“It hurts watching it”: Expressway coaches’ bizarre ‘cyclists-as-loser’ advert (+ more dreadful cycling ads); Fabio Jakobsen’s “dream” comeback; Cav talks Tour de France; How far to the top?; Sagan shreds; The kids are alright + more on the live blog

No need for the wheelies. There’s an easier way to get around.

Be like Tomo and book, plan and manage your journeys online using MyExpressway.

Take it easy at https://t.co/kHjh1FMOHA#MyExpressway #TakeItEasy pic.twitter.com/GnJxUIwrEh

— Expressway #MyExpressway (@ExpresswayIRE) August 17, 2021

Expressway coaches’ new ad will have you cringing…What better way to attract new passengers by having a pop at cyclists. ‘No need for the wheelies. There’s an easier way to get around.’ Firstly, I’d love to see someone do a wheelie on a tandem, let alone from the front seat, and that’s before we even start with the ad itself…

The cyclist’s bemused expression at the end was all of us watching. Some have said the most baffling aspects is that Expressway run journeys between Irish cities, meaning that people who use bikes for shorter journeys aren’t even the target audience…and, even if they were, what part of that advert is going to make them want to take an Expressway coach? 

Here’s some of the reaction…

Dublin Cycling Campaign called it “a strange new advert from the ‘cyclist-as-loser’ genre. Is it some kind of attempt to win back customers post-pandemic? What’s the strategy here? Expressway coaches, which mostly cover inter-urban routes, aren’t in direct competition with bicycles. It’s bizarre.”

What is actually wrong with you? Feel bad if you actually had to pay someone for this ad. No other way for marketing but playing busses against cyclists game??

— Aliona Wynn (@aliona_wynn) August 17, 2021

No comment.
It hurts watching it.

— AskYourLocalGerman (@AskUrLoclGerman) August 18, 2021

Asked a Norwegian cyclist heading down how far it was to the top. After a long pause he said, “You don’t really want to know.” He was right. pic.twitter.com/6SIIAbEt8G

— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) August 17, 2021

 We’ve all been there. On a new climb with no idea how far to the top. This is already giving me flashbacks to the 5km climb out of Lochearnhead, Stirling on the A85 that I limped up this summer. Made worse by the fact it wasn’t even one of the ‘proper climbs’ on the route that day, and the streams of drivers chugging past as I struggled up the hillside. Good views though.  

A more popular winner all year you will not find. Fabio Jakobsen, a little over a year on from the horror crash at the Tour of Poland which left him with a frightening list of injuries, has returned to the top of the sport. The former Dutch champion won yesterday’s stage four of the Vuelta and was understandably emotional after the finish. 

“This is a dream,” he told his Deceuninck-Quick-Step team. “I want to thank my family and the team, my second family, because they are the reason I am here. It’s the most beautiful victory of my career and I can’t thank everybody enough for what they did for me. It’s been a long road since last year, and to be here, a Grand Tour stage winner again, makes me incredibly happy.”

Jakobsen might have made it two from two by teatime tonight. Stage five should be another easy day for the peloton, finishing with a bunch sprint in Albacete. This was one of the stages bookmarked for possible crosswind action, but the current weather forecast means that shouldn’t be an issue.

Mel, her partner and their kids have been riding around the UK for the last four months on their cargo bikes, posting updates on their blog. Yesterday, two days before they leave, one of their bikes, including panniers, helmets and toolbox was stolen in Beverley when they left the key in the lock (easily done). The pic has been shared in a local Facebook crime page and been shared 700+ times so hopefully this one will have a happy ending…

Winning his first UCI road race in the biggest U23 stage race on earth, just days after competing on the track at the Olympics.

No wonder our U23 rider to watch @EthanVernon22 looks happy.

📸 Anouk Flesch pic.twitter.com/mL5Fa5prqt

— The British Continental (@BritishConti) August 17, 2021

In a matter of weeks Ethan Vernon has competed at the Olympics and won a stage of Tour de l’Avenir – the top U23 race in the world. He doesn’t turn 21 until next week…not bad. 

The Cat & Fiddle Challenge charity ride returns on 12 September after a year on hold due to the pandemic. Gold medal machine Jason Kenny and Sean Kelly are two of the cycling greats who have taken on the challenge over the years. There are two routes this year, both taking in the famous seven-mile Cat & Fiddle climb, as well as a new off-road option.

The Cat & Fiddle Challenge route is 96km with 1,292m of ascent, the Cat & Fiddle Classic route is 85km with 1,122m of climbing and the Towpaths, Tracks & Trails option takes in 199m of ascent over 48km. 95 per cent of this new route is off-road. All the rides start from Port Vale FC’s ground in Stoke-on-Trent where Rourke Cycles will be offering mechanical help. On the route there will be Nuun Hydration feed stations as well as prizes to be won from Continental Tyres, Big Bobblehats and the Cat & Fiddle Distillery.

Mark Cavendish has spoken to Danish TV show Radio Tour about his love of the Tour de France. Visiting after riding the Tour of Denmark, Cav said: “The Tour is not a bike race, it’s a world sporting event. It’s a different level. People who have never been don’t understand. Every time you do an interview with one of the riders, whether it’s a rider with personality or without personality, they always say ‘the Tour is the Tour.’

“It’s the only bike race in the world where you have 180 of the best bike riders at that time, all in peak form. The consequences of winning or losing are just bigger. That’s why the emotions are so high. The stress is different, it’s something you have to prepare for.”

On Monday, Cav was confirmed as the first rider for the upcoming Tour of Britain. The race starts in Penzance in Cornwall next month and regional news site Cornwall Live is getting into the Tour spirit, asking the hard-hitting journalistic questions…

Cadex, the component brand owned by Giant Bicycles, has unveiled a new Race handlebar with a claimed weight of just 160g (that’s for the 42cm-wide version). Cadex says that it employs a no-bond manufacturing process and a precision layup technique that are similar to the ones it uses to create its wheels.

“A unique one-piece moulding process eliminates the need for bonding, which results in a superlight weight that’s significantly lower than leading competitors,” says Cadex.

The drops have an elliptical profile. On most options there’s a 72mm reach and a 125mm drop although the 380mm-wide model has a 68mm reach and a 120mm drop.

“The tops feature a gently curved ergonomic design with a flattened rear section for comfortable hand and thumb positioning,” says Cadex.

We have reviewed slightly lighter handlebars on road.cc before. The Schmolke Roadbar Oversize Evo TLO handlebar (measured at 44cm outer to outer) came in at 147g, for example. That bar was £450, though. The Cadex Race handlebar is a little more affordable at €399.95, which is about £340 at today’s exchange rate. However, there are currently no plans to bring it in to the UK so you’d need to source one from abroad

No need for the wheelies. There’s an easier way to get around.

Be like Tomo and book, plan and manage your journeys online using MyExpressway.

Take it easy at https://t.co/kHjh1FMOHA#MyExpressway #TakeItEasy pic.twitter.com/GnJxUIwrEh

— Expressway #MyExpressway (@ExpresswayIRE) August 17, 2021

If Expressway wanted to catch plenty of eyeballs on its new coach advert, then they can tick it off as a success. If Expressway wanted said eyeballs to like said advert, then they’ve got some work to do. The reaction to the crigeworthy addition to the ‘cyclists-as-losers’ genre has continued to roll in this lunchtime, with some saying it exceeded expectations for just how bad it was…

It’s not the first time we’ve covered some naff adverts here at road.cc…

In June, Toyota was mocked for releasing a pic on Instagram of a £27,000 off-road vehicle alongside a rather disappointing looking mountain bike, captioned ‘Our Ideal Adventure’. Some questioned if the bike had in fact just been picked up from Walmart for $100…

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Toyota USA (@toyotausa)

It’s not all bad…Danish broadcaster TV2 hit the nail on the head with its Tour de France promo. So unbelievably good it even had us wondering if Dave B was going to get us on the phone for a late call up…brilliant.

And what about the Danish Road Safety Council’s helmet safety comedy worthy of Netflix. Fair enough, you might not agree with the message, but give it a watch purely for the entertainment factor…

A different way of training on my bike that I enjoy a lot! Thanks to Luca Leonardi for following me and filming me!@BORAhansgrohe @iamspecialized @sportful @ride100percent pic.twitter.com/96q3hPjCJx

— Peter Sagan (@petosagan) August 17, 2021

And they are off! @LAS_CycleTeam welcomes a new cohort of paramedics 👋, this week they are doing their Public Safety Cycling #PSC course! Good luck to all of you and enjoy the week! #TeamLAS #cycling #London @Ldn_Ambulance pic.twitter.com/mqQhxhtDNm

— LAS Cycle Team (@LAS_CycleTeam) August 18, 2021 

This may have been made tongue in cheek, but the advert feeds into the underlying negative attitudes towards cyclists on public roads. Dangerous underlying message.

— Frank O’Leary (@folear) August 18, 2021

We can’t repeat some of the reaction to Expressway’s shocker…let’s just say Jay Cartwright’s famous line hanging out the window of a yellow Fiat Cinquecento Hawaii edition has been a popular response…

On Facebook, Mike Lister wondered if the project was actualy the work of the next series of candidates on The Apprentice.

Paul Michaels added some words to live by, “I’d rather wear a helmet than be one”. (No helmet debate please).

Under this blog, Jenova20 said: “That’s pure cringe. I’m not convinced youngsters actually talk like that either…”

eburtthebike added: “Wow!  This must be front runner for 2021 worst advert, and a good bet for worst of the decade.  The ad agency must be so proud; does anyone know who is responsible, or are they denying ownership? I can’t imagine anyone being persuaded to go on one of these coaches when you’d have to share it with people like that.  Maybe they were trying to be funny, but it’s just moronic.”

District nurses in Dorset have ditched their cars for e-bikes when visiting patients. The idea began in Purbeck but has expanded to Dorchester and Bournemouth after NHS Trust bosses offered £2,000 to encourage nurses to switch. Costs for running a car topped £600 a year and the nurses are now able to bypass traffic jams, promoting a healthy lifestyle at the same time.

“We had the idea after a trip to Gouda in Holland, where healthcare staff use bicycles to get to appointments all the time,” Lead District Nurse for Purbeck Hattie Taylor told Dorset Health Care. “Purbeck isn’t quite as flat as Holland, so we found electric bikes worked better, especially when you’re trying to go uphill. Even so, they are a much better alternative to cars. You can get through traffic more easily, and don’t have to worry about finding a parking space when you get to an appointment.

“They save on travel costs and help to reduce pollution. Cycling also gives us a bit of clear headspace between visits, and we feel like we are setting a good example around staying fit, active and healthy. Our patients love it when we turn up with our helmets on. It’s an amazing feeling getting around the community on two wheels, it’s like district nurses use to do in the old days, and I was keen for other teams to have that choice.”

Taipei Cycle, one of the world’s largest cycle shows, will return as a physical show and virtual event in March 2022. It will be the first hybrid event, with pre-pandemic in person shows being replaced by strictly virtual editions in 2020 and 2021. This year’s show attracted 110,000 visitors from 81 countries online, but the 2022 industry show and exhibition will be back live between March 9-12 2022.

The online aspect of the show is designed to allow those from countries with cross-border restrictions or differing time zones to get involved via the virtual exhibition.

Right, where was I riding today? First person to guess the bay correctly wins a signed TDF race number 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Good luck 👍 pic.twitter.com/drJS7aJgmB

— Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) August 18, 2021