“Still could do with some bollards”: Huge ‘cycle path dress’ praised, as cyclists joke that “someone is going to park there”; Confused driver almost hits cyclist in ‘protected’ bike lane; Sagan and Voeckler on ‘boring’ Pogačar + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Weekend round-up: British cyclocross champion Cam Mason pipped in thrilling battle with Thibau Nys in Hamme, Lucinda Brand is unbeatable, Froome’s legacy debated, and more cycle lane news
The elite men’s cyclocross season – sans Van der Poel, Van Aert, and Pidcock – has been something of a free-for-all so far, and this weekend’s racing didn’t disappoint.
British champion Cameron Mason has been knocking on the door of a big result for quite some time now. And yesterday at the Flandriencross, he nearly burst right through it.
What a battle ??
Cameron Mason and Thibaut Nys have locked horns with just under two laps remaining in Hamme ? pic.twitter.com/Xw6BGxHN4r
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) November 16, 2025
In a thrilling two-up duel in Hamme, the third round of the X2O Trofee series, Mason – who also finished fifth at Saturday’s Superprestige Merksplas – went toe-to-toe with multi-disciplinary star Thibau Nys, after the pair forged clear with five laps to go on the treacherously muddy course.
Despite forcing the pace towards the end, Mason’s dream of a maiden elite win on the continent was scuppered on the last lap, however, when a few slight errors allowed Nys to take control, the Belgian champion powering onto the finishing straight to pip his British rival and secure his second win of the series.
A scintillating battle ?
Thibaut Nys got the better of Cameron Mason after a five-lap duel between the pair finished with a sprint for the line ?? pic.twitter.com/iTsb1G42OO
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) November 16, 2025
So close. But considering how much Nys, one of the current stars of the sport, had to work for that win, it seems only a matter of time before Cam Mason nabs that big breakthrough victory.
Earlier on Sunday, things weren’t quite so tight in the women’s elite race in Hamme, as Lucinda Brand continued her dominant start to the season, taking her third consecutive win thanks to an attack from the gun and a long-range solo exhibition, as European champion Inge van der Heijden was forced to settle for second, nine seconds back.
Brand on brand ?
Lucinda Brand led the race from start to finish as she claims a hat trick in Hamme with a third victory this week ? pic.twitter.com/yWuuJ6jymw
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) November 16, 2025
That victory also means that Brand has won seven times from nine starts this season (in the other two she finished second), and – wait for it – has now finished on the podium in each of her last 50 (50!) cyclocross races.
The last time the 36-year-old was off the podium in a ‘cross event? 21 January 2024, in Benidorm… where she finished fourth. Now that’s dominance.
Meanwhile, there were also plenty of non-cyclocross happenings at the weekend.
In the altogether more sterile world of turbo trainer racing, Germany’s Jason Osborne and New Zealand’s Mary Kate McCarthy retained their titles at the UCI Esports world championships in Abu Dhabi.
Osborne looks delighted…
And, following the (admittedly inevitable) news that Chris Froome would not be part of the cycling team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech next season, our man Callum delved into the four-time Tour de France winner’s difficult legacy:
> Chris Froome’s retirement limbo leaves the sport of cycling to grapple with a difficult legacy
Dan Bigham also had some fancy new aero lasers to show off:
And finally, in infrastructure and health news, it turns out cycle lanes and bike schemes are good for you, after all (I’m shocked too…).
> “Mind-blowingly good” cycle lane proposals unveiled by local council
Green is grip (especially when it’s a rival’s bike)
Gotta stay sharp ?
Ryan Kamp upends Michael Vanthourenhout as conditions continue to prove tricky in Hamme ? pic.twitter.com/LkTxWuSnwE
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) November 16, 2025
Referee! Ryan Kamp there, with a tactical foul on Michael Vanthourenhout in Hamme – though given the muddy conditions, riding over Kamp’s bike might actually have been the smoothest line at that moment.
Quick everyone, into the shelter, the Daily Mail says there’s another war on motorists…
> Government shuts down “false” media claims roads to be narrowed to stop drivers overtaking cyclists, after tabloid “war on motorists” hysteria “misrepresents” latest road safety guidance
When you’re Tadej Pogačar and you still have to buy your own bottles… even when there’s a gold statue of yourself outside the shop
Some classic Tadej japes here from the world champion, who was over in Abu Dhabi this weekend for the final of the UCI Esports world championships.
And, after seemingly leaving his bottles at home, Pogačar was forced to dig out his bank card, head to the local bike shop, and stand in line to stock up ahead of his training ride, just like a forgetful Cat 4.
To be honest, I’m not surprised none of the shop’s employees recognised him. The four-time Tour winner was, after all, practically in incognito mode, wearing his invisible rainbow jersey.
However, the massive gold statue of the Slovenian situated just outside the shop’s entrance surely led some of them to believe they recognised Tadej from somewhere. ‘I know that face, he must have been in my year at school, that fella…’
“This is greenwashing — not real environmental protection”
> “Not real environmental protection”: Major new cycle lane halted after plan to cut down 50 trees and replace them nearby labelled “greenwashing”
“This is what we’re up against”
Just two days of Google Alerts for ‘Active Travel England’. This is what we’re up against. Any announcement that benefits cycling, no matter how minor, will be attacked by a broad sweep of the media. It gets absorbed by people unthinkingly, and frightens decision makers. #Motornormativity
— Owler Nook (@owlernook.bsky.social) November 17, 2025 at 12:56 PM
“It would be hard to turn anyone down”: Tadej Pogačar Foundation awards scholarships to 35 young people with cancer
Away from his joke bidon buying videos, Tadej Pogačar has been busy giving back this week, after the four-time Tour winner’s foundation announced that 35 young people, who all have received treatment for cancer during the past year, to cover the costs of their education.
The Tadej Pogačar Foundation raised €94,000 last month through auctions and sponsorship donations, as well as the world champion’s charity Pogi Challenge ride (‘won’, of course, by British hill climbing supremo Andrew Feather).
Ten scholarships, to cover the students’ school fees, as well as encouraging them to keep developing and learning to “achieve their dreams”, were originally planned, but the funds raised gave the foundation the opportunity to offer the awards to everyone who applied.
Almost half of the scholarship recipients are studying for careers related to health, education, and training, while some are planning careers in medical research, Slovenian news outlet Siol reports.
Announcing the scholarships, Pogačar said that after reading their stories “it would be hard to turn anyone down”, with the foundation team noting that the applicants had inspired them with their positivity, determination, and energy in the face of their cancer diagnosis.
“I would like to congratulate you for bravely facing an illness that did not take away your faith in life, but helped you become a better version of yourself. I could say that your letters also reflect Tadej’s motto: Never give up and never surrender,” the world champion’s mum, Marjeta Pogačar, a member of the three-person committee who reviewed the applications, told the students.
“In addition to the financial support, the symbolic meaning of the scholarship also means a lot to me,” added Manca, one of the scholarships’ recipients.
“During my treatment, when I was in the hospital for a long time, I watched Tadej Pogačar on television, how he persisted on his bike for hours. This gave me the strength not to give up and to keep fighting.”
More ‘paint is not protection’…
Newly refurbished in Wandsworth London
— HumanTravl (@humantravl.bsky.social) November 17, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Remember the story about Egan Bernal’s ‘stolen’ Tour-winning bike? Well, turns out it was a publicity stunt all along…
At the start of November, you may recall, Egan Bernal took to social media to report that one of his bikes – namely the special yellow Pinarello Dogma F12, ridden by the Colombian on the Champs-Élysées as he won the 2019 Tour de France – had been stolen from a public exhibit.
The news, shared by a journalist and friend of Bernal’s, was greeted with dismay in Colombia and viewed as symptomatic of cycling’s ongoing security problems, following a range of high-profile raids targeting professional team’s bikes.
However, with precious little detail provided about the supposed break-in, speculation soon mounted on social media – reported on in my original story, in case you were wondering – that Bernal’s plea was simply all part of a publicity campaign by the Giro winner to promote his Gran Fondo.
Surely not? Actually, yes – it turns out all the cynics and sceptics were right all along.
In a post on Instagram over the weekend, Bernal shared a photo of a new museum in Zipaquirá dedicated to his life and cycling accomplishments… and featuring that yellow Pinarello, smack bang in the middle of the whole thing.
I don’t know about you, but the whole thing feels very weird. Maybe just try giving away a signed jersey next time, Egan?
Alexander Kristoff: Man of Steel
Here’s your mad cycling fact of the day:
Alexander Kristoff said that he has retired now having never broken a bone during his career. For a sprinter, that is astonishing.
— Cillian Kelly (@cilliankelly.bsky.social) November 16, 2025 at 10:38 AM
I imagine the road came off worse on more than a few occasions, contributing to the big Norwegian’s unbreakable streak.
ASO: ‘No, we’re never going to charge anyone to watch the Tour de France, that would go against the spirit of cycling. Oh, you want to peer through a few trees to watch the riders on the Champs-Élysées? That’ll be €200, please…’
> “Absolutely not on the agenda”: Tour de France organiser shuts down idea to force fans to buy tickets to watch on Alpe d’Huez
“Is that the latest Dura-Ace?”
Forkin’ hell, don’t know if I’d fancy on a pothole-infested road – bit too close for comfort…
“Pogačar is admirable. But yes, it’s boring”: Thomas Voeckler latest retired entertainer to take part in cycling’s boring ‘boring’ debate
Peter Sagan isn’t the only 2010s-era cycling entertainer passing the time this winter by trying to answer the sport’s most pointless question – Is Tadej Pogačar’s dominance boring?
And while Sagz may be firmly sitting on the fence, everyone’s favourite tongue-waggling Frenchman, Thomas Voeckler, was unequivocal when confronted with the same topic this week.
“Pogačar is admirable. What he does is incredible, with a simplicity and a pleasure in riding that commands respect. But yes: it’s boring,” the former Tour de France yellow jersey, known for his, ahem, unique facial expressions, desperate attacks, and equally desperate implosions, told Cyclism Actu.
“At the European championships, the interest of the race was… for third place. The public was watching who will be on the podium. We can’t say that it’s ideal for suspense.”
I suppose everyone can’t be Tommy Voeckler… Which is probably for the best (sorry, French housewives).
“I’m not saying it’s boring… But sometimes you know who’s going to win two hours before the finish”: Peter Sagan weighs in on cycling’s ‘boring’ debate amid increasing “control” – but insists Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel “put on fantastic show”
The debate about whether men’s cycling has become ‘boring’ in recent years – fuelled in no small part by Tadej Pogačar’s dominance and penchant for suspense-killing 100km attacks – has been raging for quite a while.
So it was only a matter of time before one of the sport’s greatest entertainers, Peter Sagan, chipped in with his own take on the Pogi era.
Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
The three-time world champion’s aggressive, attacking nature and flamboyant, catchphrase and wheelie-heavy style made him one of the most popular riders of the 2010s, an exciting antidote to the conservative, sterile, and stone-faced Sky epoch.
> Was the 2025 Tour de France boring?
But, according to the former Bora-Hansgrohe and Tinkoff leader, while the likes of Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel may have taken a leaf out of the Sagan playbook (and upped it a notch) when it comes to all-round ability and attacking instincts, it hasn’t always resulted in thrilling racing.
“I’m not saying it’s boring, but… it’s true that sometimes you know who’s going to win two hours before the finish. That changes the feeling a bit,” Sagan, who retired from road racing at the end of 2023, told Marca this week.
ASO/Pauline Ballet
“But even when I was still racing, it was also controlled: anti-doping tests, weight, nutrition, everything. Now it’s even more so. Everything is measured more precisely. And science has undoubtedly taken the next step.”
However, despite their ability to kill off races early, Sagan is nevertheless a fan of Pogačar and Van der Poel, and the shift cycling has undergone since his own Roubaix, Flanders, and green jersey-winning heyday.
“They have a different way of racing, that’s for sure,” he admits. “But the level is incredibly high. Together they put on a fantastic show for the fans.”
Not quite as fantastic as Sagan’s (often shirtless) crack at Ballroom and Latin dancing earlier this year, of course, but still…
“Paint and plastic do not make safe cycling infrastructure”: Confused motorist veers into ‘protected’ bike lane and drives towards cyclist, forcing startled rider to “jump aside” to avoid crash – as others complain about drivers in same cycle lane
As regular readers will know, almost every day on the live blog we feature a piece of shoddy, badly designed, or downright dangerous cycling infrastructure, combined with our favourite rhetorical question: Why don’t cyclists use the cycle lanes?
There are, of course, dozens of different answers to that question, depending on the location and style of the bike lane in question: bad drainage issues, potholes, stones, lack of space, or – as is often the case – the presence of parked cars, bins, and all manner of cycle lane-blocking paraphernalia.
> Why don’t cyclists use cycle lanes?
But, when it comes to the cycle lane on Lower Road in south-east London, the answer is an easy one: it doesn’t stop motorists veering into it and driving straight at unsuspecting cyclists.
Over on Reddit, one cyclist posted a video of their commute home from work towards Surrey Quays on Thursday, when they got the fright of their life while cycling in a supposedly protected portion of Lower Road’s new cycle lane:
Posts from the londoncycling
community on Reddit
“One of the newer bits of the segregated bike path, by Southwark Park, is only separated from traffic by paint and plastic wands/bollards – some of which are missing,” the Reddit user JapaneseSalad, posted.
“A [driver] today joined the bike path in confusion. It’s unclear to me how they could have missed me, with multiple front lights (solid AND flashing), as the driver ploughed on. I had to jump aside to avoid being hit.
“It’s not the first time I see a car getting confused. This one, as well as the intersection with Surrey Quays, and Tooley Street and Tower Bridge Rd are some of the worst spots.
“This should not be possible on a ‘protected’ bike lane.”
Quite.
Worryingly, some other cyclists took to Reddit to share that they had also experienced the same thing while riding on Lower Road’s bike lane.
And over on Facebook, Christine said: “We had a driver following us in that cycle lane in broad daylight heading west when my friend and I were leading a ride.
“He got very annoyed that we didn’t get out of the cycle lane and let him get past! We couldn’t work out how he got into it. He eventually got out at a set of lights.”
It turns out, just like the original cyclist said in his Reddit post, that “paint and plastic do not make safe cycling infrastructure” after all. Who knew?
“Dress for the bike lanes you want, not the bike lanes you have”: Fashion designer unveils striking ‘cycle path dress’, as cyclists joke that “someone is going to park a car there”
In a move completely out of character for the road.cc live blog, we’re now going to briefly dive into the world of high fashion (which, if you saw how we usually dress, represents a ludicrously sharp left turn).
But, hey, at least it’s about cycle lanes.
Because, at the general assembly of the German Cyclists’ Association (ADFC), held over the weekend in Berlin, we were treated to the rather unusual sight of this ‘cycle lane’ dress (yes, really), which ironically is a good deal longer than many bike paths in the UK:
The dress, which was modelled ahead of the conference’s opening address on cycling, mobility, and gender, was created by Hamburg-born designer Athena Macke, who specialises in political concept and urban space design.
“Why does the bike path just stop here?… Then I’ll just bring my own bike path,” Macke said as she unveiled the cycling infrastructure/fashion must-have last month.
“And that’s the ‘bike path dress’ from my Bachelor’s collection ‘Fashion and urban development’.”
As Macke noted, the dress is a result of her studies at the Freie Universität Berlin, where she focused on fashionable and performative forms of expression in urban design, especially those which encourage people to move away from cars.
Now, that’s the kind of thing you don’t see on ‘M&S Dress the Nation’ with Vernon Kay…
Athena’s striking, thought-provoking design was also taken for test ride around Berlin over the weekend, as part of climate demonstrations taking place in the German capital:
And it’s safe to say the dress has captured the imagination of style and safety-conscious cyclists on social media who, as well as praising the design, were on fire with some classic cycle lane material.
“Dress for the bike lanes you want, not the bike lanes you have,” wrote Walk of Life on BlueSky.
“There’s a pedestrian standing in the bike lane,” added Chase, while Canadian cyclist Daniel said: “The dress is so good it’s illegal in Ontario” (one for all you Doug Ford enthusiasts out there).
“Someone is going to park a car there,” added BK. Or if she took it to London, drivers would start heading straight down the middle of it.
“Still could do with some bollards,” added Dawn (fabric isn’t protection, after all), while Matt warned: “Careful, this is what NIMBYs may suggest as a solution.”
“When is a train a bike lane?” joked another user, while Keith noted that the classic anti-cycling brigade wouldn’t be long in pointing out that Athena’s dress is just another example of an “under-used” bike lane.
“Perfect, because everyone will complain it’s in the way and it will end up getting destroyed,” concluded Nick.
Can’t wait for this to pop up in the Daily Mail’s fashion pages, they won’t know what to do with themselves…
Help us to bring you the best cycling content
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £1.99. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
20 Comments
Read more...
Read more...
Read more...
Latest Comments
Bah, I'm waiting for the campagnolo replacement joints. Sure, it will be twice the price and require an entirely new set of equipment for the surgeon to install, but it will work magnificently and my legs will look better than ever.
@mdavidford - I don't understand, is one suppose to inhale or not?
Are the joints only available in Ultegra and 105? I guess this is one case where you won't get too many people complaining they were quite happy with Sorer. (Although I understand there are quite a few older people on Tiagra - or something like that anyway.)
It would be really good if you could stop giving Wilkie the oxygen of publicity he so desperately craves, he doesn't care about cycling, cyclist safety or anything else and his posts create considerably more animosity towards cyclists as they are generally him doing something stupid and then claiming it was the motorist's fault, e.g., filtering in the middle of the oncoming traffic lane and then complaining oncoming traffic didn't give him enough room. All he wants is to get clicks, comments and reactions for his posts, whether for monetisation or just for his own sad little ego I don't know, but he's definitely not someone to be encouraged, in my opinion.
It would not surprise me if (given his red light running and hypocrisy with regards to highway code rules) Bob Wilkie is a future Darwin Award nominee.
re: death on the roads angry elf
@timscottellis In some London constituencies there have been big improvements in infrastructure for cyclists. In mine very little. The things that really have changed since the 90s: - attitudes and standard driving of drivers for the worse - dramatic increase in size of motor vehicles - increase in congestion - Advent of electric motorbike-enabled crime - wholesale removal of police presence and enforcement - use of legal and illegal micromobility vehicles - proliferation of dockless electric hire bikes and their sometimes wayward riders - congestion charging - ULEZ Whilst some of these points have benefits for a few or even some road users the last point would seem to be the only one to have a solely positive upside for cyclists.
@timscottellis I can't speak for elsewhere but in London cycle provision and infrastructure has improved out of all recognition since the 90s and as a result fatalities are down 50% and serious injuries are down 20% despite the fact that the number of miles ridden has increased by 300%. What proportion of that improvement is attributable to Critical Mass cannot of course be measured, but it's absolutely incorrect to say "so little has actually changed".
I remember thoroughly enjoying the Critical Mass rides in the early to mid nineties. Fun as they might be, they don't appear to be achieving much if they're still going. So little has actually changed despite all the good words.
20 thoughts on ““Still could do with some bollards”: Huge ‘cycle path dress’ praised, as cyclists joke that “someone is going to park there”; Confused driver almost hits cyclist in ‘protected’ bike lane; Sagan and Voeckler on ‘boring’ Pogačar + more on the live blog”
“It’s not the first time I
“It’s not the first time I see a car getting confused…”
Must have been one of those self-driving/autonomous vehicles that needs it’s software updating then… ?
Wait till the self-driving
Wait till the self-driving ones hit London next year ?
Unfortunately it’ll be more
Unfortunately it’ll be more than London getting hit
There is an assumption here
There is an assumption here that the driver got in the cycle lane by mistake and was merely confused, and wasn’t doing anything deliberately.
I have my doubts.
Was it the part where the
Was it the part where the driver didn’t slow down or seem to give a shit about the fact there was a cyclist right in front of them that gave it away.
Thats unfortunately the standard response to drivers doing bad things. Minimise it. Give them an excuse. “Momentary lapse”, “confusing road layout”, “they couldn’t see properly so obviously any sane person would just YOLO it” etc etc.
The driver dont care part
The driver dont care part probably comes them assuming the cyclist is in the wrong for riding towards them on the wrong side of their “road” so the cyclist is treated like its their risk not the drivers.
Of course assuming it was a simple navigation mistake and not an attempt to jump queuing traffic. All possible options are on the table imo.
But a little bit of anpr there would go along way to solving such problems getting out of hand
But a little bit of anpr
But a little bit of anpr there would go along way to solving such problems getting out of hand
Doubt it , when the police must be switching theirs off most of the time or they haven’t yet worked out how to switch it on, and DVLA ignores ‘their’ offenders. BF64 TGE will soon achieve the 4 Years Without VED Award, and must be detected by ANPR all the time. DVLA, my MP, the police all know where he lives, the company address is at Companies House, and the vehicle is all over the firm’s publicity. First reported to DVLA May 22
It wasn’t a navigation
It wasn’t a navigation mistake. Watch the video again, the bus overtakes an illegally parked van while not giving way to the Focus coming on the opposite lane, which in turn swervers onto the bike lane to save him/herself from having to give way to the bus. He/she did it knowing full well there was a cyclist in the lane going towards them and kept going on bullying the cyclist out of the way. That’s dangerous driving and the driver should end up in court for doing that as should the taxi driver who followed him for careless driving.
It’s this exact place with a massive gap between the wands where cars can easily enter the bike lane.
whosatthewheel wrote:
You may well be right, but the video doesn’t show intent. Could it not equally have been: poor conditions, difficult to see road markings, saw bus headlights coming towards them in their lane, mistakenly thought they were in the wrong lane, moved over, then “what’s that cyclist doing there?”, “wait… am I the baddie?” Don’t get me wrong, still terrifying, but Hanlon’s razor.
Or maybe just randomly
Or maybe just randomly decided to try out driving on narrow road?!
I couldn’t make it out, did
I couldn’t make it out, did the driver behind also follow the first driver in before swerving out at an earlier stage?
Not much earlier – they only
Not much earlier – they only pull out when they see the first driver being forced to slow as they squeeze past the cyclist.
mdavidford wrote:
More likely the taxi pulled back onto the road the moment the bus had got past.
What happened there is, there was a van parked within the bus stop area. The bus driver pulled onto the opposite lane to overtake the van and didn’t give way to the Focus, so the Focus’s driver swerved into the bike lane to avoid having to stop and give way to the bus. And so did the taxi driver and would have remained in the bike lane, and potentially driven on if the adjacent lane had still been blocked. They weren’t confused. It was a deliberate action by both drivers. And all four drivers should be fined and receive points: the van’s driver for parking where it mustn’t, the bus driver and cabbie for careless driving, and the Focus’s driver for dangerous driving.
“Paint and plastic do not
“Paint and plastic do not make safe cycling infrastructure”: one can’t blame the cycling infrastructure for the criminal behaviour of some motorists.
More ‘paint is not protection’… A 250-quid ticket for illegal parking is prevention.
The Mirror gets its base
The Mirror gets its base assumption wrong, but the outcome remains the same – no room left for safe cycling. Roads didn’t shrink, but cars, vans, trucks, lorries and small commercial vehicles have significantly expanded in height and volume over the past 25 years.
Not sure the height matters,
Not sure the height matters, nor necessarily the volume * – we “feel the width”. Some are longer also.
However a much more significant “volume” effect is the volume of traffic eg. more people and more journeys driven.
* Indeed some kinds of motor vehicle have exhibited a kind of reverse-Tardis effect – they get *smaller* on the inside as they get bigger on the outside.
I think the height does
I think the height does matter. A driver who is sitting higher up is less likely to see objects closer to the ground, such as children cycling. A higher vehicle is also harder to see over. Also, there’s a psychological impact of being higher than other road users – it makes you feel more important, so you’re more likely to drive inconsiderately.
Being higher up you feel like
Being higher up you feel like you are going slower.
Backladder wrote:
You are – you have lower ground speed for the same air speed.
But less air resistance, if
But less air resistance, if you make the seat post long enough? EDIT and thin enough… Although you’ll also presumably run out of puff quicker.
I imagine you’ll eventually be frustrated as your watch will be running faster than your cycle computer (assuming you can still read it from that distance).