Brutal suffering Mark Cavendish endures to make Tour de France time cut seen in behind-the-scenes footage from savage mountain stage; "Never again": John Archibald wins 100-mile TT... in record-breaking 3:12:58; Weekend round-up + more on the live blog

I think we have to assume it's legitimate unless there is evidence to the contrary.

That may be a triumph of hope over experience

Well, there's a bit of non-pro context in this same blog: John Archibald riding 100 miles at over 50 kmh. He beat one of Marcin Biablocki's comp records and they looked unbeatable. In fact the 100 comp record has come down by 7 minutes since just 2017. So whatever is happening in cycle racing it's not only pros and it's not inevitably doping.

Doping is not restricted to the pros, and aerodynamics as much more important in a TT than a hill climb. This negates much of the equipment advantage that current riders enjoy over riders of yesteryear - bikes haven't got lighter thanks to the UCI minimum weight.

As dumb as brexit? As dumb as MAGA? As dumb as "it's just a harmless cold"?

As dumb as you?

Some scary ones there :-o

Lots of stupid behaviour.

But I don't understand why the clip that starts at 1:43 made it in. If you watch very carefully, the light is actually green in the first frame or two when the walker starts to cross - it's not entirely clear where the signal is on the other side, but perfectly plausible that the walker was already passed the signal when it changed to red. He walks across at a reasonable speed, and has finished crossing with plenty of time to spare (out the gate, closes it behind him, then another couple of seconds pass before the train arrives). I would note the CCTV is sped up by 2x - you can play it at 0.5x on BBC to get effectively real time (also helps to see the green light) and played at that speed, it really doesn't feel like a dangerous situation. 

If Network Rail feel it was dangerous, I suggest they review the signal timing.

The train would have sounded it's horn on approach to the crossing, assuming that light doesn't have audible warning as well. And the side the dog walker crossed from might not be in sync with the light the opposite side.

It's clearly a crossing that's had issues in the past to end up with a camera.

Hard to know whether the walker has passed the signal on green and also whether there is an audible alarm that they would've heard (I would guess that there is, isn't it compulsory to help warn partially sighted or blind people?) but it's pretty stupid to cross the railway line if you can see a train coming no matter what the state of the lights or how far away the train is, it's impossible accurately to judge their speed from head on. Also, people have been injured or killed when they thought they had plenty of time but they slipped or tripped - that was the case a few years ago when one poor woman was killed because her stiletto heel got stuck in the track groove. Walking with dogs brings an extra risk, however well-trained one can't guarantee they are not going to panic or see another animal they want to chase, if you get the lead round your legs and trip over the train could easily be on you before you've got time to get back up. It's not the most stupid one on the compilation by any means – some of them are truly hair raising – but still pretty silly I would say, and all to save maybe twenty seconds' wait...

Yeah - both of them?!  The cyclist on the wrong side of the road (already should have stopped) ... and then the other cyclist hooning it a few seconds after the barriers had clearly started descending... Presumably partly why they switch to the centre; initially I though they were just trying to avoid the oncoming cyclist but I think it's as much "through the gap".

Where are people's heads at?

The others - there were clearly 2 or 3 "kids playing chicken / stupid bravado" which I guess I'd expect but the rest?  I'd take away every one's pedestrian and bike licences, never mind their driving ones...

I'd like to think the van driver and his mate especially got a ticket and a ban,

sadly I think that's the signal box camera and they aren't always backed up with number plate gatsos.

stonojnr wrote:

I'd like to think the van driver and his mate especially got a ticket and a ban

...and a bill for damages.

mdavidford wrote:

stonojnr wrote:

I'd like to think the van driver and his mate especially got a ticket and a ban

...and a bill for damages.

Ah but that's what they pay road tax for you see... and they seem to be "working men" so just think how much their company is adding to the economy (there's employment, tax that I'm sure they're paying, "growth" etc.)

Besides - think about how much hard-working motorists are subsidising those trains!

Some Belgian examples - https://x.com/Ogilvie_CJ/status/1812559536533942702?s=19

You beat me to it - I literally just came on here to share that tweet!

I think this is good - let's hope they don't just skim it and say "so we already have a great network!  It just needs a polish."  Or "yes - we should encourage people to cycle ... by giving Sustrans a donation to make more recreational shared-cycling and walking paths..."

Hoping she makes time for a chat with St. Chris Boardman soon.  Or follows that book with eg. Peter Walker's Bike Nation.  Or all of those plus a guided tour of somewhere in NL (showing how all their transport systems work together) followed by a "compare and contrast" with the average UK urban environment...

Don't forget though Keith's nervous clinging to the Conservative's pivot to "on the side of the drivers" - and that he has said similar more than once.  Apparently thinking that the Uxbridge by-election was all about hate for ULEZ and things like LTNs.

I've long thought that anyone involved in decisions around urban planning, especially for transport, should be made to read Happy City by Charles Montgomery.

Yes - so many.  A UK one from 1993(!) (now I think downloadable as PDF) - "Death on the Streets: Cars and the mythology of road safety" by Dr. Robert Davis.

Another might be 'Movement' by Thalia Verkade:  https://scribepublications.co.uk/books-authors/books/movement-9781911344971

Haven't read Happy City (or indeed what may be a US counterpart, "Confessions of a recovering traffic engineer").  I think a good list would have books which investigate the ideas that a) it's actually possible to have a much better built environment that much of what we have and b) it shouldn't involved tipping over into some over-planned dystopia c) but equally just "letting things take their course" will not get us there.

Actually in the UK we haven't just let things take their course: we - our politicians and planners - have strongly pushed motoring over the last century or so, and/or reduced the convenience of other modes.

chrisonabike wrote:

Haven't read Happy City (or indeed what may be a US counterpart, "Confessions of a recovering traffic engineer").  I think a good list would have books which investigate the ideas that a) it's actually possible to have a much better built environment that much of what we have and b) it shouldn't involved tipping over into some over-planned dystopia c) but equally just "letting things take their course" will not get us there.

Actually in the UK we haven't just let things take their course: we - our politicians and planners - have strongly pushed motoring over the last century or so, and/or reduced the convenience of other modes.

I've read both of those books, and they're both great, but nothing like each other.