BBC accused of bias over helmet campaign on Crimewatch Roadshow; Tour de France BLM gesture “embarrassing”, says Wiggins; Cargo bike “best thing we ever bought”, says Jason Kenny; “I’m not dead”, says baffled bike shop owner + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Weekend catch-up
Here’s what you’ve missed on road.cc if you were otherwise engaged this weekend…
Extension of cycling ban in Worcester city centre ‘an embarrassment’
“Why is cycling discouraged?” asks councillor as Stafford introduces ban when renewing its PSPO
Truck on course causes crash at Tour de Luxembourg
Ernesto Colnago and Eddy Merckx in tears over Tadej Pogacar’s Tour de France win
Drunk dangerous driver told police his van had been stolen after killing cyclist in hit and run
Tom Pidcock reportedly set to sign for Ineos Grenadiers
Tour de France Stage 20: Tadej Pogacar snatches the yellow jersey after dominating time trial
Muc-Off oversized pulley wheel system debuts in Tour de France time trial
"Not good enough": Tour de France organisers slammed over lack of action on racial equality, as riders organise their own show of support for the Black Lives Matter movement
Biggest annual sporting event – worldwide! Much too little. Shameful exploitation of Kevin Reza at Depart Fictif, who other riders blanked. Not good enough.
— Walter Scott (@IceWalter) September 20, 2020
So that’s it. A few masks and a photo of the only black rider. Nothing on the rollout. Shocking. #BlackLivesMatter #BLM
— Largy (@Largy) September 20, 2020
This looks like a token gesture, you need to raise your game and commitment to #BlackLivesMatter
— JJ Wyatt (@jjdubit) September 20, 2020
All the sponsorships, media and $ and you bought a Sharpie marker and some disposable masks🤔. Yeah you blew it guys, which makes your intentions look patronizing and irrelevant to society.
— Shawn “Crank Türner” 🇺🇸🏴🇦🇱 (@Bezerker67) September 20, 2020
I hope that’s not it! Slogans on some masks? Nothing on the rollout! 🤷♀️will there be something in Paris? Otherwise a missed opportunity to make a solidarity statement to the race’s global audience.
— Helen Russell (@helengoth) September 20, 2020
While the Black Lives Matter movement has been arguably the biggest story of 2020 other than the pandemic, cycling has been noticeably quiet on the issue of racial equality compared to other sports; and as cycling clearly has a lack of diversity in the peloton, with Kevin Reza being the only black rider at this year’s Tour de France, some are disappointed that the organisers haven’t gone further to highlight the issues.
Stop the politics. All lives matter. Blm is a legt fasist organisation.
— RN (@MallorcaAdvisor) September 20, 2020
It’s great you can enjoy the Tour without “politiking”. Some people aren’t so lucky. No part of society, sport and entertainment included, should be exempt from standing up to racism.
— Anne Marie (@Mature_Cheese) September 20, 2020
As it turns out, it’s thought a handful of riders themselves decided to wear masks with the Black Lives Matter slogan on before stage 21 yesterday, with no official backing from the organisers other than the above Tweet sent out yesterday. The tweet also attracted some unsavoury comments as you’ll see above, further demonstrating how the sport’s diversity problem trickles down to its fans.
What steps do you think need to be taken to attract more diversity in professional cycling? Thoughts in the comments as always…
Sam Bennett comments on photo of Bennett congratulating Bennett while Bennett is on screen
— Sam Bennett (@Sammmy_Be) September 20, 2020
The Irishman added another layer to this observation from ‘Cycling out of context’, after he was congratulated on his green jersey victory by Jumbo-Visma’s George Bennett.
Pogacar's 'supporting role' went well then
And the award for best supporting role goes to…. https://t.co/LsqmZPp7UR
— Daniel Lloyd (@daniellloyd1) September 20, 2020
As spotted by Eurosport and GCN presenter Dan Lloyd, it was thought Pogacar would be rocking up to the 2020 Tour de France in support of Fabio Aru… as it happens Aru capitulated on stage 9, and the rest was history.
There was someone who got their predictions right – albeit with a fair bit more hindsight than news reporters had in 2019 – with Chris Froome telling ITV how he believed that Roglic was likely to “tail off” at the pointy end of the race. It’s almost like winning the thing four times has given him some extra expert insight…
"The worst display of solidarity I've ever seen at the Tour de France": Bradley Wiggins labels BLM recognition from Tour organisers "embarrassing"
The 2012 Tour de France winner has made his feelings known on the Tour’s alleged lack of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, in a short video clip uploaded to his Instagram account.
Wiggins said: “That was the worst display of solidarity I’ve ever seen at the Tour de France. Embarrassing.
“They can come up with something a bit better than that. All a bit late in the day as well.”
As mentioned further down the page, the only public display in support of BLM at the Tour de France came on stage 21, as some riders chose to wear masks with ‘Black Lives Matter’ written on them in pen. This was reportedly organised by B&B Hotels–Vital Concept rider Kevin Reza, with the official Tour de France Twitter account sharing a photo, but otherwise contributing nothing towards the cause.
Sir Bradley himself was accused of “casual racism” two weeks ago, when he said live on Eurosport that Irishman Sam Bennett could almost be ‘considered British’. Sean Kelly was not amused, telling Wiggins that “you’re not going to claim him”. Wiggins then appeared to mock Kelly’s accent, saying: “We spoke to him [Bennett] at the Vuelta last year when he came on our show, and at least we can understand what he’s saying. We can’t really understand what you’re saying Sean, can we?”
Jason Kenny praises the Tern GSD as the best thing his family have ever bought
Best thing we ever bought! @ternbicycles gsd https://t.co/k4tnD2wkX4
— Jason Kenny (@JasonKenny107) September 21, 2020
It was certainly good enough for Dave Atkinson in his review of the original Tern GSD over on our sister site eBikeTips, calling it “the most useful bike I’ve ever ridden”… and now this e-cargo machine has got a multiple Olympic gold medal-winning seal of approval from Jason and Laura Kenny.
Originally posted to Laura’s Instagram account and shared by Coventry’s bicycle mayor Adam Tranter, the senior Kennys are riding the GSD while their son Albie scoots along on a balance bike beside them on a bridleway.
The caption says: “This week is European Mobility Week. It’s time to change the way you move. This week I challenge you to go to work while working out!”
"I'm not dead", says West Yorkshire bike shop owner after bizarre rumours of his demise circulate in local area
Captain hopes this will stop the rumours 😳😳😳😳#beeinbonnet pic.twitter.com/bfeI5TPMbe
— Kendell Cycles (@kendellcycles) September 17, 2020
A number of Kendell Cycles customers have been left looking like they’ve seen a ghost recently, after rumours circulating around the town of Castleford led some to believe that its owner Gary Proud was dead… only for them to be greeted by Mr Proud when they popped into the shop to offer their condolences to his wife.
Mr Proud told the Pontefract and Castleford Express: “I had an old school buddy come in recently who thought I’d died, and on the same day we had somebody from Squires come in. My brother was speaking to someone and even they were saying it’s a shame about the bloke in the bike shop!
“I’m finding it quite funny but I think it’s upsetting people now. I have no idea where it came from. It seems to have gathered pace and it’s getting a bit disturbing.
“People are coming into the shop to see my wife and then see me, and look like they’ve seen a ghost.
“I don’t want to make light of it because a lot of people have died from Covid-19 but I have to laugh.”
The very much alive 58-year-old has run Kendell Cycles for more than 40 years, and was an elite cyclist in his youth. He is also the current captain of Featherstone Road Club.
Thief sold a £5,000 bike for £70
34-year-old Robert Bielby crept into a house in Wordsworth Street in east Hull and stole two bicycles, one worth £5,000 and the other £3,000… and after selling the more expensive bike for just £70, it turns out that Bielby believed the bikes belonged to his brother, who was a lodger at the property and owed him around £120.
Hull Live report that the actual owners of the bikes discovered they were gone the same evening and called the police, then managed to track down the person who had bought the £5,000 bike for £70 on Facebook.
Prosecuting barrister Paul Genney said: “The defendant was arrested and when interviewed by police he told them he took them because his brother owed him £120 and didn’t realise the value of the bikes, thinking they belonged to his brother.”
Daffyd Enoch QC said Bielby was “quite lucky” to be sentenced for theft instead of burglary, as he was given a three month suspended prison sentence and ten days of rehabilitation activity.
Cyclist falls into river in Murcia
The 60-year-old cyclist reportedly fell into the River Segura in Molina, Murcia accidentally, suffering trauma to the head. Euro Weekly report that the man managed to pull himself out with the help of others, before he was taken to a local hospital nearby.
"Preliminary investigation" reportedly opened into doping at the 2020 Tour de France
#UPDATE The investigation started after the “discovery of many health products including drugs (…) and above all a method that can be qualified as doping” prosecutors tell @AFP
A source said a raid targeting Arkea-Samsic riders had been carried out
📷 @AFPphoto pic.twitter.com/qFguwSxwwr
— AFP Sport English (@AFP_Sport) September 21, 2020
Following the news that Nairo Quintana’s hotel room was raided by police during the final week of the Tour de France, a wider investigation is about to take place according to the AFP news agency in France – will this affect standings as the investigation unravels?
"It just captured everything that is wrong with the way we should be travelling": Cumbria's bicycle mayor slams parked cars on cycle routes and calls for "sea change" in how roads are used
Richard Ingham, who has served as Cumbria’s bicycle mayor for a year, made his comments after claiming that Botchergate, one of the main routes into Carlisle city centre, is unsafe for cyclists, caused by cars parked in the cycle lane and heavy congestion.
Mr Ingham told News and Star: “It’s double yellow lines and there’s a cycle lane there – though the lane itself is substandard.
“Practically every parking rule in the Highway Code is being broken, and they get broken every single day.
“There’s a lack of consideration among some road users. We need to remember that it’s not my road, it’s our road.
“It just captured everything that is wrong with the way we should be travelling. It showed why we can’t travel more actively.”
He also pointed out that there had been 11 cyclist and 42 pedestrian casualties on this road alone between 2015-2019, saying his ‘heart would be in his mouth’ if his children were cycling on the road.
Making a wider point about the need for travel habits to change in the UK, Mr Ingham added: “There is no option but to change the way we travel.
“Switching to what you would call ‘active modes’ of transport, such as cycling and walking, would provide the answer to so many of the nation’s problems.
“We’re an unfit nation as a whole; obesity is a rising issue; but also, overuse of the car is also contributing to worse air quality in our streets. We know what sort of damage that does to people, particularly children.”
This week's helmet row: BBC face backlash for segment featuring guest campaigning for mandatory cycle helmets on Crimewatch Roadshow
Bizarre. Wonder why it was featured at all if the focus was not going to be on the crime, but on the disputed issue of compulsory helmet wearing. Keep at it, chase them for a response.
— Sonya Thomas (@writehandmedia) September 21, 2020
@BBCCrimewatch this is not acceptable. It is well established that to make cycling safer, you need to improve the infrastructure, and enforce existing motoring rules, such as speeding, or parking in bike lanes. Not blame the cyclist.
— Conor O’Neill (@tpuddle) September 21, 2020
This does not belong on @BBCCrimewatch. Not at all.
— Shoreham-By-Cycle (@ShorehamByCycle) September 21, 2020
The BBC are facing questions over their impartiality policy, after a discussion about mandatory helmet use on episode 11 of the Crimewatch Roadshow that aired this morning.
Around 15 minutes into the episode, a segment is introduced from a police training centre near Bristol, in which an officer talks about bike theft and how the public can better protect their bikes from thieves. Around three and a half minutes later, the subject suddenly shifts to cycling accidents and the risk of injury, introducing ‘former detective’ David Baker who is campaigning to make helmets compulsory after suffering a serious accident.
As Baker shows the presenter Rav Wilding a campaign poster from Headway, featuring the slogan ‘protect your melon’ and an image of a smashed watermelon alongside a helmeted one, Wilding says: “It’s very very simple, but very very clear what you are getting across there, the fact that if you put this helmet on, you will protect your own melon.”
“A really really powerful image and a great campaign.”
Guest stated from Highway Code rule 59 Cyclists “should wear” helmet.
What ever your personal issues are with them, and indeed myself. Take them up via the correct channels please. Not my twitter page. pic.twitter.com/uXsFN2dUl1
— Rav Wilding (@RavWilding) September 21, 2020
In his article on the programme for Forbes, Carlton Reid claims that the segment breached the BBC’s impartiality guidelines, because Wilding was “editorialising” by backing the Headway campaign and failing to challenge Baker’s calls for mandatory helmet use. Reid and Wilding exchanged messages on Twitter, with Reid saying that he had made an official complaint.
Earlier this week, Chris Boardman was criticised for not wearing a helmet in a segment on cycling in lockdown during ITV4’s Tour de France coverage. Following the social media backlash, Boardman said: “I’m so sad that riding a bike looking like this is so upsetting to people. It’s happening just a few hundred miles from us, and I think it’s quite wonderful.”
21 September 2020, 08:47
Great for customers, not so great for bike shops, say a number of retailers
Cyclescheme now claimed to be "unviable" for retailers following change in threshold
Cycle to Work provider looking at changing commission structure following complaints from bike shops that it is hitting margins on higher-value bikes
21 September 2020, 08:47
All the bikes from all the victories...
The bikes ridden to every stage win of the 2020 Tour de France
Check out all of the bikes that have crossed the line first
21 September 2020, 08:47
Slightly more affordable new kicks from the Italians
Sidi targets mid-level market with £167 Fast carbon road shoes
A size 42 has a claimed weight of 305g
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@Rendel Harris It looks like UKAD exonerated her, but that wasn't good enough for WADA, which decided that the source could not be unambiguously identified. So "the authorities" are really two authorities that disagree.
@Rendel Harris : cutting some corners, it's a watered down form of strict -or rather: absolute- liability. The only thing that needs to be established is that a situation 'x' (such as the presence of a prohibited substance) occurred. Whether it was intentional, whether someone was negligent or not, whether the concentration was such that it could not foreseeably have had any effect....none of those things matter in the least once the objective fact has been established. The only defence that appears to be open is conclusive proof that the substance was inadvertently ingested through contaminated foodstuffs and that the defendant could not have been aware of this. That's an almost impossible burden of proof.
@Xenophon2 Yes, strict liability exists for a reason, and as you say, professional athletes treat keeping on top of everything as part of the job, and allow time and money for them/their team to double check purchases and keep appropriate records etc. My issue is that the punishment should reflect how plausible it was that it were an accident, as well as any theoretical advantages. They should also consider the financial position of the athlete. Someone who lives well from prize money and lucrative sponsorship deals should reasonably be expected to have more resources to protect themselves from accidental ingestion, and they'll also be able to weather a suspension. I'm assuming there's not much money in paracycling, so a two year suspension is severe. I'd have thought a year more than sufficient to make a point.
@mitsky A force spokesperson said the distance he gave was “significantly less than the car he reported earlier had given him” This confirms my oft-repeated statement that the people the police really dislike and will try every dodge to prosecute are not offenders but those who report offences they don't want to know about (which is pretty much any offence by drivers such as No MOT for years, handheld mobile use, unbroken white line offences, red light offences), especially if the police are presented with indisputable evidence- they REALLY hate that! These two offences are at the same position and in the same direction ttps://upride.cc/incident/kn21axh_lancspolice_closepass/ ttps://upride.cc/incident/px12dnv_stagecoach41_closepass/ Needless to say, Lancashire Constabulary ignored both of them. The police reference numbers for the reports are (just for the record) are LANCSPE-188202 17.3.25 (this is the report to LC's DoItOnline portal where incidents are always rapidly closed by an un-named officer, which I submitted because there was, as expected, no response at all from OpSnap Lancs.) and APL198377 23.7.26 (this is the OpSnap type of reference). Police corruption is rife in the UK!
Usually, there's a valid engineering reason behind things being the way they are and barring a genius who invents something truly innovative that can be backed up by data most of these outlying designs are either rubbish or bring nothing (except weight). Thanks for showing but I'l pass.
I don't understand how the authorities can say they accept the substance was ingested inadvertently when at the same time banning her for not being able to say from whence the substance came? One would have thought to prove the first proposition one would need proof of the second. Not in any way suggesting she is guilty of deliberate doping, but it doesn't seem logical.
This ruling needs to be challenged and overturned. "Cyclist who reported bad driving told to pay £1,200 over bad riding ... police said the video also captured him "riding without due care and attention" as he approached a parked car and an oncoming vehicle. A force spokesperson said the distance he gave was "significantly less than the car he reported earlier had given him"." https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cd9w2l2wqvdo
It's extremely unfortunate in this case but the problem is, if the rules are any different, they'll immediately be exploited. Professional athletes go to incredible lengths with their nutrition and supplement purchases, to the extent that they only source from providers that do their own checking + that they keep sealed samples of the batches they purchase. For someone who doesn't have an entire team behind him/her that's just not feasible. I personally know someone who got 'caught' and fined + suspended, also with a dose that was 'sub physiologic concentration' but nothing to be done. No idea about the source. 6 months later it turned out that the 'bio' farmer where he purchased meat got caught for having administered hormonal substances to his cattle. But nothing to be done, he had to prove that the stuff that he had ordered at the time was contaminated. All costs for analysis of course to be borne by him. Where I am even recreational riders like myself -could never have made a living out of riding, never came even close to being good enough- are subject to tests and after a completely non-competitive gravel event that to me was strictly for fun even I got selected for testing. Strange feeling, having to pee in a cup with a guy watching. Anyway, it was negative.
@OnYerBike That is absolutely insane. How can you be fined for close passing a car coming the other way when you're on your side of the white line? When there is no mandatory or suggested rule regarding how closely a cyclist can pass a car? Cars pass each other like that all the time, if they didn't the roads would literally grind to a halt. If the cyclist is close passing the oncoming car whilst on their own side of the road, why isn't the car driver being fined for close passing the cyclist? The cyclist should appeal as the magistrates are clearly wrong in their interpretation of the law.
43 thoughts on “BBC accused of bias over helmet campaign on Crimewatch Roadshow; Tour de France BLM gesture “embarrassing”, says Wiggins; Cargo bike “best thing we ever bought”, says Jason Kenny; “I’m not dead”, says baffled bike shop owner + more on the live blog”
It’s not the TdF’s fault
It’s not the TdF’s fault there aren’t more black riders. Plenty of rich black footballers tho’…
darnac wrote:
It might not be the TdF’s “fault” but I think it’s fair to say that, as the highest profile cycling event in the world, the TdF has a great platform to make some kind of meaningful statement and, ideally, encourage the sponsors to put their hands in their pockets to start addressing some of the far wider societal issues that mean black and ethnic minorities are far less likely to end up as professional (or even recreational) cyclists than white people.
I find the scarcity of
I find the scarcity of ordinary black people cycling difficult to understand. What makes a person feel that cycling is not for them on account of their race?
I can understand it at the level of organised sport or club activity, but as an individual choice I struggle. It’s just personal choice, to go out for a cycle ride alone or with likeminded friends.
I don’t see the barriers. I hear the argument that the lack of black TdF stars trickles down. The same can not be said for running, yet people out jogging seem to be mostly the same colour as cyclists. So I am sceptical that elite role models will inspire a groundswell of black leisure cyclists.
Bicycles are very much in evidence across the African continent, so there is no cultural taboo. I’ve heard it said that possibly the bicycle is seen as emblematic of the poor person’s transport – but cycling’s image extends equally to the other end of the spectrum.
Either I am missing something, some societal pressure constraining black people’s latent wish to go cycling. Or, I wonder whether we are just pandering to our present sense of social justice, which will not be satisfied until its demand that all people cycle is realised – whether they want to or not.
I think in the UK at least,
I think in the UK at least, cycling is seen as a poor man’s transport and it’s considered a rite of passage to get your own car, so some communities will look down on adults old enough to drive that choose to cycle. On the flip side, some white middle-class adults choose to cycle as a lifestyle choice and that’s seen as being an anti-establishment stance.
What’s needed is to build decent infrastructure (e.g. get cyclists to ratify the designs or just put Saint Chris in charge of them all) and then maybe we’ll get our heads round cycling as cheap, effective transport that does scale well.
Interesting point. I was
Interesting point hawkinspeter. I was thinking back to when I got into cycling, which was when my uncle got my brother and I to cycle with him to a triathlon shop a few miles away, at the age of 14. Soon after we were hooked on the sport and riding our bikes daily. At 16 we were cycling to college, then at 18 to university in London. However, looking at those same routes now traffic levels (and quality of roads) are such that I don’t know if 16 year old me would be doing the same.
A large percentage of ethnic minority kids live in city areas, so they will be impacted by this – busy, dangerous and unfriendly roads, along with parents not keen on the perceived risks. This is something that will affect anyone living in those areas though, irrespective of race.
squired wrote:
I do find encouragement in the various knives-down/wheels-up gangs of youths making their presence felt on the roads as that seems to be a largely urban phenomenon. More wheelies in traffic is what we need to make cycling “cool” again.
I’m no expert, but I think
I’m no expert, but I think you have some good points. It’s easy for me, I can afford the equipment and rock up to a club where a lot of the riders look exactly like me, I’ll easily fit in and we’ll be sharing a laugh straight away. It would be so different if they were all 25 or 75 and I was in Aldi kit and riding a 14 speed Carrera. We naturally feel comfortable with people like us, so we have to make an effort to include others. There will be racism around and that’s the society we have, and it’ll only change if we make the effort.
Also, a sport where just one item of kit is seen as mid-price at £167 is going to be out of reach for many. To start cycle racing, or even training towards it, can you kit yourself out for less than £1500 unless you are well informed and can spot used bargains? And then where do you keep it all without the bike getting stolen? And as all your mates play football, which you can get into so much more cheaply, why wouldn’t you?
Ours is a minority sport and we have to realise there are significant barriers to entry for many. We need to break down those we can, and the message that everyone is welcome and we want everyone to have a go is important.
ASO has a pretty poor record on all of this. They don’t give a damn about having a proper womens’ race so I suppose we shouldn’t expect much. But when even F1 is doing more, you have to think this is embarrassing. I’m not saying that it’s easy to get a diverse peloton. You can’t suddenly magic up some top riders. But this year of all years it’s been pretty easy to send the message that the issue is recognised at least.
Sriracha wrote:
There’s this report from 2011 – http://content.tfl.gov.uk/barriers-to-cycling-for-ethnic-minorities-and-deprived-groups-summary.pdf
Which is interesting,but none
Which is interesting,but none of the factors they call out are particularly a BME only problem, the same lack of opportunity, safety concerns, status image of cycling,all of that stuff applies to people of any race or gender or sexual orientation wanting to get into cycling. Break down those barriers and treat it as something that impacts us all.
Tom_77 wrote:
There’s this report from 2011 – http://content.tfl.gov.uk/barriers-to-cycling-for-ethnic-minorities-and-deprived-groups-summary.pdf— Sriracha
Thanks for that. Having read it, however, I am little closer to understanding.
Nothing in the document points to overt racism, of the sort we have seen in football.
There is a link made with poverty. 57% of BME are excluded from cycling by poverty. However those with money associate cycling with poverty and so do not wish to be associated with cycling. So it’s heads, cars win, tails, bikes lose.
Some cultural factors are in play, such as dress codes inimical to cycling (saris), and demands on leisure time (mosque attendance) leaving not enough hours in the day for cycling. These relate mainly to Asian communities.
Overall the document seems to say that poverty is the main barrier, and it is the overlap between poverty with BME populations that leads to their exclusion from cycling. If that is so, then tackling poverty would seem to be the solution, rather than framing this as a racial issue directly.
Other factors are to do with cultural attitudes held by BME populations themselves, rather than the attitudes of others bearing upon them. I am not sure it is right to “correct” such cultural attitudes, that would smack of imperialism to me.
In many ways cycling is one
In many ways cycling is one of the most inclusive sports there is. You can succeed whether you are 5ft 2 and 50kg like Tom Pidcock (or similarly sized Colombian riders) or 6ft 3 and 80kg like Tim Declerq. Not many sports allow such a diverse physical range to compete at the top level.
squired wrote:
That’s only one way, though – bodily physique – not many.
And what about Colombian riders built more like Tim Declerq? The common assumption that South American riders will all be flyweight climbers is indicative of the kind of stereotyping that causes sports so many issues around race.
mdavidford wrote:
I don’t think you are getting my point. It doesn’t matter where someone is from or what colour they are, or how big or small they are. Cycling is one of the few sports where size really doesn’t matter, or race, just physiology. So in that sense it is the ultimate inclusive sport. As for your Colombian comment, I don’t think anyone is stereotyping apart from you.
Colombian cycling has some non-featherweight riders who aren’t climbers, but are also very successful. Not that long ago Gaviria was seen as one of if not the best sprinter in the sport. Alvaro Hoedeg is still doing well too and I believe he is over 6ft tall. George Hincape had Colombian heritage and he was 6ft 3.
If you are Pidcock’s size there is no point doing football, or basketball, or trying to be a swimmer, etc. Those sports are out of reach. In fact, given his height I’m sure he has dealt with a huge amount of discrimination, but cycling is a sport where he can still be successful. If Pidcock was black or asian he could still be successful. If he turned up in races as exactly the same person, but with different skin colour teams would all be interested. In many cases all they care about is whether you will win or not and even if you are a complete a-hole that doesn’t matter. Look at the comments Alex Dowsett apparently made along that line about Quintana. He may have been nasty and unliked within his team, but he brought victories. In his case his non-white skin didn’t stop him getting rides.
I don’t think you’re getting
I don’t think you’re getting my point. When people call out issues around race in cycling, they’re not complaining that people are discriminated against on the grounds of their physique. Whether you can make it as a short, light rider or a big heavy one isn’t really relevant to the questions people are asking when they talk about diversity or inclusivity.
Really?? Have you listened to any cycling commentary recently? They’re always slipping into remarks about how ‘the Colombians are suited to this type of terrain’ [steep, high mountains], etc. And where exactly was I stereotyping?
The success of Gaviria & Hodeg isn’t evidence that such prejudices don’t exist. That’s the equivalent of pointing to the 6%* of female CEOs in the FTSE100 and saying ‘see – there can’t be any sexism in the boardroom, because they made it’.
[* Don’t know whether this stat is still current, by I don’t imagine it’s improved much.]
…but us in the 5’3″, 70kg
…but us in the 5’3″, 70kg bracket are basically in no man’s land in terms of success….especially when the bulk of that 70kg is around the midriff…lol
Any one who doesn’t think
Anyone who doesn’t think there is a problem with inclusivity in cycling is deluded. Women are just about acceptable ffs.
Why has Road CC shared a twitter comment from a person who’s Twitter page clearly marks them out as a racist? Surely you can do better than that?
Team Qhubeka Dimension Data,
Team Qhubeka Dimension Data, I thought were doing a good job of highlighting inequalities a few years ago.. they brought Daniel Teklehaimanot to the tdf with some success and won a stage on Africa day (?).. a bit token I know but there was a huge PR machine behind them and it really was a big thing at the time… sponsorship pressures as usual cocked that all up.. the current world tour team of NTT does not look like it’s carrying on in the same vein.
There are also biological
There are also biological reasons. I think one reason swimmers aren’t typically black as bone density is higher. But I don’t think that would affect the sprinter end of the spectrum, in fact it should be an advantage. Just not so likely to see GC contenders. Obviously all that is racism aside, which I’m sure is the main reason.
visionset wrote:
Cycling is an endurance sport. Who makes up 100% of the top 10 endurance (marathon etc) runners? Black people, essentially. There is no biological reason whatsoever black cyclists can’t get to the top level in any cycling discipline.
As to the wider issue, you need to do a bit of research.
Francis Cade has a couple of very good interviews with the BCN founder on his YouTube channel. As far as club cycling goes part of it is about not feeling out of place or the odd one out, but obviously a bit more than that.
EddyBerckx wrote:
Kenyans essentially, ie high altitude trained for life.
And I’ve done a quick read and it seems other biological differences too.
But there is a biological reason whites don’t do so well at endurance running. mmm
But you may be correct, or maybe not, I’m not sure, but there are biological differences that will make a difference and therefore some ethnicities are going to have an easier time in some sports and vice versa.
Like I said the one standout for me is climbing ability, there won’t have been any studies I guess like there have been for many other athletic aspects where differences have been shown.
so ignored my last sentence then.
Any ideas that a particular
Any ideas that a particular race (“black” “white” “asian” etc.) Is good at something or bad at something else are complete rubbish. Speaking biologically, race means nothing at all. Any differences seen between these groups is utterly negligible when compared to variation found within these groups. It is absolutely not true that black people are better at marathon running, it might be true that a tiny subset of black people ( the average kenyan is no better a marathon runner than the average british person) but if you are a poko me myt: a small tribe which is one of more than 200 ethnic groups in Kenya you might well have a better chance at being a good marathon runner.
At the highest level of sport
At the highest level of sport a gnats cock seperates people. Biological differences may be minimal, but probably all it takes. Margianl gains are a thing. There are studies that show they are significant, so it is far from rubbish.
However I completely concede that social differences as EddyBerckx points out, white privilege and racism have far more to do with it.
So my post was just a point of interest based on fact, nothing to get worked up over.
As I understand it, the
As I understand it, the claimed performance-enhancing properties of gnats cocks aren’t supported by the scientific evidence.
It’s quite simple from my
It’s quite simple from my view, If you want to cycle, cycle. Regardless of creed or colour, there aren’t any real barriers, if you’re good you’re good.
I think there would be more black cyclists in the tdf if it was something they were genuinely interested in, It’s not something that is promoted really in black culture. Lord knows they excel at other sports, why not cycling ? The Williams brothers in the US are prime examples, they are outstanding on the US Crit scene and have built an amazing team.
I live in Birmingham and I’m seeing a definite increase in the amount of Asian cyclists out and about, not many black cyclists though ?
For diversity in cycling you
For diversity in cycling you need to look to the US of all places! Justin and Cory Williams’ Legion of Los Angeles is a prime example. I would love to see how Justin would get on if he was given a chance to race on this side of the Atlantic. The man is a machine!
Justin did race in Europe,
Justin did race in Europe, for the livestrong development team in ’10 I think. He only did one season though and called it a day.
It’s interesting to hear how
It’s interesting to hear how other people view this topic, e.g. where they are coming from. (without turning into a bun fight)
There’s a ‘Brothers on Bikes’ chapter near me, I always seem to see a group of their riders out and about.
There’s also a Sikh cycling group which meets up at the local costa, I’ve seen maybe 30of them at any one time meeting up.
I’m quite friendly with the 4-6 main traditional cycling clubs in the area which probably account for maybe 1500members, I don’t see much colour in these clubs. Yes there are certainly riders from all creeds and colours but the % are small all over.
…Maybe I’ll reach out to the two named clubs above and ask them what they think.
Black on black murder in the
Black on black murder in the US accounts for about 95% of black murder cases.
Somebody tell BLM the tale is wagging the dog. Then again BLM is just white marxists now anyway and one of the BLM leaders is a paedo.
Very Daily Mail.
Very Daily Mail.
Almost effortless trolling.
Almost effortless trolling.
Not surprising, given the amount of time and effort you put into it. Have you hit 10,000 hours yet?
Rick_Rude wrote:
Has Rick been right about anything, ever?
stomec wrote:
No, but he’s always rude.
In another programme, David
In another programme, David Baker tells that we should all wear stab vests in case of stabbing.
Also all women should wear clothes which cover them up completely to guard against rape.
He added “I always wear a crash helmet and fire retardant suit whilst driving”.
I’ve always found it amusing
I’ve always found it amusing that telling women to dress modestly to avoid attracting unwanted and potentially dangerous attention is slut-shaming and victim-blaming and you’re a filthy bigot if you dare to suggest it, but telling cyclists to wear helmets to avoid being ended by motor vehicle drivers is fair game.
I certainly agree about the
I certainly agree about the TERN GSD. It’s a brilliant cargo bike. It does replace a car in the city. And before anyone pipes up ‘you can’t carry a fridge on a bike’ you don’t need to. `And if i ever do I’ll hire a van for the afternoon. But I don’t need a 4×4 24/7 just in case one day i have to carry a fridge.
The BBC has been running a
The BBC has been running a propaganda campaign on cycle helmets since 1982, when it broadcast a “You and Yours” prog on R4 promoting helmets and interviewing Angela Lee, the founder of the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust, and nobody else, breaking many of their own rules. They have had many features since promoting helmets, almost all of which broke their own rules again, including featuring James Cracknell who was sponsored by the helmet manufacturer; on the same prog they did interview a helmet sceptic, but cut the bit where he said that helmets weren’t effective, having promised him that it would be included.
There is a prog on R4 which claims to refute modern myths and expose the use of dodgy statistics “More or Less” and it had a segment on cycle helmets; for the first and only time in the prog’s history, it didn’t examine any statistics or data, only interviewed helmet zealots and the presenter made his views clear, which broke just about every rule they’ve got.
I’ve complained many times, but the BBC is judge and jury on complaints, and all have been dismissed, despite the clearest possible evidence of bias and rule breaking.
Three weeks ago, the new head of R4 was interviewed and said that he would be making sure that items were produced tackling incidents of perceived wisdom being wrong, so I emailed him suggesting that he start with cycle helmets; no response. I’ve sent him a letter, including an SAE for an answer; no response.
The BBC is clearly, blatantly promoting cycle helmets, against all its own rules and refusing to allow contradictory opinions or to examine the facts. I’ve no idea why, but I am absolutely sure that they are doing it. Clearly, complaining isn’t going to change anything, so what else can we do? Protests outside Broadcasting House?
If you don’t like the BBC,
If you don’t like the BBC, then just stop paying them. Hit them in the pocket.
hawkinspeter wrote:
How will one person not paying their tv licence stop the BBC’s propaganda campaign?
BUT you need to pay the BBC
BUT you need to pay the BBC (Licence fee) to be permitted access to material from other broadcasters
I think the fee also pays to maintain the transmision network as well
EK Spinner wrote:
Well, that doesn’t seem fair
I didn’t realise that wearing
I didn’t realise that wearing a bike helmet would stop my bike being stolen! That changes everything…
Made a complaint about the
Made a complaint about the Crimewatch helmet item, and received a rapid response;
“Thank you for contacting us about Crimewatch Roadshow Live, broadcast 21st September 2020, with your concern about the item on cycling helmets.
Crimewatch Roadshow Live reports on a range of serious crimes and appeals which are relevant to our audiences. This item did not endorse any campaign, but highlighted a very personal point of view from a former police officer who believes wearing a bicycle helmet saved his life. It was made clear that there is a debate over whether helmets should be compulsory but that they are recommended by The Highway Code.
We hope this helps and we thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Kind regards,
BBC Complaints Team”
The usual inevitable brush off, so I have written back demanding that it be investigated properly. Note that the response claims that it “did not endorse any campaign…” Not effing much.
eburtthebike wrote:
Exactly. They’ve got a huge Headway poster there… Is that just to cover a wall or something?