“This could have been the end of his Tour de France”: Photographer who caused Vingegaard to crash on Mont Ventoux banned for two days, but Visma-Lease a Bike boss says he should’ve been “suspended for the rest of the Tour” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Carlos Rodriguez abandons Tour de France due to fractured pelvis after yesterday’s crash, as Ineos team leader’s season comes to an abrupt end
Carlos Rodríguez is out of the Tour de France, Ineos Grenadiers have confirmed this morning. After crashing with Julian Alaphilippe around 50 kilometres from the finish of stage 17, and somehow making it to Valence, the Spanish rider has been diagnosed with a fractured pelvis and will not take the start of today’s stage 18.
“Carlos Rodríguez will regrettably not take the start of stage 18 today following his crash in the final moments of yesterday’s stage,” the team said in a statement
“Hospital scans have confirmed a fracture of the pelvis. Carlos is in good spirits and remains under the close supervision of our medical team. He will now return home to focus on recovery and the rehabilitation process.”
Rodríguez is now expected to sit out the rest of the season, missing both the Vuelta a España — where he was expected to co-lead the team — and the world championships in Rwanda, a hilly course suited to the punchy climber’s riding style
It’s a gutting way to end what had already been a stop-start year. The 24-year-old was slowly finding rhythm again at this Tour after a string of early-season setbacks, finishing sixth at the Tour de Romandie, ninth at the Dauphiné, and steadily climbing back into form after a quiet first week here in France. He had also played a key role in Thymen Arensman’s stage 14 victory on Tourmalet day and was sitting tenth on GC heading into the Alps.
This marks Rodríguez’ first Grand Tour DNF; Rodríguez had previously recorded back-to-back top 10 GC finishes in the Tour, and a sixth position at the 2022 Vuelta.
“Prankster” invades Tour de France finish on bike and tackled by police after jumping barriers moments before sprint
Tour de France heads to the Alps for “the most demanding stage of 2025” with a summit finish at the indomitable Col de la Loze
The Tour’s final act in the high mountains has arrived, and it’s monstrous. Stage 18 is the queen stage of the 2025 Tour de France, a brutal 171.5km Alpine test stacked with three Hors Catégorie climbs and 5,500 metres of elevation gain. This is the hardest day of the race, according to Christian Prudhomme, and the one most likely to decide whether Tadej Pogačar or Jonas Vingegaard rides into Paris in yellow.
Race director Christian Prudhomme said: “The stats don’t lie — this is the most demanding stage of the 2025 Tour. After reaching 2,000 metres on the Madeleine, they’ll hit the heights again above Courchevel to reach the Col de la Loze… the final four kilometres are on a cycle track where the gradient is just as irregular and almost as hard on the legs as the route taken in 2020 and 2023.”
It starts with the long, steady drag of the Col du Glandon. Then comes the iconic Col de la Madeleine, a 26km grind that will rip up any early break that isn’t fully committed. But the real damage will come at the end: the Col de la Loze, peaking at 2,304 metres, where the road narrows, the gradient spikes, and the legs scream. It’s the highest point of this year’s Tour, earning the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, and the latest setting for a duel that’s come to define an era.
This time, the Tour approaches from a new flank, through Courchevel — where Ineos boss Jim Ratcliffe just so happens to own a chalet — and up to the altiport before the road turns savage. The steepest ramps hit before the summit, in those final 4km of traffic-free torment.
Pogačar has unfinished business here. In 2023, this is where he cracked, visibly and painfully, admitting “I’m gone” as Vingegaard surged away through clouds of smoke and chaos. Today, the Slovenian arrives with a commanding lead but no illusions: the Loze gives nothing for free.
Chocolate-gate: Pogačar asks for choco-bar, receives a crunchy bar (and disappointment) instead
On stage 17, Tadej Pogačar had a simple request: chocolate. But even yellow jersey privileges have their limits.
“Tadej, Adam will come with crunchy bar, but not chocolate, because we don’t have it in the car,” came the call from the UAE Team Emirates XRG radio. “We will have from Simone in two minutes.”
Even Tadej can’t have chocolate sometimes 😂
Tour de France leader Tadej Pogačar was temporarily unable to satisfy his chocolate craving during Stage 17.
______
🇫🇷 #TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/LNEeFJZdyE— Velon CC (@VelonCC) July 23, 2025
Even race leaders have to wait for the good stuff.
Why did no one tell me Colombian cycling commentary was this cool?
Colombian cycling coverage is built different. #TDF2025pic.twitter.com/NzwB1MsFvj
— Benji Naesen (@BenjiNaesen) July 23, 2025
“This will sound super arrogant, but some guys can stay quiet”: Tour de France leader Tadej Pogačar hits back at “arrogance” and “bullying” claims after rival team boss says “the big boys want to crush the little boys”
Things might just be getting a little spicy at the Tour…
Former TT world champ Tony Martin suffers broken collarbone after crashing on gravel ride — and heads straight to the beach after surgery anyway
Tony Martin may be retired from racing, but apparently, he’s not retired from crashing — at least, this time, it wasn’t because someone was holding a cardboard sign with three infamous words next to the Tour de France peloton…
The four-time time trial world champion revealed he broke his collarbone and cracked his helmet after a fall during what was supposed to be a relaxed pre-holiday gravel spin in Switzerland.
The former German pro said the crash happened on a descent he’s ridden “100 times before” at low speed, with no risk, and no clear explanation for what went wrong.
“It was supposed to be a relaxed gravel tour the day before my family vacation in Italy. A short descent that I’ve ridden 100 times before; no stress, no risk, no high speed and yet the front wheel slips away and I crashed hard,” he wrote.
“I still don’t know why as I have very little memory of it. In any case, my collarbone and helmet are broken.”
Martin underwent surgery the same day at Kantonsspital Münsterlingen and still managed to make it to the Italian coast the next day, albeit with the bike in the car rather than under him.
“I’m fine and I’d like to thank the doctors and nurses for their great help. Now I’m going to enjoy my vacation and hopefully I’ll be back soon with pictures of me on my bike,” he added.
“That’s certainly one way to try and beat Pogi”
Aggressive tactics by Visma this morning…
“Is this the way to become king of the mountains?”: Lenny Martinez clings to KOM hopes — and Bahrain Victorious team car — in sticky bottle triple act
Lenny Martinez is facing an uphill battle (ha) with Tadej Pogačar for the polka dot jersey — but his attempt to hang on in the queen stage may have come with a generous tug from the Bahrain Victorious team car.
Footage from the early slopes of the Col du Glandon showed Martinez clinging to the team car for an extended stretch while taking not one, not two, but three sticky bottles in a row. One fan described it as “a triple sticky bottle,” adding: “Bro threw the gel straight back into the car.”
🚴🇫🇷 | Lenny Martinez krijgt een plakbidon. Is dit nu de manier om bergkoning te worden? 🤔🤔 #TourdeFrance
📺 Stream koers op HBO Max pic.twitter.com/eYKXRUlpUx
— Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) July 24, 2025
Meanwhile, Eurosport Netherlands’ social media account put it more bluntly: “Lenny Martinez gets a sticky bottle. Is this now the way to become king of the mountains?”
Martinez, who started the day tied with Pogačar on 60 points in the KOM standings, has 80 points up for grabs today — making this a potentially decisive day in the mountains classification. The Frenchman has been in the mix throughout this Tour, and is seen as a serious contender for polka dots… but this particular moment may raise questions if he finishes the day in the lead.
Don’t look away now… Raúl García Pierna and Andreas Leknessund bang wheels while descending on Col du Glandon
C’mon, let’s not do that!
Enric Mas abandons Tour mid-stage on Alpine showdown
Just two days after animating the stage to Mont Ventoux with one of his strongest rides of the race, Enric Mas has stepped off the bike on stage 18 — abandoning the Tour de France on the early slopes of the queen stage to Courchevel.
The Movistar climber had once again tried to make something happen, joining the day’s breakaway on the Col du Glandon. But the pace quickly became too much, and Mas was soon out the back. He later climbed off entirely before the race reached the foot of the Madeleine.
❌ Enric Mas abandona el Tour de Francia.#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/Plwq8DnBBv
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) July 24, 2025
It brings an abrupt end to a Tour that never quite got going — despite flashes of form on Ventoux. Today’s DNF marks his third Tour de France abandonment in the last four editions.
He’ll now, as ever, turn his attention to the Vuelta a España — where he’s finished on the podium four times and will once again lead Movistar’s hopes later this summer.
Meanwhile, the day’s breakaway is not tackling the Col de la Madeleine, with Matteo Jorgenson, Primož Roglič, Felix Gall, Ben O’Connor, Thymen Arensman, Einer Rubio and Alex Baudin all present in the front group.
Extending an invitation to all those interested: Ben Healy look-alike competition in Paris on 27 July
After the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Paul Mescal, Jeremy Allen White, and Zendaya — it’s the Irish Beatle up next in the list of look-alike competition…
ok y’all who did this #tdf2025 pic.twitter.com/brPdCHWJaX
— EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) July 24, 2025
“I’ve no ego to retire at the top. I’m happy to go full circle”: Lizzie Deignan retires immediately from professional cycling after announcing third pregnancy
“This is yet another personal attack”: Johan Bruyneel escalates feud with David Lappartient, as controversial Belgian threatens legal action against UCI president over Tour de France dispute
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The long-running feud between Johan Bruyneel and UCI president David Lappartient has escalated once again — with the disgraced former team boss now threatening legal action after the UCI publicly condemned his appearance at the Tour de France.
Bruyneel, who received a lifetime ban in 2018 for his role in what USADA called “the most sophisticated doping programme that sport has ever seen,” says he is consulting legal counsel after Lappartient criticised his visit to the stage 12 start in Auch last week.
“It is clear to me that this is yet another personal attack,” Bruyneel wrote in a social media post on Thursday. “This is not the first time Mr. Lappartient has taken aim at me in this way.”
The UCI had issued a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, confirming Bruyneel’s presence in the Village Départ and team bus area violated the terms of his life ban, which prohibits him from entering any zone requiring accreditation.
While Bruyneel was in Auch as a guest of Belgian broadcaster VRT1’s Vive le Vélo, the UCI stressed that such access was not permitted and requested an explanation from race organiser ASO.
Bruyneel, however, insists he broke no rules, saying: “I attended in good faith and do not believe I violated any rules — unless, of course, Mr. Lappartient believes he has jurisdiction over every aspect of my personal and professional life.”
He went on to suggest that the real reason for the UCI’s outrage was the warm reception he received from former colleagues and riders.
“As I’ve stated before, I felt warmly welcomed by former colleagues and riders alike — both at the Village Départ and among the teams. Perhaps this is precisely what Mr. Lappartient finds objectionable.”
In a pointed closing statement, Bruyneel said he will “explore all available avenues” to prove the UCI was wrong to publicly censure him, and that he’s prepared to pursue legal action against Lappartient personally.
“I will be seeking legal counsel to assess the validity and legality of the UCI President’s public statement and actions,” he wrote. “I intend to explore all available avenues to prove that Mr. Lappartient was wrong to issue such a declaration and take legal action against him if needed.”
Bruyneel ended his statement: “Vive le Vélo. And Vive le Tour!” Maybe he should have also added: “Vive le relentless PR campaign to stay relevant.”
Ben O’Connor’s in control of the queen stage!
The queen stage is delivering. Ben O’Connor is still out front on the Col de la Loze, holding a lead of around 50 seconds over Einer Rubio and over three minutes on the yellow jersey group — now whittled down to just a handful of GC contenders.
🇦🇺 Ben O’Connor attacks and drops Einer Rubio! The Aussie is alone in the lead with 15 km to go.
🇦🇺 Ben O’Connor attaque et distance Einer Rubio ! L’Australien est seul en tête à 15 km de l’arrivée.#TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/pOBABLFMhw
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 24, 2025
UAE Team Emirates have taken up the chase, with Jhonatan Narváez setting the pace for Tadej Pogačar after Adam Yates emptied the tank. Jonas Vingegaard is still in the group, along with Onley, Gall, Johannessen and Sepp Kuss. Roglič and Vauquelin have both been dropped.
Florian Lipowitz, who had fought back impressively after being distanced earlier, has just been caught — and now risks being spat out the back entirely. The scene is set for fireworks, and all eyes are on Pogačar.
Ben O’Connor wins stage 18 of Tour de France on Col de la Loze!
Ben O’Connor claimed a stunning solo victory on stage 18 to Courchevel, holding off the GC contenders after a long-range attack on the Madeleine. Tadej Pogačar finished second and extended his overall lead to 4 minutes 26 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard, who came in third. Scotsman Oscar Onley impressed once again, finishing fourth on the day.
Pogačar moves very close to securing his fourth Tour de France title after Col de la Loze, but Vingegaard says the “Tour is not over”
Ben O’Connor won the queen stage with a soaring solo ride to Courchevel, but there was much drama behind as well, where Tadej Pogačar tightened his grip on the Tour de France, and Jonas Vingegaard was left grasping for hope.
The Australian’s victory was richly deserved — an emphatic, attacking ride launched from the slopes of the Madeleine that saw him gain time on the favourites and then fend them off all the way to the finish. It was O’Connor’s second career Tour stage win, and it propelled him back into the overall top 10. But even he admitted the win came as a surprise.
Ben O’Connor conquers the Col de la Loze 💪
What a win for the Australian on a historic mountain at the Tour de France ⛰ pic.twitter.com/GU54KMkqeI
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) July 24, 2025
“No, not at all,” he said when asked if he thought he could take the stage. “But I felt much better today from the start. I was pretty active.”
The bigger picture, though, was painted on the brutal gradients of the Col de la Loze, where Pogačar, almost casually, distanced Vingegaard in the final kilometre and extended his general classification lead to 4 minutes 26 seconds.
The Slovenian barely stood on the pedals as he surged ahead in the final 500 metres to finish second behind O’Connor. Vingegaard crossed the line a handful of seconds later, unable to respond. Again.
No longer gone. No longer dead. 💥
Tadej Pogacar banishes his demons on the Col de la Loze to take even more time from his closest rival, Jonas Vingegaard 🌟 pic.twitter.com/So4W6A6jq2
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) July 24, 2025
“It was a brutal day,” Vingegaard said at the finish. “I’m not sure if I’ve ever done such a hard stage in the Tour.”
His team had tried everything. They sent riders up the road, tried to isolate Pogačar, even set a fast early tempo. But nothing worked. “We had big plans,” he said. “We tried to go early… today everyone was 100 per cent behind the plan.”
Asked if Pogačar is now unbeatable, Vingegaard replied: “No, I think we were pretty equal today, even if he took a few seconds at the end. The Tour is not over.”
One reporter asked: “Still?”
“Still.”
Oscar Onley, meanwhile, continues to soar. The 22-year-old Brit finished fourth on the stage and is now just 22 seconds off the podium, sitting fourth overall behind Florian Lipowitz. It’s been a staggering breakout performance from the Team Picnic PostNL rider — who’s still in the fight for a top-three finish with just three days to go.
There’s one more summit finish to go — but unless something extraordinary happens, Tadej Pogačar looks destined to become a four-time Tour de France winner.
Britain’s next big thing? Oscar Onley only 22 seconds behind Lipo rides into fourth on GC after Col de la Loze heroics, and takes Tour de France podium fight to La Plagne
Is this real life? Scotland’s Oscar Onley is just 22 seconds off the Tour de France podium.
On the brutal queen stage to Courchevel, the 22-year-old from Kelso was the only rider able to hang with Pogačar and Vingegaard on the upper slopes of the Col de la Loze — and even then, he didn’t crack until the final few hundred metres, finishing only four seconds behind the Dane. Not bad for someone riding his second Tour.
In fact, he ended up gaining over a minute and a half on Florian Lipowitz, his main rival for both the white jersey and a spot on the final podium. The German still holds third overall, but only just — as Onley now sits 22 seconds behind.
With 24-year-old Lipowitz already showing what he’s made of, and 18-year-old Frenchman Paul Seixas waiting in the wings, there’s a new generation of GC talent bubbling to the surface — and Onley is right in the mix. So maybe if Pogačar finally stops winning everything, there’s a real possibility that these three could be fighting for the yellow, pink, and red jerseys.
Leaving it all out there 🥵
You can be proud of that ride @OscarOnley 🙌🏻#KeepChallenging #TDF2025 pic.twitter.com/tQSBnzMVcU
— Team Picnic PostNL (@picnicpostnl) July 24, 2025
The kid from Kelso might bring home Britain’s next Grand Tour podium — the first to do it at the Tour since Adam Yates two years ago — and maybe, just maybe, the rider to deliver a Grand Tour victory.
Right then, no pressure.
“This could have been the end of his Tour de France”: Photographer who caused Vingegaard to crash on Mont Ventoux banned for two days, but Visma-Lease a Bike boss says he should’ve been “suspended for the rest of the Tour”
Jonas Vingegaard’s quiet consistency may have allowed him to keep pace with Tadej Pogačar in the mountains so far — the Dane even mounting his fair share of significant attacks with the as of yet unachieved objective of dropping the three-time Tour winner.
However, on Tuesday, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider came dangerously close to exiting the Tour altogether after the summit finish on Mont Ventoux, where he crashed after the line when a photographer stepped into his path.
“Some photographer just ran straight out in front of me, straight after the finish line,” he said at the time. “I don’t know what he was doing. I went down. I think people in the finish area should use their eyes a bit more.”
Initially, Vingegaard seemed fine. He even told reporters he was “happy with the feeling today” and said he’d “keep trying” after setting the pace for Pogačar to follow on the infamous climb. But the team have now confirmed he complained of shoulder pain immediately after the crash — and director Richard Plugge didn’t hold back in assessing how serious it could’ve been.
“Luckily, Jonas came out unscathed,” Plugge said. “This could have been the end of his Tour de France.”
The crash took place in a restricted zone just beyond the Ventoux summit finish, out of range of TV cameras and photographers — only two lensmen were allowed there, one of whom caused the collision.
According to Wielerflits, the photographer in question, employed by the news agency EPA, has now been suspended for two days and will not be present at the finish on the Col de la Loze.
Plugge, though, says that punishment doesn’t go far enough, saying: “It’s up to the jury to determine the sanction. But, in my opinion, he should have been suspended for the rest of the Tour. This should not have happened.”
Fortunately for Visma, Vingegaard wasn’t showing any signs of lingering pain or discomfort from the crash. On yesterday’s stage to Valence, he looked quite alright, even choosing to close down an early move from breakaway rider Ivan Romeo on the day’s first categorised climb.
But the real test comes today, on the steep, stuttering gradients of the Col de la Loze. And hopefully, without any new obstacles between the riders and the line.
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Latest Comments
@EastLondonCyclingNut I'm going for 'very suspicious' on this one- Trollfinder General Is this the increased sympathy where the driver attacks the cyclist causing serious injuries and is rewarded with the joke non-custodial sentence; or where the driver murders the cyclist in the most horrible manner and the Shyster Defence Barrister offers the mitigation that 'he didn't intend to do it and expresses remorse'?
@Rendel Harris Unfortunately the idea that subjective "lived experience" trumps everything else in every situation is now quite popular and widespread. I once had an extremely depressing conversation with someone who insisted my opinion on a matter - a matter in a subject on which I'm well educated and have spent a great deal of time carefully considering my positions on - was worthless, incoherent, and irrelevant since I was straight. No attempt to engage with the substance - I was straight, so nothing I said could possibly be correct. It got more depressing still when I pointed out that actually I'm Bi I just don't go around draped in a Pride flag at all times, and the numpty came back in to work the next day and had completely changed his mind and decided actually I was stunningly insightful - I asked how he could rationalise thinking the same argument was wrong one day and right the next despite the argument, the evidence, and the person making it being completely unchanged expecting some kind of attempt to obfuscate or explain, but nope he just came out and said "but I didn't know you were Bi then, now I do, so it's valid now". They live among us.
@mitsky afaik most 100 point cases are dodgy businesses where the keeper regularly gets 3-6 points for failure to identify because they make no effort to know who is driving pool cars. And either don't actually drive (hence not worrying) or are on company policy that covers anyone... I suspect the solution to this would involve seizing vehicles when they 'don't know who was driving'...
I think one of the biggest factors in increased sympathy for cyclists is the fact that so many people increasingly Lime and other hire e-bikes. It’s an easy and attractive gateway into cycling that suddenly puts non-cyclists in the shoes of cyclists, and naturally makes them understand their perspective.
This awful case is the nastiest end of the wedge started in 'jest' by the likes of Matthew Parris. I wonder whether he's proud of the part he's played in normalising violence against the vulnerable?
@mctrials23 Something that drives the price up is that the frame is specified for full through the frame routing only which means you have to use electric shifting and appropriate bars and stem. Hence the "cheapest" model is supplied with 105 Di2 and costs £3,700. If the frame had braze-ons for external cable routing you could likely build a bike that cost quite a bit less but it definitely wouldn't have the clean look of this one.
Rob Hatch's commentary of that moment is just superb. I was watching it on headphones at work on my lunch break and ended up crying with laughter. Sean being Sean just adds to the fun. Truly iconic moment of that era, up there with Froome "Running up that Hill"
@Pub bike Yeah, I was surprised by the price until I saw the frameset price. Thats pretty standard for a boutique aluminium frame made to a high standard. Campy is just expensive stuff.
@Rendel Harris Of course it won't. The only reason there isn't the usual anti cycling raving is because of just how shocking and callous this person was. The sort of person who shocks society with their violence and disregard for their fellow man that is so alien to them that it disgusts them. This won't move 99% of people opinion a centimetre. Its so far removed from the norm that it won't even be associated with the usual "motorists vs cyclist". People are usually on the side of the motorist because they can empathise or sympathise. In this case there is none of that so it won't register in their view of cyclists.
I posed the question on Reddit regarding life driving bans and got a surprising level of agreements (and most disagreements were around practicality rather than opposition to the concept). It seems to me that each driving ban should have a suspended sentence component meaning that drivers caught ignoring the ban risk some form of incarceration. Get rid of the points system and go straight to bans on a sliding scale. Something along the lines of; 1st offence - 3 month driving ban - ankle monitor curfew for breach 2nd offence - 1 year driving ban - open prison (Cat D) for the remaining length on the ban for breach 3rd offence - 5 year driving ban - incarceration in a Cat C prison for breach 4th offence - 10 year driving ban - incarceration in a Cat B prison for breach 5th offence - Life ban - incarceration for life if breached. An offence is anything which would get points under the old system. Any conviction for careless driving is treated as a 1 year ban Any conviction for dangerous driving is a life ban In all cases vehicles used to commit the offence are seized for the duration of the ban regardless of ownership by the offender. For longer bans the vehicle is disposed of at auction and the proceeds are plowed into local road safety campaigns Sound extreme? I'd draw your attention to the regulations regarding firearms certificates. Drivers kill far more people each year than people committing firearms offences (whether the weapons are legally held or otherwise)
25 thoughts on ““This could have been the end of his Tour de France”: Photographer who caused Vingegaard to crash on Mont Ventoux banned for two days, but Visma-Lease a Bike boss says he should’ve been “suspended for the rest of the Tour” + more on the live blog”
Interesting result for a
Interesting result for a collision between an (illegally modified) “e-bike” rider (driver?) and pedestrian.
“causing serious injury by dangerous driving was sentenced to two years and three months”
And do motor vehicle drivers get similar bans for similar incidents:
“Monks faces a four year ban while Pilling is banned for two years.”
?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c335gp276yyo
a Department for Transport
FFS, the BBC using “ebike” is bad enough, but this coming from the DfT is just bullsh*t. As the police and courts found perfectly evident, the offenders were riding an illegal electric motorbike, which is a motor vehicle under current legislation, and they were successfully prosecuted for their crimes.
Any new legislation regarding “Dangerous cycling” is completely irrelevant to this incident, and to imply that it would make a difference is completely fallacious.
Agreed.
Agreed.
I would hope that Road CC, Cycling UK, etc are asking the government and relevant parties to confirm they are collecting the data to show road safety improves SIGNIFICANTLY once the new laws come in to justify the time and expense in implementing them.
I was just coming to say the
I was just coming to say the same thing.
Surely they should have had several other charges starting with no insurance, no MOT, driving an unregistered motor vehicle on the road, does he even have a motorbike licence?
Exactly:
Exactly:
So, not exactly an electrically assisted pedal cycle…
And for reference, here’s the first couple of e-motorbikes on the Talaria website
No way are those anything
No way are those anything like a standard “e-bike”.
brooksby wrote:
The bike on the right is described on their website as “Legal where it matters, lethal everywhere else.”
I tried zooming in to see if
I tried zooming in to see if I could see the pedals on those electric bicycles but obviously the resolution is too low to make them out.
Yup. I went deeper into
Yup. I went deeper into their website for better photos, and none of them seem to have pedals
I think the thing I’d notice
I think the thing I’d notice here is the apparent lack of pedals (or are they just a bit stealth in the picture?)
“Road legal” where? Unless they’ve had it type-approved, and the riders are licenced to ride a motorbike, have tax and insurance, approved helmet, will put vehicle through MOT (and who’s offering those for e-motorbikes of this kind?)…
I don’t think an MOT for an
I don’t think an MOT for an electric motorbike is a problem, brakes, tyres, lights, suspension etc. will be same as an ICE motorbike and there are no emissions to test so anywhere that can do an ICE motorbike will be capable of doing the test.
I saw this on BBC NW last
I saw this on BBC NW last night- as in the online text, the BBC is determined to describe these illegal electric motorbikes as ‘e-bikes’ (sometimes with the adjective ‘illegal’) and the riders as ‘dangerous cyclists’ and the (depressingly, Labour) government is anxious to use such cases as a justification for their stupid ‘clampdown on dangerous cyclists’
I just made a complaint about
I just made a complaint about the article, I encourage anyone who cares to do likewise:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint
“The article is misleading and anti-cycling.
The vehicle ridden in the article is not an e-bike or a bicycle of any description. It is an illegal motor vehicle (motorcycle) and should be reported as such. The correct definition of an electrically assisted pedal cycle or e-bike can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules
You refer to the vehicle as a motorcycle twice in the article (correct) and refer to it as a e-bike nine times (incorrect).
This might seem trivial, but this careless anti-cycling word bingo is typical of much content being produced by the national media. It drives a narrative of e-bikes and their riders being dangerous and lawless, rather than a more positive view of them being an enabler of cheap, responsible, healthy and environmental transport”
I think they listened to your
I think they listened to your complaint:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cev0v4jm4rgo
no hint of “eBike” there (and from the speed in the footage, you’d hope it was obvious to everyone there was no pedalling!)
To be fair to the Beeb they
To be fair to the Beeb they (now – 11:49) are using “motorbike” (twice – my emphasis – they use “e-bike” 7 times themselves and it’s twice in the quotes, which isn’t their fault entirely):
However while I agree that
I would agree that the following is mostly true, albeit for (electric) motorcyclists and normal motorvehicle drivers:
In a statement, principal partner of Express Solicitors Robin Patey, who represents Ms Scaldwell, said: “At the minute there is no robust deterrent to these illegal e-bikers to stop them causing havoc on the roads.— BBC
However it sounds like the government as usual is grabbing the wrong end of the stick and threatening to beat a third party with it rather than the actual class of criminals in this case (again my emphasis)…
“That’s why the government is proposing new offences and penalties for dangerous cycling, updating legislation that is over 160 years old, to ensure that the tiny minority who recklessly disregard others face the full force of the law.”— BBC
No, you need to do something about the ready access to electric motorbikes and the common perception (by retailers and buyers) that these can be used anywhere you like with no more regulations than apply to a bicycle. And perhaps do a bit more on the laws and punishments / deterrents around all the dangerous driving while you’re at it.
The bicycle played a rich
The bicycle played a rich role in Ireland’s past. Now it is key to our future – Cian Ginty (gRauniad)
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/24/bicycle-ireland-cycling-ben-healy-tour-de-france
Comments BTL are as you’d expect, even if in the grauniaD and not the Daily Heil…
Eh? A Crunchie bar is
Eh? A Crunchie bar is chocolate-coated. And as a bonus you get the honeycomb centre, which could never be a disappointment.
Is a ‘crunchy bar’ something different?
Do they mean one of those
Do they mean one of those awful cereal bars? They are quite crunchy
I can see why he wanted
I can see why he wanted chocolate though. Many years ago I was on tour and stopped off at a bakery in Sault to load up before going up Ventoux. It was mid-afternoon and all they had left were Nutella doughnuts. I took one of those and started eating it bit by bit. Then I felt it kick in just before Chalet Reynard. Highly recommended.
Talking of enhancing riders’
Talking of enhancing riders’ safety and security, what is the UCI action plan to prevent collisions between cars and riders, between on-foot third parties (photographers, cameramen, security staffers, …) and riders, between riders and “urban furniture”?
The UCI bureaucrats want to control every aspect of pro cycling provided it doesn’t negatively impact races organisers’ wallets.
It’s being reported this
It’s being reported this evening that tomorrow’s Tour stage is being shortened to 95km, omitting the Col des Saisies where there’s an outbreak of a cow disease.
So the space for changes in GC just got tighter.
Miller wrote:
I bet Tom duMOOlin’s glad he’s retired!
Which is a shame, would have
Which is a shame, would have been interesting to see whether Oscar could habe put pressure on Lipowitz.
It will be be difficult now, but whatever happens it has been a great TdF for my fellow Scotsman.
For sure Oscar’s contract
For sure Oscar’s contract renewal price has gone through the roof.