Welcome to Tuesday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team…
Live blog: Jail for company director who used 4×4 to deliberately knock “little shit” cyclist off bike; Froome to race TdF crit in Japan; Dutch student breaks women’s speed record; Roglic extends +more
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Tue, Sep 10, 2019 18:44
SUMMARY
10 September 2019, 18:44
New sponsors, Fiona?
And after her adventures this summer she deserves them! The Transcontinental Race winner posted her latest ride to Strava tagging Enve, 7Mesh and Fizik, presumably brands she’s now partnered up with. Just the quick 100 miler with about 9,000 feet of climbing to test the new gear on this occasion…
10 September 2019, 18:44
Former TV ballroom dancer says cyclists "go through red lights and scratch cars"
Something has to be done to make cyclists accountable!!!
No insurance, no registration, they go through red lights, scratch cars all the time and are very aggressive in their behaviour.RT if you feel the same pic.twitter.com/AEVVoZleIB
— James Jordan (@The_JamesJordan) September 9, 2019
We had to google him, but someone who was on Strictly Come Dancing a few years ago has done a tweet about cyclists and it’s not a particularly wise one. Commenting on a nasty incident reported this week in which a 5-year-old was hit by a cyclist who then fled the scene, 41-year-old James Jordan said for this reason, all cyclists need to be held ‘accountable’.
Despite numerous people pointing out that such legislation Jordan could be referring to would be hugely expensive and ineffective, plus the huge numbers of incidents each year involving motor vehicles, Jordan said of the latter: “But they are liable”.
10 September 2019, 18:44
Cycling UK say if pavement parking ban is enforced, government should also reverse new rule that allows parking on cycle lanes
Together with fellow members of the Walking and Cycling Alliance (WACA), we’re backing the call for Government action on parking on pavements and in cycle lanes. #PavementParking @RamblersGB @BritishCycling @livingstreets @sustrans https://t.co/wGLxfLn867 pic.twitter.com/DYkdCB3eWI
— Cycling UK (@WeAreCyclingUK) September 9, 2019
While a proposed ban on pavement parking has proved a mostly popular suggestion, Cycling UK highlight that beneath this, new rules were quietly brought in recently that allows parking in cycle lanes marked with solid white lines. Cycling UK say: “This change, made without notifying councils or the public – needs to be reversed.”
Is it time tougher rules on parking on pavements and cycle lanes were brought in? Some consistency would be nice…
10 September 2019, 18:44
Tour of Britain stage 4 - hills
Let’s go climbing !
Today’s @OVOEnergy Tour of Britain stage features nearly 3,000m of elevation gain.
South Shore Road, Gateshead (11:00)
Beast Banks, Kendal (15:22)
ITV4 (10:45)
Website commentary blog
Twitter race updates#OVOToB pic.twitter.com/PHi5PO4uIA— Tour of Britain (@TourofBritain) September 10, 2019
The riders are off and have already taken on some punishing gradients before they’ve got anywhere near the three categorised climbs of the day.
10 September 2019, 18:44
Man drives to police station to register bike... and gets arrested for drink driving
Drunk wheels into police station to register bicycle #XBR #Brockville @BPS_News https://t.co/rfIfTjMo6f pic.twitter.com/SLc9JB36Gh
— Brockville Newswatch (@brockvillenw) September 9, 2019
Police in the town of Brockville, Ontario confirmed that on Sunday afternoon they arrested a 52-year-old man for drunk driving… after he’d willingly gone to their station to register his bicycle. Brockville Newswatch report that a police officer could smell alcohol on the breath on the man; he was given a breathalyser which shown he was twice over the legal limit, and his driving licence was subsequently suspended for three months.
He’ll certainly be needing that bike now…
10 September 2019, 18:44
Chris Froome to race Tour de France Saitama Criterium next month
Chris Froome will take part in the Tour de France Saitama Criterium in Japan next month, marking his return to racing – albeit in what is effectively an exhibition event – since his horrific crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné in June.
News of Froome’s upcoming participation in the 27 October event, which is expected to draw around 100,000 spectators and will pitch the stars of the Tour de France against Japan’s top domestic riders, was made by organisers on Twitter.
The post was accompanied by a video message from the Team Ineos rider, who said: “I’m really looking forward to coming back to the criterium at Saitama this year.
“It’s always an event that I really enjoy doing and especially seeing all the Japanese fans who are so passionate about the Tour de France and European racing, so I’m looking forward to it and see you soon.”
／
クリス・フルーム選手
さいたまクリテリウム出場決定
＼
クリス・フルーム選手（チーム イネオス）の2年ぶり6回目となる出場が決定今年6月に怪我をし、治療に専念していたフルーム選手が来日しますhttps://t.co/wQygoSlREm#さいたまクリテリウム pic.twitter.com/OMwr4FKywm— ツール・ド・フランスさいたまクリテリウム (@saitamacrite) September 10, 2019
10 September 2019, 18:44
Dutch student breaks women’s cycling speed record
A Dutch student has broken the women’s cycling speed record at the annual World Human Powered Speed Challenge at Battle Mountain, Nevada.
Rosa Bas hit 122.12kph at the event, organised by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association, to beat the existing record of 121.8kph set by Barbara Buatois of France in 2010.
Bas undertook her record-breaking ride on VeloX 9, a fully-faired recumbent bike designed and built by a team of students from TU Delft and VU Amsterdam, who have competed in the challenge for several years now, and held the men’s record from 2013-15.
“We worked towards this for a year and now we have succeeded”, she said. “It is amazing to cycle so fast. I went faster than cars are allowed to drive on this road.”
10 September 2019, 18:44
There is a bicycle pedal embedded in the middle of the road at Trafalgar Square
We spotted it during the die-in at the National Funeral for the Unknown Cyclist there on Saturday. Wonder how it got there?
10 September 2019, 18:44
Carbon zimmer frame anyone?
And the frame weighs just 6.3kg according to the product description we’ve found on the Nitro Elite website. We’ll have one of these when our knees eventually give out…
10 September 2019, 18:44
Roglic commits future to Jumbo-Visma by signing four year contract extension
Roglic continues for the next four years with Team Jumbo-Visma
“The team and I have brought each other to a higher level and that really gives me a feeling of connection. We want to get the best out of me, but also out of the team.”#Roglic2023 #samenwinnen #ifeelsLOVEnia
— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) September 10, 2019
We heard a couple of rumours the current Vuelta leader could be going to pastures new, but Jumbo-Visma have put those rumblings to bed by confirming that Roglic has just signed a four year contract extension.
With Tom Dumoulin on his way there too for 2020, Jumbo could have a bit of a headache when it comes to deciding who their team leader wil be in next year’s Grand Tours…
10 September 2019, 18:44
Spot Tom Ritchey
A Tom imposter from Dusseldorf meeting the real deal. #TuesdaysWithTom #RitcheyRides #RitcheyLogic pic.twitter.com/Pjb5IKrLYO
— RITCHEY – Official (@RitcheyLogic) September 10, 2019
10 September 2019, 18:44
Mathieu van der Poel storms up final climb to take Tour of Britain lead
Mathieu van der Poel stormed up the final climb of today’s Stage 4 of the Tour of Britain in Kendal today to cross the line first and take the overall lead by just 1 second from Matteo Trentin after what is perhaps the toughest day’s racing in this year’s edition with more than 3,000 metres of climbing on the way from Gateshead.
With barely a flat section of road today and plenty of sharp inclines, today’s parcours looked like perfect preparation for the UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire later this month … would you bet against the 24-year-old Dutchman pulling on the rainbow jersey in Harrogate?
That moment when @mathieuvdpoel appears around the corner, solo. #OVOToB pic.twitter.com/KegVUsZ61Z
— Tour of Britain (@TourofBritain) September 10, 2019
10 September 2019, 18:44
Bristol bloke spaffs 30 grand fighting £100 speeding ticket
Heart bleeds, but have to feel sorry for those he is SKI-ing … full story here on Bristol Live
10 September 2019, 18:44
Jail for company director who used 4x4 to knock "little shit" cyclist off bike
A company director who used his 4×4 vehicle to deliberately knock a teenage cyclist off his bike and described the victim afterwards as a “little shit” has been jailed.
Report here on the Manchester Evening News, full story on road.cc in the morning.
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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
chrisonabike 10 minutes ago
Hope Barcelona keep the transport improvements (they've been making for a while) coming! Better streets, more infra to help active travel where necessary. And while it's a major investment (though can be lower operating cost than busses) maybe more trams where they can. That may be more effective in making places active travel friendly and replacing taxis than mass public bike hire. They've a good start with 6 lines already.
chrisonabike 18 minutes ago
I think this is a positive story. They're not getting rid of public hire bikes - they're expanding their in-house one. They're merely kicking out cowboys who've shown they've a lack of interest in the game they claim to be playing. It seems logical that companies whose business model is to extract (venture capital) money by invading public space are even less likely to make the efforts to keep things in order than a local "in house" scheme. (After all the "bikes and riding" part of these schemes always *costs* money, they don't generate it.) So not surprising their experience shows those firms are not particularly motivated to follow the rules - especially when scrapping for "market share". It's nice the European Cyclists’ Federation is thinking about tourists also (i hesitate to say "follow the money...") - as they note, where it's safe to cycle locals will largely get their own bikes. Tourists aren't going to stop coming because lack of public bike share - I think this is mostly a "nice to have" ("hey - why don't we go on one of those bikes there? ").
chrisonabike 42 minutes ago
Harm minimization - at least they're not driving...
Gm_Crop 9 hours ago
I'll counter that by saying the Bryton 750se I have drives me nuts at times. Inconsistantly picks up on routes created on Komoot and the app re-syncs every few seconds when trying to set up the device and sends me back to the home screen. The most infuriating one is that I turned live track on. Once. It now won't turn off and repeatedly flags up the live track is starting, and then disconnecting every few seconds whilst riding. I haven't timed it but it wouldn't suprise me if 10-20% of the time the the screen is covered with an error message. That's been about 6 weeks now. Other than that it's great :/
IanGlasgow 9 hours ago
RE: Police launch road safety operation... by clamping down on cyclists using footbridge Meanwhile in Glasgow, Police Scotland are riding their motorbikes over the pedestrian and cyclists only bridge. https://x.com/FietserGlasgow/status/2065106152917012523?s=20
Rendel Harris 10 hours ago
@Paul J Van Schip certainly seems a bit of a dick, but he's a European and multiple World Champion on the track, pretty sure you don't get there without having some talent in your legs.
Bill H 11 hours ago
Poor Vincent cannot get over the simple fact that given the choice people prefer dedicated cycling spaces, rather than pretending to be cars like vehicular cyclists.
pbunyon 11 hours ago
What is the point of the fancy air sensor if it can't account for changing weather conditions?? If all you care about is a delayed approximation of aerodynamic watts in steady conditions, you don't need any special sensors for that. Just your speed on a decently flat course is enough to approximate rolling resistance and drivetrain losses. And the rest must be aero. If you assume a less aero body position at the same watts, your speed will drop while rolling resistance also drops, which means approximated aero watts goes up. And that's enough to demonstrate what you've shown in your testing protocol ("I sat upright and the number went up a little while later").
chrisonabike 11 hours ago
Your correction is accurate - it's almost always been "the (lack of) thought that (doesn't) count". "Massive" - less than a billion a year spent on active travel (trying to catch up / building a network across the entire country) Not massive - 6 billion every year (2026-2030) spent on road *maintenance* of existing "already built, goes everywhere, very convenient" road network for inactive travel Ultimately the reason "cycle infra" is *needed* is those unbelievably colossal amounts spent every year (and for more than a century now) on making mass motoring not just viable but apparently the "best choice" for most journeys. As the Dutch and others have shown, the majority of people *are* prepared to cycle and even mix with very light, slow local motor traffic *if* cycling is also made safe and convenient for the whole of their journey (including secure parking at both ends). (The history of the financial drivers of the current situation are a complex topic but note that while people complain about "crumbling roads" and underfunded motor infra - with some reason - by us continuing the fuel duty escalator freeze (for example) we're actually helping motorists pay *even less* for that activity / subsidising more of the cost of driving than ever.)
belugabob 11 hours ago
yes, but people will still object - which was my point.
29 thoughts on “Live blog: Jail for company director who used 4×4 to deliberately knock “little shit” cyclist off bike; Froome to race TdF crit in Japan; Dutch student breaks women’s speed record; Roglic extends +more”
Quote:
I have insurance, thanks, and I have never run a red light or scratched a car. Who are you, again?
Quote:
But if they were, there wouldn’t be such a national problem with uninsured drivers, hit-and-run incidents, etc, etc…
Quote:
Can we have a link for this? I’ve seen nothing in the news (which I suppose is the definition of “didn’t bother actually telling anyone about it…”).
brooksby wrote:
Though frankly when did that rule ever prevent anyone parking in the cycle lane anyway, anyone ever had experience or seen it been properly enforced?
brooksby wrote:
The Highway Code still says:
Last updated 20 August 2019.
I had a look through the Statutory Instruments for the DoT, couldn’t see anything in there.
Seems strange that the law could be changed and be so hush-hush. Although I suppose there’s a lot going on at the moment.
Tom_77 wrote:
I’ve asked Cycling UK for clarification on this, it does appear the Highway Code online still says no parking on cycle lanes with solid white lines.
So the government changed the
So the government changed the rules without even bothering to tell the people affected? While all the time saying that they supported cycling, were fully behind it, and were doing everything possible to promote it. Just when you think this government couldn’t get any more two-faced and incompetent, they only too easily prove you wrong.
I can’t find a link to the new rules, but there are a few reports from last year about new rules being brought in https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-6417983/Motorists-face-fines-130-parking-cycle-lanes.html so perhaps this review did exactly the opposite of what the government said it was going to do?
It’s pretty simple really.
It’s pretty simple really. Design cycle lanes so that they can not be parked in, like this one in France.
As you can see from the overpainted road markings, previously this used to be your typical, narrow, “painted line” cycle path. They actually took out one motor-traffic lane to enable the cycle lane to be widened to something sensible, and installed a ferocious kerb to keep cars out. So it just shows what can be done, where there is a will.
Sriracha wrote:
In the UK? Take a lane away from our motorised overlords? Are you quite mad??
Seriously, we practically have rioting when a council decides they’ll paint a new white line, so actually confiscating road space for Bl00dy Cyclists (TM)… Grrr…
Sriracha wrote:
Please no! Stop building stupid segregated infrastructure. Spend the money on creating 24/7 bus lanes instead, safer and far more efficient for all road users getting from A – B.
Mind you a lot of the cycle
Mind you a lot of the cycle paths in France were originally built by the Nazis in WW2 so that their motorbikes could get around easily…………
Natrix wrote:
So all we have to do is convince the Brexit party, sorry, the tories, that it is the natural ultra-right wing thing to do? We’d have the best cycle provision in the world next year.
burtthebike wrote:
Well I’ve got to give you points for trying. Somehow you can shoehorn Brexit into any conversation. Whatever the Tories are, they are not ‘ultra-right wing’, in fact no party post war has adopted an ultra right wing stance. UK politics only works being left or right of centre. You’re living in Robert Lindsay world, Wolfie.
Rick_Rude wrote:
Thanks, how many points and where may I redeem them? For those of us possibly rather longer in the tooth than you, this government is, compared to its predecessors, ultra right wing. Privatising the NHS, prisons, banning on shore wind farms, removing support for solar energy, hostile environment immigration, etc, etc. We now have a government run by a congenital liar and cheat advised by a neo-fascist.
Rick_Rude wrote:
Left or right of centre, true, but have you noticed how far to the right that centre has moved in the last couple of decades?
We are all accountable under
We are all accountable under the law. If anything, cyclists are disproportionately accountable compared to the potential for harm compared to our friends in motor vehicles.
But when it comes to vehicles and the potential for harm, unfortunately many members of the public have a [metaphorical] blind spot.
Calling any mainstream
Calling any mainstream politician in the UK “ultra right wing” is akin to Trump & Co describing the Democrats as “Socialists”. Just shows a lack of understanding of what the terms actually mean.
Jetmans Dad wrote:
To be fair, the people Trump and his supporters call socialists also call themselves socialists. If you’d said communists instead, which I’ve heard some people call Bernie Sanders et al, that might have been a better analogy and I’d agree with your point entirely.
Allowing parking in a traffic
Allowing parking in a traffic lane, what bright spark thought that was a good idea? Maybe they can stick a few bike racks in the middle of the high street just to share the inconvenience around. It’s only fair.
“Cycling UK highlight that
“Cycling UK highlight that beneath this, new rules were quietly brought in recently that allows parking in cycle lanes marked with solid white lines. ”
Do you mean the law was changed? If so under what SI was this done?
Seems very strange to put up an article without a link to fundamental legislation.
hirsute wrote:
This back from Cycling UK: “The change came in the TSRGD update for 2016 (traffic signs regulations and general directions).
“Essentially mandatory cycle lanes made before the update are illegal to drive and park in. Mandatory cycle lanes made after the update you’re allowed to park in – unless there’s a double yellow line. To look at them there’s no difference though.”
So you can legally park in a cycle lane built after the 2016 update, but not if it was built before 2016; however there is no way of knowing really, which is indeed bizarre. Cycling UK Policy Director Roger Geffen also said this: “It’s an absolute mess, as we’ve now two different types of mandatory cycle lanes that look identical but legally are very different. Cycling UK is keen to re-engage with the DfT to resolve this issue as a matter of urgency.”
Jack Sexty wrote:
Not really clear which SI is referred to
I got as far as https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/782724/traffic-signs-manual-chapter-03.pdf
11.1.3. Cycle lanes may be mandatory, where other vehicles are excluded for at least part of
the day, or advisory, where other vehicles may enter if necessary and when it is safe to do so.
11.5.1. As with mandatory with‑flow lanes, a mandatory contraflow cycle lane is bounded by a
continuous white line to diagram 1049B and all other traffic is prohibited from entering that part
of the carriageway.
So I’m none the wiser as to what Cycling UK refer to.
Froome racing/riding in
Froome racing/riding in October = that’s a hell of a recovery!
peted76 wrote:
Yeah, you couldn’t make it up…
1. Quite enjoying that Strava
1. Quite enjoying that Strava has assessed the relative effort of (Transcontinental winner and PBP finisher) Fiona’s recent 100 miler as “massive”.
2. Cycle lane parking – the key wording in what appear to be the relevant 2016 regulations is that a solid white line marking a cycle lane “conveys the requirement that a vehicle, other than a pedal cycle, must not be driven, or ridden, in the cycle lane during the cycle lane’s hours of operation (which may be all the time)“.
Surely in most cases, someone who has parked in a mandatory cycle lane has also driven in it (though admittedly not necessarily during its hours of operation). If driving in it is illegal, you don’t necessarily also need to specify that parking in it is. Having said that, if previous rules expressly outlawed both parking and driving in a cycle lane, I appreciate this inconsistency is not helpful.
> and are very aggressive in
> and are very aggressive in their behaviour.
There is something inherently agressive about travelling around in a 1-2 ton steel box, which may even deserve to be stratched, not that I do.
Forget the pedal (in Trafalgar Square). Look at those metallic sneakers.
timtak wrote:
There is something inherently agressive about travelling around in a 1-2 ton steel box— timtak
No, there isn’t.
Froome is reported still on
Froome is reported still on crutches, yet he’s doing an exhibition race next month
Pray he avoids crashes and stays on the bike …
I have no idea how he recovered from that horror crash so quickly.
jaysa wrote:
Presumably with a specially adapted bike so that he can pedal with the crutches? This I’ve got to see.