How fast could you ride one kilometre? Jeffrey Hoogland breaks world record with blistering 55.433, vomits afterwards; “You can taste the fumes”: cycling group blasts night park closure; Remco’s morning jog; £20k Lotus e-road bike + more on the live blog

Not Tom Pidcock 13:25 5km quick granted… although neither was Tom’s…

> “Maybe he forgot to get off his bike”: Tom Pidcock challenged over 13:25 5km run claim 

Also not as quick as Tom Dumoulin’s 32:38 10km, but then again Remco was just jogging…

> Tom Dumoulin runs super quick 32:38 10km

The retired Dumoulin also recently completed the Amsterdam half-marathon in a very impressive 1:10.04, joking that he wouldn’t be able to walk for two weeks. 

While “I think I’ll stick to bike riding” was Adam Yates’ assessment after completing the Barcelona marathon in 2:58:44 during an off-season a couple of years ago.

I’m getting in early, ahead of whichever comments section genius is going to say they could beat it descending Mont Ventoux or something. For the record, this is a track record. From a static start!

The Dutch beast Jeffrey Hoogland broke the 1 km time-trial World Record in Aguascalientes, Mexico: 55″433. That’s 65 km/h average speed with standing start. 🤯 Heck, I’m not sure that I could beat that with my car…
🎥 @GWarrinkpic.twitter.com/WZfF0VK5KK

— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) October 31, 2023

The new mark is almost a full second quicker than the previous best, held by François Pervis since 2013. Set at altitude in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Hoogland reportedly hit a top speed of 80km/h. AD reports it took him 20 minutes to recover to be in a fit state to do an interview…

You don’t see this too often: Hoogland’s kilo world record effort took so much out of him that he needed extra oxygen afterwards, Jesus Christ pic.twitter.com/Nu47jFZCuS

— Emma Bianchi (track szn) (@cyclartist) October 31, 2023

 “I can’t really enjoy it yet. It hurts everywhere. But I’m very happy with the world record, that’s why I came here. This is so cool,” he said afterwards.

“I almost expected miracles here at height, but it was still a blast to cycle. It wasn’t until I heard the cheering at the finish that I knew it was a world record anyway.”

He’s even still got the track booked for tonight, opening the door to a possible assault on the flying 200m world record too. That’s from a moving start, not in the air with wings…

pic.twitter.com/wrrcotV2nB

— Ed Laverack (@edlaverack) November 1, 2023

Still not the main joke of the day…

> “A dark day for hill climbing”: Widespread horror as British hill climb champs won on disc brakes for first time

> Aston Martin teams up with J.Laverack for “the world’s first ‘boltless’ bicycle”, the Aston Martin .1R

Let me guess…..£999?

— Steve (@stephen365) October 31, 2023

Erm, not quite, Steve. I think it’s safe to say you’ll need a decent chunk more than that for this one, there’s currently a sweepstake in the comments under the original story. The low bid is £19,950, the highest bid £41,999.95…

The all new .1R road bike, said to be “the world’s most bespoke, advanced and meticulously engineered road bicycle”. The collaboration brings claimed world-first design elements, including integrated brake calipers and a visually boltless design, all in a made-to-measure package weighing from 7.5kg for a full bike. 

andyk: “Absolutely crazy money, but I have to admit, it’s absolutely stunning though! (with clever detailing). If I was minted, I would probably be one of those people crazy enough to buy it!”

maxdabrit: “Oh my goodness! That caliper and that rear disc combo. Just gorgeous.”

Rendel Harris: “I frequently break off from my work to look adoringly at my Roubaix Dura Ace SL Pro which hangs proudly on the wall near my desk, thinking it’s one of the most lovely things I’ve ever owned; that’s all ruined for me now by realising just how hideous those bottle cage bolts are.”

RobD: “I mean, if you’re going to do it then they’ve certainly made a decent effort of it. I really want a set of those disc rotors, and the stem/handlebar looks pretty cool.

“As others have said, no idea how you do any maintenance on it, but I guess you send it back to them after the rare occasion that you might actually ride it. I’m also surprised that no major manufacturer has released an adjustable/customisable crank along this kind of idea.”

henryb: “No mudguard eyelets?! How are you supposed to take it out on a wet Sunday club ride?”

brooksby: “I’m not sure you’re supposed to take it out of the house…” 

An independent report by the Frontline agency has estimated that the Tour of Britain contributed more than £22 million to the economy during this year’s race. An estimated 1.64-million spectators saw the race at the roadside over the eight stages, while analysts YouGov Sports found that the Tour of Britain generated £29.6 million in sponsorship value for its partners and stakeholders.

An inquest has heard from the wife of a cyclist, killed in a collision caused by a driver who had not disclosed a stroke during his licence renewal, who told the court there is a “huge gap in regulations” around declaring medical conditions when renewing a driving licence and that more needs to be done “to prevent future deaths” as a legacy to her husband.

Reported in the Belfast Telegraph, the inquest heard Aidan Fitzpatrick was killed in a collision in County Down four years ago, the driver Arthur McGrillen, 75, jailed for two and a half years last November after he “ploughed into” Mr Fitzpatrick and another man having failed to see them.

The court heard that McGrillen had suffered a stroke in 2017 but failed to declare the medical information when renewing his licence a year later in 2018.

“The issue we see is that the obligation to report on fitness to drive is left to the driver, and in some cases the driver just will not report to DVA (the Driver & Vehicle Agency) and continue to drive unless his or her medical team is aware of this, they have no duty to report,” Mr Fitzpatrick’s wife Deirdre said. “So essentially this means DVA relies on the conscience of each driver to decide whether or not to report themselves, and clearly that’s a huge gap in the regulations.

“In some cases a driver may not take on board or understand what is being said to them, maybe if the advice is given after a brain injury or a stroke, for example, and it is being told to them at a time where they don’t necessarily take it in.

“Very often the family don’t talk to the medic or practitioner, so they may continue to drive and cause an accident, and at that stage it is just too late.”

It’s difficult to comprehend how less than a minute’s effort can be this knackering, but then again I rarely ride my bike one kilometre in a minute and 55 seconds, let alone just 55 seconds… 

As reported by AD, Big Jeff the ‘Hulk’ Hoogland (is that a thing? It is now) was panting “like a leopard” and unable to speak properly for about 20 minutes after his monstrous effort. After he was given an oxygen mask, the 30-year-old tried in vain to find a position to sit or stand that hurt the least, but was unable to, so instead got back on his bike while still very dizzy to stop his body from completely seizing up. 

Hoogland reportedly vomited in a bin during his cooldown ride, and was given a wet towel for his neck and forehead by his girlfriend – and fellow track cyclist – Shanne Braspennincx. 

Hoogland has now recovered enough to post another update on his X/Twitter account, the footage from the attempt which you can see below. While it might make you feel weak, feeble and unworthy whenever you mount a bike for the forseeable future, watch and appreciate what it’s like for one to truly bury oneself through the medium of a bicycle with a very big chainring…  

In case you’ve missed it 👀
Watch my World Record race here!
55,433 💥 pic.twitter.com/COPP1BmXYZ

— Jeffrey Hoogland (@JeffreyHoogland) November 1, 2023

“Do bikes like these need to be looked after like a fragile prince/princess?” asks Martin Synapse on the road.cc forum. 

“Often yes.. road debris will be more common in winter = scratches, plus some posh wheel hubs don’t like the wet/damp”, says Pete76. 

Although kil0ran says that high-end bikes are “increasingly capable”, adding: “The only risk is cost of fixing it if you stack it on field run off, ice, or from sidewinds hitting the aero wheels.” 

If you’ve spent big money on a bike, does that mean you’ll ride it when you god damn want, or do you keep it for best days? On the subject, our freshly revamped winter road bikes guide should be ready this arvo! 

If yesterday’s Aston Martin x J.Laverack bike launch wasn’t expensive enough for you (to be honest it might even cost more, we still don’t know) how about the brand new Lotus Type 136 e-road bike, a snip at £20,000? 

Obviously Lotus are more known for track bikes, and this is the first e-bike of any kind carrying the Lotus name that we know of (unless there was some very ahead-of-its-time motor doping going on in the 90s). 

The Type 136 is “a new performance model featuring the lightest e-bike motor from HPS to deliver dual-use functionality that will allow riders to go further, faster and higher”, says the press waffle. That motor weighs just 300g, and the full bike is 9.8kg/just over a couple of grand per kilogram. 

The handlebars are V-shaped for victory when you cruise past the ruffians on their lesser bikes when going uphill, and the battery is “disguised as a water bottle”, detaching from the frame at the push of a button.

This is actually a special edition, of which just 136 will be made, hence the name. A ‘standard model’ – that we presume will cost a little less – goes on sale in spring 2024. 

What do you reckon? We’ll have a full story on this from Dan who is at the launch, and reports that it is “a bit fancy.” More valuable insights to come later… 

Sir Chris officially unveiled the new bike, saying: “This is an incredible bike, which says so much about the pioneering endeavours of Lotus and the iconic status of its bikes over the years. As a teenager I vividly remember watching Chris Boardman powering Type 108 to a gold medal in Barcelona in 1992 and smashing records on Type 110 to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France two years later.”

Like the Hope/Lotus track bike, the Type 136 also has some very unconventional seat stays, although not quite as crazy as the track bike ones. They’re described as “vaulted” and help you and the bike “carve through the air with speed and efficiency”, claims Lotus. 

The 28-year-old, who previously rode for the likes of AG2R and Qhubeka-Assos on the World Tour and won the 2018 individual pursuit national title on the track, has signed for the UK continental team for 2024 with a view towards a “longer-term partnership” according to Saint Piran. 

The team’s owner Richard Pascoe said: “Having a rider with the ability, skill and intelligence of Harry is an incredible lift for everyone as we enter the new season. We want Harry to play a significant part in the management of the team long-term alongside other leaders such as Alex Richardson.”

Tanfield commented: “I have been talking to Ricci [Richard Pascoe] for some time about the Saint Piran project. I loved my time at TDT-Unibet, but the opportunity to come back to a UK team with a strong domestic and international program, trying to do things differently is exciting for me.

“I love the fact I will be using my experience to develop young riders, the team and importantly the UK domestic race scene. Working with Ricci and the team is one of the most exciting developments in my cycling career. Bring on 2024.”

Now aged 64, Carl Barlow has returned to Gold Hill in Shaftsbury where, as a 13-year-old, he made every 70s household in the land feel all warm and fuzzy inside, pushing his bike up the hill and whizzing back down again to the tune of Dvořák’s New World Symphony. They needed that warm and fuzzy feeling too, what with all those winter blackouts and power cuts…

The advert was named the most iconic and heartwarming of all time in 2019, and now Barlow is starring in a new version to celebrate the ad’s 50th anniversary. There he is above on the left, alongside the new Hovis boy, 11-year-old Alex Freeman.

Barlow, who grew up to have four kids and served as a firefighter for over 30 years, said: “This advert has been such a huge part of my life and I am delighted to come back to Gold Hill to recreate the iconic scene.

“While it’s harder to make it to the top of the hill today, the ride back down is still just as great.”

If you want to get all nostalgic about mass-produced loaves, here’s the original advert in all its glory… 

When you think of cities in the Netherlands, a country with more bicycles than people, one might conjure up an image of bikes taking up every bit of spare railing and lamppost available… but the city of Maastricht is clamping down on ‘wild’ parking, and since January, thousands of bikes parked outside of designated bike racks have been confiscated, and some of the owners fined. 

Presumably to reassure the public that this isn’t just heavy-handedness or a revenue maker, the city has now launched a new ‘#posifiets’ campaign alongside the ban, explaining how keeping pavements clear for pedestrians, refraining from texting and riding and parking your bike neatly can make for a more harmonious atmosphere. 

As reported by the Guardian, Maastricht’s mayor Wim Hillenaar said: “It is positive to see that ever more people are using a bike, but on the other hand, this sometimes brings problems in public space … and this decision is because the number of incorrectly parked bicycles remains too high despite all efforts.”

However, the head of the GreenLeft local party Mark Mülders doesn’t completely agree. 

“GreenLeft wants a city where there is as little car traffic as possible … and in all honesty, I’m happy if people take the bike instead of the car,” he said. 

“I would rather that they get a fine for incorrectly parking their car than their bike because everyone who cycles has made a contribution to a car-free inner city.”

What do you think? Should the railings of Maastricht be kept five-bikes-deep, or down with this sort of thing? 

From now until March, Greenwich Park is closed to cyclists coming home from work after 6pm. This is the alternative. You can taste the fumes. There was an LTN here, but no more pic.twitter.com/AgCASaJuUs

— Greenwich Cyclists (@GreenwichCycle) October 31, 2023

In a mega city where increasing numbers are seeing the light and commuting by bike, a combination of an inconvenient evening park closure plus a heavily congested road – that had its LTN scheme scrapped in 2022 – means cycle commuters in Greenwich can “taste the fumes”, according to Greenwich Cyclists. 

> Who are London’s cyclists?

Greenwich Park is closed from 6pm until the spring, meaning cyclists have to take to the roads instead. In addition to this, Greenwich council scrapped the west Greenwich LTN nearly two years ago. Despite a consultation in August over the return of the LTN, Greenwich Cyclists suggest that at the moment, the situation is less than ideal for cyclists… or anyone, judging by these scenes. 

“I don’t understand why they close the park, if people want to get in they will. Just leave it open,” says Jacko. 

However, Del has an alternative take: “Buy a car or move to the country. Anyone who dislikes fumes but lives in a city is not very bright,” they said. Right…