“I went too far”: Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins apologises for tweet saying “someone should kill” Sadiq Khan over ULEZ; Unleashed domestique Sepp Kuss keeps hydrated… by chugging A LOT of champagne on Vuelta podium + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Unleashed star domestique Sepp Kuss keeps hydrated by chugging A LOT of champagne on Vuelta podium
After four long months dominating the ‘teammate of the year’ award in professional cycling, assisting Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard to Grand Tour victories and now onto his third major tour of the season, who can blame Sepp Kuss for enjoying his day in the sun?
🔞😜 Solo para mayores de edad (y ganadores de etapa en #LaVuelta23)
🔞😜 Drink responsibly – only for adults (and Vuelta stage winners!)
🍾 @seppkuss #CriaCuervos 👀 @OutOfCycling pic.twitter.com/tJRFId0g6Q
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 31, 2023
We like to drink with our super climbing domestique because Sepp Kuss is our mate, and when we drink with our wiry 60kg mountain goat he gets it down in eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two… oh, he’s finished…
I made that 14 big gulps of the fizzy stuff, I’m sure his team provided plenty of white rice to soak that up once he returned to the team bus… “No, you’re not ‘just descending down to the hotel’, Sepp”…
Who knew a Kuss vs Pogačar drinking showdown was the real Jumbo-Visma vs UAE Team Emirates battle we needed to see (just don’t invite Pidcock)…
A disgrace to the british isles pic.twitter.com/NxTRKyNQiQ
— #SiempreGino (@NairoInGreen) April 16, 2023
Marc Madiot might have something to say this morning. Groupama-FDJ’s outspoken manager, during the Tour de France, told Jumbo’s boss to… *checks notes*… “shut his mouth” and said that he is “small, shabby” and it’s “pathetic” that Richard Plugge would speak out about seeing rival riders enjoying a rest day beer…
Cue the memes that followed, wonderfully assisted my Madiot…
— Gabriele Gianuzzi (@GabriGianuz) August 31, 2023
Interestingly, ahead of the Tour’s third week, Plugge had said: “Alcohol is poison, and when you are already tired, it’ll make you even more fatigued. At the start of the last week of the Tour, which is the most important, you have to be careful what you eat and drink. In our team nobody drinks alcohol, because that breaks you and even those who aren’t riders shouldn’t drink it. We open our doors, answer all the questions, but you have to look at the other side as well. Because that explains part of the differences, not only in our favour, but also against the others.”
It seems La Vuelta really is the most relaxed Grand Tour…
Man who slashed 42 bicycle tyres during "reckless" spree sentenced
[Peterborough Crown Court]
A 29-year-old man has been handed a 12-month community order after pleading guilty to 42 counts of attempted criminal damage, as well as counts of criminal damage, assault, threatening behaviour, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and theft from a shop, relating to other incidents.
Cambridgeshire Live reports Ife Bellow used a pair of scissors to slash 42 bike tyres in Cambridge at 2am on October 18 last year. His “reckless” spree took place in Drummer Street and Guildhall Street, close to where he was soon arrested by police.
CCTV operators saw him puncture the bikes’ tyres before throwing scissors, which were later recovered, into a bin.
“To this day we still have no explanation for Bellow’s reckless actions. He caused great inconvenience and expense to his victims and has shown himself to be a violent criminal in other areas too. I am glad we were able to bring him before the courts,” PC Jack Burgess said.
Meanwhile in Britain...
— No Context Brits (@NoContextBrits) August 31, 2023
See also:
Reaction to Shimano announcing launch of 12-speed mechanical 105 R7100 groupset to sit alongside existing Di2
It’s what loads of us have been waiting for… @ShimanoROAD unveils 12-speed mechanical 105 R7100 groupset to sit alongside existing Di2 – and it’s a whole lot cheaper… @rideshimano https://t.co/5YXycj0kRA #cycling pic.twitter.com/No3odTjA5v
— road.cc (@roadcc) August 31, 2023
Entirely predictably it was price and lack of rim brake option that caught most people’s eyes…
Russell Massey was one of those #rimbrakes4life people, while Gordon Saunders told us the pricing is “silly”.
Allyson Hurst agreed, calling it “insane”… “same price as [Campagnolo] Chorus mechanical and [Sram] Rival AXS is ridiculous”. Rob Taylor said he’d always been a 105 fan “but now looking at the Tiagra as the trickle down effect now makes this a decent group set without the price”.
Michael Marshall said Campag’s Chorus rim brake offering made him more likely to go there… although “I doubt Campy will do that forever”…
but no rim brakes. shame for people with an older frameset
— Christophe VDM (@ChristopheVDM1) August 31, 2023
Will ULEZ get more people on bikes? + Getting back on the bike after hip surgery with a cycling physio expert on the road.cc Podcast
While we’re talking about ULEZ…
Thomas De Gendt's fan club helps him out
My chain dropped on the second categorised climb of the day. A fan jumped on the road, put my chain on in 5 seconds and pushed me up to speed. All this while saying i’m a machina. Thank you anonymous fan for the great help.
— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) August 31, 2023
Where are these people when I’m blowing up a climb?
Alpecin-Deceuninck's Jimmy Janssens makes young fan's day at La Vuelta
Chapeau, Jimmy Janssens and Alpecin-Deceuninck, winning bunch sprints and hearts at La Vuelta…
@AlpecinDCK Thanks to Jimmy Janssens. You have made a child the happiest in the world #LaVuelta23 pic.twitter.com/TRroug2yKY
— andrestrpt86 (@andrestrpt86) August 31, 2023
Comment of the day
Exactly the level of nitpicking pedantry we love on the live blog.
On a more general sporting discussion, Steve K reckons “it would be quite funny if, after the whole ‘who is the leader, Primoz or Jonas’ thing, Kuss won the GC.” I agree with you there, although something tells us that 25km flat TT might be the end of that particular dream.
Lots of love for Sepp…
Miller: “Not only funny but a much more enjoyable outcome. I do wonder how Jumbo-Visma will handle the team dynamic now that Kuss, a very strong climber, has a handsome lead over his starrier team-mates. What if Kuss suddenly discovers he has an ego?”
Rendel Harris: “I may be being a bit romantic but I reckon P&J would be happy to help him have it if he could TT; it’d be great publicity for them both and superb for the team in terms of US market coverage, also guard against the possibility of Super Sepp deciding he’d like a team leadership elsewhere. Shame it’s not a mountain TT.”
Brexit, Covid, and economic uncertainty blamed as Wiggle Chain Reaction Cycles records £97 million loss
Geraint Thomas crashes at La Vuelta, back on the road
😥 Una caída en el pelotón ha afectado a 🇬🇧@GeraintThomas86. El galés se ha podido reincorporar.
💥 A crash in the peloton for Geraint Thomas – @INEOSGrenadiers, but the Welshman was quickly back on the road.#LaVuelta23 📸 @cxcling pic.twitter.com/OckIKyZLxB
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) September 1, 2023
A sore one for G early on today’s stage, thankfully now back on his bike as the peloton meanders very leisurely towards Oliva. We’ve just had a helicopter close up of some dolphins at a waterpark… one of those days where the camera operators and commentary team are having to go the extra mile due to the serene nature of the racing…
"Dreadful" hit-and-run driver who killed cyclist before "calmly" boarding train to London jailed for five and a half years
Man whose dog bit cyclist and "pulled her off bike" handed suspended sentence and ordered to pay almost £2,000
Geoffrey Soupe wins stage seven of La Vuelta
Absolute chaos on the run into Oliva. Two crashes, one briefly inconveniencing Sepp Kuss before the American was quickly back in the peloton, the second really nasty and leaving Ineos Grenadiers’ Thymen Arensman on the floor being treated by the paramedics.
The sprint wasn’t any less chaotic either, without the big name sprinters and their monster lead outs it became a free-for-all, Geoffrey Soupe taking a surprise win for TotalEnergies ahead of Caja Rural’s Orluis Aular. Something for the French to get excited about…
Oh la victoire de Geoffrey Soupe au sprint !!! Incroyable scénario à Oliva ! Le Français (TotalEnergies) remporte contre toute attente la 7e étape de #LaVuelta23 devant Orluis Aular et Edward Theuns 🤩 #LesRP pic.twitter.com/RE5lTfOfwp
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) September 1, 2023
A few teams will be left licking their wounds after that one…
"I went too far": Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins apologises for tweet saying "someone should kill" Sadiq Khan over ULEZ
Well, well, well…
Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins has now apologised after he was this week suspended from the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, for saying “someone should kill” Sadiq Khan over ULEZ and “it’s time to dump the Muslim mayor”.
road.cc contacted Mullins’ representatives about the suspension and accusations that his posts were racially charged, but never received a reply. Instead this morning the businessman, also known for his staunch anti-cycling stance, apologised while speaking to Talk TV…
“I unreservedly apologise and withdraw my remarks. I went too far. Twitter/X is right to take the action it did,” he said.
X suspended the 70-year-old multimillionaire businessman’s account for violating the social media platform’s rules. It’s not the first time Mullins’ thoughts on transport policy have made headlines…
In 2020, he commissioned a Transport for London parody poster of a cyclist struggling to carry tools which said cyclists were “taking f****** liberties”.
An additional blog post, shared on the company’s website, then took aim at cycling infrastructure and “cycle fascists”, which Mullins’ PR team claimed were responsible for increasing the length of van journeys in the capital.
“I’ve had enough of cycle fascists whining about their precious road space when what they really want is to run all non-cycles off the road,” the blog, written in the first person as if by Mullins himself, said. “And I’m also sick of the bike bureaucrats who have taken over TfL, and who as we speak are painting great swathes of Central London’s roads blue, making it next to impossible to run any kind of service business.
“Businesses like mine, and many others that rely on the transport of large amounts of equipment, tools and goods about the city cannot operate on bicycles. It is a ridiculous proposition. Any fool can figure out it doesn’t work. And please don’t tell me to get a cargo bike because unless they are the size of a van or a lorry and can be made secure they are exactly as useful as a chocolate teapot.”
The blog was later edited following a backlash, before a month later the plumbing provider posted a video on social media asking for help to track down a cyclist who allegedly kicked out a wing mirror on Mullins’ Bentley.
However, a number of users called out the footage as fake, with one accusing the firm of staging a publicity stunt and a “false flag” attack to whip up resentment against bike riders.
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Latest Comments
@perce we all like a polite and courteous poster! Much as motorists like a polite and courteous cyclist doffing their helmet (possibly from a hedge they've obliging leapt into along, say, a leafy lane in Essex).
"attributed by experts", yeah sure, ok! Citing 8 year out of date per capita figures shows the weakness of your argument. Here's a couple of reasons I believe that the Netherlands fatality rate might be higher than the UK (independent of the crappy Dutch infrastructure), none of which you and Chrisonatrike suggested or mentioned: 1) not enough people wearing helmets in Netherlands. All sane people know that wearing a cycling helmet can potentially save lives, yet the Dutch seem to think themselves too special to wear one. Despite the fact the Netherlands has a superior privatised health system compared to our rotten, inefficient NHS, post-crash options are limited for people with severe head trauma which will inevitable lead to increased fatalities in the Netherlands. 2) Risk compensation by drivers and cyclists. Cyclists are lulled into a false sense of security thinking that segregated cycle lanes are their special infrastructure which insulate them from accidents. They don't. Then, car drivers take more risks due to increased congestion caused by the same cycling infrastructure, leading to a double-whammy of risky behaviour. 3) Cultural issues. People in the UK are renowned for their stiff upper lip, stoic, courteous behaviour. They naturally protect more vulnerable road users. I, myself, had a magnificent cycling experience earlier today on the local country lanes, waving and saying hello to the locals and cyclists alike. There really isn't a place like the UK (well, outside London anyway) that matches our hospitality and camaraderie. P.s. I'm not sure who Nigel is, I assumed you meant Nigel Farage but I can assure you I'm not him and that he has more pressing things to do than write responses on a cycling website. I hope that's helped your understanding a little, and enabled you to think a little independently rather than just suck in information that self-described "experts" want you to believe. Oh and Norway et Al are terrible comparators as hardly anyone lives there (and who'd want to to be honest? Lol!)
Yup. The UK has latterly tried add the safety back in after it was lost for vulnerable road users. (And after giving all the direct routes / valuable space over to motoring). But it's offering a modicum more safety in return for them losing a lot more convenience - so that has been reducing the "problem" also! Plus we lean heavily on "but people can be trusted to be reasonable" and "for any misbehaviour police it better". Unfortunately those are not good assumptions or choices for safety in a motornormative environment. (And road policing isn't a priority anyway). NL isn't the only place in Europe they've realised that mass motoring the old way is unsustainable (for lots of reasons). They're just the furthest on. In NL they still have some challenges because the (larger - thanks US!) car strikes back, and there are some questions about the impact of e-things. But they're *still* investing in improvements, and proportionally significantly more than the UK, even though they're already far ahead...
The Stockton Hub which I used occasionally (I don't live in Stockton) was open only during standard office hours, Mondays to Fridays, rendering it useless for families and leisure cyclists. It's a standard problem for a lot of government-funded or charity-run public services which close when many people most need them, presumably because staffing costs would rise substantially. The article also mentions cycle hubs in Redcar and Darlington which, so far as I can tell, have never existed.
Ho ho ho! No, we need to stop these idiotic cyclists completely (or limit them to velodromes, parks and maybe "rail trails") - that way there won't be any cyclist road fatalities! Simples! Meanwhile in many parts ofEurope they're finding the benefits of making it such that lots of people don't use cars for every journey - by fixing it so it's convenient and increasingly safe - despite much larger numbers of people getting around outside of cars than in the UK...
The fatality rate in the UK has fallen five years in a row during a period, starting with the Covid years, in which building of "idiotic Dutch roundabouts and segregated cycling infrastructure" has massively increased, so in fact using your own benchmark the statistics clearly show the benefits of increased cycling infrastructure. Not quite the gotcha you seem to think when viewed through non-troll lenses, Nige. The stupidity of your "argument" is further clearly illustrated by the fact that the list-topping Norway, Sweden and Denmark all have massive segregated cycling networks. The Dutch model used to demonstrate clearly the safer nature of the Dutch system, e.g. in 2018 the Netherlands had 8 fatalities per billion kms ridden compared to 21 in the UK; the primary reason for the increased fatality rates in the Netherlands has been attributed by experts to the massive uptake in ebikes (47% of new bikes sold in NL are now ebikes compared to 10% in the UK), particularly amongst the older population, nothing to do with the infrastructure.
It used to be great price this, but they played the ace marketing card and got the popularity and now...
Many thanks for posting these statistics and showing the downward trend in fatalities. One thing that stood out for me when clicking through to the government statistics page is the UK's exemplary record on this Vs other European countries, especially the much-vaunted record of The Netherlands, which actually shows twice as many fatalities as the UK per million of the population. The question that arises is therefore: why are the greens and other left-wing parties so keen to adopt an inferior and more dangerous road system when ours is obviously working well? It smacks of a need to regulate people's lives and curtail freedom. We need to stop these idiotic Dutch roundabouts and segregated cycling infrastructure, and get people sharing the road in a fair and equal manner, when the statistics show it's safer to do so. (Chart shows road fatalities per million population)
That's where the convertible aspect comes in. I've got a gravel bike but the canal I sometimes commute on has roots under the tarmac and barriers. The mtb with 'drops' is more comfortable for this and fits through the barriers. If I want to do something more technical I can put the flat bars on.
33 thoughts on ““I went too far”: Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins apologises for tweet saying “someone should kill” Sadiq Khan over ULEZ; Unleashed domestique Sepp Kuss keeps hydrated… by chugging A LOT of champagne on Vuelta podium + more on the live blog”
I know it won’t happen, but
I know it won’t happen, but it would be quite funny if, after the whole “who is the leader, Primoz or Jonas” thing, Kuss won the GC.
Steve K wrote:
Not only funny but a much more enjoyable outcome. I do wonder how JV will handle the team dynamic now that Kuss, a very strong climber, has a handsome lead over his starrier team-mates. What if Kuss suddenly discovers he has an ego?
Steve K wrote:
I may be being a bit romantic but I reckon P&J would be happy to help him have it if he could TT; it’d be great publicity for them both and superb for the team in terms of US market coverage, also guard against the possibility of Super Sepp deciding he’d like a team leadership elsewhere. Shame it’s not a mountain TT.
Rendel Harris wrote:
This is the outcome we’re all rooting for. Especially with the GC timings all over the place.
“Sepp Kuss keeps hydrated by
“Sepp Kuss keeps hydrated by chugging A LOT of champagne”
Technically, and legally, not a champagne. A sparkling wine, most likely a cava. But not Champagne made to Champagne methods using grapes from Champagne.
This kind of distinction keeps lawyers happy, but it is also a fantastic way of winding up the french.
the little onion wrote:
Not to mention that actually a lot of french wines have their origin in the Americas, and that it was the English who actually ensured (through the design of a glass bottle strong enough to contain champagne) that we still have Champagne today.
“I went too far” – the
“I went too far” – the unusually understated Charlie Mullins OBEFN
People complaining over the
People complaining over the price of the new 105 amuse me.
The 11 speed disc brake version used to RRP at £899, so about £100 less than the new version. Take into account inflation since 2018 (when R7000 was introduced) that’s not that wide of the mark. And as for the #savetherimbrake it makes no sense why they would even attempt to do so. Rim brakes were completely phased out of new complete bikes at mid-range halfway during the last iteration. They are only available as high end custom framesets (which you would put the best of the best components on – Dura Ace and Ultegra are both available aftermarket as rim brake options – components only) or on entry level bikes which are still currently cheaper to produce. Yes, upgrades on older frames are nice and all, but a lot of standards have evolved in that time too.
Also we have yet to see what Shimano does with the remaining road groupset tiers. The simultaneous release of GRX 820 and 610 12 speed (no news on what’s happening to rx400) might hold a clue, as neither Campagnolo nor SRAM offer dedicated groupsets at 11 speed or below anymore (spares are still available) it stands to reason that Tiagra and below could be replaced by a road version of the CUES system, which there are meant to be road-going additions to the range announced next year. There are rim brake options in the current CUES system for hybrid bikes but these are only available at the cheapest options.
It looks like Shimano are splitting their road and MTB groupsets into performance and affordable catergories instead of trying to blur the lines in the mid-tier. Despite having by far the largest market share its current business model is not sustainable with the threat of budget componentry from China and the performance competition from SRAM. The mid range market has shrunk because if you want an entry point, Tiagra equipped bikes are too expensive, so Sora or Claris are better options. If you are an enthusiast who wants performance, you want 105 at a minimum and you don’t want a groupset that lags behind. After the release of 12sp road equipment, 11sp 105 began to look very dated in comparison. Making the budget groupsets more robust and less performance orientated makes sense.
Charlie makes me chuckle. If
Charlie makes me chuckle. If more people who could replace a car with a bike and used bike lanes, there would be less cars on the road and it would be easier for his vans to get to jobs. He should be encouraging it really.
Benji326 wrote:
FTFY
Are the number of cars on the
Are the number of cars on the road countable? I doubt it.
Benji326 wrote:
Not to mention tweeting less and googling more…
Anyone else notice the irony
Anyone else notice the irony (hipocrisy?) of Mullins’ comments about cyclists (/cycle lanes) slowing down his employees/vehicles?
Him, standing next to that behemoth of a car, and all the others driving oversized vehicles are a far bigger contributor to the traffic gridlock in London.
Yeah but that’s logic, i.e.
Yeah but that’s logic, i.e. inaccessible to 95% of the human population and 100% of rightwingers.
Yes to ULEZ.
Yes to ULEZ.
Although no scope in leafy Essex where everyone is polite and considerate.
There must be a scooter/moped meet in the area judging by the number coming the other way. But the fumes were absolutely disgusting.
Are they mot exempt or something?
They’ll mostly be 2 strokes,
They’ll mostly be 2 strokes, literally burning oil (well oil/petrol mix).
Now banned as new but still allowed on the road.
I used to love the smell of fully synthetic 2-stroke oil in the morning from mine.
Secret_squirrel wrote:
How I miss that smell!
Bring back the FS1E and Elsie!
I don’t ride my GT200 very
I don’t ride my GT200 very often but I do enjoy it when I do. It’s of note that two strokes are nowhere near as bad for human health as diesels. This is because two strokes don’t emit the microparticles that cause heart and lung diseases. While two strokes do emit visible smoke, the particles are larger and do not remain airborne for very long. No they aren’t clean, but they’re not as dirty as you might expect in other words.
GT200 – very nice! Similiar
GT200 – very nice! Similiar to the older RD200/250.
For me it’s the noise as well as the smell!
Lucky escape lunchtime.
Lucky escape lunchtime.
Going just under 35 in a 60 downhill, taking the lane.
Just ahead as the uphill starts, bus is at a stop with 4 or 5 vehicles in a queue. Bloke behind decides it’s a great time to overtake with the oncoming traffic.
I think the combo of the driver the other way putting their lights on full and me sticking my arm out in a stop gesture got them to abandon.
I don’t have a rear camera but that driver needs immediate retraining or a ban.
Fun one on my way back to
Fun one on my way back to work just now.
“There’s a cycle lane back there mate!” yelled from the window of (what else) a giant SUV by (who else) a bald middle aged fat man.
The cycle lane in question? A pavement with a bike painted onto it that was, at that time, home to two mums who each had three children under 5, one each in a pram and four running about at full speed.
A polite middle finger in response seemed to shock him but encouraging me to put toddler’s lives at risk was reasonable?
p.s. I have nothing against
p.s. I have nothing against those who are overweight or losing their hair but there does seem to be a pattern to those who yell at cyclists.
There certainly seems to be a
There certainly seems to be a correlation, if not causation!
Seems the car brains are ok
Seems the car brains are ok with direct protest action when it is for a cause they agree with. Interesting to see the difference in the response compared to the usual twooters on JSO etc.
https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/1697584401301799183
Bloody hell that is
Bloody hell that is depressing reading.
Hero’s (sic)
Re: Man who slashed 42
Re: Man who slashed 42 bicycle tyres during “reckless” spree sentenced
But what about the horses that might colic in the night, and all the other urgent nocturnal journeys street parking SUV drivers need to undertake?
Surely fake news !
Surely fake news !
“Spotted on the morning dog walk today. Cargo bikes for trade are really taking off and it’s brilliant to see. So much more gentle on the neighbourhood and really encourages social interaction.”
https://twitter.com/waxwellmilson/status/1697513734967644313
Hirsute wrote:
That dangerous veehikle is the wrong colour, as only a certain bloo is allowed, redolent of CH4RLE gasguzzler and/or Toryspiv lie-banner. I have rung the prospecting would-be Toryspiv mayor o’ Landin, who is a polis commissioner and he’ll be sending tweny three large constables to
beat uparrest the owner.One to bookmark from
One to bookmark from Inspector Kev, sometime of this parish
Many is the person I’ve had in the back of a squad car that’s told me “you’ve ruined my life. I’m going to lose my job” after failing a breath test. Actually, no I didn’t make you break the law. That one’s on you. People need to realise breaking the law has consequences
Hirsute wrote:
Unless you buy a Loophole spiv and get a judge & jury of sometime drunken motorists as yet uncaught.
Hardly surprising that
Hardly surprising that Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins plumbs the depths. It’s where he lives.
“Zaphod sighed a “what is the
“Zaphod sighed a “what is the world coming to” sort of sigh to absolve himself from all blame, and swung himself round in his seat. “Ship?” he called. “Yup?” said the ship. “Do what I do.” The ship thought about this for a few milliseconds and then, after double checking all the seals on its heavy duty bulkheads, it began slowly, inexorably, in the hazy blaze of its lights, to sink to the lowest depths.”
Extract from Young Zaphod Plays it Safe (1986)
http://lib.ru/ADAMS/dayz1_.txt
There aren’t enough Douglas
There aren’t enough Douglas Adams quotes in my life.
I am glad I can come here for them.