“Sports broadcaster moans about people doing sport. You couldn’t make it up”: ESPN presenter slammed for filming group of cyclists while driving and claiming “these monsters must be stopped”; Eddy Merckx jersey sold for £16,000 + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Bring back the goats!
Yep, it’s that time of the year again – when the rough, jagged cobbles of Paris-Roubaix receive their annual makeover before the big, dusty ball.
But hold on one second, where are the grass-eating, pavé-loving goats, employed every year to make sure the cobbles are in top shape? And what’s this? A machine? Cleaning up the Arenberg? At the Hell of the North?
😈 The Trouée d’Arenberg gets a makeover just days before #ParisRoubaix.
😈 La Trouée d’Arenberg se refait une beauté à quelques jours de #ParisRoubaix.
📹 CAPH Porte du Hainaut pic.twitter.com/og9xXGCKXL
— Paris-Roubaix (@parisroubaix) April 1, 2025
Self-checkout tills and now this… Technology really is taking over.
Eddy Merckx’s signed 1971 rainbow jersey fetches £16,000 at auction - £15,000 over estimate – after bidding war between cycling club presidents
We’re now deep into Belgian cycling’s annual holy week, so it’s only fair that one of the sport’s holy relics has made the headlines, after selling for an eye-watering sum of money at auction.
AZ Auction, a Brussels-based auctioneer, announced yesterday that a world champion’s rainbow jersey, worn by Eddy Merckx in 1971 and signed by the legendary Belgian, was sold for a whopping €19,200 (around £16,000).
In 1971, Merckx, then at the height of his imperial period, won his second world title, outsprinting Felice Gimondi at the finish in Mendrisio after forging clear with the Italian on the hilly Swiss circuit.
That world championships win capped off another stunning year for the Belgian, following his third Tour de France win and victories at Paris-Nice, Milan-Sanremo, Omloop, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Dauphiné Libéré, and later that autumn at the Tour of Lombardy.
The rainbow jersey put up for auction this week was worn by Merckx, then riding for Molteni, following his worlds win and, according to the auctioneer, was originally acquired during a charity auction in 1990 by “another great Belgian champion” and contemporary of the Cannibal, who wished to remain anonymous.
The jersey was originally slated to sell for somewhere between €1,000 and €2,000 – but this is Belgium and Eddy Merckx after all, and a bidding war between two sports club presidents saw the price soar to an astronomical €19,200 before the hammer fell.
As much as I’d love to hang that beauty up on the wall of the spare room, I think I would bowed out of that one pretty quickly.
Welsh government’s focus on fixing cluttered streets and unsafe crossings a “step in the right direction”, says Cycling UK – but charity insists decision to cut active travel budget “a clear oversight”
Yesterday, we reported that Cycling UK has warned Wales’ Labour government that dropping cycling projects from its list of transport priorities would “risk missing the opportunity” to enable more people to get on their bikes, after transport secretary Ken Skates said his immediate priority is to see active travel “first and foremost, through the eyes of those who are most vulnerable, elderly people, people who use wheelchairs”.
This means that “inclusive travel” will be the Welsh government’s main priority over the next few years, with work on cycle lanes and other cycling infrastructure expected to fall by the wayside.
Speaking in the Welsh parliament yesterday, Skates confirmed that he has asked local authorities to commit at least 60 per cent of their active travel funding to “make tangible improvements on the ground quickly”, such as fixing or widening footpaths and dropping kerbs.
“Our streets, pavements and crossings are an important and sometimes overlooked part of transport networks,” he said.
“Barriers, such as cluttered street furniture, a lack of pedestrian crossings and poor lighting can discourage people from using them. Places where pedestrians and other modes of transport like cars, vans, cyclists, and buses mix can also make people feel anxious, unwelcome and unsafe if they aren’t designed well.
“We have a responsibility to make sure that people are safe using our streets, and we can’t do that if people are recklessly using modified e-bikes or e-scooters alongside pedestrians, travelling at speeds that you’d expect from a car.”
Responding to Skates’ speech in a statement issued this morning, Cycling UK criticised the decision to cut Wales’ active travel budget by £20 million, but admitted that fixing the country’s streets was at least a “step in the right direction”.
“While we understand the tough budget decisions the Welsh Government faces, it’s a clear oversight to cut the active travel budget by £20 million, especially when cycling and walking offers such a significant return on investment,” Cycling UK’s Wales advocacy lead Gwenda Owen said today.
“For every £1 invested in cycling and walking, nearly £6 of returns are generated through improved health, reduced congestion, and lower emissions.
“What is positive is the Welsh Government’s renewed focus to tackle issues like poor lighting, cluttered streets and unsafe crossings, which are great steps in the right direction.
“But we must ensure these improvements serve everyone – particularly disabled people who cycle, low-income communities and women, something we’ve been vocal about in our recent campaign, ‘My ride. Our right.’
“Well-designed, safe infrastructure is key to making active travel accessible for all, and we’ll continue working with the Welsh Government to ensure Wales retains its ambition to lead the way on active travel.”
The maddest use of a turbo trainer ever?
The weird and wonderful things that pop up in your feed when you’re into cycling:
What on earth have we just watched?
Well, in case you didn’t know, Fabrício André Bernard Di Paolo – or Lord Vinheteiro, as he’s known on YouTube – is a Brazilian musician, best known for his piano covers of everything from classical music to video game themes, which have garnered him over 7.3 million (million!) subscribers on the platform.
And apparently, he can also play classic rock songs on drums and an out of tune guitar while riding a bike on a turbo trainer. Fair enough.
That’s one way to liven up your winter training…
Competition Klaxon! Fancy some free road.cc gear for the summer? Well, here’s your chance
In case you missed it last week, we decided to mark the 100th episode of the road.cc Podcast – I know, I remember the first one like it was yesterday, too – in two special ways, because it’s a big deal and all (at least in my head, anyway).
First, we persuaded Jeremy Vine to spend an hour with us chatting about road safety, cycling in London, and social media toxicity, with a few Donald Trump impressions thrown in for good measure.
And second, we decided to give away a goodie bag containing all the free road.cc swag you could ever need as we enter spring and the weather perks up.
So, to have a chance of winning our goodie bag, simply get in touch at podcast@road.cc with the correct answer to the Jezza Vine-themed question I ask near the start of the episode (don’t worry, it’s an easy one).
Get those entries in – and while you’re at it, let Jeremy’s forthright takes on cycling safety ease you through your lunch break…
Thomas: The Next Generation
Geraint Thomas may be retiring at the end of the year – after racing the Tour of Britain, I’ll add, for anyone fooled by his 1 April Vuelta announcement yesterday – but it might not be too long before another Thomas is tearing up the boards and roads of Europe.
This morning, the 2018 Tour de France winner visited his old stomping grounds, Cardiff’s iconic Maindy Velodrome, where he was accompanied by his Macsen, who tested out his new Frog bike on the historic track:
“No better place to try out his new Frog bike. Loved it,” the Ineos rider wrote on Instagram today.
That second-generation Cavendish/Thomas Madison team of the 2040s is going to be something else.
Speaking of heritage, in January we reported that the Maindy Velodrome, where Thomas and other top Welsh talent such as Elinor Barker, Owain Doull, and Ella MacLean-Howell all cut their teeth, was now “less likely to be lost” after plans to build a new facility elsewhere in Cardiff were scuppered.
The velodrome, built in 1958, looked set to be lost, as Cathays High School expanded onto the land that hosts the cycle track and a new velodrome was earmarked to be built at the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay.
However, plans for the new velodrome fell through earlier this year, with a golf attraction instead set for the site, meaning campaigners are now more optimistic Maindy can be saved.
Following the news, the co-chairman of the club based at the velodrome, Maindy Flyers, suggested the loss of the velodrome now “looks less likely”, something the club is understandably “delighted” about.
“We were never opposed to a new velodrome in the bay,” Alan Davis said. “Our opposition was to the loss of Maindy. That loss now looks less likely and we are delighted about that.”
And this week, George takes on… Trump’s tariffs
Aside from our little April Fools’ prank yesterday, there are potentially very serious consequences for cycling if President Trump gets his way, argues George Hill in his latest, very topical opinion piece:
> Trump’s tariffs might just tip the bike industry over the edge
Defending champion Marianne Vos out of Dwars door Vlaanderen, as Visma-Lease a Bike say three-time world champion “isn’t fit enough to start”
The countdown to the Tour of Flanders is well and truly on, as this afternoon sees the peloton’s classics stars take on Dwars door Vlaanderen, Flemish Holy Week’s final tune-up race before the big one on Sunday.
But one rider missing from today’s start list is defending Dwars door Vlaanderen champion Marianne Vos, after her Visma-Lease a Bike team confirmed this morning that the three-time world champion wasn’t “fit enough” to race.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
“Unfortunately, Marianne isn’t fit enough to start today in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Marianne!” the Dutch team posted.
37-year-old Vos has started the season in fine form, finishing fourth at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda before sprinting to second behind Lorena Wiebes at Milan-Sanremo.
With Visma offering scant detail about the reasons behind Vos’s absence, it is currently unclear whether she will be fit enough to race this Sunday’s Ronde or the following week’s Paris-Roubaix.
“Van Aert woke up and chose violence today”
Wout van Aert must be taking all that criticism of his early season form to heart, because – with around 90km to go in today’s Dwars door Vlaanderen (the scene of his spring-ending crash last year) – he’s decided to lay down an early marker, splitting the bunch to pieces on the Knokteberg after his Visma-Lease a Bike team set an infernal pace into the climb.
Van Aert’s early show of force completely killed off the morning break and has instigated a series of counterattacks from the likes of Mads Pedersen and Josh Tarling, the young British rider looking strong up the road in a small group.
Get the popcorn ready, it’s going to be a fun afternoon.
Boom! The Visma-Lease a Bike team time trial machine takes flight
Visma-Lease a Bike aren’t messing around this afternoon.
Propelled by a brutal acceleration in the crosswinds by Edoardo Affini, Wout van Aert, defending champion Matteo Jorgenson, and Tiesj Benoot have all stormed clear of the chasing bunch.
That big name trio have since forged a dangerous, yellow-clad team time trialling unit at the front of the race as we approach the closing stages, broken up only by the not so insubstantial presence of EF’s Neilson Poweless.
That leading quartet are currently half a minute or so ahead of a chasing group animated by the on-fire Mads Pedersen, though that gap looks set to expand thanks to the constant pressure exerted by the TTT unit up front.
And if they do stay clear, the big question remains: Can Neilson Powless ‘do an Ian Stannard’ and mug the Visma trio at the finish? Stranger things have happened in bike racing.
Some gutting bike shop news from London this afternoon…
> Iconic London bike shop Brixton Cycles closes citing “rising costs and brutal economic climate”
“Now do cars”: Glasgow “100m sprinter” traffic cop chases down cyclist for riding through red light and cycling wrong way down one-way street – but critics sarcastically applaud police for “keeping our roads safer for all”
It was all kicking off in Glasgow at the weekend, apparently, after Police Scotland posted on social media that a cyclist was reported for dangerous cycling – after being chased down by a rapid traffic cop who spotted them riding through a red light.
“Glasgow Roads Police spotted a cyclist running a red light in the city centre,” the Greater Glasgow branch of Police Scotland tweeted following the incident on Sunday.
“Then they went down the one-way street the wrong way. They cycled on pavements to get away but didn’t bank on our 100m sprinter catching up with them.
“One cyclist reported for dangerous cycling.”
While the post prompted the usual remarks about cycling licences and “empty” bike lanes – as well as calls for the fleet-footed officer to take part in the Police Olympics – some questioned whether the cyclist’s indiscretion was worth the effort (while some were even convinced the post was a poorly timed April Fool or the work of a parody account).
“Good to know you are busy keeping our roads safer for all, must have made a big dent in the daily statistics of all those killed and seriously injured by motor vehicles,” replied Keith in the comments.
“Wow, really focusing on real, serious crime in the city, taxpayers’ money well spent,” wrote Aidan.
“Now do cars,” added Johnston.
To be fair, if the officer is as quick as they say he is, I’m sure he could catch a few drivers if he put his mind to it.
Hello darkness, my old friend…
What’s Dutch for ‘I’m not looking forward to the hairdryer treatment at the team debrief tonight?’
Well, at least Van Aert’s hair will look great, that’s something I suppose.
Endura announced as “first ever sponsor” of TNT Sports’ cycling coverage, after parent company Pentland Brands agrees deal with channel
While watching Dwars door Vlaanderen this afternoon on your TV, you may have noticed Endura’s name pop up on the screen at the beginning and end of each ad break.
Well, that’s because the Scottish cyclewear manufacturer – which posted a £14m loss at the end of 2024 – has become the “first ever sponsor” of TNT Sports’ cycling coverage, after its parent company Pentland Brands agreed a three-month deal with the channel and Warner Bros. Discovery.
According to a statement issued by Pentland yesterday, six of the company’s brands will appear on TNT’s coverage, including Mitre (football), Canterbury (rugby), Ellesse (tennis), Speedo (swimming), Berghaus (hiking), and Endura with cycling.
Each brand will be featured, Pentland says, “with tailored straplines aligning each brand to its sporting passion”, which basically means we’ll be told during breaks that TNT Sports’ cycling coverage is “powered by Endura”.
The deal with Warner Bros. Discovery will see Endura included in TNT’s ‘fandents’ (which, I think, are short clips showcasing the sport’s spectators), 20-second ads which will run during prime sports programming on TV, and social media posts.
> Has the UCI sold cycling’s soul to Warner Bros. Discovery?
Announcing the deal, which is the first time any of these brands have been involved with a channel sponsorship, Pentland Brands’ chief marketing officer Penny Herriman said: “We’re incredibly excited to be the first business to sponsor TNT Sports. Our pioneering brands have a rich legacy in the world of sports and strive to see people move more.
“This partnership places our brands across premium, exclusive content that resonates with an engaged, relevant audience of sports fans and consumers. It will drive visibility and connect with them where consideration is high and has impact.
“This is the first deal of its kind for Pentland Brands, and I look forward to working in partnership with TNT to power our brands and drive fandom.”
So, does this sponsorship deal mean the price of our TNT subscription will go down? Oh, wait…
Cycling Facility of the Week
This box-ticking beauty comes courtesy of our own VecchioJo, who spotted it out the back of his local M&S.
“We at Marks & Spencer are very proud of our Community Interaction Space where staff on their designated lunch break can organically engage with any active travel members of the public who have adventured round the back of the store by the delivery bays looking for the dedicated cycle parking area and smoking shelter,” Jo wrote on Instagram.
‘This is not just crap bike storage’ – you know the rest.
Elisa Longo Borghini secures 50th career victory with stunning solo ride at Dwars door Vlaanderen
Now that’s how you make a statement ahead of the Tour of Flanders.
Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini, aiming for her third Ronde title on Sunday, looked in sparkling form at Dwars door Vlaanderen, securing her 50th victory with a stunning long-range solo attack.
The UAE Team ADQ rider blew the bunch to bits on the Doorn and Hulsepontweg sectors of cobbles with around 30km to go in the Belgian semi-classic, first seeing off the threat of former teammate Ellen van Dijk and 2024 Tour de France winner Kasia Niewiadoma, before bridging across and then almost immediately dropping early attackers Marlen Reusser and Amber Kraak.
A late flurry of attacks provoked by Fenix-Deceuninck’s Puck Pieterse and Christina Schweinberger narrowed the gap slightly in the closing 10km, but due to a lack of coherence in the chase, Longo Borghini was never really troubled.
By the finish in Waregem, the Italian champ was free to soak in her landmark win, thirty seconds ahead of a group led home by Lotte Kopecky ahead of Elisa Balsamo, one of the rare signs of form on what had been until that point a frustrating day for the world champion.
Roll on Sunday…
Absolute scenes at Dwars door Vlaanderen! Neilson Powless ‘does a Stannard’ and shocks the world by beating Wout van Aert in three-on-one sprint and derailing dominant Visma-Lease a Bike display
The keyboards of Flanders won’t know what’s hit them.
After months of questions, doubts, and criticism, Wout van Aert – along with his Visma-Lease a Bike team, struggling in the classics despite their continued stage racing prowess – looked set to finally lay down an impressive, ominous marker, just four days out from when it really matters at the Tour of Flanders.
As they entered the finishing straight in Waregem, the men in yellow looked to have done everything right.
Almost everyone, from Mads Pedersen to Biniam Girmay, had simply been blown away by the Dutch squad’s brutish display of power with 50km to go, which saw Van Aert, along with defending champion Matteo Jorgenson and the irrepressible Tiesj Benoot.
Almost everyone – except Neilson Powless. But as strong as he looked while ensconced in the rolling Visma TTT machine, a flash of pink amid the yellow sea, the EF Education-EasyPost rider was firmly the underdog in that leading quartet, pulling further away from the disjointed chase behind.
Lacking the top-end speed of a sprinter/all-rounder like Van Aert, outnumbered three-to-one against a team with something to prove, and riding for a squad with just one minor win to its name all season, the odds were firmly stacked against Powless becoming the second consecutive American winner – after his breakaway companion Jorgenson – of Dwars door Vlaanderen.
Or at least that’s what Visma-Lease a Bike thought. Apart from one brief moment when Benoot rather crudely forced Powless out the back as he took a drink, the leading Visma trio appeared entrenched, physically and mentally, in their team time trialling unit, unwilling or unable to concoct a plan to work over their rival, to stamp home their numerical advantage.
Instead, it was all for Van Aert. Visma were intent on making a statement, hoisting their questioned Belgian star back into the pantheon of top contenders ahead of the Ronde.
Then, on that finishing straight in Waregem, it all went wrong.
In scenes not witnessed in pro cycling since Ian Stannard’s momentous underdog victory over the Quick-Step trident at the 2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Visma entered that long, wide finishing straight with the victory, and the pre-Ronde narrative, in their hands.
But then, lead-out perfectly executed, Van Aert launched – and nothing happened. In the cruellest metaphor for his season, and perhaps his entire classics career, the Belgian star appeared destined for glory, until his legs simply deserted him. Van Aert’s sprint was sluggish, the weight of expectation seemingly dulling his legs.
Underdog Powless had no such problems, accessing the zip and punch lacking in Van Aert to storm clear of his yellow-clad foes, crossing the line in ecstatic shock, the Visma three following in sullen, silent disbelief.
“I really can’t believe it,” Powless said after his sensational victory. “I felt really strong today, but I didn’t think I had any chance of winning from that group. I thought I was riding for second place.
“But I just can’t believe it, I’m so happy. It’s been a rough spring for me so far, but now I’m so happy to be back where I know I can be.”
Powless’ win, as he said, will go a long way to rewriting the narrative, not only for the American himself but also his until-now underperforming, under pressure team.
The narrative currently shaping Visma’s classics season, however, shows no signs of changing – and, in fact, only looks bleaker ahead of Sunday’s crucial showdown at the Tour of Flanders.
And boy, will the team hear about tonight in the Belgian press. Keyboards, beware.
“Sports broadcaster moans about people doing sport. You couldn’t make it up”: ESPN presenter slammed for filming group of “sad” cyclists while driving and claiming “these monsters must be stopped”
Ever heard of Randy Scott?
No, I hadn’t either. But apparently, he’s an American sports broadcaster and the current anchor of ESPN’s flagship morning news programme SportsCenter – who, incidentally, wrote off his car after crashing into a concrete barrier on his way to work last June, escaping unharmed.
And over the last day or so, Scott has come under fire after he posted a video on Twitter of a group of cyclists riding single file on the road alongside the caption “These monsters must be stopped”.
In the video, which Scott appears to have filmed on his phone while driving behind the group, the ESPN host says: “15mph behind this sad suburban peloton. Everyone just has to adjust their day, while they’re out doing their midlife crisis. And now we’re doing 10mph! Now we’re doing 10. Thanks fellas, appreciate it.”
These monsters must be stopped 🚲 ❌ pic.twitter.com/0vLd9EnGPp
— Randy Scott (@RandyScottESPN) March 31, 2025
It’s fair to say that Scott’s at the wheel running commentary of a local group ride hasn’t gone down too well in the comments. Not that the broadcaster was willing to take any constructive criticism on the chin, however.
“Oh no. You had to share the road,” replied Matt De Lancey, prompting Scott to hit back: “What share, friend? It’s a total box out.”
“Let’s hate on dudes who aren’t using the entire road, trying to better themselves, and enjoying fellowship with their friends all because it costs Randy five to ten extra minutes,” noted OTC.
“Keep up with traffic while they better themselves and enjoy fellowship. Not too much to ask, friend,” Scott responded, with what I assume he imagined was a coherent, logical argument.
“We have adequate infrastructure for bicycles in Europe, named cycle lanes,” Pinkman suggested this morning. “Maybe it’s the road infrastructure that’s the problem. What do you want them to do? They are outside doing sports.”
“Just travel at least half the speed limit, that’s all,” Scott replied, again demonstrating his clear lack of cycling knowledge. “And you’re right, they’re not breaking any laws.”
“God forbid you have to wait for 30 seconds until it’s safe to pass,” added Dave.
“They are allowed to use the road you petulant dipshit,” said Maddox. “You know what isn’t allowed? Using your cell phone while driving. Maybe put the phone away and pass them like you would any other car, dumbass.”
But when another user told Scott to “put the phone away while driving”, he claimed that he wasn’t holding the phone and – once again, bizarrely – replied: “Could you not see the speedometer, friend? My vehicle was travelling 10mph because of the Tour de Suburbia holding up traffic.”
“Good job on using your platform to encourage aggressive driving around cyclists, Randy. Stupid post,” concluded Ron.
Meanwhile, others were also dismayed at the notion of a sports broadcaster taking to Twitter to disparage people taking part in a sport.
“A sports broadcaster moans about people doing sport. You couldn’t make it up,” wrote the Yeah But Cyclist account.
“Sports broadcasters aren’t keen on increasing participation, only perpetuating the same tired discussions for sofa fans,” agreed Dan.
I wonder whether he’ll keep up his belligerent stance on cycling during his Monday morning show if Matteo Jorgenson manages to win the Tour of Flanders this weekend?
Or maybe by “monsters” needing be stopped, he’s actually referring to Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar? It all makes sense now…
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If the police are overwhelmed with evidence showing dangerous driving, then that shows that the dangerous driving is endemic: the graveyards and hospitals are full of the victims. If it is endemic, then one of two things must be true, or both: the detection rate is not high enough, and/or the punishment is not sufficient to deter. So in this case, we have the victims providing the evidence, in most cases all the officers need to do is view that evidence. If the officers don't have time, then the process should be automated, possibly by AI. If the driver disputes it, then a real person could view it, but if they consider the driving to be dangerous, the driver should pay for the officer's time. Then we have the lack of punishment, or punishment which doesn't fit the crime, because it does not deter people from offending. The current system of points and fines is clearly not working, and something rather more effective has to be done, like confiscating the car for instance. ".......the Chief Inspector recommended that road users use a rear-facing camera and evidence their own speed at the time of the overtake." I fail to see what the speed of the vehicle being overtaken has to do with the overtaking vehicle passing too closely. Would it be ok if you were doing 5mph, or 25mph? Baffling.
In principal, driverless cars have the potential to be much safer than human drivers, by virtue of the fact that they should be intent on following the rules of the road, nor driving whilst drunk/drugged, never be tired, frustrated, irrational etc, etc. Another advantage is that mistakes can be corrected and rolled out across the entire fleet (try that with humans. Add to that the resulting reduction in car ownership, increased car sharing, and the sheer amount of street space given over to parked cars will plummet. The key factor, however, is how much of those principles the owning companies are prepared to commit to. (Altruism isn't their strong point)
I'm going to take a close look at some of the lights mentioned. For reference: I extensively used the following: - Nightrider lumina (don't recall the exact model): horrible temperature control and after 18 months it bricked up on me and they refused to honour the warranty, will never buy anything from them ever again; - Lezyne 1600 XXL, two issues, firstly the strap that attached it to the handlebar never kept in place really well over rough terrain. Secondly: a cop stopped me and although -to me riding the bike- it appeared well adjusted, he claimed I was blinding oncoming traffic. He actually held the bike so I could check for myself from inside his car and he was simply right: the light level on the ground was ok but indeed, I was blinding oncoming traffic. That's a hard no, it had to go even though he didn't fine me. I don't want to annoy/be a risk to other road users; - Then the Lupine: solid as a rock, mounted on a GoPro mount, USB-C charging, StVZO compliant...but alas not enough oomph considering terrain and desired speed; Thinking back, it somehow seems like a light I had on my bike back when I was riding long distance events (Audax, crazy distances but lower average speeds) might have been ideal, that was a Son Edelux and it ran on a Son hub dynamo. But I don't want to install a dynamo and again, lower speeds.
Well that all blew up quickly! A pause to savour: "cyclists have a dislike for linguistic accuracy and authentic meaning." Apparently it's something to do with the cyclic muscle movements - ah, no, that would affect runners and rowers also. Circular motion of the limbs?
@mattw Yeah, and Oxford Street will be full of unicorns and rainbows by then as well. 🤣
@stulemanski Actually I think they do, as long as there is good behaviour. Complete cycle bans are vanishingly rare in the Netherlands, which is the best comparison. In 10-20 years time there will be a mobility track, and there will be no real problems.
@Rendel Harris That assumes training, expertise, and the time to do a proper job including full consultation. This does not happen, and then rapid assumptions are made based on "me". That also happens with cycling groups who campaign for something and completely ignore eg tricycles or other varieties of vehicle, in favour of standard cycles. Both lived experience and professional experience are essential. This week I have been looking at a brand new £50k 3m-wide path upgrade in my local Green Flag Park, where the Council have spent perhaps £3k installing a 3 ply chicane with 1.5m gaps and 1.5m spacing between barriers at one end of it. The path also includes a 1-in-9 30m long hill. I have since been talking to a lady who is a wheelchair user and has a fully-trained assistance dog which walks alongside, who is thereby prevented from entering the park she pays for with her Council Tax. Those dimensions are unusable for most small mobility scooters, never mind other mobility aid users, and are flat out unlawful, and not in accordance with several sets of Government Guidelines. Yet when I complain I expect to be stonewalled to the door of the Court in the hope that I will get exhausted and go away. At the door of the Court they usually capitulate, and will have spent 7-10k on legal letters and compensation and doing what they should have done at the start. That £3k could have been spent sorting out perhaps 10 other anti-disabled barriers around our Green Flag Parks. Every complaint so far I have made has been met with "Does Not Meet Threshold for Action".
@flowboy I'm not sure what your point is, FB. Unforfunately, in a world of insufficient resources and gutted Councils with no expertise (for example the near-vanishing of Accessibility Officers) due mainly to available resources being halved since 2010, the only things that will get a response are likely to be details supported by a credible threat of legal action. That's how it is. Even then they often rely on obfuscation via complaints procedures that can take 12 months and have no teeth.
@flowboy I'm not sure what your point is, FB. Unforfunately, in a world of insufficient resources and gutted Councils with no expertise (for example the near-vanishing of Accessibility Officers) due mainly to available resources being halved since 2010, the only things that will get a response are likely to be details supported by a credible threat of legal action. That's how it is. Even then they often rely on obfuscation via complaints procedures that can take 12 months and have no teeth.
@Rendel Harris I have recently come out. I have been called a lot worse. Sticks and stones. So are you saying I cannot call people like myself names? If a call myself and people like me, a ‘homophobic slur’ are you going to get the nasty words police on to me? If you are straight, then your opinions and fake anger mean nothing. Unless you are gay, you are clueless. So stop getting all worked up about a name. I can cope with it. If you can’t, it’s on you.
8 thoughts on ““Sports broadcaster moans about people doing sport. You couldn’t make it up”: ESPN presenter slammed for filming group of cyclists while driving and claiming “these monsters must be stopped”; Eddy Merckx jersey sold for £16,000 + more on the live blog”
Road.cc constantly trying to
Road.cc constantly trying to outrage us with a horrible thing someone said about cyclists is just exhausting.
It’s lowest-quality clickbait crap.
Seems like a marketing
Seems like a marketing opportunity for Gary Lineker on his Twitter account…
can Thibault Pinot lend out
can Thibault Pinot lend out his goats?
Randy Scott wrote:
Schrödinger’s Epiphany: he gets it without getting it.
At least they’re not made of concrete, eh, Randy. Then you’d be in trouble!
(Do you know Mike Graham, btw?)
The original estimate on the
The original estimate on the Merckx jersey seemed very low to me (I would have been tempted at just over £800).
Re the ESPN Chappy.
Re the ESPN Chappy.
His response to cyclists isn’t surprising.
Sports broadcasters do not want the public to take part in sport. They want them to sit on their backsides watching sport on TV, while consuming sponsors junk food products and sugared drinks.
Quote:
And I liked endura too. Got a
And I liked endura too. Got a nice long sleeve mostly merino long sleeve a little while back, in orange.