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Where's the pineapple? Mathieu van der Poel offends Italy AGAIN; 117mph driver "will need a bicycle"; Steep cobbled climbs: Yorkshire is the new Flanders; LEJOG with a difference; Giro rest day; Bollards!; Weekend round-up + more on the live blog

Happy Monday! Ryan has left the live blog behind to go honeymooning (decent excuse, I guess...) so that leaves you with Dan Alexander this week...apologies in advance...
23 May 2022, 15:37
E-bikes worth £30,000 stolen from Gloucestershire bike shop
Stolen bikes (Gloucestershire Constabulary)

Five e-bikes with a total value of £30,000 were stolen in a break-in on St George Street in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, at 00:30 BST on Sunday morning. Officers were called and found a window had been smashed to force entry.

Elsewhere over the weekend, a reader sent us a Facebook message ..."For a country so at odds with cycling, we sure do like stealing bikes a lot"...

23 May 2022, 15:23
Saddlebags v pockets: what's the best way to carry stuff on a ride?
banana

> Seatpacks v pockets: what's the best way to carry stuff on a ride?

I'm a phone, keys, cash, mini pump, scran in the pockets kind of rider. Spares in a saddlebag...

When I say scran I mean a bagel for the first hour and thereafter sugary sweets forensically separated into those clear bags you get with lateral flow tests, each with 60g carbs, one an hour. I know, I'm weird...and could have some awkward answers if stopped by the police...

Pockets? Saddle bag? Bar bag? Frame bag? Spare bidon storage? How do you do it?

23 May 2022, 15:08
Dangerous driver clocked speeding at 117mph on the A419 during car meet will need a bicycle

Apologies for the sparse live blog action this afternoon. I went for an interview with a Giro d'Italia pro...only to be told there had been a misunderstanding and they'd joined the call at 3pm...Italian time...

Anyway, that's been rescheduled and back to the blog...

 I wonder if Merseyside Police would advise this one to cycle like you drive?

23 May 2022, 13:02
LEJOG with a difference

That's a long old time to be sat looking at your ride partner...

23 May 2022, 10:59
But cyclists...
23 May 2022, 10:24
Yorkshire is the new Flanders

Yesterday was the Ronde Van Calderdale, giving riders all the cobbled suffering of Flanders just without leaving the Kirklees and Calderdale districts of Yorkshire. Two routes: one at 58 miles with 13 cobbled climbs, one at 74 miles with 14 cobbled climbs. Just look at some of these brutes...

Finishing with the ascent of Trooper Lane, of course...that's 700m at 19 per cent according to Veloviewer...

23 May 2022, 10:11
The stakes are high...

Maybe pineapple is the secret after all?

23 May 2022, 09:50
Weekend round-up: LTNs; Near Miss of the Day update from Gloucestershire Police; Team GB rider victim of "intentional" hit and run; bike reviews; e-bike loan scheme off to a flyer...

Another busy weekend here at road.cc. Most importantly, one of our stories from Friday became a meme...

> Round-the-world cyclist arrives in UK... and has bike stolen outside a Reading Wetherspoons two days later 

On Saturday, the UK (or maybe England would be fairer?) kept on showing its self to be a delightful place for cyclists...Team GB's Charlie Tanfield was struck by a motorist in an "intentional" hit and run while he took a day off Tour Series duty...

There was a strong police feel to proceedings this weekend...

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Cox, head of crime at Lincolnshire Police and national lead for fatal collision investigations, reminded motorists that they have "a responsibility to protect vulnerable road users", after footage posted by broadcaster Jeremy Vine showing a lorry close passing a police officer received a backlash from angry drivers.

> Vandals target LTN bollards and planters less than 24 hours after trial is introduced

We also published Gloucestershire Police's response to our follow-up about Near Miss of the Day 763..."the manner of driving did not appear to cause the cyclist any raised risk"...right...okay...well that's that sorted then...

> Review: Specialized Sirrus X 3.0

And finally, in more positive news the first ‘Cycling made e-asy’ scheme, offering people free long-term loans of e-bikes, has been booked out within hours...more bikes will be made available in the coming weeks...

23 May 2022, 09:25
What drink to wash down your pineapple pizza, sir?

I mean, Alpecin-Fenix probably should have expected the replies...

23 May 2022, 09:14
Some hard-hitting journalism to start the week...

Poll Maker

23 May 2022, 07:56
Where's the pineapple? Mathieu van der Poel offends Italy AGAIN

If Mathieu van der Poel is trying to get chased out of Italy so he doesn't have to ride the mountains of the third week of the Giro d'Italia then he's going about it the right way...

In the first week we had spaghetti-gate after shocking incriminating footage was leaked online showing Van der Poel spraying copious amounts of tomato ketchup all over his plain pasta. In the words of Paris-Roubaix winner and Italian national champion Elisa Longo Borghini..."After that, I don’t know what there is. Probably only death"...

Well, turns out there's more than death because Van der Poel's back offending the entire nation of Italy...this time by merely suggesting pineapple was missing from his pizza...(for legal reasons we must be clear: no pineapple pizza was eaten)...

Dutch journalist Thijs Zonneveld captioned a picture of the Alpecin-Fenix star ready to tuck into a margherita pizza on the team bus after stage 15, 'If they forgot to put olives on your pizza again'. To which the devastating reply came..."Pineapple🍍"

Presumably armed police now protect the team hotel while special services devise a plan to sneak him out of the country without the baying mob getting their hands on the winner of the opening stage...

Is Van der Poel cancelled? Will he make it through the rest day press conference? Will Italy let him start stage 16? 

Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.

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54 comments

Avatar
Karlt | 1 year ago
1 like

Not sure that presenting "have to get a bike" as a punishment is going to drive voluntary modal change. It's a bit like schools setting extra maths/PE/Writing as a punishment then wondering why kids have negative attitudes to maths/PE/Writing...

Avatar
Hirsute | 1 year ago
3 likes

A cyclist made UK dash cams this week.
At least I think they did - all in black so they could not be seen in the dark.
Mind you according to Neal Ashley cyclists can't be seen anyway even with a day time flashing front light.

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nosferatu1001 replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
1 like

Yep, they're "too hard to see " and when asked why, it's because cyclists are small,  obviously. 

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chrisonabike replied to nosferatu1001 | 1 year ago
2 likes

Not "very far away"?

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nosferatu1001 replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
1 like

chrisonatrike wrote:

Not "very far away"?

both in the case of his learner who didn't see a flashing light from 400m away, when the dash cam certainly could....

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
0 likes

Thought he wasn't doing one as Youtube seems to be targeting dash cam channels now unless they "transform" them. 

But on the video, very interesting with the person crossing the side road. Driver and passenger having ago at the child, then the comments stating variations of "new rules" when they are not new.

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IanMSpencer | 1 year ago
3 likes

They'd probably hate to see my spag bol recipe.

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Awavey | 1 year ago
4 likes

Ellen van Dijks hour record attempt is about to start in case people are interested https://youtu.be/mlYWhjkQMCQ

Spoilers...49.254km, new world record

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vthejk | 1 year ago
1 like

On reflection, I do quite like pineapple on pizza, but only on the ones that have, like, barbeque sauce on. At that point, you're far enough from real pizza to not obey convention anyway.

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
12 likes

When for a country walk Saturday. On a single track road, after 3 close passes with drivers not slowing down, another one comes along too fast and I raise my left arm in a 'what was that?' motion.

Next thing I hear is the sound of gravel and then reverse gear. I turned to see the driver reversing back towards us and which point my wife tells me not to lose my temper ! Instead I just carried on walking just to see how far they would reverse ! My wife reckoned the passenger suggested that a confrontation was not advisable.

No doubt I provoked the driver with my arm gesture and contrived the situation. I should have doffed my cap to the all important driver who pays road tax unlike me.

Still can't work out what the driver would have said to us. Maybe mdavidford can come up with a pithy sentence !

 

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eburtthebike replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
6 likes

Drivers' entitlement has reached new heights.  Soon they'll be demanding that pedestrians throw themselves in the hedge as a car approaches so that they don't have to slow down.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to eburtthebike | 1 year ago
6 likes

Thought that was what the farmer was demanding the other day. 

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vthejk replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
2 likes

I need to get better at not reacting to certain drivers tbh. I was on the home stretch of an audax on Saturday and had a horrendously close pass by a driver (entering the Midlands from Warwickshire is always easy to tell -  the standard of driving just Dips). I raised an arm angrily and bosh! He brakes, screams at my companion and I that we are 'riding side by side.' I then made the additional mistake of telling him to get stuffed, at which point he overtook us, pulled over and nearly knocked us both off when he got out of the car for a confrontation.

Some people are just evil, and they may be wrong, but I'd rather be alive.

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Hirsute replied to vthejk | 1 year ago
10 likes

I do raise my arm after a close pass but only because others on here suggested that it helps stop the next car following the same line. For you, the fact that the driver was watching in the mirror means he did it on purpose.

The main thing I have picked up from here is to keep your distance, so if they stop up ahead, have a shouting match from 20 or 30m away or just wait quietly until they go.

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mdavidford replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
5 likes

hirsute wrote:

Still can't work out what the driver would have said to us. Maybe mdavidford can come up with a pithy sentence !

"You can pith right off!"?

[OK - it's not very good, but I'm not a performing monkey, you know.]

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nappe | 1 year ago
7 likes

I did yesterday's Ronde Van Calderdale, it's brutal...it's also very good at being quite 'Northern', at one of the feed stations, there was a box of pork scratchings and when you get to the finish, you are presented with a bottle of beer and a pork pie!

The most fun I've ever had whilst being beaten up on a bike...

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Oldfatgit | 1 year ago
1 like

Would be interesting to see how many 'no' to pineapple on pizza are 'yes' to tomato sauce on a bacon roll.

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mdavidford replied to Oldfatgit | 1 year ago
0 likes

I'll pass on the tomato sauce and the bacon, thanks.

In fact, I'd be happier with the pineapple in my roll.

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Backladder | 1 year ago
6 likes

Can we get some of those bollards installed in LTNs!

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brooksby replied to Backladder | 1 year ago
0 likes

I do have to wonderr WTAF that truck driver thought they were doing...

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zideriup | 1 year ago
1 like

Oh good god, my legs just looking at those cobbled climbs!

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GMBasix | 1 year ago
5 likes

Dan Alexander wrote:

offending the entire nation of Italy"

It's about time the people of Italy stopped appropriating the national dish of Hawaii and saying how people should prepare it!

 

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SimoninSpalding replied to GMBasix | 1 year ago
1 like

With all the genuinely wonderful food Italy does have to offer, I have no idea why everyone focusses on what is essentially cheese on toast.

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chrisonabike replied to SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
3 likes

How dare you dismiss the national dish of Wales like that!

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mdavidford replied to SimoninSpalding | 1 year ago
2 likes

There's no toast involved in a pizza. Toast entails double-cooking - the initial bake, and then a subsequent grilling. Pizza only has a single bake. An open sandwich would be a closer comparison than cheese on toast.

Avatar
Karlt replied to mdavidford | 1 year ago
1 like
mdavidford wrote:

There's no toast involved in a pizza. Toast entails double-cooking - the initial bake, and then a subsequent grilling. Pizza only has a single bake. An open sandwich would be a closer comparison than cheese on toast.

That would imply that the thousands, nay, millions, of pizzas made on pre-baked bases are not pizzas. Don't get me wrong; I make mine the proper way (although the breadmaker gets the kneading job; why have a dog and bark?)

The Mary Whitehouse Experience (for those old enough to remember) defined pizza as "posh cheese on toast" so that's a good basis for the description  3

Avatar
mdavidford replied to Karlt | 1 year ago
1 like

Karlt][quote=mdavidford wrote:

That would imply that the thousands, nay, millions, of pizzas made on pre-baked bases are not pizzas.

Yes. And?

Although I believe those are classed as 'part-baked' - so technically they're only being baked once - just with a very long pause in the middle.

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Hirsute | 1 year ago
5 likes

I see ashley neal made a video just to have a go at cycling mikey.

He should stick to driving lessons as he doesn't understand cycling.

Another one of those claims of cyclists contriving situations rather than revealing the problem.

Also where mikey has stopped the car, he is personally responsible for the other drivers trying to make progress by driving on the pavement. Nothing to do with a car completely on the wrong side of the road.

 

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chrisonabike replied to Hirsute | 1 year ago
7 likes

He's edged into some questionable comments before so this wouldn't entirely surprise me.  Will watch the vid though to see.

EDIT video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek0FhYn2SmA

It all starts well enough.  His beef eventually comes down to 1) "he's picking sides" (e.g. ignores the cyclists doing something wrong) and 2) "it's just confrontational and won't make roads safer - rather the reverse".  He's correct on the first as far as I know (I'm not a watcher of Cycling Mikey outside of road.cc).  I'd say that's irrelevant though given that CM isn't the police.  For the second he seems rather to undercut his own argument by saying that Mikey is too niche for drivers to get educated by (rather than... Ashley Neal) but at the same time is inspiring "legions" of cyclists to go forth and antagonise drivers.  They should just be passing the footage to the police. (Ashley Neal says "I've never reported anyone for anything" at 2:57 - so I think we know where he's coming from).  But then... how would that educate anybody?

His summary - "he creates many of these road rage incidents all of his own accord".  So again the focus here is on "making people angry" not "safety" even though he continually says that safety is his main concern.  This isn't an uncommon viewpoint and obviously there is some truth (angry people don't follow rules and make very bad choices).  Also as an instructor he can only address the people / training side and not infra / laws so much.  Overall it's a category mistake though.  If your "safety" system relies on perfect human behaviour it's failed before you started.

He also picks an example of a cyclist failing at the new highway code guidance e.g. turning into a side road when a pedestrian is crossing (4:40).  It's not quite clear from the footage that this is exactly as he says it is.  However just before this he states that because of low speeds at this location neither nor cars and bikes going the wrong way are a big deal.  (e.g. they present similar and small risks to others).  In this case because a car is wider than a bike the pedestrian would have to stop to be safe if a car had turned in to the side road.  However with a narrower cycle if the pedestrian was slightly ahead of the cyclist they could just keep walking and the cyclist would safely pass clear behind.  (This is common in the Netherlands).  So again failure to spot that car is not equal to bike.

On his charge of "double standards" he himself has plenty form on the "cyclists could do better even though it's not breaking the law" line e.g.:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-WdjQ6bfc

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
1 like

chrisonatrike wrote:

He also picks an example of a cyclist failing at the new highway code guidance e.g. turning into a side road when a pedestrian is crossing (4:40).

As I understand it, cyclists do not have to stop to give priority to peds crossing roads. 9 times out of 10, it's easy enough to either go behind or sufficiently far in front of a ped so that you can both progress without the ped feeling endangered (other times, just stop and wave them across).

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