“Vansplaining”: tweet bashing Van Aert’s gear choices mocked; Cycling UK CEO warns of return to “pre-COVID era”; Team bike merry-go-round; Richmond Park congestion anger; Moto rider who collided with Alaphilippe “feels guilty” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Weekend catch-up
Spent the weekend digging out your overshoes, gloves and all those other bits that make getting out the door that bit more laborious? Here’s what you’ve missed on road.cc…
Julian Alaphilippe’s Tour of Flanders ends as he breaks hand in crashwith race motorbike
Mathieu van der Poel outsprints Wout Van Aert to win Tour of Flanders
Grant Shapps backtracks on cycling and walking pledge
Bradley Wiggins rates TT positions of the peloton
Shocking video of light truck driver ramming cyclist off bike sparks ‘debate’ online
Banksy claims new artwork next to broken bike, and takes pop at Government ‘reskilling’ poster
Giro d’Italia Stage 15: Tao Geoghegan Hart wins at Piancavallo and moves fourth overall
Happy Monday
Monday pic.twitter.com/EMytklzPde
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) October 19, 2020
Just five more sleeps till the weekend folks…
"I was frustrated after crashing": Sep Vanmarcke apologises for kicking a Team Sunweb car at the Tour of Flanders
Hey Sep, no worries! It can happen in the heat of the moment. We are sorry about the near miss, too! 🙈
— Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) October 18, 2020
The apology from the EF Pro Cycling rider was accepted by Sunweb on social media… maybe he’s also put out that he didn’t get to wear a super cool duck-themed kit like his teammates at the Giro?
Chris Boardman to appear on Desert Island Discs this Sunday
If you weren’t aware, Manchester’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner will be appearing on the famous Radio 4 show on 25h October. There’s already been some speculation on what Boardman’s top tunes will be… what do you reckon?
‘Ferry across the Mersey’ or one Beatles tune. No Bunnymen, though one Teardrop Explodes track – I’m gonna say ‘Treason.’ Also, ‘Seven minutes to Midnight’ by Wah! Heat, but nothing by Pink Military. Can’t see ‘You spin me round’ by Pete Burns – unless Sally has insisted.
— Kenny Pryde (@Kenny_Pryde) October 18, 2020
"A noisy polluting shambles": Cycling in Richmond Park now back to unpleasant normality
Lovely bicycle ride in the park this morning @RichmondCycling @theroyalparks pic.twitter.com/GPuvXycu0D
— Ian Brennan (@nannerb) October 18, 2020
After a temporary ban on driving through the popular London park made cycling in it quite pleasant for a few months, weekend rides now consist of dodging traffic if this scene is anything to go by.
Feeling proud of your “sensitive management” of a National Nature Reserve, @theroyalparks?? 🤦♀️
A noisy polluting shambles. Stop treating the bridleways of Richmond Park as an urban by-pass.
Revert to banning through motor traffic. That worked so much better earlier this year.
— shamrocksoup🇪🇺🦔 (@ShamrockSoup) October 18, 2020
Hold your fire for November, we think: final consultation on the Movement Strategy, and everything to play for.
— Richmond Cycling Campaign (@RichmondCycling) October 18, 2020
We cycled there today. The amount of vehicle traffic today was nuts. We didn’t even attempt to cycle on the roads today with the kids. Such a step backwards from June/July.
— P B (@EPPB18) October 18, 2020
Chargeable car parking can’t come soon enough!
— Tim Lorimer (@bluetube43) October 18, 2020
The Royal Parks’ decision to reopen the park to rat-running drivers in August was slammed as “reckless and drastic” by campaigners at the time, and once again hundreds of people have been voicing their displeasure at these scenes since yesterday evening. Some have suggested that Royal Parks should charged for driving in the park, while others have called for a return to the ban on cars that was in force through the early parts of lockdown.
Richmond Cycling Campaign have urged people to share their thoughts during the upcoming consultation on the Royal Parks’ Movement Strategy, which is pencilled to run between November and December.
onsultation is November – please be ready to share your thoughts then!
Jumbo-Visma launch women's team
Jumbo-Visma general manager Richard Plugge says the team is now “complete”, announcing a full team roster including three-time world champion Marianne Vos and British rider Anna Henderson on the day of the launch. They will be managed by Esra Tromp, the former team manager of the Parkhotel Valkenburg women’s team, who says the ambition is to “build the best women’s team in the world”.
The word is out! The release of a new team: Team Jumbo Visma Women. I am happy to announce I will be the team manager of team Jumbo Visma Women😊 To make a new beginning makes you excited for the future but a good moment to see what happened to make a next step.
— Esra (@Esratromp) October 19, 2020
The existing Parkhotel Valkenburg team will continue as a development squad to feed into the elite Jumbo-Visma team. Here is the full roster:
Marianne Vos (NED)
Jip van den Bos (NED)
Riejanne Markus (NED)
Anouska Koster (NED)
Nancy van der Burg (NED)
Romy Kasper (GER)
Aafke Soet (NED)
Teuntje Beekhuis (NED)
Julie van de Velde (BEL)
Pernille Mathiesen (DEN)
Karlijn Swinkels (NED)
Anna Henderson (GBR)
"How it started... how it's going" in cycling
If you’re not familiar with social media’s latest craze, the idea is to provide a visual update on your life, the world or a particular topic. Here are a couple of our favourite cycling-themed posts from the last few days. One positive, one not so much…
How it started – how it’s going #RVV20 pic.twitter.com/mSgOHj4AYR
— Ginevra (@ginevragarga) October 18, 2020
How it started. How it’s going. pic.twitter.com/4neRc23dlG
— Bristol Shitfrastructure (@shitfrastructur) October 17, 2020
Tour of Flanders: race motorbike rider who collided with Julian Alaphilippe "feels guilty"
🇫🇷 😱 CHUTE D’ALAPHILIPPE ! Quelle terrible fin de saison pour le Français…
Le champion du monde était en train de parler avec son DS et n’a pas vu la moto garée sur la droite de la route, il ne repartira pas 😨#LesRP #HomeOfCycling pic.twitter.com/4oe0ryOJxB
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) October 18, 2020
In an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, the 64-year-old former policeman who was riding the race motorbike that collided with Alaphilippe has defended his actions. Eddy Lissens said: “The lead of the front group was more than 20 seconds.
At that moment I decided, together with Shimano’s bike, to take up my post behind the leaders. We let ourselves hang back, the TV crew went on the left side of the road and we chose the right side.
“Should we have gone on the other side too? Anyone who says such a thing has never ridden a race. I didn’t do anything unusual. Such things happen 100 times in a match. This was just an unfortunate moment.”
Nevertheless, he also expressed regret over the incident, apologising at the time and saying that he has already spoken to members of the Quick-Step entourage:
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and something like this has never happened to me”, said Lissens.
“I feel sorry for Alaphilippe. His injuries are bad, but he also had the chance to win the race and that really hit me hard.
“…I feel guilty, even though I can’t do anything about it.”
X-rays confirmed that Alaphilippe broke the metacarpal 2 and 4 bones on his right hand, and he is due to undergo an operation today.
For "fast effective relief from stress"... try bikes, not a Mercedes
Gosh, those were the days in the 1990s – when you had paper advertising hoardings that were easily amendable. https://t.co/PKfhjFa7Pb
— Streets for people (@BrendaPuech) October 18, 2020
We understand this photo was taken in the 90’s, “when you had paper advertising hoardings that were easily amendable” according to Brenda Puech, the person in the photo. Of course, it’s just as relevant today.
Vuelta: two team staff members test positive ahead of Spanish Grand Tour
The UCI have just issued a statement confirming that while no riders tested positive, two team staff members – one from Bahrain-McLaren and the other from Team Sunweb – did. Full story to follow.
Richmond Park reaction round-up
Look of the state of it @LBRUT
Get those cars out.— 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲 🎨 🖌️ 🌳 🐈⬛👽🌝🚲 (@JustinBaileyart) October 19, 2020
We’ve had quite a response to our earlier coverage of the congested scenes in Richmond Park; although Merv Charles claims that the photo was misleading considering the scenes in the rest of the park, saying that the photo was taken near a car park. He added: “The rat runs of Sawyers & Queens road were pretty much traffic free yesterday.”
Do you think Royal Parks should re-introduce the motor vehicle ban that was brought in during lockdown?
That Wout van Aert/Mathieu van der Poel rivalry... is it really that bitter?
Thank you to these two incredible riders who made a great show yesterday. The photo show true sportsmanship. #rvv pic.twitter.com/YsHAfe4F7m
— Merijn Zeeman (@merijnzeeman) October 19, 2020
There has been a bit of boxing-style trash talking reported over the past few days, but it seems there’s plenty of mutual respect between the prodigal pair really.
Breaking: Team Jumbo-Visma to ride Cervélo bikes from 2021 onwards after multi-year deal announced
Hot off the press and the team’s second big announcement of the day is that they will be parting with the Bianchi celeste and riding Cervélo bikes from 2021. Here’s the statement, more to follow:
The Dutch-based team is already famed for athletes such as Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert and Tom Dumoulin. However we’re proud to announce that Cervélo is also collaborating on the development of a new women’s programme for the team that already has among others Marianne Vos signed up for next season.
With the R5 disc, S5, P5 and Caledonia the teams riders have the choice to select the most suitable bike for any race making the world’s fastest riders even faster and propelling them towards the biggest titles in cycling. Our composites and aerodynamics engineers will also be developing new products to help reach
the highest of goals as the partnership unfolds.Reserve carbon wheels, co-designed by Cervélo, will equip the women’s and development teams.
Cervélo’s Managing Director Nick McAdams says, ‘We are very proud to partner with Team Jumbo-Visma. We’ve been involved in World Tour racing for a long time and with that comes access to the best athletes and testing for our bikes. As one of the best teams in the world, TJV are made up of world class riders racing at the sport’s highest levels. That knowledge and feedback will help us develop products to
make all riders faster. We are very much looking forward to our cooperation and to seeing the team riding Cervélo from next season.I also want to use this opportunity to thank Team Sunweb for inviting Cervélo to be part of their program and delivering some exciting moments and great results these past two seasons.
Richard Plugge, managing director of Team Jumbo-Visma: “This is a great step for our team. Cervélo is a fantastic brand and an industry leader by technology. We are very happy that our cycling teams will be riding on Cervélo from next year. I am confident that we can further innovate to build even faster bikes together. Working together and striving for the best is our daily objective.”
The Dutchman is excited about the collaboration. “We look forward with confidence to work with Cervélo. The brand is part of Pon, just like us they are a Dutch global company. It is great that two Dutch brands that make a global impact have found each other.”
More pro team bike merry-go-round news: GreenEdge Cycling (currently Mitchelton-Scott) will ride Bianchi, while Sunweb will ride Scott in 2021
It’s all change, as it’s now confirmed that Bianchi have found a new home at GreenEdge cycling (celeste is kind of green, so guess it makes more sense). A statement reads: “Cervélo will provide the bikes for Team Jumbo-Visma from next year while Bianchi – which currently supplies Team Jumbo-Visma – moves on to partner Australia’s GreenEDGE cycling.”
Meanwhile, Sunweb will switch from Cervélo to Scott. The statement is here.
Cervélo to Jumbo-Visma, Bianchi to GreenEdge, Scott to Sunweb: tweets and some reaction
IL pirata Marco Pantani /Bianchi ❤️
— Yet (@yet7171) October 19, 2020
👀https://t.co/eigFGhqZmD pic.twitter.com/w4msjcLngc
— Cervélo (@cervelo) October 19, 2020
— billybomb30 (@billybomb30) October 19, 2020
Thanks for the ride @cervelo.🤩🚲
Take a look back at some of our best bits aboard our noble #S5, #R5 and #P5! Hopefully with still some more to come.😉
📸 https://t.co/p3PDi2jEhO pic.twitter.com/KpdlnOe47o
— Team Sunweb (@TeamSunweb) October 19, 2020
Musical bikes
— Top Paver™️ 🌐 (@toppave) October 19, 2020
Plenty to discuss and mull over who will be riding what next year… which new team bike do you reckon will be the most handsomest?
New Cycling UK CEO Sarah Mitchell promises to "keep Britain cycling", and criticises opponents of cycle lanes and LTN schemes
Starting as the CEO of the charity today, Mitchell has vowed to help maintain the increased levels of cycling seen in Britain during the pandemic, and has urged councils to resist pressure from a “minority of people” who are against low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), cycle lanes and wider pavements.
She said: “We’re at a crossroads in the UK. We have to ask ourselves whether we want a return to the bad old ways of congested cities, polluted unsafe streets and parents feeling they have no choice but to drive on the school run, or whether we want something better.
“Funding and guidance released by national governments for local councils to improve cycling has seen a series of measures including cycle lanes, widened pavements, “school streets” and low traffic neighbourhoods employed at a local level to great success.
“These have largely been well received by residents, though Cycling UK is concerned councils are under pressure from a minority of people who are resistant to the positive impact these changes could bring.
“Lockdown showed that the people of the UK want to get out on their bikes but only if conditions are made to feel safer. The vast majority of people support councils’ improvements for cycling. We can’t – and I won’t – let a small minority of people pressure our councils and governments into going back to a pre-Covid era that put motorists first.
“It is my, and Cycling UK’s, mission to keep Britain cycling, ensuring people have a choice over how they can travel safely.”
Warnings over traffic returning to "Pre-Covid levels": Twitter account owner against LTNs posing as Imperial College epidemiologist rumbled
— LTT (@Long_Tailed_Tit) October 18, 2020
Back to matters on the home front now after that spontaneous flurry of bike sponsor announcements… and after Cycling UK’s new CEO warned against council’s prioritising the voices of a minority when it comes to cycle lanes and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (see below), the debate over Low Traffic Neighbourhoods is raging on and getting ugly in places.
Imperial College have denied that someone claiming to be an epidemiologist at the university works for them, as this person appears to be using their self-appointed expertise to argue against LTNs and cycle lanes in London. The account holder has claimed, amongst other things, that cycling campaigners have “infiltrated political parties and are using targetted harassment to try to silence opponents”, and that cycle lanes on main roads “make no sense due to increased risk from air pollution & accidents”. Imperial College say they have reported the account holder to Twitter for impersonation.
Bloody cyclists, always jumping red lights
I saw a cyclist not wearing a plastic hat tho…….
— cycling weakly (@chute55uk) October 19, 2020
This week’s edition comes to you from an idiot who has done it before, and will most likely do it again…
Van Aert 'Vansplained'* over gearing choices in final sprint at Tour of Flanders
Hate this shit, analysis is fine but WvA probably has figured out how gears work by now. pic.twitter.com/BVQYWd73SZ
— Joe Earley (@joeearley) October 19, 2020
Vansplaining
— Richard Moore (@richardmoore73) October 19, 2020
🤣😂🤣 I think Wout knows
— Ross (@sumsinmyhead) October 19, 2020
It seems social media doesn’t have much time for this analysis, suggesting Van Aert didn’t choose his gears correctly in a photo finish with Mathieu van der Poel at the Tour of Flanders. Some are claiming the anonymous tweeter is simply an armchair analyst (we don’t know that, they could be a bona fide cycling expert after all).
While it’s true that Van Aert was beaten, we’re going to say that it’s probably quite unlikely whoever this is knows more about what it takes to contest a sprint, and which gears are best to use, against one of the world’s best cyclists than the Belgian… who himself is one of the world’s best cyclists.
If you want to scrutinise Van Aert’s tekkers for yourself, his ride upload on Strava can be found here.
Chapeau to Richard Moore for the quality pun.
19 October 2020, 08:42
19 October 2020, 08:42
Full story on 2021 pro team bike swapsies
Jumbo-Visma, GreenEdge and Sunweb swap bike suppliers for 2021
Bike brands Cervélo, Bianchi and Scott all move to new WorldTour homes
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Latest Comments
Over half of all UK car journeys are under 5 miles That's what "those who must rely on cars" actually means. Lazy entitled people who can't be bothered to walk or cycle short distances. No wonder we've got such an obesity problem in Britain. Let's hope the Straits of Hormuz closure and the oner that seems to be developing in the Red Sea lasts long enough to make them get out of their cars.
@SecretSam A 10 minute walk to the pub or takeaway in their case.
Ummmm...are people in Rotherham aware of what "active travel" means???
What a load of drivel, I've seen some of these guys out and about and have never witnessed them be anything other than polite and courteous to others. I can only assume you're one of those annoying cyclists who wobble all over the middle of the road, possibly engaged in conversation with someone equally as slow as you, blissfully unaware that you're acting as a mobile roadblock. Hint: if you hear a gigantic freehub sound behind you, it's time to move aside for the big boys!
@perce I believe "the schooldays of Nigel Grabbage" are a topic it's considered by right-thinking people * to be impolite, nay declassé to mention. Along with "I wonder why rich types with criminal records and/or dodgy business interests ** keep giving you massive "gifts with no strings attached", while by coincidence you speak in favour of said dodgy business types getting less regulation?" * Apparently anyone who'll lend him a vote. Or a few thousand/million. ** Or their relatives, who've somehow found the money down the back of their more spartan sofas.
@Pub bike Same here, since the excellent restrictions have been in place the thought of a group of macho pillocks from Dynamo coming huffing, spitting and snot rocketing past in a chain gang six inches off my right shoulder, shouting "coming through" and "on your right" - even when the whole carriageway is completely empty and they could leave three metres if they wanted - is definitely the most offputting thing about using the glorious park.
Mountain bikers don't care about obeying the law!
It's worth pointing out that unlike cycling on a pavement (i.e. a footway alongside a carriageway), cycling on a footpath is not a crime; it is a civil tort against the landowner. That means it's not a police matter, and other people using the path have no standing to complain either (although of course you should still be careful and considerate of other people, regardless of the status of the right of way). Indeed, without going into a full lecture on the history of Rights of Way and the noble tradition of mass trespass (e.g. Kinder Scout), there is an argument that the law implicitly condones such "illegal" use of paths, given that new rights of way can be created by members of the public demonstrating that they have used the path without permission but "as of right" for long enough, without the landowner taking action to curb such use. As an additional point of information, I would note that the offence of causing injury by "wanton or furious" cycling applies anywhere. I'm no lawyer, but I struggle to see that the designation of the right of way would have much sway, but rather any case would rely on the broader context and whether the manner of the cycling was safe given the terrain and conditions.
@Rendel Harris I get close-passed by more riders than cars in Richmond Park. Maybe I should ride faster.
@perce I'm normally a big fan of your excellent posts perce but I must take issue with this one. The idea that Lord Khan of Tooting would ever, in any circumstances, have been friends with Nigel is surely beyond the bounds of even your fertile imagination?
27 thoughts on ““Vansplaining”: tweet bashing Van Aert’s gear choices mocked; Cycling UK CEO warns of return to “pre-COVID era”; Team bike merry-go-round; Richmond Park congestion anger; Moto rider who collided with Alaphilippe “feels guilty” + more on the live blog”
I hope the resident who was
I hope the resident who was counting the number of bikes per minute earlier in the year is counting the number of cars per minute. Judging by the photo, this will be a hard ask.
Shouldn’t be to hard to count
Shouldn’t be to hard to count the cars, doesn’t like like they are moving fast at all, walking pace probably.
I think Hirsute might have
I think Hirsute might have been pointing out that at a certain number they might have run out of digits to count on.
If I was Sep I’d be pissed
If I was Sep I’d be pissed off that I didn’t have any cool duck-themed kit to put on ebay this morning.
RE richmond park, the
RE richmond park, the solution is as clear as day. There obviously aren’t enough traffic lanes. Make it a dual carriageway. Simples
Captain Badger wrote:
And when that fills up, make it a full motorway and ban pedestrians and cyclists; for their own safety of course.
Of course, it’s the logical
Of course, it’s the logical next step.
I was thinking an 8billion
I was thinking an 8billion quid tunnel under the park – use some of the Brexit Bonus to cover the cost. Or a flyover?
Parks are for leftie hippies.
Parks are for leftie hippies. Tarmac the lot!!
Captain Badger wrote:
Making it a dual carriageway would increase the number of carriageways, not the number of lanes – unless it only has a single lane currently, as that is the minimum for a carriageway.
r/whoosh
r/whoosh
Make it a big LTN.
Make it a big LTN.
seriously, people who run Richmond Park, check your job description, job title, the name over the door.
What??? Insanity!
What??? Insanity!
Boarman is undoubtedly an
Boarman is undoubtedly an excellent spokesman for cycling, and consistent too. Here he is riding a shopping trolley without a helmet, and I genuinely applaud him for keeping on and on with the proper message- encourage more people to cycle. I’m not about to cycle without a helmet myself, because wearing a helmet definitely does not inhibit my cycling. I recommended one of his former company’s bikes to an elderly friend and I now maintain it, and jolly good it is too. However, there’s one thing I can’t bring myself to endure in order to support him, and that is to listen to Desert Island Discs, a programme I have loathed for decades. However, lots of people like it and I’m sure he will use the opportunity to promote cycling if he can. Well done CB!
This made me laugh. The
This made me laugh. The McLaren appears to be parked so I’m guessing the Audi driver didn’t see it.
That is hilarious, and you
That is hilarious, and you could well be right about the McLaren not being visible to the Audi Q5 driver – the Mclaren is probably low enough to be hidden from view under the behemoth’s bonnet at close quarters. The next parking bay is empty (well, until the Audi fell into it) anyway, so there was no need to park on top of the other car!
‘ l’m sorry the Mclaren was
‘ l’m sorry the Mclaren was in my blind spot’
Sriracha wrote:
Surely would need to straddle two bays when parking an Audi 4×4?!
2 – amateur !
2 – amateur !
HoarseMann wrote:
Surely would need to straddle two bays when parking an Audi 4×4?!— Sriracha
Not when it is on it’s side. It looks like they might have managed to get all four wheels in the bay – probably the best parked Q5 I’ve ever seen.
jh2727 wrote:
You’re not wrong!
If I ever buy a Q5, I’ll be sure to add the McLaren 570 ‘parking accessory’ option.
SMIDSY
SMIDSY
More driverless cars crashing
More driverless cars crashing themselves. Poor person in the drivers seat of the Q5 just another victim of their wayward programming.
Red lights – determined not
Red lights – determined not to be a red light jumper, I yesterday waited patiently at some temporary traffic lights, placing myself squarely in its detector beam. I didn’t register and after a couple of cycles the driver behind me suggested I shuffle forward at which point the lights finally changed.
So, Mr Sun traffic controls – is your product fit for purpose??
Not just temporary lights.
Not just temporary lights. Some lights don’t give a phase to the minor road until the detector loops feel some heavy metal. Unless a car shows up you will just sit there on your bike in vain.
Even some ones on purely bike
Even some ones on purely bike lanes.
And thats me on my steel frame with ali rims, what you on your carbon drream machines do…
Yep – one near me. I
Yep – one near me. I legitimately run this light on red every time.