“If there was ever a clear indication to turn around, go home & climb back into bed”: Barmy bike lane markings leave cyclists scratching their heads; Roglič sets sights to beat Vingegaard and Pogačar at Tour de France + more on the live blog

Sorry what? I heard the phrase "climb back into bed"...

The miseries of getting out of bed on chilly mornings like these and the never-ending allure of the warm, cosy blanket aside, this bike lane which I can only describe as truly bizarre gets the top billing on today's episode of the UK's most wonderful cycling infrastructure.

You are cycling on a 2-way cycle lane, and are greeted by this.

What is the correct action? pic.twitter.com/Y0Sn5tjLdW

— Owen de Visser (@Owen_de_Visser) January 10, 2024

Next to the University of Birmingham on Bristol Road, someone had to paint this tapestry of road signage, only after someone devised this mishmash in their heads and sketched it out. So let me see if I can get this right. Double broken white lines mean give way, so I watch out for any oncoming cyclists, then take a mandatory right, but with the shared space pavement gate closed off, I'm supposed to turn back and go the way I came from?

The sad part is that it seems that the authorities are aware about this interesting cycling provision. Esther Barnes, a cyclist from Birmingham said that she has already reported this infrastructure and was told that action would be taken to improve the bike lane signage. However, Owen de Visser, another Brum cyclist and art gallery director who orginally shared the picture, said that the place had been like this since November.

He added: "Of course cyclists are supposed to go through the barrier, then dismount until reaching this 'shared' lane. I'd suggest pedestrians can be forgiven for not noticing the bike signs here."

Nope. It's been like this since *at least* November.

Of course cyclists are supposed to go through the barrier, then dismount until reaching this 'shared' lane. I'd suggest pedestrians can be forgiven for not noticing the bike signs here.

I just push it this stretch now tbh pic.twitter.com/I1DrimU56e

— Owen de Visser (@Owen_de_Visser) January 10, 2024

Cyclists on social media, as you'd expect, are losing their heads over this apparent piece of road. Tom Poole wrote: "Take a right, into Tesco, grab a bottle of wine, pay leave," while @Dutchy280 suggested doing your best Tadej Pogačar impression: "Pull an wheelie followed by a bunny hop, end with a JC on the handbars into Tesco Express of course."

Or how about this suggestion from Tom Lawton: "Track stand at the end to rapturous applause from the onlookers, before celebrating with a bottle of Diamond White from Tesco."

If there was ever a clear indication to turn around, go home & climb back into bed...

— davidshawcurran [at] aol.com (@davidshawcurra1) January 11, 2024

And finally, ding ding, we have the right answer!

Pedestrianise the street; add new continuous cycle lane here. pic.twitter.com/aJKh80HF8O

— brixton hatter (@BrixtonHatter) January 10, 2024

You might have heard about the story of the man who sold his car and started working at Halfords (ie, St Chris of Boardman), now get ready for a story about the man who gave up his burger van for a world tour on his bike, all thanks to a lottery ticket.

£4.5 million richer than what he was before the lucky number rained on him, Gary Henry from Durham used to run a burger van with his former wife (her loss?), but is now looking forward to travelling around the world on his dream bike.

Last year, to mark 15 years since winning the lottery, he celebrated by getting his hands on  the "Rolls Royce of bicycles" (his words) — a £8,500 Specialized S-Works Turbo Creo SL e-bike, The Mirror reports.

He said: "I've always loved cycling, discovering new routes and taking in the fresh air, and have had the S-Works on my radar for a while. I promised myself I would buy myself this bike as a little celebration. It has more than lived up to its reputation. It’s got everything, electric gears and you can do at least 80-plus miles on a full charge. It assists you on big hills. There’s no better feeling than waking up and heading out on the road."

Since 2008, besides travelling, Henry has also spent £550,000 on a luxury property and given £23,000 for a football pitch dedicated to his late mum, Gladys, in his childhood home of South Church, Co Durham.

A council’s recent announcement that it intends to reduce the speed limit in urban, residential areas from 30mph to 20mph – a move the local authority says will be “beneficial” for people cycling, walking, and wheeling – has been greeted with righteous indignation by opposition politicians, who have described the plans as “nuts”, “extremely worrying”, and guaranteed to “upset” constituents.

Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council’s deputy leader told a meeting this week that it was the local authority’s “intention” to introduce a “default” 20mph limit in built-up areas throughout the conurbation, similar to the widespread implementation of lowered speed limits in Wales last autumn.

The announcement comes three months after the council’s environment portfolio holder Andy Hadley pledged that a full consultation would take place before a decision was made on the matter.

Read more: > “We warned that voting for these parties would lead to anti-car measures”: 20mph speed limit plan to “really encourage more cycle journeys” slammed as “nuts” and “extremely worrying”

After the many Amazon vans and bin lorries blocking cycle lanes over the years, it's a much more discreet grey culprit this time around, perched nicely on a new, shiny bike path. It would be interesting if all the drivers could solve their parking problems by just letting councils build more of them then...

Shiny new segregated cycling lane ✔️

Van parked over it making it unsafe & almost unusable ❌ pic.twitter.com/eUgPjvZhrs

— Francesca Savage 🚲💕 (@francesca_kms) January 11, 2024

Gather round, the awards season (and no, I'm not talking about the archaic Oscars or the silly Grammys) is in full flow and today, we are announcing the best cycling clothing of the year — all the jerseys, jackets, shoes, tights, and of course, shorts, that impressed us over the year and truly offer something which others don't. So if you're looking to pick something up, be it to hastily get some Merino wool to ward off the chill or prepping early for the summer, you know where to look. 

> road.cc Recommends Cycle Clothing of the Year 2023/24: all the best jerseys, jackets, tights, shorts, shoes and more

Bora-Hansgrohe is a team with big ambitions, and is sending some truly big names to the Tour de France, including the team's new star and former runner-up at Le Tour Primož Roglič. Other names include the 2022 Giro d'Italia winner Jai Hindley, and the effervescent climbers Dani Martínez and Aleksandr Vlasov, making it one heck of a strong team — possibly even the strongest Bora have ever sent to a GT?

Roglič has had the maillot jaune in his sights for so long, coming so close to winning it in 2020 only to falter at the decisive final time trial stage and lose the jersey to his countryman Tadej Pogačar. But since then, while Pogačar has only got better, getting closer to realising his otherworldly natural potential each year, the rise of the no-nonsense Dane Jonas Vingegaard, with a resolute of steel and almost ubermensch-like capabilities has made it feel like Roglič's chance has come and gone.

But obviously being a top rider, this is exactly the mindset he'd be running from, believing in himself and his chances of another successful year in 2024. Especially now, in the new pastures of the German team Bora, where he's all but sure to enjoy being the primary GC contender.

But what about the dark horse making his debut, the maverick rider from Soudal-QuickStep Remco Evenepoel? The Belgian has faced a turbulent last couple of months, with team boss Patrick Lefevre and his own father not helping his cause. His legs giving away out of nowhere at the Vuelta as he tried to defend his winner's jersey from the year before also didn't. But he's still coming off the back of a season in which he won the men's time trial world championship and successfully defended his Liège–Bastogne–Liège title.

Evenepoel at 2023 Tour de France (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

He told Het Nieuwsblad: "The last couple of months have been very difficult. I was dragged into all the transfer stories. I didn't ask for it. I listened too much to all those stories. That way I lost a lot of confidence.

"I took two extra weeks of rest. I needed it to forget everything that happened in 2023. I can go full gas again on the bike. Knowing I'll ride the Tour motivates me to follow my diet and training 100%."

So is it all going to go down the wire? Pogačar vs Evenepoel vs Vingegaard vs Roglič? The Tour de France for ages, with fireworks the likes of which we've never seen before?

> What’s in store for cycling in 2024? road.cc shares some two-wheeled prophecies for the year ahead (which may or may not be completely rubbish)

Dedication made this.
Challenges made this.
Podiums made this.

Introducing our 2024 kit and our new partnership with apparel market leaders, MAAP.

Our ninth season on the road awaits🚀

🔗 https://t.co/LxjT3A6Yet pic.twitter.com/OeJXmZBH2f

— Lifeplus - Wahoo (@LifeplusWahoo) January 11, 2024