YouTube driving instructor shares “road rage” video after driver’s pointless overtake of cyclist, tells people to “let it go”; Ultra-endurance rider remains under arrest in Russia; The Guardian’s £866 list of “safety essentials” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"Idiot drivers caught": Impatient van driver pushes past cyclists riding at 25mph on narrow country road, but frothing Facebook comments section blames riders for not letting van man "going to work" pass
This clip is doing the rounds on Facebook and has a rather lively comments section on the go too where more than 4,000 people have weighed in on the video showing a van driver overtaking a cyclist on a narrow, twisty country lane. The ‘Idiot Drivers Caught’ Facebook page shared the footage, submitted by a cyclist, the video showing two riders descending on a narrow country road at speeds between 22-28mph (35-45km/h).
Now, despite many pointing out in the comments how that seems a quite sensible maximum speed for such a stretch of road, and despite the blind bends and steady stream of oncoming traffic, the van driver just has to overtake the cyclists because… well, God forbid you go down a hill at 28mph behind two cyclists rather than at 28mph in front of them.
In an alternate universe the clip gets thousands and thousands fewer views (and doesn’t appear on a page dedicated to “idiot drivers”), instead showing two cyclists descending a country lane at 25mph while a driver chills out, waits behind and then overtakes safely further along the route, all parties continuing their journey without incident and (almost certainly) in a very similar time as what happened above.
Instead, the driver blares their horn and forces an overtake, having to slow and pull towards the roadside hedges every time a car comes up the hill.
So, how did the people of Facebook react to this? Let’s just say it was… mixed.
Paul Yung Mao: “Clearly not many cyclists in the comments section here. The overtaking clearance on that road is 2 metres, the cyclists are probably pushing 30mph. He’s staying on the smooth road and doesn’t have to pull onto the rough surface. Van driver is in the wrong and the overtake accounts to dangerous driving.”
David Spencer: “Narrow track road with no proper passing places. The cyclist was spot on. The driver needs to review his driving, be more patient, drive according to the conditions and have a read of the Highway Code. Pure entitlement from the van driver.”
Mike Hughes: “There wasn’t a single safe overtaking spot until he actually overtook, but he’d have clearly tried without the positioning of the second cyclist.
And if he had overtaken, he’d have just ended up having to slow to pass traffic coming the other way.
“Yeah, the rear cyclist doesn’t help, but this is classic ‘must get in front’ mentality. In reality, those cyclists are travelling as fast as any car down there and it’d be no slower, but much safer to wait until the road flattens out.”
That last sentence seems a good place to leave this part of the reaction. Amusingly (and confusingly) there were also some suggesting the cyclists were in the wrong and looked like they were speeding. There was no word on the speed and overtaking behind, of course. Both speeding and holding up traffic at the same time? That’s a whole new level of Schrödinger’s cyclist.
Someone else used the video to ask what drivers are meant to do in this situation… “How can you give a cyclist two-metre clear when a lot of roads don’t have that clearance the vehicle would end up in the hedge?” If, having asked that question, you can’t work out the answer, then we really don’t know what to say…
If you had ‘random road tax comment’ on your bingo card then you can cross that one off, someone also asking “Do cyclists pay road tax?” Another commenter suggested the van driver should be allowed to pass because they are “going to work”.
That’s enough Facebook for one day…
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French ultra-endurance cyclist arrested for 'illegally crossing Russian border' at end of 18,000km Eurasian cycling world record attempt to be held in pre-trial detention until at least next month
Ultra cyclist Sofiane Sehili, who is currently being held in Russia having been arrested and accused of an illegal border crossing at the end of his Eurasia cycling record attempt, is to be held in pre-trial detention until at least October.
Russian state media reported yesterday that Sehili is to remain in pre-trial detention until at least October 4. He was arrested 400km from the finish of his Eurasia-crossing record attempt, having cycled 18,000km from Lisbon in Portugal to near Vladivostok in Russia’s Pacific east in 60 days.
Sehili was reportedly arrested after crossing the China-Russia border through a section of forest, after being informed he’d have to take a train by officials to pass through the checkpoint, a move that would have seen his record void.
Ussuriysk district court yesterday decided to impose “a preventive measure in the form of pre-trial detention”, but the charges Sehili faces remain unclear.
The Guardian's £866 list of "safety essentials" that cyclists apparently don't leave the house without
Got your £129.99 Garmin Varia radar? £349.99 GoPro? £45 incident detection system? £16.99 bell? £159.99 rear-view glasses? £29.99 gloves? £55 front light? £30 integrated rear light helmet? £43.89 wearable lock and £5 hi-vis vest? You are now kitted out with the “safety essentials cyclists won’t leave home without”.
I always take my radar and rear-view glasses when putting the bins out, to be fair, helps avoid small talk with approaching neighbours…
Evans Cycles offers free bike parking for people cycling to York city centre
The York branch of Evans Cycles has opened up a free storage area inside the shop for anyone visiting the city centre to leave their bike. Not just open to those visiting the shop, but anyone cycling into York who wants a secure place to leave their bike, the Coney Street branch now has room for 24 bikes.
It’s open from 9am to 5pm and is on the top floor of the Evans store. Available on a first come first served basis, Evans says people can leave their bike for up to 48 hours completely free.
“I actually don’t cycle some of my nicer bikes into the city, because it’s too risky,” store manager Ryan Finnie told the York Press (who have pictures of the facility). “Ultimately, we have this room that we don’t use, so we can use it encourage people to cycle into the city centre. It’s not the most glitzy place, but it’s safe for people to keep their bikes.”
Tom Pidcock and Oscar Onley to lead British charge at World Championships in Rwanda (+ is Stella Artois their secret weapon?)
British Cycling has announced the riders selected for the upcoming World Championships, the first ever to be held in Africa. Much has been said about the brutally tough course for the road races, the elite men facing 5,400m of climbing. That, of course, means Tadej Pogačar is heavy favourite but Britain’s hopes will be lead by Tom Pidcock, fresh of his podium finish at the Vuelta, and Oscar Onley.
In a novel approach (perhaps in anticipation of a battering from the current world champ) apparently they’ve both been on the beers in preparation for the big day…
It all makes sense now…
[Tom ‘I only drink Stella’ Pidcock]
Anna Henderson is the only elite female rider going to Rwanda, Britain to have no representative in the women’s road race. Olympic TT medallist Henderson is only taking in the time trial, while Cat Ferguson and Zoe Backstedt are to ride the U23 events.
Elite men: Joe Blackmore, Mark Donovan, Oliver Knight, James Knox, Bjoern Koerdt, Oscar Onley, Tom Pidcock, Fred Wright
Elite women: Anna Henderson (TT only)
Under-23 men: Callum Thornley
Under-23 women: Zoe Backstedt (TT only) Millie Couzens (TT and RR) Cat Ferguson, Flora Perkins, Eilidh Shaw, Imogen Wolff
Junior men: Max Hinds (RR and TT) Harry Hudson, Matthew Peace, Dylan Sage (RR and TT)
Junior women Arabella Blackburn, Erin Boothman (RR and TT) Gabriella McHugh, Abi Miller (RR and TT) Mabli Phillips
Previewing the World Championships, the Great Britain Cycling Team’s performance director Stephen Park said: “The road World Championships are always a prestigious event in the cycling calendar and it’s fantastic to be part of this historic event, the first road World Championships in Africa. The event provides a tough course that will ask a lot from our riders, but I am confident that, as ever, they are up to the task and will bring home some fantastic results.
“The event in Rwanda offers huge development opportunities for our younger riders to get a taste of racing at this level, while pushing our elite riders to their limits and I have no doubt these championships will deliver a true spectacle that will showcase bike racing at its best.”
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Sticky buffet, sticky charcuterie board, sticky picky bits — pro cycling's next big fuelling hack?
Yep, a nice easy one for Betteridge’s law of headlines…
"EVs don't address congestion or road safety": London borough criticised for prioritising electric cars and treating cycling and walking as an "afterthought" – despite widespread support for safe cycle lanes
Claude Littner: I'm never going to get back on a bike again in London
The Apprentice’s Claude Littner has spoken to The Times about his recovery from a cycling crash which, back in 2021, left him initially facing having to have a leg amputated. Littner says he’ll never ride a bike in London again, although he does still cycle on holiday in Marbella as “we’re lucky enough to have cycle tracks where there are absolutely no cars”.
“The bicycle incident was a completely freak accident,” he recalled. “I bought electric bikes for my children during Covid and we went to the woods and other local beauty spots. When they returned to work I decided to carry on that lifestyle. On this one occasion the rear mudguard caught the wheel and I was thrown into the street.
“Fortunately the vehicle right behind me happened to be an ambulance and the crew took me to St Mary’s trauma unit, where the excellent surgeons operated on me that night. It meant a long period of rehabilitation and I was very lucky to keep my leg. I don’t have a limp now but I’m not going to be running marathons anytime soon.”
Littner says he does still enjoy riding his electric bike in Spain, calling it “not very taxing, just very enjoyable, and we get some fresh air”, just not in London.
Valtteri Bottas takes a look at Baku's F1 circuit by bike
18 September 2025, 08:08
18 September 2025, 08:08
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Latest Comments
Or mostly here for some "specific belief bingo" (see their entry earlier)? "Tell me the issue and I'll explain how it's down to cultural weakness (wokeness)"?
‘ though customers now have the option of paying £311 upfront to bring that down to £25.99 per month instead of 30.99 per month’ So it takes about 5 years to break even? Blimey - that’s not a very good deal. Use a VPN. I watch RAI but there must be English speaking channels somewhere in the world that broadcast for free. I don’t want to sound too old fashioned and leftie, but these huge US media corporations are poisonous. They are actually killing choice and sucking us into a US hegemony (as if we are not already in one)
The bottom line remains unchanged after all those years, in spite of the marketing hype: - either use oil and deal with black goo - or use a wax and deal with frequent re-application I'm a wax guy. Never been able to duplicate those 'lasts for 400 km when dry' blurbs. 150-200 in dry conditions is more realistic. In the wet, eat your hat after 50 km. Still, for me it's worth it.
“Unleash bare strength”. How about unleash bare knuckles, open wounds and sprained ankles.
Ha! Your bike is still a puppy! Me and some friends exclusively ride 90s mountain bikes. 30 to 35 years old, full rigid, rim brakes… and we love it. t 56 years old, I can still keep up with most other riders who are younger and on modern, more capable bikes. No need or desire for anything more modern.
Thanks for featuring this absolute GOAT of mountain biking!
@jackcycles I'll try my best not to fight anyone unless my safety or that of another person is at risk, but in any case, not quite sure how you've managed to get from "I wouldn't fight this very large clearly psychopathic probably drugged bloke who might very well have a weapon and has a mate who could join in" to "admitting" I'd only fight women and children. Actually, I am sure, it's because you're a troll. Suspected as much from your first appearances here but gradually been more confirmed and that utterly imbecilic comment seals it.
@Hirsute I have no experience of Essex Police, but I know a lot about the attitudes of officers in Lancashire Constabulary. They don't consider motoring offences to be real offences, especially if they're offences against cyclists. This is odd, because there are very few cyclists up here in North Lancashire and not much active travel for the specific purpose of getting to a specific place, beyond walking short distances. If this assault case had been in Lancashire, I would be pretty sure tha the police are deliberately not trying very hard to catch the offender, because they think the cyclist was 'asking for it' by just being there, and is now 'asking for it' by having initially reported it and for repeatedly pestering the police about what they consider to be a trivial offence.
@jackcycles That, in turn, is a very odd thing to say.
Bit of an odd thing to say. You're basically admitting you'd only fight women and children.
36 thoughts on “YouTube driving instructor shares “road rage” video after driver’s pointless overtake of cyclist, tells people to “let it go”; Ultra-endurance rider remains under arrest in Russia; The Guardian’s £866 list of “safety essentials” + more on the live blog”
The most telling part of the
The most telling part of the idiot van driver video is near the end where he is about to overtake the cyclist with the camera, but has to slow to a crawl to pass a pickup truck coming the other way. The bigger vehcile causing more issues on the narrow roads seem to be missed by many commenters.
Quote:
Well that was a short live blog.
Given how close the van
Given how close the van driver was behind the cyclist at the back (basically tailgating in a multi-tonne vehicle), the clip should be submitted to the police so the driver can get points and a fine.
Also, a shame the company logo isn’t visible so it can be referred to the driver’s employers.
If that is the driver’s standard then I wonder what their motor insurer might think…
It’s a British Gas van.
It’s a British Gas van.
It would be a waste of time
It would be a waste of time trying to contact British Gas on this matter. They are a disorganised rabble who struggle to deal with customer complaints on supply and billing issues.
Any complaint about this close pass is likely to result on someone turning up on your doorstep to fit a smart meter.
Mr Blackbird wrote:
Another success story of privatisation. With all that waste gone and so much better efficiency, customer satisfaction is unbelievable.
Tell Sid.
I can’t see the video, so I’m
I can’t see the video, so I’m going from the stills in the article. Is it a current BG van, or a former BG van which hasn’t been fully de-branded before sale?
[I ask because our electrician turns up in a Highways Agency van which looks to all intents and purposes like he’s on official business (which he isn’t, unless the government cares about why the ring with the kitchen sockets on keeps tripping the fuse).]
I reckon BG do care about this sort of thing if they’re brought to the attention of whoever manages their social media accounts.
Not sure, you don’t get a
Not sure, you don’t get a good enough view of it, there seems to be a lot of writing on the side but no idea if that is on a current BG van. Yes I have seen second hand debranded vans which still have the main colour scheme.
Anyone like me not able to see Facebook:
https://youtube.com/shorts/iVofGa7R6lA?si=7bCvyfDP6nJEyWPz
Earth leakage problem due to
Earth leakage problem due to damaged cable insulation embedded in damp wall/floor?
They dont, ive reported BG
They dont, ive reported BG vans to them before and theyre quite useless at dealing with it. Also highways agency process at disposal of vehicles may be different, the way private companies lease vehicles through other companies, they’re absolute debranded before they get anywhere near public auctions where anyone could pick them up
I’m sure they can send a
I’m sure they can send a warning letter, I’d be surprised (based on previous coverage of similar events on these pages) if anything more serious is going to stick.
I would also expect that if shown the video back, the driver and indeed their employer (unless by some weird twist of fate said employer is a cyclist or has a child or parent who cycles) would just respond with “yeah, so what’s wrong with that?”
What is a shame is that their mobile number isn’t visible, because there’s a lot of fun to be had with that …
Jonathan Liew’s quite
Jonathan Liew’s quite interesting pice on the Vuelta in the rabidly anti cycling Graun…
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/sep/18/vuelta-chaos-shows-selling-sport-as-a-tool-for-peace-can-create-its-own-battlefield
Thanks, that’s a brilliant
Thanks, that’s a brilliant article.
There is a hill on a bend on
There is a hill on a bend on a narrow road near me. While most drivers are reasonable, there are some who can’t understand why you can’t hold a line 6 inches from the edge of the road at 30mph to allow them to pass.
As an aside, how do the posters know that the cyclists aren’t going to work and the van driver isn’t going to a dogging spot? (That could explain his impatience).
1 year 9 months for:
1 year 9 months for:
a fatal collision, riding at 64 mph in 40mph zone, on a provisional licence but not displaying L plates, previous convictions for driving whilst disqualified and a number of licence endorsements.
Yes, that sentence will deter it (having been disqualified for 3 years from time of release) and others…
Not.
I wonder what motor insurer will take it on in the future and for how much £.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62n59yne43o
But cyclists.
Insurance? Pretty sure he won
Insurance? Pretty sure he won’t bother with that.
As a long time Guardian
As a long time Guardian reader, it perfectly encapsulates what is wrong with ‘progressive’ politics. It talks a bit left wing, but all its features are only for people with very large disposable incomes.
I agree with you to a great
I agree with you to a great extent but unfortunately it’s the nature of the beast, like all papers the Guardian relies heavily on advertising (about 40% of total revenue) and the companies making the big-ticket items are the ones, generally, who have the biggest advertising budgets. If your features only explain how to do things on the cheap the advertisers will go elsewhere. Not saying it’s right, but it is how it is.
Blue van man. There are
Blue van man. There are assholes, ultimately too many for the police to deal with. I’m retired so I have more time, and I try to avoid cycling during morning or evening rush hour because there’s way too much of this bollocks.
Particularly on routes that’re rat runs…
Amazed the blue van man didn’t hit an oncoming car.
I find Friday afternoons are
I find Friday afternoons are worth avoiding.
More people turn into assholes at 13.00 – 18.00.
I’ve found exactly that,
I’ve found exactly that, either people excited to be breaking up for the weekend or the early finishers who pop in to pub for a few pints, before driving home.
“The BMW driver was later
“The BMW driver was later found to have been speeding, prosecuted for causing death by careless driving, and given a four-month suspended prison sentence.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg5091jdm0qo
Just had an email newsletter
Just had an email newsletter from the local council warning about the fire risks of e-bikes and e-scooters. It starts: “whilst e-bikes and e-scooters offer a great way round the city…”
Would that be the e-scooters that are actually illegal to use in public?!
I thought for a moment that
I thought for a moment that maybe they’re referring to the legal e-scooter trials that have been going on in some boroughs e.g. Lime, but then you don’t have to charge these at home so I thought wrong.
EVs don’t address congestion
EVs don’t address congestion or road safety. Moreover they don’t reduce the amount of pollution that comes with driving a car.
Whilst there doesn’t appear
Whilst there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with the overtake by Ashley Neal’s viewer, in terms of space given to the cyclist…
Is it not worth pointing out, by Ashley himself, that such an overtake is completely pointless and a waste of fuel to get to the red light where most people should recognise that the cyclist will simply filter to the front anyway.
Especially if that is the driver’s normal standard.
Difficult to tell from the
Difficult to tell from the video but I suspect the issue is that the driver did not leave space for the cyclist to filter up the inside, it doesn’t matter much in this situation with no other traffic about but it could easily leave the cyclist unable to get to the advanced cycling stop line. If it only happens once its not a big deal but what if this is happening to the rider half a dozen times each journey, it would be very annoying.
If they block you on the left
If they block you on the left, quite a common tactic, you just filter past them on the right instead
mitsky wrote:
In fairness, the lights only changed in the course of the overtake.
But that just highlights why you shouldn’t overtake on the approach to lights, whatever colour they are at the time.
Looks to me like the lights
Looks to me like the lights change before the driver has commenced the overtake – you can see the moment the lights change to amber (0:28) and the driver is still well behind the cyclist, and in the left hand lane. The driver doesn’t really begin the overtaking manoever until a couple of seconds later.
The other thing that I imagine annoyed the cyclist is that the driver is already braking when they move back over to the left (you can see the brake lights come on in the rear-facing camera shot). It’s far from particularly close or aggressive, but even so I can see why the cyclist might perceive the driver to be cutting in.
Having watched it again, I’d
Having watched it again, I’d say they start the overtake at more or less the same time as the lights start to change (with them going red as they come alongside the cyclist).
The other factor is they’re a bit unsighted as to the lights coming up by the bend in the road and the sign placement. Which is, of course, another good reason why they shouldn’t be overtaking there.
Quote:
So of these, which riders are road race only, which TT only and which doubling up? Presumably they don’t all fall into the last-named category?
Got to be Ollie Knight, was
Got to be Ollie Knight, was 3rd at nationals + 1 other perhaps. In fairness British Cycling haven’t said yet, so we dont know. Though you’d think not sending anyone for the elite women’s race category, first time in over 30 years, would be the main talking point.
The only thing more pointless
The only thing more pointless than the overtake is the video itself. Ashley Neal’s dull voice sends me into a coma whenever I hear it and I’ll never understand how he’s become so popular.
Illegal border crossing into
Illegal border crossing into Russia, not a good idea obviously if you are a French cycling champ. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Macron of France has been talking tough against Russia (Putin couldn’t care less). He also wants to use and spend the Russian money seized and frozen on European accounts. Has Sofiane become a bargain chip?
Whatever the outcome, I don’t
Whatever the outcome, I don’t think he will be getting his rather nice bicycle back…