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Jeremy Vine defends new cycle lane after "car park" accusations; Flat bar Cannondale SystemSix mash-up; Ganna's super bling Bolide unveiled; Rochelle Gilmore is selling her yacht; Simmons 'wasn't suspended for political views' + more on the live blog

Welcome to Friday's live blog, with Jack Sexty in charge throughout the day plus the odd contribution from the rest of the team...
Fri, Oct 02, 2020 09:51
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Jeremy Vine defends new cycle lane after "car park" accusations; Flat bar Cannondale SystemSix mash-up; Ganna's super bling Bolide unveiled; Rochelle Gilmore is selling her yacht; Simmons 'wasn't suspended for political views' + more on the live blogjeremy vine on penny farthing may 2020 - via twitter.PNG
02 October 2020, 14:58
New York: Shocking video shows driver spitting at cyclist in cycle lane after 'nearly hitting her'

The vile footage was captured by cyclist Kara McCurdy, who said she was riding on a new bike lane in Queens on Wednesday when she was nearly hit by the driver of a white BMW. That allege incident or any other exchanges were not filmed, but the footage shows the driver spitting in the direction of McCurdy as he pulls away. 

She told NBC News: "I'm standing on my new nice green bike path and this guy just tried to hit me. 

"Because this is like in a middle of a pandemic, it's always disgusting to be spat on, but then you have to think about the health and safety side of it.

"Great, now I'm home and I can't bring my bike inside. I have to wipe it down and clean it. The minute I get inside, I have to take a shower."

02 October 2020, 14:24
So wrong, yet so right: artist behind Cannondale's Palace colab bikes gives SystemSix the flat bar treatment
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

U WOT M8? @ridecannondale

A post shared by Bobby (@doktorbobby) on

Is this the coolest, yet most useless bike ever? EF Pro Cycling's collaboration with Palace Skateboards just keeps giving and giving, and now the Bristol-based artist who painted the frame Doktor Bobby has added some flat bars to a SystemSix aero road bike just to mash with your mind a bit more. How about adding some panniers with ducks painted on them?

02 October 2020, 14:49
Birmingham appoints its first bicycle mayor

Chris Coyle says his main objectives are to "improve health and wellbeing through cycling, "deliver many cycling-based community projects" and "help to improve cycling infrastructure and make cycling the safest and most enjoyable transport option". He has been welcomed into the role by Coventry's bicycle mayor Adam Tranter among others. 

02 October 2020, 13:31
"London’s roads need to be MUCH safer to get people onto bikes": Jeremy Vine responds to criticism of new London cycle lanes

After his namesake of no relation Sarah Vine claimed earlier that a new cycle lane on Kensington High Street was increasing car journey times, the presenter has posted a video of him excitedly trying out one of the new lanes in Kensington and Chelsea, which he has previously described as "one of the most anti-cycling boroughs in London". 

Perhaps expecting a backlash from some followers, Vine answered a few of them by commenting: 

"Those who say “they spend all this money and cyclists don't use them” —

1. London’s roads need to be MUCH safer to get people onto bikes
2. There may need five times more infrastructure to reach that tipping point. 
3. Photographing an empty cycle lane while you sit in a traffic jam just makes you look silly — and it's illegal
4. Those of us who cycle want it to be as safe for us as for those who drive 4x4s. It's not much to ask."

Meanwhile, Sarah Vine has since accused Sadiq Khan and Transport for London of turning the capital "into a giant car park", to which we'll repeat that the government have issued its own statutory guidance on reallocating road space in response to COVID-19. In June, we also reported that £22 million of funding for emergency cycling and walking schemes to be allocated by TfL was paid for by central Government. 

02 October 2020, 13:05
Rochelle's yacht: former pro and team manager says she is selling the boat "to support women's cycling"
Rochelle Gilmore roller trick

Ms Gilmore says her intentions have been misjudged in our earlier mention of her boat sale, and that all funds would go towards women's cycling if a new buyer is found. 

She told road.cc: "I am trying to raise funds for women’s cycling & cyclists in need during a tough period - for many in our sport. Any profit potentially gained from selling the Atomic boat would go towards supporting women’s cycling/cyclists.

"Only the closest people to me would know that there is nothing I wouldn’t give or do to support women’s cycling. Supporting women’s cycling is my deepest passion in life."

02 October 2020, 09:24
Columnist Sarah Vine complains that five minute car journeys now take half an hour because of Kensington High Street cycle lane

The new experimental cycle lane that Vine is referring to is in its first phase of completion, with a number of wands erected to segregate cyclists from motor traffic on the notoriously busy road in central London. As you can see above, her namesake of no relation Jeremy Vine had plenty to say about the safety of the road before the cycle lane was installed.

Vine says "thanks for nothing @SadiqKhan", suggesting London's mayor is to blame for increasing congestion; however it should be noted that Vine's husband is Michael Gove MP, whose government specifically called for local councils to create safer walking and cycling routes in response to the pandemic. The Kensington High Street cycle lane was installed after an agreement between the council and Transport for London.

Councillor Johnny Thalassites, the Conservative Lead member for Transport at Kensington and Chelsea council, said of the new cycle route: “More people are choosing active travel to get around after the coronavirus pandemic and this experimental route will give residents, commuters and visitors another option for travelling safely through Kensington and Chelsea.

“It’s been fantastic to see how the local economy has adapted to welcome customers back safely. Kensington High Street is home to great parks, museums, shops, bars and restaurants and I hope this new cycle route encourages more people to stop off and enjoy the borough.”

02 October 2020, 14:15
02 October 2020, 11:24
"Top Ganna": Filippo Ganna's world champion edition Pinarello Bolide has bucketloads of bling

In the battle of the OTT world champ edition bikes, for us Ineos and Pinarello have certainly topped Quick-Step and Specialized with this iridescent gold Bolide TT machine. 

2020 ineos grenadiers pinarello bolide - filippo ganna world champs edition.PNG

We were a bit confused by the 'Top Ganna' comment on the top tube, but just underneath the stem it becomes clear that it's a play on the title of that film starring that Tom Cruise bloke. Aesthetically divisive kit and equipment seem to be all the rage at the moment, and like EF Pro Cycling's new kit Ganna's bike is getting some very mixed feedback... 

02 October 2020, 10:57
Adam Hansen to quit pro cycling and focus on triathlon after Giro d'Italia
Adam Hansen, Lotto Soudal (Zac Williams:SWpix.com)

Speaking on the Cyclingnews Podcast, the 39-year-old Lotto Soudal rider says he will switch to Ironman triathlons after the Giro: "I’m going to change sports", said Hansen. 

"I did one last year and I’ve always wanted to go into Ironman after cycling, so it’s always something that I wanted to do but I’ve enjoyed cycling so much that I kept continuing but as I’m getting older I know that I’m running out of years.

"I did Ironman Florida last year for the experience and I really enjoyed it. I was considering making the switch this year but I did another year (of road racing) but this was always in the works and around March I made the final decision.”

Hansen's Ironman debut in Florida was an impressive one despite little specific training, as he finished eighth place in the 35-39 age group in a time of 9:05:54. The Australian is also an engineer, so competed using a crazy bar set-up he made four days before the race, and a pair of his own Hanseeno brand one-piece carbon shoes. 

adam hansen ridley tt bike with handmade bars - via adam hansen on twitter
02 October 2020, 10:15
Rochelle Gilmore is selling her £100,000 yacht due to #ToughTimes

We're not sure if the former Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling manager is being a bit tongue-in-cheek here or not, but in any case her racing yacht, named 'ATOMIC', is available for a less hard-up boating fan for 190,000 Aus dollars (about £105,000). 

Anyone else being forced to part with their yacht because of financial strife? Sending you our thoughts and prayers... 

02 October 2020, 11:52
02 October 2020, 09:52
"But what about when it rains?" Rain jacket.

Cycle Islington are here to remind us fair weather cyclists that we're not made of sugar.

02 October 2020, 09:15
Fabio Jakobsen gives update on his condition two months after horror crash, revealing that his jaw will have to be rebuilt
fabio-jakobsen-deceuninck-quick-step 2.PNG

The Dutchman was in a coma immediately after the crash at the Tour of Poland, and has been left with a long list of injuries that will still require further operations and a lot of recovery time. 

He said: "The past 2 months have been dominated by my recovery after my crash in the Tour of Poland. First of all, I had to recover from my brain contusion and other bruises/injuries for a long time. The wounds/scars on my face are healing up well.

"I would like to thank all the staff of the LUMC and in particular Dr. H. Locher and M. Hendriksma for the good care these past months. On October 8, I will undergo a second surgery to reconstruct my face/mouth. The surgery takes place at Radboud UMC Nijmegen and I am in the hands of Prof. Dr. S. Bergé and Prof. Dr. G. Meijer.

"The surgery involves placing bone, taken from my pelvic crest, in my upper and lower jaw, because a lot of bone is missing there. This bone will have to heal for several months. After that, another surgery will take place to put implants in my jaw so that I can get new teeth, as I lost them during my crash."

02 October 2020, 08:41
Trek-Segafredo clarify that Quinn Simmonds was not suspended for his 'political views'

Despite numerous mainstream media outlets suggesting the 19-year-old was suspended, or even fired for supporting Donald Trump, Trek-Segafredo have clarified that it was his use of an emoji with a waving brown hand when replying to journalist José Been on Twitter that led to the suspension. 

Simmons is yet to fully explain why he used the particular emoji, saying: "To those who found the colour of the emoji racist, I can promise that I did not mean for it to be interpreted in that way. I would like to apologize to everyone who found this offensive as I strongly stand against racism in any form." 

His manager Luca Guercilena says the team "remain committed to helping Quinn as much as we can" and want him to "use this opportunity to grow as a person", all but clarifying that Simmons won't lose his job over the incident. 

On social media, some people suggest that Simmons' apology still doesn't explain why he used that particular emoji, while others are still suggesting that Trek-Segafredo disciplined him because he expressed support for Donald Trump, even though this isn't the case. 

02 October 2020, 08:37
Julian Alaphilippe has a new paint job on his Specialized Tarmac SL7 to mark world champs win
2020 alaphillippe world champ edition specialized tarmac.PNG

The Frenchman will ride this special edition Tarmac - that looks like it's been "dipped in Fruit Pastilles" according to our own Liam Cahill - for the next twelve months to mark his victory at the world champs road race. 

Alaphilippe said: “I was already happy to be back again with my teammates and this great staff, but to have this bike waiting for me was a truly beautiful surprise. It’s a pleasure to receive this gem here at the hotel and know that it will be mine for a whole year, during which I intend to show it at the front of the races as much as possible. It’s really special, I love all those personal touches, and I want to thank Specialized for this, they did an amazing job." 

02 October 2020, 08:29
If you think that new EF Pro Cycling kit is crazy... check out the TT helmet

If you thought POC's Tempor Aero TT lid couldn't get any more 'different' looking... well the ones that will be used by EF Pro Cycling at the Giro will now have a duck on the back of them. It seems like even among those who think the new gear is terrible, EF Pro Cycling are to be commended for getting people talking about them and giving everyone a chuckle during tough times. Here's some of the best reactions on social media so far (and you can find the kit gallery here)... 

Jack Sexty

Jack has been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of the website including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named Editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master's degree in print journalism and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it's a long story). 

Add new comment

23 comments

Avatar
Rome73 | 4 years ago
5 likes

I know how Jeremy Vine feels cycling along Kensington Road. Wands recently appeared along busy routes I reguarly use in London. The feeling is incredible. After decades of riding these hostile roads to suddenly have 'protection' feels, just great. It's hard to put into words. It's like, at last, planners are thinking about our safety and our comfort after decades of asking for some sort of infrastructure. Big word up for Camden Council in London - they have done some amazing work with cycle infrastructure recently. 

Avatar
OldRidgeback | 4 years ago
7 likes

If cycle lanes upset Sarah Vine, they must be good.

Avatar
wtjs | 4 years ago
2 likes

Many will remember the threat by the haggard fashion 'columnist' to kill cyclists who get in her way- now there's more tripe from another female 'columnist'. It's safe to ignore these people, especially if they're paid by the hyper-junk press

Avatar
gazpacho | 4 years ago
0 likes

Eeeeuuuuwwww, Jamie Carragher's long lost American cousin?

Avatar
brooksby | 4 years ago
3 likes

Quote:

"Because this is like in a middle of a pandemic, it's always disgusting to be spat on, but then you have to think about the health and safety side of it.

This.

 

*And to placate our local trolls, I would completely agree that in the current situation it is just as disgusting to blow a snot-rocket when cycling.  As I've seen people still doing.

Avatar
Hirsute | 4 years ago
7 likes

If it takes 5 mins to drive it can't take much more than 10 to walk. Why drive?

Avatar
EddyBerckx replied to Hirsute | 4 years ago
6 likes

hirsute wrote:

If it takes 5 mins to drive it can't take much more than 10 to walk. Why drive?

Don't reply to the troll. I'm in a high risk group too and honestly, walking is not only fine it is recommended (you can always wear a mask if you're that scared)

Avatar
Hirsute replied to EddyBerckx | 4 years ago
3 likes

Indeed, fitness is one thing that helps if you succumb.
Ublock Origin removes pesky troll comments.

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism | 4 years ago
5 likes

Re: New York Incident

Driving in a cycling lane, on a mobile phone. I wonder if spitting at someone is seen as a crime in the current situation as well. 

So expect a crackdown on cyclists in that area very shortly. 

Avatar
Hirsute | 4 years ago
0 likes

Gob on you, cos I hate your guts
Gob on you, kick you in the nuts
Gob on you, you're a stupid old git
Gob on you, cos you're full of shit
Gob gob, gob, gob
Hate, hate, hate, hate

Avatar
eburtthebike | 4 years ago
4 likes

Just how does cyclist Sarah Vine, who rides the route every day, know that car journeys are now 30m rather than 5?laugh

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism | 4 years ago
6 likes

Re Sarah Vine. 

If you click on the time lapse from This link, it seems to show that for the last two years at similar times of the day (not sure on days of week) the traffic on there fluctuated from stand still to empty. For some reason though the very last one which is today is a different camera so a true comparison can't be made for today. 

Avatar
quiff | 4 years ago
3 likes

In other news, looks like the new Canyon Aeroad is finally being launched next week, about 2 years after everyone got fed up of waiting for it

Avatar
Kendalred | 4 years ago
9 likes

"Anyone else being forced to part with their yacht because of financial strife? Sending you our thoughts and prayers... "

I once had to forego a yoghurt in order to buy own-brand pasta when I was an impoverished student back in the 90's - does this count?

Avatar
mdavidford replied to Kendalred | 4 years ago
3 likes

Kendalred wrote:

"Anyone else being forced to part with their yacht because of financial strife? Sending you our thoughts and prayers... "

I once had to forego a yoghurt in order to buy own-brand pasta when I was an impoverished student back in the 90's - does this count?

Well they both have similarly problematic spellings...

Avatar
Rome73 replied to Kendalred | 4 years ago
1 like

At one point in the 90s we were so skint at the end of the month it was either us or the cat who went without food. We fed the cat. 

Avatar
Velovoyeur | 4 years ago
0 likes

Looks like it’s all about graphics and paint jobs today.

Hats off the Jonathon Vaughters and the EF team. A much needed light hearted change that makes you smile. On top of that it is easily visible in the peloton. 

The world champs bike looks OK but would be better if it has a white top tube.

Avatar
peted76 | 4 years ago
2 likes

Is that EF duck TT helmet for real? LOL tha't s so funny!!

Avatar
David9694 replied to peted76 | 4 years ago
0 likes

Ice cream van Donald Duck!

Avatar
HarryTrauts | 4 years ago
1 like

Alaphillipe's bike is class.  Great paint job.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to HarryTrauts | 4 years ago
0 likes

Well it is different, although if I saw that bike in the Peloton I wouldn't even realise I was seeing the World Champs bike, just one of Sagans paint jobs. I hope the jersey will make him stand out more. 

Avatar
HarryTrauts replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 4 years ago
0 likes

That's exactly what I like about it, it's not shouting, just simply being. 

Ganna's bike on the other hand...

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism replied to HarryTrauts | 4 years ago
0 likes

Yep, if it is a choice between the two.....

 

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