Welcome to Friday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Alex Bowden and the rest of the team…
Live blog: Dan Martin joins Israel Cycling Academy; Dutch e-bike brand admits staging hidden camera sting; ‘F**king assholes’: angry cycle commuter berates cops for blocking bike lane + more
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Fri, Aug 16, 2019 19:42
SUMMARY
16 August 2019, 19:42
Not bad...
Victory percentage of Mathieu van der Poel @mathieuvdpoel, a.k.a. The Cycling Cannibal Chameleon, in 2019 (in official races on UCI-calendar):
Cyclocross 12/12 = 100%
Mountainbike 14/16 = 87,5%
Road 7/16 (after stage victory in stage 1 #ArticRace) = 43,7%
Total 33/44 = 75%!! pic.twitter.com/nVp5lBHXR2
— Jonas Creteur (@jonas_creteur) August 15, 2019
At the age of 24 and competing at the highest level in three cycling disciplines, Mathieu van der Poel has pretty much got the hang of this cycling thing.
16 August 2019, 19:42
Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels reopen after six year wait
After six years of work, the Tyne Pedestrian and Cyclist Tunnels have finally reopened. The tunnels are recognised as one of the finest sections of segregated infrastructure in the UK and have been restored to their former glory. https://t.co/imETwYwQtz pic.twitter.com/0cYWEPlgok
— Sustrans (@sustrans) August 15, 2019
The £16 million refurbishment that began in 2013 is now complete, with side-by-side tunnels for cyclists and pedestrians that will transport people under the River Tyne between Howdon on the north bank and Jarrow on the south bank.
The Grade II listed structure has been restored to its former glory with 28,000 ceramic tiles replaced and 2,500 meters of cable installed, according to Sustrans. Have you used it on your commute this morning? Do send us some pics for the archive if you get the chance, we might even send you some lovely road.cc socks to say ta…
16 August 2019, 19:42
"You f**king assholes are blocking the bike lane for no reason": angry commuter lays into NYPD
In this not-so-pleasant exchange, a commuter sees red after police officers block a bike lane in numbers. It’s not completely clear why they’re blocking the lane, but the commuter shouting “there is no terrorist threat” suggests they were responding to a security alert.
The ‘On the Bike Lane’ Instagram account that shared the clip posts instances of bad bike lane form daily, the latest below being another example of authorities blocking a lane. The NYPD have come under scrutiny for their response towards cyclist fatalities as of late, with officers instructed to ticket cyclists for infringements – Mayor de Blasio has promised to address the city’s rising fatality rate and change the way police respond to incidents, with 19 cyclists killed since the turn of 2019.
Cyclist deaths are also on the rise across the United States with 840 recorded in 2016, reports NPR.
16 August 2019, 19:42
The newspapers have been trawling through that “Maddest Day Ever In Brighton” YouTube channel
Footage of a group of youths cycling through a Brighton supermarket was published by a number of national newspaper websites last week. The coverage resulted in a police appeal for victims.
The video has since been deleted and the uploader has posted an apology.
He might have to take a closer look through his previous uploads though as this week those same newspapers published a video from July in which he is seen doing wheelies through London where he is involved in a collision and angry confrontation with a Mercedes driver.
You can find the original video here. The collision occurs at 11m45s.
16 August 2019, 19:42
Make your own carbon fibre chainring that's 75% lighter than a steel one
Calling all weight weenies! If you’ve ever thought about making a carbon fibre chainring, here’s a good project showing some of the testing and construction that has gone into making one. We’re not sure about the bike that it’s been fitted to however…
You can read the detailed PDF document here.
This project shows how to make your own carbon fibre chainring that’s 75% lighter than a steel model. https://t.co/N1cUQNIlbF pic.twitter.com/ZrAsoPfhkG
— Cycling Science (@CyclingScience1) August 15, 2019
16 August 2019, 19:42
Mitchelton-Scott going Yatesless at the Vuelta
After riding both the Giro and the Tour, it was always highly unlikely that Simon Yates would return to the Vuelta after winning last year. No Adam either though.
PREVIEW “The Vuelta is a race that has always treated me well.” – @estecharu
Our team for #LaVuelta19 @TsgabuG @DionSmithy @nick_schultz5 @lukamezgec @estecharu @SamBewley @damien_howson @NieveMikel
READ MORE https://t.co/wWVocnfHjI pic.twitter.com/0lFdOhu9LJ
— Mitchelton-SCOTT (@MitcheltonSCOTT) August 16, 2019
16 August 2019, 19:42
Very late notice that a stretch of the Taff Trail is closed
Really!!? A 3 month closure of TaffTrail just north of Ponty with 24hrs notice and no diversion? #activetravel what on earth are you doing? https://t.co/TNMY4TY8vj
— BeicwrTaff (@beicwrtaff) August 15, 2019
16 August 2019, 19:42
Have you ever seen a bike with no seat tube?
Now you have! Read all about this special bike here which employs 3D printing technology.
16 August 2019, 19:42
Road rage driver who chased cyclist and then rammed him spared jail
James Carroll handed a two-year ban and will be fitted with an electronic tag. Cyclist suffered a broken hip.
16 August 2019, 19:42
Post-Ride Hydration Beers for All!
Even when interpreted as “it’s ok to have a beer”, intake is very moderate & the authors STILL advise not to abstain. I’m staunch on athletes avoiding when injured and getting athletes to get to act like a pro. In reality, it depends on what lies ahead, partic in the short term. pic.twitter.com/2rDlVzUH3l
— The Endurance Physio (@theEndurancePT) August 16, 2019
Disregarding all of the other negative side effects of alcohol, it seems that beer has no adverse effects on hydration markers when consumed post-exercise.
We’ll add a pizza in, just for good measure!
16 August 2019, 19:42
Parcours launch the Alta, their first gravel wheelset
British wheel brand Parcours have gone gravel with the launch of their latest hoops, the Alta. Weighing in at 1,460g, they’re described as robust enough for gravel detours yet suitably feathery for climbing on smooth tarmac. The rim depth is 35mm and the outer width is 29mm, with 12mm thru-axles as standard that can be converted should you need.
The price is £849 a set, and you can add a dynamo hub for an addiontal £200. You can check them out and pre-order for a September delivery on Parcours’ website now.
16 August 2019, 19:42
Cycle Surgery launch BBC Children in Need jersey to raise funds for the charity
Cycle Surgery, together with BBC Children in Need, have come together to launch the first ever BBC Children in Need cycle jersey, made by premium cycling apparel brand Primal. The unique unisex cycling jersey is now available from Cycle Surgery, both in-store and online, and has plenty of the technical features you’d expect to find through the rest of their range.
The jersey costs £29.99 with proceeds going directly to BBC Children in Need, if you want one you can buy it here.
16 August 2019, 19:42
Ouch! Broken bikes puts WNT-Rotor out of race.
Unfortunately during our team time trial training this morning ahead of tomorrow’s @UCI_WWT, a car took our right of way and consequently our riders crashed heavily.
Currently, all riders seem ok and will undergo further medical checks throughout today. #UCIWWT pic.twitter.com/UEEjzKCBQd
— WNT-ROTOR Pro Cycling (@WNT_ROTOR) August 16, 2019
16 August 2019, 19:42
Exercise an effective way to treat depression, according to study
16 August 2019, 19:42
We're hurting just looking at this...
He crashed hard but showed a great spirit fighting back. Oh Man. It must hurt. @ThomasRevard is the name from a team we have lots of respect to: Team Hagens Bermans Axeon. #tourofutah pic.twitter.com/Iv1n2rK7l7
— IsraelCyclingAcademy (@yallaACADEMY) August 15, 2019
16 August 2019, 19:42
Well, we didn't see that coming!
Israel Cycling Academy proud to announce: Irishman DAN MARTIN will race for the team in the next 2 seasons. Full statement: https://t.co/u9ZsyAVzSG pic.twitter.com/BRk9qRyDji
— IsraelCyclingAcademy (@yallaACADEMY) August 16, 2019
Dan Martin has jumped shipped from UAE Emirates to join Israel Cycling Academy on a two-year deal, suggesting that the Pro-Continental team is serious about stepping up to World Tour level next year.
Despite a disappointing 18th place finish in this year’s Tour, Martin is still a brilliant buy.
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Jack is group editor across road.cc, off.road.cc and ebiketips, overseeing all three sites in the F-At Digital group to make sure everything’s up to scratch. He’s been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of road.cc including tech, news and video, and also contributed to ebiketips before being named editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town, and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master’s degree in print journalism, and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it’s a long story).
15 Comments
Latest Comments
mctrials23 4 minutes ago
@the infamous grouse Oh very few people adhere to 20 limits. I would suggest that its considerably less that adhere to 20mph than when the limit is 30 but then the breaking of the limit is still less serious. They are doing 24-25 instead of 34-35 so regardless, the damage is lessened. I lived on a classic UK residential side road ie. not a road to anywhere useful and despite it being a 20 with cars parked on both sides and dense housing, the same utter pricks would do 30-40 down it. Boiled my blood.
Motivated 45 minutes ago
My point is that we can discuss various aspects about women's sport and that increases the reach. On the topic of comparison ... many friends I talk to about cycling assume that women are slow and that's way they don't watch. I think I've convinced some people to tune in by giving examples of how strong they are *and* how entertaining the races are. I was at the Women's Fleche Wallone (and LBL) and saw Demi win ... that's why I used that example of the Mur du Huy. To your reply ... I would say that your view of stifling discussion won't help sell women in sport - case in point is the headline quote from Sarah Ruggins. My understanding of your reply is that you would disagree with a woman who's out there literally selling the sport to her sponsors and her awesome achievements as being newsworthy material for this site. Regarding your choice of word 'amalgamation' ... it implies I proposed to mix Men's and Women's sport. I don't believe that and did not write that. I think we are all fans here!
Pub bike 1 hour ago
@mitsky The police allegedly have better things to with their time than ignore millions of speeding reports. Why even allow the car to exceed the speed limit in the first place? For context: "under UK law, all new cars manufactured since July 2024 must be fitted with Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems. These systems use cameras and GPS to detect the speed limit and will trigger an audio, visual, or haptic alarm when you exceed it. While these alarms can be temporarily turned off via the infotainment screen or steering wheel buttons, the system automatically resets and turns back on every time you start the car. "
Xenophon2 1 hour ago
Anything that improves safety is a plus. Whether it will make a real difference is another matter: it's not because the system correctly detects a dangerous situation that you'll be able to do anything about it, or that you'll have the time to react, such as with a parked car opening a door without looking (keeping your distance is still the best strategy there). It's a bit like my Garmin Vario rear light: 90% of the time the radar adds nothing, 10% of the time what it displays is really helpful and I guess that once every couple of years or so it might really make the difference between nothing happening or an accident. Still worth it imo.
Xenophon2 2 hours ago
An incredible feat, hat off to her!
mctrials23 2 hours ago
@mdavidford clearly. Children congregate around schools. Once they have left the area around the school they are completely safe from twats in cars.
mctrials23 2 hours ago
@Smoggysteve oh god don't mention any speed lower than 20mph to drivers. They will have an aneurism as they formulate their anti 20mph for safety arguments. Usually something along the lines of "well, why don't we all drive at 2mph with someone in front of us waving a flag, then deaths will be 0". Obviously a well thought out and brilliant argument against lowering speed limits in built up areas.
mctrials23 2 hours ago
@chrisonabike Don't forget that cars simply aren't designed to go at 20mph.
mctrials23 2 hours ago
@Motivated I think that pointing at a single data point doesn't prove a point. Women do seem to be very well suited to these ultra endurance events and I believe that in running they are similarly exceptional. We need to be careful with this sort of discussion however because the amalgamation on mens and womens sports would do women absolutely no favours. I appreciate the sentiment and the encouragement this gives women in sport but competing with men shouldn't be how we try to sell women in sport.
Smoggysteve 2 hours ago
If we follow the logic that 20mph drivers are more dangerous than say 30mph drivers, how deadly are they when driving 5mph in congestion?
15 thoughts on “Live blog: Dan Martin joins Israel Cycling Academy; Dutch e-bike brand admits staging hidden camera sting; ‘F**king assholes’: angry cycle commuter berates cops for blocking bike lane + more”
MVdP is a sporting phenomenon
MVdP is a sporting phenomenon. Those stats are mindblowing! I wonder if even Mercx had a better year?
peted76 wrote:
I saw something asking questions of whether he was on course to burn out/over train etc, but I think by picking and choosing the races in the way that he has been, along with the shorter more intense nature of the CX and MTB races, he seems to have found an ideal blend. No making up the numbers during parts of the season where the form isn’t quite so good, No slogging through unsuitable multi stage races to get the chance to pick up one stage. I bet Peter Sagan wishes he had the freedom to pick and choose events a little more like this without the sponsor commitments to be seen at lots of races.
RobD wrote:
And yet people still wonder why he hasn’t signed for a WT team
Sounds Like EF might be the
Sounds Like EF might be the perfect team for him at the moment. Get MvDP on the Three Peaks challenge.
MvDP, cycling’s MVP
MVdP, cycling’s MVP
Blimey, those wheeling kids
Blimey, those wheeling kids were riding recklessly, but that Merc driver looks to have purposefully tried to knock that kid under the lorry. Look where the car stops, the front end is virtually under the lorry with the wheels turned in toward the bike. The offside of the car is nearly in the centre of the lane, crazy.
HoarseMann wrote:
i suggest you watch it again, the car is close to the white line and does not deveaite. It is totally the areosole on the bikes fault!
whobiggs wrote:
i suggest you watch it again, the car is close to the white line and does not deveaite. It is totally the areosole on the bikes fault!— HoarseMann
it doesn’t matter what the kid was doing, he’s a child on a bike. Even if he’s behaving like a twat the only responsible thing the drivers can do is to stop their vehicles and let the children past. There is nothing in that situation or any similar one that could possibly justify putting the kids’ lives or safety at risk, so the drivers must stop. If they don’t then they bear the full responsibility for the outcome.
ConcordeCX wrote:
I’m sorry, I definitely do not agree that the “child” should take no responsibility at all. They have decided to go through traffic in a style which limits their ability to brake / stop quickly and steer and then also split around cars so when two go past one side and grab the drivers attention, the other goes the other way without paying enough attention that the traffic in front was braking again.
To then blame the driver as a shit driver was the provberbial icing on the cake. I’ve seen similar “kids” near me, but they were pulling wheelies in the pavement and daring how close they could get to pedestrians before moving away. This obviously led to them knocking over some when they misjudged including an old lady and a child.
I have just finished reading
I have just finished reading “The Energy Glut” by Ian Roberts Prof at the LSHTM. He proposes that the global rise in obesity is caused by the global rise in the motor car.
I has just picked it up in the Good Reads section in one of Reading Libraries, and it was indeed a good, little read.
It was suprisingly pro bicycle (suprising in that it was not mentioned on the cover), in that the bicycle can tackle obesity, global warming and malnutrition.
The best line from it, which is why I’m mentioning it at all is-
“Navigating a city by car is a motorised Morse code of stops and dashes”
Nice.
But once the initial impact
But once the initial impact occured the driver turned into the child. Big Man.
Well big, fat man.
I think we need to see the
I think we need to see the two minutes of footage immediately preceding the clip. There may have been some instance of reckless cycling that led to the incident.
The twit on the bike, is
The twit on the bike, is going for a gap that doesn’t exist, then blames the driver for the results.
Idiot
Re: Have you seen a bike with
Re: Have you seen a bike with no seat tube?
Anyone remember the Allsop from the ’90s?
https://www.bikehub.co.za/topic/121517-allsop-softride/
Those white trousers? On a
Those white trousers? On a bike? Brave, or foolish.