Police claims reporting on bad drivers is “making roads safer”, as CyclingMikey urges more cyclists to do it; Geraint Thomas asks Pogačar to “take it easy” at Giro and Tour; Are shoeys à la Daniel Ricciardo a thing in cycling now? + more on the live blog

Is the public finally coming around to accepting third-party reporting of dangerous or careless drivers, or are people concerned of acting as vigilantes by submitting evidence to the police?

Last year, Mr Loophole made some comments about cyclists running cameras and submitting footage of drivers using mobile phones, calling it dangerous but also at the same time saying that he does not "want to live in a snitch society" and called camera cyclists "a danger", arguing that reporting footage to the police has become "an industry".

From social media comments under many cyclists' posts, such as CyclingMikey, the Dutch cyclist in London who's so far reported close to 2,000 drivers to the police, opinion always seem to be split. But has the public started coming around to realising the dangers of doing so and the benefits of third-party reporting?

Let's go Channel 5 News' latest report from yesterday evening, where they seemed to ask three people in random the same question.

> "Stoking cyclist hate will get him more publicity": CyclingMikey hits back at Mr Loophole's latest attack on "snitch society" camera cyclists

"So many things happen on the road now everyday, you'd be reporting something every five minutes," one driver said. Another person felt that sometimes they'd wish to do it, but at the same time they feared acting like a vigilante, while another driver outright denied that they'd report other drivers. "It's the police's job, isn't it?" he said.

Caught on camera: A record number of dangerous driving videos have been sent to the police, 5 News has found.

Thousands of drivers have been prosecuted as more cars and bikes are using dashcams to record what's happening on the roads.@MikeyCycling | @tessa5news| @WMerciaPolice pic.twitter.com/ldSJWUNk80

— Channel 5 News (@5_News) January 24, 2024

 However, West Mercia Police's PC Jim Roberts claimed that the police is rather keen on more people doing so. "By the general public submitting dashcam footage to us and then those drivers being dealt with, it's sending a message and it is making our roads safer," he said.

Figures shared with Channel 5 showed that over 33,000 videos were submitted to police in England and Wales last year, up by 21 per cent on 2022, and an increase by almost 300 per cent over 2020. 70 per cent of these reports have led to police action, the broadcast said.

> Police force criticised for one close pass prosecution from 286 submissions admits need to review how reports are managed

The National Police Chiefs' Council also told Channel 5 that they welcome that technology can help them, with one in every five drivers running a dashcam and an even higher estimate for cyclists, the news broadcaster said.

And of course, how can a segment about third-party reporting conclude without CyclingMikey and a debate about his actions.

"Somebody's got to step up and do it, and there are some of those in society at least who do it," said the cyclist Mike van Erp, better known as CyclingMikey in these corners of the internet.

However, the host echoed the lawyer extraordinaire the thoughts of Nick Freeman, better known as Mr Loophole in these corners of the internet, when he asked reporter Tessa Chapman: "There are some people who might be watching that who feel like being involved in that, you might be a snitch..."

Cyclists on social media, however, seemed to disagree.

"Anyone calling someone else a snitch for reporting illegal and dangerous driving to the police needs to promise not to tell the police if they get mugged or burgled," wrote one person, while another applauded Channel 5 for the "great piece", adding: "Those of us who use dash and cycle cams to report road danger incidents are helping to protect everyone from road danger. And showing us just how dangerous some drivers and their attitudes are. I have no empathy with bad drivers whatsoever."

In just about every area of crime, the public are asked to help the police and lots of us simply help where we can as members of our communities. With road crime (which kills and seriously injures thousands every year) something seems to happen to some people, and large parts of…

— dr ian greenwood (@ian_m_greenwood) January 25, 2024

The host welcomed you back from the piece with a sort of hidden laugh at the standard of driving and then begins with the 'snitch' accusation without any reference to the inherent KSIs resulting from such entitlement.

— Graeme Clark (@GraemeClark2) January 25, 2024

So what is it, is reporting dangerous drivers the straw which breaks the camel's back and brings upon us a "snitch society", or is it just people doing their bit to make roads safer for everyone else?

Aren't there days when you're all perked and hyped up, confident in your abilities and feeling like your best self, ready to take on the world, or in this case, the men's pro peloton and ride two back-to-back Grand Tours, only to be soon brought down to earth by a pesky Slovenian?

Yeah, happens to me all the time... and Geraint Thomas too.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Geraint Thomas (@geraintthomas86)

In case you didn't catch G's daring declaration last evening that at 38 years of age, after spending almost two decades at the top level of cycling, the Welshman is attempting what 99 per cent of top atheletes in their best shape wouldn't dream of: ride both Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in 2024.

But as Thomas shared the news on his social media, who else but Tadej Pogačar (these perpetually online Gen Z kids I tell you) was quick to sense a feeling of competition after the two-time Tour winner also announced in a grand, internet-breaking fashion that he is also set to ride both Giro and the Tour, leaving cycling fans pulling their hair out trying to figure if we are going to get the most exciting season from Tadej or if it's a vain attempt.

> “Let’s not think about the double, let’s just go to enjoy racing”: Pogačar confirms 2024 plans, including Giro, Tour, Olympics, and world championships tilts + poll results

Tour de France 2022 stage 12 (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

"See you soon," texted Pogačar to Thomas. "Ah s***," Thomas thought to himself, probably.

"Forgot about this guy. Mate honestly, I think you need to take it easy. You’re still young. One more year will make the world of difference. Go Giro/Tour in 2025," wrote Thomas on Instagram sharing a screenshot of Pogačar's text.

Let's see if Thomas can succeed in convincing him and another Slovenian, along with a Dane and maybe a Belgian. He's got a chance then surely?

The Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) and senior figures from cycling retailers have met with MPs from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking (APPGCW) to make their case about the "need for urgent systematic change" to the Cycle to Work scheme.

The meeting comes two months after the ACT and bike shops hit back at one of the scheme's providers, Cyclescheme, for deciding to prevent retailers from charging additional fees on bikes purchased using the scheme, a move described by the representative of independent cycle retailers as the "straw that broke the camel's back".

Read more: > "Cycle to work schemes are sucking the lifeblood out of cycle shops": Bike shops tell Parliamentary Committee of "need for urgent systemic change" to Cycle to Work scheme

Behold, Soudal Quick-Step's next prodigal son, the 19-year-old Frenchman Paul Magnier, who's won the Trofeo Ses Salines in Spain on his first-ever showing in the men's pro peloton, finishing ahead of Alberto Dainese and teammate Luke Lamperti.

I mean, come on, he's still a teen! 2024 has already got me feeling old, and I am not even that old!

🔝 Tarde redonda para el @soudalquickstep

✅ 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐫 se lleva la victoria en el Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx del @ChallengeMca

🚴‍♂️ El francés se impuso al esprint con su compañero Luke Lamperti tercero. Segundo fue Alberto Dainese pic.twitter.com/ny1TcyXyGz

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) January 25, 2024

A study published in the journal Nutrients in Spain has shed new light on fasted training vs high-carb fuelling for cyclists, with the results supporting some long-standing theories about the limited efficacy of fasted training.

The paper goes so far as to conclude that fasted training elicits no "superior results" compared to fuelling with plenty of carbohydrates, indicating that Froome-style breakfasts might not be worth the extra hunger pangs. So should cyclists be indulging in as many carbs as possible before our rides? Perhaps not quite yet...

Read more: > Fasted training doesn't make you faster: Study from researchers including Tadej Pogacar's nutrionist suggests high-carb rides deliver similar results

For some context, a lot of stuff has been happening around Exeter's low-traffic neighbourhoods, which have proved to be controversial to say the least, having been a consistent target and source of vandalism, protests, and intimidation of local politicians since it was first introduced last August.

However, An attempt to put a premature halt to a controversial low traffic neighbourhood trial in Exeter has been rejected by councillors, after active travel campaigners branded a report submitted to the local authority, which advised that the scheme could be abandoned early if its targets weren’t met within weeks, “flawed” and “biased”.

> How to save a Low Traffic Neighbourhood: Overcoming hecklers, “dodgy” data, and political intrigue as councillors prevent early scrapping of active streets trial

St Chris of Boardman, meanwhile, has applauded this decision taken by the Exeter councillors, saying: "I hope everyone would agree that standing up for evidence, the majority view and letting people have the chance to try different, is exactly what we need more of."

I hope everyone would agree that standing up for evidence, the majority view and letting people have the chance to try different, is exactly what we need more of. https://t.co/iYEGRF97nm

— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) January 24, 2024

Hands up if you can't wait to see more of Bini in the coming classics season and may even I add, the Grand Tours...?

What a sprint, what a race by Biniam Girmay. 🇪🇷🇪🇷🇪🇷 🥇#Eritrea #SurfCoastClassic #Australia #TourDownUnder pic.twitter.com/nUQDVDt1JY

— Nora (@Nora_isle) January 25, 2024

The Eritrean rider from Intermarché took the win in a tight sprint ahead of Ineos' Elia Viviani and Israel-Premier Tech's Corbin Strong.

He said: "I think I felt super good and I started to control the race with my team. And the plan was to find the perfect wheel in the last kilometre, so I think we had a perfect wheel to start and in the end too, I had the legs to win. I'm super happy today!"