Wout van Aert crashes out of snowy cyclocross battle with Mathieu van der Poel; “Why would ewe do that?”: Video of cyclist riding into a flock of sheep goes viral; Improving cycling safety “no longer optional”; Blessing of e-bikes + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"Sheep: 1, Cyclist: 0"
Pro tip: DON’T RIDE INTO A FLOCK OF SHEEP. They were telling you to stop. pic.twitter.com/fgLN9YDgeM
— MERICA MEMED (@Mericamemed) December 31, 2025
The clip of the cyclist is doing the rounds on X. Whilst we aren’t sure it is new, we can’t recall seeing before, and it’s certainly getting plenty of attention.
It shows an off-road cyclist charging into a flock of sheep, despite several sheep dogs barking at her to stop.
Unsurprisingly, the clip attracted the usual wave of anti-cyclist commentary. This can neatly summed up by The Scope De-Fi’s response: “Why would you do that?”
Doran added “Sheep:1, Cyclist 0 nature’s speed bump wins again.”
However, many of the commenters also point out how they would feel in the situation. Benny Goodman commented “You’re being very unfair on the cyclist – how is she supposed to know the dogs are warning her and not attacking her.
“Several giant dogs start facing you and barking like that, it’s natural instinct to get away from them.”
Danger Noodle Snekly added, “honestly, I know nothing about sheep and sheepdogs, so if I were riding through and the dogs started barking at me like that, I likely would have continued on fast as hell and assumed the dogs were dangerous”.
British cycling is on the cusp of a new golden era in 2026… But will anyone in the UK care?
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> British cycling is on the cusp of a new golden era in 2026… But will anyone in the UK care?
Council amends bye-law banning cycling at memorial gates to encourage active travel
Gnoll park gates (Credit: Ffion Jones)
A bye-law that previously prohibited cycling through Neath’s memorial gates at Gnoll Country Park Estate has been amended by the council to allow plans for a new active travel route to progress.
Neath Port Talbot Council has agreed that amending the bye-law will help deliver a new active travel route linking Neath town centre with Cimla.
The scheme was first approved by council leaders in 2023, and a 12-week public consultation was held on changing the bye-law.
Some respondents raised concerns about pedestrian safety and the possibility of an additional tarmac cycle path being constructed. However, a council report confirmed that this option is no longer being considered.
Councillors were told that existing routes along the B4287 Cimla Road and Afan Valley Road were unsuitable and unsafe due to high traffic volumes and vehicle speeds.
An alternative route along Cimla Road was also considered, but was later ruled out after being deemed “far too steep”, WalesOnline reports.
A decision published on the council’s website confirmed approval to “overrule the objections in full and amend the bye-law that presently prohibits cycling at the Neath memorial gates and within the Gnoll Estate between the memorial gates and Cimla Common”.
The bye-law, originally introduced in 1975, covers not only the Gnoll Estate but also parts of Neath town centre.
Blessing of the E-bikes
Reddit user neggleston has spotted a collection of e-bikes neatly lined up in the forecourt of St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.
As SteveJohnson2010 quipped, “Is this a new ritual — the Blessing of the E-Bikes?”
Others were more surprised to see the bikes parked so considerately. “They’re clearly placed in the wrong spot; they should be at the entrance of the church and strewn over the footpath so no one can use it. Their true parking home,” added thedingo32.
Despite the amusing image of e-bikes going to church, the more mundane explanation appears to be crowd control. The bikes appear to have been moved as a precaution to prevent use during New Year celebrations.
“No share bikes allowed in the ‘core closure area’ from midnight tonight (Dec 30) to 4am Jan 1,” explained R_W0bz.
Dirk De Wolf requires knee surgery after heavy fall on final day of the year
Dirk De Wolf (Credit: Maurice Terryn, collectie KOERS. Museum van de Wielersport)
Belgian legend Dirk De Wolf suffered a heavy fall on the final day of the year in Tenerife.
Ruben Van Gucht announced this during the Sven Nys Grand Prix in Baal. He said: “While we’re working on our New Year’s greetings, we also extend our best wishes to Dirk De Wolf. Unfortunately, the year ended on a sad note for him.”
He is reported to have suffered a broken knee, and is due to have surgery today.
Although he retired three decades ago, the 1992 Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner still maintains a great fitness level and typically spends the first few months of the year cycling in Tenerife.
“Hopefully, we can help clear our minds a bit with a pleasant afternoon of cross-country racing,” Van Gucht added.
Improving cycling safety “no longer optional” as Southwark’s population rapidly grows
London Bridge (Credit: Simon MacMichael)
Southwark Council’s cycling lead has said that improving cycling safety is no longer optional but essential, as the borough’s population is forecast to rise by more than 50,000 people over the coming years.
Around 60% of current residents do not own a car, and most new developments are set to be car-free, increasing pressure on walking, cycling and public transport.
“There is a limited amount of space on our roads,” said Cllr James McAsh, Southwark’s Cabinet Member for Clean Air, Streets and Waste. “Unless we intervene, that space will simply be taken up by private cars.”
Councillor Peter John, leader of Southwark Council, Tessa Jowell MP, and Tony Doyle MBE
Cycling in the borough has more than doubled over the past decade, rising from one per cent of trips in 2008–11 to five per cent in 2022–24. However, Southwark has also recorded the highest number of cyclist casualties in the capital, with 411 cyclists injured in 2024.
These casualties are especially concentrated in the north of the borough, particularly between London Bridge and Elephant and Castle.
McAsh told the Southwark News that measures such as modal filters, low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and carefully designed one-way streets are intended to prevent drivers from using residential roads as shortcuts, while still allowing access for residents, emergency services and deliveries.
“Increasingly, people rely on satnavs, which push drivers down streets that were never designed for through-traffic,” he said. “We want longer, strategic journeys to stay on main roads, and neighbourhood streets to feel safe for walking and cycling.”
“On neighbourhood streets, car journeys should mostly be to or from that neighbourhood,” McAsh added. “By removing unnecessary through-traffic, we make streets safer for cycling and walking — and we also make it easier for people who genuinely need to drive to get where they’re going.”
While much of the council’s work has been welcomed, some schemes have faced criticism from local residents. A new cycle lane on Lower Road, for example, has prompted complaints that it has worsened congestion.
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Cyclehoop – Southwark (Credit: Antony Lau)
However, McAsh said the congestion could not be blamed solely on the cycle lane. “This is a perfect storm. The cycle lane is the most visible change, but it is far from the only one,” he said.
“If you widen a road, you don’t necessarily fix congestion — you often just attract more vehicles,” he added, pointing to predictions that traffic at the Dartford Crossing could return to current levels within five years of the Lower Thames Crossing opening.
“The opposite is true when we create better conditions for walking and cycling. They move far more people, far more efficiently, using much less space.”
Hundreds of bikes saved from scrap to be refurbished for young people
Bessemer Primary School Street (Credit: Alice Bing)
Hundreds of bikes destined for scrap at Glasgow’s waste centres are being saved to help young people get into cycling.
Over 200 bikes have already been repaired and distributed to people through a network of support, which includes schools, doctors’ surgeries, social work, housing associations, and other charities.
It is tied in with community charity St Paul’s Youth Forum, and discarded bikes with potential for further use can be sent to refurbishment by HMP Barlinnie Bike Works.
There are currently 150 young people on a waiting list, and the council’s waste management team is aiming to provide the charity with 500 bikes before March 2026.
Councillor Laura Doherty, City Convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, said: “This is a great scheme that’s a win-win for the environment. We want to reduce the waste the city produces but also encourage active travel, and this remarkable scheme manages to do both.
“Most of the bikes we receive at our waste centres can be salvaged and brought back to life for further use.
“The staff and prisoners in HMP Barlinnie’s repair shop deserve great credit for the skill they show in making discarded bikes fit for purpose once more. This is a great example of what can be done when you seek to reuse materials rather than throw them away.
“But ultimately, the scheme is about supporting young people to get on a bike and follow a more active, sustainable lifestyle. St Paul’s Youth Forum has done a fantastic job on this scheme.
“Anyone leaving a bike at one of our waste centres should know there’s a good chance it will go to a great cause.”
Previously, bikes left at waste centres would go to metal recycling. Now, they are able to use these discarded bikes to help those in need.
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Kids riding to school (Credit: EdinburghCycleChic)
“People look at an old bike and maybe can’t see any value in it, but by the time it goes through our whole system, and it’s given out and the difference it makes to the end user, it’s great,” said Ricky Baxter, Cycle Hub Coordinator at SPYF.
“When you’re dealing with families who don’t have a lot of money, or people who’ve got no bike, or a school with no bikes, and being able to give them that bike for free and just see the happiness: it’s tremendous.
“You can buy a second-hand bike for £100, but in a lot of communities, £100 is a lot of money that’s maybe need for feeding the family that week. By trying to keep it for free, it’s encouraging active travel and so it’s a win-win for us.
“Staff at the waste centres have been absolutely fantastic. We did some training with the staff so we could triage the quality of the bikes, and they are pretty good at sorting them out.
“There’s not a lot of times we say: ‘we’re not taking that’, because they’ve already done the work for us.”
The pilot programme is backed by the Scottish Government’s People and Place Fund, with support from SPT. Cycling Scotland will work on the project and monitor its progress to assess whether it could be rolled out in other areas.
A change in the live blog hot seat + could a bike fit make you faster this year?
Dan here, jumping in for Megan this afternoon. Don’t worry I haven’t just rolled out bed, here’s what I was up to this morning…
New year, new Remco
This one will take a while to get used to. Same goes for Alpecin-Premier Tech and Lotto Intermarché…
Daily Mail meltdown over 'speeding cyclists'
Some poor soul was sent to Tooting Common, speedometer in hand, because presumably the Daily Mail team hadn’t hit their ‘speeding cyclist’ quota for 2025. The result?
The intro to the piece states: “The Daily Mail has found that scores of cyclists are flagrantly ignoring 12mph speed limits in a popular London park – some breaking the limit by up to 7mph.”
The reporter says they were at the park for two hours (no word on how much of that time was spent questioning their life choices) with “more than 20 cyclists” caught riding faster than 12mph. The rest of the piece is quotes from locals, including one who claimed: “Cyclists turn into lunatics when they come into this place”.
It all follows the story from the start of December, Wandsworth Council deploying a speed gun of its own and dishing out £50 fines to cyclists riding faster than 12mph.
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado conquers wintery conditions at Zilvermeercross
Winning in the snow! ❄️?
Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado takes her first win of the season in Mol ? pic.twitter.com/9D4qtbokML
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) January 2, 2026
Sports director confirms Van Aert "has a lot of pain in his ankle"
I guess we should be grateful it’s not that knee that has caused him so many issues before, but Wout van Aert has been taken to hospital for doctors to look at his injured ankle, Visma-Lease a Bike team director Jan Boven telling Het Laatste Nieuws “he has a lot of pain”.
When you watch the crash footage back you can see the Belgian roll his ankle as he falls. “Wout couldn’t exert any more power and stopped at the checkpoint,” Boven explained. “He couldn’t finish the race. He’s in a lot of pain in his ankle, but we need to have further tests done before drawing any conclusions. His ankle is also still very swollen, so we’ll have to wait and see what we can test at this stage.”
Boven did say Van Aert has “some abrasions on his knee”, but the ankle injury is the main concern, his planned appearance at Zonhoven on Sunday naturally now up in the air.
Number of cyclists killed on Irish roads doubles in three years, as safety group calls for "sustained political commitment" to protect vulnerable road users
Wout van Aert crashes out of snowy cyclocross battle with Mathieu van der Poel
It was all going so well:
We have a battle ?
Mathieu van der Poel ? Wout van Aert pic.twitter.com/V3S64W9a8f
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) January 2, 2026
Another day, another Mathieu van der Poel vs Wout van Aert battle scuppered by misfortune. The other day it was an untimely puncture for the Belgian, today it was something worse. In freezing, snowy conditions at the Zilvermeercross, Van der Poel had already hit the deck himself, the world champion regularly blowing hot air onto his hands to try to get some feeling back.
Wout van Aert down! ?
He goes down and is struggling to get going again ? pic.twitter.com/7zBfM0wcXQ
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) January 2, 2026
However, when the race-defining incident came it was Van Aert, not he, who suffered the heavy fall. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider abandoned, unable to finish, and everyone will be hoping any injury isn’t too serious. Here was the moment he called it a day, clearly in a fair bit of pain.
Wout van Aert’s race ends prematurely in Mol ❌ pic.twitter.com/2ZO1alGn0U
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) January 2, 2026
Van der Poel was left to shiver his way through the final few laps and take yet another victory, this his eighth consecutive win this winter. Let’s keep those fingers crossed Van Aert’s DNF is nothing serious and we get more ‘cross battles between the two before things return to the road.
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Latest Comments
@mdavidford disc brakes and helmets too provocative, mayhaps.
(except we could only think of 8, so 3 of them are variations of 'different sized wheels'.)
I don’t think I’ll ever I understand dropper posts, even on the most brutal downhill you’re standing and the saddle is kind of useful for stability around knee height. My mate says it stops you getting whacked in the cobblers but I’ve never had that happen. I know people swear by them but I almost never use mine…
@Rendel Harris that's interesting because the article could simply say "from £45" to indicate that the shoe might not be available in your size or colour at that price. The review itself is very specific about the pricing, so it is not difficult to do.
@Freddy56 Yep, Or rather she was told she can step down and say what she likes (which was nonsense then and even more nonsense now) or she will be fired, which would be way more harmful to her career.
@Nigel Garage Oh yes, the defence of the country and adequate provision for the disabled are very much an either/or, we can't possibly have both. Hang on, what if we set about closing all the tax loopholes and avoidance schemes advised by greedy Essex accountants, then there might be enough to go round.
@Rendel Harris tut tut, you obviously haven't taken your DEI course yet. You can't say "the disabled" in this day and age because it objectifies them. You're turning an adjective into a noun, very poor form by someone who self-certifies as an expert in the English language. "Disabled people" is the non-discriminatory way to describe those with disabilities. Putting aside your ridiculous and cliched comparison of my vision of an equal society with National Socialism, the last thing I'm going to say on the topic is that society has infinite number of wants on a finite number of resources. Clearly you think doling out free cycling gear to people is more important than spending those same precious resources on treating people in the NHS, educating our children, or defending our country. Well, more power to you, but I'm certain the overwhelming majority of people think otherwise.
@chrisonabike Yes, of course in any march of 250,000 plus people you're going to get some nasty bits of work and idiots. The police have arrested some of these and from what I hear (friends have gone on the marches, I haven't) they are reasonably assiduous in doing so within the obvious limits of trying to identify and then isolate and arrest a person responsible for shouting stupid things in a massive crowd. However, and I'm happy to stand corrected if they should wish to make their position more clear, I assume from the tone of open_roads' remarks and his description of the marches as antisemitic that they regard any march protesting the behaviour of the Israeli government with regard to the slaughter in Gaza as being antisemitic. In any case, the point I was making still stands, as backed up by those arrest figures I quoted, which is that it is not accurate to say that the Met have a "not a priority" attitude to these marches, quite the opposite.
@Ramz Not in the slightest, because the supposed wrong price isn't part of the review, so no misleading or inaccuracy there, and the shoes are available, albeit only in one colour, for £45 as stated.
@Rendel Harris Are you agreeing that the review was misleading and inaccurate?
29 thoughts on “Wout van Aert crashes out of snowy cyclocross battle with Mathieu van der Poel; “Why would ewe do that?”: Video of cyclist riding into a flock of sheep goes viral; Improving cycling safety “no longer optional”; Blessing of e-bikes + more on the live blog”
Is “… cyclist riding into a
Is “… cyclist riding into a flock of sheep…” the correct wording?
To me, this makes it sound like contact was made.
But the clips shows the cyclist managed to slow to a stop without contact.
Maybe “… cyclist riding upto a flock of sheep…” ?
But this isn’t as interesting.
Maybe “… mountain biker suddenly comes upon a flock of sheep…”.
Surely you see the sheep
Surely you see the sheep before the dogs or at the same time, and the fact that the dogs are with sheep suggests they’re working dogs and very unlikely to be dangerous. Most people just wait and see that the sheep are making progress and will be gone soon.
Take it from someone that’s
Take it from someone that’s been bitten by a dog (“he’s only saying hello”) having stopped partly out of courtesy because of said dog & its owner being on the trail, & partly due to upcoming obstacle (downed tree,) your state of mind when confronted by a dog barking aggressively at you is generally less concerned with whether the dog has a job & more with assessing fight/flight responses.
Just because they are working
Just because they are working dogs doesn’t mean they won’t attack you, sheepdogs are trained for herding sheep not docility.
That looks like a Patou or
That looks like a Patou or Pyrenean Mountain Dog.
They aggressively defend their flock against wolves, but they will attack people too.
They absolutely are dangerous.
Baaaa humbug
Baaaa humbug
Perhaps “mtb’er tries to ride
Perhaps “mtb’er tries to ride through flock of sheep before being forced to stop by, er, sheep.”
It was fairly ignorant, because if the dogs were there the shepherd was nearby and at the very least one should stop and figure out what they expect of you.
Anonymousattorney wrote:
Sometimes livestock guardian dogs (LGDs) are allowed to herd sheep without the shepherd being present.
In the more remote parts of the French alps e.g. Ubaye valley and especially in the national parks I’ve occasionally come across signs explaining about LGDs and what to do when you come across them*. I’ve never come across such a large flock of sheep and so many dogs like in the video however.
* more info here and specific guidance for MTBers (VTTistes) here.
I hope he didn’t. That would
I hope he didn’t. That would just be wrong.
How about…
How about…
“… mountain biker suddenly encounters flock of sheep…” ?
The Southwark story is good
The Southwark story is good news. I love it when Councillors understand the need for an alternative to a ‘cars, cars, cars’ strategy.
Unfortunately, not enough councils outside London understand the need for change.
Agree – in fact things like
Agree – in fact things like “most new developments are set to be car-free” * and statements like “There is a limited amount of space on our roads. Unless we intervene, that space will simply be taken up by private cars” …
… are almost unbelievable to hear in the UK!
We do sometimes hear them now but often they can’t be believed because they are not accompanied by the necessary changes so that people feel that choosing not to drive is viable. (Likely most councillors either don’t see a problem or can’t see a politically viable route to a different status quo. )
* We should always ask what this means in practice? Is it just “flats and we’re not building a car park”? That would be a recipe for short-term woe as people fight it out for less suitable parking spaces eg. on side streets.
It sounds like here there is both consideration of public transport needs, and a plan for connection to a *network* of cycle routes. (Hopefully there’s built-in suitable cycle storage also).
People want efficient *private* local transport – after all they’re still driving all those trips under 3 miles…
While I agree, the
While I agree, the politicians also know they’re on safe ground with voters as 6 out of 10 people in Southwark don’t drive.
But… that is the case in
But… that is the case in many urban areas, yet the minority who own a vehicle / the through-drivers often seem to carry more weight…
Don’t drive at all? Or can’t
Don’t drive at all? Or can’t afford a car or can’t park their cars due to the lack of free parking lots?
Good job the sheepdogs barked
Good job the sheepdogs barked at her to stop.
If they had barked at her to dig in and push on, there could have been a nasty crash.
Might want to choose slightly
Might want to choose slightly more relevant photographs to illustrate news items: Tessa Jowell (who was my local MP and a very good one too) very sadly died in 2018 and they appear to be promoting London 2012. Tony Doyle has also, sadly, been dead nearly three years. Furthermore Peter John, tagged in the caption as leader of Southwark council, stepped down from that post in 2020 and is now a life peer.
I think the cyclist behaviour
I think the cyclist behaviour was wrong. I’ve come across many flocks on the road in the UK, and you just have to stop and wait for them to go where they’re told by the shepherds.
Hmm – perhaps they thought
Hmm – perhaps they thought they had to ride past the first dogs for safety but once they saw the sheep they should have stopped. Perhaps “poor choice under pressure” rather than “out of my way, I don’t care”?
I’d hope people would have some idea of conditions they will encounter outside of their normal environs (assuming this is the case here). But in practice plenty of people who “love the outdoors” can be pretty ignorant outside of their narrow interest (I’ve been one…)
Can’t go far wrong with “other people exist who also want to do their thing, so don’t be a dick”.
The first thing you spot in
The first thing you spot in the video are the sheep, then the dogs.
The idiot on the bike first rides around the dogs, knowing the sheep are there, and then tries to force their way through the sheep.
“Poor choice under pressure” is generous in the extreme.
Generous maybe, I wouldn’t
Generous maybe, I wouldn’t say extreme. For one we weren’t there or that person. I note at least one person here has indicated a strong reaction to dogs. I think that’s not uncommon.
Even if they did see the sheep (we have the luxury of viewing this while not actually doing a descent) the sudden appearance of large noisy dogs might be the much more salient thing and override any mental processing about those sheep.
Anyway, we clearly both think that it’s not OK to barge through livestock and ideally *we* would have worked out a better response sooner.
“EastEnders actor ‘grateful’
“EastEnders actor ‘grateful’ to avoid driving ban for speeding“
“exceptional hardship” needs to be scrapped.
“The actor already had nine points for speeding in April 2023, running a red light in February 2025, and driving without due care and attention in April 2025.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0k34yy454o
Read that yesterday, crying
Read that yesterday, crying his eyes out in court about how he has to look after his wife and daughter and drive to the Eastenders set because the BBC doesn’t provide cars (the horror! Eastenders is filmed at BBC Elstree which is less than half a mile from Elstree and Borehamwood train station which has trains and tubes into central London) but he didn’t think of that or them after his first speeding conviction, his RLJ conviction or his careless driving conviction. No “temporary lapse” but a confirmed pattern of bad driving which is exactly what the totting up procedure is for. He also, in other reports, gave the court a sob story about how tight money is for him (hence presumably can’t afford a driver if banned) as he’d missed out on big parts due to having to stay near home for his wife and daughter. He gets £15,000 a month for Eastenders.
Should this be “actor fêted
Should this be “actor fêted for role as repentant version of himself in court melodrama”?
(Also available on “Drivers and their problems” with much else…)
A dangerous driver but a
A dangerous driver but a talented actor.
“Nine out of 10 London car
“Nine out of 10 London car thefts are unsolved“
At least we now know that we may not be being discriminated against.
How does this compare to the figures for bike theft?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd9z3zvej4do
The off-road cyclist made the
The off-road cyclist made the conscious decision to maintain high speed while driving into the direction of a large and moving obstacle. That’s stupidity on two wheels in the woods. Dogsheeps don’t attack humans. They protect their flocks against hazards, usually predators like wolves.
Re- the London Borough of
Re- the London Borough of Southwark story…Tony Doyle MBE died in April 2023, so the photo is, er, somewhat out of date?
Sheepdog thing. Looks
Sheepdog thing. Looks terrible? I live in the Welsh countryside, two of my friends are sheep farmers, and I have been a dog owner (not a sheepdog, and not anymore?). I ride 1000’s miles a year around my lovely countryside, and nine times out of ten, if a loose dog is going to scare or outright attack you on a bike. It’s a sheepdog.
We don’t know what was in the mind of the rider, but they might have feared a sheep collision less than the sheepdog or dogs nipping and bighting legs. When trained, excellent at herding sheep, but not pets, and more,often than not, ill tempered and unpredictable.
Of course, maybe the rider was just a dipstick