“I was just glad to get through that stage”: Geraint Thomas slams “unsafe” Giro d’Italia descent with potholes at Naples; Shocking crash as distracted team car driver talking to cyclist hits another rider; Novak’s bike helmet djoke + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Peter Sagan autographs, Nigel Havers' tall tales, and more... Here's your weekend round-up
The first warm weekend of the year? If you’re too busy absorbing some much-needed Vitamin D these last two days, I’ve got a quick round-up for everything you might have missed here…
> Video: Peter Sagan signs autobiography for fan mid race … again
> Near Miss of the Day 906: Walkers Crisps van driver makes close pass on cyclist
> “No cars go through a red light – every cyclist does,” claims Nigel Havers
> Near Miss of the Day 907: Close pass driver gets police visit
"Today I came prepared": Novak Djokovic jokingly sports a bicycle helmet after being hit on the head with a metal bottle
Cyclists are often advised to wear helmets while riding, in fact it’s even a mandatory requirement in some places to wear one. But tennis? Do we need helmets to protect the players from a raging backhand or a fiery serve?
Or, erm, to protect them from metal bottles dropping out of the sky?
The current world number one, after flirting with a few Covid vaccine conspiracy theories over the past years, has not lost his penchant for controversies as he looks to have endorsed his full support for helmets in tennis. It’s even more funny because at the 2016 Wimbledon, Djokovic was banned from riding his bike for “safety reasons” around the Grand Slam tournament. I wonder if this is a long-term gameplan to convince the authorities to let him cycle?
Last week at the Italian Open, as the Serbian was signing autographs in the stands after his win over France’s Corentin Moutet, he was hit by a metal water bottle that seemed to have fallen out of one of the fan’s bags in the stands, resulting in Djokovic clutching his head in anguish and kneeling down on the floor.
The tournament released a video showing that Novak Djokovic was hit on the head by accident.
The bottle slipped from a fan’s backpack.
Just a very unfortunate, unlucky situation. ❤️🩹
(via @InteBNLdItalia)
pic.twitter.com/5LIzzWZpMS— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 10, 2024
“This is not being treated as a deliberate act, but as an accident,” said tournament organisers in statement reported by PA. “A boy was calling out to get an autograph and the bottle fell out of his bag. Novak has undergone the necessary checks and has already left to return to his hotel. His condition is not a cause for concern.”
Fortunately, Djokovic was able to bring some levity to the situation as yesterday, he jokingly showed up wearing a bike helmet (*gasps* over his cap! That’s a big no-no Novak!) and shared the video on social media, captioned: “Today I came prepared.”
Unfortunately though, he suffered a shock defeat against Alejandro Tabilo, saying later that he felt hampered by the after-effects of the bump on the head.
“That has really impacted me a lot. After that I got medical care, [and went] through half-an-hour [to] an hour of nausea, dizziness and blood,” said Djokovic. “I managed to sleep OK, I had headaches. The next day, or yesterday, was pretty fine, so I thought it’s OK. Maybe it is OK, maybe it’s not,” he added.
“The way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It’s a bit concerning.”
> Novak Djokovic banned from cycling around Wimbledon grounds
The Serb is said to be going for further scans after the match yesterday. Hmm, maybe we won’t be saying helmets in tennis after all.
"Bet he wasn't laughing after that"
A shocking footage of a driver allegedly under the influence of laughing gas crashing their car in Three Colts Lane, Bethnal Green in London has appeared on social media.
I can only thank the heavens that no one else was injured in this horrific crash. On the bright said, the driver at least remembered to give the cyclist 1.5 metre of space while passing…
Footage of the last night crashed the laughing gas driver in three colts Lane, Bethnal green. pic.twitter.com/MFZ6RA8M1a
— London & UK Street News (@CrimeLdn) May 12, 2024
"If police don't get it, it's no surprise that many others don't": Cyclist close pass operation questioned as chief inspector from another force points out problems with "overtaking distance" mats used
Police Scotland has sparked much online discussion after sharing pictures of a close pass operation that was undertaken by officers from the Greater Glasgow division last week, prompting numerous issues to be raised by cyclists and even a chief inspector from another force, one commenter calling it “the worst operation close pass picture I have ever seen”.
The much-criticised image shared on social media showed a community officer on a bike, positioned on a close pass mat showing that he was 0.75m away from the edge. However, while this would normally denote being 75cm from the kerb, in this case it meant being 75cm from the door zone of a row of parked cars.
"Go your own way": Cyclist deviates from route and bunny hops onto grass after going in wrong direction in British Cycling National Series race
🎶 Go your own way 🎶
Why follow the crowd? Be your own person 💪#NatRoadSeries pic.twitter.com/Q8FoRbDNBr
— British Cycling National Series (@NationalSeries_) May 12, 2024
“I hope he realises a car can be a weapon in the wrong hands”: Adam Hansen weighs in on the U19 French cycling crash, while fans ask the all-important question: “Why do riders interact with the driver instead of a passenger in the team car?”
The more I watch the crash which took place after a distracted DS bumped into another cyclist while talking to his team’s rider yesterday at the U19 French women’s national championship road race, the more it seems to get worse. There are so many possibilities it could’ve gone wrong…
Thankfully, it didn’t and the two crashed cyclists went on to take the top two spots of the race. However, the gravity of the situation has led to many people criticising this sort of behaviour in races, and at the forefront was the riders’ union president and former pro cyclist, Adam Hansen.
He wrote on Twitter: “We are so grateful Amandine fell on the left side and not the right, as the car couldn’t stop fast enough and it could have been fatal for her. We will watch this final outcome of the DS very closely. I hope whatever the outcome is, he realises a car can be a weapon in the wrong hands.”
We are so greatful Amandine fell on the left side and not the right, as the car couldn’t stop fast enough and it could have been fatal for her. We will watch this final outcome of the DS very closely. I hope whatever the outcome is, he realises a car can be a weapon in the wrong… https://t.co/FAGQN4B9An
— Adam Hansen (@HansenAdam) May 13, 2024
And the question on most cycling fans’ mind was: “Why do riders interact with the driver and not the passenger of the team cars?”
Hansen replied to one person saying: “I was thinking the same… the issue is the cars stay right, so cars can pass on the left. If a riders is on the right of the car, then the car would be more left and harder for other cars in the convoy to pass. However, you don’t need to look at someone to speak to them…”
One person commented: “I’ve said this I don’t know how many times now, the driver, DS or whoever, should *ONLY* drive. No radio use, no iPad, no veloviewer, no texting, no bottles, no chit chat next to riders,” while another person said: “A simple rule: the driver can’t talk/feed/etc. There are other people on board to do this. Eyes on the road, hands on the steering wheel.”
Meanwhile, Mark Payne suggested a possible solution, saying: “Obviously driving standards must be improved… But would a skirt be appropriate for DS cars to prevent riders falling under wheels in circumstances like this?”
Even BBC and Channel 5 presenter Jeremy Vine shared the footage, captioning it: “This is so crazy”.
What do you people think? How can such incidents be prevented in the future? Let us know in the comments!
Cyclists behaving badly — times when the pros lost the plot
Things can get fiery in the pro cycling peloton, and sometimes they explode. From Miguel Angel Lopez’ lashing out at a fan on the ground and Cav’s main lead-out man Mark Renshaw going full Zinedine Zidane and headbutting his opponent, to Kittel taking a page out of WWE and body slamming his bike, and most recently, Van der Poel’s “spit-and-run” incident at a booing fan… Here are some of the biggest eruptions starring fans, dogs and, of course, other riders!
> Cyclists behaving badly — times when the pros lost the plot
“They let anyone drive in these races”: Shocking crash as distracted DS driving team car and talking to cyclist hits another rider, bringing down both
Bizarre scenes at under-19 women’s road race at the French national cycling championships in Altkirch, Alsace took place yesterday, as a team director busy talking to his own rider lost focus of the road and ended up touching the wheel of another cyclist in the front, bringing both of them down.
Amandine Muller from Grand-Est and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes’ Célia Gery were in the lead of the race, with the rest of the peloton over three minutes behind. Footage shared by France 3 Alsace shows that with just 31 kilometres to go, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes’ DS Julien Guiborel, who was talking to Gery, didn’t see Muller move slightly to the right and made contact with her rear wheel.
What followed looked like a nasty crash, as Gery, following closely behind Muller, also came down. Fortunately, both the riders came out alright in the crash, with Gery taking the win and Muller finishing second, three minutes and forty-two seconds behind.
Amandine Muller (Grand Est) et Célia Gery (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) ont été accidentellement heurtées par le véhicule de l’équipe Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, au 31ᵉ kilomètre de la course féminine U19 des championnats de cyclisme de l’avenir 2024https://t.co/tQH29yyWZk pic.twitter.com/7LHxwEACmO
— France 3 Alsace (@F3Alsace) May 12, 2024
“It was more of a scare than harm, and we were able to continue racing quickly,” Gery said after the race. “I wasn’t thinking much as I crossed the line… It’s unfortunate that this happened between us.”
Guiborel, who was a pro cyclist between 2000 and 2005 himself, said: “Personally, it takes away from the joy of the victory. I would have felt even worse if Amandine hadn’t finished second. I can’t apologise enough to both of them.”
> Julian Alaphilippe taken down by crash involving his own team car
Pro Cycling UK reports that Muller, visibly emotional after the race, said: “I tried to keep up at the end of the last lap, but it was quite complicated.”
The incident has drawn scathing criticism and outrage at the driving standards of the team cars seen in many cycling races, with people commenting “that man should never drive a car again”, and that the “team needs to be suspended”.
One person wrote on Twitter: “why does this s*** keep happening. These guys are DRIVING a car – focus on the road and especially on the riders god damn,” while another said: “They let anyone drive in these races, why isn’t there a proficiency test!?”
Meanwhile, another person criticised Gery’s actions, saying: “How the hell can she get back on her bike and not check on the other rider.”
That one day where there are no cars parked on the route, no curves in the last km, nobody signing their opi and omi, no horses running loose…this guy turns up.
— Arjan (@Ajmetcijfertjes) May 12, 2024
As bizarre as this incident seems to me, this is surely not the first time we’re seeing the impact of a car driver’s actions in a cycling race. Perhaps the most famous one is back from the 2011 Tour de France, when a French TV car veered into the path of Team Sky rider Juan Antonio Flecha and knocked him off his bike, while Vaconsleil-DCM rider Johnny Hoogerland was catapulted into a barbed fence.
> ASO throw car that hit Team Sky’s Flecha out of Tour de France
Perhaps more recently, the sports director of Team BikeExchange car rear-ended cyclist Pieter Serry on the final climb of the Giro d’Italia stage six in 2021. The crash happened as the team manager was retrieving jackets from a race commissaires’ vehicle, which had earlier been handed to them ahead of the final climb.
Les images surréalistes de la chute de Pieter Serry, fauché en pleine montée par la voiture de la Bike Exchange. #Giro pic.twitter.com/2B8Ff6IQfI
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) May 13, 2021
Thankfully, Serry was able to get back on his bike and complete the final 12 kilometres of the race, while team’s DS Gene Bates was thrown out of the Grand Tour and the manager was fined 2,000 Swiss Francs (£1,570).
Even more bizarrely, world champion Julian Alaphilippe was taken down by a crash at Brabantse Pijl in April 2022, which was caused by his own team car trying to overtake the peloton and instead colliding with a Cofidis rider.
Alaphilippe fell in the pile-up at the finish line, with one lap to go, of the Belgian one-day race as his support car tried to overtake the peloton to follow Remco Evenepoel who was part of the lead group, 45 seconds ahead.
No Van Aert, no Laporte? No problem, says Olav Kooij as 22-year-old takes 33rd career win at Giro d’Italia
For all the talk of the most dominant season by any cycling team ever, Visma Lease-a-Bike, after a name change and a key team member’s departure in the form of Primož Roglič, hasn’t had the best of seasons so far, compared to their past standards, especially at the spring classics.
And coming into the Giro, the team was without its two main riders, Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte, leaving Olav Kooij on his own for any bunch sprint finishes. But the young sprinter from Netherlands, proved his skill and talent once again yesterday, beating Jonathan Milan in Naples on the ninth stage of the Giro to take his 33rd career win while making his Grand Tour debut.
🇮🇹 #GirodItalia
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) May 13, 2024
He said after the race: “I had to improvise in the last kilometres without Christophe Laporte who’d normally be my leadout man, but we thought that [teammate] Tim van Dijke would ideally bring me into a good position in the last kilometre, which he did perfectly.
“I knew Narváez was still in front but I just stayed on the wheels so I didn’t really see where he was. But then in the last sprint we passed him and I was also able to pass Jonathan Milan as well.”
James May rubbishes "nonsense" ideas to regulate cyclists in response to fatal collision
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James May has spoken out against some of the measures to more strictly regulate cyclists that have been touted across print and broadcast media debates in the week since it was reported that a coroner’s inquest had been told that no charges would be brought against a cyclist riding laps of London’s Regent’s Park when he crashed into a pensioner, causing her fatal injuries.
> James May rubbishes “nonsense” ideas to regulate cyclists in response to fatal collision
It's that time of the year again...
Yep, it’s a Giro d’Italia rest day, meaning that every other team with a coffee sponsor utilises it to its fullest extent with a video of riders trying to brew a cup of coffee. This latest one is from Soudal Quick-Step with Tim Merlier learning barista skills.
Just @MerlierTim showing off his barista skills with a bit of help from @rocketespresso ☕️#RocketPeople #RestDay #Giro #Vibes pic.twitter.com/cG4caDYsg7
— Soudal Quick-Step Pro Cycling Team (@soudalquickstep) May 13, 2024
At least we’re spared of the yearly Segafredo brews, and anything from Quick-Step is alright by me as long as they don’t get Alaphillipe to do that Celine Dion impression kit reveal again.
"Is he STILL running?": Cycling's deep lore acquires a new legend - Intermarche's 'running man'
🏃♂️You thought he’d stop running ? Think again. #GirodItalia https://t.co/8K6yzv06Ud pic.twitter.com/nnPkATOpzH
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) May 12, 2024
Adam Tranter steps down from the position of Cycling & Walking Commissioner for West Midlands, citing post-election administration’s own “active travel plans”
West Midlands’ Cycling and Walking Commissioner Adam Tranter has announced today that he would be stepping down from his role, citing different active travel plans of the new administration after the recent election.
In a letter shared by West Midlands Combined Authority, it said: “First appointed in 2021, Tranter has helped deliver a number of projects across the region to improve cycling and walking facilities, as well as bring road safety to the top of the agenda.”
Working as Cycling & Walking Commissioner has been a tremendous privilege and a real opportunity to help make our streets both safer and better for walking and cycling.
I’m especially grateful to @andy4wm for his backing since my appointment.
But today I’m stepping down. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/LaYCKw5l4B
— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) May 13, 2024
Adam Tranter said: “Working as Cycling & Walking Commissioner has been a tremendous privilege and a real opportunity to help make our streets both safer and better for walking and cycling. I’m especially grateful to Andy Street for his backing and support since my appointment in December 2021.
“Following the election, I have made the decision to step aside for the new administration to be able to develop their own active travel plans. I’m assured that this agenda is an important one for the new Mayor and I will be happy to support wherever I can.
“The West Midlands is my home region and helping make a change here has been an honour. It hasn’t always been easy but I’m grateful for the support and partnership working of TfWM and local authority colleagues, Active Travel England and the vast number of community groups and supporters who also want to see more cycling and walking infrastructure. This job has only been possible because of the vision, courage and collaboration shown by a host of politicians across the region, from parties of all colours, and I trust it will continue to be a priority for them.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands said: “We are really grateful for all Adam has done in his time as Cycling and Walking Commissioner. His work for the region has helped to make the WMCA one of Active Travel England’s highest rated authorities.
“He has campaigned tirelessly to expand the network for walking and cycling, helping to secure over £35 million for the region, and to improve road safety. Encouraging residents to travel in ways that are more healthy for them and the environment, and making those routes safer, continue to be top priorities for me, which is why I am delighted that Adam will continue to work with us informally over the coming months.”
West Midlands Combined Authority added: “Plans for the role of Cycling and Walking Commissioner will be shared in due course. The Mayor is meeting with council leaders, the Police and Crime Commissioner, and community groups over the next few months to agree a collaborative approach that will keep active travel and road safety as priorities for the West Midlands.”
“People are going on a lot about safety at the moment and that’s definitely not safe”: Geraint Thomas slams Giro d’Italia stage 9 finish at Naples, says it was “chaos” with several potholes on the descent
Going into the Giro, most people knew one of the main challengers to Pogačar’s threat of sweeping the Italian Grand Tour with ease would be the 37-year-old Welshman Geraint Thomas, and so far, he’s performed formidably, despite somewhat fumbling at the time trial stage on Friday.
However, in the week preceding the first stage of the Giro, Thomas was speaking out about the lack of safety for the peloton from the race organisers, especially on the descents. After yesterday’s stage, Thomas has reiterated his pleas for more safety.
Already involved in a crash yesterday, fortunately coming away with any sort of injury, he said after the race: “We were bouncing all over the place. People are going on a lot about safety at the moment and that’s definitely not safe. Just clowns in the circus, aren’t we, sometimes?”
Ley no escrita: 𝐍𝐎 existe día tranquilo sobre la bicicleta
💥 Geraint Thomas se va al suelo tras un enganchón en una rotonda.#GirodItalia | #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/l6LnWv6IKA
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 12, 2024
However, along with the infrastructure, Thomas also criticised riders for taking unnecessary risks at every possible opportunity, when the tarmac was already unfavourable.
“Obviously, the chain was jumping everywhere, which is not very nice,” he said. “It’s pretty scary when you’ve got guys pretty desperate and bouncing underneath you, and you’ve got massive holes everywhere. I was just glad to get through that stage, to be honest.
“That final couple of descents, with the holes in the road, it was just absolute chaos. And we don’t help ourselves. I tried to give myself a bit of a gap so I could see the holes for safety. But as soon as you let a gap go, some idiot’s divebombing you to get in the gap. It was just absolute carnage.”
Last week, Thomas, in an interview with the Guardian was quite outspoken about the issue, after the horror crash at Itzulia Basque with many big-name riders severely injured, and then another one at the Tour of the Alps. He said: “You’re going down these descents, flying down them. If this was a new sport, there’s no way it would be allowed.”
The 2018 Tour de France winner, who’s set to attempt a challenging Giro-Tour double this year, currently sits third in the general classification standings, 2:58 behind the leader Tadej Pogačar and 18 seconds behind Bora-Hansgrohe’s Danny Martinez.
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45 Comments
Latest Comments
@robgodd The poor guy himself suffered a traumatic brain injury and his skull was so badly shattered a significant portion of it had to be removed - do me a favour, have a look around cycling helmet manufacturers and see if any of them claim the foam hats they produce will protect against or even mitigate that level of injury. I'll wait if you like, but I can save us both the time and tell you what you'll find: none of them. Not a single one of them will. Because they don't, and they *can't* based on simple physics. Once the point of failure in a material is reached all(or as near as makes no odds) of the additional force beyond that necessary threshhold transfers through to the object beneath. Since bicycle helmets are rated for forces roughly equivalent to being dropped straight down from a stationary start 1.5m above a hard surface. Now, I'm not an expert in vehicle crash investigation, but I'm *fairly* sure that any impact or series of impacts powerful enough to render a quarder of your skull into gravel, put you in a weeks-long coma, give you massive amnesia, and leave you with ongoing symptoms of traumatic brain injury are a little bit, a teeny-weeny amount, a little smidgeon-widgeon more than what bike helmets are rated for. That's why none of the companies that make them claim they will help in such circumstances: because they know it would be a lie, and that unlike uninformed punters, carbrained journalists, or "medical professionals" who think wearing a helmet would save you from a broken arm(an actual scenario encountered by a mate, who's nurse at the A&E tutted and harrumphed her way through his whole treatment due to his lack of helmet despite his bonce having come through *being hit by a car* - another scenario bike helmets are worthless in - completely unscathed), the lawyers for those companies know their business and understand that if you lie in advertising you will get sued into the ground.
The Battle of Ypres April 1915. The German infantry division advanced using das Brumptstadt Fahrarden. The slow speed kept them behind the cloud of chlorine gas as it drifted towards the Commonwealth trenches. The offensive cleaved a two mile gap in the Western Front. The use of cycles was copied by the Japanese as they invaded Singapore and Burmah. By then war technology had embraced wider low pressure tyres, carbon frames and hydration gels. The German forces decided not to incorporate cycling as part of Operation Session, as bike theft in London and the South East was rife and would have caused huge casualties. Ironically superior advancement of tyre technology led to a British victory at El Alamein. This technology played a key part in the US Marines victory at Iwo Jima.
The appropriate response to Google pissing on your cereal is not a fancy new sugar that removes the taste of urine. Stop using Google products where you can. Firefox browser and DuckDuckGo search engine have had noticeable upticks in market share by explicitly NOT pushing AI.
my thoughts exactly...I wonder how that approach is working, with motor vehicle drivers...🤔
I do not wish to diminish the personal tragedy, but one never hear calls for pedestrians or even hikers to wear clothing with integrated lightening rods.
RE Andy Burnam / Heidi Alexander - this is the best thing in many ways - set an example (even if currently it leads to lots of online name-calling). And imagine some of the political alternatives! The folks in the apparently second-placed party seem incredibly unlikely to be doing so. And even the current "new Greens" seem less interested in ... y'know, environmental things. OTOH I wish Heidi could be bolder. And I fear that like anyone ambitious enough to get to the top (exception B Johnson - well, I guess there was the Corbyn bicycle...) Burnam will be trimming his transport policy sails to fit the wind (should that be "bunker-fuel-burning engines"?)
@mattsccm Bull bars aren't banned, they just have to conform to regulations so they are deformable or have plates that allow crumple give on contact, rather than rigid steel bars that can smash into pedestrians and cyclists with no give at all, catch them and drag them under the wheels. If you think that's a problem, do one. Why should who is responsible for a collision remove the responsibility of people driving a tonne of machinery on the road from having safety features to at least mitigate some of the effects of a collision?
I'd be willing to bet that's lazy use of stock photography rather than deliberate misinformation, but the result is still the same.
@smallbeer You obviously don't realise how many bulls there are wandering around Chelsea, in and out of the china shops, that he needs to protect his Range Rover from.
I agree, it's bloody 'elf and safety overreach, can't help some people, I put some meat, sorry, neat decoration on the front of mine and the polis were round poking their noses in like that (mind you, that was a mistake...) (etc)
45 thoughts on ““I was just glad to get through that stage”: Geraint Thomas slams “unsafe” Giro d’Italia descent with potholes at Naples; Shocking crash as distracted team car driver talking to cyclist hits another rider; Novak’s bike helmet djoke + more on the live blog”
I’m surprised there is not a
I’m surprised there is not a required standard, a test, and an authorisation for driving around a professional cycle race.
Does Health & Safety Law and a “safe systems” approach (the British term for “passive” or “sustainable” safety, I think) apply?
Is it different by country?
The start point should be the
The start point should be the driver drives, nothing else.
The DS can DS from the passenger seat and do that job better if they are not also driving.
I’ve been saying this for
I’ve been saying this for years; a dedicated driver and nothing else. The DS/manager sits in the passenger seat…….
It’s a terrible look for the sport when the DS is driving, talking into the radio, handing out bottles/food, etc – and watching the race on a large screen.
They often do now, and they
They often do now, and they must have a UCI license to drive in the convoy.
But the complication is the general road rule is the cars take the right hand side, of the road, because thats where theyd normally be drivimg on European roads, and it’s safer for them to be there.
This always forces the rider towards the left side of the car which is where the driver sits, so that’s where the DS sits and 99% of the time it works fine.
The guy in this clip wasn’t paying enough attention, he will be fined for it, and likely banned from driving in the next race or stage because of it.
If they really can’t cope
If they really can’t cope with switching to the other side of a closed road then the obvious way around that is to say that the DS has to sit behind the driver in the rear seat and they can hand out the advice and bidons from there. You say “the guy in this clip wasn’t paying enough attention”, I would argue that no DS who is handing out food and drink or chatting with a rider alongside whilst at the same time driving is paying enough attention, if you did that on a public road you would quite rightly lay yourself open to charges of driving without due care and attention. A driver in as fraught and frenetic a scenario as a mass start cycle race should be concentrating 100% on safe driving without any distractions.
As a sidenote, in the days when mechanics would lean out of the car to adjust brakes, cleats, headsets et cetera on the move (I think that’s been banned now?) as I recall it was nearly always with the cyclist riding along to the right of the car, so they found it perfectly possible then.
They do when they race in the
They do when they race in the UK, because the general rule in the UK says the cars in the race convoy must all be on the left side of the road.
So you always get the passenger side dealing with the riders, except when they forget or are British teams who dont race in Europe much so don’t bother with lhd cars.
I think rear seat DS’s would be worse as the rider would be behind the drivers view of them and its probably part of why magic spannering like that was stopped.
stonojnr wrote:
The main reason, if I recall correctly, they banned mechanics working on the move was because there were a number of incidents that could have ended in tragedy where the mechanic was hanging out of the window working on the bike and the door flew open. When riders go back to the doctor’s car they get treated by the doctor from the back seat behind the driver and that doesn’t seem to cause any problems.
It’s a fair point about
It’s a fair point about driving on the right but generally the DS isn’t the only person in the car. So the DS could sit in the left side rear passenger seat looking after riders while someone else drives.
stonojnr wrote:
It would be fine 100% of the time if the DS sat behind the driver.
stonojnr wrote:
The car appears to have an additional passenger seat, with a handy window,
rightjust behind the driver on the left side of the car.mattw wrote:
I absolutely agree, there should be, but there should also be a simple basic law that the driver does nothing but drive, doesn’t hand out bidons and gels, doesn’t take in discarded clothing, doesn’t talk to the riders either in person or on the radio…the driver should just drive and the DS should sit in the passenger seat with all rider interactions taking place on that side of the car.
I get Adam Hansen’s point
I get Adam Hansen’s point about where the cars position themselves on the road to allow other cars to pass, but why does the interaction have to be with someone in the front of the car, and you can also get cars with the steering wheel on the other side, both of which would remove the need for the driver to be involved, except that I suspect most DS have egos even bigger than their riders and so they HAVE to drive.
So, we’re not allowed to use
So, we’re not allowed to use a mobile whilst driving (and rightly so!) yet in cycle races the driver is allowed to use a radio, hand out bottles, shout to riders travelling along side, all whilst trying to navigate a busy road full of multiple different vulnerable people. There are racers focusing purely on their position relative to their competitors, medical motorbikes, camera motorbikes, race support motorbikes, other team cars, and countless supporters/spectators at the road side. All often at quite high speed with a great sense of urgency. The team car driver should be entirely focussed on DRIVING, and NOTHING else.
More madness from the Tories:
More madness from the Tories: this time health minister Maria Caulfield.
As reported in the Guardian (so we know its true): “Caulfield said the Lib Dems and Greens – the two largest parties on Lewes district council – wanted to “introduce a road toll system, called 15-minute city … where you will have to pay a congestion charge if you travel by car more than 15 mins from your home”.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/13/uk-minister-maria-caulfield-faces-calls-to-refer-herself-to-ethics-adviser-over-false-15-minute-city-claims#:~:text=Part%20of%2015%2Dminute%20cities,as%20evidence%20of%20her%20claim.
And then, she doubled down on her stupidity: “When that was put to her during the BBC appearance, Caulfield said: “Well, that’s what’s in their document.” Pressed on whether she believed road charges were part of the council’s plan, she said: “It talks about 15-minute cities … Part of 15-minute cities is if you go outside of your 15-minute area, you will have to pay a road tax.”
Caulfield denied she was propagating a conspiracy theory and cited the example of Oxford, which has introduced a congestion charge scheme, as evidence of her claim. Responding to the assertion that the Oxford scheme does not include a charge for driving more than 15 minutes from home, Caulfield told the BBC: “That is the policy, though … that is the model of 15-minute cities. [The Lewes document] talks about 20-minute communities, which is what that theory is about.”
And people still vote for people like her…stupid is as stupid does I suppose.
They’re just a parody of
They’re just a parody of themselves now. I recall a time – seems ages back – where a Conservative health minister was a robust, John Bull type, embodying the wellbeing of the nation with a fine cigar in one hand a bumper of bubbly in the other. And was full of sensible advice – like eating home-grown turnips* was a patriotic act, both healthy and cheap.
* Turns out this was unfortunate timing as one of our big turnip-growers had just stopped growing them due to insufficient returns.
chrisonabike wrote:
Were there too many returnips ?
I’ll get my coat.
Mr Hoopdriver wrote:
I bet it was competition from abroad undercutting prices – maybe the swedes?
chrisonabike wrote:
I think competition is limited by Brussels
chrisonabike wrote:
Now you’re getting down to the root of the problem.
Rendel Harris wrote:
I was trying to think of a vegetable based pun, but then decided I couldn’t beet that.
mark1a wrote:
That’s a gourd one
hawkinspeter wrote:
Thanks – seems like everyone has their finger on the pulse in the comments today.
I’ll courgette your coat for
I’ll courgette your coat for you.
I’m just going to accept that
I’m just going to accept that Caulfield really did say what has been reported, as there isn’t time to check up on all the very stupid statements made by Tory MPs, ministers and junksheets. This does seem to be monumentally stupid, even by their standards.
essexian wrote:
I’m puzzled about the timing of this. Her lying leaflets went out last year, and her BBC appearance was on the 5th May
essexian wrote:
I don’t understand why it’s up to the person concerned to refer themselves to the ethics adviser – surely if they can’t be trusted to not spout complete rubbish, then they can’t be trusted to do the right thing. It would make far more sense for other people to be able to refer them to the ethics adviser.
Ideally, the Tories should expel her from their party, but I wouldn’t hold my breath whilst waiting for them to put any value on honesty and integrity. In fact, here’s their quote:
That’s nonsense. Everyone who
That’s nonsense. Everyone who isn’t a sheeple knows that once 15-minute cities have been implemented you won’t be allowed outside your 15-minute area. It’s like convid chips. They want to control you.
And 5G is the key to this –
And 5G is the key to this – did you know that 15 is divisible by 5? FACT. Did you know that G is the fifth note on the music scale? THINK ABOUT IT. There are just 900 seconds that you will be allowed outside under secret government plans for a climate lockdown. 2030 ➗ 15 = 135 – exactly the cost of a year’s Road Tax – that being the year by which the WEF wants everyone out of their cars DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT??? G is the seventh letter, which x 5 = 35 – that’s 35 Km/h or KPH – the speed limit you’ll have to observe, 20 mph. IT’S ALL THERE IN PLAIN SIGHT – DO YOUR RESEARCH, PEOPLE!!!!!
Fnord
Fnord
brooksby wrote:
I’ve often wondered how to make a completely empty comment.
Isn’t that what Chump says in
Isn’t that what Chump says in court?
My favourite piece of this
My favourite piece of this from 4th May is that on 5th May Penny Mordaunt Leader of the Commons put out a leaflet about MPs needing to avoid conspiracy theories.
“15 Minute Cities” is one of the Conspiracy Theories.
No need to worry though, How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria Caulfield is MP for Lewes with a majority of 2500 or so. So the Electorate will solve it in a few months, if the ethics advisers are unable to do so.
Is fragrant Maria thick, ignorant or just has a robotic jerking knee installed?
The Guide hosted by one of a range of organisations involved:
https://antisemitism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Conspiracy-Theory-Guide.pdf
on 5th May Penny Mordaunt
on 5th May Penny Mordaunt Leader of the Commons put out a leaflet about MPs needing to avoid conspiracy theories
The Leader of the Tory Commons is unlikely to convince many of the sincerity of her desire to avoid conspiracy theories, when the history from 2010 is dominated in the UK by the conspiracy theory founded on the fictitious Protocols of the Elders of Europe by renowned liar and incompetent Johnson, and renowned incompetent and liar Truss, plus various lesser liars and incompetents
It is at 16:50+ in this
It is at 16:50+ in this programme:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001z2p6/politics-south-east-05052024
She does indeed repeatedly double down on her dishonest claims.
Deranged
Deranged
How can incidents like this
How can incidents like this be stopped in the future?
disqualify the riders of the team, if the driver of the team car is doing anything race related other than simply driving the car.
It seems incredible to me that Gery and Muller are in the breakaway the DS of Gery takes them both down by hitting Muller. Gery gets up before Muller and races on careless of Muller being down. Gery takes the stage with Muller second. If a rider takes another rider down in an at fault collision in a sprint, I think they would not be allowed to claim the stage win. But OK for the DS to do it?
How can incidents like this
How can incidents like this be stopped in future?
Disable the electric motor/window winder for the drivers window with the window in the closed position.
Quote:
clearly this is nonsense, a bike and a car side by side are the same width wehther the bike is on the right or left of the car. If anything, the car should be able to pass closer to the adjacent car thean to the cyclist in between the cars, for obvious safety reasons.
And of course while you don’t NEED to look at the person you are talking to, the natural tendancy is to look at people you are trying to listen to, so it is not entirely unexpected that the DS becomes distracted.
Oooooh…
Oooooh…
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/13/uk-police-ghostbusters-style-backpack-devices-ebike-getaways
Who you gonna call?
Who you gonna call?
(Possibly not Police Scotland)
Thought: given that “They were also telling me it has the potential to be useful with normal combustion engine vehicles” … is the bit that “tricks the motor into thinking it’s overheating” not much of a trick – e.g. it’s a IR laser? Or maybe just a flamethrower? “We apprehended the suspect and have sent him to be identified from dental records”.
Interesting! Unfortunately
Interesting! Unfortunately illegal and unregulated motorcycles masquerading as pedal assist e-bikes won’t have this sort of protection built in so once again the wrong thing is being targeted…
It’s a pity about Adam
It’s a pity about Adam Tranter – but them’s the breaks when it’s a post in place at the pleasure of a Mayor of one political stripe, who is ousted by another. In this slightly topsey-turvey political situation, I look forward to hearing more from the Labour Mayor about his plans in this area.
The West Midlands will be a
The West Midlands will be a canary in the coalmine.
Meanwhile I’m on Andy Street for a small sum as next Conservative Leader at 100:1 after Rishi Sunk finally sinks. He is, at least, recognisably human without a lobotomy or a robotic jerking knee.
But he doesn’t seem to be a
But he doesn’t seem to be a swivel eyed loon of the right.
So no chance.
You say that, but Sunak got
You say that, but Sunak got in. So maybe you just need to be waiting nearby when one of the more far-out spontaneously combusts or implodes?
OTOH he was “Mr. Freeports” – would that put him into the loon camp?