Geraint Thomas’s crash tips: Deliveroo coughs up 1000s of pollution masks for riders (quite cool); King of Thailand on a bike (in a crop top); Froome Monaco move, Razor wire ‘joke’ cuts both ways, Vechiojo’s Trans Atlantic Way kit list + more

Geraint Thomas crashed out of the Tour de Suisse this week. He’s okay though. He needed stitches above his eye, “and I lost another pair of glasses,” but he’ll be riding the Tour de France.

Speaking to the BBC’s BeSpoke podcast, Thomas says that crashing “is part of the sport, but the worst bit by far”.

He says if you know you’re going to hit the deck and you’ve got time to react, you’re usually better off curling into a ball and trying to roll a bit rather than putting your hands out.

“You don’t want one part of you to take the full impact. But like I say, it’s more just instinct anyway. It’s just what happens.”

Just in case you missed the news yesterday.

Dumoulin finished runner-up to Geraint Thomas last year, but injured his knee in a crash at the Giro d’Italia earlier this year.

Announcing that he is to sit out the Tour, he said: “The last month has been extremely difficult overall, and with the setbacks in the knee recovery.

“After what happened at the Giro I really wanted to go for it in the Tour, but this week I realised it’s just not realistic for my level to be there in time.

“I’ve tried so hard to get there but I really have to listen to my body and release myself from chasing an unrealistic goal.”

Team Sunweb physician Anko Boelens added: “Tom was really eager to be ready in time for the Tour and he tried all he could, but now the conclusion is that it’s simply not possible.

“We trusted in the process of rest, recuperation and a gradual return to racing but like in any recovery, there have been setbacks.

“Time isn’t on our side anymore to cater for setbacks so to give Tom the time he needs to get back to complete fitness can only be the right decision.

“Despite his strong will and ambition to race the TDF it’s better to let this goal go this year in favour of optimum recovery.”

Throughout various ups and downs, hope prevailed, but unfortunately @tom_dumoulin is to miss #TDF2019

“I realised it’s just not realistic for my level to be there in time. I’ve tried so hard to get there but I really have to listen to my body.”

https://t.co/oeguI2thGe pic.twitter.com/uB8Nuytdm0

— Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) June 20, 2019

As my time at @ChuSaintEtienne has come to an end, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the doctors & nurses for the exceptional care provided to me. It’s been a rough week but I appreciate you having made it as comfortable as possible for me.

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 20, 2019

This is just the first step to what will be a long recovery. Unfortunately I’m not yet able to go home, but at least I’ll have an opportunity to get a visit from my kids

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 20, 2019

Earlier this week, a Sheffield lifestyle magazine joked about using razor wire on pavement cyclists.

At least one advertiser ain’t right happy.

In light of the article published in Grapevine magazine our directors are currently in discussions about our future advertising with them. With a number of cyclists amongst our family and staff we are appalled by the comments made and are taking this very seriously.

— Sheffield Windows (@sheff_windows) June 20, 2019

The recently-crowned Thai monarch King Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, has been spotted cycling in some form of crop top during a recent trip to Switzerland. According to Swiss-German publication Luzerner Zeitgung the footage was captured near Lucerne, with the king and a large entourage taking off for a ride (he’s the one getting a push at 0:12 approx). Vajiralongkorn is known to be a keen cyclist, and he appears to be riding a pretty tasty looking race bike by the looks of it… any ideas exactly what? 

Hunt claims that its new 48 Limitless Aero Disc is faster than any other wheelset of its kind with either 25mm or 28mm tyres fitted.

Get the full story here.

The judge found both parties equally liable for the collision, but by not putting forward a counterclaim, Robert Hazeldean has been unable to protect himself against a destructive costs award in the same way that the claimant has.

Full story here.

Occasional road.cc contributor Jo Burt (otherwise known as vecchiojo) recently completed the Trans Atlantic Way, is a 2500 km one stage self-supported road bike ride between Dublin and Cork. 

What bike and equipment did he use? Well he has shared it all over on Instagram today. 

View this post on Instagram

This Is The Kit… that which made @transatlanticway survivable . Kinesis GTD – Kinesis might not be the sexy-pantiest bike brand out there but they get the job done. stable enough to fall asleep on yet fun enough to razz it round the bends, and when you’re limping along on one engine with your tail shot up this baby’ll get you home . Morvélo Bib Shorts – worn continually for four days and nights on the trot, only pulled down for toilet breaks. no discomfort issues beyond those of being on a saddle for hours in every kind of grindy weather. should probably burn these now . Gore Shakedry Jacket – was expecting to wear this for the expected rain, which i did, lots, and it’s an amazing waterproof, but i wore it every day as an extra windproof layer. absolutely the best jacket i’ve ever worn. rolls up teeny too. brilliant, get one, sell a child . Gore Infinium Gloves – never wear anything new for a big event they say. new on Day One, didn’t take them off for ten days bar a wash in a shower. light, thin, windproof and water resistant, able to absorb fantastic quantities of snot . Exposure Trace and TraceR Lights – on safety blinky mode for hours and days, Trace also handy as back-up front light and bivvy-scouting torch . Hello Kitty Buff – worn 93% of the time for warmth, soaking up nosebleeds and pulling over head to protect against midges . Cache Battery – steal a plug or tickle charge it via your dynamo, use to keep GPS/phone/lights/Di2 going, essential . Oakley Prizm Low Light Lens – not much need for dark glasses in Ireland. good for ‘variable’ conditions, a drizzle barrier, dawn and dusk riding and stopping the wind blowing your eyes out. just enough pink . Phone – i’m averse to overphone but it’s too useful for googlemapsing supermarkets for food and churches for sleeps, head-calming txts with friends, downloading Radio 1 Dance Anthems… . The Little Fuchsia Bible – every town and village along the way with distance covered, streetviewed for garages and cafes, large gaps in supply possibilities noted. do your research. huge psychological advantage of knowing what’s ahead, and then crossing off a page . #mykinesis #gothedistance #AlwaysEvolve #GOREWear

A post shared by VecchioJo (@vecchiojo) on Jun 21, 2019 at 5:12am PDT

Got a lust for gravel and adventure and want a new bike? Well Cannondale has just launched the brand new Topstone Carbon, a carbon gravel bike with 30mm of rear suspension for a smoother and more comfortable ride. 

Get all the juicy details right here. 

What does it ride like? You’re in luck, David Arthur has ridden the new bike and you can read his first ride impressions right here. 

And you can even watch our first ride video here if reading is too much effort. 

Here’s a little teaser at our next bike review coming to you here on Sunday afternoon – there’ll be words, lots of words, and a longer video to enjoy…

 

 

 

 

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Built for speed, we’ve been reviewing the Trek Madone SLR Disc. Check out road.cc online and YouTube for the full review on Sunday… #trekmadone #cycling #bike #aero

A post shared by road.cc (@road.cc) on Jun 21, 2019 at 5:05am PDT

Says project could be replaced by a ‘fast ferry’.

Full story here.

Described as “a whole new class of e-bike”, the Calamus One has a Bafang mid-motor, belt drive and tons of smart features including built-in indicators and blind spot assist. More over on eBikeTips. 

In a bid to tackle pollution in the UK and as Brits get on their bikes for the summer, Deliveroo have partnered with Cambridge Mask Company to provide thousands of free air quality masks to their riders and also to the general public.

An advanced particulate filter in the masks removes harmful particulates such as PM2.5, which is around 1/50th the width of a human hair, and can go deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Dust, exhaust fumes and pollen are common challenges for riders, which will also be blocked by these masks.

They will be handed out over the summer in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow – the areas of the UK with the highest pollution.

Christopher Dobbing, the founder and CEO of Cambridge Mask Co said: “98 out of every 100,000 deaths are a result of polluted air so we are incredibly excited to be part of a new custom-branded mask being distributed with Deliveroo.

“Research by Imperial University shows that air pollution will be costing the UK up to £5.3bn by 2035, so Deliveroo helping to protect people from pollution is great to see. Hopefully other companies will follow suit.”

Emma Simmonds, Director of Policy for Deliveroo, said: “Deliveroo riders are at the heart of everything we do and we want to support them however we can. Riders are out in the community and on the roads every day bringing people their favorite meals. We know our riders love riding but that also means, just like other cyclists, they face the challenge of poor air quality in some parts of the UK.

“We are deli

ghted to be supporting another exciting British start-up. Cambridge Mask Company have come up with an innovative solution to tackling this problem and we think everyone, especially our riders, should be able try out these masks. Deliveroo is determined to support efforts that make our cities cleaner and safer to ride in.”

Greater Manchester Police imply cyclist was guilty of a criminal offence.

Full story here.

Egan Bernal's – final 2.8km going for Stage 7 @tds win
Time: 7’45”
Avg Speed: 21.7km/h
Max Speed: 34.0km/h
Avg Power: 365W
Max Power: 630W
Avg Cadence: 81rpm
What a battle on the final part of the Gotthardpass as @TeamINEOS rider Bernal went for glory. pic.twitter.com/HPv6b7RvO5

— Velon CC (@VelonCC) June 21, 2019

A big read for a big race, check it out here