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Mark Zuckerberg needs a bike fit; Allez Opi-Omi: Halloween costume of the year?; Pinarello Dogma stolen during attack; Oleg Tinkov convicted of tax fraud — fined $500m; Four new faces at Ineos; Hill climbing; Weekend round-up + more on the live blog

It's the start of a new week on the live blog, Dan Alexander is here to round up all the weekend action...
Mon, Nov 01, 2021 08:52
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Mark Zuckerberg needs a bike fit; Allez Opi-Omi: Halloween costume of the year?; Pinarello Dogma stolen during attack; Oleg Tinkov convicted of tax fraud — fined $500m; Four new faces at Ineos; Hill climbing; Weekend round-up + more on the live blogMark Zuckerberg saddle (screenshot Facebook)
01 November 2021, 17:01
Tramendous...
01 November 2021, 16:48
01 November 2021, 16:36
And I would ride 500 miles (in 24 hours)! Amanda Coker smashes women's 24-hour distance record

Amanda Coker has racked up another record to her impressive palmares by breaking the women's 24-hour distance record. The Twenty24Pro rider also became the first woman to break the 500-mile barrier in the process. Coker rode 512.52 miles, smashing the previous best of 439 miles.

The ride earned her 11 world records in one go. All to be verified, but she has provisionally broken the 100km, 100 miles, 200km, 300km, 200 miles, 300 miles, 500km, 500 miles, six-hour and 12-hour and 24-hour records. Not a bad day's work that...

Her team added a Zwift 24-hour record could soon be on the cards. I mean, if you can, you might as well just take all the records...

Back in 2017, Coker broke the outright annual distance record (male and female) by racking up 86,573.2 miles in 12 months.

01 November 2021, 16:12
Elia Viviani re-signs for Ineos Grenadiers
Team Sky 2017 kit 01 Viviani.jpg

Last seen in Sky kit four years ago, Elia Viviani will be back riding for Ineos Grenadiers next season. The Italian, a newly-crowned world champ on the track, is the fourth signing of Ineos Grenadiers' Peep Show-inspired recruitment day (see the earlier blog post if you're now very confused).

As most of the whispers in the replies suggested, Spanish champ Omar Fraile has also joined, along with German U23 champ Kim Heiduk and exciting British prospect Ben Turner.

The team has stressed Viviani's deal is three years long, and includes the 2024 Paris Games, an event he'll go to looking to win a third Olympic medal.

"From the moment I left the team, I had in my head that one day I would come back – and now that day has come and I couldn’t be happier," Viviani said.

"In my years away, I’ve never lost contact with the team – with Dave [Brailsford], Rod [Ellingworth], and with the Italian riders and coaches. I am really good friends with lots of the team members and especially Dave. I never missed an opportunity to speak with him at races about cycling, my team, my season, and this team. This feels like coming back to a family for me."

01 November 2021, 16:09
Tight tyre hack?
01 November 2021, 15:12
"Numbnuts!": Reaction to Zuckerberg's saddle shocker

Mark Zuckerberg is one of those figures who's never going to get a sympathetic reaction from the social media masses. Needless to say, his silly saddle scene has attracted some quite tremendous roasting from our readers...

There's been a murder...

On Facebook, David Kelly reckoned it probably explains his high-pitched voice...while Ross Thompson suggested it's all a ploy to try (but ultimately fail) to make him seem more human. Viktor Major added: "Either bike fits or testicles do not exist in the metaverse"...you see where this is going. But is the bike even real? 

Under here, Brooksby summed the bloke up nicely..."Zuckerberg is one of those people who looks more like a CGI avatar than his actual CGI avatar..." That's a nice place to end. 

01 November 2021, 15:02
Zwift Academy finalists announced ahead of finals in Mallorca
Zwift Academy finalists

The ten finalists of Zwift's Academy Road program have been announced and will now progress to the finals in Mallorca where they will compete for a pro contract with Alpecin-Fenix or CANYON//SRAM Racing.

More than 150,000 riders were wittled down to 10 who will now, for the first time, attend a joint camp and compete in tasks to try to impress their prospective teams. The finals will be broadcast by GCN with the winners being announced in the final of five films on 17 December 2021.

Women's finalists competing for the contract with CANYON//SRAM Racing: Caitlin Conyers (Bermuda) Imogen Alton (Australia) Maud Oudeman (The Netherlands) Rachael Wales (Australia) Willemijn Prins (The Netherlands)

Zwift Academy finalists

Men's finalists competing for the contract with Alpecin-Fenix: Alex Bogna (Australia) Byron Munton (South Africa) Cooper Sayers (Australia) Mads Rahbek (Denmark) Samuel Hill (Australia)

01 November 2021, 14:35
01 November 2021, 14:11
National hill climb champs round-up: Tom Bell wins, Liam doesn't die (+ don't bring flares to bike races)

Anyone at hill climb champs will tell you it was a grim autumn day in the Peak District yesterday. Tom Bell took the men's crown from Andrew Feather, while Bithja Jones was crowned women's champ. More importantly, road.cc Liam was briefly the fastest man up Winnats...chapeau. In his own words, "Yours truly was first senior rider to break four-minute mark (3:55) shame 61 people decided to go faster." Despite his best Trump-inspired 'stop the count' protests, the event continued...

Bell's winning time of 3-01.6 was both a course record and just under seven seconds faster than second placed Feather. Seriously impressive stuff. Tomos Pattinson and Sannah Zaman are the junior champions. 

There was a slight controversy on the day however...'don't bring flares to bike races' is a pretty safe rule for life, but especially at hill climbs...

01 November 2021, 12:24
Don't all shout 'it's too early' abuse at once...
01 November 2021, 12:19
One expensive bike maintenance mistake
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by road.cc (@road.cc)

01 November 2021, 11:57
TruFlow's new floor pump range
2021 TruFlo Classictrax

TruFlo has revealed its new floor pump range, with options from a very affordable £24.99 up to £84.99. 

EcoTrax (£24.99): This entry-level pump is capable of pressures up to 120psi. It has a 1.5” gauge and an auto-select pump head. The smaller size of this pump makes it ideal for home or travel use, says TruFlo.

Easitrax 4 (£34.99): Available in three colours, this pump caters for pressures up to 160psi and features a 2.5” gauge, a larger steel base for improved stability and an auto-select pump head.

Maxtrax 4 (£39.99): This pump has all the features of the Easitrax and adds on an easy-reach hose attachment, making it a better option for bikes in workstands or mounted on car racks.

Supertrax (£54.99): With a 3” pump and an easy switch to change between high volume/high pressure modes, the gauge displays the 1 to 40psi range in 1-digit increments that should make it easy to find the exact pressure you’re after for inflating both gravel and road tyres.

Classictrax (£84.99): Pictured above and finished off with a polished aluminium barrel, traditional wooden handle and die-cast aluminium base, this is definitely the stylish option. It has an integrated 2.5 inch gauge and can inflate up to 240psi making it a great option for use at home, the workshop or even the velodrome. The twin-valve pump head also has an air bleed button to help hit pressures exactly.

01 November 2021, 11:48
Continuing the football/cycling theme from Friday...
01 November 2021, 11:32
Four new faces at Ineos...plus some superb GIF work

Chucking in a Peep Show GIF is always going to go down well with us...a few popular guesses in the replies saying Elia Viviani and Omar Fraile will be making an appearance later on. We'll see...

Number one has already been announced...it is German national champion at under-23 level, Kim Heiduk. He joins the already confirmed signings of young talents: Aussie wonderkid Luke Plapp, American prospect Magnus Sheffield and young Brit Ben Tullett on the team next year. Let's see who the other three riders are...

01 November 2021, 11:01
Cycling kit straight out a gallery...Stolen Goat's new Adventures with Art collab with the Tate
Stolen Goat Adventures with Art

You can now buy cycling kit and accessories printed with artwork from the Tate archives. 

Already well-known for its loud and colourful designs, Stolen Goat partnered with the Tate for this new Adventures with Art collection.

“From the exploration of hue, tone and intensity in the work of Jean Spencer, to the audacious departure from the conventional in the early geometric works of David Bomberg. This collection is a union of cycling and artistry,” says Stolen Goat.

The packaging for the jerseys in this art-y collection is also sustainable as it makes use of the paper used to sublimate the design onto the fabric. 

“Usually, this paper would be discarded or recycled in the manufacturing process – but we’ve had each paper trimmed to size to wrap the jersey it was used to create,” Stolen Goat explains. 

Each order also comes complete with a postcard, featuring a photograph of the artwork and information on the title, date and medium used to create it

01 November 2021, 10:44
Former owner of Tinkoff-Saxo cycling team Oleg Tinkov convicted of tax fraud in the US — fined $500 million
OLeg Tinkov (source Tinkoff Saxo on Facebook)

Oleg Tinkov, the former owner of WorldTour outfit Tinkoff-Saxo, has been convicted of tax fraud in the US and fined $500m, on top of a suspended one-year prison sentence. The Russian is reportedly worth £2.2 billion and formerly owned the cycling team that attracted big names such as Alberto Contador and Peter Sagan. 

Tinkov's problems began in 2019 when he was indicted for hiding stock market gains. He was arrested in 2020 and paid bail of £20 million. Official documents state Tinkov was "sentenced today for his felony conviction for filing a false tax return."

As required under his plea agreement, prior to sentencing, Oleg Tinkov, aka Oleg Tinkoff, paid $508,936,184, more than double what he had sought to escape paying to the U.S.

Treasury through a scheme to renounce his U.S. citizenship and conceal from the IRS large stock gains that he knew were reportable. This includes $248,525,339 in taxes, statutory interest on that tax and a nearly $100 million fraud penalty.

Tinkov was additionally fined $250,000, which is the maximum allowed by statute, and sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release. 

01 November 2021, 10:16
Pinarello Dogma stolen during attack on cyclist near Welsh border
Stolen Pinarello Dogma (West Mercia Police)

A cyclist was assaulted during an attack near the Welsh border last week, West Mercia Police has revealed. The rider's Pinarello Dogma (pictured above) was stolen during the attack at around 1.30pm last Monday (October 25) on the A438, near the border between Herefordshire and Powys.

A police statement said:

The bike is extremely rare and police ask anyone who sees it for sale to please get in touch officers would also like to hear from any drivers who were travelling on that stretch of the A438 at around the time of the incident who may have dash-cam footage.

Anyone with information can visit West Mercia Police quoting incident 515i of 25 October.

01 November 2021, 09:59
01 November 2021, 09:49
Halloween costume of the year?

If you've got any leftover spooky season energy check out the latest road.cc Podcast where we talked about the scariest thing that has ever happened to you on the bike? (Plus cycling with your cat, because why not?)...

01 November 2021, 09:27
Weekend round-up: Cyclists converge on COP26 in Glasgow, Cube review, bike at bedtime
This machine fights climate change at People's Palace Glasgow (picture credit Cycling UK)

If you were too busy trick or treating here's some of the top stuff on the site over the weekend...

Cyclists from across the UK and beyond are headed to Glasgow for the start of the COP26 climate change conference. 

The husband of a pedestrian killed by a cyclist has claimed that ministers are scared of the "cycling lobby" as he campaigns for tougher laws on cyclists. Matthew Briggs is calling for cyclists to be subject to similar laws to motorists causing death by careless or dangerous driving.

Stu was quite impressed by Cube's 2021 endurance model — Agree C:62 SLT...

And our bike at bedtime is the new limited edition Cinelli Nemo Alessandro Mendini gravel bike...

01 November 2021, 08:30
Mark Zuckerberg needs a bike fit...Phil Gaimon (and the rest of the cycling world) spots dodgy saddle angle in Facebook's big announcement vid

How's your first Monday in the 'metaverse' going? Probably better than Mark Zuckerberg's rear sitting on this aggressively painful saddle set-up...

Phil Gaimon spotted the blunder in the background of Facebook's rebranding last week, one of the many bizarre home decorations that had people questioning why one of the biggest companies in the world couldn't do better? I mean why was there BBQ sauce next to framed photos?

Anyway, to us, the more important question is: who set up Mr Zuckerberg's bike and has he actually ridden the thing? Of course it's probably naive to expect anything in the video to be genuine Zuckerberg possessions instead of not-so-carefully selected props...

At least it gave the cycling community a laugh...

The Facebook, sorry Meta, CEO apparently used to enjoy cycling, until he broke his arm after forgetting to unclip. In a 2018 interview in the New Yorker, Zuckerberg said he'd ditched the cleats and now does all his cycling on Peloton.

Dan Alexander

Dan is the road.cc news editor and has spent the past four years writing stories and features, as well as (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. Having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for the Non-League Paper, Dan joined road.cc in 2020. Come the weekend you'll find him labouring up a hill, probably with a mouth full of jelly babies, or making a bonk-induced trip to a south of England petrol station... in search of more jelly babies.

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28 comments

Avatar
HarrogateSpa | 2 years ago
0 likes

I'm sure Oleg Tinkov isn't as honest and transparent as a Bishop, but the real scam here is by the US.

They make people pay capital gains tax on all their worldwide assets, as if they had sold everything, in order to be allowed to renounce citizenship. Otherwise, you have to pay US taxes for the rest of your life even if you don't live or work in the US.

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to HarrogateSpa | 2 years ago
0 likes

HarrogateSpa wrote:

I'm sure Oleg Tinkov isn't as honest and transparent as a Bishop, but the real scam here is by the US.

They make people pay capital gains tax on all their worldwide assets, as if they had sold everything, in order to be allowed to renounce citizenship. Otherwise, you have to pay US taxes for the rest of your life even if you don't live or work in the US.

and they complain about higher taxes in other countries.

Although I'm not sure there are many queueing up to renounce citizenship, as it would be a big call to decide you would never want to return to where you were born.

Avatar
Dingaling replied to HarrogateSpa | 2 years ago
0 likes

But they get credited for taxes paid in their country of residence which are often higher than US rates so they have nothing to pay to the IRS. 

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TheBillder | 2 years ago
4 likes

I suppose I'm the only person who read "don't bring flares to bike races" and thought it was about trousers.

You can take the boy out of the 1970s...

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to TheBillder | 2 years ago
2 likes

TheBillder wrote:

I suppose I'm the only person who read "don't bring flares to bike races" and thought it was about trousers. You can take the boy out of the 1970s...

not without a very good chain guard

Avatar
dave_t | 2 years ago
2 likes

That Truflo Classictrax pump looks to be the same as my 4 year old Boardman pump, and exactly the same as the Lifeline Professional Track Pump which retails at half the price !

Avatar
PRSboy | 2 years ago
1 like

The story about the theft of the Dogma on the road nr Wales is worrying... I've always been surprised that bikejacking wasn't more of a 'thing'.  Seems it is becoming more widespread.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to PRSboy | 2 years ago
1 like

Whenever there is a shortage of something, the criminals see an opportunity. Top end bikes and components now, dogs last year, etc. 

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wycombewheeler replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
0 likes

I've always felt quite safe in remote areas, but if crimals are now lying in wait on small rural roads, it's hard to know where to ride to avoid them.

 

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ErnieC replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
0 likes

wycombewheeler wrote:

I've always felt quite safe in remote areas, but if crimals are now lying in wait on small rural roads, it's hard to know where to ride to avoid them.

 

sounds about right for cyclists in South Africa. 

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
1 like

Re: Meta

I preferred the Stephen Colbert take on the name changes.

 

Avatar
Fursty Ferret | 2 years ago
4 likes

Interesting that Matthew Briggs wants cyclists to be subject to the same laws as motorists when it comes to death by careless driving, since a quick glance at past sentences suggests that this would actually be more lenient.

Also and unrelated is the obsession of Daily Express readers with lycra. I'm convinced a decent proportion of them have a lycra fetish, which is why they bang on about it all the time.

Avatar
IanMK | 2 years ago
1 like

Did anyone else see this story over the weekend.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1512311/Middlesbrough-road-Tarmac-pain...
Put it straight in the why don't cyclist use cycle paths file.
The thing that made me laugh the most is the idea that cyclists need to be warned that they are crossing a dropped curb access rather than drivers being warned that they a crossing a cycle path. Even the council suggested it was for the benefit of both parties and certainly didn't advise on right of way.

Avatar
brooksby replied to IanMK | 2 years ago
5 likes

Isn't the onus on the householders coming out of their driveways to check that the pavement is clear?  Does a councillor own a 'red tarmac' manufacturer?

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IanMK replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
2 likes

brooksby wrote:

Isn't the onus on the householders coming out of their driveways to check that the pavement is clear?  Does a councillor own a 'red tarmac' manufacturer?

I think the issue is that it's not red tarmac but red paint on tarmac. I'm guessing it will be slippy.

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brooksby replied to IanMK | 2 years ago
2 likes

Really? I think I must have missed that.  How bl00dy stupid! no

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OnYerBike replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
1 like

It's not even red tarmac - it's red paint and (from the pictures provided) looks like the sort of paint that is slippery when wet...

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hawkinspeter replied to IanMK | 2 years ago
3 likes

How does anyone think that's a decent cycle lane? They should have just left it alone as now they've confused priority.

If you're walking along there and the pavement changes to a red colour then what does that mean? Are you supposed to look both ways before walking across it and drivers have priority?

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mdavidford replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
2 likes

I took the red areas to be an (ill-thought through) attempt to warn cyclists where they shouldn't cycle - i.e. to avoid the dangers of sloped surfaces and raised kerbs either side - with the unpainted area being the shared path. Designed by someone who just thought "Red means 'danger', right?", and never even considered that red strips might look like a bike path.

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hawkinspeter replied to mdavidford | 2 years ago
0 likes

I think you're right, but it's a very poor place for a cycle lane considering how much red paint they've used.

Middlesborough Council wrote:

The red surfacing is designed to highlight potential conflict locations on the cycle route, and remind all users to approach with caution.

These have been sited further away from the drive entrances than the existing footway to provide more space for improved visibility of faster moving users

This cycle route part of a wider Council drive to create a cohesive network, enabling as many people as possible to undertake sustainable journeys.

Low Lane and Ladgate Lane form a major strategic east/west transport corridor for the borough and beyond, and this scheme is part of our long-term aim of creating a more joined-up network for all highway users.

Avatar
iandusud replied to IanMK | 2 years ago
4 likes

"Middlesbrough Council, which Labour lost in 2019, has introduced the red markings as part of plans to improve cycle facilities."

Another case of slapping a bit of paint on and calling it cycling infratstructure and ticking a box. Shameful!

Avatar
IanMK replied to iandusud | 2 years ago
1 like
iandusud wrote:

Another case of slapping a bit of paint on and calling it cycling infratstructure and ticking a box. Shameful!

They've actually tarmacked over the old grass verge to create this nonsense. It would be interesting to know how they imagined it would work.

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
4 likes

//i.imgur.com/xirFLQX.jpeg)

Avatar
brooksby | 2 years ago
5 likes

Zuckerberg is one of those people who looks more like a CGI avatar than his actual CGI avatar...

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Ride On | 2 years ago
0 likes

DIY bikefit cautionary tale :- I watched a GCN bikefit video to set myself up better and find those extra watts! Having adjusted saddle angle, height, cleat position etc to the "optimum" positions I rode it for about 2 days before I was in complete agony. I have since returned to "what feels right".

I like a saddle tilted slightly forward so Mark Zuckerburgs looks excruciating!

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Secret_squirrel replied to Ride On | 2 years ago
0 likes

Some discomfort post bike fit is not usual as you are potentially activating different muscles than before.  Shouldn't be any worse than a longer ride than usual - certainly wasn't agony in my case at any rate!

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Ride On replied to Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
1 like

I could have coped with that, the new position caused the seat to apply a lot of pressure where it was not wanted. 🥴

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Dingaling replied to Ride On | 2 years ago
0 likes

If I ride with the saddle set horizontal I find myself slipping forward and constantly having to push back so I ride with the nose of the saddle set up slightly! Not as much as Zuckerberg though.

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