Bizarre scenes at Tour de France as team cars almost crash into each other; “Impatient” cab drivers slammed by cyclists; Cavendish says teammates helping him up the mountains is “more impressive than what any lead out man has done” + more on the live blog

Heartbreak for Girmay as the current green jersey from Intermarché came off his bike with just 1.5 kilometres to go in the race. The misery was compounded as his rival and last year's points classification winner Jasper Philipsen picked up his third win of this Tour, this time seeming much more comfortable, and as a result picking up a full 50 points and bridging the gap between himself and Girmay to just 32 points before we head off into the mountains one more time.

Alpecin-Deceuninck nail it again and deliver Jasper Philipsen for his third victory 🇧🇪🚀#TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/E0ubamBgGo

— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 16, 2024

Girmay was ushered to the finish line by his teammates, with bruises covering his right side. Here's to hoping that he hasn't suffered any major injuries, but the green jersey fight is about to go down to the wire, with every last remaining point crucial!

Biniam Girmay crashed in the last 2km, but retains a 32-point lead in the green jersey classification despite Jasper Philipsen's victory 💚🇪🇷#TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/SUZtbXtSeO

— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 16, 2024

This piece of ‘not just questionable, but incorrect (according to the Highway Code)’ driving today comes from London’s Cycleway 4, with the footage captured by cyclist Greg and shared on social media.

In the video, a cab driver can be seen making a right turn across the cycle lane, despite a No right turn sign on the intersection.

As Greg turns around and approaches the junction, another cab driver, this time making a left turn, decides to pass the bus driver who was waiting to give way to cyclists (although with the front section of the bus was already on the Cycleway) and then make the turn on the wrong side of the road, only meant for oncoming traffic, instead of waiting behind the bus.

Some London Taxi drivers have zero respect for people cycling along #Cycleway4 and that left turning large vehicles like buses are doing the right thing by abiding by the give way rule as seen by the dashed lines and letting cyclists pass safely. These cabs are simply impatient. pic.twitter.com/H2aaPsF4QP

— Greg N (@n00dles71) July 15, 2024

Greg wrote: “Some London Taxi drivers have zero respect for people cycling along #Cycleway4 and that left turning large vehicles like buses are doing the right thing by abiding by the give way rule as seen by the dashed lines and letting cyclists pass safely. These cabs are simply impatient.”

The video has generated lots of discussion on social media, with Ian condemning the the cabbies’ driving, saying: “Zero respect for traffic law. That's a great way to get people run over — wrong side of a traffic island.”

Another person commented: “London’s finest? Surely not.”

> “That should attract points and a fine. But it won’t, because this is car-loving Britain”: Driver faces prosecution after failing to give way to cyclist on a bike lane

Meanwhile, there was some debate around whether the bus driver’s behaviour was acceptable or not, with some people suggesting that since the bus was already across the cycle lane, it might be better to let the bus go, but others disagreeing by saying that the driver could’ve “bullied” their way into the turn but remained unsuccessful in completing it.

“It’s not helping the first bus is already over the cycle way and STOPPED and cyclists keeps going In front of the bus holding it up even more causing a blockage and backing up traffic. Literally let the bus go and avoid the blockage,” wrote one person.

However, Greg replied: “It's not a blockage, it's an obligatory Give Way that is a MUST in the Highway Code backed by legislation.”

It was about 10 seconds of constant Cycleway traffic as the cyclists and vehicles were held in a group at a red light further back.

Can you point me to the legislation or Highway Code where it backs up your point that a Give Way stop is time limited or are you making up rules?

— Greg N (@n00dles71) July 15, 2024

Another Twitter user Ady commented: “The bus driver probably bullied his way into that position and the cyclists were showing their frustration. Why should the cyclists give way when they have the priority? It is a poorly designed junction to be honest but so are the majority of afterthought cycle lanes.”

We’ve seen a number of driving transgressions lately on similar Cycleway junctions in London. Just a few weeks ago, a cyclist bemoaned the fact that while the driver decided to wait for the cyclist in front of him to make their turn, but completely ignored them, cutting across on the CS7.

They wrote: “There’s a certain type of drive who (presumably) sees a cyclist go by in the bike lane and then thinks, “well it's entirely impossible that any other cyclists come along so I can just pull across without looking”… All whilst indicating too late and failing to look or give way.”

Back in May, drivers in Shadwell found the C3 Cycleway along Cable Street quite a fine way to avoid all the traffic jam, with road.cc reader John sharing an egregious clip with us.

> Near Miss of the Day 894: Police take action after confused motorist drives onto bike lane and narrowly misses cyclists and pedestrians in city centre square

The guilty parties included an assortment of motorists, from cabbies to professional van drivers, and even driving instructors. “As you can see not only were the drivers in the bike lane, some were even refusing to give way,” wrote John. In fact, they were not just refusing to give way, but actively revving the engine and trying to intimidate cyclists into backing down and letting them through.

What do you think about this recent incident from C4? Should cyclists have stopped and let the bus driver past or should the cab driver have waiting behind the bus and not made an illegal turn?

The stage-hunting, hotel-reviewing "moustache expert" Magnus Cort has finally delivered on his promises, and no, while the Danish rider hasn't won a stage at the Tour de France yet, he's dyed his moustache blue following through on his commitment to do so for the last week of the Tour if he reached 200,000 followers on Instagram.

🤩 The Blue-stache 🤩

Thank you @MagnusCort!#TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/cOrETgv0kE

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 16, 2024

In an even funnier exchange, Magnus Cort has also given his countryman Jonas Vingegaard a nice little tip: Keep growing your own moustache if you want to be in yellow.

Speaking to a journalist just before stage 12, a day after Vingegaard became the first person to beat Pogačar in a straight two-up sprint, Cort said: "I have noticed it [that Vingegaard is growing a moustache] and I think yesterday we could see that it helped him. He couldn't have pulled that little sprint without that moustache... I feel pretty confident that if he keeps growing it, he will be in yellow before Nice."

Vingegaard, responding to Cort's comments, said: "I think so, it gave me the strength to sprint yesterday. We saw it many times with Magnus and it helped me as well."

Magnus Cort mener, Jonas Vingegaards moustache hjalp ham i spurten mod Pogačar👀😆#TDF2024 #cykling2024 pic.twitter.com/6A7rg4N8AZ

— Eurosport Danmark (@eurosportdk) July 11, 2024

The secret behind the superhuman-like attack on Plateau de Beille, the incredible 2023 time trial at Combloux, or many other such performances over the years for two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard, believe it or not, might just lie in döner kebabs!

I know what I’m eating for lunch today then… excuse me as I quickly hop over to the nearby kebab shop.

My meal plans aside, Visma-Lease a Bike’s food coach Karim Lambrechts has offered some insight into the diet and nutrition plans for the Dutch cycling team, and surprise-surprise, it includes a lot of carbohydrates — described as the miracle macro that’s enabled the peloton riders of today to perform at levels unseen before (although, it doesn’t include a bag of chips, as a drunk spectator found at this weekend on the climb of Pla d’Adet).

> Drunk Tour de France spectator who threw bag of crisps at Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard arrested for aggravated assault, with riders’ union set to take legal action “with pleasure”

“Every week, groceries are delivered from the Netherlands,” Lambrechts told Dutch website NOS. “It is important to be in energy balance, as we call it. If you do not properly replenish what you consume, you run the risk of not recovering properly. That also increases the chance of getting sick, for example. Especially in a Grand Tour, it is simply important to recover as well as possible every day."

“A rider easily consumes 8,000 to 10,000 kilocalories per day. Breakfast this morning already consisted of about 1,500 kilocalories. That’s three slices of bread with sweet toppings, egg and ham or cheese on top. Then two more bowls of rice pudding and some fresh fruit and also some cottage cheese. Sometimes you think: how do they get it all down? But in the end they always manage.”

Anything special for the team’s leader Vingegaard then, who sits second in the general classification, three minutes behind Tadej Pogačar? Lambrechts said: “Vingegaard's favourite food is Döner kebab. I incorporate that during the Tour de France by frying chicken with shawarma spices and putting it in a wrap. A little red cabbage, onions and garlic sauce on the side.

"We serve in buffet form. They are people and not machines,” he added, insisting the riders themselves get plenty of say in what they eat. “It is important that they also follow their feelings. If they want to take a little more or a little less, they can. We always make sure there is enough.”

I wouldn't be opposed to Jonas Vingegaard starting a new podcast, where he discusses great nutritional recipes (that kebab wrap with red cabbage and garlic sauce? I would eat that three days a week) and perhaps even some moustache-growing tips with his countryman Magnus Cort!

TWO LIVE BLOGS JEREMY?! Don't worry, we've got it covered...

And in case you forget, it's the day we bow down to our reptilian, capitalist overlords and pay them marginally and questionably discounted prices for some sweet deals, of course Amazon Prime Day!

Don't forget to follow our Prime Day live blog for all the latest and greatest deals on cycling accessories and equipment you may, or may not need.

> Best Amazon Prime Day cycling deals live blog: Up to 30% off Wahoo Elemnt Bolt and Roam computers; Science in Sport savings + more

Remember, Paris wasn’t “always this way.”

It wasn’t even this way in late 2019 when I was last there.

Just a few years ago, #Paris was choking in car traffic much more.

This is new. This is leadership.

Cities are a result of choices.

HT @Khayat_Fouadpic.twitter.com/ZdNhAmqwzE

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) July 15, 2024