Welcome to Monday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Barcode jacket to ‘protect’ cyclists from self-driving vehicles gets slated; Vuelta highlights as Roglic extends lead; Vinokourov and Jalabert win Ironman 70.3 age group world champs; Close pass op in Cleveland and Durham + much more on live blog tonight
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Mon, Sep 09, 2019 20:50
SUMMARY
9 September 2019, 20:50
Weekend catch-up
Here’s what you might have missed if you were otherwise engaged in stuff that wasn’t news about cycling over the weekend…
More surgery for Chris Froome after kitchen knife accident
E-bikes that look like road bikes – from Bianchi, De Rosa, Wilier and more
Women involved in fatal collision with cyclist on Camden road cleared of dangerous driving
Two complaints about Velolife in last two years according to FOI request
TfL plans for 20mph speed limit in central London get go-ahead after public consultation
9 September 2019, 20:50
F*ck em, say Joanna Lumley...
Joanna Lumley says her policy when it comes to driving past cyclists is if they’re on their way to work or whatever, she’ll give them plenty of room but if they’re just riding round for fun then fuck ‘em pic.twitter.com/q0NI2DDp4h
— Fake Showbiz News (@FakeShowbizNews) September 7, 2019
…not really, this is very much a spoof Twitter account! We’re sure Ms Lumley drives with plenty of due care and attention at all times.
9 September 2019, 20:50
"Stop stealing my KOM's"
Tour of Britain came to town & stole all my @Strava KOM’s in the process. pic.twitter.com/nv8WWYr0XW
— Joe Reilly (@joe_r3illy) September 7, 2019
With just the eight stage tour each year I’d consider us KOM-chasing Brits lucky… imagine the state of your Strava living in France or Italy!
9 September 2019, 20:50
Alex Dowsett falls agonisingly short of Tour of Britain breakaway victory
s all round for @MitcheltonSCOTT after a perfect team display in the Scottish Borders today!#OVOToB pic.twitter.com/FSKuOvhhML
— Tour of Britain (@TourofBritain) September 8, 2019
It’s often the case with one-man breakaways that even though they look heroic, it’s inevitable the lone warrior will be caught… but in the case of Alex Dowsett yesterday, it genuinely felt like the British TT champ was one final heave-ho from making it before the sprinters finally caught up with him less than 50 metres before the line. Matteo Trentin ended up with the stage victory, with Dowsett finishing in 7th; the always self-deprecating Dowsett described his effort as “doing a Cummings”, referring to Steve Cummings of Dimension Data who has been known to fancy the odd solo victory here and there (often to little avail).
After Cummings did a Cummings I figured now was a good time to do a Cummings and Cummings’d it off the front. Unfortunately with 50m to go I Cummings’d it up and it wasn’t to be a Cummings day. #ninjasteve pic.twitter.com/6v883e6dbX
— Alex Dowsett (@alexdowsett) September 8, 2019
9 September 2019, 20:50
Things you didn't expect to happen: Franz Ferdinand's frontman offering advice on cycling past a herd of cows
Any bovine experts on here? I went for a bike ride with my friend Adam yesterday and was confronted with this herd, blocking the cattle grid. What are the chances of them trampling us to death if we’d dared cross? (We wussed out and turned round) pic.twitter.com/4DclBPxtpe
— Helen Pidd (@helenpidd) September 9, 2019
Guardian journalist and cycling campaigner Helen Pidd put the question to her Twitter followers: is it wise to cycle past a herd of cows blocking a cattle grid? It turns out they didn’t risk it; and of the people who chipped in to offer advice on her Twitter post, who else but Alex Kapranos, lead singer of noughties indie darlings Franz Ferdinand? Kapranos says it wouldn’t be advisable if there are calves around, which seems like a perfectly sensible tip to us. Any road.cc readers/countryside experts care to offer some further advice if we were to go for it?
If there are calves around you need to be careful.
— Αλεξ Καπράνος (@alkapranos) September 9, 2019
9 September 2019, 20:50
A Spanish city banned cars ... and here are the results
I mentioned Pontevedra in my speech at the @StopKillingCycl Protest yesterday. A city with an inspirational Mayor, who has made radical changes to reduce motor vehicle journeys, which benefit everyone. https://t.co/CH3bcYRtKT
— Caspar Hughes (@countcaspargh) September 8, 2019
9 September 2019, 20:50
Bit of a close finish at Saturday's Brussels Cycling Classic
The win went to Caleb Ewan on the left there.
"DUCK!" pic.twitter.com/HWbhC3vg9U
—(@fabrizioviani) September 7, 2019
9 September 2019, 20:50
Dibben back to World Tour
A return to the World Tour for @JonDibben1 with @Lotto_Soudal Congrats Jon pic.twitter.com/1VilVnISnH
— Team WIGGINS Le Col (@OfficialWIGGINS) September 9, 2019
After an injury-plagued season saw him dropped from Team Sky, Dibben spent the first half of 2019 without a team. He finally secured a deal with Madison Genesis, only for the team to announce that it will be folding at the end of the year.
Thankfully, he’s secured a spot on Lotto Soudal for 2020!
9 September 2019, 20:50
Laurent Jalabert also victorious at Ironman 70.3 Worlds
Remarkably the 50-54 men’s age group was also won by a former pro cyclist at the Ironman 70.3 World Champs. Lauren Jalabert – two-time Tour de France points classification winner and the 1995 Vuelta overall champ – won in a time of 4:34:55, nearly two minutes ahead of Robert Skaggs in second. Jalabert commented in the Facebook post above that he was also “very happy” for Vino too.
What is it about these former cycling greats being able to turn their hand to triathlon so well? Guess you just don’t lose all that fitness in a hurry…
9 September 2019, 20:50
Alexander Vinokurov wins 45-49 age group at Ironman 70.3 World Championships
Alexandr Vinokurov becomes the world champion!
We congratulate our general manager on winning the Ironman 70.3 World Championships 2019 in Nice! @alexandrvinokurov #ironman #ironman703 #ironmanworldchampionship #ironman703nice pic.twitter.com/B0NYPK5Jpq— Astana Pro Team (@AstanaTeam) September 8, 2019
The Astana GM and 2012 Olympic road race champ is now a fierce competitor in triathlon at age-group level, bagging himself a victory at the Ironman 70.3 world championships in Nice over the weekend. Vinokourov swam 1,900m in 33:55, biked a hilly 90km in 2:24:21 and ran the closing half marathon in 1:25:05 to secure victory in the 45-49 category.
In the pro men’s race, Britain’s double Olympic champ Alistair Brownlee came up short against the young Norwegian Gustav Iden. The 23-year-old finished almost three minutes ahead of Brownlee in 3:52:35, and the victory was extra notable because Iden used a road bike with clip-on tri bars instead of the more aero tri-specific bikes that are standard fare in non-drafting triathlon; Iden said the reason for this was simply that he didn’t have a sponsor who could supply him with one in time for the race, as he usually competes over shorter distances where drop bar road bikes are compulsory for draft-legal bike legs.
In the women’s pro race it was business as usual for Daniela Ryf, who won her fifth Ironman 70.3 world title.
9 September 2019, 20:50
Flicked!
Nacer est passé de gauche à droite plus vite que Macron. pic.twitter.com/AdtIqyKoXJ
— Dans la Musette (@DansLaMusette) September 8, 2019
It would be Bouhani…
9 September 2019, 20:50
Close pass operation in Cleveland and Durham
Cleveland and Durham police’s joint roads policing unit have today launched a close pass operation, targeting motorists who overtake cyclists too closely.
The initiative forms a part of a fortnight-long campaign led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), which aims to raise awareness of bikers and cyclists, as well as providing them with tips to keep safe.
In Cleveland and Durham, an unmarked police cyclist will identify drivers who pass carelessly or dangerously, with those motorists adjudged to have done so given advice or handed a fine and penalty points.
Inspector Jon Curtis, from Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit, said: “Motorcyclists and cyclists remain some of the most vulnerable on our roads. Through this campaign, we hope to educate and raise awareness of the dangers they face to avoid as many tragedies as possible.
“We’ll be urging motorcyclists to avoid taking unnecessary risks, and other motorists will be encouraged to be aware of other vehicles on the roads. It is everyone’s responsibility to drive safely and reduce the number of serious or fatal collisions on our roads.”
9 September 2019, 20:50
What. A. Save...
Cyclist’s quick reflexes save child during crash pic.twitter.com/kOWCPXDX1m
— RT (@RT_com) August 30, 2019
We may have missed this during the last couple of busy weeks; but if you haven’t seen it yet, behold the best save we’ve ever seen. What was the guy in the red thinking though?
9 September 2019, 20:50
Vinokurouv and Jalabert triathlon victories spark morality debate
What the fuck are we doing?https://t.co/MrPyLZ0m4g
— brad culp (@bbculp) September 9, 2019
It appears not everyone is happy that Alexander Vinokourov and Laurent Jalabert are finding success at amateur level in age-group triathlon after their pro cycling careers. Vinokourov served a one year suspension for blood doping in 2007; and while Jalabert never served a ban, in 2013 the French Senate published his name in a list of doping tests that were found to show up positive from the 1998 Tour de France. Jalabert’s was found positive for EPO.
Numerous followers of our Facebook page have suggested that neither should be competing given their controversial history in pro cycling – what do you think?
9 September 2019, 20:50
Nice Dire Straits reference on the Tour of Britain today
#OVOToB STAGE THREE KM160
“And girl it looks so pretty to me just like it always did. Like the Spanish City to me when we were kids…” pic.twitter.com/5YxiDvjOwF
— Tour of Britain (@TourofBritain) September 9, 2019
9 September 2019, 20:50
Dylan Groenewegen takes his second win in three days at the Tour of Britain
The Dutch rider proved the most powerful on the climb to the finish in Newcastle upon Tyne, with the day’s six-man break swept up shortly beforehand. Matteo Trentin of Mitchelton-Scott keeps the overall lead.
Another perfect finish from @JumboVismaRoad!
[: @swpixtweets]#OVOToB pic.twitter.com/ULHHO8Gl3s
— Tour of Britain (@TourofBritain) September 9, 2019
9 September 2019, 20:50
Fuglsang wins Vuelta Stage 16 from Geoghegan Hart
Jakob Fulgsang of Astana has won Stage 16 of the Vuelta from the break, with Team Ineos rider Tao Geoghegan Hart – third yesterday – putting in another terrific ride to finish second today.
Also in the break today was another young British rider, James Knox of Deceuninck-Quick Step, who also burnished his growing reputation by finishing fourth today.
9 September 2019, 20:50
US ex-gravel racer Lambie breaks individual pursuit world record – again
US former gravel bike racer Ashton Lambie has broken his own individual pursuit world record.
The 28-year-old stunned the track cycling world in September last year when he took 3 seconds off Jack Bobridge’s 2011 world record in the 4-kilometre event, setting a time of 4:07.251 at the Pan-American Regional Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Riding at this year’s edition of the event in Cochabomba, Bolivia, Lambie – who onlyy started racing on the track in 2017 and last winter rode for the Derby-based team Huub Wattbike – lowered the record further to 4:06.407.
The event, once considered the Blue Riband of track cycling, was dropped from the Olympic programme after Beijing 2008, where Sir Bradley Wiggins successfully defended the title he had won in Athens four years earlier.
9 September 2019, 20:50
Design graduate invents barcode jacket to ‘protect’ cyclists from self-driving cars
A design graduate in Richmond, Virginia has invented a jacket that contains a barcode which he claims will protect cyclists from self-driving cars. It hasn’t been well-received among UK cyclists and road safety campaigners on Twitter.
Philip Siwek, who since graduating is working as a junior innovation designer with Lululemon’s Whitespace team won a bronze medal, for his jacket at the 2019 IDEA International Design Conference in Chicago, reports Richmond News.
The jacket has a barcode design that gets scanned by autonomous vehicles to let them know that a cyclist is in the vicinity and thus reduce the risk of a collision.
Retweeting a link to the article posted by Susan Claris, Twitter user Real Gaz of Trumpton described the idea as “insane” – and given the responses to his post, he’s far from the only one to think so.
Insane. I rarely wear a jacket. Certainly not going to wear on with a barcode so entitled dopes in flash cars can divest themselves of responsibility for acting in a safe manner https://t.co/Ge2Q9dTzKS
— Real Gaz of Trumpton #fbpe (@gazza_d) September 8, 2019
9 September 2019, 20:50
Vuelta Stage 16 highlights as Roglic tightens grip on red jersey
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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
The Giblet 11 minutes ago
@mctrials23 I can't see from the video or the reporting of the Court proceedings that demonstrates cycling without due care etc. If the rider was still on their side of the road then what is the offence. Either they did not have appropriate legal defense or the court was making things up and an appeal could be launched on the basis of riding within your side of the road is now considered an offence?
wtjs 2 hours ago
@courteousdriver sadly there are far too many bad drivers (and indeed cyclists) out there There are also far too many pathetic lying trolls making up stories about cyclists shaking fists and perverting the course of justice by deliberately fabricating a false close-passing offence. All very reminiscent of the hilarious 'I've lost count of the number of times cyclists have knocked over my wheelchair' or whatever it was, so I declare you to be a PLT, and a PBU with slightly less certainty and therefore unworthy of any further consideration
courteousdriver 2 hours ago
Hi Rendel. I looked at your Chelsea-London commute video in which you tried to usher back a tailgater then shouted F*** O** to the driver who subsequently overtook you, in a residential area as you passed by a pedestrian waiting to cross the road. Neither he nor the residents wanted to hear your profanity. My point is this. It's not an ideal world and sadly there are far too many bad drivers (and indeed cyclists) out there. Busy, frustrated people in too much of a hurry. I'm 62 now, retired, and never in a hurry. I have time to slow down or pull over if I sense the driver behind wants to overtake. Gesticulating at any such driver is never going to end well. Just let the idiot pass. Pull in if necessary. Don't try to usher them back which will inevitably infuriate the crazy driver. Take a look back at your video and think what you could have done differently. Safe riding
mattw 9 hours ago
The cyclist here needs to look into Section 142 of the Magistrates' Court Act 1980, firstly because there was no offence, and secondly because it appears that the police mislead the Court. "A magistrates’ court may vary or rescind a sentence or other order imposed or made by it when dealing with an offender if it appears to the court to be in the interests of justice to do so;] and it is hereby declared that this power extends to replacing a sentence or order which for any reason appears to be invalid by another which the court has power to impose or make." https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/43/section/142
mattw 10 hours ago
I wonder how well advised the cyclist was in Court? And in this case would cycling legal insurance cover the cost of a specialist solicitor?
mattw 10 hours ago
@quiff I would expect the police had not been trained with the change, perhaps.
Rendel Harris 10 hours ago
@courteousdriver The Highway Code does not differentiate between cars and bikes in this instance, it says that when overtaking parked cars you must give way to oncoming traffic. It's not for you to decide whether or not they have sufficient space in your opinion, you should not drive in the oncoming traffic lane if there is any oncoming traffic, full stop. Not a difficult rule to understand and one that one would have thought a self-named courteousdriver would have no trouble obeying.
mattw 10 hours ago
@mctrials23 It seems to me that the car moved closer to the kerb on his side of the road, and the cyclist was able to proceed entirely within his own lane - both at very slow speed. So there is no ground for an offence. The concerning point is that the copper thinks that the same "gap" should apply to the different types of vehicle. That's peak carbrain.
quiff 11 hours ago
Peripheral to your point, but parking facing oncoming traffic is advised against at all times, but only an offence at night, I think?
Rendel Harris 11 hours ago
@mac f 1896 If you look closely at the video you will see that the cyclist remains entirely in his own lane on his side of the white lines as he passes the oncoming vehicle, which also stays entirely within its lane. There is therefore no need for either road user to give way to the other and as they are both travelling at low speeds there is no danger to themselves or to any other road users. I would love to see a transcript of the magistrates' court proceedings as prima facie there is no justification in law for the guilty finding or for the penalty imposed.
23 thoughts on “Barcode jacket to ‘protect’ cyclists from self-driving vehicles gets slated; Vuelta highlights as Roglic extends lead; Vinokourov and Jalabert win Ironman 70.3 age group world champs; Close pass op in Cleveland and Durham + much more on live blog tonight”
Quote:
Point taken on “its a spoof account” but it does raise an interesting point.
I know people who feel very differently about ‘people cycling to work / for a reason’ vs ‘people who are just riding for fun’.
I’ve never been entirely sure how they can tell the difference between the two…
brooksby wrote:
Sunday morning in a bunch – fun. Solo rider at rush hour with a bag – commuter.
But it’s an odd view, as lots of car journeys are for ‘fun’, maybe not the Sunday morning drive anymore, but certainly to get to the cinema, restaurant or (ahem) the trail head with a MTB on the roof.
HoarseMann]
I ride on my own at all times, and my clothing depends on the weather rather than one what ‘type’ of ride I’m doing.
Remember people just going out for a drive: just driving around? Then maybe stopping for tea from a thermos and a plastic box full of sandwiches, on a layby just off the Axxx?
brooksby wrote:
Remember people just going out for a drive: just driving around? Then maybe stopping for tea from a thermos and a plastic box full of sandwiches, on a layby just off the Axxx?
[/quote]
That still describes my dad’s perfect Sunday.
brooksby wrote:
Entertainment has progressed since then. But we could do with some more of this…
brooksby wrote:
I like the way one reply talks about what is worn.
Are there groups of drivers who make similar comments on runners with their technical tops and specific shoes (road, trail, the others), footballers, rugby players, cricketers in whites (!), tennis players etc etc
brooksby]
Why, the same way that you can tell the difference between drivers who are driving to work, and those who are driving for recreational purposes.
Captain Zhap wrote:
Yup. That was kind of my point…
“What is it about these
“What is it about these former cycling greats being able to turn their hand to triathlon so well?”
Reminds me of Paul Kimmage’s question to Lance in 2009:
What is it about these dopers you seem to admire so much?”
Those f.ckers have never come clean, they just carry on as if nothing happened. Just like old man Valverde, powering up Sunday’s final climb out of the saddle like he was on an e-bike.
I agree with Simon E, it’s a
I agree with Simon E, it’s a bit sickening that those two old proven dopers are allowed potentially benefit from cheating by competing in age category racing beyond their careers.
Jalabert – caught for EPO.
Vinokourov – caught for Blood Doping.
I’m liking the Carl Gustav 84
I’m liking the Carl Gustav 84 solution to dangerous driving rather than a bar code in the jacket
ToB on Strava; a few years
ToB on Strava; a few years rolled up one of my local climbs (which I am not super hot on, but can descend.) I though, oh how nice… but wait, which way did they go at the top? I checked Strava and I had dropped from 3rd on my descent to 73rd! Charlie Brown Arrgggh.
Philip Siwek might like to
Philip Siwek might like to reconsider his career as a junior innovation designer, whatever that might be, if this barcode jacket is his idea for preventing autonomous cars killing cyclists. What if they aren’t facing the right way? What if it’s too hot for a jacket? What about the children* tm? Perhaps something in the tourist trade might better suit him, barista for instance.
The incredible assumption that the victims have to protect themselves against a lethal weapon which has no business in public unless it is totally impossible for it to endanger people is an example of just how car-centric society has become. The car has more rights than you.
“A design graduate in
“A design graduate in Richmond, Virginia has invented a jacket that contains a barcode which he claims will protect cyclists from self-driving cars.”
What evidence does he have for this assertion? Answer: none. He is just trying to sell a jacket / get himself hired.
Shouldn’t the vehicle’s software prevent it from ploughing into anyone, regardless of their size, clothing or direction and mode of travel etc etc?
Cows can be quite scary if
Cows can be quite scary if they’re running towards you, but those ones just look curious and would probably moove out of the way. It’d be a miss-steak if they didn’t.
Barcode jacket? I wonder
Barcode jacket? I wonder whether they’d make pedestrians wear them too, or dogs, or horses – if the ‘self driving’ car can’t detect a cyclist, it’ll have problems with anyone not travelling in a big metal box…
If a driverless car needs
If a driverless car needs cyclists to wear a barcode to avoid hitting them, then they have no place on the road.
Simple.
If the jacket helps, what is
If the jacket helps, what is the problem? Innovation shouldn’t stop with the first concept, maybe the coding could be put into the frame etc. in the future. May differentiate with more caution applied to recumbents etc.
alansmurphy wrote:
The problem is when the powers that be mandate that we MUST wear some sort of tag like this because otherwise it’s our fault for any collision, not a failure on the part of the self driving software.
Whilst I wouldn’t be keen on
Whilst I wouldn’t be keen on wearing a barcoded piece of clothing, in the same way as sometimes I don’t really want to don my high viz cycle jacket, I would have far less issue with some small, discrete, maintenance free, fitted at the factory and paid for by the automotive industry gizmo attached to the bike. Either an RFID style tag with a 1/2 mile response range or maybe some kind of radar or lidar reflector.
There’s also the bigger and more fundamental issue of not tackling the problem (poor driving, or in this case less than perfect AI algorithms and detectors) and placing the burden of expense and inconvenience onto the person who is likely to be the victim of the problem. It’s definitely a thin end of the wedge type of scenario.
Either way I’d feel far safer cycling in a world of driverless automobiles than with some of the reckless human muppets who drive with all the awareness and ability of a pithed frog.
Mungecrundle wrote:
Because then Big Data or the Men in Black can track you All The Time
brooksby wrote:
Mrs Mungecrundle and the little Mungecrundles already have me on Google tracking. I have long given up any idea of anonymous freedom of movement.
I think the latest ‘semi
I think the latest ‘semi autonomous’ vehicles are already very good, despite the occasional media story of a spectacular fail. Was riding on a road where I had priority, guy in a Tesla was tapping his smartphone and clearly not paying too much attention, I sam him coming from the right. I was on the verge of braking hard (priority is a great thing but better not to insist if the other guy is sitting in 1.8 tons of metal moving at speed) when the Tesla’s computer apparently decided an emergency stop was warranted and slammed the brakes to the obvious dismay of mr smartphone, whose favourite toy went flying.
Short of plastering every single piece of clothing with that barcode, I don’t see how it can help. On the contrary, it won’t take six months before some desperate lawyer remarks that the victim wasn’t wearing hi-viz nor a ‘barcoded’ jacket even though these are widely available. The high-viz thing is a routine defense argument here, even though the law doesn’t prescribe wearing anything in particular.