“Unusual for a cyclist”: Pedestrian aims dig at Jeremy Vine – just as motorist drives onto zebra crossing; Race official drives into Giulio Ciccone during post-race interview; Paint is not protection, pro cycling style + more on the live blog

Cycling broadcaster Jezza Vine’s latest clip from his London commute has certainly fired up everyone in the comments section. Here’s a selection of what some of you were saying, from ingrained anti-cycling attitudes to zebra crossing etiquette:

Rendel Harris: “Those sort of passive aggressive ‘compliments’ are extremely tiresome. I had a recent example in The Mall when I stopped at the red light halfway down because I wasn’t sure whether the road had been reopened to traffic or not after the Horse Guards had ridden through.

“A policeman on the corner said, ‘Go on, you can ride through’. I thanked him and then he said, ‘Cyclists usually ignore red lights, why stop now?’ – indicative of an almost psychopathic desire to get an insult in somewhere, oh, you haven't done anything wrong I can have a go at you about, I'll have a go at cyclists in general instead then.”

Quite the irony. Couldn't illustrate it better if you were to design the situation... https://t.co/rj1UQG2rR7

— Uppsala Cyclist (@UppsalaCyclist) March 10, 2023

Cycle92: “It might just be me, but I wouldn’t have bothered filtering here as he’s turning left and the space and view are limited. Too much of tight squeeze looking at Jeremy wobble through.

“Waving the pedestrians on is a big no for me as well. They need to make the decision to cross, not the people already on the highway. They weren’t on the crossing when the vehicle moved off. It’s in the Highway Code. Poor awareness from both the driver and Jeremy.”

HoarseMann: “The ‘wave of death’ perfectly executed by Jeremy there. I make a point of almost never waving pedestrians across the road.

“Whilst the Highway Code rule H2 now says you ‘should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross’, it’s not illegal to continue over the crossing.

“I think there’s a danger here that you can take rule H2 too literally. I think those pedestrians were actually holding back for Jeremy and the van to get over the crossing. The new rules don’t mean pedestrians are no longer allowed to be courteous and let a cyclist/vehicle cross when they technically could have just continued walking.

“I haven’t done much cycling in London, but here I would have stayed behind the van. If I were to filter in this situation, I would have just kept going and got out of the way of the van (it would have been safer for the pedestrians rather than encouraging them to cross).”

Car Delenda Est: “Don’t wave someone across, it implies they’re wasting everyone’s precious time and can hurry them into an unsafe situation.

“Just acknowledge them with a nod and if you’re feeling impatient just walk through the crossing.”

SteveK: “Yep, agree with all that. But the point about attitudes – comments on the cyclist, ignores the terrible driving – still stands.”

That’s it for this week’s live blog – I hope you all have a fun and safe weekend!

Giulio Ciccone’s collision with a distracted race official proved a fitting end to an ignominious day for rider safety at two of the biggest week-long stage races on the planet.

Earlier at Tirreno-Adriatico, as we noted on yesterday’s live blog, the peloton was forced to negotiate a junction seemingly straight out of a particularly gruelling Mario Kart course…

Um this is an INSANELY dangerous road furniture situation - spot the course official hiding at the end... 😬#TirrenoAdriatico pic.twitter.com/3UsLlG5iPK

— Katy M (@writebikerepeat) March 9, 2023

And later that afternoon at Paris-Nice, as the riders entered the final kilometre in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, a spot of (admittedly very brief) segregated cycling infrastructure at the exit of a roundabout added a rather unnecessary layer of sketchiness and terror to the usual drama of a bunch sprint.

900 meters from the finish line.

Cycling is one of the worst sports bad for the safety of riders and spectators. 😡 https://t.co/gwhQhmqmZF

— Florian Senechal-Staelens (@flosenech) March 9, 2023

As Astana’s Joe Dombrowski and several others noted on Twitter, Paris-Nice’s perilous roundabout proved a telling indicator of the disparity between the increasing range of road safety measures being put in place for everyday cyclists and the safety needs of the pro peloton.

Is safe cycling infra making road racing more dangerous?

You’re absolutely right Brian, but bearing in mind the traffic calming measures and bike lanes that all French towns and cities are putting the only realistic way to avoid situations would be to finish in the countryside

— Peter Cossins (@petercossins) March 9, 2023

Ironically all the infrastructure to make cycling safer in cities, makes it more dangerous for us ..

— Joe Dombrowski (@JoeDombro) March 9, 2023

Nevertheless, the pitiful lack of warning given by the race organisers during yesterday’s finale did at least emphasise one common ground shared by commuters and pros alike: that paint is not protection:

But it has paint.

— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) March 9, 2023

Everything under control, it’s even coloured in pink, we’re used to this!! Right @cpacycling ?

— Alessandro De Marchi (@ADM_RossodiBuja) March 9, 2023

Inside podium ceremony - and Rogla warns everybody off - champagne shower coming!!! 😂🥳 #TirrenoAdriatico2023 pic.twitter.com/p3CfcmOlK7

— Cycling_Eve (@CyclingEve) March 10, 2023

If we’ve learnt anything in pro cycling over the last six years or so, it’s to never write off Primož Roglič.

On the final, truncated climb of stage five of Tirreno-Adriatico to Sarnano Sassotetto this afternoon, the Slovenian lurked near the back of the slowly dwindling front group, sheltering from the strong winds that had buffeted the bunch all day and forced the organisers to move the finish 2.5km down the mountain.

Roglič aint looking too fabulous*

*This will come back to bite me in 30 seconds...#TirrenoAdriatico

— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) March 10, 2023

In fact, hiding was the modus operandi for most of the peloton on the headwind-affected climb, with only Bahrain-Victorious’ Giro podium placing veteran Damiano Caruso daring to venture off the front with just under five kilometres left.

(Hmmm… Roglič and Jumbo-Visma haven’t reacted. Maybe he’s suffering? It is his first race back after all.)

For a long time, it looked like the waiting game (thanks, Sean) played by the GC contenders was destined to work in the Italian’s favour – but a late surge by Enric Mas and Giulio Ciccone (who showed no ill effects from his bizarre collision with a distracted car-driving race official after yesterday’s stage) ultimately snuffed out Caruso’s chances in the final kilometre.

(And still, everyone’s favourite former ski jumper is nowhere to be seen.)

Meanwhile, as Tom Pidcock dropped off the back as the attacks started to fly, EF’s Hugh Carthy looked sprightly, before another Brit, the Ineos Grenadiers’ Giro winner Tao Geoghegan Hart, launched the sprint from a still sizeable front group.

(Nope, still can’t see him.)

The Londoner was forced to settle for third, however, after being passed first by the strong Ciccone, before finally, finally, finally, Roglič – whose newly shaven legs had barely felt the considerably wind all day – once again proved that his timing is immaculate, making it two-from-two at Tirreno and inheriting Lennard Kämna’s blue leader’s jersey in the process.

🏅🇸🇮Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) gana la Etapa 5 de la Tirreno-Adriático 2023 🇮🇹 #TirrenoAdriatico #TirrenoAdriatico2023 #Noticiclismo #Ciclismo pic.twitter.com/CVVCjfCYbP

— NotiCiclismo ➡ 🇮🇹 #TirrenoAdriatico (@Noticiclismo1) March 10, 2023

That man knows how to bite back. What a finish.#TirrenoAdriatico https://t.co/Dz6QPh6S8Z

— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) March 10, 2023

Now pay attention kids – that’s how you race when it’s windy.

Can't believe they're having a rest day during the Paris to Nice Race In The Sun. It's only a week long!! Can't imagine the tough riders from the old days like Sir Wiggins and Sir Froome needing a day off in such a short race!!

— UK Cycling Expert (@ukcyclingexpert) March 10, 2023

Trees have been blown over at the Paris-Nice, apparently. Surely the cyclers could put on their windproofed onesies and hop over the tree trunks like Art Won Nowt and Tom Peacock do in the outdoor cross-country cycling?

— UK Cycling Expert (@ukcyclingexpert) March 10, 2023

Oh, UK Cycling Expert, how we’ve missed you…

❌ Stage 6 of Paris-Nice has ultimately been cancelled because of strong winds & damages on the course.#ParisNice pic.twitter.com/PNv5IBz5Is

— Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (@IntermarcheCW) March 10, 2023

It’s a case of Mistral Stopped Play at Paris-Nice today as, despite the organisers’ attempts to shorten the stage and move it away from the windiest parts of the course, stage six of the Race to the Sun to La Colle-sur-Loup has been cancelled thanks to the adverse weather conditions in the Alpes-Maritimes.

The cancellation, made as the riders headed to a new hastily arranged start 120km down the road, comes as no surprise, with rumours of fallen trees and worried police on the finishing circuit making the decision to call the stage off on safety grounds a no-brainer.

Well, at least it won’t take you too long to digest this evening’s highlights package before Gogglebox starts:

Exclusive highlights of Paris-Nice stage 6 - one for the ages. pic.twitter.com/GYtakKVP8P

— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) March 10, 2023

As always in these situations, all sorts of rumours pinging between teams & riders at Paris-Nice - including of fallen trees blocking the road on the finishing circuit & the police not wanting race to pass. For now, though, stage is shortened not cancelled.

— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) March 10, 2023

Despite the ominous rumours, the riders are now all in their team buses on the way to the modified start in La Fontaine d’Aragon – we’ll keep you informed if there are any more changes to what is currently the ‘Race From The Wind’…

🇫🇷 #ParisNice

Yes it was windy at the presentation already @ParisNice 💨
Boys are back in the bus and we’re off to La Fontaine d’Aragon for the start of the shortened stage. pic.twitter.com/0YgljqXIsq

— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) March 10, 2023

After yesterday’s safety debacle, the organisers of both Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico have been forced to shorten today’s stages due to the threat of high winds.

At Tirreno, that means that the potentially race-defining summit finish at Sarnano-Sassotetto will be cut by 2.5km due to the windy conditions at the Apennine ski station – reducing the final climb’s length from 13.2km to 10.7km as a result (though, with the mountain’s harshest gradients coming at the halfway mark, the reduction shouldn’t have a major outcome on the result).

The final climb at Tirreno today has been shortened due to extreme wind. This is the new final #TirrenoAdriatico https://t.co/uQFoO0GKFm

— Katy M (@writebikerepeat) March 10, 2023

“Due to the weather conditions of strong wind on the top of the mountain, RCS Sport, the race organisation, has decided to anticipate the finish line compared to the previously planned one, in order to ensure the greatest safety of the race and all its actors,” Tirreno’s organisers announced this morning.

Meanwhile, at Paris-Nice the Race to the Sun will briefly become the race to the bus, with the wind causing today’s hilly stage to La Colle-sur-Loup to be reduced by 118km to just 80km.

According to reports, the bunch will do a lap for the fans around the scheduled start town of Tourves before jumping in their team vehicles to head to La Fontaine d’Aragon, where ASO hopes the more sheltered landscape and the forecast for less imposing gusts will allow the race to carry on.

Fingers crossed we get to see some racing today. Though I suppose it could be worse…

Paris-Nice 1956 pic.twitter.com/JeJyfLxkS3

— Perdants magnifiques (@TousPoulidor) March 10, 2023