“It’s completely understandable”: Rider with ‘Armed Cyclist’ jersey, disco lights, and ‘take your lane’ flags goes viral (again); “He’s not just coming for the Tour”: Red Bull boss says Remco Evenepoel’s move is a “calculated risk” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
road.cc Podcast episode 112: “It would be a tragedy if we abandoned time trialling in Britain because of bad drivers”
“He’s not just coming for the Tour”: Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe boss hails Remco Evenepoel’s blockbuster move from Soudal Quick-Step as “calculated risk” to win monuments, classics, worlds, and Grand Tours
Ralph Denk has finally broken his silence on that transfer — and no, he insists, it’s not just about Remco Evenepoel turning up in Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe colours to chase yellow in Paris.
“Remco isn’t just coming for the Tour,” the team boss told German radio programme Sport am Samstag on Deutschlandfunk. “He was also brought in for the Classics, for important one-day races — precisely where he has achieved his greatest successes so far. We want to win a Monument, distribute the Grand Tours well, and eventually win another Grand Tour after winning the Vuelta a España last year. Remco can certainly contribute to that.”
The 25-year-old Belgian’s move from Soudal Quick-Step — bought out of his final contract year — is the biggest signing in the team’s history, and Denk says it’s part of a bigger picture.
“The goal of this transfer is to further our project. We’re not just talking about the Tour de France — it’s about much more. Remco’s move to our team has already had a huge impact, as you’ve noticed. We’re proud to have such a rider in our ranks, someone who has already achieved a lot at a young age — and who we believe has much more in store for him.”
Rather than spreading the budget on extra domestiques, Denk has gone all-in on one marquee name, according to Het Nieuwsblad. “I chose to invest in one leader instead of in additional helpers for the leaders we already have, because we’re looking at the bigger picture. Monuments, classics, maybe even a world title — those are all goals. And Remco’s announcement had a huge media impact. So yes, we chose to focus on one rider. And anyone who knows me a little knows that I like a calculated risk. This suits my team.”
One subplot already bubbling away is what this means for Florian Lipowitz, the 24-year-old former biathlete who stunned the Tour with a podium on debut last month. Denk says they’ve “discussed it extensively” with him, but he’s not about to start naming Tour leaders for 2026. “Remco is a hero. It’s fine that Germany is discussing this – it’s even great that cycling is so alive in Germany. But we’re still eleven months away from the Tour. It’s simply far too early for such discussions.”
Denk sees parallels with Peter Sagan’s arrival in 2019, when the Slovak star’s presence coincided with the team’s best season ever.
“We finished second in the UCI team rankings and won 47 professional races – of which Sagan himself only won four. The rest came from riders like Buchmann, Ackermann, Schachmann, and Bennett. Perhaps Remco’s presence now offers the same opportunity for others to grow in his shadow. He will bear the pressure, but also take it off others. That’s why I strongly believe in this project.”
It turns out Denk has been playing the long game — he first made contact during the pandemic years. “I cautiously reached out to Remco back then because I found him very interesting as a rider – and also his journey from footballer to cyclist. We have a good personal connection, and that certainly helped us get this done.”
The financial muscle to make it happen, he says, comes from “strong partners like Red Bull, Bora, and hansgrohe” and years of running the team “efficiently and healthily.”
And what about Primož Roglič, still under contract for 2026, and not exactly famed for working in service of others? Denk’s answer:“We don’t know yet – it’s too early. In cycling, you first have to know the courses of the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta before making decisions… What I can say is that Roglič, Lipowitz, and Evenepoel are all under contract next year.”
Chaos at women’s Tour de Romandie as five teams disqualified after tracking device row – as UCI condemns “deplorable undermining of safety efforts”
“We prefer they don’t race the Worlds”: Uno-X prioritise WorldTour points chase over Rwanda, leaving Norway with bare-bones squad
Despite a summer of standout performances at the Tour de France and a hilly World Championships route in Rwanda that looked tailor-made for their climbers, Uno-X has told most of its stars to skip the late-September trip — a move that’s left Norway with an unusually thin squad and a few raised eyebrows.
As reported by TV2, only Andreas Leknessund will line up for the men’s road race from the Norwegian ProTeam, alongside Tobias Foss, Johannes Staune-Mittet and Embret Svestad-Bårdseng. Uno-X has also released Katrine Aalerud for the women’s event, but the likes of Tobias and Anders Halland Johannessen, Jonas Abrahamsen and Markus Hoelgaard are all absent.
The reasoning? Points. With a WorldTour licence on the line for 2026, Uno-X is locked in a dogfight with Cofidis for the final spot and plans to have its biggest names targeting races that suit them better — including the Canadian one-dayers in September — rather than spending weeks preparing, travelling and acclimatising for Rwanda.
“There are many points to be gained in the World Championships if you do well, but it is a tough course, which requires altitude training, preparation and vaccinations in advance… We prefer that they not cycle at the World Championships,” explained team manager Thor Hushovd. “One might ask what kind of signal it sends that we say no to representing Norway with the flag on our chest, but the calendar is so long and tight that we have to weigh up the needs.”
Hushovd stressed they haven’t outright banned anyone from riding, adding that if a rider like Tobias Halland Johannessen had strongly pushed to go, “we could of course take individual considerations into account.” So far, he says, “not much will has been expressed” from his roster.
Norwegian national coach Kai Lexberg admitted it’s “a shame” not to fill the nation’s six-rider quota but accepts the decision: “They have other important races on the calendar, and I respect that.”
TV 2 pundit Magnus Drivenes was less convinced. While he acknowledges Uno-X needs “all the points they can get,” he believes Halland Johannessen in particular would be better served riding Worlds.
“If Halland Johannessen is not going to race the World Championships because he instead has to acclimatise for races in Canada, then I think he could just as well race the World Championships. The races in Canada are difficult to compete in, and there are a lot of points to be gained in a World Championships as well,” he said, arguing the Rwandan course suits him better than the punchier Canadian terrain.
The decision comes as Uno-X enjoys its best season yet, and sits just 400–500 points behind Cofidis in the WorldTour rankings. Overhauling the French team by year’s end would guarantee a three-year pass to the sport’s biggest events, including automatic starts at all three Grand Tours.
For now, that prize outweighs the allure of a rainbow jersey, but it does mean Norway’s most in-form riders will be watching from home while the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel tackle the Kigali hills.
“We made it”… but at what cost?
Presenting Hopp Carbon Parts’ latest, well, carbon part: a full carbon cage with oversize pulley wheels for SRAM transmission derailleurs, coming in at just under 70g. Anyone interested?
“Totally ridiculous”: Residents oppose e-bike dock plan on “very blind bend” near homes
A planned e-bike docking station in Totton has come under fire from locals, who say Hampshire County Council has picked “a ridiculous” spot just metres from their front doors.
The site — at the junction of Stonechat Drive and Chaffinch Close — is one of several locations earmarked for Voi’s upcoming e-bike rollout in Totton and Gosport. But residents, led by Alison Morgan, argue the dock’s proximity to private homes risks infringing on privacy, lowering property values, and creating a safety hazard on what they describe as “a very blind bend”.
“The first we knew about it was when the notice went up,” Morgan told the Daily Echo. “We are not against the scheme, but it needs to be sensible.” She believes siting e-bikes here would increase the risk of collisions, add noise and disturbance from riders and Voi maintenance crews, and disrupt neighbours.
Fellow resident Val Alford questioned why the location was chosen at all: “Surely these pavements are for pedestrians, not for a load of bikes. There is not a day that goes by that you don’t hear screeching or beeping because two cars nearly collided with each other here… [It is] total disregard for people’s privacy. The main thing is the safety of it. It is totally ridiculous.”
Both Morgan and Alford have suggested alternative sites — including Hanger Farm, Morrisons, and West Totton precinct — which they believe would be more practical and see greater use.
The council is currently consulting on all planned e-bike locations, with residents encouraged to email Capital.Delivery@hants.gov.uk quoting reference TO039 before the 1 September deadline.
Voi has been cleared to install around 100 e-bikes across Totton and Gosport this autumn.
Charlotte Kool joins Fenix-Deceuninck on long-term deal after mid-season transfer
Charlotte Kool has completed a surprise mid-season switch to Fenix-Deceuninck, signing a contract through to the end of 2028 after leaving Picnic-PostNL.
The 26-year-old Dutch sprinter brings proven top-tier speed to her new squad, having taken two stage wins at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes and worn yellow for two days. While the team already boasts a strong climbing and Spring Classics unit, Kool’s arrival adds a potent sprinting option for the years ahead.
“This week marks my last with @teampicnicpostnl,” she wrote on Instagram. “I will forever be grateful for the opportunities I’ve had, the support I’ve received, and the unforgettable moments I’ve shared with this team.
“Over the past years, I’ve grown into the rider and person I am today and for that, I’m truly thankful.
“This goodbye hurts, because it also means saying goodbye to my amazing teammates. Thank you for being such an important part of my journey and for making these moments possible.
“A special thank you as well to all our sponsors over the past years — your support has made it possible for us to chase our goals and create so many incredible memories.
“Now it’s time for a new chapter in my career, one I’m really excited about. I’ve been given an opportunity I simply couldn’t pass up, and I can’t wait to take on the new challenges ahead.”
Kool echoed that sentiment in the team’s announcement: “From the very first conversation with the team I had an immediate and genuinely good feeling about their mentality, and the trust they placed in me. Of course, making a move halfway through the season comes with its challenges, but it feels right. I’ve been welcomed with open arms and I can’t wait to race in my new colours. This new environment gives me a lot of extra motivation.”
She is expected to debut for Fenix-Deceuninck in the coming weeks once fully recovered from her crash at the Baloise Ladies Tour earlier this summer.
The team called her signing “a boost” to the squad, saying her sprinting talent will allow them “to compete for victories across an even broader range of races,” and thanked both her management and former team for making the move possible.
Some fan art in honour of the world’s fastest man…
Wait, I’m hearing he’s actually even faster than the fastest man?!
“I knew there was more in the tank”: British sprinter Matt Richardson breaks his own flying 200m world record – just one day after becoming the ‘fastest cyclist in the world’
Home hero Mads Pedersen detonates Tour of Denmark queen stage with 30km solo in Vejle, as Tour de Romandie Féminin opener rocked by GPS tracker DQ for six teams before Paula Blasi takes yellow
Mads Pedersen doesn’t really do “defend the jersey” — at least not at home. The Lidl-Trek star went full Viking in the Tour of Denmark queen stage, detonating the race on Golfbakken with almost 70km to go, bridging to the break, then dropping everyone, including compatriot Mads Würtz Schmidt, for a 30km solo into Vejle.
A huge solo effort from Mads Pedersen earns him victory in Stage 4 of the Tour of Denmark! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ROW4WIo6LW
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) August 15, 2025
Behind, the chase was pure chaos — crashes, half-hearted pulls, and the growing realisation that Pedersen was not about to be caught. By the time he hit the final climb, the gap was safe enough for a calm victory salute in front of an adoring home crowd. Tibor Del Grosso rolled in for second, Antoine l’Hote third, but the day — and the GC lead — belonged entirely to Mads.
Over in Switzerland, stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie Féminin had already been turned upside down before anyone rolled off the prologue ramp. Five top teams — Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, EF Education-Oatly, Lidl-Trek, Picnic-PostNL, and Visma-Lease a Bike — were DQ’d after refusing to take part in a UCI trial of GPS safety trackers, leaving the startlist missing several big GC favourites.
¡Victoria WorldTour para España!
🇪🇸 Paula Blasi se lleva la cronoescalada del Tour de Romandia sobre 4,4 km sorprendiendo a gente de mucho nivel.
🔥 22 años · Ciclista desde 2024 · 4ª en el Porvenir 2024 donde tiene la victoria como objetivo del 23 al 28 de agosto. pic.twitter.com/FguWm5DP91
— Jaime Gómez (@Rincon_Deporte) August 15, 2025
That opened the door for UAE Team ADQ’s Paula Blasi to grab her first WorldTour win in the 4.4km uphill blast to Villars-sur-Ollon. The 22-year-old paced the steep middle section perfectly, then hammered the flatter run to the line to finish 17 seconds ahead of Urška Žigart, with Juliette Labous third.
Blasi admitted she’d been targeting the white jersey rather than the overall lead, saying: “I was not expecting to be up there. I knew I was in good shape, I come from altitude, but for sure my main goal is preparing for l’Avenir. I was really looking for the white jersey, the young one, because I thought it was the more accessible one. Then when I arrived to the finish line they said I actually had the best time. I didn’t believe it until the last one crossed the finish line.”
Cyclist who crashed into bollard after oblivious driver turned across cycle lane secures compensation – despite police claiming motorist did “nothing wrong”
“It’s completely understandable”: Rider with ‘Armed Cyclist’ jersey, disco lights, and ‘take your lane’ flags goes viral (again), as cyclists say, “he just wants to ride a bike in the United States without dying”
It’s that time of year again: the “Armed Cyclist” has re-emerged from the Florida swamps (probably) and onto your timeline, this time with the same blinding light array, “Take Your Lane” flags, and a jersey that lets everyone know exactly where he stands.
James Whelan, the man behind the Armed Cyclist persona, has been doing this for years — we first covered him back in August 2023, when he explained that he runs 28 lights on his rear rack and eight on the front handlebars to stop drivers from cutting him up.
I understand him pic.twitter.com/I8Mw44Tgiz
— Jenn🌲 (@JuniperFolly) August 12, 2025
“I don’t get people turning left or right in front of me at all because they pay attention when they see a bright burst of light coming towards them,” he told us at the time. “In South Florida there is a lot of road rage against cyclists just for being on the road. Most people can read what it says. When they see my jersey it has a huge calming effect on the people that don’t like cyclists.”
From what it looks like, he probably rides like this most of the time, but once a year without fail, social media catches sight and does its thing. And, predictably, the comments section has been a mix of admiration, sympathy, and Florida Man disbelief.
One person said: “It’s so awesome how much of an a****** this cyclist is, but it’s also completely understandable.” Another wrote: “If everyone in the world had to spend a month commuting by bike, we’d all be on his side.”
Andrew said: “I used to think this kind of guy was nuts, but after commuting by bike for the last year, I now think that this is the most peaceful path — zen even.”
Another wrote: “Have you ever looked at a Facebook post involving cyclists? In any context, there will be hundreds of boomers actively saying they want to run over cyclists. This guy is right.”
One user added: “Might seem excessive, because it is, but as someone who’s gotten hit by a car twice riding a bicycle, me following the law, but the driver messed up bad, I can’t be mad at him.”
Finally, there was one comment that summed it all up: “I think he just wants to ride a bike in the United States without dying.”
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Latest Comments
I don't see an issue, if you've nothing to hide... If they see a large increase in V02 max or FTP values then they can do extra investigating and maybe more actual testing. They team can show if a certain training program could indicate larger than historically seen gains by a rider. I think if I was a rider, I'd sooner let then have my TP files than have to be watched while having a piss into a cup.
Looks like a knock off of the Ortlieb pannier.
@Surreyrider One would have thought you'd be more concerned with the vital issue that it's an "allroad" bike so at least half the review shouldn't be on road.cc. Groupset is a flexible term, e.g. on the Shimano website they include their own hubs and wheels as part of the R7100 groupset but I don't think many people would say a bike hasn't got a full groupset if it doesn't have wheels that match the mechs. If you look online most groupsets are sold without disc rotors due to the differing compatibilities of hubs, so I think one can still call something a full groupset if it doesn't include the rotors.
@Secret_squirrel You are Henri Desgrange and I claim my £5...seriously, the route has only existed for 11 years so it's not exactly laden with precedent and historical tradition. Certainly there is a place for an unsupported bikepacking record (I think Mark Beaumont still holds this?) but the outright speed record is effectively a 500 mile time trial and in that context I'd say using every tactic and piece of technology legally available is absolutely fair enough.
You don't have to be a superhuman to ride it (although, of course, as with any ride, it helps).
The spirit of this ride is that a superhuman rider pedals every bit of the route. She did that.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head- mountain bikes are now mainstream, with brands relying on their sales volume for the profit of the company as a whole and consumers knowing what they want. We also expect more from our bikes and constant failures would be unacceptable, I remember when head tubes snapping was a semi regular occurrence to hear about. We have had incremental improvement- geometries are longer and slacker, suspension is more responsive, tubeless tyres are great, disc brakes work, derailleurs don’t break and gear ratios are now appropriate for application. I wouldn’t drop £6k on an out there bike that might not last and might not work well, and I don’t think many people would or could. It’s the price of mountain biking being many stream. If you want something wacky buy a tt bike
Not to be a negative Nelly but is swapping between a Road and TT bike in the spirit of this ride?
It’s American English. Nice-looking bike, a shame about the harsh ride.
who don’t want disc brakes or tubeless tyres I DO want disc brakes because they're better, and I DON'T want tubeless tyres because they're a right faff.
27 thoughts on ““It’s completely understandable”: Rider with ‘Armed Cyclist’ jersey, disco lights, and ‘take your lane’ flags goes viral (again); “He’s not just coming for the Tour”: Red Bull boss says Remco Evenepoel’s move is a “calculated risk” + more on the live blog”
Quote:
It’s a side issue I know and I’m not a “boomer” myself, having missed it by several years, but why is it acceptable to generalise and caricature a certain generation of people in a way that wouldn’t be at all acceptable with any other racial, gender, national, sexuality et cetera group? It’s not even accurate, at least in my experience the most aggressive group towards cyclists by far is the under 40 males.
It’s a good question –
It’s a good question – although in this case, they specifically referred to Facebook posts, where the under 40s are probably significantly under-represented.
I think it must be baffling
I think it must be baffling to australian men of a certain age why they’re being picked on…
American prairie chickens
American prairie chickens must be wondering why they attract such ire too.
That’s nothing compared to
That’s nothing compared to what this guy has to put up with
Rendel Harris wrote:
I quite like “OK, prarie-chicken” but I can see why it didn’t catch on.
chrisonabike wrote:
“OK, grouse” seems quite apposite though.
Cos f***ing cyclists.
Cos f***ing cyclists.
Only IME of course, but the
Only IME of course, but the over 60s generation do seem more predisposed to having a pop at cyclists, the other thing they care passionately about is pot holes and small boats.
I’m 60.
Cyclists seriously injured in
Cyclists seriously injured in overtaking car crash
Paging Mitsky… no driver
Paging Mitsky… no driver involved. And “West Yorkshire police language”:
The group of riders were entering the town near the 30mph signs on Harrogate Road just after 13:00 BST on Sunday 10 August when a black hatchback overtook them.
West Yorkshire Police said: “Whilst overtaking it reacted to an oncoming vehicle which was leaving Wetherby. It moved towards the cyclists causing several of them to be dismounted before narrowly missing the oncoming car.”— BBC
“Causing several of them to be dismounted”!? “A fist moved towards his head, causing several of his teeth to be dismounted from his mouth…”
What is the standard of “competent and careful driving” expected of a black hatchback?
Quote:
Armed cyclist vs harmed rider
Armed cyclist vs harmed rider, the man made his own decision. Dangerous motorists always give lorries the right of way. And systemayically deny cyclists. Who cares about a dead cyclist except their family?
Some years back I rode a
Some years back I rode a 1200km randonnee in Florida. We had a 100% survival rate. Bloody miracle!
London Has Officially Been
London Has Officially Been Named Europe’s Favourite City For Cycling
by virtue of being the most googled !
” Actually I know. It’s people searching what cycle lanes/infrastructure Thames Water is digging up for months on end, closing and throwing cyclists into traffic. “
James Whelan, the armed
James Whelan, the armed cyclist, is absolutely right, and one of the reasons drivers don’t see cyclists is because we aren’t a threat. Not only are we not a threat, the repercussions of them hitting us are so paltry that they have no fear of being sanctioned for it. It would be interesting to remove all the lights from his bike and see what difference it made, and vice-versa to see how much difference the tee shirt made.
When I was doing my BSc, I wanted to ride around with and without a plastic Kalishnikov strapped to my back to see how much difference it made. Sadly my tutor wouldn’t approve it.
eburtthebike wrote:
I think his take is more to do with liking guns. (Though being more visible may help, where drivers look).
Firearms won’t work to defend you at junctions / driver overtakes where they can’t see ahead. (Plus you might not have time to fire / might miss). Might help if you’ve stopped to talk to someone / dissuade then from jumping out of the vehicle and hitting you, that’s about it.
Best I can think of is the “bee defense” AKA mutually assured destruction directed at altruistically benefiting others of the tribe.
So explosive hi-vis.
Sure – some cyclists will still die (and will continue to do so) but a) it’ll preferentially weed out the *worst* offenders / least competent drivers and b) it would increase the desire of everyone to “look for the cyclists”.
Any volunteers?
What I was thinking of was
What I was thinking of was that if a driver cuts up a cyclist, the cyclist could draw and fire, without being arrested for it. I’m pretty sure that drivers would quickly learn to look out for bikes.
The rationale for that view is demonstrated by the rash of drivers shooting other drivers in the USA about thirty years ago for perceived disrespect: everyone suddenly became extremely polite on the road.
Perhaps – but in the case of
Perhaps – but a) isn’t that just mirroring the motorist “you’re in my way so I’ll punish you” (which you might be happy with of course).
b) in the case of cyclists and drivers it’s still rather “tank vs. infantry” circa early WW2… you’d want a fast sprint, AP ammo and/or a substantial hand-cannon for best.
“Knock me off my bike and there’s a good chance you’ll get taken out by the fragmentation” seems to cover it all ways. (Sad for any other cyclists and pedestrians in the vicinity though).
Explosive charges on 6 foot
Explosive charges on 6 foot poles at windscreen height front and rear with aerodynamic kevlar fairing around rider. Faster and safer?
Ah – a velomobile armed with
Ah – a velomobile armed with spar torpedos! Sounds like a plan!
eburtthebike wrote:
Quite right, should’ve used a real one for the most accurate results. “Y’all have poor customer service over here. In America the customer is always, always right. Do you know why? Because the customer always, always, might have a gun.” Reginald D Hunter
Rendel Harris wrote:
— Rendel HarrisJust contributed to his defence fund.
Why is it that nearly every
Why is it that nearly every time a rider falls off, the chain comes off and gets jammed between the frame and the chainrings?
kingleo wrote:
I’d guess because they nearly always crash when in the big ring so when the chain is shaken off by the shock of impact if it falls left it will slip there anyway, if it falls right it with hit the front mech and bounce back towards the frame. If they crashed whilst in the small ring with the mech further to the right it would most likely function as a chain catcher?
Quote:
Does it still count as a WorldTour win? I thought the DSQing of all those teams meant it was ‘declassified’ from the WorldTour?
mdavidford wrote:
Interesting question, for which there’s no obvious answer online; the requirement is that all teams enter, whether that means all teams have to actually roll out is another matter. There have been instances, e.g. during Covid, when whole teams have had to withdraw but it hasn’t affected the race classification. One would imagine the UCI probably have enough on their plate with disgruntled teams already without further pissing teams/riders off by telling them they’re not getting the points for which they thought they were racing.