Welcome to Thursday on the road.cc live blog with Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Live blog: Puntastic! – our fave headlines from the MSM after they picked up the Porn Pedallers story we broke yesterday, Epic fail for BMW pedestrian (and cyclist) avoidance system, Olympic champ Callum Skinner retires + more
All today’s news from the site and beyond
Thu, Mar 07, 2019 20:53
SUMMARY
7 March 2019, 20:53
Women’s Tour of Scotland route revealed
The route for the inaugural Women’s Tour of Scotland was unveiled in Edinburgh yesterday.
The three-day race takes place from 9-11 August, with the opening stage running from Dundee to Dunfermline.
That will be followed by a stage from Glasgow to Perth, with the closing stage starting and finishing in Edinburgh.
Olympic gold medallist Katie Archibald was at yesterday’s launch in the Scottish capital and will ride the event this summer.
“There’s a huge significance that it’s a standalone women’s event,” she said.
“I’m proud to be attached to it and hopefully events like this say to young girls that they can get on a bike, and to women that ‘this world is ours, we’re competitive and we can race just as hard as the men’.
“It should really give a chance to showcase Scotland and some gorgeous scenery,” she said. “Most years I end up missing the Scotland National Road Race so it will be a privilege to be on these roads.
“There are lots of nice moments that may not be globally iconic but to me will feel very special,” she added.
7 March 2019, 20:53
In the Neutral Service car at Strade Bianche
If there was one race last year where the Neutral Service car was most needed it had to be Strade Bianche. The rain turned the chalk roads to sludge and things quickly got interesting.
Take a look behind the scenes with the unsung heroes of the pro peloton.
7 March 2019, 20:53
Le Samyn 2019 highlights
Missed this Belgian semi-classic earlier in the week? Grab a quick cuppa and catch up with the racing.
How is anyone going to beat QuickStep this year?
7 March 2019, 20:53
Why is online cycling so popular? Oh…
Virtual reality vs reality – Tower Bridge, London both this Am @GoZwift pic.twitter.com/jSKUDuKPpo
— Rory McCarron (@CyclingLawLDN) March 7, 201
It might get a bit lonely in there. Eventually
7 March 2019, 20:53
Video: Sam Hill Vs Killian Bron
Nice riding, or should that be ‘sick edit’?
7 March 2019, 20:53
Olympic champion Callum Skinner announces retirement – but will work with British Cycling to “make the athlete experience more human”
Olympic champion Callum Skinner has announced his retirement from elite cycling at the age of 26 – though he plans to remain involved in the sport by working with British Cycling “make the athlete experience more human.”
Two years ago in Rio, Skinner helped Team GB retain its team sprint Olympic title, and also took silver in the individual sprint, won by team mate Jason Kenny.
In a post on his blog today, the Scot said: “Cycling has been very good to me, I’ve made lifelong friends and realised my dream for which I am eternally privileged.
“I appreciate that 26 might seem to many quite young to be transitioning away from the track, but I have never considered myself just an athlete; I consider myself far more than that.”
He continued: “I’m looking for a new challenge, my next Olympics. I want to build on the skills and perspective I’ve learnt and gained as a competitor over the last few years, and go on to greater things.
“As some of you will know, I’m particularly passionate about giving back to sport, using my profile for good, whether that’s in supporting the long overdue reform of sports governance, LGBT rights and encouraging people to get on their bikes.”
Last August, Skinner announced that he was taking an extended break from cycling, saying that he lacked motivation, although today he revealed that his hiatus from the sport was due to a deterioration in his health.
> Olympic champion Callum Skinner taking break from cycling
“This has proved to be a very challenging time,” he said. “Through seeking help outside the programme, and by the unswerving support of my friends, family and agent, I have made incredible progress and I’m pleased to say have almost fully recovered.”
As for his future role, he said: “My focus and effort now lies in working in partnership with British Cycling to continue to make the athlete experience more human whilst still maintaining that performance mindset. These two essential aspects are not mutually exclusive of each other.
“Overall, I have had an amazing time at British Cycling and would like to thank my current and former coaches, performance support staff and team mates for an amazing and unforgettable ten years,” he added. “I wish them every success going forward.”
7 March 2019, 20:53
Watch out for the BeeMer… but you knew that
Interesting vid from the US insurance industry backed Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) showing their testing of pedestrian detection/auto braking systems on a number of small and luxury SUVs from different manufacturers in simulations of typical incidents in which cars collide with pedestrians. Two of the cars, the 2019 versions of the Toyota RAV 4 and Subaru Forester managed to avoid collisions in all scenarios and only one failed the test entirely – BMW’s X1 which comes equipped with the company’s Daytime Pedestrian Detection system, and which the IIHS noted “didn’t brake at all in the 37 mph parallel adult scenario. The luxury SUV had minimal to no speed reductions in the other tests.” More work needed there then.
7 March 2019, 20:53
Guess where we are…?
7 March 2019, 20:53
Top punning from Fleet Street's finest on the Porn Pedallers story
When we reported yesterday that Porn Pedallers Cycling Club had seen its licence revoked by British Cycling due to infringing UCI rules, we suspected it wouldn’t be long before the mainstream media took up the case.
However, chapeau to the sub-editors of Fleet Street (well … the Baby Shard, Kensington High Street and elsewhere) for some totally puntastic headlines today.
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Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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Latest Comments
tomlew 47 minutes ago
Probably the coolest thing about this lamp is that it can be sandwiched between the mount and a Garmin, which means it uses net zero mounts. How cool it would be if lamps like Magicshine Hori did the same and provided a Garmin mount at the bottom for another piece of kit! BTW I wouldn't judge it too harshly about its battery life. I take this lamp primarily as a compact DRL, which uses flash mode and offers decent battery life. The way I see it, the full mode is for emergency rides back home only.
mdavidford 1 hour ago
Nothing necessarily wrong with enforcing against people cycling under the influence, but it's the performative song and dance about it and the implication that new rules and punishments are needed because 'they can get away with anything at the moment' - when actually the powers already exist and they could just quietly get on with using them if they wanted to.
Steelisreel 2 hours ago
@cardch Or we could support actual UK made rather than rebadged Chinese brands. Gloria are made by Waltly and you can even just order direct from them for far less.
Memyselfandaye 2 hours ago
@mdavidford the new No10 North office at First Street doesn't allow ebikes in the bike storage which is inside this new build site
Sniffer 2 hours ago
@lesterama I don't think you will be disappointed with either option.
chrisonabike 3 hours ago
Baroness: "...the concern of pedestrians – many of us elderly and disabled – put at risk and having to use pavements and crossings with trepidation (and in some cases stay at home)..." Just wait 'till she hears about motor traffic! (Presumably her point would be "I still can, but not those cyclists...") I could be very wrong but does the good baroness walk everywhere? I've got a suspicion she might drive (or be driven) quite a bit? Ah, but ... careful and considerate responsible licenced and insured drivers, identified by their vehicle numberplates ... which means that any deaths of pedestrians crossing roads or even on the pavements could only be the work of a few reckless drivers. And fortunately the legal system has no problems permanently removing them from the road at the first offence...
OnYerBike 3 hours ago
@lesterama I chose a Fairlight. I think the attention to detail and craftmanship is just as good, but you save a chunk of cash. The obvious caveat is that it depends on what features you want/value. Fairlight only has four models, all with steel frames. There's nothing in Fairlight's line up that is a direct comparison with this Definition Integrale, for example.
chrisonabike 3 hours ago
RE: Build it and they will come, #782 "Glasgow isn't Amsterdam" - good to see this despite "but we have weather in Scotland!" / "But our city was bulldozed for motor traffic so we can't go back" / "We have narrow historic streets" / "There's no cycling culture here!" / "but there's a hill" etc. But yes, Glasgow isn't Amsterdam in that picture because: - the junction has very little provision for cycling (what about those going left?) - "single file" - carrying stuff on backs (not slinging your bag in the front rack / basket) - lots of "dress for the journey, not the destination" (hi vis, helmets etc) - no children to be seen
Rendel Harris 3 hours ago
@the little onion Whilst it might seem that way I think perhaps it is a good thing for a crackdown to be launched against drink-cycling ebike renters. They have become a very popular alternative to public transport or cabs after a night out and speaking from experience in London at closing time you will see a large number of quite clearly drunk people staggering out and hopping on a Lime or Forest bike, and when I'm cycling or taking the bus in town late at night I do see a lot of people quite clearly not in a fit state to be riding any bicycle weaving about in traffic. Of course, I'm sure there are a number of people who ride their personal, privately owned ebikes when not in a fit state to do so but I think that would be quite a small number, simply because ebikes are expensive and highly nickable bits of kit and most people wouldn't risk leaving them locked up outside in London at night whilst they go to a pub or club. I would have no problem with the police running a campaign to stop Lime etc riders at random for sobriety checks, with the proviso that they do exactly the same with motorists.
wtjs 4 hours ago
@mctrials23 Agreed. An accurate exposition.
1 thought on “Live blog: Puntastic! – our fave headlines from the MSM after they picked up the Porn Pedallers story we broke yesterday, Epic fail for BMW pedestrian (and cyclist) avoidance system, Olympic champ Callum Skinner retires + more”
Nice work, BMW, you should
Nice work, BMW, you should partner up with Uber.