Police stop 50 cyclists for riding without lights in “educational event”… and get blasted for “namby pamby approach” and “two-tier policing”; Why don’t cyclists use the bike lane? Because it’s slippery and squelchy with wet leaves + more on the live blog

Wait, I think I’ve heard this story before!

Almost exactly a year ago, Oxfordshire’s Fire and Rescue Service’s Road Safety Team, together with Thames Valley Police & Brookes University staff, came together to stop cyclists riding without hi-vis or lights on their bikes. With the Christmas-y fervour  apparently setting in rather early with the teams, they decided to display their generosity and let the cyclists go without handing them with a £30 fine — but not before issuing them with some “lights and hi-vis rucksacks” so they could get home “legally and safely”.

And like clockwork, the same three teams got back with the same ‘Be Bright, Be Seen’ joint initiative as part of Road Safety Week, stopping 50 cyclists for cycling without lights. Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service wrote on Facebook: “As the event was aimed at educating cyclists, no penalty notices were issued, but instead cyclists were given advice about the importance of being clearly visible to other road users.

“Their bikes were then fitted with a temporary set of lights to ensure they got home safely.

“The second cyclist in the picture shows how difficult it is for other road users to spot cyclists without lights or bright clothing.”

And lo and behold, just like some things never change, the comments were flooded with people fuming about taxpayer’s money being misused, even accusing the police of “going soft” and trying to be everyone’s friend.

“Why are we, the taxpayer, paying to give irresponsible people lights to get home? Everyone knows they need lights when cycling in the dark.”

“Why the namby pamby approach to cyclists, if it was a car or a motorcycle they would be ticketed and fined. Two tier policing again.”

“Typical of a modern policing policy. Just do your job and fine them… Stop trying to be everyone's friend… The reality is that they’ll be laughing at you for getting away with it!”

“Why were they not given a fine? It would happen to a motorist if the police pulled them over for not having their headlights on but there again, common sense does does fail some people.”

With winter well and truly here, it would be a good time to bring back Rule 59 and 60 of the Highway Code. While the former says that cyclists should wear “light-coloured or fluorescent clothing which helps other road users to see you in daylight and poor light,” while the latter dictates that when cycling at night, cycles “must have white front and red rear lights lit. It must also be fitted with a red rear reflector (and amber pedal reflectors, if manufactured after 1/10/85).”

> The Highway Code for cyclists — all the rules you need to know for riding on the road explained

However, hi-vis still continues to be a divisive topic amongst cyclists, some disputing its efficacy and arguing that it only serves to perpetuate the tradition of ‘victim blaming’. Yet, there are some who swear by it. One person on Facebook wrote: “Cycling through the winter I couldn’t imagine leaving without putting all my lights and hi-vis bag cover on… anything to make myself as visible as possible especially when leaving Oxford in areas with no street lights.

“At the end of the day, it’s my health I'm putting at risk if I leave with no lights and a car doesn't see me… Why on Earth people take that risk I do not know.

“I stick to having two strong rear red lights. One constantly on, one flashing. Hi-vis bag cover and shoe covers, then on the front I have two lights. One constantly on and one flashes when in street lit areas and then both constantly on when not in street lit areas

“Boggles my mind as a cyclist and driver that people will chose to leave in the winter with no lights.”

One driver said: “Thank you for this initiative. I am a very anxious driver in Oxford at the moment. Cyclist friends please be aware visibility in our car is poor with other cars lights on, glare on our wet windscreens, etc… So we really can’t see you in our mirrors when you pass on the left if you don’t have a decent front light. T-junctions are also a worry as we can’t see you bombing down behind another car at night as we are mostly blinded by their lights…”

> Police stop cyclists without lights, and issue “lights and hi-vis rucksack instead of a fine” so they can “get home safely and legally”

There were also a couple of people who questioned the police’s approach towards dangerous drivers. Juan Escobar commented: “Please also do checks on drivers using mobile phones. It’d be a lot more than 50 though,” while Emma Franks said: “Now go for drivers and take more licences away please. Far too many risky drivers about. At least a cyclist is only likely to hurt themselves.”

And finally, there were some who thought that this was indeed a good approach, Garry Templeman keeping it short and sweet: “Good work. Progressive policing.”

Campaigners attempting to put a stop to the final phase of a cycle lane project in Coventry, which last week saw them take part in a mass tree-hugging event to highlight their opposition to plans to cut down 26 trees to make way for the new active travel infrastructure, have accused the local council of spreading “misinformation” about their motives for opposing the cycleway.

In a formal complaint sent to Coventry City Council this week, Dawn McCann, one of the leaders of the opposition to the planned Clifford Bridge Road cycleway, argued that the local authority was “misleading the public” by “putting out several untrue statements”, denying that the scheme’s original design was rejected by residents due to plans to cut the number of on-street car parking spaces.

However, the head of public realm at Coventry City Council has told road.cc that plans to cut parking spaces had made the scheme “politically unacceptable” to residents, while noting that other areas where the cycleway has been installed have led to a “significant reduction” in collisions, increasing safety for vulnerable road users.

> ‘Tree-hugging’ cycle lane opponents ‘backed’ by David Attenborough accuse council of spreading “misinformation” – but local authority says trees are only being cut down because residents opposed loss of on-street car parking

The greatest cyclist in the world has found himself in the headlines even in the off-season, first beginning with the bumper contract extension with UAE Team Emirates, leading to accusations of sportswashing coming along the Slovenian’s way, and then as details about his €8 million a year contract emerged, chatter around a introducing budget cap was also heard.

Now, 1988 Tour de France winner Pedro Delgado has talked up Pogačar’s attributes and success, while also passing foreboding comments about his impact on the competitiveness of the sport.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper El Diario de Valladolid, Delgado said: “The reign of Pogačar will be a dictatorship… He has no rival. In the Pogačar dictatorship, it's impossible [for rivals] to shine. In comparison, Remco Evenepoel, for all he's really good, seems like he's still learning.”

He added: “Pogačar is a real prodigy. I don't know how long his era will last, not because of his physical qualities, but because he's made winning a habit. Things could fall apart, but I think he'll dominate the sport for the next five years.”

After cyclists criticised the “baffling” decision to block the bike lane for the second year in a row, Limerick Council has since moved the tree, allowing cyclists to pass while narrowing the footpath.

> Rockin’ around the cycle lane Christmas tree: Backlash as city’s massive tree plonked in middle of contraflow bike lane, forcing cyclists into oncoming traffic

As vezes da uma raladinha mesmo pic.twitter.com/2KM3slfVMq

— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) November 22, 2024

Teams willing to break the bank to get the best players may well have kicked off in football in the 90s, but pro cycling is still, to some degree, averse to the big-money transfer sagas with glitzy, up-and-coming stars and the world’s biggest clubs at the centre of it all.

However, this recent Maxim van Gils story could very well be the start of a new era, with a former Lotto Dstny manager saying there’s nothing wrong with talented riders leaving small teams to join rival teams in search of a better contract and career prospects.

For context, Van Gils, Lotto Dstny’s promising classics star who had a breakthrough spring campaign in the Ardennes — has reportedly tried to rip up his contract in a bid to secure a better deal at another team with the help of his agent Alex Carera, and officials at the Belgian team are fighting tooth and nail to make sure that doesn’t happen.

> More drama at Lotto Dstny, as promising classics star Maxim van Gils tries to rip up contract – but Belgian team says talks about rider’s future are “ongoing”

Now, former Lotto Dstny manager Paul De Geyter has come out to defend the 24-year-old Belgian rider, who has already seen his fair share of controversy in his young career when he hit another rider during a sprint and was fined by the UCI for “dangerous behaviour”.

In an interview with Sporza, De Geyter said: “If someone from a smaller football team can make a transfer to a larger football team, everyone thinks that is a logical step in a footballer's career. But when a rider from Lotto Dstny can go to a team with better support, that rider is portrayed as a money-grabber. I think that is totally wrong.”

De Geyter also called more open transfer market and buyout fees, governed by clear regulations that respect contract laws. Yannick Prévost, Wout van Aert’s agent, responded to these calls saying: “That's not possible at the moment. Because to set up a transfer system, you need to have teams with a lot of capital."

"There are some rich teams, but there are also a number of teams like Lotto-Dstny that have to make sure every year that they don't end up in the red. A system of transfer fees is currently premature for cycling.”

Maxim van Gils (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Carera, who has previously orchestrated Cian Uijtdebroeks, another promising Belgian rider, break his contract with Bora-Hansgrohe and join one of the most dominant teams in the men’s sport, Visma-Lease a Bike last year, has said that talks with Lotto Dstny are ongoing, but “likely” to end with Van Gils leaving the team. For which team instead? That’s not clear yet.

Of course, this would only happen if the transfer is sanctioned by both Lotto Dstny and the UCI, but it would be fair to say the rider’s relationship with his current team might be all but over — Dmitri Payet for West Ham and Carlos Tevez for Manchester City come to mind, if anyone’s looking for footy analogies.

> Ridley accuses Lotto Dstny of “disloyalty” and “reputational damage” as Belgian team looks to break contract with bike sponsor

Meanwhile, Lotto Dstny officials have been left fuming and scrambling to figure a way to stop this from happening. An unnamed team manager told Belgian television RTBF: “The trust between riders and team leaders is disappearing. Soon, a contract will no longer mean anything and it will be impossible to work in the long term since there is this uncertainty.

“Let's look at this problem the other way around. Could we imagine a team telling its rider, in mid-November when the transfer market is closed: listen, we don't need you anymore, we're going to terminate your contract? No.

“This Van Gils affair is shocking because it is November! This behaviour is not acceptable. It is a lack of respect and recognition for the entire structure of the Lotto Dstny team that trained him and brought him to this level. I think that the rider is tarnishing his image.”