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Jeremy Clarkson claims cyclists responsible for London trees getting cut down ... and gets schooled

Grand Tour presenter, who cycles in Holland Park area of West London, opposes safe cycle route

Ah, Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy. That’s Clarkson, not Corbyn. Britain’s leading motormouth has gone full throttle against cyclists again, claiming we are responsible for all the trees getting cut down in London.

Today, the Grand Tour presenter, said on Twitter: “They’re going to take down all the trees to make life easier for cyclists. I mean, who voted for these people? Why.”

He was referring to rumours that trees will be felled on a planned cycleway through Holland Park Avenue. A petition on Change.org claims – and we are trying to get our heads around this – that “Transport for London will be putting cyclists lives at risk to introduce a new cycle lane in this traffic-heavy area, chopping down trees to accommodate it.”

Anyone who regularly rides that route in from Acton and Shepherds Bush towards the centre will tell you it is the nastiest part of the ride, with drivers parking up at the shops opening doors in their path, and pinch points giving little room to squeeze past buses, coaches and other large vehicles.

And Clarkson should know this; he lives in the area, and despite his on-screen persona, rides a bike round there – as he did the day he was doorstepped as news broke that he had been sacked from BBC’s Top Gear Show (see the picture above).

Clarkson was swiftly schooled on the actual situation; no trees will be cut down as part of this planned, and much-needed, safe route for cyclists.

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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