“Nobody has ever said people will have to give up their cars and cycle everywhere”: Cyclists hit out at “vitriol and lies” spread about active travel; Geraint Thomas to retire: Strictly on the cards?; “Cycling doesn’t help itself” + more on the live blog

In case you missed it yesterday:

> Cyclists’ hi-vis clothing invisible to some car brands’ automated emergency braking systems, shocking crash prevention study finds

Another French stage race in February, another pro cycling safety discussion…

Just over a week after the Étoile de Bessèges was thrown into disarray when motorist after motorist found their way onto the course, prompting an exodus of teams worried about their safety, it’s the Tour de la Provence’s turn to face the wrath of cycling fans and pundits – for placing the finish line of an expected bunch sprint just 100m after a speed bump.

🏅🇮🇪Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) gana la Ultima Etapa del 🇫🇷Tour de la Provence 2025 🇫🇷
🏆🇩🇰Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek) se Adjudica la General #TDLP2025 #Ciclismo pic.twitter.com/Dh0c7uZcf0

— InfoCiclismo 🇪🇸 #ClasicaAlmeria (@infociclismoo) February 16, 2025

While Decathlon-AG2R’s Sam Bennett managed to navigate the curiously placed traffic-calming measure to bag his second win of the race and continue his impressive early-season form, his old Bora teammate Pascal Ackermann wasn’t so lucky, losing control as he hit the speed bump and bringing down several riders behind him.

Thankfully, the German sprinter escaped with just road rash and superficial wounds. The organisers, on the other hand, weren’t so lucky in the court of social media.

“Putting the finish 100m after a speed bump. Cycling just doesn’t help itself sometimes,” former pro-turned-GCN main man Dan Lloyd wrote on Twitter after the crash.

“We’d never get that past risk assessment for a regional or national B in the UK,” added Rob Warren.  “I can’t fathom why anybody would think that is acceptable.”

> UCI considering use of “rider airbags” and gear restrictions to “enhance safety”

Meanwhile, everyone’s favourite banned sports director, Johan Bruyneel, couldn’t resist using the misguided Tour de la Provence finish to take a dig at the UCI and its new SafeR initiative.

“My opinion on this? A speed bump in the last stretch and so close to the finish line should never be allowed, ever,” the former US Postal boss wrote.

“We have to ask the question: who designs these courses? This isn’t rocket science, depending on the profile these courses have a reasonably predictable outcome. In this case, high probability for a bunch sprint, so a speed bump in the last few metres is almost a guaranteed disaster.

“So the first question really is: who designs the course? Next question is: who approves the course? I realise it’s not as simple of a process as we might think, but ultimately for me, the big problem lies with the UCI.

“Their president David Lappartient keeps pushing the news that riders; safety is one of their priorities, but whenever he has the opportunity he blames the riders’ behaviour for crashes and accidents. Sometimes that’s true, but many, many times there are circumstances that can be avoided, like today.

“Lappartient also keeps boasting about ‘SafeR’, what he calls an external and independent entity responsible for analysing the safety situations and making recommendations for improvements. I just want to take the opportunity here to remind everyone, including Lappartient himself, that ‘SafeR’ was initially an initiative of the teams.

“The teams came up with the idea of contracting an external and really independent organisation which was supposed to study the situations and work on improvements for riders safety. It is my understanding that Lappartient has listened to the teams’ proposal, but (and this happens often with sporting federations) turned it into his idea and forced the teams to let the UCI to do the talking.

“Now SafeR is working directly for the UCI and not for the teams and their riders. It is absolutely not independent and their reports are monitored and published by the UCI.”

> “UCI sheriff taxing the poor again”: Plans to fine French race over cars on course chaos slammed as “total BS” and “way of boosting UCI’s coffers”, as cycling fans “wonder why small races are disappearing”

He continued: “What the UCI does usually is punish either riders, DS or organisers for incidents in races. They prefer to punish small organisations, they will never punish ASO for example, even if sometimes in the TdF there are courses or finish stretches which could be a lot safer.

“Richard Plugge or any other team manager, tell me if I’m wrong.”

Come on, Johan, tell us what you really think. Although if we could have just one week without a safety controversy, that would be great, thanks…

The Tadej Pogačar-fronted UAE Tour gets underway this morning, I’m sure you’ll all be delighted to hear, from a solar farm:

#UAETour – The start will take place in a solar panel farm.

[image or embed]

— La Flamme Rouge (@la-flamme-rouge.eu) February 17, 2025 at 9:19 AM

Modern cycling, everyone.

In these times of economic strife, we thought it was only right that we pull together a whole bunch of features, guides, videos and reviews to help you work on your own bike… not that we wouldn’t recommend a trip to the bike shop for those big jobs that require very specific tools, but there are plenty of ways to save yourself time and money by learning your way around your bike. 

You’ll find everything we’re publishing throughout the week on our Home Mechanics’ Week 2025 tag page, and at the time of writing there’s a freshly updated step-by-step guide to fitting tubeless tyres, plus a review of Topeak’s E-Torqbar 1-10Nm. Tomorrow we’ll be running a feature on which jobs are actually cheaper to do at home vs leaving it to the professionals with realistic cost break-downs (the results may surprise you etc etc), and we’ll also be telling you how to build your own beginner’s toolkit, how to bleed disc brakes and how to fix your shifting if it’s gone a bit awry. 

If any professional or highly experienced mechanics are reading this then you’re probably not going to need our help, but feel free to contribute in the comments with bonus advice (or tell us why we’ve got it horribly wrong and this is actually the proper way to fix a chain/index gears/review a torque wrench etc).

Anyway, we hope you find our Home Mechanics’ Week content informative!

The tributes are starting to pour in for Geraint Thomas, after the 2018 Tour de France winner announced that this season would be his last in the peloton.

“On behalf of British Cycling, I would like to congratulate Geraint on a stellar career, one that has shown what is possible within such a gruelling and captivating sport for those who have the grit and determination to succeed at the highest level,” British Cycling’s performance director Stephen Park said in a statement.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“His 2018 Tour de France win will go down in history as the first time a Welshman has achieved the prestigious and hard-fought accolade. We will all be cheering him on over the coming months as he competes in his final season and look forward to bidding him farewell as he makes Septembers’ Tour of Britain his final race.

“Representing the Great Britain Cycling Team, we have seen him win rainbow jerseys on the track as a young rider, as well as two Olympic gold medals, and being part of teams who have broken multiple world records. He has also represented his home nation of Wales to the highest level, bringing home four Commonwealth Games medals as a result.

“What stands out about Geraint as a sportsperson is his passion for the sport and how he holds himself as a fantastic role model to the next generation of pro cyclists. His pride in the jersey and unwavering commitment to being the best version of himself are qualities we want to instil in every member of our team.

“G has been a key figurehead in every team he’s been a part of over the years and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats. We wish him the very best of luck in his final season in the peloton and in whatever the future holds.”

> Cyclists blame “hostile” NIMBYs as council abandons protected cycle lane plan after resident backlash over £1.4m “biggest waste of money” project they claimed would “devastate community”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Orbea FOX Factory Team (@orbeafactoryteam)

Following hot on the heels of a potential new SRAM Force groupset in the early rounds of not-very-inconspicuous cycling product leaks for 2025 is this new helmet being worn by Pierre de Froidmont of the Orbea Factory Team, which appears to have a Fizik logo on one of the vents if you look closely. Fizik has never produced a helmet, so this would be a first for the brand primarily concerned with cyclists’ feet and bums. 

Although the lid is being used at an XC race, visually there’s no indication it’s mountain bike-specific, as there is some aero shaping to the silhouette. There is plenty of venting though, so we’d guess it’s going to be an all-rounder. There’s also a yellow MIPS logo on the back, suggesting Fizik (we assume Fizik, because it says Fizik on it) has opted to go for the helmet safety technology purported to reduce rotational impact injuries to the head. 

Of course we’ve no more information to go off just yet, and a spokesperson for Fizik had this to say: “An official announcement will follow soon.” 

That’s a bit more than a straight up ‘no comment’, so we’ll look forward to receiving full details on this mysterious new helmet soon…

It may be the driest city in Australia, but it turns out Adelaide’s cycling tunnels are still doing their best to mimic their pommie cousins in the UK – by doubling up as free, outdoor swimming pools:

(Credit: Rob Carter)

Lidl-Trek’s Jonathan Milan’s blistering start to 2025 continued today on the opening stage of the UAE Tour, where the big, powerful Italian sprinter needed all of that power to snap the legs of Jasper Philipsen (who was ultimately relegated for a late flick near the line) on the steep ramp to the line at Liwa Palace.

During a tough, chaotic final kilometre, which saw the out-and-out sprinters mingle with lighter, punchier types like Lennert van Eetvelt, Oscar Onley, and Tadej Pogačar (more on him in a moment), Milan timed his sprint to perfection, launching off the world champion’s wheel, head bobbing in trademark relentless fashion all the way to the line.

Philipsen briefly looked like he was capable of overhauling the Italian, but ultimately was forced to pull the pin, darting across the road in exhaustion and frustration and into the path of the fast-finishing Finn Fisher-Black (try saying that after a few beers), leading to the Belgian’s relegation.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Eurosport Cycling (@eurosportcycling)

“I’m brutally tired! The heat, the temperature, the last 700m was so tough, tougher than I was thinking. It was an intense day,” a visibly drained Milan said after the stage.

“At the beginning it was a bit quiet, with a headwind, but then there were some echelons. I have to thank my guys, they controlled the race and supported me, and left me in the perfect position to do the last 200m in the best way I could – so I’m super happy about it, but very tired now. Tomorrow we’ll try to defend the leader’s jersey, but until then I’ll try to rest as much as possible.”

Meanwhile, Tadej Pogačar enjoyed a lively first day of term, as the world champion was almost involved in a disastrous touch of wheels in the final 10km, which saw his UAE Team Emirates’ colleague Juan Sebastián Molano hit a pebbly central reservation hard.

Undeterred, Pogačar decided to get stuck in during the final sprint to the line, launching early from the front – in, if we didn’t know any better, what looked like a finely executed lead-out for his old mate Philipsen – before drifting back to take tenth.

There’s never a quiet day in Pogi land – and with a 12km time trial coming up tomorrow, today’s (albeit brief) show of strength and more importantly intent will leave a few of the world champion’s GC rivals quaking in their skinsuits already.

> Tribunal orders former Scott Sports CEO to sell shares, ending bizarre “power struggle” which saw police called to HQ over “dispute between managers”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior (@clasicajaen)

There are around 60km – and plenty of tough gravel sectors – left in the Clásica Jaén, the Spanish Strade Bianche, where the riders fight for the right to place a massive ceremonial olive on their mantelpiece for the next 12 months.

And Visma-Lease a Bike are piling on the pressure, with young Brit Ben Tulett looking very strong (despite briefly hitting the deck while leading on a stretch of gravel) and Sepp Kuss joining in on the attacks, while Wout van Aert lurks dangerously in the background.

We could be in for a very fun hour and a half…

And that’s that, apparently. After three years of brilliant racing and extremely variable weather, the Dublin round of the UCI cyclocross World Cup is no more, Sport Ireland confirmed to Sticky Bottle at the weekend.

First run in 2022 (in absolutely freezing conditions), the Dublin round formed part of the UCI’s attempts to expand elite cyclocross beyond its northern European heartlands.

Wout van Aert and Fem van Empel emerged victorious at that muddy, star-studded first edition, while the last two women’s races were taken by Lucinda Brand as Pim Ronhaar (in 2023) and Michael Vanthourenhout (last year) won the men’s.

However, with the race – owing mostly to its geographical location, as well as riders’ varying targets – failing to consistently attract the sport’s biggest names (for instance, Mathieu van der Poel never made the venture across the Irish Sea), the crowds slowly dwindled, while the race’s future remained a constant topic of discussion among organisers.

A muddy Brand wins the 2023 race (Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

And when next year’s UCI World Cup calendar was confirmed, Dublin was conspicuous by its absence, a decision now confirmed by Sport Ireland, who told Sticky Bottle that it will no longer host the event due to the significant costs involved and the need for the organisation to support other sports.

“Sport Ireland is proud to have hosted three successful editions of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup at the Sport Ireland Campus,” the governing body said in a statement.

“The most recent event showcased world-class talent and attracted thousands of cycling enthusiasts. The Sport Ireland Campus, a 500-acre world-class facility, has become a hub for high-performance sports in Ireland.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

“In addition to the UCI Cyclocross World Cup, we have had the privilege of hosting several major international events in recent years, including the European Cross-Country Championships, Northern European Gymnastics Championships and Men’s EuroHockey Championship II.

“At Sport Ireland we are dedicated to supporting a wide range of sports and fostering the growth of emerging disciplines, ensuring that our world-class facilities benefit athletes and spectators across various sporting domains.

“Our commitment to hosting diverse, high-calibre events aligns with the Government’s Major International Sports Events Policy and Strategy Framework.”

Zoe Bäckstedt on her way to third at the 2024 round

While Sport Ireland did not cite this winter’s falling spectator numbers as a factor, it did admit that the cost of hosting the event played a role in the governing body pulling the plug.

“There is a significant subsidy cost associated with hosting any event, and Sport Ireland must carefully consider a diverse range of sporting opportunities to maximise the return on public investment,” Sport Ireland concluded.

“We will continue to evaluate and pursue opportunities that develop sport, showcase the Campus, inspire future generations of athletes, and elevate Ireland’s standing on the global stage.”

I’ll just have to find something else to do on that weekend from now on, then.

Cambridge-based electric folding bike company Flit has raised £1.2 million as it aims to ramp up production and take on market leader Brompton, the Times reports.

The brand’s managing director Alex Murray – who co-founded Flit with former Jaguar Land Rover engineer Dave Henderson in 2016 – told the newspaper that it needed to expand as current demand “outstrips our ability to supply it”, with customers currently facing a wait of up to four months to receive their bikes.

Tony Purnell, former head of technical development at British Cycling, and a former team principal for Formula One teams Jaguar and Red Bull, was one of the individuals who contributed to the fundraising, which was led by ACF Investors and Cambridge Angels.

This latest investment comes after Flit received £214,000 in governing funding in 2020 to help it develop a new method of manufacturing bike frames, after it faced an 18-month delay from its usual Taiwanese supplier during the pandemic.

Using the grant, Flit developed a technique for bonding bike frames together without welding. The company said this innovation has made its M2 model lighter, now weighing 14kg, and prevents distortion caused by welding, making the bike easier to fold.

“Not only did it improve the product, but it also re-imagined how we manufactured it and gave us a lot more flexibility,” Murray said.

“Because we were using an unusual process, we wanted to set it up in the UK so we could be hands-on and really master that process ourselves.

“We deliberately set the company up in Cambridge because it’s a cycling city. We are very close to our community of cyclists.”

> How to fit tubeless tyres — everything you need to know in this step-by-step guide

Speaking of chaos, here’s a clip of the moment a motorbike rider got it wrong on a gravelly corner at the Clásica Jaén, causing a few nervy moments in the group behind – but thankfully no (other) crashes:

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Eurosport Cycling (@eurosportcycling)

Staying upright on those dirt roads at race speed must be difficult enough without having to play ‘dodge the moto’. Well, at least a member of the public didn’t decide to take a quick spin through the vineyards, anyway…

It’s fair to say that Michał Kwiatkowski is fond of an early season one-day race with lots of gravel.

Twice a winner of Strade Bianche, the original white road classic, the former world champion added its Spanish imitator to his glittering palmares this afternoon, soloing away with 12km to go from the last man standing from the morning break, Ibon Ruiz, to secure an impressive victory at Clásica Jaén.

In a manner typical of his entire career, Kwiatkowski was both astute – bridging across to the breakaway with around 65km to go alongside Brandon McNulty – and calm in front, as chaos reigned behind on the gravel roads of southern Spain.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior (@clasicajaen)

And boy, was it chaotic. With a seemingly under par Wout van Aert in tow, Visma-Lease a Bike – instead of forcing a hard, steady pace – launched a series of attacks, with Ben Tulett a particularly enterprising force. However, once Van Aert withered and dropped back, Visma appeared blunted, with Tulett settling for ninth in Úbeda.

And despite having representatives up front, Ineos and UAE also threw themselves into the chaos, as Egan Bernal proving his sharpness once again until a reported crash ruled him out of contention, while the Decathlon-AG2R triad of Jordan Labrosse, Clément Berthet, and Nicolas Prodhomme all firing off at random intervals.

Chaos hit the front group too, however, when McNulty was unceremoniously ejected from the ultimately winning move with a puncture with 13km to go. A few hundred metres later, Kwiatkowski made his move, dropping the plucky Kern Pharma rider Ruiz and teeing up a smoothly successful ride to the line for the Ineos man.

Behind, with UAE forced to recalibrate, the young Mexican prodigy Isaac del Toro made up for McNulty’s misfortune by bridging across and dropping Ruiz for second, while the Spaniard held on for a well-deserved third after 168km in the break.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Eurosport Cycling (@eurosportcycling)

But the day – and the Clásica Jaén’s massive olive trophy – belonged to Kwiatkowski.

The 34-year-old classics star nabbed his first victory since winning in the Alps at the 2023 Tour de France, as well as remarkably the first pro victory for the Ineos Grenadiers (not counting Egan Bernal’s Colombian national titles this month) since last Filippo Ganna’s win at the Tour of Austria way back at the start of July 2024.

And with a turbulent winter now behind them, today’s win could provide a much-needed confidence boost for both the Polish veteran and his struggling team ahead of an extremely important season.

“I always have to believe that winning is possible. The pace was pretty hard from the second sector and I didn’t expect that, but it was just a small group and we had a lot of support from my team, everyone was racing perfectly and we knew it well,” the 34-year-old said after his win.

“I was going with the move with [Brandon] McNulty and get to the finish, so I’m proud of how we rode today. I want to dedicate this win to my family. It was a tough couple of months, so it is all for them.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior (@clasicajaen)

“[The win] means a lot. Last year, with my lower back injury, I didn’t race a lot and tried to get back. I started racing in Australia in January and had pretty good condition, but I was always missing something to get the victory.

“I spent the last two weeks training in Mallorca. My family stayed at home. I know how much sacrifice it is for my family, so it means a lot to me to win the race. If it was not me today, I think it would have been another from my team because we rode great today.”

Here on the live blog, we’re well used to shoddy or misguided cycle parking facilities at major supermarkets.

Remember the Aldi from last year, where the bike racks were used to store bags of compost?

> Aldi apologises after bike racks blocked with compost left customer asking “why do you hate cyclists so much?”

Or Marks and Spencer’s well-meaning but pretty useless ‘handsy’ cycle stands in Sutton Coldfield?

> This isn’t just a bad bike rack, this is an M&S bad bike rack (+ possibly the worst one yet) – Is arty cycle storage bringing “originality to the urban space” or is it just “really inaccessible design”?

This week, it’s Lidl’s turn to join in the fun, with this unique two-in-one trolley and bike storage facility at their shop in Goldstone Retail Park in Hove:

Ah, brilliant – extremely handy.

“There is only one covered bike park, which is currently used as a trolley store,” road.cc reader Martin Kelly, who took the above photo of Lidl’s trolley-first, customers on bikes-never approach yesterday, told us.

“The trolleys that are there seem to be new, and I am sure Lidl will say that they are waiting for the old trolleys to be removed – but they shouldn’t be stored in the bike parking area, Lidl have a large delivery yard at the back of the store.

> Big on congestion, Lidl on cycling: Plans for new supermarket on “death trap” road rejected due to fears extra traffic could compromise “abandoned” bike network

“And I have experienced this issue on numerous occasions at this store, before these new trolleys arrived. To be fair to Lidl I have told the staff about the issue previously and they do action it quickly, but it’s a pain and most people don’t bother telling them about the issue.

“It’s a shame that now they sponsor a pro bike team the bike parking at the Hove store is always full of shopping trolleys.”

Mads Pedersen certainly wouldn’t stand for it…

> Controversial changes make roundabout “considerably more dangerous”, NHS staff and cycling campaign warn — as council accused of ignoring its own safety audit

Just when everything was finally looking up for Egan Bernal, the Colombian climber has been hit with yet another setback, with reports emerging that he crashed and fractured his collarbone during the final 30km of today’s Clásica Jaén.

After three horribly tough years following his almost life-ending training crash in January 2022, Bernal started this year in encouraging form, winning both the Colombian national road and time trial titles, his first victories since the 2021 Giro d’Italia.

During today’s one-day race in Spain, his European debut for 2025, Bernal looked impressively sharp, attacking several times and being a constant, effervescent presence in the chase group, as his Ineos teammate Michał Kwiatkowski took the win in Úbeda.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by INEOS Grenadiers (@ineosgrenadiers)

However, the 2019 Tour winner was missing in the latter stages of the race, after reportedly crashing in the final 30km. And according to AS Colombia, Bernal suffered a collarbone fracture in the fall, which will likely rule him out for the rest of this early-season period, stifling what has obviously been a very productive winter.

Ineos are yet to confirm Bernal’s injury, though the team posted on social media that he was transported to a local hospital after a late crash.

“Our team doctor is currently with him and an update will be provided in due course,” the British squad said.

It’s been on the cards for a while, but this morning it was finally made official – Geraint Thomas, one of the lynchpins of British cycling’s success during that golden, grand tour-dominating 2010s, is set to retire at the end of this season.

In an Instagram post, the 2018 Tour de France winner, who had indicated back in 2023 that his current contract with the Ineos Grenadiers would be his last, said he “thought it was time we made it official”.

“Yes, this will be my last year in the peloton,” the 38-year-old said. “It’s not been a bad run, eh? Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine being a pro for 19 years. There’ll be lots of time to reflect but, before then, I’ve got some big races to prep for.”

One of those races is, of course, the Tour de France, where Thomas says he’ll be playing a supporting role and maybe aiming for a stage win, despite his remarkable late career run of grand tour podium finishes, which saw him follow up his third place at the 2022 Tour, behind Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, with an excruciatingly close second at the 2023 Giro d’Italia and another third in Italy last year.

 (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Thomas also confirmed he plans to bow out in style at the Tour of Britain in September, which – while the route is currently still up in the air – could end in Cardiff, a fitting homecoming the Ineos rider said would be “epic”.

But in an interview with BBC Breakfast today, the Welsh star – who’s also won Paris-Nice, the Tour de Suisse, the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Tour de Romandie, E3 Harelbeke (during his classic-hunting days), and two Olympic golds and three world titles in the team pursuit on the track – admitted he’s already started to reflect on his glittering two decades in the bunch.

“Since I was a kid I dreamt of riding the Tour and being part of the Olympics and winning was obviously a dream as well, but to achieve that was just nuts,” he said.

“I think now the decision is official, you do start to reflect because when you’re in it, it’s just one thing after the next, year after year, so you don’t really appreciate it.

“I guess at the time you enjoy it, but I don’t think you sit back and reflect and think, so there will be a bit of that this year.”

(ASO/Alex Broadway)

Looking back at his career, Thomas said winning his first Olympic gold in Beijing was “massive”, but admitted winning the Tour in 2018 “changed my life”.

“I was in Alcatraz and some dude recognised me. I think that’s when you know it went up a level,” the former Barloworld rider said.

“The yellow jersey is iconic. You go anywhere in the world and people will know the yellow jersey, how it signifies cycling and its history. So to be a part of that history and to win it, I just pinch myself.”

So, what’s next after retirement? A ramping up of his podcast duties? More media commitments? A managerial role with Ineos?

 (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“Having options is always good,” Thomas told BBC Breakfast. “I need a purpose. Since I was about 17 or 18, I’ve always been working towards a goal.

“To not be working towards anything would be nice for maybe a month, then I’ll just go crazy, so I’ll definitely have to have some goals.

“I want to do an Ironman. I only run two or three times a year, so that’s something that needs a bit of work! It’s about challenging myself in different ways.”

“[But] being around more and not missing events, birthdays, weddings, parties, or whatever. I’m looking forward to that side of things.”

And what about following in the wheel tracks (or heel leads) of another recently retired star of the 2010s, Peter Sagan, and signing up for Strictly Come Dancing?

> “My dancing idol is Patrick Swayze”: Peter Sagan signs up for Strictly Slovakia – but how have other pro cyclists who swapped their bikes for the ballroom fared?

“I reckon the fitness would be the only thing I’ve got. I wouldn’t back myself,” the 38-year-old says of his chances of taking part in the celebrity dancing programme.

“Although my parents-in-law tell me ‘please don’t do it, you’ll make a fool of yourself, and that makes me want to do it!

“That would be the biggest challenge of my life for sure. Maybe I’ve got the hips for it.”

Come on Geraint, you know you want to…

There always seems to be something going on in Dorset when it comes to cycling and active travel, isn’t there?

The county – arguably more than anywhere else in the UK – has been at the forefront of a series of disputes surrounding active travel projects in recent times, as residents regularly voice their outrage at what they see as expensive and under-used cycling infrastructure making their lives worse.

Over the past year alone, we’ve seen hire bike company Beryl pull out of the east Dorset area after drivers claimed that the green bikes were “blighting our pavements”, Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council accused of “eco-vandalism” for cutting down 10 trees to allow work to begin on a new cycleway in Poole, and the construction of a cycle lane in Ferndown blamed for two failing businesses.

That Ferndown cycle lane – which since its initial construction has seen opponents claim it does not represent “value for money”, that “not enough” cyclists are using it, and that more road space should be allocated to drivers because they are “the majority” – also found itself at the centre of a misinformation row in July, after unfounded rumours emerged on social media claiming that several trees will be cut down during the works, claims dismissed by the council as “factually incorrect and negative”.

> “It will completely destroy everything”: Pub owner claims controversial cycle lane construction is costing her business “£5,000 a week”, month after bike lane also blamed for “awful” chippy’s demise

And that’s not all. We’ve seen another cycle lane in Poole make national headlines after upset locals complained to the Daily Mail, Telegraph, and GB News that they had been “blocked” in their driveways by wands installed to segregate the route from traffic – and that they “can’t just reverse out fast anymore”.

We’ve also had a group of motorists threaten to launch a legal challenge against what they described as the council’s “totally undemocratic” decision to permanently close one of the entrances to Poole Park, to prevent rat-running motorists using it as a cut-through.

This campaign even featured claims that the council’s decision was part of a “sinister agenda” also involving the oft-mischaracterised 15-minute cities initiative, 20mph zones, and low traffic neighbourhoods.

And at the end of December, residents in Dorset backed a petition raising concerns about “excessive delays, disruption, and inconvenience” caused by “the construction of extremely expensive and obviously under-utilised cycle paths”.

> “Not everyone has the option to drive”: Council addresses backlash over controversial cycle lane projects, including row over ‘driveway-blocking wands’ and ‘Britain’s biggest bike lane’

The petition, calling for the Liberal Democrat and independent-run council to “reconsider their current local transport and infrastructure policies” has so far attracted over 2,700 signatures and was given a boost when the Mail published an article on the local anti-bike opposition with the headline: ‘Our council is causing traffic chaos and spending £120m to install 50 MILES of cycle lanes – despite the ones already there barely being used’.

However, the council responded to the petition by pointing out that “not everyone in our community has the option to drive” and that the works are designed to benefit all road users, not just cyclists.

Yes, all of that has really taken place in the last few months.

Of course, since it’s 2025 and all, many of these debates have been fought out on the petty battleground that is social media, where warring Facebook groups of active travel and motoring enthusiasts have taken turns chastising each other through the very modern medium of angry posts and sharing screenshots and links.

And this weekend was no different. On the ‘BCP and Dorset Motorists’ Facebook group – the source of the recent petition – one member, Dave, criticised BCP Council’s “Active Travel Plan” (his quotation marks, not mine), which he argued had led to the local authority “effectively forcing this on our communities with their ‘get on your bikes’ attitude”.

“How many of our councillors actually cycle to work?” he asked. “They all seem good at telling the community to do so.”

“I can imagine them driving into work. Looking around at the mess they have made,” replied James. “While waiting in a slow-moving traffic cue. Seeing nobody riding a bike or even a mobility scooter. And thinking, yeah! What an amazing job we’ve done here!”

> Motorists to launch legal challenge against “totally undemocratic” decision to close park rat-run to drivers to “appease the cycling brigade”

Meanwhile, Geoff pointed out that “there are clearly some parties whose ideology is adamantly against drivers” and that “some people might think the Conservatives to be supportive of allowing a more balanced approach to traffic policy”.

He continued: “After all I believe most people would agree that a reasonable network of single lanes should be offered as long as they don’t restrict the amenity of other groups.

“But we saw that with Cllr Greene last time, he went too far in giving way to the nagging of the cycle cult lobbyists, which has empowered them to demand more and more.”

However, these claims that cycling is being “forced” on Dorset’s communities unsurprisingly received short shrift in that other BCP-based Facebook group, BH Active Travel (I swear, it’s like the Sharks and the Jets, but on Facebook groups, and about cycling).

> Controversial cycle lane wands go viral as furious residents lash out at “blocked” driveways, but local cyclist suggests outrage “overblown” and bike lane bollards only necessary because drivers park in it

In one post from the weekend, BH Active Travel member Robert sought out to “get one or two things straight” about active travel campaigners in the county, and the conspiracy theories spread about them.

“Nobody in this group has ever said that: ‘People will have to cycle everywhere’. Those who claim that is the policy of this group are lying,” he wrote.

“Nobody in this group has ever said that: ‘People will have to give up their cars’. Those who claim that is the policy of this group are lying.

“Nobody in this group has ever said that: ‘You will be forced to live in 15-minute cities and you won’t be able to leave without permission’. Those that claim that is the policy of this group are lying.”

> Why is the 15-minute city attracting so many conspiracy theories?

He continued: “This group exists to safeguard vulnerable road users from death and injuries on our roads and provide a safe environment for vulnerable road users to travel around our conurbation. 

“The policy decisions are made by the relevant authorities, and they may or may not ask for the opinions of the group.”

“It’s the standard straw man, put up something untrue so they can castigate you for it,” agreed Malcolm.

“I would normally say ‘ill-informed’, rather than ‘lying’, it’s less confrontational,” noted Luke. “To me, it’s a campaign for personal choice, the motor-centric policies of the last 50 years have in many ways removed the option to safely walk or cycle short distances in our towns and cities. I would say we are campaigning to be given back that choice.”

“We drive cars, ride bikes, catch buses, trains scoot, wheel and walk amongst you and we’re not trying to take away your cars. I don’t know how much clearer we can be,” agreed Russell.

Robert gave being clear a good go in a follow-up post, writing: “I’m thoroughly fed up with the blatant lies being told, by proper grown-ups, about this group. Either they should provide proof of their claims or STFU. It’s like being in a school playground.”

To be fair, the vast majority of school playgrounds feature more nuanced and reasoned arguments than most Facebook groups…