“It’s official, post-ride beers are good for you”: Tadej Pogačar’s agent claims he indulges in the odd pint to “recover and relax”; Cyclist and pet cat suffer dangerous close pass from coach driver who allegedly had “nowhere to go” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Making our way around the National Cycle Network (and why it’s really all about the people you meet) with Laura Laker + Is active travel in Britain heading in the wrong direction?
For episode 78 of the road.cc Podcast, we donned our reading glasses, grabbed our bikes, and headed over to the National Cycle Network, that underfunded, unwieldy, often fractured, but very important collection of routes, lanes, and paths used by cyclists across the UK and which forms the central subject of Laura Laker’s brilliant new book, Potholes and Pavements.
After an in-depth behind the keyboard chat with Laura, we then turn our attentions in part two to the upcoming general election, and what its outcome may mean for cycling and active travel, with Dr Maya Singer Hobbs, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research, a think tank that earlier this month claimed the UK was “travelling in the wrong direction” when it comes to transport.
Prof Ian Walker on pedestrian parking vs LTNs
When a footpath is blocked by a car: "What's wrong with you? Just go round it"
When a residential street is closed to cars: "IT IS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO GO ROUND THIS"— Prof. Ian Walker (@ianwalker) May 31, 2024
Want to feel what it was like to race the 2024 Giro? Or in a track cycling event? Or in exotic locations around the world? Get to know BKOOL...
Almost everybody who has ever jumped aboard a bicycle has, even for only a fraction of a second, fantasised about competing in a Grand Tour like the Giro d’Italia. There’s a unique excitement that comes with the idea of soaking up the sights and sounds of one of cycling’s greatest events, whilst competing against the world’s best bike riders.
Of course, the reality is that such experiences are reserved for the very few – those talented, dedicated and lucky enough to be among the riders selected to compete. Mere mortals can get close with Grand Tour-themed sportives or leisure rides that give a taste of the experience, but they never get to feel the same adrenaline-fuelled excitement of true competition.
But there is another way…
'But... cyclists always jump red lights!' Shocking footage shows 13 drivers jumping red light without even slowing down
A video shared by cyclist who has been frequently posting videos on their social media and YouTube account, has shared yet another video of 13, yes, 13 drivers going through a temporary roadworks red light, without even slowing down.
I wonder how the goalposts will shift this time?
13 Motorists drive through a red traffic light. pic.twitter.com/FAHD8Nva8z
— CycleGaz™ (@cyclegaz) May 31, 2024
Chris Froome to race Critérium du Dauphiné
Former winner of the 8-day French stage race Critérium du Dauphiné, Chris Froome, after finishing almost 18 minutes behind the 20-year-old explosive Groupama-FDJ rider Lenny Martinez at the Mercan’Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes, is set to start this year’s race on Sunday. Anyone got the odds for betting on any new excuses? I mean, disc brakes are so 2021…
We’re looking forward to what promises to be a thrilling week of racing at the @dauphine 👊
🔹 Former winners @chrisfroome and @jakob_fuglsang feature in the IPT line-up
🔹 First starts in the race for @DerekGee7 and @MasonHollyman #Dauphiné 🇫🇷 #YallaIPT pic.twitter.com/lf6qAHgI1J— Israel – Premier Tech (@IsraelPremTech) May 31, 2024
Cyclist and pet cat suffer dangerous close pass from “poor” coach driver who allegedly had “nowhere to go”
If you aren’t familiar with Travis and Sigrid by now, under what rock have you been living? The London cyclist quickly shot to social media fame for riding around London streets with the most adorable ball of fluff, Sigrid, a deaf Norwegian Forest cat, in his front basket, and have collected 310,000 followers on Instagram and more than 26 million likes on TikTok (hey, he even came on our road.cc podcast!)
> Meet Travis the human and Sigrid the cat, the viral sensations who have just switched to an e-bike
However, as anyone would know fame doesn’t come without its perils. Well in this case, the perils are the daily problems cyclists have to face on the roads, which can range from the average roadside shock jock to the drivers who can put entire lives at risk.
And unfortunately, they haven’t been immune to these perils. Last November, the pair were knocked off their bike by a moped rider, only for advice from a police officer pulling up at the scene in an unmarked car with blue lights flashing recommending the cyclist wears a helmet.
The crash footage was shocking enough, with Sigrid falling from the HumanForest hire bike’s basket towards the moped. All involved were thankfully uninjured, aside from a “bruised up butt cheek and aching knee”, Travis told us.
Now in the latest video shared by the cyclist, full name Travis Nelson, the duo can be seen riding in South Bank, London, when a coach driver passes them at an flinchingly close distance by a coach driver in a Kings Coaches bus, a London tours company.
Just another day on the streets of London. pic.twitter.com/vLD489zA8o
— Travis and Sigrid (@sigirides) May 30, 2024
And shockingly, or un-shockingly depending on how cynical you’re feeling today, peeps on social media have found Travis at fault for “riding too close” to the bus when he had “acres of space” to move to his left.
“How far away were you from the kerb? The poor coach driver had no where to go,” wrote one Twitter user, before being swiftly reminded by several that Travis was “following the highway code unlike the coach driver”.
And true enough, Highway Code’s Rule 72 states that you should position yourself in the centre of the lane “to make yourself as clearly visible as possible”, while Rule 167 says that the following driver should not overtake when approaching a junction, as they were.
Travis has since then shared another video which shows a better footage of the coach driver overtaking him. He also mentioned that he’s reported the close pass to the Met police. road.cc has contacted Kings Coaches asking for comment.
Not being honest about what exactly? I know it’s very common for drivers to lie through their teeth, but cyclists generally tell the truth. We have the receipts. pic.twitter.com/djKI228CEH
— Travis and Sigrid (@sigirides) May 31, 2024
"I did not run away or strike an organiser": Cycling film actor accused of motor doping denies any wrongdoing, while race director still "upset" following alleged incident
The bizarre story of a cyclist who was accused of fleeing an amateur French stage race after allegations of motor doping were levelled against him has taken another turn, after the cyclist – Giovambattista Iera – has furiously denied all allegations of wrongdoing through a statement distributed via his lawyer.
Through lawyers, Iera says he has “already been convicted by the press without any evidence”, strongly denying that he cheated at Les Routes de l’Oise stage race or played any part in assaulting the race director…
Planning to get a second-hand bike under Cycle to Work scheme? You can now get one with XO Bikes’ ‘Recycle to Work’ scheme
XO Bikes, a charity-owned bike shop that trains ex-offenders to become bike mechanics, has launched the Recycle To Work Scheme, meaning you can now buy a budget used bike through the Cycle to Work Scheme.
The bikes from XO Bikes are primarily aimed at those looking for sub-£1,000 budget, typically costing in the hundreds of pounds, rather than in the thousands. Their stock consists of reliable workhorses from well-known brands, including Giant, Specialized, Pinnacle, Carrera, and Decathlon’s Triban.
So far, four scheme providers have got on board with XO Bikes’ new idea, GCN reports. The first providers to sign up have been GoGeta, the Green Commute Initiative, Cyclescheme and Vivup, but the company’s hopeful that more will join them.
The conception of XO Bikes came about when four years ago, Stef Jones began volunteering in HMP Brixton Chaplaincy and soon started coming across folks who couldn’t find jobs due to their prison record.
Two years later, Jones, along with Rob Love who has experience in management and operations, created Onwards & Upwards – a charity that creates businesses specifically to inspire, train and employ formerly imprisoned people, with XO Bikes as the first of their five businesses so far.
Since getting off the ground in March 2022, they’ve trained 44 mechanics to Velotech Gold Standard, over half of whom are now in full-time employment in the cycling industry.
“It’s official, post-ride beers are good for you!”: Tadej Pogačar’s agent claims he indulges in the odd pint after races to “recover and relax”
Well, if he can do it, surely I can too? *completely ignores the fact that I can’t any of the other things he can*
But the point still stands — I still have a couple things in common with arguably the best rider of this generation, the Slovenian wonder machine who just seems to keep getting better and better with each race, Tadej Pogačar. The first one being that we both don’t mind drinking a pint of the good stuff after a hard day’s work, the other… well, I’ll get back to you on that.
In an interview with the Dutch news publication HLN, Pogačar’s agent Alex Carrera said that the freshly crowned champion of Giro d’Italia sometimes drinks beer after finishing races.
When asked if it was indeed true, Carrera, who’s also the agent of other names in the peloton such as Cian Uijtdebroeks and Jasper Philipsen, said: “It hasn’t happened yet in this Giro. But yes, before. The evening before the final stage of the Volta a Catalonia, Tadej talked to me for a long time and drank one beer.
“One won’t hurt. It is conducive to recovery and helps to relax. Cycling has changed a lot in recent years, but the rider’s head is still more important than the legs. By the way, who won the final stage in Catalonia?”
If you’re looking for the answer, it was indeed Pogačar who won the sprint finish on the streets of Barcelona, after a week of utter domination where he won four stages out of the seven, in what would be his first stage-race GC win of 2024.
And as you’d expect, cycling fans are chuffed at this latest information, with one person on social media saying: “It’s official boys. Post ride beers are good for you!”, while another added: “Beer and cycling go together like chammies and seats.”
Another thing we can be certain of now is no chance of Pogačar moving to Visma Lease a Bike, given boss Richard Plugge’s dislike for brews, or at least his riders having one.
Anyone know of any team bosses super-chill with their riders drinking beer? How about Marc Madiot, who told Plugge to “shut his mouth” after he pointed out that the French team’s riders were drinking beer on the rest day at last year’s Tour de France? Folks, you heard it here first, Tadej Pogačar to Groupama-FDJ, here we go!
Marc Madiot approves this message. Jumbo doesn’t…
— Margeride (@Fmargeride) May 31, 2024
In the meantime, maybe Pogačar can try and get Tom Pidcock to down a couple pints with him… Or maybe he just doesn’t like Amstel.
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Latest Comments
@andystow I think that hand beats the house, but I still wouldn't raise the bet. The only way to win is not to play
With all due respect to Adam Hansen, his comments regarding helmets are not helpful at this time. Thankfully it seems to be a minor part in his message to the more significant issue of how rolling road blocks are managed, but I question the inclusion of it in this brief. Measures for race course management may be immediately implementable, but any changes to safety equipment would take R&D, QC, and production time, and all that after the discussion of the minimum efficacy and overall role of helmets can be agreed. A topic infamous for never being resolved to anyone's satisfaction. The Tarling family don't need knee-jerk reactions to already contentious debates distracting from their grief, and the riders in the peloton need effective changes to give assurance that their safety is paramount in the minds of the race organisers. *Edit - I commented here before I caught up on the daily blog, seems the head of EF has similar concerns but in fewer words.
@ChrisA I don't see your point. A Tesla Cybertruck is common way for moneyed inbreds to self-identity in the US but they're illegal to import and register across western Europe. A to-code American suburban family home by UK building regulations is nothing but a glorified garden shed. Legal definitions of acceptable standards differ between different countries, bicycles are no different.
On a bicycle you say...
There's no such thing as an American (as in USA) EAPC. It's a term from EU/UK regulations. In the USA they'd just be Class 1 or Class 2. Legally speaking, if it doesn't fit within the bounds of an EAPC (15.5 mph motor cutout, etc.) then it does count as a motorbike, whether it can move without rider input or not.
Bloody 15-mile-an-hour cycle limits why can't we drivers in central London get to go 15mph it's not fair? Next thing the cabbies will be demanding 5mph limits (it's on the meter mate)...
I say potato, you say potato ... let's call the whole thing off. Perhaps we could all agree to simply abide by (Catholic) church law ... and that able-bodied folks need all the extra motors like a capybara needs a bicycle? (Alas that won't do, any more than pointing out that nobody "needed" AI but a handful of years ago... or indeed mass market cars in the late 1800s.)
@Nigel Garage So they're locking me into my locale...by only allowing me to ride fifteen miles away from my home in an hour, a time and a speed that from my inner London abode can put me into any of London's thirty-two boroughs, the City of London and five adjoining counties. I'm not feeling that claustrophobic, to be honest.
Mötorheadlamp's "The Ace of Clubdiamondspades" is a seminal piece of AI crock music...
@lesterama Wait a minute... I found some of those- on my bike! The Lib Dems are tracking me too! I'm worried now that they'll know when I've been bungie-jumping or on a waterside... Fortunately since the air won't stay in either of my tyres since I removed the tracking devices they'll think I never leave home now...
38 thoughts on ““It’s official, post-ride beers are good for you”: Tadej Pogačar’s agent claims he indulges in the odd pint to “recover and relax”; Cyclist and pet cat suffer dangerous close pass from coach driver who allegedly had “nowhere to go” + more on the live blog”
Good old Pogi, standing up
Good old Pogi, standing up for Imperial units in a metric world. Rees-Mogg would be proud
Worth a write up:
Worth a write up:
CycleGaz video showing 13 motorists run a red light consecutively.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck9NQ-S0NCI
And didn’t Nigel Havers say
“No cars go through a red light – every cyclist does,”
https://road.cc/content/news/nigel-havers-all-cyclists-jump-red-lights-no-drivers-do-308321
“But cyclists.”
I would love to see what
I would love to see what those motorists would use as their justification for simply blowing past an Established Red Light ™ like that. Is there another light up ahead which was green, or did they think that the light wasn’t working? (“this light has been red for ages – it’s clearly not working properly so I can ignore it”).
It couldn’t be that they were simply utterly entitled and thought that the world exists for their pleasure and convenience, surely?
Excuses. Let’s see.
Excuses. Let’s see.
The cyclist was blocking their view of the traffic lights.
The sign said Cycle Lane Closed, so the lights obviously didn’t apply to motor vehicles.
mimbike wrote:
I know you were joking, but I did wonder about that…
” I suspect you doctored that
” I suspect you doctored that. “
<facepalm>
https://www.vistrygroup.co.uk
https://www.vistrygroup.co.uk/media-centre/press-releases/update-city-gateway-bristol
Part of Festival Way in Bristol now closed due to building works (the bit where you’d cut through from under the A370 flyover to the Clanage cricket fields, heading in the direction of UWE Bower Ashton and Ashton Court).
It’s a major commuter route, especially for students wanting to get from the city centre to UWE.
So get a load of the diversion route… and the number of sections which are ‘cyclists dismount’.
On-trend – cyclocross just
On-trend – cyclocross just gets bigger…
It’s piss poor really. I’ve
It’s piss poor really. I’ve just been cutting through greville smyth park as it’s a bit easier.
I’m wondering if it would be
I’m wondering if it would be quicker to go along the Pill Path then cross the railway at the ‘bridge’ by the old police horse place, then ride back along the A369 toward the Clanage?
Amstel, I’d rather drink my
Amstel, I’d rather drink my own piss.
I’m sure there was something
I’m sure there was something in the highway code about those zig zag lines on the road, is it that they mark where it is safe to overtake?
Backladder wrote:
Unfortunately and of course totally wrongly the law about overtaking another vehicle on the zigzags only applies to motorized vehicles overtaking other motorized vehicles, the coach driver isn’t actually breaking the law there (in that respect).
Z ?!!!
Z ?!!!
Next you’ll be telling me you pronounce it ‘zee’ !
You learn something every day
You learn something every day, at least if you’re willing to learn!
You missed the best piccie of
You missed the best piccie of the day (says .. er .. I ) !
It’s like the final scene of Planet of the Apes.
https://x.com/mattwardman/status/1796212015335158176
An actual traffic control van
An actual traffic control van getting caught RLJing in CycleGaz’s video is just the chef’s kiss
Let’s not forget the double
Let’s not forget the double decker too.
So much for being a professional driver.
So much for being a
So much for being a professional driver
After this frightening close pass by a Stagecoach 42 bus
https://upride.cc/incident/px12dnd_stagecoach42_closepass/
I decided to try again to report direct to Stagecoach to see if they were still as bad, as I knew the police would ignore it. They initially tried the ‘we can’t see the video’ dodge, which was pretty daft as it was on a ‘chat’ on X and it was working fine at my end. I then confronted them with the above link. The only comment from Stagecoach was “we will deal with this internally”. That was it.
Is there really a need for
Is there really a need for the derogatory comment about Chris Froome? The guy has won 4 TdF, 2 Vuelta’s, amongst many other great results.
He had a life changing crash and probably out of desperation or frustration trying to find some form has been clutching at straws to put a reason to it, he has stated he wants to win “One more Stage in the TdF”, he got a 3rd on Alpe d’ Huez year before so why not show him a little respect instead of the low down jibes?
And I am not even a fan
Designed by a cyclist to
Designed by a cyclist to spite one of the trolls on here.
” At a loss for words for
” At a loss for words for what an embarassingly awful proposal this is from The City of Salem. The City is spending $50,000 to install this fence w/ a latched gate at our highest traffic pedestrian crossing in the City… “
I hope it opens outwards !
And once more a PROFESSIONAL
And once more a PROFESSIONAL driver amongst the RLJs…
Hesitant to say this as it
Hesitant to say this as it may well be an unpopular opinion (I certainly got eviscerated for saying it on Shitter/Xcrement before I quit that cesspool, been feeling much cleaner ever since) but is there any good reason for Travis to ride round central London with Sigrid in a basket apart from to boost Travis’s ego and his bank balance by getting YouTube and TikTok views? The poor creature could easily have been horribly mangled in that moped bump, why put it at risk? I ride round central London a lot, I wouldn’t dream of putting any of my three feline overlords in totally unnecessary danger by taking them with me. I know people will say, and indeed did say, “well you should be able to ride around central London in perfect safety”: doubtless you should be able to, but you can’t, it’s still a highly risky environment, especially on some of the incredibly busy roads Travis chooses. It’s putting an animal that doesn’t have a choice about it in needless danger for exhibitionistic and profiteering purposes, as far as I’m concerned.
I’m not going to shoot you
I’m not going to shoot you down, that’s for sure.
I’m not in agreement with any animal being carried like this, especially in a city.
I also find it amusing that according to the intro … we should know who they are.
A. I’m not in London
B. I’m not on Shitter
C. TikTok were the robotic dancers that Gary Numan used to have on stage
I might have read or even commented on the previous story, but the box with that particular penguin in has well and truly been replaced.
And yes … I know its not all about me.
Brutal close pass, especially as the “driver” then close passed a group of cyclists in front of this guy.
was it that brutal a close
was it that brutal a close pass ? its London, its a tour coach, its barely a few mph quicker than the cyclists none of whom seem that disturbed.
if the coach had come blasting pass at that distance, thats different, but that looks fairly tame stuff, maybe cats in bike basket videos have dropped in popularity, after all that two cats meme thing crashed pretty quickly.
#Mewtoo, a bit. But i don’t
#Mewtoo, a bit. But i don’t know the chap or indeed the cat – perhaps he’s got a very impawtent job at Whiskas?
Not the same exactly but that’s also what some people say when confronted with young children (can’t sensibly consent) on a child-carrier or in bakfiets. It’s only responsible if you’re using a car apparently…
Also … I used to take the cat to the vet on the bike sometimes. But FWIW that was using a suburban and largely off- road route. And not on the socials.
I’d maybe chance it, if I had
I’d maybe chance it, if I had the right type of bike, on quiet roads with a fully-enclosed carrier, but definitely not in an open basket where the moggie can roll out under other people’s wheels, or even one’s own, in a crash. As far as children are concerned again it’d depend on the road, I wouldn’t chance it riding round Hyde Park Corner or Elephant and Castle in the old days (before the current excellent cycle provision in both areas was installed) any more than I’d play Rollerball with a baby in a carrier on my back.
Yeah, cat carrier only for me
Yeah, cat carrier only for me (well, for the cat… you know what I mean).
I guess the idea with the basket is that in a crash the cat can jump / run clear but like you I have my doubts… a cynic might say that a plastic crate with a cat inside doesn’t look as cute.
I’d say that there’s no
I’d say that there’s no reason why there should be extra risk, and that things like this help to humanise the debate and emphasize that we need to create a situation where this is just not a problem.
It gives prejudice one more hurdle to jump, and to a degree undermines othering.
There is no difference from people who walk their cats on a lead on the footway. And Sigrid likes it.
For a parallel, slightly different example, consider Dr Haarrie Larrington-Spencer.
https://x.com/tricyclemayor/status/1575555371376447488
Some people can’t walk their dogs or cats – are we suggesting they should not be allowed pets?
I didn’t say there was any
I didn’t say there was any extra risk of an incident happening. What there is is exposing the cat to unnecessary risk, apparently for publicity and financial gain.
How is there “no difference from people who walk their cats on a lead on the footway”? Is walking on the pavement as dangerous as riding in the middle of heavy London traffic? Of course it isn’t.
Yes I’m absolutely saying that disabled people shouldn’t be allowed pets. 100%. Or maybe, just maybe, I’m saying that if there’s a good reason for riding with your pet on a bike then that is a very different matter to unnecessarily exposing your pet to a high-risk environment to get likes, advertising revenue and to sell a book.
I could be wrong [and quite
I could be wrong [and quite often am], but isn’t it an offence to operate a motor vehicle with an animal in distraction distance of the driver?
Or to carry an unrestrained animal?
Rule 57, I think it is.
It’s a rule that is often seen broken and could quite easily be used as yet another wedge in the “they can do it, why can’t I” anti-cycling pile.
It’s bad enough that press are shitting bullets at us because we can break the 20mph speed limit… do cyclists really want to throw that in to the pot too?
isn’t it an offence to
isn’t it an offence to operate a motor vehicle with an animal in distraction distance of the driver?
Not in Lancashire it isn’t!
That was February 24. This is
That was February 24. This is November 22. The Highway Code and pretty much every road traffic law and regulation has been abandoned here
Unthinking prejudice! They
Unthinking prejudice! They could be the driver’s guide dogs.
There was a Garstang case
There was a Garstang case about 4 years ago with 3 clearly visible large dogs in the front passenger seat. This was one of my early experiences of the really stupid excuses given out by Lancashire Constabulary- the Sgt. who is now running OpSnap Lancs wrote ‘the dog (sic. singular) may be correctly restrained’. He also forgave the driver for being across double white lines in a dangerous position on a humped main road bridge immediately followed by a right hand bend
I’d have far more problems
I’d have far more problems with them throwing the cat in a pot than with them riding around with it in a bike basket.
Professor:
Professor:
“IT IS LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO GO ROUND THIS”
People who can think:
No it isn’t – the entire point is that you go round.