Mark Cavendish’s 2021 bike auctioned off by former team, as fans slam “shameful” move; Tadej Pogačar set to race the 2024 Giro d’Italia – and the cycling world is divided; Cambridge Uni spot easier to secure than bike hangar space + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Bike shop targeted in “lawless” raid attempt, major damage as car rammed into building twice + more from the weekend round-up
A popular local bike shop has fallen victim to a shocking attempted burglary during which a car was rammed into the shopfront twice, causing heavy damage to the building and writing off high-value stock inside.
The attack on Godleys Cycles & Triathlon Equipment in Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, happened in the early hours of Sunday morning, with owner Paul Godley telling road.cc that no bikes were stolen, but “more than a dozen are buried under the rubble and damaged beyond repair”.
Read more: > Bike shop targeted in “lawless” raid attempt, major damage as car rammed into building twice
Plus, here’s your usual Monday morning catch-up on the all the goings-on from around the cycling world at the weekend, including the latest in the never-ending Chris Froome Channel 5 soap opera…
> “It’s a Christmas miracle!”: Charity’s £5,000 stolen bicycle returned days on from break-in
> Wearing earphones while cycling — is it allowed? What does the Highway Code say?
POLL: Is Tadej Pogačar right to ride the Giro next year?
With cycling fans divided even in their own heads about 2024’s Pog/Giro collaboration, let’s put this one to a poll, shall we?
Do you think Tadej is right to ride the Corsa Rosa next year – the punchy route suits him and, after all, isn’t a Giro win worth more to a rider’s career than potentially a third consecutive second place behind Vingegaard at the Tour?
Or do you reckon Pog’s Italian job could lead to us missing out on a Tour GC battle for the ages in 2024 – and that, after his injury woes this year, all the Slovenian’s grand tour energy should remain, at least for the time being, focused on unseating the Danish king of France?
Or maybe you think the Slovenian is more then capable of emulating Pantani, Roche, Merckx and the rest by rewriting history, putting Thomas and then Vingegaard to the sword (after already winning a couple of monuments), and taking a sensational Giro-Tour double?
Get voting…
Puck Pieterse’s Christmas preparations are coming along nicely, anyway…
Cheers Puck! 🍻 #ICYMI pic.twitter.com/7dQ1eK4MKD
— Cyclocross24.com (@cyclocross24) December 17, 2023
Sterling work there from the 21-year-old, who finished second at yesterday’s ‘cross World Cup round in Namur behind the rampant Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.
Meanwhile, Tom Pidcock – who capped off an encouraging return to cyclocross with a thrilling through-the-pack victory at Namur, after finishing second the day before behind the irrepressible Mathieu van der Poel at Herentals – didn’t seem as impressed with his podium offering:
Big win. Bigger beer! 😅🍺
Cheers to @tompidcock on that classy victory in Namur #CXWorldCup 🍻 pic.twitter.com/9a4Tzwz1If
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) December 17, 2023
Few more wins Tom and you’ll be downing them in no time…
You’re more likely to earn a spot at Cambridge University than get a place in a secure bike hangar in London, new research claims
According to recent research by the Clean Cities Campaign, it is currently more likely that an applicant will gain admission to the University of Cambridge than it is for Londoners, currently sitting on a waiting list for a safe storage space for their bike, to secure a cycle hangar spot (yes, bear with me on this one).
Clean Cities says that 60,200 people are currently waiting on a cycle hangar place across London – where only 8,500 spaces have been created since May 2022, meaning that seven applicants are fighting for every safe bike parking spot.
Meanwhile, Cambridge on average receives around six applications for every place at the prestigious university (see, I told you it would make sense in a minute).
In response to this elitist, class-based system (oops, I’m still talking about the university), cycling campaigners, along with London charity ‘Poetic Unity’, are launching a new campaign this week in Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, and Lambeth to highlight the desperate need for more cycle hangars in the capital.
The campaign follows last month’s ‘lamppost laments’, decrying the rising bike theft in London brought about by unsecure cycle storage.
“Having somewhere to safely keep your bike just shouldn’t be this hard,” Oliver Lord, Head of UK at Clean Cities Campaign said.
“We know that encouraging cycling is important to the Mayor and the boroughs so prioritising the provision of secure parking seems like a no-brainer, particularly as we know it’s a huge barrier for people starting out.
“It’s a shame that there’s such a postcode lottery for having a safe place near home to leave your bike – everyone deserves equal access. There are innovative ways to address the backlog and we urge every borough to look hard at these waiting lists and to deliver what is needed as quickly as possible.”
Those pesky cycling teams, always parking their cars so inconsiderately…
Your monthly reminder that, just because someone works for a professional cycling team, doesn’t mean they can’t be guilty of the odd bit of terrible driving (and, as history shows us, cycling team staffers can make some of our Near Miss of the Day motorists look like saints)…
Checking into my hotel in Valencia, found a friend. pic.twitter.com/O0NkYVzrf1
— Justin Britton (@Justin_Britton) December 17, 2023
“There is a proven way to improve the health of a nation”
The publication of NHS figures, showing hospital admissions linked to obesity have doubled in six years to more than 3,000 people a day, has prompted renewed calls for the government to prioritise active travel and use cycling as a “proven way to improve the health of a nation”.
“There is a proven way to improve the health of a nation: by designing our urban areas to promote walking and cycling,” West Midlands’ walking and cycling commissioner Adam Tranter said in response to the new figures.
“Active travel has the added benefits of saving people money and fitting into existing routines. Even the gentlest of exercise can transform health outcomes.”
Read more: > Concerning obesity statistics spark calls for greater promotion of cycling and walking
So Pogi, how’s the Giro-Tour double prep coming along?
UAE team emirates: calm, relaxing ride on their team camp
Tadej Pogačar: pic.twitter.com/SkkeNIGIzG— Katie (@medicinexthings) December 17, 2023
Meanwhile, over at Intermarché’s training camp:
Training on 23% gradient 🥵 pic.twitter.com/UhForS3PvF
— Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (@IntermarcheCW) December 16, 2023
I reckon that’s the off-season well and truly over now – makes my legs hurt just watching that…
Seven days to go…
Alright, hands up – who’s sleepwalked into the last week before Christmas and is now desperately flailing around trying to find the perfect present for the cyclist in your life as delivery deadlines loom ever larger?
Well, don’t worry last-minute shopper, we’ve got you covered…
Two bike parking spaces per flat set to become the norm in Europe, as cyclists’ federation welcomes “important recognition for cycling as a climate-friendly and energy-efficient means of transport”
While cyclists in London launch their latest campaign to secure adequate bike hangar storage, a new provisional agreement has been reached between the EU Parliament and Council which will ensure that two cycle parking spaces will be allocated for each flat in new residential buildings.
The revamped and strengthened Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which is set to be officially rubberstamped by the European Parliament and its member states early next year, aims to “strengthen the EU’s efforts to decarbonise buildings across the whole Union”.
According to the European Cyclists’ Federation, the legislation will also be “no less than ground-breaking for bicycle parking norms” across the EU, and represents an “important recognition for cycling as a climate-friendly and energy-efficient means of transport”.
> Worst bike racks — from the useless to utterly unusable places to park your bicycle
The directive will ensure that for any new residential building or one undergoing major renovation that includes more than three car parking spaces, at least two bicycle parking spaces will be provided for every residential unit.
With an average household size of 2.3 persons in the EU, this should mean that almost everyone will have access to cycle storage (while a non-legally binding part of the legislation stipulates that the rule of two bike spaces per residential unit should also “ideally” apply to buildings without car parking).
Meanwhile, in non-residential buildings with more than five car parking spaces, bike parking should represent at least 15 percent of the average or 10 percent of the total user capacity of the building. Spaces for larger cycles, such as cargo bikes, should also be taken into consideration, with these changes set to come into effect by 1 January 2027.
Tadej Pogačar targeting the Giro-Tour double a “correct and logical decision”, says Vincenzo Nibali
Before we have a peek at the result of our definitive reader’s poll on whether Tadej Pogačar is wise to take on both the Giro and Tour next year, let’s head over to Italy for some expert opinion from none other than Tour, Giro, and Vuelta winner Vincenzo Nibali.
“I’m not surprised,” Nibali, whose own career and astonishing breadth of results stand as shining examples of what can be gained by refusing to solely focus on one all-encompassing race like the Tour de France, told La Gazzetta today.
“After four years spent racing on the Tour, winning two editions, it’s a correct and logical decision. Mentally, it does you good to change objectives. Adding the Giro would be a step closer to winning all three grand tours. He’d only be missing the Vuelta. A rider like him has to try it.”
Nibali celebrates his spectacular Giro win in 2016 (Ansa-Peri-Di Meo-Zennaro)
The 39-year-old retired Italian pro – who, along with his two Giro triumphs, won the 2014 Tour, the 2010 Vuelta, two editions of Il Lombardia, and Milan-Sanremo during his 17-year pro career – also believes that next year’s Giro route, seemingly tailored to Pogačar with its difficult start, more moderate finale, and abundance of time trialling kilometres, will stand the Slovenian in good stead as he aims for the double, especially if he builds his form steadily during the early part of the season.
“The start of the Giro isn’t so easy, and he could build up a good advantage straight away with the stage to Oropa, the dirt roads at Rapolano Terme and the summit finish at Prati di Tivo. Time trials aren’t a problem for him and with a strong team, he could manage the final week,” Nibali said.
“Pogačar could easily delay his season debut by participating in Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, but I think he will have to sacrifice races like Paris-Nice and Tirreno. Maybe he could include Liège in the build-up to the start of the Giro, but not much more.
The Shark strikes in Sheffield on his way to the 2014 Tour title
However, the Italian hero also noted: “I never managed to cope with two big stage races so close together: first the stress of the Giro and then the pressure of the Tour.”
Nevertheless, Nibali believes that winning the maglia rosa could fill Pogačar with the confidence required to take on and beat the seemingly indestructible Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour.
“He would arrive at the Tour with a great result in hand and he wouldn’t carry the weight of being obliged to win the Tour,” he said.
My eyes! My eyes!
Oh dear, we’re now into that horrible period of the winter when, thanks to the sport’s calendar year contracts and sponsor obligations, pro cycling turns into your local club ride for a month, packed with horribly mismatched kits and equipment.
— 𝓪𝓱𝓻𝓭𝓲𝓬𝓽 (@ahrdict) December 18, 2023
And leading the way in the hideous Frankenstein kit stakes is Bora-bound Primož Roglič, whose yellow and green training camp monstrosity boasts an added layer of intrigue following the very public spat that has engulfed the German outfit and Jumbo-Visma over Cian Uijtdebroeks’ future in recent weeks.
A clash in more ways than one, then (I’ll get my coat).
What the hell is this? pic.twitter.com/GZyaCwZMyo
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) December 18, 2023
Frustration at “non-existent” customer service as Cycle Pal website disappears and no sign of orders arriving
Cycle Pal’s website has disappeared amid a backdrop of frustrated and out-of-pocket customers reporting that their orders have not arrived, and that they are unable to contact the company most famous for its tyre-seating tool and claiming to offer “top level do-it-yourself cycling tools at a reasonable price”.
Pinarello unveil “bold new look” for Ineos Grenadiers Dogma… that looks basically the same as the old one
Out with the old bold new look, and in with the new bold new look…
Well, that’s what Pinarello are telling us anyway, as the iconic Italian bike brand this afternoon unveiled the new paint job that will grace the Dogma F road bikes set to be raced by the Ineos Grenadiers during the 2024 season.
And, according to Pinarello, the 2024 Dogmas represent a “bold new look” for Ineos, making a radical, earth-shattering move from the “brigade red and navy blue design” of this season to a “more striking” orange and black combo.
Yep, that’s right – the “bold, eye-catching new look” is orangey red and black. Instead of red and navy.
Even by Ineos’ risk-averse, marginal gainy standards, “bold” is a bit of a stretch, surely?
Spot the difference – Geraint Thomas riding this year’s “old” look, which is completely, utterly different than the 2024 design. Apparently…
What’s more, the reintroduction of a radical black colour palette allows Pinarello to reduce the bike’s weight by a whopping 16g.
“The return of black to the palette means we’ve been able to reduce the amount of paint we use on the frames, with only the lightest coat being applied to our black T1100 1K carbon, which brings with it weight (and watt)-saving benefits,” says Fausto Pinarello.
What will they think of next? Dark red?!
New centre-right government in anti-active travel measures shocker
“Let’s not think about the double, let’s just go to enjoy racing”: Pogačar confirms 2024 plans, including Giro, Tour, Olympics, and world championships tilts + poll results
After a day packed with speculation, and some frivolous live blog polling, Tadej Pogačar has confirmed that he will ride both the Giro and the Tour next year, before focusing on a maiden rainbow jersey at the world road race championships in Zurich, setting the Slovenian up for a possible tilt at cycling’s iconic ‘triple crown’.
At UAE Team Emirates’ Spanish training camp today, the 25-year-old confirmed that he will kick off his season later than usual on 2 March at Strade Bianche, before taking on a truncated spring campaign including Milan-Sanremo, the Volta a Catalunya, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne, and Amstel Gold – all won by Pogačar this year – are not part of the Slovenian’s plans he builds up to the Giro-Tour double.
After his two grand tours, Pogačar will head to the Paris Olympics, before turning his attention towards the worlds and his usual season-ender at Il Lombardia.
“I am now not so young anymore and I think I can do two grand tours,” Pogačar said this afternoon. “I could probably do it before but now is a nice time to do a new challenge in my career. I think everybody wants to do the double and it is one of the hardest things to achieve.
“I think the main goal from all the GC riders that already won some grand tours, is to have all three of them. This is something to have in your palmarès, so let’s see how it goes with the Giro and how it goes with the Tour. Let’s not think about the double, let’s just go to enjoy racing.”
While he may not be thinking about the double as yet, Pogačar could become, if all goes to plan, the first rider since Stephen Roche in 1987 to win cycling’s triple crown – the Giro, Tour, and world championships in one season – with the punchy course in Zurich suiting the Slovenian down to the ground.
And if there’s anyone in the current peloton who can manage the triple crown, it’s Tadej Pogačar.
“OIympics are a bit so-so, but of course World Championships is one of the main goals for next year,” he said.
Meanwhile, the results from this morning’s poll are in, and it seems that the vast majority of you are backing Pog’s attempt to expand his grand tour horizons – which could possibly culminate in one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen…
Roll on 2024.
Tadej Pogačar set to race the 2024 Giro d’Italia – and the cycling world is divided
A month is a long time in professional cycling, as Harold Wilson almost certainly didn’t say.
In mid-November, Tadej Pogačar was notably cagey when asked about the rumours swirling around a potential Giro d’Italia debut for the Slovenian phenom in 2024, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport that, due to his focus on winning both the Olympic and world championship road races next season, “I could have too many obligations to include the Giro”.
But fast forward four weeks, and with a snazzy rap-inspired social media video in the bag, and the 25-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider is now all set for a tilt at the Corsa Rosa and the third grand tour victory of his career.
So, what will this mean for Pogačar’s 2024 season – and what effect will it have on both his rivals and the racing itself?
(Zac Williams/SWPix.com)
Well, first of all, the news that Tadej is heading to Italy in May doesn’t mean we won’t see him at the Tour, with La Gazzetta reporting this morning that the double yellow jersey winner will almost certainly be targeting a mouthwatering Giro-Tour double next year.
However, this July marked 25 years since Marco Pantani became the last rider to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same calendar year. Since then, Chris Froome (first at the Giro, third at the Tour) and Tom Dumoulin (second, second) in 2018 have come closest to repeating the feat.
Received wisdom dictates that the double is simply too difficult, even for a rider as unbelievably talented as Pogačar – and with a fresh, focused Jonas Vingegaard standing in his way on the roads of Frane, not too many punters would be willing to stake a significant amount on the Slovenian making history. Not this year, anyway.
6. Every cycling fan pic.twitter.com/3VMx4Ae6Vb
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) December 17, 2023
Not only will Pog, beaten by Vingegaard twice over the last two years at the Tour, be hindered by an extra three weeks racing in Italy, he will also likely have a partially full classics season under his belt, with Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège (the scene of his unfortunate race-ending and Tour-hindering crash last year) on the cards for 2024.
And with the Olympic road race in Paris following hot on the heels of the Tour, could we see Pogačar simply using the Grande Boucle as a warm-up for his shot at gold?
In many ways, the Slovenian’s decision to race the Giro is indicative of his approach to cycling in general. Unlike Vingegaard and almost every other Tour winner for the past 25 years, he knows there’s more to life than cycling’s biggest race, and he’s currently building an impressively broad palmares – complete with monuments, cobbled classics, week-long stage races, and grand tours – to rival anyone’s in the sport’s history.
6. Every cycling fan at the same time pic.twitter.com/JPR3ET1tfi
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) December 17, 2023
But, while the Giro and its organiser Mauro Vegni will be delighted that the 25-year-old superstar is set to make his debut at their race, cycling fans can feel slightly aggrieved that the tantalising prospect of a four-way duel for yellow in July between Vingegaard, Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, and Primož Roglič – complete with a groundbreaking and potentially decisive finale in Nice – will be slightly reduced by Pog’s Italian job.
Not to mention what Giro hopefuls Geraint Thomas, Eddie Dunbar, and Simon Yates must be thinking right now…
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
Meanwhile, the news has certainly divided the cycling world.
“So basically, both the Giro and TDF is ruined!” says an emotional Martin.
“Damn, so Pogi really going to hand Jonas another Tour?” asked a deflated Pugdev.
However, others praised the 25-year-old for stepping outside the Tour box, with Caity arguing that Pogačar’s newly announced schedule would be “certainly more novel and fun for him than just rinse and repeat”.
Meanwhile, respected cycling journo William Fotheringham wrote: “Much to like about Pogi but his awareness that the cycling calendar doesn’t begin and end with TdF is the most significant and most likeable in my book.
“Light years away from cycling of two decades ago. Bring on the Giro.”
“Kick him to the kerb but still try to make a buck off his legend!” Soudal Quick-Step auction off Mark Cavendish’s 2021 bike – and cycling fans slam “shameful” move
‘Tis the season for professional cycling teams to have a rummage around at the back of the service course, open a few dusty boxes, and sell off anything that won’t be of any use come January and the new season.
Last week, we reported that Tadej Pogačar’s snazzy Colnago TT1 time trial bike, along with a host of the iconic Italian brand’s V3Rs road bikes, are up for auction as part of UAE Team Emirates’ annual Christmas clear out.
> You can buy Tadej Pogacar’s official UAE Team Emirates Colnago race bike
And now, after miming their way through Celine Dion’s back catalogue, it’s Soudal Quick-Step’s turn to sell off a few race-worn bikes and left-over kit from the last few seasons.
And for the memorabilia-hunting cycling enthusiast with deep pockets and who doesn’t mind the odd scratch, it’s a real treasure trove.
Remco Evenepoel’s Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 – raced to victory at this year’s UAE Tour – is currently sitting at a bid of just under €8,000, while Julian Alaphilippe’s Tour de France bike has just hit €6,000 and Kasper Asgreen’s 2023 SL7 is currently available for a touch over five grand. A signed Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio jersey, meanwhile, has almost hit the €200 mark.
But there’s one bike up for auction that’s caught the attention of cycling fans more than any other – Mark Cavendish’s 2021 SL7, used by the Manx Missile as a spare the year he pulled off one of cycling’s great Lazarus-style comebacks, equalling that Tour de France stage win record and taking the green jersey after several years in the winless wilderness.
The SL7 was also used as a training bike by Cavendish during the 2022 season, when he was unceremoniously left out of that season’s Tour while on the cusp of history, in favour of Fabio Jakobsen.
Of course, Cavendish – who, it was announced over the weekend, won’t riding the Giro d’Italia in 2024 as he prepares for one last crack at victory No. 35 at the Tour – eventually ended up at Astana this year, nabbing an emotional Giro stage win in Rome before crashing out of the Grande Boucle just as he began to hit his stride in the sprints.
However, while the 38-year-old has his sights firmly set on the season ahead, it seems that some of his fans still have a hard time forgiving and forgetting his messy second departure from Patrick Lefevere’s Soudal Quick-Step team over a year ago.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
And, with the Belgian team now auctioning off Cavendish’s bike, it turns out that cringey lip sync kit reveal videos aren’t the only thing that can divide the internet…
“Making money out of him now? Remember how dirty the team did him in 2022?” Cav fan Mehdi commented under the team’s Instagram post advertising the auction.
“Kick him to the kerb but still try to make a buck off of his legend! You guys are a real piece of work! If it weren’t for Alaphilippe, this team would have nothing going for it!” an even more forthright Dennis concurred.
“Shameful,” added Mike. “Abandoned him and now looking to profit.”
(Chris Auld)
“You guys should be ashamed of doing this!! Are you guys giving him the money for the bike?” Martin asked, while Franco creatively dubbed the Belgian squad “the Soudal Quick Buck Team”.
“Just think how much more it would have been worth if he had broken the all-time record on one of these! Instead it will be done on a Wilier in 2024,” said Heyuguyz. “Massive marketing opportunity missed for Specialized, I’m sure they must pissed.”
“Aye right, not a chance, Wilier bike from 2023 or 2024 would be a far better choice and I bet they have the decency to leave Mark with the winning bikes,” says Chris.
Meanwhile, Ceramic Senor pointed out that “surely it should be Cav’s to sell. His bike, his wins, you drop him and continue to make money off him. Shitebag move.” Bit strong, but okay.
However, at least it wasn’t all one-sided in the comments, with Les noting for balance: “Surely it’s the team’s bike to sell and let’s be honest, Cav isn’t exactly skint.
“If he wanted the bike I’m sure they’d have worked something out. It’s normal for teams to sell off the bikes at the end of the season.”
And you thought the whole Alaphilippe singing into a water bottle thing was divisive…
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Latest Comments
C'mon now. He came close to possibly scratching the parked Beamer.
You've obviously never ridden in the U.S. where a whole lot of people lack the bike-handling skill and judgement to ride 15 mph on anything other than a long straightaway. And where most of them ride on multi-use trails, often full of pedestrians, because they are afraid to use roadside bike lanes due to their beginnerish riding skills. There seem to be a whole lot of adults in this country who gained little or no biking experience as children.
Good on you West Yorkshire Police and Bradford Magistrates Court, fighting the good fight and clearly doing the right thing to keep the streets safe.
Oh if only. U.S. already has a 20 mph limit for Class 1s and 2s. The latter have a throttle. Most of them get ridden on what we across the pond call "multi-use trails.'' Most of these trails are paved, and attract many ebikes because many ebike riders in the country have minimal bike-handling skills and are thus afraid to use roadside bike paths. The lack of skill is what makes 20 mph too fast. I often now find myself heading off the trail to avoid some throttle-brained idiot who overcooked a corner and is coming head-on in the wrong lane. Maybe no one at Trek rides bikes in the U.S.
Cyclist fined for causing oncoming driver absolutely no inconvenience whatsoever: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cd9w2l2wqvdo
@MaxiMinimalist One may also wonder how much of your time you have given to charity recently. Froome is giving his time, his experience, his contacts, his expertise...couldn't you just say that's good that he's doing something rather than implying that it's not genuine unless he puts in his own money?
Today's TDF stage was pure theatre.👏
@Pub bike Exactly. So many people act like they need something just like a motorbike, claiming they need it to 'keep up with traffic' in spaces where a motorbike is legal. I have no issue with you getting an electric motorbike and riding it at 30mph. What I do object to is you riding something with the power to do that in a bike lane, and the mere hint that someone might think it OK to ride one on a shared path is the best way to ensure that all bikes, certainly all currently legal pedal assist, bikes are banned from shared paths and pedestrianised zones. The simple fact that some people want these demonstrates that we can't rely on people being sensible with more powerful bikes.
Whereas I want brazed or welded steel or titanium. When we had to have tight fitting lugs for 753, I wanted the lugs as plain as possible. Just as well people have different tastes. I had a hankering for 953 frame and fork but eventually reconciled myself to a carbon fork when I found that they didn't, after all, crack or turn into carbon dust after a couple of years - I now have a carbon fork which seems fine after 26 years. Then I found that the steel for 953 had to come from the USA, and production is now paused due to tariff wars, so I switched consideration to 853. Then I found that the steel for 853 has to come from Germany, so I thought 'Sod it, I'll go for Fairlight 853 welded in Taiwan' which is the present plan.
One may wonder how much of his personal money has Froomey injected into his own Foundation. The man's net worth reportedly amounts to $45 to 50 million. Four days at 10 grand, I'll have to pass because my banker rejected my request for a loan.
36 thoughts on “Mark Cavendish’s 2021 bike auctioned off by former team, as fans slam “shameful” move; Tadej Pogačar set to race the 2024 Giro d’Italia – and the cycling world is divided; Cambridge Uni spot easier to secure than bike hangar space + more on the live blog”
I like Cav a lot these days,
I like Cav a lot these days, but the fanboys are pretty embarrassing. I’m fairly sure he’d not have won that green jersey if Quickstep hadn’t taken a pretty big punt on (what looked like) a past-it sprinter with well-known physical and mental frailties.
If it’s their bike, they can sell it.
I’m a big Cav fan and no fan
I’m a big Cav fan and no admirer of Lefevre but this confected outrage is nonsense. All the “fans” claiming Cav was treated badly by SQS seem to have forgotten that they gave him the chance to return to the World Tour when nobody else wanted him: without them he would most likely have retired and been left on 31 Tour wins. They made a pragmatic racing decision that Cav wasn’t right for their plans for the 2022 Tour, as was their right and indeed their duty to their sponsors and other riders. It’s fine to disagree with the decision but claiming they “abandoned him” is ridiculous. As for the bike, it’s the team’s property to do with as they wish and even the biggest teams have to watch their budget, so raising funds by selling surplus equipment is common practice and common sense. Hopefully it will end up with a fan who will cherish it and ride it. Now, is it too late to send Santa an addendum to the Christmas list…
Just wait while I put my
Just wait while I put my capitalist hat on. Okay I’m ready. Cycling teams are in business to promote their sponsors and make money. That’s it. Selling an asset is what we capitalists sometimes do, remember I’m wearing my capitalist hat. We sell assets to make money or minimise losses. The effects of our decisions on the community don’t usually bother us. What bothers us is shareholder blowback.
I agree with Fotheringham,
I agree with Fotheringham, the cycling calendar does not start and end with the TdF.. another reason to love the Pogginator.
I believe Cav is one of the
I believe Cav is one of the best ever sportspeople the UK has produced. His comeback, mental resolve and self-belief resonate with many people on many levels.
I could care less about QS selling an old team bike. It should be a non-story… but it is ‘winter’ and stories are thin on the ground.. so… I’ll read it 🙂
Pidcock doesn’t drink, so the
Pidcock doesn’t drink, so the Belgian beer sponsors should probably start bringing their alcohol-free options if they want some better podium photos!
Even then, if Pidcock’s
Even then, if Pidcock’s choice is down to taste then I doubt having a non-alcoholic version would change his reaction. Especially nowadays as the modern alternatives on sale now pretty closely match the taste of their original counterparts.
By choice I stopped drinking 4 years ago and I have been highly impressed with some of the alternatives on offer. Adnam’s Ghost Ship, Doom Bar, Guinness, all very close if not indistinguishable between their non/low alcohol and standard versions. If you don’t like the regular, you won’t like the alcohol free.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
Snap. Stopped drinking at the start of 2020 and now drink a lot of non-aloholic beer.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei is my
Erdinger Alkoholfrei is my favourite of the non-alcoholic beers. I tried some non-alcoholic sparkling wine recently that was actually fermented tea, bit strange but quite drinkable.
I have had Erdinger, not a
I have had Erdinger, not a bad option but I was never a fan of pilsners and lagers, so I will only go for it if it is the only option not counting Becks or Heineken, otherwise it’s cola for me.
I found the Guinness 0.0 to
I found the Guinness 0.0 to be very drinkable.
Great for making Guinness cake for my Muslim workmates.
ktache wrote:
Very much agree, it’s the only alcohol-free one I really find acceptable, tend to stick to Coke if it’s not available. I do think it’s a bit of a cheek that it tends to be only a few pence cheaper a pint/can though, if that, considering there’s no 30% duty!
Steve K wrote:
Never understood why people drink non-alcoholic beer or other non alcoholic beverages. Just drink juice or something, a beer’s only really a beer if it’s alcoholic.
Bit like vegans trying to replicate burgers, if they don’t like meat why try to eat something that looks and feels like it
Small beer?
Small beer?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_beer
For many people who used to
For many people who used to drink but no longer do by choice, or are cutting down, or are the designated driver, drinking something that tastes of what you normally drink, but without the negative affects of alcohol, are very appealing.
Quite frankly, there’s only so much fruit juice you can drink before it gives you the shits, and sodas are packed so full of sugar (or artificial sweeteners for diet versins) that they get sickly very quickly. Being able to mix it up is a much more pleasant experience.
Left_is_for_Losers wrote:
Because lots of vegetarians/vegans love meat but give it up on ethical, moral and/or environmental principles, and so very much welcome any simulacrum which can provide the texture and taste of meat without the harm. It’s hilarious how much it bothers the Daily Mail readers that some people choose to eat plant-based foods formed into a burger or sausage shape, worth doing just for the sake of annoying them alone.
Rendel Harris wrote:
When I was a teenager, a guy I knew was DEFINITELY a vegetarian.*
*except for bacon…
(sorry, just needed to share that anecdote)
brooksby wrote:
A friend of mine used to say “I’m 98% vegetarian, I have fruit and toast for breakfast and salad and cheese for lunch, sure I have steak for dinner but for 23.5 hours of the day I’m vegetarian…”
Rendel Harris wrote:
Also, it’s about the form factor. A burger is a nice familiar meal, but you don’t have to put meat in it, same goes for sausages. That’s why there’s also a massive selection of vegan/vegetarian sausages/burgers that make absolutely no attempt to look, feel, smell, or taste anything like meat.
Also, to address the initial statement (not that there’s any point, as I’m sure Nige thinks he’s got an amazing ‘gotcha’ to discredit the entire concept of veganism), but a lot of these “exactly like meat” products exist as sort of the food equivalent of nicotine patches, and are aimed more at meat-eaters looking to cut down, rather than “seasoned” vegans that are used to cooking and eating vegan food. In the same way, 0% beer is aimed at people that like the taste and want to go out for a pint with their friends, but either need to drive, or want to cut down for health reasons (in which case, drinking pints of liquid sugar would be a bit strange).
Left_is_for_Losers wrote:
I like the taste of beer, and mostly I am driving. Doesn’t seem hard to wrap your brain around.
Going vegan can be a challenge, and having plant-based substitutes that you can use/cook in the exact same way that have always used/cooked the meat equivalents is incredibly useful, and can help minimise the fuss among family members you might also be cooking for.
You can still cook your trademark spaghetti bolognese (for example), using a plant-based substitute for the minced beef content.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
Indeed. Unpopular opinion but, even as someone who enjoys the wide variety of beer (I’m partial to geuze, porters, stouts and the heady end of the Trappists) and noting the better range of “no and low” now available, beer is probably not something most people would get into if it wasn’t for the booze.
quiff wrote:
Maybe not, but having drunk from underage until I was 50, I like the taste even though I no longer want the alcohol.
Brooklyn Special Effects is very nice.
I’m in a similar boat –
I’m in a similar boat – drinking less now and while it might be an acquired taste, I’ve already acquired it! Agreed on the Brooklyn – super hoppy!
I can recommend Old Speckled
I can recommend Old Speckled Hen low alcohol – very good taste and only 0.5%.
Close passes paper
Close passes paper
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S136984782300267X
“Close passes caught on camera – How knowledge and behavioural norms relate to perceptions of liability when cars overtake cyclists”
For those who can’t see the
For those who can’t see the study, here’s the abstract
(basically, drivers who never cycle are less likely to view a close pass as dangerous compared to drivers who cycle, and people who drive for a living are more likely to see it as dangerous than people who only drive for commuting etc. angry drivers are less likely to see cyclists as legitimate road users)
Replacing motor vehicle journeys with travel by foot and bicycle is recognised as a means to help achieve a range of health, environmental and economic objectives. Close passes – where a motor vehicle overtakes a cyclist with a minimal lateral clearance – have been identified as both a prominent safety concern and a barrier to increased uptake of cycling. Close passes are the most common type of on-road incident experienced by cyclists where a motor vehicle is involved and are also associated with collisions resulting in deaths and serious injuries. The current study builds on existing research investigating the underlying causes of close passes by examining responses from a sample of drivers to videos of close passes that were submitted by cyclists as driving complaints to an English county Police force. An online survey recorded the opinions of UK drivers (n = 293) on the behaviour of the cyclist and driver featured in each of 8 video clips. The survey recorded participants’ road use habits including the range of driving purposes engaged in (“driverXP”), their self-defined identity on a driver-cyclist spectrum, and their knowledge of recommended practice for bicycle road positioning. It also included the ‘Driving Anger eXpression’ (DAX) scale, which scores tendencies towards different forms of anger expression while driving, including use of vehicle manoeuvres to express anger (“vehicleDAX”). Multiple regressions were used to determine the relationship between these independent variables, and participants’ assessment of how risky the overtake was, and the extent to which the driver or cyclist were seen as liable for what happened.
The level of liability apportioned to the cyclists featured in the clips was higher from drivers who were not cyclists themselves, compared with those who did cycle, and from drivers who scored higher on the vehicleDAX and driverXP measures (Identifies as cyclist τ = -0.377, p <.01), (driverXP τ = 0.209, p <.01), (vehicleDAX τ = 0.113, p <.05). Drivers with higher vehicleDAX scores showed lower levels of agreement with the statement “the incident was dangerous” in relation to the close pass clips. The liability apportioned to the cyclists featured was mediated by the drivers’ cycling positional knowledge score (ΔR2 = 0.139, p <.001).
This is the first time that naturalistic footage reported by cyclists to Police has been used to examine differing perceptions of the same close pass event. Findings show a need to share knowledge about cycling practice in order to help drivers navigate cycle traffic safely and considerately. This can inform road safety interventions that can contribute to safer cycling and driver behaviours that are more welcoming to existing and potential cyclists.
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Golly! If that’s the abstract, then I’m not sure I could cope with the fullstract!
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Hirsute wrote:
Not sure their results mean anything, out of 293 participants 167 claimed to ride a bike on the road at least once a week, either they are not an average sample of the population or they’re lying!
Maybe the elderly couple who
Maybe the elderly couple who close passed me today should read it. You can just see how close my hand gets to their wing (door) mirror as I instinctively wave them away.
They then immediately turned left. So, I followed and caught up with them as they pulled onto a driveway. I tried to explain what they had done wrong but was met with “I’ve nothing to apologise for, that wasn’t close” etc.
It’s a jaunty angle due to the load I had on the rear rack. I think I’ll send it off and see if the rozzers will do owt with it.
Had an interesting close pass
Had an interesting close pass at the w/e. Guy decided to overtake near a bend and was caught out by oncoming traffic , so pulled back in by me.
5 mins later I find a guy flagging me down near a side road and giving a profuse apology for his actions. I did tell him that as he had waited and apologised, I wouldn’t send it off but don’t do it again.
I think he wasn’t concentrating, as my position, the SLOW and the sharp bend chevron sign were all good indicators that on an NSL, this was not the place to overtake.
Good on him. Sometimes a bit
Good on him. Sometimes a bit of polite engagement works. It’s rare though. People don’t like being told they’ve done something wrong.
I think I’ll send it off and
I think I’ll send it off and see if the rozzers will do owt with it
I could tell you the answer if you were in Lancashire- straight in the bin- but you often describe how it’s different in Northamptonshire. The offenders are so frequent in Lancashire, they’re starting to show up in pairs on the same video frame. This is from this morning: white Dacia Sandero WV68 FYM at the back- no MOT for 5 1/2 months and first identified and reported in September; white Qashqai VA65 EVL SORN-ed but parked on the road- police here are very keen to state that VED offences are nothing to do with them.
Special festive bonus feature, already binned by OpSnap Lancs
https://upride.cc/incident/pj23vmc_honda125_redlightcross/
If the 2021 Cav bike that
If the 2021 Cav bike that Quick-Step were selling were the one he rode to victory I would understand the furore, and I would sympathise. However, this was a spare/training bike he didn’t actually use all that much and whilst I have no inkling whatsoever of the winning bike’s whereabouts, I would not be surprised if that bike has been kept for display purposes at HQ, in a museum or been gifted to Cav to keep.
I’m all for bashing Lefevre at every opportunity when deserved (I find his arrogance irksome) but this was clutching at straws a bit. Although the Quick Buck pun was good, I may have to use that in the future.
It wouldn’t bother me if it
It wouldn’t bother me if it was his main bike and for the moment it is an interesting bike; long term it’ll be fogotten about. Sure it’s man & machine and one can’t do it without the other, but at the end of the day it’s Cav’s acheivement that’s important.
As much as a rider has used
As much as a rider has used multible bikes en route to records, any bike specifically used at a historical moment provides the best timestamp for the record breaking event.
While it is a combination of rider and bike that makes the win, a rider themselves can’t be placed into a museum, so the equipment they used makes a more practical and ethical exhibit.
It will only be forgotten about if Cav breaks the record outright aboard a Wilier this year.
Bikes are often documented better than you think, look at how GCN built a replica of Eddy Merckx’s 1969 bike to the exact same specifications barring a couple of small components. They used exactly the same model tubing, NOS lugs from the same factory, the same geometry and as many NOS components they could find including a complete Nuovo Record groupset.
Tadej Pogačar is even more
Tadej Pogačar is even more awesome because his world doesn’t revolve simply around the TdF.
Personally, I’d love to see him do the Giro, Olympic, Vuleta treble and skip going balls out for the TdF GC.