Charges dropped against driver accused of "deliberately ramming" cyclists; Extinction Rebellion targets Santos Tour Down Under; Flood causes dramatic crash; Only Connect does cycling; Designer builds world's tallest bike + more on the live blog

.@OutOfCycling 😘 pic.twitter.com/zWWWWXO5kP

— Toms Skujiņš (@Tomashuuns) January 16, 2022

When Trek-Segafredo’s Latvian champion, and wearer of the coolest kit in town, Toms Skujiņš posted this image of him lifting weights over the weekend, it got me thinking (naturally enough) – how would today’s gym-going generation of professional cyclists fare on a modern version of Superstars?

While Superstars may be best known these days for a certain perm-tastic footballer crashing spectacularly onto a cinder track during the bike race, cyclists themselves never really made a mark on the show.

Because, let’s face it, cyclists – remarkable physical specimens, yes, but not traditionally known for their all-round athletic ability or indeed upper-body strength – tended to perform poorly when pitted against athletes from other sports in what was essentially a televised sports day.

In 1980 Joop Zoetemelk – who would go on to win the Tour de France later that year – finished dead last in the international version of Superstars, a whopping 45 points behind British judoka and Superstars legend Brian Jacks.

The Dutchman came last in the 100m sprint, basketball competition, swimming race, obstacle course, and gym test, before – perhaps wisely – sitting out the weightlifting contest.   

In the gym test, each athlete had to complete as many parallel bar dips and squat thrusts as they could in the allotted time. Jacks scored a staggeringly impressive total of 80. Poor old Joop’s score? One. Yes, that’s right. One. At least his Tour win later that summer gave him some consolation.

Fortunately for Joop, other leading lights of the 1970s peloton didn’t quite cover themselves in glory either on Superstars. In 1976 Raymond Poulidor finished bottom of his heat behind winner Bjorn Borg. Walter Godefroot and Freddy Maertens also came last when they took on the Superstars challenge.

Cyclists have fared significantly better, however, in modern iterations of the show: Chris Boardman finished second behind rugby player Austin Healey in a 2002 revamp, restoring cycling’s reputation somewhat, though Lizzie Deignan failed to lay a glove (excuse the pun) on Helen Glover in a 2012 Olympic special.

So how well do you think the more rounded pros of today such as Van der Poel, Alaphilippe and Vos would cope in a game of basketball against the likes of Rafa Nadal, Adam Peaty and Lucy Bronze?

Maybe I need to get out more...

🚴‍♂️⚖️La sentence est tombée pour Bernard Sainz alias "Docteur Mabuse" du cyclisme. https://t.co/WCBV2uCuel

— francetvsport (@francetvsport) January 17, 2022

Bernard Sainz, the infamous self-styled ‘naturopath’ known in cycling circles as Dr Mabuse, has been sentenced to a year of house arrest after being found guilty of the illegal practice of medicine and incitement to doping.

Sainz, who will have to wear an electronic tag throughout the course of his house arrest, was convicted after an undercover investigation by France Télévisions and Le Monde showed the 78-year-old providing riders with guidance on how to dope. He has also been banned from working in medicine or sport for five years.

Despite not holding a recognised medical license, Sainz has treated bike riders and racehorses for half a century. His clients in the peloton have included Raymond Poulidor, Cyrille Guimard, Philippe Gaumont and Frank Vandenbroucke.

Sainz claims that he only gives his clients “homeopathic treatments” which have “allowed some people to recover their health on the margins of conventional medicine.”

He’s been arrested on suspicion of drug-related offences in every decade since the 1980s and has been convicted on three previous occasions for aiding doping in both cycling and horseracing. Sainz was last seen at the Tour de France in 2015, holding an official accreditation from the race organisers.

“We have known him for 30 years and he is still at large," French Cycling Federation lawyer Paul Mauriac told L’Équipe. “The damage is done, it is irreversible. Mr Sainz is a cat that always lands on his feet, unfortunately.”

🚴LISTEN: Meet the #Worcestershire children dumping the school bus for pedal power! Pupils in #Evesham are powering themselves home from school in a ‘Bicycle Bus’ 🚌 🚲👏👏👏 https://t.co/yc8M0QKv9P

— BBC Hereford & Worcester (@bbchw) January 17, 2022

A community group in Evesham has embraced a green, healthy version of the school run – a ten-seater ‘bicycle bus’.

Evesham Adventure Playground Association bought the bike bus from a Dutch company, and it has been used since Christmas to transport children from three different schools to their after-school club. The passenger-powered bike, which will be used by other community organisations when needed, replaces the group’s old nine-seater minibus.

"We thought instead of using the diesel miles, let's have a pedal mile," the association’s Dave Bowker said.

The community group’s main aim is to help cut pollution in the town and to encourage schoolchildren to be healthy. Though don’t worry – the new mean machine features a pedal-assist battery, so little Jimmy won’t have to push MVDP-esque watts on the last hill home…

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Guinness World Records (@guinnessworldrecords)

 Even Conor Dunne might struggle on a bike this big.

While the Irish ex-pro’s frames measured at a nosebleed-inducing 62cm, they pale in comparison to this 7.41 metre monster designed by renowned bike builder Adam Zdanowicz and officially designated by Guinness World Records as the world’s “tallest rideable bicycle.”

Zdanowicz, who has built bikes for celebrities such as Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, constructed his record-breaking model from 30 damaged bikes which had been donated by a local primary school as part of their ‘Rubbish for Some, Treasure for Others’ project.

Adam described riding the bike as “a challenge and a great adventure”.

Impressive, though I’m not sure how useful it would be for cyclo-cross…

📣 BREAKING

Rebels from XRSA are today announcing they will perform road blocks to stop the Santos Festival of Cycling race and challenge the social license of festival sponsor @SantosLtd.

We are demanding that @EventsSA find a new naming rights sponsor for the #TourDownUnder. pic.twitter.com/nusyLlBKWu

— Extinction Rebellion South Australia (@XRSouthAus) January 17, 2022

The South Australia branch of Extinction Rebellion has announced that it plans to disrupt the upcoming Santos Festival of Cycling in protest against the event’s sponsor.

The group says they will put up road blocks to peacefully stop the men’s and women’s stage races, which will take place between 21 and 29 January. These races form part of the Santos Festival of Cycling, held for the second successive year in place of the elite-level Tour Down Under due to ongoing Covid restrictions.

Gas and oil producer Santos, which has sponsored the Tour Down Under since 2010, is one of Australia’s worst greenhouse gas emitting companies. Its status as the race’s naming rights sponsor has long been viewed as one of cycling’s most egregious forms of ‘greenwashing’.

Announcing their protest, Extinction Rebellion tweeted: “One of the world's worst carbon polluters, Santos continues to pursue massive oil and gas expansion in Australia and around the globe. Their actions will drive global emissions to tipping points from which there is no return. They must be stopped.”

“We understand that people will be frustrated by this action, but we cannot continue to give Santos our social consent,” said Anna Slynn, one of the group’s leaders. "We intend to stop the race safely. We are declaring our intention today so that race organisers are prepared for when this happens.”

For a mode of transport so intrinsically associated with green living, professional cycling’s environmental track record (spoiler – it’s not great) has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years.

Growing pressure has been placed on teams and races to avoid sponsors intent on ‘greenwashing’ their earth-damaging activities by associating with an environmentally friendly activity such as riding a bike.

At the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire anti-fracking campaigners protested petrochemicals giant Ineos, the sponsor of a team, lest we forget, which wore a special rainforest rescue jersey at the 2011 Tour de France. In 2012 the Australian GreenEdge team, set up with the apparent aim of promoting green travel (the clue’s in the name), also came in for a lot of flak when it incongruously accepted mining company Orica as its title sponsor.

When asked last year about the race’s relationship with Santos for a Procycling article on the sport’s environmental impact, Events South Australia executive director Hitaf Rasheed said: “While none of our sponsors have any direct involvement in the organisation or running of [the Tour Down Under], we value these partnerships as they allow the race to continue to grow and elevate the event to a world-class offering.”

Ever dreamt of cycling from Italy to the West Midlands (what do you mean you haven't)? Well, Brooks England could make all your dreams come true.

The historic saddle manufacturer is running a three-week cycling adventure in late April this year from northern Italy to the historic factory near Birmingham where the brand was founded and where each Brooks England leather saddle is still produced today.

The riders will be following a set course which is aimed at highlighting aspects central to the Brooks brand, such as the traditions of handmade craftsmanship, wanton exploration, and unwavering authenticity.

This initial trip, which is meant to be the first in a series of such journeys, will welcome three riders from around Europe, each chosen through an online application process.

To commemorate the ride, each member will receive a unique saddle stamp in recognition of their effort.

Wanna be part of Brooks’ first ‘Roots Journey’? You can apply on their website. 
 

🚴 Tremendo accidente en la llegada de la Revancha de la Doble Bragado, la clásica ciclística del verano en Buenos Aires

😱 Bajo una lluvia torrencial, varios pedalistas cayeron en el sprint final

🏆 La carrera fue ganada por Agustín Martínez

📹 /valeenlozzia_03 (IG) pic.twitter.com/lyASmF7J79

— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) January 17, 2022

The Revancha de la Doble, a race held in the Argentinian city of Bragado, must have watched last year’s Paris-Roubaix or 2019’s sodden world championships in Yorkshire and thought “hold my beer”.

Because a short and sharp storm, which flooded towns and cities across the province of Buenos Aires, had an even more devastating effect on Sunday’s race, held for the first time since 2019, than the mud in the Arenberg forest or the saturated streets of Harrogate (though I was there in Harrogate that day, and I don’t think I’ve ever been completely warm since…).

Despite the commissaire’s decision to reduce the length of the race by an hour due to the harsh weather conditions, the finishing straight in Bragado remained completely flooded as the riders entered the final kilometre. In scenes reminiscent of a Cat 4 sprint finish, six riders fell in the melee and three were taken to hospital (although none were seriously injured). How the whole peloton didn’t go down, I have no idea.

Agustín Martínez, a former Argentinian U23 time trial champion, survived the chaos to triumph in the race’s fifteenth edition.

“It was an unexpected victory for me in this historic race, although it was a very unusual race with a lot of rain,” Martínez said after the race. Maybe he was just happy to still be upright after all that carnage…