“Look mum, I’m on TV!”: Rogue amateur cycling next to João Almeida at Itzulia Basque Country goes viral, as fans spark ‘I’m Spartacus’ moment; Barcelona manager “delighted to get away from football” to watch Paris-Roubaix + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“I have to sleep upright, face up; I can barely move”: Isaac del Toro battling crash bruises… and still securing podiums
Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) continued to show why he’s one of the breakout stars of cycling with a gutsy second-place finish on stage four of the Itzulia Basque Country — a performance that came despite the lingering effects of two recent crashes.
The 21-year-old Mexican crossed the line 28 seconds behind teammate João Almeida, who launched a late solo move to take both the stage win and the overall race lead.
“It was a great effort from the team,” Del Toro said post-race. “These stages are very difficult because of the work and very nerve-wracking, but João Almeida is in great shape and knew how to fight until the end and win. Hats off to the team for winning.”
Del Toro, who recently won Milano-Torino, isn’t in contention for the general classification this week, largely due to crashes that have taken a toll.
“I’m recovering from the crash at the GP Miguel Indurain. I’m feeling better from those knocks, but I also crashed on Tuesday during the second stage, and my right side is bruised. I have to sleep upright, face up; I can barely move,” he said.
The young rider’s form has been undeniable, but his physical condition is still acting as a limiting factor. Nonetheless, he’s proving to be a key asset in the mountains – and may play a vital role in helping Almeida hold on to the yellow jersey which the Spanish will be wearing today.
“It’s incredible to see these riders. I’m delighted to see these beasts to get away from football”: Barcelona coach Luis Enrique names his three favourites for Paris-Roubaix
We’re only one day away from bike racing at the Hell of the North, and Barcelona coach, after seeing his team demolish Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, has declared his three favourites for the men’s race — it’s quite unsurprising picks in all honesty…
When asked by a journalist if he saw Pogačar as the clear favourite for the race, the Spanish football manager, who’s also known to have a passion for cycling, said: “There are also Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert… It’s incredible to see these riders. I’m delighted to see these beasts to get away from football.”
“I’m finally climbing more than inflation”: Kristen Faulkner posts monster 3,500m elevation climb on Strava
American Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner came with some jokes on her recent Strava post — a training ride in Spain in which she climbed 3,500 metres.
One person commented under the post: “Are you descending faster than the S&P 500?” to which she replied: “I’ll let you know tomorrow!”
Edinburgh cycling and walking projects delayed by up to a decade, prompting call for action from Green councillors
A string of active travel infrastructure projects in Edinburgh, set to host the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ, have been hit with significant delays—some stretching as far back as ten years—raising serious concerns about the city’s commitment to improving walking and cycling routes.
City councillors revealed that 27 out of 39 active travel schemes have slipped beyond their original deadlines, including some major routes long promised to residents. The information came to light in a response to a question at a full council meeting last year.
Among the worst-hit projects is the cycling link between the Meadows and the Union Canal, which was originally due for completion in 2016 but is now expected in 2026. The active travel works along Fountainbridge and Dundee Street have also been delayed from 2017 to 2027, reports EdinburghLIve.
Other flagship schemes haven’t fared much better. The Meadows to George Street corridor has been pushed from a 2022 completion to 2028, while George Street improvements are now not expected until 2029—eight years behind the original plan.
Some projects, like the active travel upgrade for the Powderhall Railway path in Broughton, are currently listed as ‘on hold’ with no completion date. Others, including the Portobello to Musselburgh route, are now ‘under review’. Even Charlotte Square’s long-awaited improvements have slipped from 2016 to a tentative 2027 date.
The extent of the delays has prompted Green councillor and party co-leader Chas Booth to raise an emergency motion calling for urgent action. “Funding and staffing resources, as well as some of the bureaucracy involved in building new infrastructure,” were cited as key reasons for the hold-ups.
Although the motion was not accepted as an emergency item, the Green group is expected to re-table it at the next Transport and Environment Committee meeting following the council’s April recess.
If passed, the motion would instruct council officers to return within three months with concrete proposals to reduce delays and get projects back on track.
“Next level appalling”: Driver blasts horn at cyclist and child as Ronnie Pickering-style passenger tells him he “shouldn’t be in the middle of the bloody road”
What it’s all about: Pocket-rocket Pogi beats dinky dasher De Lie, as little riders stage alternative sprint at Roubaix velodrome
And the Belgian champion beats the world champion Tadej Pogačar in the Paris Roubaix sprint. What a cute moment 😍
Thank you for sending the video Pieter. #ParisRoubaix pic.twitter.com/c87Ghqroa0
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) April 10, 2025
Of course, someone had to comment: “Don’t see De Lie doing that”…
UCI confirms move of gravel world championships from Nice to Zuid-Limburg in the Netherlands
The UCI has confirmed a change of venue for the 2025 Gravel World Championships, with the race now set to take place in the Zuid-Limburg region of the Netherlands on 11-12 October—one week earlier than originally planned.
Originally scheduled for Nice, France, the fourth edition of the rapidly growing off-road discipline will instead unfold across the hilly terrain of southern Limburg, with support from the municipalities of Maastricht, Beek, and Beekdaelen.
The event will again be organised by Golazo, the Belgian-based events group behind previous editions and a host of other high-profile races.
Zuid-Limburg isn’t new to top-level racing. The region, steeped in Dutch cycling heritage, has hosted five editions of the UCI Road World Championships and earned UCI Bike Region status back in 2016. Most recently, Valkenburg—just up the road—hosted Marly Grav, a UCI Gravel World Series event and likely taste of what’s to come in October.
Dutch riders currently hold both rainbow jerseys: Mathieu van der Poel in the Elite Men’s and Marianne Vos in the Elite Women’s category.
> UCI president David Lappartient vows to stand up to Donald Trump in pitch for top Olympic job
UCI President David Lappartient, recently in the news after his unsuccessful Olympic presidency bid, said: “I’m delighted that the South-Limburg region, in the province of Limburg, will be involved in the organisation of the 2025 UCI Gravel World Championships and would like to thank them for submitting their bid after the city of Nice withdrew.
“By hosting the UCI Gravel World Championships, the province of Limburg has further enhanced its standing as a leading cycling region at international level, while contributing to the development of gravel, a discipline that is still quite new and has considerable potential for growth.”
Cycling confirmed as third largest sport at LA 2028 Olympics with 514 athletes and 22 gold medals across five disciplines
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced the official programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games—and it’s good news for cycling fans.
With 514 riders competing across five disciplines, cycling will be the third largest sport at LA 2028 in terms of both participant numbers and Olympic titles on offer.
A total of 22 gold medals will be awarded across road, track, mountain bike, BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle—reflecting the sport’s growing breadth and popularity on the world stage.
Road cycling will see the largest field, with 180 riders set to line up for the road races and time trials. Track cycling comes in even bigger, with 190 athletes contesting events like the sprint, team pursuit and Madison. Mountain biking will see 72 athletes battle it out in the cross-country events, while BMX Racing and BMX Freestyle Park will feature 48 and 24 riders, respectively.
Similar to last year’s Paris Olympic Games, there will be exactly 257 women and men’s riders competing, with parity upheld in every discipline.
The qualification systems for each cycling event will be published between late 2025 and early 2026.
New study confirms what bike commuters already know: riding to work makes you healthier, more productive, and sick less often
For city cyclists dodging traffic and potholes on a daily basis, the benefits of bike commuting often speak for themselves: no gridlock, a breeze in your face, and a mini workout before your morning coffee.
Now, a new study from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health confirms what many of us already suspected: cycling to work actually makes you healthier, more productive, and takes a real chunk out of sick days — but on the flip side, they are also at an added risk of getting caught in collisions while commuting.
Researchers Jenni Ervasti and Essi Kalliolahti followed municipal employees to measure the effects of commuting habits on health and job performance. The findings? Riders who regularly cycled to work took significantly fewer sick days and reported feeling healthier and more capable in their roles.
The numbers are pretty striking: those who pedalled to work most often chalked up 531 fewer sick days per 100 person-years compared to their non-cycling colleagues. That’s a serious case for swapping the driver’s seat for a saddle.
The study did show that regular, year-round cyclists face a slightly higher risk of commuting accidents, particularly in winter and on longer rides. But those risks are mostly short-term, and Kalliolahti says the long-term health gains still outweigh the crash risk.
“Commuting by bike, especially regularly and over longer distances, significantly improves work ability and overall health,” she said. “Even when we factor in the increased accident risk, the advantages are clear.”
Occasional bike commuting didn’t offer the same benefits—riders saw the biggest boost when cycling became a consistent routine, not just a fair-weather option. The research also makes a strong case for cities and employers to do more to support active travel. More protected bike lanes, better infrastructure, and workplace facilities like safe bike storage, changing rooms, or even mileage incentives could all help.
“Providing safe bike storage, change rooms, or even mileage incentives could go a long way,” said Kalliolahti. “But above all, we need to prioritise safety—bike helmets, proper lighting, and studded tyres in winter can help reduce the risk of accidents.”
The findings echo a previous study published in BMJ Public Health, which found that regular cycle commuters had a 47 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality than those using cars or public transport.
So if you’re already a year-round rider, pat yourself on the back! And if not? Maybe it’s time to give the daily ride a go — for your health, your headspace, and your city.
“More money p***ed up the wall”: Drivers fume at Bristol’s new ‘leaning support rail’ for cyclists to rest at top of steep city streets
Ben Healy wins Itzulia Basque Country stage five with 55km attack from breakaway
EF Education-EasyPost’s Ben Healy has won the fifth stage of Itzulia Basque Country with an astonishing 55km solo ride from the breakaway, crossing the finish line almost two minutes before Ineos Grenadiers’ Axel Laurance.
Ben Healy owns Stage 5 of Itzulia Basque Country 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ri0gf7D9U0
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) April 11, 2025
“I had good legs today and glad I could finish it off in the end like I did,” the Irishman said after the race. “We had two guys in the breakaway and it was a strong group, and we didn’t want to risk it, so I went in the tailwind, had good legs today, keep a gap and made it stick to the line.”
There were no changes in the overall general classification today, with João Almeida still in the lead ahead of Soudal Quick-Step’s Max Schachmann.
“Look mum, I’m on TV!”: Rogue amateur cycling next to João Almeida at Itzulia Basque Country goes viral, as fans spark ‘I’m Spartacus’ moment on social media
Now that’s a picture of a lifetime.
As Almeida soared to a brilliant solo victory in the fourth stage of Itzulia Basque Country, carving out a lead of 30 seconds in the general classification, the broadcast caught a rather unusual sight — a non-pro cyclist casually riding the same road as the peloton.
The rather relaxed riding style, contrasted with the aggressive descending of the UAE Team Emirates rider, hasn’t failed to amuse cyclists online, many trying to figure out who is the unknown cyclist — some even jokingly laying claim to be the one.
One person wrote: “At least he has a picture with Almeida during the action, I’d love to have one,” while another wrote: “I wish it was me!”
Another person wrote rather frankly: “Damn, my a** is bigger than I thought.”
Any live blog readers willing to claim to be the one? Let us know in the comments…
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Where reasonable to do so and you have a reasonable belief that the classification is wrong you can fairly state that "I believe higher rights exist for this route and that I am entitled to exercise them until the matter is settled at a Public Inquiry". If the land owner (or authorised representative) requests you leave you do so in the intended direction of travel politely. Events are a different argument as someone is using the access rights on someone's land to make a commercial profit and enters a grey area whether agreement of the landowner should be sought. Large events on the highway would normally be expected to get permission of the local authority.
I miss wiggle. They were like Amazon without the ethical concerns...well, unless you really liked and wanted to support your local bike shop. St. Johns Cycles is great with knowledgable staff, but I think they aim at a slightly different type of rider.
@Daveyraveygravey cycling UK have got a good guide with a list: https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/cycling-guide/where-can-i-cycle-off-road …and whilst it's a 'no' for cycling on public footpaths, it's not illegal like riding on a pavement alongside the road - so I do sometimes do it where it's not going to upset anyone.
I was hoping to find a succinct list at the end of this article! Bridleways - yes. Restricted byways - yes again, I think (?) Footpaths - no. I'm usually on my own, in the South Downs, not racing or shredding or jumping off drops. Trying not to frighten walkers horse riders or wild life.
I think the fact checking and verifying boats long sailed from this port.
@HoarseMann if you look further up the road you can see where the cycle path crosses a junction with what looks like two bollards and give way lines. So if you're riding on it you have to slow down and possibly stop at every side road. Doesn't seem any safer than the road to me.
@open_roads I picked up an off brand dewalt compatible one for ~£25 and it's been great, I use it more often on the motorbikes as there's more places for water to collect, but for getting the Chain dry ready to relube it's fantastic, plus it has a bunch more nozzles for different tasks.
@fwhite181 Wasn't the DHB kit made by Bicycle Line?https://www.bicycle-line.com/en/ Those guys are still very much operational.
@ktache Surely they're just trolling Surreyrider now by posting this on a road.cc branded page?!
TfL's Santandar bikes already have a large identity number in white on the black cover of the rear wheel. I've seen some hire scooters have small reg plates on the back that mirror the design for motor vehicles. Will be interesting to see what happens here.
3 thoughts on ““Look mum, I’m on TV!”: Rogue amateur cycling next to João Almeida at Itzulia Basque Country goes viral, as fans spark ‘I’m Spartacus’ moment; Barcelona manager “delighted to get away from football” to watch Paris-Roubaix + more on the live blog”
No video of the pro-am bike
No video of the pro-am bike race? Shame. 🙁
Hold on! Luis Enrique is the
Hold on! Luis Enrique is the manager of Paris St Germain.
‘It’s incredible to see these riders. I’m delighted to see these beasts to get away from football”: Barcelona coach Luis Enrique names his three favourites for Paris-Roubaix’
Maybe you should put in ‘ex- Barcelona coach Enrique . . . . . ‘
Quote:
Sorry to be a killjoy but it doesn’t amuse me at all, I hope the idiot gets caught and punished. Putting yourself on the same road as pros descending at speeds up to and over 100 km/h is about as sensible as driving your old banger on to a Grand Prix circuit in the middle of a race. Such is the nature of these things that it’s almost certain to spawn imitators and sooner or later someone’s going to get hit by a racer, car or motorcycle. This really needs to stamped on hard and quickly.