Should roads be ‘no cycle zones’? Drivers call for cyclists to be fined for not using cycle lanes; Dumoulin’s superfast marathon; Seixas’ epic 323km ride; Andorra’s ‘real’ race; No Vuelta for Pogačar; Rapha x USA; Q36.5-Pinarello? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“They put a slide up with all the bus lanes and said here’s your cycle network”
> “If your campaigning doesn’t generate a response, you’re not being radical enough”: Active travel campaigners Spokes on making spaces bike friendly
The road season may just have wrapped up, but it’s already time for the 2025/26 cyclocross crash campaign – and it’s off to a great start
Start as you mean to go on, as they say…
Big weekend for British riders, as Josh Tarling wins Chrono des Nations (and sets fastest time ever at iconic time trial), Paul Double secures first WorldTour stage race victory at the Tour of Guangxi, and Anna Henderson wins one-day race
Now, this is how you sign off a season.
British duo Josh Tarling and Paul Double can head into our long, harsh winter in good spirits after ending their road campaigns on a high with victories at the Chrono des Nations and Tour of Guangxi, respectively.
Tarling, seeking his first win since the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia in May and hoping to bounce back after a tough, injury-impacted year, absolutely smashed the Chrono des Nations yesterday, taking his second career victory at the season-ending time trial, which shares a history with the iconic Grand Prix des Nations.
The TT specialist covered the 44km course, located in the west of France, in 51.12, averaging a blistering 52.578kph, the fastest average speed in the event’s history.
That staggering ride ensured Tarling secured a comfortable 30-second win over UAE Team Emirates’ Jay Vine, while three-time Chrono winner Stefan Küng was forced to settle for third, 1.15 down on the rampant Ineos Grenadiers winner.
Meanwhile, over in China, Paul Double capped off a sensational debut season with Jayco AlUla by winning the Tour of Guangxi, the Winchester rider’s first ever WorldTour stage race triumph.
In a race dominated by sprinter Paul Magnier (who won five of the tour’s six stages), Double’s breakthrough win was effectively secured on Saturday’s hilltop finish at Nongla – the only non-sprint offering of the race – the 29-year-old beating Victor Lafay by nine seconds to win the stage and open up a 15-second lead on GC with just one largely flat stage to go.
However, a strong, last-gasp attack by Lafay on the final steep climb of the race yesterday meant it was squeaky bum time for the panicking Double, who was forced to chase on his own briefly, before teammates Alan Hatherly and Jasha Sutterlin returned to contribute on the flat run-in.
And, as other teams joined in, Lafay was eventually reeled back in, teeing Magnier up for win number five and Double for an emotional breakthrough win.
“The new high watermark” 📈🔥
Paul Double secures his FIRST World Tour victory by taking the Queen Stage of the Tour of Guangxi 💪🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/v4DmciZhyC
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 18, 2025
“I’m very happy, and I’ve been emotional, for sure, at the finish line,” Double said after the podium ceremony. “The boys were so good today, and I was happy yesterday, but to finish the job today, it’s pretty emotional.
“When Lafay went on the last lap, I panicked. The boys told me not to, but I was panicking. I tried to pull it back on my own and was not doing a great job, then Alan was there, super strong, and Jasha came back, but also the groups came back together.
“So it was all fine in the end. And here we are, I’ve got the red jersey.”
Chapeau, sir.
Anna Henderson rounding out the WorldTour season in style 😎
The Brit sprints to victory in the Tour of Guangxi after an impressive move on the final climb 💨 pic.twitter.com/80pkXNqY00
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 19, 2025
Double, however, wasn’t the only British rider tasting success in China yesterday.
Lidl-Trek’s Anna Henderson also put the seal on a very impressive season – which included a brilliant stage win and spell in pink at the Giro d’Italia – with victory at the Tour of Guangxi, a one-day race in the women’s calendar.
Henderson broke away with Jayco-AlUla’s Caroline Anderson with about 20km to go in Nanning, jumping off the Swedish rider’s wheel in the sprint to take the second WorldTour win of her career and cap off a nice, season-ending weekend for the Brits in style.
“They’re calling it the realest race of all time”: Fans bemused as Primož Roglič ‘beats’ Tadej Pogačar, Isaac Del Toro, and Jonas Vingegaard at star-studded, four-rider exhibition race… which will apparently lead to a documentary
Most cycling fans, by now, will be well aware of the sport’s lucrative criterium scene, where the top riders are invited to take part in showpiece races for often lucrative fees (in fact, back when pro cycling wages were paltry to say the least, crits often formed the backbone of a rider’s earnings for the year).
Usually held on tight, spectator-friendly circuits, where the beers and attacks flow in equal measure, each crit’s winner is usually, how shall I put this… predetermined by the organisers.
Which is why most cycling fans were somewhat bemused and baffled by the hype surrounding the latest exhibition event to hit the cycling calendar: the Andorra Cycling Masters.
Yesterday’s star-studded two-part race, held in the principality’s cycling playground, featured an illustrious cast of stars, including Tadej Pogačar, Isaac Del Toro, Jonas Vingegaard, and Primož Roglič.
But here’s the twist: they were the only riders taking part.
Yes, that’s right. Cycling’s new fab four, as ordained by the organisers anyway (sorry, Remco), were the guinea pigs testing out an interesting, experimental new format, which for lots of reasons did not carry a UCI race licence.
In any case, the inaugural edition of the Andorra Cycling Masters included an early morning mountain time trial (how very UK of them) followed by a city centre circuit race.
When it came to the hill climb, a tough 8km effort up the fearsome Coll de la Gallina, Roglič set a winning time of 25:39, beating Pogačar by 20 seconds (where’s Andrew Feather when you need him?), while Del Toro and Vingegaard were well back, with 28.05 and 29.24 respectively.
Then later on, they raced around the streets of Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany for 15 laps of a 2.14km loop. This time, Del Toro took the ‘win’, beating Roglič with an epic bike throw, as Pogi chuckled behind and poor Jonas again brought up the rear.
What a race. Except, of course, it was basically the cycling equivalent of the WWF’s Royal Rumble.
“They’re calling it the realest race of all time,” NairoInGreen joked on social media.
“Do we even have proof it was not raced by lookalikes?” asked another fan, while Roman said: “Bros attacking at 300 watts”.
Some, however, were blown away by the whole thing, pointing to Del Toro’s bike throw as proof that the fab four were taking the whole thing very, very, very seriously.
And to add to the whole bizarre nature of the race, the organisers say a “50-to-55-minute documentary” will be created chronicling Pog and company’s epic jaunt around Andorra, set to be shown on a “major international streaming platform”.
I can imagine the meeting at Netflix Headquarters now… ‘Nah, nobody cares about this Tour de la France thingy, get me a full doc on a group of lads having the craic, pretending to race, and raking in loads of money. They’ll love it!’
“Being rejected for chasing your dreams hurts”
More from everyone’s favourite aero gains-hunting 21st century maverick:
> Jan-Willem van Schip responds to mad aero bike disqualification due to upside down seatpost, calling himself an “outcast”
French wonderkid Paul Seixas enjoys nice little wind down after breakthrough season… by getting up at 3am to complete epic 323km, 12-hour ride in the Alps around Mont Blanc
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Paul Seixas is ready for a rest and some time away from his bike.
The 19-year-old Frenchman has, after all, enjoyed one of the most impressive debut pro seasons we’ve ever seen from a teenager.
The Decathlon AG2R wonderkid – who just turned 19 at the end of September, remember – won the Tour de l’Avenir, finished eighth overall at a star-studded Critérium du Dauphiné, placed third behind Pogačar and Evenepoel at the European championships, attacked at the worlds before finishing 13th, and took seventh at his first ever monument, Il Lombardia, last weekend.
After all, you don’t get branded the ‘New Hinault’ for nothing. As I’ve said before on the live blog, the French are getting excited.
Chris Auld/SWpix.com
So, after signing off on a staggering debut season in the pro ranks, how did France’s new hope relax at the weekend? By getting up early and completing his longest ride of the year, that’s how.
In fact, according to his Strava post – captioned “Finishing off the season well” – young Seixas set off at 3.06am yesterday for an absolutely epic, freezing ride in the Alps, which saw him cover 323km, featuring over 8,000m of elevation gain, in just over 12 hours riding time.
And all that in temperatures which have plummeted to six degrees Celsius, too (no wonder he used a shivering emoji – I’m starting to feel very protective of him, he’s just a kid after all!).
Paul’s mammoth season-ending route was essentially the reverse of the absolutely fearsome Tour du Mont Blanc sportive, taking in some of the Tour de France’s most iconic climbs, such as the Col des Saisies, Cormet de Roselend, Petit Saint-Bernard, Grand Saint-Bernard, and the Col de la Forclaz.
He even managed to snag the KOM on the Grand Saint-Bernard, covering the climb’s never-ending 34km in 1.44:16. Sunday’s post-season ‘warm down’ also accounted, unsurprisingly, for the 19-year-old’s longest ride of 2025 – which suggests he’s banking some miles before a potential grand tour debut next season.
Paul, for next weekend I’d suggest a nice steak, glass of wine, and a warm fire. And you’re 19, remember – how about a night in the pub with your mates? That’s more like it. That’s a proper teenager’s off-season.
Meet Tom Dumoulin, Marathon Man: Former Giro d’Italia winner clocks staggeringly fast 2:29.21 at debut marathon in Amsterdam – within the top 50 Dutch times this year
Tom Dumoulin can run fast, we already knew that. And no, I’m not talking about his infamous desperate dash to the side of the road at the 2017 Giro.
Since retiring from professional cycling in 2022 – and even before then, completing a 32:38 10K during his last winter as a cyclist – the Dutchman has put together an impressive portfolio of running performances.
In January, the former world time trial champion completed a half marathon in 1:08.42, prompting some oddly derisive comments from a particularly grumpy corner of the running community, who said they would “expect faster” from a former pro bike racer.
I’m not sure if Dumoulin read any of those comments, but if he did, he’s gone a long way to proving them wrong.
Yesterday, the 34-year-old lined up for his first crack at the Amsterdam marathon, his debut in the full 26-mile discipline, clocking a staggeringly fast time of 2:29.21 – despite pushing too early at the start and cramping up in the final few kilometres.
In fact, the 34-year-old – banishing all pre-race plans of a “conservative” start – raced most of the first half in a group containing eventual women’s winner Aynalem Desta (who finished in 2.17), taking a “let’s have some fun and see what happens” approach to his debut marathon, as he admitted on Instagram.
Feeling “amazing”, that strategy saw the 2017 Giro winner complete the first half of the course in a blistering 1.09. However, as the miles mounted, so did the cramps in Dumoulin’s legs.
After the halfway mark, “I quickly felt my legs cramping up and I had no other option than to let the group go after 23km,” he posted.
“From there it was a struggle to the finish, haha! After stopping three times because of cramps and thinking I could not finish anymore, I managed to hold on to a pace just fast enough to still finish in a sub 2.30 time.”
That’s right, just the sub 2.30 this time, easy – and enough to place him in the top 50 Dutch marathon times for 2025, despite running as an amateur and without a licence. Mind-blowing stuff.
From time trialling to marathon running – Dumoulin really loves the most painful (and boring)n sporting disciplines, doesn’t he? (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Expanding on his torrid two and a half hours, Dumoulin told Het Laatste Nieuws: “I wanted to run under two and a half hours, and that’s what I did, but it was painful.
“I went off way too fast. I was feeling great and thought: ‘Let’s see what happens.’ On the bike, I’d never do that. I know exactly what I can do and how to pace myself. With running I sort of know that too, but I just enjoy it.
“It’s such a difference between what my fitness can handle and what my muscles and tendons can. I was in that group thinking, ‘I can take them on!’ But halfway through everything started cramping up and I thought, ‘This is going to be a long one.’
“I honestly thought I might have to pull out. I stopped twice with cramp — I think around 25 and 35 kilometres. My drop-off was huge. You can really see that I haven’t yet processed the mileage.”
Asked if he enjoyed his first tilt at the marathon, Dumoulin laughed: “Now that it’s over, the marathon feels fun. But ask me tomorrow and I’ll say no. Ask me next week, maybe I’ll say yes again. So don’t ask me yet if I’ll run another one.”
I don’t blame you, Tom. I think once at that pace is more than enough – you’ll have definitely silenced the running grumps, anyway.
Is 2025 the last time we’ll see riders chugging from tiny bottles at finish lines? Probably not, if we’re honest
Looks like ketones are back in the spotlight. Though, judging by the UCI’s latest, rather bizarre press release, they’re not going to be banned anytime soon.
Instead, the governing body just wants to let everyone know that those tiny finish bottles aren’t much use after all…
> UCI tells riders to avoid ketones as “no compelling evidence” they enhance performance or recovery
Why don’t cyclists use the cycle lane? #43,982
Merc Sprinter van outside construction site on Suir Rd, blocking footpath and cycle lane.
— Rob O’Mhantain (@mhantain.bsky.social) October 16, 2025 at 8:24 PM
And, if our friend Kevin from Bournemouth was in charge, you’d be slapped with a fine for not riding straight into the back of that van. Makes sense, right?
Former pro Adrian Timmis back in hospital in the UK after suffering horror crash at gravel world championships
After spending most of last week in a Dutch hospital in the wake of his horror crash at the gravel world championships, former pro Adrian Timmis has returned to the UK – and straight back into hospital.
The former British pro, Olympian, and Tour de France finisher crashed hard while racing in the men’s 60-64 category at last week’s gravel worlds in Maastricht, when a rider from another category swung across and into his path, causing Timmis to break a collarbone, scapula, five ribs, and damage a lung.
But after receiving some advice upon his return to the UK, when it turned out he had sustained more damage in the crash than initially thought, Adrian headed back into hospital on Friday night for more tests.
“So after another night in hospital and after more extensive tests I’m now in the UK system,” he posted on Facebook. “After seeing spinal, thoracic and shoulder consultants I now have a far better prognosis, after more X-rays and CT scans I have a baseline of where I’m currently at.
“There was more damage than first thought, but manageable without intervention hopefully, I now have a far better idea of recovery and how long it will take, the (slow) recovery is now down to me and for me to be patient.
“Lay in my hospital bed looking around there are people in here in a far worse situation that me, they can hardly walk or breath properly, it’s the fact that I’ve kept myself fit that I’m in a far better situation than some 60-year-olds, because at some point we’ll nearly all end up in here for one thing or another.
“The one good thing to come from the crash is it won’t stop me exercising, it will slow me down, but it has shown me how important it is to stay fit and active. But I still might embrace the Morrisons senior citizen breakfast meal deal.”
Adrian added this morning that he should be checking out of the hospital this afternoon, while taking time to thanks Dutch rider Pascal Martens, who stopped and waited with him until help arrived following the crash.
“Crashing has always been part of cycling, always will, you take for granted you will, you take for granted you have always recovered, but it’s only after a really big one it makes you realise one centimetre the wrong way and the recovery could have had a very different outcome,” Timmis wrote form his hospital bed.
“But I still wouldn’t change a thing, cycling changed my life. Live life to the full the way you want to and give those close to you a hug.”
“We know the things we need to change and we are already making bold moves in the right direction”
Rapha has posted its latest financial results – and they make for grim reading for the iconic British clothing brand.
However, according to new CEO Fran Millar, the company is just “one year into a multi-year turnaround”, with today’s results not representative of the “huge amount of great work that is already being done to turn the business around”.
So, as the Rapha revolution begins in earnest following its eighth straight year in the red, our news editor Dan visited Rapha HQ to get the latest on the under-pressure company and its plans for the future:
Read more: > Rapha slashes valuation by £102m amid £15m loss and eighth straight year in the red, but insists “great work being done” to turn business around
Rapha announces partnership with USA Cycling ahead of LA Olympics in “intentionally bold move” for the struggling British brand – renewing relationship with Chloé Dygert following 2020 social media backlash
While most of the attention will be on its latest, pretty grim financial results, Rapha has also chosen this afternoon to announce a multi-year partnership with USA Cycling.
The deal with USA Cycling comes with the hope that the clothing brand can benefit from a potential cycling boom across the Atlantic around the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, in a similar way to the explosion of cycling popularity and the success that followed for Rapha in the UK around the 2012 Games in London.
The announcement comes a fortnight after the end of the brand’s seven-year partnership with EF Pro Cycling, which means Rapha will no longer be worn in the WorldTour after 2025.
When Dan met with Rapha boss Fran Millar to discuss the company’s future earlier this month, the former Ineos Grenadiers CEO made it clear clear that the WorldTour door is not necessarily closed forever, just that for now Rapha is happy to explore other disciplines, especially with a US-based Olympics three years away.
Given the Olympic might of the US, it seems almost certain we’ll see cyclists and paracyclists winning medals in Rapha clothing in LA, the partnership also meaning a renewal of a relationship with Chloé Dygert.
Dygert is no stranger to using her platform, and sometimes her equipment, to express political and personal views. At last month’s world championships, she raced with a sticker stating ‘I stand for the truth. I stand with Charlie Kirk’ on her bike during the time trial.
[Credit: Chris Auld/SWpix.com]
Back in 2020, when Canyon-SRAM raced in Rapha’s kit, the clothing brand denounced Dygert’s social media conduct and “wholeheartedly condemned” what Rapha said was her endorsement of racist and transphobic views on social media. At the time Rapha released a statement saying Dygert’s subsequent apology was “not sufficient”.
However new CEO Millar has suggested the whole situation could have been dealt with differently and said she would be speaking with the rider ahead of the USA Cycling partnership’s announcement for what was expected to be constructive talks about their relationship in the future.
“Our vision is to make cycling the most important sport in the world by transforming the lives of millions and there is no greater stage for that ambition than when athletes represent their nation,” Millar said in a statement announcing the partnership, which will see Rapha dive into the world of track cycling and BMX for the first time in its 20-year history.
[Credit: Emily Maye]
“This is an intentionally bold move for Rapha, and USA Cycling shares our intention for the partnership to stand for far more than a jersey; it represents a shared dream for the future of the sport.”
Meanwhile, Brendan Quirk, CEO and President of USA Cycling, said: “We are entering a Golden Age for American cycling and Rapha can be a catalyst for that.
“USA Cycling has a laser focus on delivering 10 cycling medals at the LA28 Summer Olympic Games. That record-breaking performance would be transformative for the sport in America and Rapha will be at the centre of that effort.
“From aerodynamics to thermal regulation, we are relentlessly pursuing every potential advantage for Team USA. Rapha is synonymous with innovation at the pinnacle of the sport and can match our ambition. We know that our athletes will be at their best when they compete in Rapha.”
“It’s clear that the Tour de France is the most important race in the world, I’m not denying that”: Tadej Pogačar unlikely to target Vuelta a España in 2026, says team manager
We may have to wait another few years for Tadej Pogačar to complete his grand tour set, after the world champion’s team revealed today that he is unlikely to ride the Vuelta a España in 2026.
Instead, UAE Team Emirates’ sports manager Joxean Fernández Matxin says that, unsurprisingly, Pogačar will target a fifth Tour de France win next season, a victory that would see him draw level with joint record holders Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin.
“Next year, Tadej could win the fifth Tour de France of his career, making history in that respect,” Matxin told Italian cycling site SpazioCiclismo.
“We’re moving in that direction. We’re analysing the rest of the calendar. I’m currently choosing which races we’ll do as a team. Then we’ll appoint the captains for the various races and ensure equal distribution among the riders.
“We have an idea in mind, but we need to integrate it with the calendar and put it into practice. But it’s clear that the Tour de France is the most important race in the world, I’m not denying that.”
After winning the Giro d’Italia last year, Pogačar only has the Vuelta – the scene of his grand tour breakthrough in 2019 – left to tick off when it comes to cycling’s three-week events. But the Spanish race’s proximity to the world road championships in Montréal, which will also suit the Slovenian as he aims for a third consecutive rainbow jersey, means the Vuelta will once again be placed on the backburner.
Zac Williams/SWpix.com
“It’s a goal we’d like to achieve, sooner or later, without a doubt,” Matxin says. “But with the current calendar, if you want to race the Tour, the Vuelta, and then the world championships, you have to spend four months away from home and be at your peak for a very long time.
“Right now, it’s not the most feasible option, considering the athlete’s physiology, in relation to his objectives.
“If you’re interested in the world championships, it means doing a period of preparation at altitude before the Tour, between the months of May and June, but that would mean missing out on Liège[-Bastogne-Liège] and other races.”
However, interestingly Matxin isn’t ruling out another tilt at the Giro-Tour double, which Pogačar achieved last year, becoming the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win both races in the same year.
It’s perhaps ironic, then, that the Vuelta – the traditional ‘second’ grand tour for stage race specialists in the 2000s and 2010s – has been ignored, thanks to Pogačar’s all-round ability and desire to target the big one-day races in the spring and autumn, something the likes of Chris Froome never bothered with during his heyday.
“You can’t think of starting a season, in terms of races, with the Tour de France,” Matxin concluded. “So, Tadej would have to race in April, May, June, July, August, September, and October. That’s too long to maintain the right condition. We’ll have to study a few things in the coming days.
“It’s more feasible to do the Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double, because there’s an interim period of almost five weeks between the two races.”
Oh, what’s this? UCI’s WorldTour applications list provides biggest indication yet that Pinarello is set to partner with Q36.5… as new title sponsor
Pinarello’s impending partnership with Tom Pidcock’s Q36.5 team has been on the cards for quite some time now.
Last week, just days before the Italian bike brand’s contract extension with long-time partners Ineos was confirmed, president Fausto Pinarello all but confirmed that the company intends to “double up” next year.
And, with the Pidcock and Ivan Glasenberg connection already in place (the South African mining billionaire has invested heavily in both Pinarello and Q36.5), Pinarello teaming up with the as of now second-tier Swiss squad seems a no brainer.
While there’s been no official confirmation so far, we received our biggest hint yet this afternoon – in the form of a UCI press release, as the governing body shared its annual list of men’s and women’s teams who have applied for WorldTour and ProTeam licences for 2026.
And look closely, and you’ll see the name ‘Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team’ nestled among the list of would-be WorldTour squads:
So, by the looks of things, Pinarello won’t just supply Q36.5’s bikes – they could also be joining as co-title sponsor. Interesting…
Meanwhile, you may also have noticed that Israel-Premier Tech are not present on the list. We’re told that’s because they’re currently going by the placeholder name ‘Cycling Academy’, which as you can see have in fact applied for a WorldTour licence.
With IPT’s rebranding set to take place ahead of next season, it is likely a sponsor or two will step up to take on the headline role. Premier Tech-Factor, anyone?
“And this is the best section of the path!”
Like me, you’re probably intrigued by the shared-use path which prompted Kevin from Bournemouth’s meltdown at a cyclist on the road, and his call for cyclists to be fined if they don’t make use of the nearest available stretch of cycling infrastructure.
Well, luckily for us, inspired by this morning’s live blog, local Lib Dem councillor and cycling campaigner Ade Chapmanlaw jumped on his bike and headed out to the airport to film the very path poor Kevin just couldn’t believe wasn’t being used.
Let’s just say ‘high quality’, ‘wide’, or ‘safe’ aren’t the first phrases that spring to mind during the clip:
“And this is the best part of the airport shared path: the width of it!” local active travel advocate Philippa Clark told us of the busy commuter route.
“Parts are way worse than this looks. In the pitch black, when commuting you’re dazzled by headlights and wince if a cyclist approaches.”
Sounds fun. I’m really not sure Kevin’s thought this one through…
Should roads be ‘no cycle zones’? Drivers calls for cyclists to be prosecuted and fined for not using cycle lanes – after slamming “oblivious” cyclist for ignoring footpath and holding up traffic
It’s the start of a brand-new week, and that means only one thing – it’s time for the Bournemouth Daily Echo’s latest anti-cycling letter!
And today’s one is something of an instant classic.
Because not only does the letter writer take aim at the “millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money” spent on cycle lanes (a bone of contention in the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole area recently), they also reckon a new law is needed to make sure those pesky cyclists actually avail of all those expensive, errr… footpaths, apparently.
I’ll let the correspondent explain.
“The Government has allocated millions of pounds of taxpayers; money to build a network of cycle lanes across the country, this includes the BCP area,” the letter writer starts.
“Yet once again whilst driving back past the airport I found myself crawling along in a line of traffic from the traffic lights at the airport entrance to Chapel Gate entrance.
“The reason for this was a lone cyclist completely oblivious to other road users. What is most annoying is the fact that there is a footpath/cycle path that runs all along this route, yet ignorant cyclists ignore using it.”
Just for context, here’s the footpath those oblivious, ignorant cyclists aren’t making use of:
Hmm. Not sure that path would qualify as ‘cycling infrastructure’ under the Trade Descriptions Act. Anyway…
“I am also a cyclist and try not to be a nuisance on the road, using cycle paths wherever possible,” the letter writer continued, crossing off the ‘I’m also a cyclist’ box on his anti-cycling bingo card.
“The law needs to be changed in so much that cyclists should use cycle lanes where provided or else face prosecution and a fine.”
According to Rule 61 of the Highway Code, cyclists can use dedicated bike lanes and tracks “where they make your journey safer and easier”.
The Highway Code also states: “This will depend on your experience and skills and the situation at the time. While such facilities are provided for reasons of safety, cyclists may exercise their judgement and are not obliged to use them.”
However, rather unsurprisingly, letter writer Kevin’s call for a new law mandating cycle lane use earned some support in the Echo’s comments section.
“Where there is a higher risk to safety and obstruction to traffic flow, where a cycle path available, it’s common sense that the road should be a no cycle zone,” said one commenter, who naturally described himself as an “occasional cyclist”.
“It’s a matter of slowing down or taking an alternative route, it’s not about speed, it’s about safe travel and sensible priorities.”
Of course, it’s not about speed – until motorists have to slow down, right?
Thankfully, a few exasperated cyclists were on hand in the comments to keep things sensible.
“As usual, bitter rhetoric and nasty comments from the usual suspects, all tilting at windmills,” said one. “Even London, where the most joined up networks exist, has not triggered thoughts to segregate cyclists by law so it won’t be happening anytime soon.”
“Another idiot who doesn’t know the difference between a cycle lane and a shared path,” said Zak. “The cyclist has every right to be on the road. Being on the road will avoid pedestrians using the shared path and avoid the broken glass and detritus covering the shared path.
“The cyclist has use of the road by right. Drivers can use the road only by revokable licence. Driving is a privilege and not a right.”
And, finally, another commenter said: “Drivers should use motorways or face fines. There. I made a rule for you.”
Now, there’s an idea…
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I had actually cycled my first century the week before the accident. I got back on the bike straight away then a hip wore out and was replaced so I missed a lot of cycling in 2024 but I was back to my normal level in 2025 not so sure what has happened this year I am not as enthusiastic as usual I have been on the bike just not cycled far. I will have to do more as I will do a 50 mile ride in September the annual charity ride. Not sure fear is the problem exactly more a feeling that there is less enjoyment.in a bike ride than there once was.
What’s all this MTB palaver? The Tour de France was originally a gravel race. 🙃
@wtjs I've sent in 2 close pass videos to kent police, never heard anything back.
@Rendel Harris I had wondered how they might be preparing to deal with the expected heat. Got to keep them as safe as possible. My excitement is building, always a nervy first week, too many crashes in the peleton and no amount of down gearing is going to prevent that. From my cloudy memory, the pogecar lad is very rarely caught out on the wrong side of a crosswind split.
Rumor has it that riding the MMR gives you autism.
Well this looks ominous: real possibility of Tour stages being cancelled due to extreme heat. I'll put the link in a reply otherwise this whole comment will be quarantined - it's on the Guardian if anyone wants to search for themselves.
Having used the street multiple times since it was opened just over a month ago, I can report two issues which are preventing the improvements from working to their full potential. Firstly, there is no signage other than the painted bikes on the road itself, so there is nothing to indicate that cyclists have priority. The second is that the double yellow lines stop about two-thirds of the way down the road, meaning that from that point onwards, there are multiple cars parked half on the pavement and not in the designated parking places, reducing the width of both the footpath and the road to what it was before the improvements were made.
@MaxiMinimalist Really? So this applies only to drivers from Bouches-du-Rhône, Haute-Garonne and Vaucluse, drivers from the other sixteen départements that make up the south are fine?
Yeah, it's great isn't it........
44 thoughts on “Should roads be ‘no cycle zones’? Drivers call for cyclists to be fined for not using cycle lanes; Dumoulin’s superfast marathon; Seixas’ epic 323km ride; Andorra’s ‘real’ race; No Vuelta for Pogačar; Rapha x USA; Q36.5-Pinarello? + more on the live blog”
I think we should get Kevin
I think we should get Kevin on to a dual carriageway, make the left lane full of potholes, leaf litter, and nails, force him to drive on that while he has to watch everyone else drive on the pristine lane right next to it. Then he might understand what’s going on.
With regards to the photo, it seems pretty obvious that the footpath’s tarmack is not as good quality as the road, so it’s no wonder cyclists would choose the carriageway over it, at least when travelling above a certain speed.
It’s also up a kerb that isn
It’s also up a kerb that isn’t dropped at junctions. Jumping a kerb onto or off a fast-paced road isn’t a stunt I’d like to risk.
There is a road where I
There is a road where I sometimes think I might actually prefer to use the shared path, even though it’s slower, rather than put up with the close passes and “use the cycle path” shouts from drivers – but I’ve never found a convenient dropped kerb to join it. https://maps.app.goo.gl/ty9W39C5XBdkDFja6
One commenter wrote:
Common sense, but inaccurate. The cycle path is part of the “road”, in that it is invariably part of the defined highway. Just like the footway and the verge.
What our commenter is saying is that he does not know the difference between “road” and “carriageway”.
And perhaps he would like to focus his attention on the fact that drivers of motor vehicles kill [higher risk to safety] more people just on footways, crossings and other places they shouldn’t be in the first place than cyclists do anywhere.
Alas I believe that we’re
Alas I believe that we’re still stuck with the focus on “traffic flow” – which is implicitly “motor traffic flow”. And as Chris Boardman has noted that creeps in behind the scenes in all kinds of metrics which actually guide project approval and planning choices.
On the flip side, if somehow those rules and formulas can be changed there’s a neat, bland bureaucratic “process says no” to much motor-centric development which doesn’t on the face of it mention cycling (“beetlejuice”)!
Of course without a fundamental change in thinking about “what are our spaces *for*” or “what do we want from our transport systems” no doubt councils (or paticular councillors…) will just override those in favour of “more road”!
The problem with a concept
The problem with a concept such as ‘traffic flow’ is that the experience of an individual within the transport network is very limited and they only really understand how something is affecting their own journey.
What you will actually find if you look at a transportation network as a whole is that the natural gaps created by forcing drivers to wait until it’s safe to overtake a cyclist make it easier for other drivers to join from side roads, for example, thereby improving traffic flow across the network.
Endless malarkey. What are
Endless malarkey. What are the road rules?
Oh yes, Cyclists have equal rights as motorists to ride/drive on the roads.
Any motorist who makes such moronic claims to the contrary should have their drivers licence cancelled. Simple.
Slightly inaccurate. We all
Slightly inaccurate. We all have equal right to use the roads, but
cyclistswe all have a greater right to ride thanmotoristswe all do to drive. The latter requires a revocable licence and is subject additionally to paying relevant tax and having sufficient insurance.But the tax you pay is in
But the tax you pay is in relation to emissions, no emissions little or no tax. Most cyclists have cars as well so do pay tax, and to ride these days without insurance is just mad.
Exactly. …All anti-cycling
Exactly. …All anti-cycling arguments are bs and should result in the motorist automatically losing their licence for ignorant dissent.
Exactly. …All anti-cycling
Exactly. …All anti-cycling arguments are bs and should result in the motorist automatically losing their licence for ignorant dissent.
Revocable licence being the
Revocable licence being the inoperative term.
…most cyclists pay tax as motorists and optional insurance as cyclists anyway.
Not true. Cyclists do NOT
Not true. Cyclists do NOT have equal rights with motorists.
-Cyclists have the right to use the public highway, as members of the public
-Drivers use it as a privilege (NOT a right) to drive, subject to them and their vehicle being certified as of a certain quality (i.e. passed their driving test and a MOT)
In other words, cyclists have more right than motorists to use the highway.
Yes this is true, but once
Yes this is true, but once licenced and insured cyclists and motorists have an equal right to use the roads.
The underlying problem here is that the majority of the population, from councils to motorists and even many police! think cyclists have no right to ride on the road – despite the law. We need a class action challenging the failure of authorities to uphold the law. But that’s not going to happen. …so worldwide Portland-style mass nude cycling protests it will have to be!
Yes this is true, but once
Yes this is true, but once licenced and insured cyclists and motorists have an equal right to use the roads.
The underlying problem here is that the majority of the population, from councils to motorists and even many police! think cyclists have no right to ride on the road – despite the law. We need a class action challenging the failure of authorities to uphold the law. But that’s not going to happen. …so worldwide Portland-style mass nude cycling protests it will have to be!
Also a full admission
Also a full admission admission of automotive incompetence since the other lane is available for safe overtaking of slower vehicles..
Endless malarkey. What are
Endless malarkey. What are the road rules?
Oh yes, Cyclists have equal rights as motorists to ride/drive on the roads.
Any motorist who makes such moronic claims should have their drivers licence cancelled. Simple.
Motorists don’t have the
Motorists don’t have the right to drive on the footpath, but look how well that gets enforced.
Rezis wrote:
Long overdue for a ban on pavement parking which in combination with local authority wheely bins block the pavement so endanger pedestrians. Baby buggies and wheelchair users have no choice but to use the pavement for safe travel.
Pavement is not a car park.
I’m with Germany where car sales involve proof of address and space to park on that private property..
I would happily be banned
I would happily be banned from certain high speed roads if drivers were banned from the massive network of “national speed limit” roads that should realistically be 20mph roads for drivers.
I would happily use cycle
I would happily use cycle lanes round my way (what little there are) if drivers didn’t use them as private parking spots.
Didn’t use them to park in,
Didn’t use them to park in, if they weren’t full of crap from the roads, if they didn’t leave and join the main road constantly, if they didn’t disappear constantly, if they weren’t completely neglected covered in leaves etc at this time of year, if they didn’t give way to driveways and side roads.
Its funny how drivers think that cyclists do things to piss them off instead of wondering what possible other reason there might be. You see it on every video or article on cyclists. The strange idea that cyclists go out of their way to piss off drivers or that we get some pleasure from holding them up.
or that we get some pleasure
or that we get some pleasure from holding them up
I do derive pleasure from seeing hordes of the b******s in long queues!
Where some empty their trash
Where some empty their trash bins and ashtrays.
Ban all cars in city and town
Ban all cars in city and town centres.
Or perhaps “reroute all cars
Or perhaps “reroute all cars *around* city and town centres?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houten
(Video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r-TuGAHR78w )
(For a retrofit see Groningen:
)
But a pedestrianised centre with limited delivery times wouldn’t hurt either! Popular and enjoyed in pretty much all places where it’s been done…
This is what 15-minute cities
This is what 15-minute cities aim for. Carless town centres where pedestrians can walk about freely and can’t go beyond the safety perimeter.
MaxiMinimalist wrote:
You’re *so* right … only … that is in fact what *current* towns are like, but the centres still aren’t carless!
(Plenty of UK towns have “inner ring roads” which are quite unpleasant even to be near and effectively limit you to a few nasty subways to get across them without using a motor vehicle).
Anyway, aside from posting more conspiracy memes can you do something useful like come up with some examples of “bad walkable urbanism”? I’m struggling (it mostly looks better once you remove a chunk of motor traffic) but there must be the odd one or two?
Some US suburbs spring to mind – but there the problem is there are no ways to walk between points near on the ground either. So both motorised AND non-motorised modes may have to travel miles to get to the house behind. (Don’t jump over the fence – they might shoot!)
On the “UK mobility limited
On the “UK mobility limited by motor infra” just from memory we have:
– Leeds – an actual motorway encircling the centre (to the west and north) – albeit mitigated in part by running underground below the hospital.
– Glasgow – in the past the council enthusiastically adopted the US “freeway” through the city idea, so there’s the M8 to West and north and the M74 to the south of the Clyde
– Carlisle – dual carriageways to the north (A595) and east (A7) of the centre
… and the opposite – Utrecht actually completely removing an urban motorway (albeit one which was part of an incomplete plan): https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2020/09/16/utrecht-corrects-a-historic-urban-design-mistake/
“Too much ‘walkability’?” – have not been there but Bill Bryson complained that Canberra in Australia wasn’t good for walking about because there was so much “landscaping” that buildings were inconveniently far apart. But of course, it looks easy to drive… and this isn’t a problem that any UK places I can think of have.
chrisonabike wrote:
This is a pretty good effort, too.
Ah yes, Reading. Then doesn
Ah yes, Reading. Then doesn’t Portsmouth enjoy the A3 barging though with a sporting role for the A2030 (albeit with underpasses to get by the former)? Grimsby has a major traffic-sewer in the A16. Bristol invites the M32 to town (and the A4 there isn’t loveable either, albeit you can ride on the footway on the outskirts and it calms down *slightly* as you get further in).
Edinburgh has a few busy arterial roads (eg. Queensferry Road, Lanark Road). I guess due to familiarity they don’t seem as bad – but you’re not casually strolling across them. Then there’s the Sir Harry Lauder Road where cycling is prohibited (you wouldn’t want to, it’s basically the A1) and there are only a couple of crossing points, albeit this is also “going out of town”.
Standard Echo click bait
Standard Echo click bait cycling article. Surprised comments aren”t locked and removed by now.
Bike lanes – just more driver
Bike lanes – just more driver entitlement and utter ignorance.
Was walking at lunchtime, no footway at all, just crossing a junction and the driver the otherway does not want to stop and blares his horn at me.
Utterly clueless if the road layout and highway code. 2 m gap and give way to pedestrians crossing at a junction.
And it messed up my stats !
Sure, I’ll bite.
Sure, I’ll bite.
I’m okay with cyclists being fined for not utilising available cycle infrastructure under the pretence of not “holding up traffic” as long as this is applied equally. This means drivers also get fined if:
All of the above “holds up traffic” way more than a cyclist ever could.
Your dream will become
Your dream will become reality once the digital ID platform is equipped with geolocation and geofencing tools and connected to ebanking servers. No more lenghty arguments between cyclists and motorists thanks to the government’s all-problem-solving vision.
MaxiMinimalist wrote:
Oh no it won’t!
Not that authorities are above abusing new regulations (see the repurposing of anti-terror rules for pursuing those who don’t clean up after their dogs etc.) “in the way the sea is not above the sky” * …
… but these are the same folks who continue to keep the fuel duty escalator down and race to the bottom as “the party of motorists” each election. As prompted by their motoring and road transport sponsors they’re still pretty keen to keep you driving!
* Thanks Douglas Adams!
The stand out worst use of
The stand out worst use of space is the multi lane road where cars sit in the middle lane(s) ignoring the Highway Code rule to keep left when not overtaking, so creating blockage in their current lane and all to the right (UK) typically.
No Highway traffic policing and minimal effort by Highways England to sign their gantry signs appropriately.
A national disgrace of automotive incompetence and poor governance.
If those grumpy runners were
If those grumpy runners were right about Dumoulin in the first case (they weren’t), they would have been only more right about him in the second case:
“…Peter Riegel famously came up with a formula that factors in fatigue over longer distances: T2 = T1 x (D2/D1)1.06, where T1 is the time you know multiplied by the distance you’re going to run divided by the distance you ran to a power of 1.06. In this instance, if you ran a half marathon in 1:08:30, the formula would look like this: 1:08:30 x (26.2/13.11)1.06, for a result of 2:22:49.”
Thus, he has not “gone a long way to proving them wrong,” but done the opposite. He should have been minutes faster than he was in the marathon, though his time is still damn impressive for someone who might be described as a “recreational runner.”
If 100% of cycling provision
If 100% of cycling provision was well maintained and fit for purpose it’d be one thing. but it very rarely is.
Agreed. Even in NL (where
Agreed. Even in NL (where there are such rules) it’s not always *perfect*. BUT they have *networks* of routes there … so you could probably find an alternative which didn’t take you an extra 10 miles, via a quarry, a flooded underpass, what appears to be the set of a Trainspotting remake and a couple of motorways…
It’s hardly surprising that
It’s hardly surprising that ignorant drivists rant about “cyclists in muy way” when our whole kulcha is oriented at the primacy of drivists. But if there’s to be a reduction or elimination of ignorant drivist notions and behaviours, it seems very unwise for cyclists to go about promoting the notion of a seprate cycling infrastructure. Yer ignorant drivist-head will do drivist logic and conclude that cyclists should all be riding only on that infrastructure, even if it is inadequate, dangerous or even practically unusable (detritus, parked cars et al).
Given the immense damage that cars and their drivists do, it’s plain that such vehicles need to be severely curtailed. The standard for curtailment ought to be: until there are no deaths or serious injuries caused by the innate nature of cars (speedy ten-ton distracrion-filled machines) and the abysmal standard of driving. In practice, this might evolve cars & drivists down to ….. bicycles & cyclists (perhaps including the electrical ones).
It’ll never happen unless current human madness destroys the vastly vulnerable economies so that no one can any longer make or buy cars. Until then, best to shut up about seperate cycling infrastructure and do whatever can be done to curtail the dangerous antics of drivists.
Of course, that’ll never happen either. Blightedland can’t afford traffic police or working courts anymore. (Or cycling infrastructure, potentially the biggest cost of all). Meanwhile, low-order anarchic behaviours continue to be all the fashion.
What should a cyclist living in places like that of the article do? Personally I’d keep out of the way of swivel-eyed loons in cars (most people in such places) as being in the right is no compensation for being in a coffin.
Happily I live in a place where such drivist attitudes are rare … although so are cyclists. Amazingly, I can cycle about (considerately) as 99% of the drivers are also considerate.
TLDR: we shouldn’t have
TLDR: we shouldn’t have separate cycling infrastructure because we should be getting all cars off the road but that’s never going to happen and anyway we can’t afford separate cycling infrastructure so probably best not to ride at all unless you’re lucky enough to live somewhere like where I live. Very helpful.
Thanks for the summary – so
Thanks for the summary – so nothing new from them! I’m glad to hear they ride on, anyway!
If you can’t drive around a
If you can’t drive around a cyclist on the road you should bin your licence!