Rigoberto Urán gifts new bike to backpack-wearing farmer; Strava ‘Local Legends’ feature; More or Less host reflects on fall that left ‘bits of his face’ on road; Temporary bike lanes “a matter of social justice” says Boardman + more on the live blog

Can’t see the comments? Click here. 

Guy cycling to his tree house from r/Damnthatsinteresting

A real life version of ‘upcycling’ that we spotted on Twitter the other day…

Up cycling 😂 pic.twitter.com/6UcW207FEW

— Engineering (@engineeringvids) June 9, 2020

Paid parking is back in Regent’s Park, free parking for NHS remains and through traffic is back to pre-covid congested levels. The Regent’s Park Outer Circle is now a unsafe mess. Say goodbye to families riding safely, new cyclists getting fit. It’s only for the brave now.

— RegentsParkCyclists (@RPcyclists) June 12, 2020

The comments were made by the Regent’s Park Cyclists group, as the Royal Parks have re-introduced paid car parking as lockdown restrictions continue to be slowly lifted. They claim that congestion has now returned to pre-pandemic levels, with cyclists once again having to negotiate traffic around the London park’s Outer Circle. 

Regent’s Park was one of the locations where tabloid journalists were accused of snapping photos of cyclists to make them appear closer together earlier on in the lockdown, with the Daily Mail running an article with “MAMIL madness” in the headline. Cycling was never outright banned by The Royal Parks at any time during the lockdown as it was in Richmond Park, a move that was heavily criticised until it was partially reopened to cyclists at the beginning of June. 

📰 NEWS 📰

“…the significance of this long-term deal is not lost on us…” – team owner Gerry Ryan.

Manuela Fundación signs with GreenEDGE Cycling to secure team’s future. New name and jersey to be launched with season re-start next month.

MORE 🔗 https://t.co/7v1BJ5ZnyK pic.twitter.com/pKQQMs6FJF

— Mitchelton-SCOTT (@MitcheltonSCOTT) June 12, 2020

In one of the more curious pro sponsorship deals we’ve seen in recent years, Mitchelton-Scott – who are technically called GreenEDGE Cycling when they don’t have a headline sponsor – will be known as Team Manuela Fundación for the rest of the season and wear a completely new kit, after striking a deal with a little known Spanish non-profit. The charity is solely funded by husband and wife team Francisco Huertas and Mrs. Maria Angustias González, with the aim to focus on “social work” in Spain. 

Team owner Gerry Ryan commented: “After an unsettling and uncertain period, particularly in recent months, we are thrilled to have the support of Mr Francisco Huertas and the Manuela Fundación to ensure our future in 2021 and beyond.

“We have always believed in our product and values as a team for perspective partners, but the significance of this long-term deal is not lost on us, especially considering the recent hardships of not only the cycling world and sports industry, but the wider world’s health and economic climate.”

That kit by the way… the designers wouldn’t happen to be fervent Dulwich Hamlet FC supporters by any chance?

If you’re hell-bent on being top of a Strava leaderboard, soon you will be able to simply ride up and down the same segment hundreds of times rather than having to be the fastest with the ‘Local Legends’ feature. Local Legends rewards the rider who has completed a segment the most over a 90 day period regardless of pace or speed, with the section displaying on Strava’s mobile app.

At the moment it’s only available to US users, and it’s thought the feature will land in the UK next month. As far as we know this isn’t a subscriber-only feature; but non-paying customers won’t be able to see their position on a Local Legend leaderboard if they are outside the top 10, as per a whole host of changes that were made last month that took away a number of features from the free version of Strava. 

One year on from the biggest challenge of my career. I’m ready for what’s next 👊 @LeTour number 5🖐 pic.twitter.com/AJMsw9Tqgs

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 12, 2020

Time flies, as Chris Froome reminds us that his terrifying crash during a Critérium du Dauphiné time trial warm-up was exactly a year ago. Witnesses included Dan Martin feared the worst when they saw Froome crash into a wall at a speed reported to be 54km/h; but he’s been on a remarkable recovery journey since, getting back on his bike just a few months later and now gearing up to compete at World Tour level again when the season resumes. 

Lilia Khoruzhenko – who used to work for the Ministry of Education and Science in the Russian region of Murmansk Oblast – won over 120,000 Rubles (£1,300) in damages from the boy’s family after a bizarre ruling by Khoruzhenko’s local district court. 

Exitoina reports that the incident happened in 2019, when Khoruzhenko knocked down the boy with her Volkswagen SUV. He suffered numerous serious injuries including a fractured skull and broken front teeth, while Khoruzhenko was uninjured. The boy’s family decided not to file charges to concentrate their efforts on his recovery; but in the meantime Khoruzhenko had instructed her lawyers to file a case for damages, because of a local law that deems children under 14 must only ride on designated bike paths and pavements. An independent investigation concluded he was not guilty of infringements; but when Khoruzhenko took the case to her local court, they ruled in her favour. 

The boy’s father said that it was an error to take his son home from hospital at the earliest opportunity, as this gave Khoruzhenko’s lawyers the chance to downplay the severity of his injuries. He says his family intend to appeal the decision.

In a cruel twist of irony, Khoruzhenko used to be responsible for children’s road safety in her job at the Ministry; understandably she departed the role in the aftermath of the incident. 

Still going. Half way to Oxford now. https://t.co/ahweqwig6m #DuchenneDashATHOME pic.twitter.com/w6kpIRoMYx

— Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) June 12, 2020

Guru-Murthy is currently on his way to Oxford, as he attempts to cycle the same distance as the London to Paris ride he would have taken part in over two days. He’s doing the ride in aid of Duchenne UK, and the fundraising page can be found here. 

A study into Belgian and Dutch hospital admissions reported that most cyclist injuries occurred due to ‘one-sided’ accidents, such as falls or collisions with an obstacle. Professor Bas de Geu of  Vrije Universiteit Brussel said that road furniture such as bollards and potholes were to blame for a large proportion of the incidents, telling Brussels Times: “Bollards are very dangerous. They are often placed in the middle of the cycling lane to stop cars. But a collision with them at 15 or 20 km/hour often has serious consequences.”

If you think that incident rate is rather surprising, you’re not alone; in a survey of 2,000 people, 60% of Dutch respondents and 71% of Belgians thought that collisions with motor vehicles were the most likely incidents to lead to hospitalisations. The findings also seem to be drastically different to the situation in the UK, as Department for Transport stats from 2012 revealed that there were 2,434 collisions between a cyclist and a car. Although this doesn’t tell us how many were killed or seriously injured (KSI) those same stats reveal there were 248 cyclist KSI’s that didn’t involve any other vehicle in 2012. Country vs country comparisons don’t paint the whole picture of course, but it would certainly be fascinating to see the results of a similar study in the UK. 

If you want to show your support for Team Ineos in a slightly more subtle fashion, then the new Line collection should fit the bill. With block colours and small logos on the chest, the back still has the middle strip that features on the official team jersey, but otherwise things are kept pretty minimalist. 

The options are the Competizione Jersey (£75) available in men’s and women’s cuts and in three colours, and the Summer Wool jersey (£120) featuring a merino blend and available in two colours. All are in stock on Castelli’s UK website now. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haciéndole entrega de una espectacular bicicleta Cannondale y toda la indumentaria GO RIGO GO! • • • #gorigogo #gorigogooficial

A post shared by Rigoberto Urán (@rigobertouran) on Jun 10, 2020 at 3:33pm PDT

The story of the backpack-clad Colombian local who was filmed keeping up with Rigoberto Urán at speeds of 45km/h has progressed, with Urán gifting him a brand new Cannondale bike for his efforts. 

Urán is a major celebrity in his cycling-obsessed homeland, which means anyone filmed holding his wheel dressed in baggy clothes and work boots was bound to gain viral fame and legend status fairly quickly. That man has now been identified as Iván Dario, 54-year-old flower farmer who was on his way to work when he decided to hop onto the back of the Olympic silver medallist earlier this week. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ivancho en el remate de hoy, todo un volador, estas cosas me alegran la vida

A post shared by Rigoberto Urán (@rigobertouran) on Jun 10, 2020 at 8:00pm PDT

It turns out Urán also has his own bike shop, where he gave Iván his new bike and a whole new cycling wardrobe before setting him up on a Zwift race to check his performance out on the road wasn’t a fluke. Iván commented: “It was an honour to be able to talk to Rigo, and he even invited me to take part in a virtual race. He is very humble and says hello to everyone. I am a huge fan of him and his achievements.”

A few weeks ago I managed to fall off my bike and leave bits of my face on the road. I do not recommend this – but there were compensations:https://t.co/cx18wfSeUI

— Tim Harford (@TimHarford) June 12, 2020

The economist – host of the Radio 4 show More or Less since 2007 – has penned an article on his ‘Undercover Economist’ website in which he reflects on the lessons learned in the aftermath of a horror crash. Harford says he was left in “a spreading puddle of blood” when he came over the bars, caused by his chain snapping when he was out of the saddle: “Absorbing the impact of the tarmac with your mouth is a strategy that I cannot endorse. Next time I’ll try to land on my backside”, he advises. 

Harford says he was amazed at the speed bystanders rushed to offer their help and the care he received when he arrived at hospital, and has learned to count his blessings: “I am grateful that I work not on television, but in print and radio. Now, more than ever, I have the face for it”, he added. 

Boardman – who is a Policy Adviser to British Cycling as well as Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner – said in a speech that those who don’t have access to a car need infrastructure to safely walk and cycle as the lockdown begins to lift. 

Speaking to the All Party Parliamentary Cycling and Walking Group, Boardman said: “Social justice is a strong reason for change, it helps politicians make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions, and it also helps the public understand and tolerate changes that might inconvenience them.

“In the UK around a quarter of all households don’t have access to a car, so they are reliant on public transport. On a standard day in Greater Manchester there are 300,000 trips on public transport of three miles or less, and for the next few months at least, those public transport options will be limited to less than 20% of usual occupancy. That means every day 240,000 people will not be able to travel in this way if they are to comply with social distancing guidelines.

“We’d need to find 12,000 extra buses to accommodate them, which is clearly impossible, so 240,000 people – many without access to a car – must find an alternative or simply not travel to work, schools or the shops.

“Right now, this isn’t about pollution, congestion, inactivity, or cost – the usual arguments for investment in cycling. It’s about social justice, social inclusion, and making sure that those who don’t have a car have a safe travel choice.”

We absolutely love this!@MarkCavendish doing his best to keep up with @AvVleuten & @AmandaSpratt 😅 pic.twitter.com/Yo2zuuP7sK

— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) June 12, 2020

Cav is currently training at altitude in Italy, and happened across the road world champion van Vleuten and her Mitchelton-Scott teammate Spratt* while riding up the Stelvio pass (the clip was originally shared on his Instagram account earlier this afternoon). As you can hear he was blowing pretty hard, as the two ahead of him seemed rather more relaxed. 

* There’s nothing wrong with either of their saddle heights, mansplainers (something Van Vleuten man has dealt with before) 

As we reported earlier this week, the one-off Specialized Venge presented to the Pope in 2018 is now getting auctioned off in aid of the Vatican’s We Run Together charity; and it looks like it’s set to fetch a handsome sum, with the current bid at 13,500 euros (about £12.5k) with almost six days to go. If you’ve got a few quid lying around and want to up the bidding, the online auction is taking place here on the Charity Stars website.