Welcome to Tuesday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Cav and Bernie to Bahrain-Merida (and reunited with Ellingworth?); Hypocrite, much? Clarkson snapped riding bike on protected cycle lane; London kids in cargo bike cavalcade; Velolife crowdfunder smashes target + more on today’s live blog
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Tue, Aug 27, 2019 19:52
SUMMARY
27 August 2019, 19:52
Bank Holiday weekend catch-up
Hope you’ve all being enjoying the sun… if you’ve enjoyed it so much you’ve somehow not read road.cc for the last few days, here’s some of the stuff you may have missed…
Inventor of Rehook chain reseating tool heads into the Dragons’ Den next week
Team Wiggins Le Col to fold at end of season
Nairo Quintana wins Vuelta stage 2
Council refuses to clarify ‘absurd’ Velolife cycle café situation
27 August 2019, 19:52
LAPD appeal for information after shocking hit-and-run
Help us find the suspect responsible for this hit & run by retweeting this video.
It occurred August 22nd in Boyle Heights, on Whittier Blvd near Calzona St, and left a cyclist with severe injuries. Any info contact LAPD Central Traffic Division (213) 833-3713. pic.twitter.com/0qR6iVabOV
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) August 27, 2019
According to the LAPD the cyclist was left with severe injuries, and they are appealing for information. A similar incident occurred on Swain’s Lane in London earlier this year when 22-year-old Josh Dey was knocked off his bike by Sean Fagan, who was on the wrong side of the road when he crashed into Mr Dey in a BMW convertible. Fagan was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment.
27 August 2019, 19:52
Vuelta special edition green Oakley Jawbreakers apparently not so special...
They are nice. But also literally just left over from the Rio2016 Games. Not exactly ‘custom’
— Colin Lynch (@FormerTTchamp) August 26, 2019
We can’t officially verify this, but according to Paralympian Colin Lynch, Nairo Quintana’s green Jawbreakers to match his points jersey are in fact ‘leftovers’ from the 2016 Rio Olympics… Colin might know a bit better than most as he won a silver medal at the games.
27 August 2019, 19:52
Velolife fundraiser smashes crowdfunding target overnight
THANK YOU ALL so much for the overwhelming support so far!
And if @rbwm cease legal action & the threat there of, we’ll donate all funds not used to @WeAreCyclingUK & @Qhubeka #savevelolife https://t.co/QBzSj5tapK— Velolife Cafe (@thevelolife) August 26, 2019
This never-ending ludicrous saga now appears to be somewhat going the way of the beleaguered Berkshire cafe rather than the barmy Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead council they are in a legal wrangle with; as the ‘Save Velolife’ crowdfunder set up to raise funds for legal fees and to fight the council’s injunction has now topped the £15,000 target in a little over 36 hours. Velolife say they will donate any funds not used to Cycling UK and the Qhubeka charity.
789 people have donated at the time of writing, with the total currently standing at £15,851. As spotted by a road.cc reader Tinbob49, one of the donors shares a name with a certain Simon Dudley, the leader of RBWM who has come out in support of the cafe despite his own council’s injunction causing the furore…. coincidence?
27 August 2019, 19:52
Is this the future?
CeramicSpeed takes its radical Driven drive shaft concept into Specialized wind tunnel and finds it’s more aero than regular groupset. Now if they can just sort out the gear changing and get it into production…
And if you’re wondering what the heck it’s all about (where were you last year!) then you can watch our first look preview video here from the Eurobike show it was unveiled at.
27 August 2019, 19:52
Powerstrap X4 Gravel Shoe
Ride a gravel bike? Well in that case you definitely need gravel shoes (probably, anyway). The new Powerstrap X4 is the latest addition to Fizik’s Terra off-road lineup, and promise a shoe “purpose built for today’s gravel-orientated adventure cyclists”. Described as supportive, protective and tough yet light and comfortable, the Powerstrap features a ribbon that wraps round the foot rather than a traditional Velcro closures that just pulls together two sides of the shoe’s upper. In theory this should provide more secure containment using just two straps. The instep and the midfoot are also separately adjustable for customised fit and compression.
Available in black, anthracite/grape or mud/caramel colourways, you can get them now for £149.99 from Fizik and dealers worldwide.
27 August 2019, 19:52
A nice bit of business: Ineos add to sports portfolio by acquiring OGC Nice football club
We are absolutely delighted to have acquired OGC Nice #IssaNissa #AllezLeGym https://t.co/VcPAXPOdZs
— INEOS (@INEOS) August 26, 2019
After acquiring the cycling team formerly known as Team Sky earlier this year, Ineos have now completed the deal for the Ligue 1 football team OGC Nice, currently managed by former Arsenal and France midfielder Patrick Vieira. The deal is reported to be in the region of 100 million euros (about £90 million) according to the Financial Times, but Ineos declined to share the specifics.
Ineos CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe said: “We have looked at a lot of clubs in the manner we look at businesses in Ineos — for value and potential — and OGC Nice fulfils that criteria.
“With some sensible, measured investment, we want to establish OGC Nice as a team that competes in European club competition on a regular basis. And, importantly, sustain it.”
Next year’s Tour de France of course starts in Nice – a chance for some cross-sports promotion for Ineos, then?
27 August 2019, 19:52
James Hayden describes Silk Road Mountain Race as "hardest challenge I've faced"
(1/3) The #SRMR2019 was the hardest challenge I’ve faced. It was a complete test, not just about physical strength but mental resolve. From scorching plains to sub zero nights, snow storms to little water. I took all I’ve learned over the previous years racing and applied it. pic.twitter.com/RZ2BL37Gyu
— James Hayden (@JamesMarkHayden) August 27, 2019
The two-time Transcontinental Race winner battled on even after fleeing from an attempted robbery, and was forced to dig deep into his mental reserves to finish in a highly impressive fourth place despite the adversities. After the above tweet Hayden thanked his bike sponsor Canyon and continued in a thread: “I reset mentally after the attempted robbery and pushed on to the finish. I set out with the aim to finish and anything in the top 5 being lofty. Finishing in 4th place after what happened is exceptional and I am ecstatic.
“And yes, I’ll see you back here in 2020, I’ve got a point to make.”
27 August 2019, 19:52
Owner sought of bike found abandoned in Edinburgh
Anyone know this bike? Abandoned in Canonmills @edfoc @SpokesLothian Taken in for safe keeping, police aware pic.twitter.com/g36wlPPwx5
— Jeanette Stevenson (@JnetKS) August 25, 2019
27 August 2019, 19:52
Bike stolen from Green Party London Assembly Member Caroline Russell
Keep ‘m peeled …
This glorious electric Gazelle stolen from Highbury Park last night. Let me know if anyone tries to sell it to you. Meanwhile has anyone got a bike I can borrow. pic.twitter.com/NEbDiMa1XM
— Caroline Russell (@CarolineRussell) August 27, 2019
27 August 2019, 19:52
Ineos field strong squad for Tour of Germany
We’re excited to line up at #DeineTour with a strong squad later this week. Meet our team for the German stage race:@kwiato @NarvaezJho @LukeRowe1990 @PavelSivakov @swiftybswift @GeraintThomas86 pic.twitter.com/PJUMq74QEb
— Team INEOS (@TeamINEOS) August 27, 2019
Most of the Ineos Tour-winning team minus Egan Bernal will race in the four-stage Tour that starts on the 29th August, including Geraint Thomas and Michał Kwiatkowski.
27 August 2019, 19:52
There's a pedicab service to ferry people across Hammersmith Bridge - currently closed to motor vehicles
This is enterprising – Hammersmith Bridge is currently closed to motor vehicles due to safety concerns over the structure, and now there is a pedicab service to ferry people across.
It runs from outside Hammersmith Apollo to Castlenau on the Barnes side of the river.
This is awesome. Please use it if you want to connect to buses on the other side of #hammersmith bridge. pic.twitter.com/j7eQqfkmEM
— Andrew Pendleton (@AJPendleton) August 27, 2019
27 August 2019, 19:52
London's Cycleway 4 is taking shape nicely ...
Great morning visit to see the transformation of Rotherhithe Roundabout. Our Cycleway 4 work is making it safer for people walking & cycling – with @MayorofLondon & @Heidi_LDN. Construction is ahead of schedule @TfL @lb_southwark @kiergroup @southwarkcycle pic.twitter.com/plCmpKKY01
— Will Norman (@willnorman) August 27, 2019
27 August 2019, 19:52
Reports that Mark Cavendish and Wout Poels are set to join Bahrain-Merida for 2020
The usually very well-informed Italian sports daily Gazzetta Dello Sport is reporting that Mark Cavendish, Wout Poels, Eros Capecchi and Bernhard Eisel could be set to join Bahrain-Merida for 2020.
The team unofficially has a new team principal in Rod Ellingworth from the 1st January, who was one of the founding members of Team Sky; it therefore makes some sense that he would sign two riders he’s worked with in the past (Cavendish and Poels) while Bernhard Eisel (also a former Sky man) would be following Cavendish out the door from Dimension Data. Capecchi would end his two-year association with Deceuninck–Quick-Step by switching to Bahrain Merida.
Do you think Cav will get a new lease of life at Bahrain-Merida, and could Poels become a GC force?
27 August 2019, 19:52
Vuelta latest: Steven Kruijswijk abandons due to knee injury
@s_kruijswijk abandona #LaVuelta19 con problemas físicos. ¡Mucho ánimo! / Kruijswijk is forced to abandon La Vuelta, suffering a sore knee according to @JumboVismaRoad. Get well soon, Steven!
: @PhotoGomezSport pic.twitter.com/XFCjaTU4OX
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 27, 2019
The Dutchman’s knee injury has apparently worsened to the point where he felt unable to complete today’s stage, and he’s now abandoned the race.
Meanwhile, there was also a crash involving multiple riders, with Aritz Bagües (Euskadi-Murias) required medical assistance.
27 August 2019, 19:52
Top prosecutor for England and Wales urges dockless hire bike users to park them consderately
Max Hill, the Director of Public Prosecutions, has urged dockless hire bike users to park them considerately after having to move one out of the way of a blind woman.
If you abandon a hire bike in the middle of the pavement, you create an obstacle for the blind. I cleared the way for a blind lady this morning, whose dog sensed danger and would not let her pass. And swerving to walk in the road doesn’t work for the blind. Wise up, bike users.
— Max Hill (@MaxHillQC) August 22, 2019
His appeal comes as London Councils, the body that represents the capital’s local authority, is considering a by-law that would require operators of such schemes in the city to ensure users to return bikes to designated locations, with a potential £500 fine for any infraction.
[scald=562141:sdl_editor_representation].
27 August 2019, 19:52
Vuelta: Fabio Jakobsen wins stage 4
Etapa 4 | Stage 4
¿Qué quieres preguntarle? / Questions for him?#LaVuelta19 pic.twitter.com/NM3iPbRM6Y
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 27, 2019
The Quick-Step man clinched the victory in a sprint finish, with Sam Bennett in second.
Clasificación tras la etapa 4 | GC after stage 4 #LaVuelta19
Top 10
+ info https://t.co/7s84I3FjHm pic.twitter.com/1GezmwTgKe
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 27, 2019
27 August 2019, 19:52
A nice little quiz from our friends at The Peloton Brief
How many of these climbs can you get?
QUIZ TIME: can you name the climb from one photo? https://t.co/bQQeeTWHPh
— The Peloton Brief (@pelotonbrief) August 22, 2019
27 August 2019, 19:52
Ooh, look ... Jeremy Clarkson enjoying riding his bike in a protected cycle lane
Hypocrite much?
Except it is just a load of rubbish. pic.twitter.com/C7bgLZhIcy
— Dublin Pedaller (@DublinPedaller) August 27, 2019
27 August 2019, 19:52
Went a bit OCD rearranging the rainbow straws down the pub the other night
Tweet includes bonus typo, but it was late.
You don't eant to know how much kickback I got from customers and staff alike arranging the straws *just so*#yorkshire2019 pic.twitter.com/mcCHehJxfo
— Simon MacMichael (@simonmacmichael) August 25, 2019
27 August 2019, 19:52
London cargo bike kids cavalcade
This is lovely
from Insta minilondoners: pic.twitter.com/V10qqKzrka
— Drew White (@drewsonix) August 27, 2019
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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).
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Latest Comments
DrG82 22 minutes ago
@slc I wouldn't say that the Welsh government got everything right. They applied the speed limit changes uniformly, without considering exceptions, and have since back tracked in many places. This has been a massive waste of money.
Rendel Harris 3 hours ago
Yelled at by a driver just last month, "It's farkin' dark you farkin' twat why are you riding around wiv a black coat on? You're farkin' invisible!" To be fair, I was wearing a black jacket - a Proviz commuter jacket which is covered in their unparalleled reflective details which, as I know because Mrs H wears the same model, can be seen from hundreds of metres away. He also overlooked the fact that I was wearing a fluorescent yellow helmet, fluorescent yellow gloves, had a rear red light on the helmet, two rear red lights (one strobing one solid) and three white lights on the front (one strobing two solid). Apparently all he could see, or supposedly couldn't see, was the black jacket. They used to be an old joke about "invisible" stealth planes being rubbish because the Russians would be saying, "There aren't any planes about but there's a little guy in a sitting position at 50,000 feet..." - must have been confusing for my chap to see all those lights, reflectives and bright gear apparently going down the street of their own volition.
Rendel Harris 3 hours ago
Another reason to avoid Terry's, which is a pretty crappy overpriced place anyway and dreadfully hipster (there's a sign on the wall that says something like "when you eat at Terry's you're not just a customer, you're a member of a very exclusive club" - thanks but I just wanted coffee and beans on toast). I'd advise anyone in that locale to try the splendidly named Giggling Sausage cafe directly opposite, better food and coffee, cheaper, better service and fewer hipsters, you can enjoy watching them queueing like sheep to get into Terry's as you dine.
eburtthebike 9 hours ago
I wondered if parking in a cycle hire bay was against the law, so I googled it: it isn't unless there are road markings prohibiting parking. But, this little gem came up 'Obstruction: Even where a specific bay type might lack a dedicated motor-traffic prohibition, parking a vehicle in a way that blocks access to cycle hire docks, footways, or causes an obstruction is an offense.' Report it to the authorities and demand action. Don't patronise the place, obviously. And leaving rubbish reviews is definitely out. Absolutely, definitely out. Very absolutely definitely. Out.
eburtthebike 9 hours ago
".....dark clothing “has been deemed a contributing factor in many fatal or serious injury collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists” No. The dark clothing is not a contributory factor, the only cause of the deaths and injuries is drivers failing to observe. The list of police organisations above shows that motornormativity in the police is institutionalised, and just as rife as it is in the rest of society. The question is, how do we get them to change? Make all police ride bikes? Show them films of collisions where perfectly visible cyclists are mown down by drivers who weren't looking? Show them pictures of cyclists literally dressed up like christmas trees by are still hit by dumb drivers? The clincher might be the picture of the police car, festooned with hi-viz, after it had been hit by a driver.
bensynnock 9 hours ago
@mdavidford the standard practise is to ignore the consultation, start a petition, complain that the council doesn't listen to the public, and get your picture in the Bournemouth Echo with a headline 'Drivers fury at new cycle lane', or 'shopkeepers anger at lost parking space'.
eburtthebike 9 hours ago
"Serious cyclist injuries down 50% and overall road casualties continue to fall..." This is clearly fake news, invented by the bearded, sandle-wearing, bike-riding hippies who don't even live in Wales. Everyone who lives there knows that the frustration and cost to drivers of having to drive at the ludicrously slow speed of 20mph is worth so much more than a few dead cyclists. I live in the Forest of Dean, near Wales, and we've been trying for quite some time to get the national speed limit roads in the statutory forest reduced to 40mph, and 20mph in towns and villages. In fact, I mentioned it in the pub tonight, and the reaction from locals was, to say the least, not enthusiastic. It is a human right to be able to drive as fast as you want, and anyone saying different is an idiot. With Local Government Reorganisation, I was hoping that the Forest of Dean District would merge with Monmouthshire and then we could adopt the Welsh speed limits, but it ain't gonna happen, so sadly, we have to remain in England.
eburtthebike 9 hours ago
@andystow That's pretty much how new roads are justified. If ten million motorists save ten seconds a day over the next twenty years, and motorists time is worth a lot, then you can justify spending £372m on the new roundabout in Gloucestershire. You know, the place where the locals think that a cycle lane will destroy their life.
belugabob 10 hours ago
@rbrtribble as the driver was out of his vehicle, thereby not making it a driving offence, and the cyclists was stationary with their feet on the ground, there was no more need for a helmet than if the encounter had been between two drivers who had got out of their cars, or two blokes in a pub. Maybe all of those people who fall down the stairs and hit their head should wear a helmet? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, and accept that you were being sarcastic, but leave my comment for the benefit of those who think you were being serious.
the infamous grouse 10 hours ago
@chrisonabike if flash-mobbing by female cyclists dressed in french maid attire is what it takes to help the roads be safer for everyone, then i think it's something we should consider lending support to.
11 thoughts on “Cav and Bernie to Bahrain-Merida (and reunited with Ellingworth?); Hypocrite, much? Clarkson snapped riding bike on protected cycle lane; London kids in cargo bike cavalcade; Velolife crowdfunder smashes target + more on today’s live blog”
To think Bury were / are
To think Bury were / are looking for a buyer, although with all the fracking up north, I suspect Ineos would have be on shaky ground.
… shaky ground. Hur hur.
… shaky ground. Hur hur.
Can’t believe anyone is
Can’t believe anyone is signing up Cav based on performance form the last few years. Perhaps he is offering his services for free?
“Top prosecutor for England
“Top prosecutor for England and Wales urges dockless hire bike users to park them consderately” (sic)
That’s funny, I don’t remember him telling drivers not to park on the footpath or in cycle lanes. I wonder if he drives a car? Or has ridden a bike in the last fifty years.
Ineos should be using their
Ineos should be using their enormous wealth to invest in a transition to clean energy, and preventing climate breakdown.
Vanity projects, greenwashing, and jollies for the boss just don’t cut it.
HarrogateSpa wrote:
Well we do still need energy whilst we build renewabale capacity. Perhaps the Government should tax Ineos on their ‘enormous wealth’ and use that money to support transition, however unfortunately they seem preoccupied with other things, shame.
HarrogateSpa wrote:
What a load of rubbish. Ineos should use their wealth however they wish to. If you feel that strongly about clean energy and the climate invest your own money.
Have you invested any of your
Have you invested any of your wealth in such endeavours, HS? It’s easy enough to do if you buy the right shares or invest in the right funds.
Great news on Velolife’s
Great news on Velolife’s crowd funder. Please bung in a fiver if you can and haven’t already.
That, and the owner and 2 of
That, and the owner and 2 of his key leutenants are now resident in Monaco, so pay shockingly little tax here.
Well we do still need energy
Well we do still need energy whilst we build renewabale capacity.
We need the big energy companies to invest in the transition and build the renewable capacity – not invest in expanding their fossil fuel production.