SAGE professor calls for road closures over Christmas to encourage exercise; Darude’s Sandstorm ft. Tacx Neo; Assos step in to save NTT Pro Cycling; Cyclist attacked with metal pole; Former coach defends Chris Froome + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Bobby Julich hits back at "idiotic" suggestion that there was anything suspicious about him coaching Chris Froome
Bobby Julich has responded to information that Dr Richard Freeman’s medical tribunal heard on Tuesday, branding it “idiotic” to suggest that there has been any wrongdoing by Chris Froome. The tribunal heard that in 2012 Shane Sutton raised a concern about Froome being coached by Julich in a meeting with Sir Dave Brailsford and Dr Steve Peters.
“I was Chris’s coach for two years at Sky. And the motorbike trip to Italy, I can explain. In fact, you’ll understand it’s idiotic to think there was anything suspicious about it when I tell you,” Julich told The Times.
Reading notes from his diary from the time, Julich continued: “It was early 2011 and Chris was this young rider living in Italy. I was based in Monaco and was working with Richie Porte down there. Sky had asked me to keep an eye on this kid, even though they weren’t sure he was going to get a new contract at the end of the season.
“Then Chris suddenly contacts me to say he’s selling everything he has to move to Monaco to work with me. From my notes it looks like it would have been late January. I was like, wow, he’s not being paid much and he’ll have to live in a box. But he was that committed.
“Anyway, what I think was April, he shipped the stuff he had in a truck and then rode this motorbike — it was like an off-road bike he couldn’t really use on the highway — to Monaco along all the coastal roads. That bike was his prized possession but the first thing I did was make him get rid of it. I don’t think he ever rode it again.”
Julich left the team in 2012, shortly after Sutton’s meeting, when all staff were asked to sign a document stating they had never been involved in cheating in cycling. The American was one of several staff, including Sean Yates and Steven De Jongh, to leave the team as a result and Julich has since admitted to using EPO during his professional career. However, he strongly denied any wrongdoing in his relationship with Froome.
Wheelie impressive skills from Tom Pidcock
Wheelie Wedesday.. the @Tompid way 😎@TrinityRacing_ pic.twitter.com/p7450blRXc
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) November 18, 2020
We all know cyclocross is great for improving your bike handling skills but even by his own standards this is pretty impressive from Tom Pidcock. It’s not the first time the 21-year-old’s shown off something from his two-wheeled box of tricks. Remember this emphatic way to celebrate a Tour Series win back in 2017…
Skids aren’t just for kids. 📷: kev fox pic.twitter.com/r5ikRocIGW
— Tom Pidcock (@Tompid) May 28, 2017
Cyclist left with facial injuries after attack with metal pole
A cyclist was taken to hospital with facial injuries after yobs threw a metal pole into his bike’s wheel, causing him to fall to the ground. The Chronicle report the man suffered serious facial injuries in the attack outside Percy Main Metro Station in North Shields on Sunday.
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: “We can confirm we are investigating an incident where a cyclist was injured near to Percy Main Metro station. At 4.10pm a group of teenagers allegedly struck the wheels of the bicycle with a metal pole, causing the male rider to fall to the ground.
“The cyclist was taken to hospital with facial injuries and those responsible have then fled the scene. Enquiries to identify those involved are ongoing but the incident is being treated as an assault.”
INEOS Grenadiers' big new signing
Sign him up! You wouldn’t think footballers and cyclists have too much in common but Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster loves life on two wheels. On Monday we shared his latest ‘Cycling GK’ YouTube video and now he’s met up with Tao Geoghegan Hart for a spin. If you couldn’t care less about football then it’s also just another opportunity to look at Tao’s custom pink Pinarello…
THIS JUST HAPPENED!!@taogeoghegan is not only an absolute beast on the bike 🚴🏽♂️ but a complete legend of a bloke too!!👌
He even brought his Giro winners edition pink @pinarello for a ride!! 😍
New YouTube video dropping Friday afternoon 🙌#TheCyclingGK #YouTube @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/c2Coky4taC
— Ben Foster (@BenFoster) November 18, 2020
Assos investment to save Team NTT
Team NTT look to have secured funding for at least two more seasons after Cyclingnews reported rumours that clothing brand Assos will help fund the €8 million operation for the next two seasons. It is unclear if there will be a title sponsor or if the team will take on the Qhubeka charity as their name. The team’s future had looked increasingly uncertain after NTT announced they would not be continuing their partnership with the WorldTour team beyond 2020. Team Manager Bjarne Riis also stepped down from his position last week.
Domenico Pozzovivo explained the situation: “It’s not 100 per cent but normally today or in the next day we’ll have confirmation that the team will be here next year.
“We’re just waiting for the confirmation and if the team continues then I’ll stay. I think it will be WorldTour next year and I’m optimistic and confident in Douglas Ryder. He is doing the maximum and it’s not easy to find sponsors. I don’t know exactly who the sponsor will be.”
As well as Riis, key riders such as Michael Valgren, Ben O’Connor and Edvald Boasson Hagen have all signed deals elsewhere for next season. Valgren will be joining EF Pro Cycling, while O’Connor and Boasson Hagen are both moving to French teams with Ag2r Citroën and Total Direct Énergie respectively.
Warwickshire Police urge people not to buy e-scooters this Christmas
Warwickshire Police have asked people to avoid buying e-scooters this Christmas as it is currently “illegal to use a privately owned e-scooter in any public space including roads, pavements, parks, town centres or canal towpaths.” E-scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles so are therefore treated as a motor vehicle. As e-scooters do not have number plates, indicators and some don’t have visible rear lights, Warwickshire Police say they can’t be used legally on the road.
Sergeant Shaun Bridle said: “We understand that buying an e-scooter can be tempting, especially as you can get them from many popular retailers. However the law is clear. You can buy one but it is illegal to use a privately owned e-scooter in any public space including roads, pavements, parks, town centres or canal towpaths for example. The only place a privately owned e-scooter can be used is on private land.”
Pain cave Christmas party
With Christmas parties likely to be the next social casualty of COVID-19, crankedUP think they’ve got the solution. Admittedly I was hoping for a mince pie and a few pints but maybe you’re a more committed winter cyclist than me. On Sunday December 20 you can join other pain lovers at the world’s first cycling pain cave party. The event involves team and individual competitions to ride as far as you can over two, six or 12 hours and there’ll even be a live DJ set to keep your spirits high.
Keith Williams, concept creator of crankedUP explained the event: “We want to make turbo cycling indoors the most fun and as exciting it can be using multiple connection points: music, racing and commentary, to support riders in ways you can’t in either a sportive or on the track. With technology, no longer do you need to do it on your own, let’s bring the world into your house.”
If this sounds like your idea of a relaxing Sunday afternoon you can sign up here, and if you need any inspiration for setting up a pain cave check out 16 of our readers’ best lockdown pain caves.
17% of cyclists would consider buying an e-bike if a government subsidy was available
Tacx Neo stars in household object rendition of Darude's Sandstorm
Song name??
Day 4 pic.twitter.com/4rfTDz00Do— Cyrus Monk (@Cyrus_Monk) November 17, 2020
Just when you think you’ve seen it all someone on Twitter uploads a video of them playing Darude’s Sandstorm with the help of a Tacx Neo…Australian cyclist Cyrus Monk is putting his time in quarantine to good use with this series of videos, recreating some of his favourite songs using items in his hotel room. On Sunday it was Nirvana’s Come As You Are and today his latest creation is Down Under by Men at Work. But it was this innovative use of the Tacx Neo that caught our eye.
Back in May we reviewed the Tacx Neo 2T Smart Trainer, admittedly without testing it’s suitability for recreating noughties dance tracks.
Poll results
Earlier we reported a study by #BIKEISBEST which found that 17% of cyclists would consider buying an e-bike if they were subsidised by the government. We put the question to our readers and the result was pretty unanimous. Any excuse for a new bike.
SAGE professor calls for road closures over Christmas to encourage cyclists and pedestrians to exercise
A public health professor at the University of Bristol has called on councils to close roads over Christmas to encourage people to walk and cycle for exercise. Professor Gabriel Scally, a member of the Scientifc Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) argued that the measures should be introduced as part of the fight against COVID-19. He also said people should spend as much time as possible outdoors over Christmas.
At 5’25” into the video above he tells Good Morning Britain: “We should try to spend [Christmas] as much outdoors as we can, weather permitting, walking, cycling. The councils should be closing streets and roads so people can get space and opening up new green space for them to be outside.”
19 November 2020, 09:18
19 November 2020, 09:18
19 November 2020, 09:18
19 November 2020, 09:18
19 November 2020, 09:18
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I thought that the lengthy technical downhill section on narrow roads was a poor piece of organisation. It was inevitable that faster riders with their team car would catch up with team cars of slower riders. Riders passing each other was a bit of a lottery at times. The camera motorbikes struggled to get out of the way at times.
It's not a 'statement' though - it's road.cc's words, based on l'Equipe's interpretation. The actual statement issued on it said that the judge authorised it "guaranteeing strict proportionality between the infringements on the rights of the athlete and the stakes of the fight against doping in terms of fair competition and protection of his health."
Trust me Callum, if you'd grown up watching the Tour in the 1980s, as I did, you would not be hankering after those long flat stages that weren't even as exciting as watching paint dry, it was more like listening to paint dry. As for the supposed benefits of those long TTs, what did they give us? Indurain winning five Tours in a row without winning a single road stage in any of them. As McT says below, you simply can't Pogacar-proof a course and we just have to accept, and enjoy, the fact that we are watching the greatest GT cyclist of all time. Anyway I think it has been a great Tour so far, yes no enormous drama about the inevitable winner (though of course Vinegaard and now Lipowitz have shown us that anything can happen) but just about every day has had a fascinating plot and multiple subplots. Some time in the future there will be another Indurain-style winner, playing it cautious, following moves, making incremental gains and winning without ever lighting up the race and we'll be saying I wish the old days of Pogacar making those spectacular solo breaks were back.
The main issue is the layout of the stages with the bigger climb first then a shallow finish climb. It means pogacar can get a gap at the top of the big climb and then stretch 10-15 seconds to a minute plus at the finish over smaller riders like Vingegaard. A summit finish on the hardest climb might not lead to the most exciting racing but equally would keep the gaps closer. I totally agree with the TT kms though, they should have 60+km tts in the grand tours.
@MaxiMinimalist I mean, that statement makes it sound like they had reason to think those two are doping. Either they didn't follow procedure and are making shit up to cover themselves up or something is going on.
Quite possibly. But the changeover time loss would be a bit more significant if it was done on the flat just after the downhill when the riders are travelling faster, the deceleration, changeover and acceleration loss could easily be around 30 seconds, which is quite a lot of a 34 minute effort.
So Skoda have taken a leaf out of Dung-Old Karen Taco Trump's book and are re-naming something when they have no authority to do so?
@Mr Blackbird Fair points, though I was wondering if doing the climb and descent on a standard bike and swapping to TT for the flat section would have been worth it? Certainly quite a few riders seemed to be having handling difficulties maintaining the best line on the descent with their TT machines.
No. The climb wasn't severely steep and allowed a reasonable speed to be maintained on a TT bike, his bike handling skills on road or TT bike are outstanding for the descent and on a road bike he would have lost a lot of time on the flat last 9k section. Terrific performance by him though!
I have been stopped on my velomobile and reprimanded for not having a number plate. The police desisted after I showed them that there was no motor at all, and were surprised as they'd followed me for a mile or two on the flat and hadn't realised that cyclists could go that fast - velomobiles are devastatingly quick on the flat, and slow heavy bikes uphill. I'm fairly sure that I would have found myself in a lot of trouble had I had any motor at all - even a legal one that would be very useful on the Welsh hills. It's very much put me off installing one.
33 thoughts on “SAGE professor calls for road closures over Christmas to encourage exercise; Darude’s Sandstorm ft. Tacx Neo; Assos step in to save NTT Pro Cycling; Cyclist attacked with metal pole; Former coach defends Chris Froome + more on the live blog”
I’d like to see Ben
I’d like to see Ben struggling into that tiny pink jersey!
Nice to see Dan Alexander
Nice to see Dan Alexander following in Jack Sexty’s footsteps by not bothering to proofread his contributions.
Where is Wawrickshire?
To be fair I live there and I
To be fair I live there and I still have to think about spelling Warwick..
FrankH wrote:
Proof-reading? You’re asking a bit too much there, but he could at least turn on his spell-checker.
E scooters are truly
E scooters are truly dangerous. I’ve nearly hit the same irresponsibly idiot 3 times, he’s young, wears black hoody and of course no lights. He crosses busy roads across traffic and doesn’t look. Why oh why are retailers allowed to sell them at all at the moment without some limitations is criminal. And yes I ride a bike most days and drive a car occasionally.
“I had to swerve several
“I had to swerve several times before I hit him”.
I did see one at the lights 6 or so months back. Not sure I would have picked him up if I hadn’t been so close. It turned out he did have a light about 5 cm above road height. Best not to hit them as getting any money off them for damage or injuries to you would be a long drawn out process.
They’re all over the place
They’re all over the place here in south London. I was mildly startled by one (unlit, unhelmeted) passing me with ease as I was doing 25mph through Kennington at dusk. I was fucking furious with another hurtling down a blind underpass in my local park at dusk who only missed my 4-y-o daughter on her brightly-lit scooter because she took evasive action.
At risk of sounding like the usual anti-cycling mobs, they seem to be used exclusively by complete arseholes and I’d happily see them confiscated and “riders” prosecuted.
Ogmios in his first School of
Ogmios in his first School of Zen Motoring video had this little ballard for his scooter boys.
Can you make out that murky figure ahead?
That dark silloeutte gliding across the tarmac.
They call him the shadow, a steath master of the night.
Watch as he effortlessly overtakes cyclists.
And surprises agressive 4×4’s with his sudden presence.
Black Scooter, black clothes, black bag, black helmet.
The shadow, coming to a morgue near you soon.
If people can turning eating
If people can turning eating a sh*tload of food on YouTube into a viable career I hope Ogmios can do the same with his thing. It’s quite unlike anything else I’ve seen.
I still watch them just to
I still watch them just to feel calm. Hope a fresh one is in the works soon.
Agree – we need more episodes
Agree – we need more episodes.
I don’t think any of that
I don’t think any of that makes e-scooters inherently dangerous – would it be any worse if he was doing exactly the same thing on a bike?
I’m not sure how I feel about retailers selling them. On the one hand, it seems obvious that the vast majority of e-scooters will be illegally used on public roads/pavements. On the other hand, should we not encourage individual respnsibility to obey the law, rather than targetting the retailers?
I had to replace a light on my car recently, and it was remarkable how many bulbs for sale stated “for offroad use only” in the small print. I wonder how many people ignore such warnings…
OnYerBike wrote:
My dealer says absolutely, yes.
Why would the bulb be off
Why would the bulb be off road use only ?
The issue with personal responsibility is are the people making the decisions to do what they are doing so in an informed manner,with kids who seem to be the biggest user escooters, my feelings are they arent.
Because they don’t conform to
Because they don’t conform to the legal standards for a car being driven on the public highway.
Some of them it’s obvious why (e.g. wrong colour for the intended placement) others I’ll admit I don’t know why (maybe regulations haven’t caught up with LED technology?) But the point is it is very easy to buy and fit accessories that are not legal for use on public roads.
I get the legal standards
I get the legal standards part, Im more confused as to why anyone would be making them I think in such quantity theyd ever be bought to be fitted to cars on a public road that the warning even needs to be printed. the offroad only market must by tiny Id have thought.
the only time Ive ever seen lights that werent fit for the road were sold by Hella,were for driving very fast around muddy forests in Wales/Cumbria and you needed to buy them from specialist motorsport parts manufacturers, they werent things you got just popping into your local Halfords.
People are slightly taller on
People are slightly taller on a bike, wider on a bike, they move about more, their legs move about and there is a chance of reflectors, so overall a bigger chance of being seen.
Shame BTBM isn’t here to tell us we should see a gnat at 500 paces by the light of a candle.
Fair enough. Although I still
Fair enough. Although I still think that any argument that e-scooters are more dangerous than bicycles because it’s slightly harder to see an unlit rider, dressed in black, at night, is missing the point…
I’d not be seen dead on one.
I’d not be seen dead on one. At least being a lycra boy is sort of in at the moment.
The trouble is you can’t have pavements full of these things and at the same time I really don’t think they are suited to roads. You know everyone claims they are having a hard time on 700cc wheels…..imagine those tiny things and having to ride near the curb.
I would give them a miss and wait for jet-pacs. We can’t be far off.
Seems a shame if they can’t
Seems a shame if they can’t be accommodated though. There are people who are not going to swing a leg over an e-bike who might use a scooter. Our paths and roads have managed to cope (to a degree) with pedestrians then horses, carts, carriages, bicycles, motorcycles, and latterly cars. So it seems a bit off not to try to to find a way to allow safe use of another mode.
Is it strange that there’s no
Is it strange that there’s no threat in Warwickshire Police’s statement? Other non road worthy motor vehicles would surely be seized if fouind operating on the roads.
Not a subsidy as such but in
Not a subsidy as such but in Scotland you can get an interest free loan from the Government to buy an electric bike. My wife got her electric Brompton that way.
Fantastic that 17% of people
Fantastic that 17% of people who already consider themselves to be cyclists would be interested in buying an e-bike. The real trick and way that e-bikes will push forward the cycling agenda for all cyclists, whether assisted or not, is when 17% of the currently non cycling population buy one and use it.
That Pink Pinarello looks
That Pink Pinarello looks terrible ;-(
I’m glad I didn’t win the Giro. I wouldnt’ want to ride / own it.
NZ Vegan Rider wrote:
Not in touch with your feminine side? Frightened of something in your own psyche?
While that is not my favourite shade but by god if I’d won a big bike race, especially a 3-week grand tour, I’d want to be seen aboard a pink top spec bicycle.
I remember hearing on a Giro related podcast – I think it was Herbie Sykes – saying that it is only a relatively recent thing that pink became associated with girls and blue with boys.
Not sure if it’s the photo but there seems to be some discrepancy in size between the Arsenal jersey and the maglia rosa.
Profesor Scally’s call to
Profesor Scally’s call to close roads over Christmas. Yes please. Things have got ridiculous recently. Poor driving nearly every ride.
Professor Scally’s call to
Professor Scally’s call to close roads over Christmas. Yes please. Things have got ridiculous recently. Poor driving nearly every ride
I agree, but we should make it clear that the very sensible Prof. obviously means that some roads and localities should be closed to all motorised vehicles (including e-bikes and other dodgy devices) for some period over the festive season. It won’t happen because much of Lying Fat B******’s remaining support comes from the crazed, staring-eyed rage-afflicted Mail and Express readers
PS For information: no bad driving directed at me during 95 minutes riding in the Lancashire sun this afternoon. I passed through the Beacon Fell Country Park, which appeared to have changed its name to Stenners Bluff Country Park on the usual sign by the invariably closed visitor centre. This name change proved to be temporary when I saw the big TV van in the car park taken over for a couple of days by the TV people. This is such a stupid name, which could never be genuine in the UK, that I’m suspicious they were filming Midsomer Murders- although they don’t have any country like Beacon Fell down there.
‘including eBikes and other
‘including eBikes and other dodgy devices’
Hold your horses there old chap. Yesterday I serviced an eBike for a disabled lady, fixed the light connection on an eCargobike used by a lady to carry her kids to school and loaned an eBike to an NHS nurse. Nothing ‘dodgy’ about them and they certainly shouldn’t be banned from using closed roads.
Wait a minute. My wife an I
Wait a minute. My wife an I are hoping to drive to N Wales to spend Christmas with our son.
Why? Did you negotiate a
Why? Did you negotiate a Christmas truce with the virus??
You’d need a truce with Wales
You’d need a truce with Wales in order to cross the border!
Bungle_52 wrote:
Personally i encounter more road rage in the evenings and when there’s heavy traffic. Some drivers don’t like seeing cyclists moving, while they’re stuck in traffic, here in the West Midlands. No footage for police last week, but 4 dangerous passes already this week!
Prof Scally is a member of
Prof Scally is a member of the Independent SAGE group, thats the unofficial group of scientists who are not part of the governments SAGE group 🙂
just useful to bear in mind when the media quote soundbites such as these from which group they represent.