
Her team leader, and the defending Tour champion, Van Vleuten was more succinct about what this victory will mean for Lippert’s career: “Once she starts winning, she won’t stop.”
That’s a prediction I certainly wouldn’t bet against.
“Oops, bike lane was a mistake… Uh, good luck turning right”: Commuter protests “worst cycle lane in the world” – which runs down the middle of the road and was designed “just to save 20 parking spots” – with homemade signs
From the boulevards of Paris to the sunny streets of San Francisco… Never say I don’t take you anywhere on the live blog.
Well, over in San Fran (that’s what they call it, isn’t it?), a controversial cycle lane – which runs, for some reason, up the middle of a main city street – and the “dangerous, ridiculous” construction signs which currently run along it, have inspired one bike riding commuter to install her own, cutting bike lane signs.
The new cycle lane on the Californian city’s Valencia Street runs down the middle of the road, with traffic passing on either side.
Cyclists using it are protected by the odd plastic bollard and small rubber kerbs. They have also had to, for the last three months, navigate the large construction signs currently lining the centre of the bike lane for its duration.
Mission Local reports that plans for the cycle lane were approved, despite lukewarm support, in a bid to avoid removing delivery spaces on either side of the road. As the bike lane has been built, several cyclists have crashed – including into the signs – and traffic experts have been scathing of the scheme, describing it as “an abomination” and the “worst infrastructure I have ever seen anywhere in the world”.
Over the past week – in a bid to highlight the absurdity of the cycling ‘infra’ – a local cyclist has launched her own protest by swapping out the much-derided constructions signs with satirical ones of her own making.
Nine new signs appeared along the cycle path last week, each highlighting the problems with the lane’s layout.
“Uh, good luck turning right,” read one, while another said: “LOL IDK how you will merge.”
Others included: “We regret this bike lane”, “Good luck cyclists”, “LMAO We didn’t think this thru”, “If fire truck comes IDK”, and ““Oops bike lane was a mistake”.
The anonymous jokester, who commutes on Valencia Street every day, told the local paper that she installed the homemade messages because she finds the original signs “pretty ridiculous”.
“They’re an obstruction to cyclists, and also extremely confusing,” she said, noting that on one of her rides she saw one of the signs cracked in half after a cyclist hit it. That inspired her to make slogans lampooning the “dangerous” nature of the signs themselves.
Explaining her “good luck turning right” sign, she said: “If you have a green light and the cars have a green light, there’s this little square you have to wait in, but you don’t have much time. You have to make eye contact with drivers and let them let you make a right turn.”
Meanwhile, her fire truck-related sign was a result of the local authority’s decision to also make the cycle lane the designated lane for emergency services.
“Imagine you’re on your bike and there’re cars on both sides, and then the fire truck comes down. Where do you go?” she asked.
Despite encountering some opposition from the local authority – who promptly took the signs down – the cyclist returned over the weekend to keep spreading the message.
“Ultimately, I don’t think it’s the best vision for Valencia Street,” she said of the much-maligned cycling infra.
“They did all this just to save 20 parking spots. It’s frustrating because Valencia would be such a nice street, if the focus was on bikes and pedestrians.”
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@chrisonabike I think you missed the bit of the story that claimed people couldn't access a bike mechanic, regardless of price, due to there being a big shortfall in the profession. Which clearly doesn't make sense given what you and I have both written.
@jackcycles "If I can do it anyone can because I am useless at all manual jobs." Well, presumably some people would prefer not to spend their time on something they can get others to do cheaply * so they can spend it elsewhere eg. opining online... * Another Schrödinger effect: bike maintenance is simultaneously too expensive ("20 quid to pump the tyres up?!") and not expensive enough (given what the hourly rates for bike mechanics seem to be / cheapness of many parts).
@Rendel Harris alas from the variety of opinions posted even here much may be explained by "cock-up" before invoking corporate conspiracy. That is: ignorance of risk - "it only does 9mph!" - and ignorance of the laws that applied here - "private land". And perhaps immediate reflexive backside-covering? Throw in police maybe not quite up to ideal standard and the law applying the highest possible evidential standards / reasonable doubt and here we are. Doesn't mean there wasn't also some deliberate management deception ("let's not have any more trouble / negative publicity") of course. (And a H&S examination of them: what risk assessments existed around use of the vehicles, what training / monitoring / event recording and feedback was in place etc?) All that and I'm not sure we even need to invoke motornormativity - which certainly applies in many cases. RIP.
What a load of rubbish. There are too many bike mechanics around as attested by the fact that many of them have shut down over the past couple of years as they can't make a living due to having no pricing power. People who claim they can't cycle because they don't have access to a mechanic are making stuff up... Likely means they couldn't be arsed to buy a tyre pump or some other nonsense. A 2 minute YouTube tutorial teaches anyone how to change a tyre, inner tube, brake pads, chain etc... If I can do it anyone can because I am useless at all manual jobs. Perhaps there is a shortage of people willing to work on e-motorbikes, but that's a whole different story separate from cycling.
Unknown rear hub motor and you've given it an 8 out of 10? What's the availability of spare parts going to be like in the future? How long is the frame set warranty? The Geo looks a bit weird, the chain stays look very long. Maybe people should save up and buy the entry level Cube with a proven mid drive Bosch motor instead.
@eburtthebike full details of the judgement are online in a document called: Ruling-on-submissions-of-no-case-R-v-Davies-for-publication It doesn't make for great reading. Something about inconsistencies in the expert witness evidence and police case, but also a very odd comment that no jury would likely have experience of driving at 9mph for periods of time, nor of driving a golf buggy, so would have to rely on the expert evidence. I am not convinced about this argument at all. There is also the mention of an oncoming Biffa waste vehicle that distracted the golf buggy driver. In my opinion, and this is conjecture, I think the golf buggy driver was distracted, waving at his mate in the bin wagon coming towards him, then turned left into the side road without properly looking where he was going - because this road he was turning into is one-way, so he wouldn't expect anything to be coming out of it - nor did he expect a stationary cyclist just as he turned in. It was a turn he would have done many, many, times, being close to the main site depot. I can imagine the way they drive these golf buggies (which are speed limited to 9mph) is foot to the floor all the time, driving on the limiter, to make as much progress as possible. But yeah, cycle helmets :/ There's also a clue as to why the cyclist might have stopped here - a broken glass was found at the scene. Again, conjecture, but I suspect the cyclist noticed a glass on the ground and had stopped to pick it up.
@Bungle_52 Thanks for the extra information, I was wondering why the report made it sound as though the trial judge had found him not guilty. That sounds very dodgy on the part of Centre Parcs' staff, someone was (as it transpired) fatally wounded and they thought there was no need to include the police on the emergency call and cleared away all the evidence? Shocking failure to follow proper procedure and highly suspicious to boot.
@Rome73 No, 28mph is correct, Class 3 ebike, legally allowed in most states without licence or insurance, a mate of mine who works in Washington DC commutes on one. Some states have age restrictions of 16 or 17 and some mandate helmets for Class 3 riders. Throttle must cut out at 20mph so pedalling is required for the top speed.
I actually got to chat with an officer (metropolitan police) just a few weeks ago about reporting near misses. He was chatty so told me loads as he used to work on the road safety unit in London. Unfortunately I didn’t make notes or record the conversation - but he may have stopped talking at that point. Anyway, no surprise, it’s all to do with resources. I.e. there are none - it’s been stripped to the bone. As we were chatting illegal e-motorbikes were zipping past. What about those? I asked. Unless they are committing another offence - like going through a red light or stealing a phone we are told to ignore them. Otherwise, in London, we would never get further than 10 meters from the station before having to return to file a report. Other ‘horror stories’ he told me were things like the RSU having 6 officers to cover the whole of London! These are the officers who check for illegal private vehicles (no tax, insurance etc) Although he did say that ANPR does a lot of checking and prosecution. But only if they can find the legal owner, I pointed out. A real officer could make an arrest.
The details of the reasons the judge gave for directing the jury that there was no case to answer are two links out from the BBC article. I tried to post the link yesterday but it's still awaiting moderation. First click on the second link in the BBC article of the 16th Feb labelled "Buggy driver cleared after judge heard from expert", then click on the link lablelled "directed jurors to find him not guilty" which is near the top of the article. A quick summary as far as I can tell: the police were not called straight away because staff didn't think they needed to be involved. When the police finally arrived the two vehicles had been cleared from the scene and it was raining heavily thus a lot of evidence was lost. PC Knight took over the case from the acting PS who started the investigation. A reconstruction was arranged but the judge felt the the camera used to record this was placed incorrectly. Parts of PC Knight's testimony were successfully challenged by the defence. A sorry story from start to finish but not entirely the fault of the police.
6 thoughts on ““Oops, bike lane was a mistake… Good luck cyclists”: Commuter protests “worst cycle lane in the world” with homemade signs; Peter Sagan and Thibaut Pinot’s (very different) Tour de France farewells + more on the live blog”
That cycle lane is ridiculous
That cycle lane is ridiculous – they value parking spaces over people’s well-being.
Who do they think they are?
Who do they think they are? Kensington & Chelsea??
Putting the cycling down the
Putting the cycling down the middle of the road – between the motor vehicles – is probably right up there with sticking a blue bike sign on a narrow footpath and calling it infra. Inconvenient AND unpleasant – probably even less safe than the latter.
We can only hope that someone over here doesn’t point to this and say “let’s copy”!
Being a cycling advocate in the US doesn’t look like a rewarding way to spend time though – unless you’re a rhino-skinned contrarian e.g. John Forester.
Lotte Kopecky won stage 1 of
Lotte Kopecky won stage 1 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift…in case you wondered
I can’t decide if the ‘watch
I can’t decide if the ‘watch out for signs’ sign is official or homemade ?
Those satirical signs were
Those satirical signs were good, very clever.