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"Single file you Lycra-clad t****" message vandalised on road sign; Tom Pidcock blames rival for causing terrifying crash; Non-fungible motors are now a thing; The real MVP of Liège; Weekend round-up + more on the live blog

We're back for another week of the live blog, kicking off with Dan Alexander on Monday duty...
Mon, Apr 25, 2022 09:16
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"Single file you Lycra-clad t****" message vandalised on road sign; Tom Pidcock blames rival for causing terrifying crash; Non-fungible motors are now a thing; The real MVP of Liège; Weekend round-up + more on the live blogDevil's Dyke graffiti (@andykeetch/Twitter)
25 April 2022, 16:23
Jérémy Cabot: I now read comments that are unpleasant at best and completely untrue at worst
Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2022 crash

TotalEnergies rider Jérémy Cabot has defended himself in the face of comments from Tom Pidcock and Romain Bardet about the cause of yesterday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège crash, which saw world champion Julian Alaphilippe taken to hospital with a punctured lung and multiple fractures.

Cabot said his actions were not intentionally dangerous, tweeting: "In addition to the physical pain, I now read comments that are unpleasant at best and completely untrue at worst.

"A rider pushed behind me, while I was sitting on the far right of the road in the wheel of the Bora-Hansgrohe riders, there was no room for two in this place, my wheel hit that of the rider in front of me, no time to brake… And chaos… In a quarter of a second.

"I have never taken ill-considered risks. My teammates, my TotalEnergies team and the people close to me know how much time I spend at the back of the pack to avoid the dangers… I've never been a hothead. I'm never the last to brake. Never."

Cabot's comments come after Pidcock told media at the finish line that a rider from the French team had risked everyone's life on the descent.

Bardet replied to Cabot's tweet to clarify his position: "Jérémy found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, far be it from me to pass judgment on who was responsible for the fall, the waves, the speed, the road surface. I'm really sorry that my post was confusing, good luck man."

25 April 2022, 16:13
Cards at the ready...it's Monday bingo time!
Bingo sign (CC BY-SA 3.0 by Peter Rimar on Flickr)

Today's bingo comes courtesy of the 'residents of clacton speak up about what's happing [sic] to Clacton' (seems we've found who wrote that sign graffiti)...

Somehow, despite all the pressing issues in the world today, the simple post "Should cyclists be required to have insurance for riding on the roads, like motorists?" has racked up 27,000 comments, 14,000 likes and 435 shares. Clacton must be a huge place...

At least it gives us a great chance of a bingo full house...

So where to begin?
"Yes, especially holding up traffic by riding 2 a breast whilst chatting... annoying..."

Interestingly, the following answer features some almost identical language to today's main post of the day. Something on your mind? "Fecking ye..
And fined for not using cycle paths from tore roundabout to dingwall..lycra clad twats.."

Still needs a hyphen between Lycra (yeah, that needs to be a capital) and clad...

"Think they have more rights than the people who actually pay road tax and insurance to be on the road, and with the new law/highway code for them..... pffftttt a joke"

"And a registration number"

"And get off the pavements"

"Yes, especially now they have more rights on the road than motor vehicles"

"Yes, they should have the bike registered and insured, plus do a proficiency test. If they are so vulnerable, then they should be made to wear specified high-vis plus lights and follow the rules to the letter, just like every other road user. Don't ask the Motorists to make allowances for every Numpty out there. Well done to the few who do it properly."

"Hell yes. And cycle license plates."

Genuine question...why are so many so annoyed by someone riding a bicycle?

25 April 2022, 15:57
Anyone else feeling lost?

 

25 April 2022, 15:00
25 April 2022, 14:13
"I'd prefer to be called a spandex-clad twat, instead of a Lycra-clad one. It's more Rock 'n Roll": Reaction to that dodgy graffiti
Devil's Dyke graffiti (@andykeetch/Twitter)

Our favourite take on that sign-defacing intellectual's day out with a sharpie...

"I'd prefer to be called a spandex-clad twat, instead of a Lycra-clad one.
It's more Rock 'n Roll 🤘," 0-0 commented. 0-0? Nah, it's 1-0 now...

OnYerBike made a good point about how the message actually reads. Forgive me, it's like trying to decrypt some ancient code..."Pretty sure the first line of that vandalised sign reads "Devil'sINGLE FILE". We'll go with that...whatever it means.

mdavidford spotted another: "Strictly speaking, I think there probably ought to be some punctuation between 'file' and 'you' - a comma, at the very least. Also, it actually says 'Devil's ingle file', which is presumably something to do with the fire[place]s of hell."

Clem Fandango made a wider point about suitability of transport to certain spots..."I've had verbal abuse and dangerous passes (including around the hairpin bends) on Box Hill loads of times - always makes me laugh how some drivers consciously drive to Box Hill* (* insert name of local cycling hotspot here) on a weekend, when the weather is good, and are somehow 'surprised' to encounter cyclists. Before losing their sh*t at having to drive slowly safely for a bit. I mean how could they be expected to have foreseen or be expected to tolerate anything but clear roads and a serene, uninterrupted driving experience, the poor lambs?"

brooksby said: "Imagine being so angry, and yet also having the spare time, to go and vandalise a road sign like that..." To which, Shake added: "You slowed me down by nine seconds so I'm going to waste 120 seconds to write this."

25 April 2022, 13:30
Olympic mountain biking trail to be repaired by Essex County Council
Hadleigh mountain biking (screenshot YouTube/VisitEssex)

The Olympic mountain biking trail in Hadleigh, constructed ahead of the 2012 Games, is to be repaired by Essex County Council following "significant" erosion. The Basildon, Canvey and Southend Echo reports a cold spell last February damaged large sections of the trail, forcing it to be closed.

Most of it reopened following works in the first half of last year, but a further number of issues surfaced since, forcing sections to be closed off again. Mark Rowley, commercial operations manager for Essex County Council, said: "Some works were carried out but there are further remedial works that are still required."

Cllr Mark Dunham added: "We are very mindful that the Haleigh bike trail is a Olympic legacy but the weather in recent winters has conspired against us and we are continually under the cosh if you like with increased usage and the erosion by mountain bike use is really quite significant."

25 April 2022, 13:22
Start 'em young

For the full set from Brum...

25 April 2022, 13:20
25 April 2022, 11:05
Car NFTs are now a thing...but are they as bad as they sound?
NFT cars (via Scrap Car press release)

Scrap Car Comparison has decided NFTs are the perfect medium for owners to remember their vehicle by...

When it's scrapped or sold the car-scrappage company will offer motorists the 'opportunity' to "get their (virtual) hands on an NFT of their prized motor to keep for eternity, rather than having to say goodbye when it comes to scrapping or selling."

It's the "ultimate keepsake"...apparently...

Interesting. At least NFTs are completely uncontroversial and never cause a wild social media shitstorm every time anyone announces they're getting involved...

> The angry backlash against NFTs in cycling, and how Bike Club NFT is trying to turn the tide

Oh wait...

25 April 2022, 10:39
Ever used a plaster to fix a split tyre?
25 April 2022, 10:13
Tom Pidcock blames fellow rider "risking his and everyone else's life" for causing Liège-Bastogne-Liège crash

Tom Pidcock thinks he broke a finger in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège crash that ended so many riders' chances yesterday. Pidcock eventually crossed the line in 103rd place, more than 13 minutes after Remco Evenepoel. But the Ineos Grenadiers rider was just happy to have escaped serious injury and told reporters at the finish that he had used up one of his nine lives.

Pidcock also blamed a rider from DirectEnergies for taking too many risks at 70km/h, and said the move was unacceptable and had risked the lives of others. It is unclear where we'll see Pidcock next. He had been down to ride the Giro d'Italia next month, but the noises from Ineos suggest he might get his first Tour de France appearance instead...

25 April 2022, 09:51
The real MVP of Liège

As if Romain Bardet's stock couldn't get any higher after last week's first GC win since 2013, it turns out, as if we couldn't already have guessed it, that he's a good chap...

In the aftermath of the Liège–Bastogne–Liège crash which ultimately left Julian Alaphilippe in hospital with a punctured lung and multiple fractures, it was Romain Bardet who stayed with his compatriot until medical help arrived.

No thought of grabbing his bike and getting back to the front of the race, Bardet jumped into the ditch, looking out for the world champion before signalling urgently for help.

Speaking to VeloNews at the finish line, Bardet said: "It was just a nightmare. Tom Pidcock and a rider from DirectEnergies crashed in front of me on the right, and I crashed on the right too, but I was really okay. When I looked around I saw Julian maybe five or six meters down, and it was an emotional shock because he was in a bad situation. No one was coming and he really needed help. It was an emergency situation. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe.

"He felt conscious but he couldn’t really talk. I really hope that he’s OK. The mechanic came, then the doctor. The road was completely blocked. It was a really bad situation. After that, I was in shock. The race was gone. I was lucky to escape with no injuries."

25 April 2022, 09:41
Keep things moving, there's another bank holiday in sight...
25 April 2022, 09:16
"Cancel culture" cries caught out rolling coal motorist; All the best bits from the Cycle Show; Shocking crash overshadows Liège–Bastogne–Liège + more in our weekend round-up
2022 Van Avermaet

Here's all the best stuff from around the site that you might have missed over the weekend...

We were at the Cycle Show at the Ally Pally at the back end of last week, and Anna has rounded up all the best bikes on show. In fact, there were so many we've had to do a part two, including... Vitus, BMC, Ribble, Argon 18 and loads more...

Yesterday, we had the news story from Texas where one custom car shop owner cried he was the victim of 'cancel culture' after a backlash over a video he posted of himself 'rolling coal' over a cyclist he passed. It's almost like actions have consequences...

> Cyclists call for boycott of custom car shop after owner films himself ‘rolling coal’ at bike rider

Sunday was also Liège-Bastogne-Liège day. Unfortunately the racing was slightly overshadowed by a terrible crash which saw multiple riders fall. Amongst them, world champion Julian Alaphilippe, who suffered a collapsed lung and multiple fractures. Annemiek van Vleuten and Remco Evenepoel took the wins in similar race-shattering fashion...

And, on Saturday we brought you a follow-up story to that shocker of a close pass video that was doing the rounds last week. Why? Well, the Alliance of British Drivers rubbished the court decision to fine the driver £417 (plus five penalty points) as "pathetic sucking up to the cycling lobby". They seem like a nice bunch. Maybe that's why they've blocked us on Twitter...

25 April 2022, 07:58
"Single file you Lycra-clad t****" message vandalised on road sign

The eagle-eyed amongst you might notice the vandalised message appears slightly differently in our live blog headline. Don't stress, that's just to tidy up all the grammatical errors present...

"Lycra clad"? Yep, that'll need a hyphen. Sure, you're loving the capitals, but only "Lycra" needs one...but by far and away our personal favourite is that it actually reads: "Devil's SINGLE FILE Dyke YOU LYCRA CLAD TWATS!" Cryptic. I wonder what's a single file Dyke?

Who's the culprit? The early money is on 'Chazza'...

And, some local knowledge questioned the intelligence behind the message (if that was ever not in doubt)...

On a more cheerful note, at the bottom of that hill lies the village of Fulking, with one reply noting "they'll enjoy the vandalism of that road sign too".  

See, it's not all bad...

It's not the first time somebody's incandescent rage at people riding bicycles (presumably because "they're slowing me down") has caused a vandal to halt their day to make a point by writing on a road sign...

Last April, a coffee shop took the bold strategy of sharing a photo of one such "Beware of cyclists [...] they're c****!" (Correct use of they're. Well done) on social media. Spoiler alert: it didn't go well. I mean, when have you ever met a cyclist who drinks coffee?

Dan Alexander

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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