“Complete joke”: Cycling fans aghast as Mark Cavendish snubbed by BBC Sports Personality of the Year; “Slow down the bikes to save lives,” says team boss; Storey slams UCI amid 100/1 SPOTY odds; Pidcock still on Pinarello mtbs + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“As far as I am concerned, it is an abject failure. It should not have been possible. Unforgivable. Why didn’t they just make the Perspex barriers higher?”
In case you missed it yesterday, here’s all the reaction to Katy Marchant’s terrifying crash over the barriers and into the crowd at the UCI Track Champions League in London:
> “Why did the barriers completely fail to do exactly what they were fitted for?” Horror crash into crowd sees Olympic champion Katy Marchant suffer broken arm – months after taller safety barriers fitted around track following similar crash
“And there we have it, what was left of Colnago’s soul is gone”: Horrified cyclists react to Colnago’s new aero road bike – and brand it the “ugliest bike on the WorldTour”
Well, despite all our combined prayers, it turns out the leaks were – unbelievably – right.
This morning, Colnago finally unveiled its new aero road bike for 2025 – the Y1Rs, designed specifically for UAE Team Emirates and Tadej Pogačar and, the Italian brand claims, the “most aerodynamic road bike in the WorldTour”.
That may well prove to be the case – but when it comes to looks (which is why we all love bikes really, isn’t it?), it’s fair to say opinion is divided.
And when I say ‘divided’, I mean 95 per cent of cyclists on social media are aghast.
“Good call from someone at Colnago to do the promo shots based on painting the rear black and photographing it in the dark against a black back drop. It’s almost like they’re trying to hide it,” said Mark, who could be on to something there.
“And there we have it, what was left of Colnago’s soul is gone,” added Ryan
“Colnagos used to be works of art, not this time,” agreed George.
“Definitely the ugliest bike on the WorldTour, quite the achievement,” said another Facebook user.
Meanwhile, most of you were busy working out what brands, other than Colnago, were actually behind the Y1Rs.
“Looks like a cut and shut job,” said one Instagram user. “Front end of a Cervélo. Back end of a Madone or Foil.”
“Hybrid Cervélo S5 and Trek Madone… It’s not Colnago,” concluded Pawel.
“Co-Trek-go,” said Phùng.
Back to the drawing board for that gag – and probably for Colnago too, judging by the reaction so far.
“It’d need to be fast,” added Jimmy.
No pressure then, Tadej, you only have Colnago’s entire aesthetic reputation resting on your shoulders…
Hold on a second… What was Bernard Hinault doing serving Mass at the reopening of Notre Dame yesterday?
Here’s a 1980s throwback for all the old guard:
Nice to see the Tour de France combined jersey making a comeback during the #NotreDame inauguration.
— La Flamme Rouge (@la-flamme-rouge.eu) December 9, 2024 at 9:40 AM
Now, Prudhomme, there’s an idea – bring back the combined classification. Pogačar would win it every year, of course, but at least the jersey would look cool. And while you’re at it, bring back the white leader’s jersey for Paris-Nice…
“People may not agree with riding bikes, some people don’t. But it shouldn’t be something where you go out there meaningfully to obstruct our pathway”
More cycle path sabotage news, this time courtesy of a new mountain bike trail in Guernsey and a wooden stake with nails:
> New cycling route sabotaged with wooden stake and nails, as “hazard” protesting new access granted to cyclists raises safety fears
Meanwhile, in ‘sunny’ Spain…
📺 Livestream Ziklo Kros Igorre 🇪🇸
The cyclocross race you need this weekend. Good battle between 🇧🇪 Anton Ferdinande and Yorben Lauryssen.
➡️ https://t.co/zUgbKbaxJO pic.twitter.com/8XCI6DMJmy
— Cyclocross24.com (@cyclocross24) December 8, 2024
Who said holding cyclocross races in Spain and Italy would mean more pleasant conditions for riders and spectators?
I might have to rethink my packing strategy for the Benidorm World Cup round, now…
“It's a bit of a sour apple to bite financially”: Cyclocross stars rue cost of cancelled World Cup race in Sardinia as massive storm with 90kph winds leaves course in tatters and lightning strike burns down press tent
It looks like the cyclocross weather gods got their weekends mixed up this season.
Because, after the benign and pleasantly warm conditions which greeted the riders in Dublin at the start of the month, Sunday’s planned World Cup round on the Italian island of Sardinia was subjected to a massive storm that ultimately forced the organisers to cancel the elite men’s and women’s race on safety grounds.
The cancellation came after gusts of between 65 and 90kph ravaged the coastal course in Cabras – which was set to host a World Cup event for the first time – on Saturday night and Sunday morning, leaving barriers, tents, and portable toilets littered across the course.
Il n’y aura pas de Coupe du monde de cyclo-cross ce week-end : la manche de Cabras (Italie), qui devait se tenir aujourd’hui, est annulée en raison de vents trop violents.
🎥 Hélène Clauzel (IG) #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/mVVwo68N6E
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) December 8, 2024
The makeshift press tent, which the organisers transport to different venues, and which includes a bar and dining facilities, was also struck by lightning overnight, setting it on fire.
Faced with the treacherous conditions, and with the threat of 100kph winds to come, on Sunday morning the round’s organising committee consulted with local authorities, World Cup organisers Flanders Classics, the riders, and the UCI before deciding to pull the pin, while ruling out the possibility that the event could be rescheduled before the end of the season.
“The safety of the riders, staff, volunteers, and the public could not be assured,” the UCI said in a statement.
“Ensuring the safety of our athletes, fans and all personnel remains our utmost priority as we make this necessary decision.”
Weather girl Lucinda Brand giving us live updates about the weather on Sardinia, I hope for everyone that the race can still continue today #CX #cyclocross #Cabras #CXWorldCup pic.twitter.com/BZOezOGMXf
— Tonke (@TonkeBerg) December 8, 2024
However, with the World Cup now venturing far beyond cyclocross’ northern European heartland, the riders were left rueing the cost of an ultimately fruitless trip to Italy.
“It’s a bit of a sour apple to bite financially,” Eli Iserbyt, who would have been one of the riders most in danger of being blown away by the strong winds, told Sporza.
“I think every rider has invested about 1,000 to 1,500 euros to be here. That is difficult to recover.
“I weigh 55 kilograms and with my bike and my rims it would be very difficult to stay upright here. I think I was going to have to hold on to my bike well.”
“I think cancelling is the only right option, no matter how hard it is for the organisers,” added Dublin winner Michael Vanthourenhout. “Once you get here, you know that racing is not feasible.
“It’s already difficult to just stay upright. Everyone has made an effort to get here, also financially. I think that today only safety should play a role.”
Meanwhile, Toon Aerts – who took his first World Cup podium in Dublin since returning from a doping ban – said of the financial hit of travelling to Italy: “Yes, it did cost some money. That’s just the way it is. We will have to earn that back at another time.
“Just staying straight with the bike would be super difficult. It’s a shame, because it’s a very nice location here. I was looking forward to it. It was a nice lap. Anyway, we have to accept this. I think cancelling is also for our own good.”
So Primož, how are you paying the bills during the off-season?
Nice to see Kevin the Carrot doing a bit of cameo work alongside Roglič there – I hope that doesn’t break his Aldi contract…
“What was a little teeming area – where you could always see something going on outside – is now a ghost town. People have almost been driven away”
> Café owner claims “pointless” cycle lane “destroying” business as lost parking spaces mean customers of 10 years “won’t turn around anymore”, but council points out safe and attractive streets “boost economic activity”
‘But you can’t carry your Christmas tree home by bike, can you? Oh wait…’
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…
Yes, that’s right, it’s the week when the ‘Tree by Bike’ hashtag proliferates across social media, from close pass-free rides home in snowy Canada…
Spotted my first #TreeByBike today.
— siglinde99 (@siglinde99.bsky.social) December 7, 2024 at 4:40 PM
… To a handy Asda purchase in the north-east of England:
A little bit different this year #TreeByBike 🤔 Is there a “Rent a real Xmas Tree” service? Delivered/picked up by cargo bike, grows throughout the year etc
— Dave Majarich (@davmaj.bsky.social) December 8, 2024 at 5:53 PM
It looks like Oxford Green Party councillor Emily Kerr has upped the stakes, however, by transporting Father Christmas himself by bike:
Arguably my favourite bike passenger ever. I see everyone’s #treebybike and raise you “Santa”. Had such fun today in storm Darragh as our community really came together for our local street fair despite the weather. Feel very lucky to live here. #SantaByBike
— Cllr Emily Kerr 💚 (@emilykerr36.bsky.social) December 7, 2024 at 10:44 PM
See, there’s almost nothing you can’t do with a bike, eh?
“Paris-Roubaix is not too difficult”: Tom Boonen says he’s “100 per cent convinced” Tadej Pogačar can win the Hell of the North – but fellow four-time winner Roger De Vlaeminck says Slovenian’s long-range attacks would never have been allowed in the 1970s
I don’t know what they put in those cobblestone trophies, but it seems to make you obsessed with Tadej Pogačar.
Because the two men who hold the joint record for the most Paris-Roubaix victories, Tom Boonen and Roger De Vlaeminck, can’t stop talking about the Triple Crown-winning Slovenian.
At the Velo d’Or awards on Friday, where Pogačar claimed the titular award for best male rider in the world, as well as the Eddy Merckx Trophy for his classics success in 2024, Belgian legend Boonen told the crowd he was “100 per cent” convinced the three-time Tour de France winner could rewrite the rules of the sport by becoming the first rider since Bernard Hinault to win both the Tour and Paris-Roubaix – the only monument Pogačar is yet to tackle (though he’s also still waiting to break his duck at Milan-Sanremo, of course).
> Tom Boonen apologises to Colnago for claiming Tadej Pogačar is on a slower bike than rivals
“I am 100 per cent convinced he can win it,” the 44-year-old, who matched De Vlaeminck’s record tally of four wins at the Hell of the North, said at the awards ceremony.
“He is one of those riders who can handle a bike well, he can do everything with a bike. And Paris-Roubaix is not too difficult. It is just about riding fast on the cobblestones and taking the wind into account. But if he can’t win it, who can?”
Pogačar, for his part, brushed off Boonen’s lofty expectations in his usual dry manner.
“Try to avoid the big rocks as much as possible. Use the side of the road and everything will be fine!” the Slovenian laughed. “It’s easy for him!”
But while Boonen is confident Pogačar can push his career to even greater heights by winning all five monuments, Monsieur Paris–Roubaix himself, De Vlaeminck, doesn’t seem to be as in thrall to the Slovenian as the rest of the cycling world.
“With me, Merckx, or [Freddy] Maertens, Pogačar would never have ridden alone in front for 90 kilometres,” the famously taciturn Belgian classics legend told Het Nieuwsblad.
“I don’t want to give interviews anymore after which everyone thinks I’m the bad guy,” the 77-year-old, who was one of Eddy Merckx’s biggest rivals in their 1970s heyday, continued.
“But I don’t want to lie either. Eddy Merckx says that Pogačar is better than him, but I totally disagree. He’s the best right now, I can hardly enjoy it because of that.
“I wonder: who is the opposition. [Remco] Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, but he only rides the Tour. Come on guys…
“It could be that Pogačar will become the fourth rider ever to win the five Monuments. He only has Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix to go.
“But then you have to look at who the opponents were. Where are the Italians? The [Francesco] Mosers, [Felice] Gimondis and [Franco] Bitossis that we had to ride against? Can you name one good Italian rider at the moment?”
Stereotypically harsh from De Vlaeminck… But fair?
Of course, the Van der Poels, Pedersens, and Van Aerts of the current peloton will have plenty to say about both Pogačar’s chances of winning Sanremo and Roubaix, as well as the depth of the class of 2024.
Tom Pidcock set to continue to ride Pinarello bikes off-road next year, despite switch to Scott-backed Q36.5 team
The intrigue surrounding Tom Pidcock’s move to Q36.5 shows no signs of abating, as Pinarello announced this afternoon that the double Olympic champion will continue to ride the Italian brand’s bikes off-road – despite his switch to the Scott-backed Swiss outfit.
“Pinarello is pleased to confirm Tom Pidcock will continue riding and helping to develop its flagship off-road bikes for the next three years following his move from Ineos Grenadiers to the Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team,” Pinarello said in a statement today.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
The announcement means that the 25-year-old will race on the brand’s Dogma XC mountain bike, which was developed for both Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot ahead of their Olympic success in Paris this year.
He’ll also still be riding the Crossista F during cyclocross races, and the Grevil F if he chooses to take part in any gravel events.
> Check out Tom Pidcock’s Pinarello Crossista F cyclocross bike
The only times Pidcock won’t be seen on a Pinarello, the company says, is when he’s racing on the road for Q36.5, when he’ll be riding a Scott.
“We’re thrilled to confirm Tom will continue racing on our cyclocross, cross country mountain bike, and gravel bikes,” Fausto Pinarello said in a statement.
“He is an amazing rider with phenomenal technical skills and it’s been a pleasure working with him on the Crossista and Dogma XC, both models in segments where we hadn’t had bikes for a long time.
“Tom is a rider who knows what he wants. His unwavering pursuit of excellence has challenged us a lot and enabled us to produce three incredible frames which he’s ridden to success on the grandest stages in the sport. We are delighted to keep this successful collaboration alive.”
(Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)
Meanwhile, Pidcock himself said: “Working with Fausto and the team at Pinarello over the past four years has been a privilege, and a really enjoyable experience. I am so happy I get to stay working with them on everything off-road moving forwards.
“So far, we have developed three cyclocross and XC MTB frames together and all of them exceeded expectations from the moment I sat on them, I could not have asked for more. I felt so confident on them that I was able to race and win after the first couple of rides.
“To me, our relationship feels more like a partnership than a sponsorship. I’m looking forward to the next three years of racing and developing more great bikes with Pinarello.”
While the prospect of Pidcock racing on both Pinarello and Scott bikes next year, depending on the discipline, may seem odd at first, it makes a lot of sense when you delve into Q36.5’s ownership.
The Swiss-registered team is backed by South African mining billionaire Ivan Glasenberg – who just so happened to have bought a majority stake in Pinarello last June.
And with Scott’s partnership with Q36.5 set to expire at the end of 2025, it may only be a matter of time before Pidcock is back riding a Pinarello on the road, too.
“Slow down the bikes to save lives, it’s the only solution”: Cycling team boss calls for bike tech safety restrictions and asks, “Is a race at an average of 48kph less exciting than one at 55kph?”
While Katy Marchant’s horror crash at the Lee Valley Velodrome on Saturday night appears to have reignited the debate on track racing safety protocols – particularly when it comes to trackside barriers seemingly ‘protecting’ spectators from the action on the boards – cycling’s decision makers also continue to be locked in an ongoing discussion about safety on the road.
And, after a 2024 road season marred by a horrendous high-speed crash at the Itzulia Basque Country and the tragic deaths of Swiss junior rider Muriel Furrer and Norwegian pro André Drege during races, Groupama-FDJ boss Marc Madiot has claimed “there’s only solution” that would make the sport safer: “slow down the bikes”.
The outspoken French manager’s suggestion, which he says could emulate Formula 1 by “saving lives” while not hindering the spectacle on display, comes just two weeks after Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme argued that crashes such as the one in the Basque Country in April – which left two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard with serious injuries, hindering his eventual yellow jersey defence – are caused by riders “going too fast”.
Speaking at the annual general assembly of the association of race organisers (AIOCC) in Italy, Prudhomme said: “Beyond the behaviour of the athletes and the work of the organisers, it is absolutely necessary to reduce speed by appropriate measures: the riders are going too fast.
“The faster they go, the greater the risk and the more they endanger themselves and others.
“We already said it here last year: our car and motorbike drivers no longer have a safety margin! Imagine the consequences if one of our drivers, subjected to too much pressure, lost control on a mountain descent or when racing through a built-up area.”
And while the Tour director’s stance has drawn criticism from the likes of EF Education-EasyPost manager Jonathan Vaughters, who branded the comments “absolutely infuriating” and dismissed Prudhomme as one of the sport’s “fat cats who have never raced so much as a child’s tricycle”, it has nevertheless attracted some degree of support from Vaughters’ fellow team bosses, namely Groupama-FDJ chief Marc Madiot.
Marc Madiot (ASO/Pauline Ballet)
In an interview with Le Parisien, Madiot, who’s managed the French squad since 1997, said that slowing down the technology on offer is key to creating a safer environment who “don’t want to understand” the inherent risks they face during races.
“The equation is impossible,” the two-time Paris-Roubaix winner and expert car door panel beater told the French newspaper.
“The guys are riding faster and faster on terrain where everything is designed to slow down the vehicles. And downhill, it’s worse than anything.
“And since a lot of guys don’t want to understand anything, there’s only one solution: slow down the bikes.
“Formula 1 has never stopped restricting cars. Not only has it saved lives, but its spectacle has lost nothing. Honestly, is a race at an average of 48kph less exciting than one at 55kph?”
The great leap forward in bike technology over the past decade – which promoted one smiling French “champion” to tell Le Parisien that the bikes “almost ride by themselves” these days – and its effect on safety was also noted by France’s philosopher cyclist Guillaume Martin, who’s set to move to Madiot’s Groupama-FDJ team in 2025 after five years at Cofidis.
“The equipment allows you to go faster,” Martin told the paper. “I have the impression that the bikes break every time you fall, which means they are more violent.
(ASO/Billy Ceusters)
“We can do like in F1 where everyone has the same tyres. That way we wouldn’t have any differences in grip. We can choose a brand that isn’t hyper-efficient with tyres that make you go a little slower. From one tyre to another, the speed can vary by 3kph.”
Meanwhile, other suggestions for reducing speed, such as increasing the UCI’s 6.8kg minimum weight for bikes, were dismissed as “stupid” by Groupama-FDJ’s performance director Frédéric Grappe.
“Heavier, the bikes would go faster downhill. There are other avenues, however,” Grappe said, before calling on cycling’s governing body to act on certain aero-focused rider positions on the bike.
“The centre of gravity has been moved forward,” he said. “The saddles are too high and the handlebars too low. As a result, riders’ arms are too straight and they can no longer bend their elbows when it comes to reacting quickly to a problem.
“Seeing riders skidding off the front wheel on a descent is completely abnormal. Everything is done to get themselves into trouble.
“Smaller handlebars are also making turning more complicated. And another consequence is that, in a peloton, the guys are closer together. That increases the danger.”
(SprintCyclingAgency)
Also speaking to Le Parisien, Kiko Garcia, the general director of the International Association of Cycle Race Organisers, argued that a “lot of things are possible” on the bike tech front to help make the sport safer.
“We race organisers can’t secure everything and we ask for help from the bicycle industry and other bicycle families,” he said.
“But the very good news is that equipment manufacturers are not at all closed to the idea of building slightly slower bikes. The will is common. I’m sure that changes will be decided soon.”
Eddy Merckx breaks hip and will need an artificial one after bike crash, according to reports
Acccording to Sporza, 79-year-old Merckx came off his bike while going over a railway crossing in Hombeek. He was taken to hospital immediately when it became clear he was in a lot of pain and had broken his hip in the fall.
Merckx’s sister told Sporza that her sibling will need to undergo surgery and requires “a new artificial hip”.
Here’s hoping The Cannibal’s surgery goes well and he’s back on the bike soon.
“In almost 20 years, nothing has improved”: Dame Sarah Storey says her 100/1 odds for Sports Personality of the Year are due to lack of TV coverage and the UCI’s failure to promote para-cycling – which “disappears for four years”
While much of the furore within the cycling world surrounding this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist focused on Mark Cavendish’s glaring absence, the one cyclist who did get nominated – record-smashing Paralympic legend Dame Sarah Storey – has been ranked a 100/1 outsider by bookmakers to scoop the prize.
And in a strikingly similar situation to Beryl Burton back in the 1960s, whose groundbreaking achievements were largely ignored by the UK press, those lowly odds, Storey says, are an indictment of the UCI’s inability to properly promote para-cycling, a branch of the sport the 47-year-old claims “disappears” from public view between each Paralympics.
Storey has reached the SPOTY shortlist for the fourth time in her long, illustrious career, after securing her 18th and 19th Paralympic gold medals in Paris, before following that up with her 28th and 29th world titles.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
“I won four gold medals in 24 days in September 2024 and this is the fourth time I’ve been on the list,” she told the Telegraph today. “So maybe someone with a crystal ball will tell me whether all those ‘fours’ means it’s a good thing.”
However, Storey, who doubles up as Greater Manchester’s Active Travel Commissioner, believes her often lowly positions in the public Sports Personality vote over the years are a reflection of the lack of coverage and support her sport receives.
“I think we don’t get enough coverage between Games,” she says. “Para-sport disappears for the four years in between. There isn’t sufficient funding and support for any of the para-athletes – maybe except tennis – for athletes to be professional athletes. So, the vast majority of para-athletes will have a job of some kind, will be doing some work alongside.
“We have to train like we’re full-time, we have to deliver the performances as though we’re full-time. But we don’t get the coverage to bring the finance into the sport that we need to deliver that professional level. And it’s really, really challenging.”
“You only have to look at comments when I was found to be out of Dancing on Ice,” she said, referencing the recently fractured ankle that ruled her out of participating in the celebrity skating programme in the new year.
“People were like, ‘Well, who is she? Hopefully, she’s replaced with someone who’s more well-known’. And that just says a lot, doesn’t it? People don’t see para sport on the TV enough to know who their most successful athlete is.”
Asked how she would change this situation, Storey said: ““I would make sure that we utilise some of the coffers that are in there, in the international governing bodies, to start to speculate to accumulate on the coverage front. We need to see the event at the highest level – world championships, World Cup events – on the TV. We need to see that streamed with proper coverage.
“At the moment, you have to work really hard to find out who’s done what. And even when I’m following my own sport and I know where to look for it, it’s not well laid out, it’s not well done.
“So, when you look at the way the UCI do things, the only reason we got coverage at the World Championships in Zurich was because we happened to be part of the event where the able-bodied riders were. If we were stand-alone, like it will be next year in Belgium, I can almost guarantee the coverage will be nothing like what we experienced in Zurich.
(Ed Sykes/SWpix.com)
“The UCI have had hold of para-cycling since 2006-2007. So, in almost 20 years, very little has improved.
“Those integrated events are really important. And I think once we’ve got coverage, once we’ve got a narrative in between the Paralympic Games, we start to see those personalities coming out.
“Many people have, more than once, assumed that I’ve retired. And they were very surprised and pleased to see that I was selected again for another Games. So, I think it’s really important that people don’t make that assumption just because they haven’t seen you race on TV.”
87 used pro bikes are currently being auctioned off, and some of the prices are tempting (save for the €400-€700 shipping costs)
We’ll be covering this in a bit more detail on a couple of fronts later in the week (yep, we have noticed that saddle tilt) but just so you know, MatchWornShirt (shouldn’t that be ‘MatchWornShirtandBikes’??) are currently auctioning off a number of top-end bikes as used by WorldTour pros.
With four days to go, bikes like Vingegaard’s Cervélo S5 (51cm) and Thomas’s Pinarello Dogma F (56cm) have high bids of £5,473 and £3,732 respectively, relative bargains compared to what they might be worth from new; although the high bids have gone up considerably since we checked this morning.
Further down there’s even bigger potential steals, such as Sylvain Moniquet’s Orbea Orca Aero OMX bidding at £1,836… although it’s worth adding that the shipping prices appear to be set at a minimum of €450 to the UK, and as high as €700 for some bikes. Best make sure you’ve factored that in before joining the auction…
Take a look at all the bikes here.
“Complete joke”: Mark Cavendish snubbed – but Sarah Storey makes the cut – as BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist announced
If you thought Tadej Pogačar failing to make the BBC ‘Sports Personality of the Year – World Sports Star’ shortlist (try saying that after a few pints) was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Because this morning, the Beeb announced its nominees for the main SPOTY award. And while Champions League winner (but not quite Euro 2024 victor) Jude Bellingham, Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, 17-year-old darts phenom (but not yet world champion) Luke Littler, and some cricketer (Joe Root) were all accounted for, one name was notably missing from the shortlist.
A certain record-breaking Manx Missile.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Yes, despite Mark Cavendish – the winner of the ultimately meaningless award back in his world title winning year of 2011 – roaring to his 35th Tour de France stage victory in July, at the age of 39, to become the outright most successful stage hunter in the history of his sport’s biggest race, helping him gain a knighthood in the process, there was no space for cycling’s fastest ever sprinter on the BBC’s shortlist.
Some are calling it the biggest SPOTY cycling snub since the all-conquering Beryl Burton was barely given a mention during the 1967 coverage of the event, even though she surprised the Beeb’s bigwigs by finishing second to Our ‘Enry Cooper in the public vote, despite none of her races being broadcast on television in the UK. (Okay, I’m the one calling it that.)
In any case, there’s plenty of cycling fans (and the occasional MP) on social media fuming with SPOTY’s glaring Cav omission.
“Complete Joke. How isn’t Mark Cavendish on the list?” asked one BlueSky user.
“Decent list, but would have had Cavendish on there. Part lifetime achievement but also for the past 12 months. France will be stunned by his omission,” said Steve.
“How is there no space on the SPOTY list for Mark Cavendish in a year when he becomes the all-time greatest stage winner of the Tour de France against the odds; the icing on what was already an incredible sporting comeback?” asked Conservative Kingston-upon-Thames MP Ben Obese-Jecty.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Others noted that, while it could be said that Cav’s 2024 – when considered on its own, compared to some of his other mind-bogglingly successful years – isn’t up to much (just the one Tour stage? Pah!), the same accusation could be labelled at England’s record Test run scorer Root.
“Root had another excellent year, but not his greatest. If we are doing overall achievement, the lack of a Cavendish vote is crazy,” said another user.
(Ed Sykes/SWpix.com)
But before we sharpen our pitchforks and head on down to Broadcasting House just yet, cycling did at least make it on to the SPOTY shortlist, courtesy of the Burton-esque Dame Sarah Storey, who dominated at the Paris Paralympics to secure the 18th and 19th golds, and 29th and 30th medals, of one of the greatest sporting careers of all time.
At the age of 47, Storey just kept adding to her glistening palmares, winning the road race and time trial gold at the para-cycling worlds for a stunning tenth time, to bring her rainbow jersey tally to 39. Yes, 39 world titles – not even the BBC could ignore that.
Oh, and Olympic and world triathlon champion Alex Yee has also been nominated, after his thrilling suspense-laden win in Paris. So that counts as a third of a nominee for cycling too, right?
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If the police are overwhelmed with evidence showing dangerous driving, then that shows that the dangerous driving is endemic: the graveyards and hospitals are full of the victims. If it is endemic, then one of two things must be true, or both: the detection rate is not high enough, and/or the punishment is not sufficient to deter. So in this case, we have the victims providing the evidence, in most cases all the officers need to do is view that evidence. If the officers don't have time, then the process should be automated, possibly by AI. If the driver disputes it, then a real person could view it, but if they consider the driving to be dangerous, the driver should pay for the officer's time. Then we have the lack of punishment, or punishment which doesn't fit the crime, because it does not deter people from offending. The current system of points and fines is clearly not working, and something rather more effective has to be done, like confiscating the car for instance. ".......the Chief Inspector recommended that road users use a rear-facing camera and evidence their own speed at the time of the overtake." I fail to see what the speed of the vehicle being overtaken has to do with the overtaking vehicle passing too closely. Would it be ok if you were doing 5mph, or 25mph? Baffling.
In principal, driverless cars have the potential to be much safer than human drivers, by virtue of the fact that they should be intent on following the rules of the road, nor driving whilst drunk/drugged, never be tired, frustrated, irrational etc, etc. Another advantage is that mistakes can be corrected and rolled out across the entire fleet (try that with humans. Add to that the resulting reduction in car ownership, increased car sharing, and the sheer amount of street space given over to parked cars will plummet. The key factor, however, is how much of those principles the owning companies are prepared to commit to. (Altruism isn't their strong point)
I'm going to take a close look at some of the lights mentioned. For reference: I extensively used the following: - Nightrider lumina (don't recall the exact model): horrible temperature control and after 18 months it bricked up on me and they refused to honour the warranty, will never buy anything from them ever again; - Lezyne 1600 XXL, two issues, firstly the strap that attached it to the handlebar never kept in place really well over rough terrain. Secondly: a cop stopped me and although -to me riding the bike- it appeared well adjusted, he claimed I was blinding oncoming traffic. He actually held the bike so I could check for myself from inside his car and he was simply right: the light level on the ground was ok but indeed, I was blinding oncoming traffic. That's a hard no, it had to go even though he didn't fine me. I don't want to annoy/be a risk to other road users; - Then the Lupine: solid as a rock, mounted on a GoPro mount, USB-C charging, StVZO compliant...but alas not enough oomph considering terrain and desired speed; Thinking back, it somehow seems like a light I had on my bike back when I was riding long distance events (Audax, crazy distances but lower average speeds) might have been ideal, that was a Son Edelux and it ran on a Son hub dynamo. But I don't want to install a dynamo and again, lower speeds.
Well that all blew up quickly! A pause to savour: "cyclists have a dislike for linguistic accuracy and authentic meaning." Apparently it's something to do with the cyclic muscle movements - ah, no, that would affect runners and rowers also. Circular motion of the limbs?
@mattw Yeah, and Oxford Street will be full of unicorns and rainbows by then as well. 🤣
@stulemanski Actually I think they do, as long as there is good behaviour. Complete cycle bans are vanishingly rare in the Netherlands, which is the best comparison. In 10-20 years time there will be a mobility track, and there will be no real problems.
@Rendel Harris That assumes training, expertise, and the time to do a proper job including full consultation. This does not happen, and then rapid assumptions are made based on "me". That also happens with cycling groups who campaign for something and completely ignore eg tricycles or other varieties of vehicle, in favour of standard cycles. Both lived experience and professional experience are essential. This week I have been looking at a brand new £50k 3m-wide path upgrade in my local Green Flag Park, where the Council have spent perhaps £3k installing a 3 ply chicane with 1.5m gaps and 1.5m spacing between barriers at one end of it. The path also includes a 1-in-9 30m long hill. I have since been talking to a lady who is a wheelchair user and has a fully-trained assistance dog which walks alongside, who is thereby prevented from entering the park she pays for with her Council Tax. Those dimensions are unusable for most small mobility scooters, never mind other mobility aid users, and are flat out unlawful, and not in accordance with several sets of Government Guidelines. Yet when I complain I expect to be stonewalled to the door of the Court in the hope that I will get exhausted and go away. At the door of the Court they usually capitulate, and will have spent 7-10k on legal letters and compensation and doing what they should have done at the start. That £3k could have been spent sorting out perhaps 10 other anti-disabled barriers around our Green Flag Parks. Every complaint so far I have made has been met with "Does Not Meet Threshold for Action".
@flowboy I'm not sure what your point is, FB. Unforfunately, in a world of insufficient resources and gutted Councils with no expertise (for example the near-vanishing of Accessibility Officers) due mainly to available resources being halved since 2010, the only things that will get a response are likely to be details supported by a credible threat of legal action. That's how it is. Even then they often rely on obfuscation via complaints procedures that can take 12 months and have no teeth.
@flowboy I'm not sure what your point is, FB. Unforfunately, in a world of insufficient resources and gutted Councils with no expertise (for example the near-vanishing of Accessibility Officers) due mainly to available resources being halved since 2010, the only things that will get a response are likely to be details supported by a credible threat of legal action. That's how it is. Even then they often rely on obfuscation via complaints procedures that can take 12 months and have no teeth.
@Rendel Harris I have recently come out. I have been called a lot worse. Sticks and stones. So are you saying I cannot call people like myself names? If a call myself and people like me, a ‘homophobic slur’ are you going to get the nasty words police on to me? If you are straight, then your opinions and fake anger mean nothing. Unless you are gay, you are clueless. So stop getting all worked up about a name. I can cope with it. If you can’t, it’s on you.
46 thoughts on ““Complete joke”: Cycling fans aghast as Mark Cavendish snubbed by BBC Sports Personality of the Year; “Slow down the bikes to save lives,” says team boss; Storey slams UCI amid 100/1 SPOTY odds; Pidcock still on Pinarello mtbs + more on the live blog”
Slow down bike racing? But
Slow down bike racing? But how on earth could that be done?
(Also available in modern editions e.g.: https://youtu.be/BRzUI3ABM08?t=36)
“The saddles are too high and
“The saddles are too high and the handlebars too low. As a result, riders’ arms are too straight and they can no longer bend their elbows when it comes to reacting quickly to a problem.” – This is an interesting observation, when trying to understand root-cause. Lots of previous suggestions on brake-discs causing accidents due to lots of power and locking-of-wheels, but I do wonder if this position theory is a real factor? interesting. I also wonder when/if we’ll see long-term health impact on the pros in a few years, from the mega-aggressive riding positions they have to spend hours in, as of today?
I have friends who are young, and have serious back issues, despite fittings.
The skinny tyre mob could
The skinny tyre mob could take advice from the knobbly brigade and invest in body armour?
Think I’m mad? Well I think it is insanity to ride along a tarmac road at 60kph with nothing between my arse and the road than a micro thin layer of lycra. How much of an aero impact would carefully designed, abrasion resistant fabric panels or thin kevlar patches have on performance compared to the massively improved skin protection? Body armour technology for DH MTB has improved dramatically, it is so much lighter, more flexible and breathable than even a couple of years ago. Why not protect your shoulders, elbows, hips at least from impacts and abrasion? Crashes are going to happen at all speeds but look at how GP Riders bounce up from a 200kph crash thanks to kevlar suits and body armour.
No one thinks your mad but it
No one thinks your mad but it would have to come from the top and it would slow them down. Aero is king and that sort of thing would likely slow them down enough to make a measurable difference between those using it and those that weren’t so no one would use it.
There is a massive difference between making strong body armour for MTB/motorbikes where aero and weight aren’t a concern vs road cycling where it is.
I think its unlikely to slow
I think its unlikely to slow them down and in fact I would give it a year before some enterprising person like Dan Bigham came along with a Aero mod that makes you go faster… a rear neck brace for example.
I’m a bit surprised that we
I’m a bit surprised that we’re not seeing some experimentation in reinforcing the lycra to to minimise gravel rash.
I seem to remember one
I seem to remember one clothing brand was experimenting with putting Dyneema (the same material Specialized make their S-Works shoes upper from) in vulnerable areas a year or 2 ago. Haven’t heard anything more though.
Sir Mark Cavendish you say?
Sir Mark Cavendish you say? He’s not a sir according to the BBC
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c2dl678wz6jo
Cyclists, innit?
There’s rumours Sir Mark is
There’s rumours Sir Mark is getting a lifetime achievement prize, not that it should exclude him from the main prize imo.
But its a joke of a list, again, the guy who actually beat the darts kid to the world championship and won stack full this year, ranked number 1 in the world, doesn’t even make the list as he predicted.
stonojnr wrote:
From Wikipedia: “The panel produces a shortlist that reflects UK sporting achievements on the national and/or international stage, represents the breadth and depth of UK sports and takes into account ‘impact’ within and beyond the sport or sporting achievement in question.”
That last clause is the key, someone like Luke Littler has clearly had a massive impact on the public consciousness to the extent that even someone who doesn’t follow darts like yours truly knows his name, I can’t tell you the name of the other person to whom you are referring. Similarly, if it just went on sheer sporting excellence in the calendar year then Harry Brook should be the cricketer nominated, not Joe Root. Ironically that criteria makes it more surprising, rather than less, that Mark isn’t included, but on the general point it doesn’t make the list a joke just because not every nominee is the world #1.
Wikipedia also states its an
Wikipedia also states its an award for sporting excellence, I just dont see how they picked the runner up from the biggest darts competition in the year, whilst completely overlooking the actual winner.
anyway ITV have put out an alternate SPOTY list which seems alot more grounded in reality.
I think a lifetime award is
I think a lifetime award is more appropriate for Mark Cavendish. He won one stage of the TDF, which is no more impressive than other UK cyclists such as Sarah Storey or Tom Pidcock. Joe Root had a terrific summer, but poor series in Pakistan. Maybe Gus Atkinson would be a better cricket nomination. However, I think Keeley Hodgkinson is the one sportsperson who has been outstanding in her field and performed brilliantly in every race she ran.
Jimmy Anderson should also be
Jimmy Anderson should also be getting a lifetime achievement award too imo
They did the same to Nicole
They did the same to Nicole Cook, she was the world number 1 and won the women’s Tour de France – the final list was 20 so the BBC made it 21 and included Nicole on the list at the last moment, nobody at BBC had any idea who she was and she was the world number1!
They did the same to Nicole
They did the same to Nicole Cook, she was the world number 1 and won the women’s Tour
Another unsupported hero- like Beryl Burton
Which is even odder when you
Which is even odder when you consider that, by my reckoning, he’s one of only two on that list who were actually a genuine sir at the time they won it.
mdavidford wrote:
Mark won in 2011 and was knighted this year…by my reckoning only Mo Farah of that list had been knighted at the time he won.
Doh! You are, of course,
Doh! You are, of course, right. And that’s what I thought originally when I started looking at it – it was because he wasn’t beknighted when he won it, it having only just happened. Not sure at what point I confused myself into thinking it happened earlier. ?
Isn’t the claim about rider
Isn’t the claim about rider positioning and higher speeds somewhat undermined by the fact that we very rarely see crashes in dry time trials, even though they are riding faster and less manoeuverable bikes with poorer visibility? I’m fairly convinced that a lot of the problems arise from the extreme youth of many riders nowadays, so they are coming into top-flight races without the requisite experience to stay safe riding at high speeds in a pro peloton; that’s alongside the number of riders who are coming in from other sports or even Esports (Zwift champions et cetera) who seem to be given places based solely on their power numbers rather than all-round cycling skill. Perhaps the UCI should run a compulsory training course on race skills for all new riders run by experienced former professionals that has to be passed before a racing licence is awarded? The other thing that I believe would hugely improve safety would be a version of the safety car concept as used in motor racing, e.g. if a steep descent has been made dangerous by rain then a commissaire car/motorbike should neutralise the race and this should be communicated to all riders (a good reason for retaining race radio) and slow it right down until they reach safer terrain. Possibly when they do so any riders who had a lead over the summit could be released first so they wouldn’t lose their advantage, although not sure how realistic that would be logistically.
I think a ‘Safety car’ is
I think a ‘Safety car’ is warranted, and shouldn’t be hard to implement – though we are talking about the UCI, so there’s the possibility of them messing it up.
I’ve also been wanting to see a (FCY) Full course Yellow in cycling for years when there are huge crashes, and chaos ensues.
Stop. Trying. To. Make. A.
Stop. Trying. To. Make. A. Big. Deal. Of. Who. Gets. Picked. For. Sports. Personality. Of. The. Year.
It is not important. Cavendish was well paid throughout his career. He has been lauded by the people who matter: his peers, contemporaries, and dedicated cycling fans. That Joe Bloggs is shown a two-minute VT about some runner or footballer or cricketer and not a cyclist won’t make one iota of difference to the popularity of cycling as a sport or the safety of cyclists on the road.
Quote:
Can someone explain this to me.
We’d never (?) say that drivers no longer had a safety margin, “in the wild”: we’d just say that they weren’t leaving a decent gap or were close passing.
Surely the support cars shouldn’t be that close to the riders, if they’re concerned about the safety margin?
I think the quote is about
I think the quote is about keeping up with the riders on a descent or in because they’re going too fast, and the vehicles can’t match the speeds safely the peloton or lone breakaway can hit now.
Maybe safety would be
Maybe safety would be improved if the driver just *drove*.
The cars in question are the
The cars in question are the team / race cars who follow the race. Also the TV etc motorbikes are getting to the point that keeping up is becoming dangerous.
Motorbikes normally have 2
Motorbikes normally have 2 people on board – TV cameraman, commission, ex-pro with a mic etc as well as the driver. They haven’t been able to match the speed of the riders in the corners for decades, and it’s getting worse as the riders descend and corner faster.
And cars usually aren’t solo, they’re can only go as fast as the one in front – who may be slowing down due to a rider who has a mechanical and has stopped, or crashed, an idiot spectator, etc etc.
Controversial comment: I
Controversial comment: I think that the new Colnago looks quite nice.
I think it has a certain
I think it has a certain brutal aero aesthetic going for it… I dont mind it. Form follows function…
Another controversial comment
Another controversial comment: I think it looks like a bike.
Quote:
Ahem. First of all, I think you probably mean the Eucharist, or Communion. And generally the term is ‘giving’ or ‘distributing’. Other than that, spot on.
After decades of watching F1
After decades of watching F1 I recently stopped all following of the ‘sport’, the main reason is because it has become so boring and quite predictable.
Switch to trophy trucks mate.
Switch to trophy trucks mate. F1 ain’t nothing next to those aussies. Still comes across as a proper hold-my-beer sport (at least if you go by the gut size of some of the drivers). Whoever thought to put massive metal jumps on the circuit… genius… if u haven’t seen them specifically I highly suggest a look on YouTube…
Let them go as fast as they
Let them go as fast as they want, but put them in a moto GP suit and full face helmets! Alternatively a full set of downhill MTB pads if the leathers are to restrictive give them the non-aero goggles too. If everyone has the same handycap it’s still a test of who’s the better athlete?
Could the UCI mandate a
Could the UCI mandate a minimum tyre width? say 35mm, it’d increase the grip, be slightly heavier and less aero without massively changing the way the bikes ride. Still leaves the space for different brands to sponsor teams, and is pretty simple to enforce.
The majority of the safety issues are course design/setup related, so they should probably address those first, but if they want to be seen to be doing something to slow the riders down then that could work.
Tyre width is not a
Tyre width is not a straightforward correlation. On certain road surfaces ( such as the UK, which is usually relatively course), rolling resistance is reduced with a wider tyre requiring lower pressure. If the tyre width gets up around 30mm, frame redesign would be required. Making riders use inner tubes might be a better option as it would increase weight and moment of inertia, as well as reducing catastrophic punctures. However you would probably only reduce speed by about 1-2 mph. I agree that course design is likely to be the best to tackle.
Narrow tyres could have more
Narrow tyres could have more grip on bends because a smaller area is in contact with the road, so there is more weight on this area, making the tyre dig into the road, especially on warm days. Also, riders take more risks when wearing helmets because they feel safer.
kingleo wrote:
That is of course impossible accurately to quantify in terms of professional racing, but from an empirical perspective of watching road racing for 40 years I would say that riders in the days before compulsory helmets took just as many risks, in fact greater risks given that they did not have such good tyres and brakes as are available to the modern professional. It’s in the nature of top professional riders to push everything absolutely to the limit and that has always been the case, helmets or not.
btw please correct the
btw please correct the mention of Ben Obese-Jecty, he is MP for Huntingdon, Kingston has Ed Davey
Re slowing professional bikes
Re slowing professional bikes down. A lot of the serious crashes occur in sprint stages. I think race organisers need to stop introducing downhill sections, sharp bends, restrictions, or chicanes in the last few hundred metres of such stages.
Blah blah blah. Sir Merckx
Blah blah blah. Sir Merckx Cavedish blah blah blah. Cyclists blah blah blah. Cars blah blah blah. Me blah blah blah. Them blah blah blah.
FFS
perfect1964 wrote:
You do know that reading websites that you don’t like isn’t actually compulsory?
I think they’re just
I think they’re just frustrated that some virus keeps replacing all their carefully crafted cogent comments with ‘blah blah blah’.
Let them race Boris bikes.
Let them race Boris bikes. That ‘d slow the buggers down!!!
Get them to do it on UK cycle
Get them to do it on UK cycle infra and they’d really be slow (some is more suitable for cyclocross / trials afficionados)!
Wouldn’t pass the risk assessment though, plus it might cause some folks to have heart attacks with happily confirmed prejudice. Actual TdF non-wannabes literally racing many-abreast…
Madiot as “expert car door
Madiot as “expert car door panel beater” – can the road.cc bigwigs please give Ryan an extra big christmas bonus for that. Brilliant. 😉 I’m going to be chuckling all day over that. 😉