“Is it April 1st already?”: Cyclists confused if £115 power meter that sits on your chain and “collects grease and dirt” is a “joke”, but some argue “if it works, it works”; Thomas hoping for “exciting and special” UK Grand Départ + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
James May tells councils to stop being "t***s" and build more cycle lanes
Always knew he was the best out of the three…
> James May tells councils to stop being “t***s” and build more cycle lanes
“I hope it will inspire the next generation of kids”: Geraint Thomas applauds UK Grand Départ as “super exciting and special”
With the 2027 Tour de France set to kick off in Edinburgh before going through England and finishing its UK leg in Cardiff (imagine your live blog host’s excitement), 2018 Tour winner hailing from the Welsh capital Geraint Thomas is looking forward to a “super exciting and special” moment for the British cycling scene.
“It’s super exciting and special to have the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2027 in the UK,” Thomas said in a press release issued through his team Ineos Granadiers on Sunday.
“I was lucky enough to be part of two British Grand Départs already, one in London and one up in Yorkshire. There is a stage in Wales and that’s great too. I hope it will inspire the next generation of kids and for a lot of people to get out and enjoy the Tour.”
Thomas also talked about his participation in Milan-Sanremo, his first time going through the Ligurian coastline in the longest monument of the season since 2016, saying: “I feel a bit tired after Sanremo. It took me a while to get to sleep last night, with the caffeine and the adrenaline of racing. I’m happy to be here. I’ve done this race a few times now and just hope we have nice weather.”
“Knowing this is my last season just makes everything special and easier to do. On Saturday, under the rain in Sanremo, I was thinking it was going to be one of the last times I am going to be cold and wet in the rain during a race.
“I’m just enjoying it because we have a special life as pro athletes and pro cyclists, so I want to enjoy the last few months. Afterwards, things will get a bit more real in the real world.”
“Digestive troubles” force Tao Geoghegan Hart out of Volta a Catalunya, as British rider admits he “spent much of the stage yesterday throwing up anything I tried to eat”
After a top 10 finish in the Volta ao Algarve general classification last month, Tao Geoghegan Hart has been forced to withdraw from the Volta a Catalunya after just one stage as a result of an apparent stomach bug.
Ahead of the second stage today, Lidl-Trek announced on social media: “Following digestive troubles during stage one of Volta a Catalunya, Tao Geoghegan Hart will not be starting today’s second stage. Get well soon Tao!”
Geoghegan Hart also acknowledged his withdrawal from the Catalan stage race, writing on social media: “Gutted to be out of Volta Catalunya before it had even really begun. I spent much of the stage yesterday throwing up anything I tried to eat and after not being able to get any fuel in the tank since the finish yesterday, I won’t be lining up at the start today.
“It was a week I was super looking forward to and had trained all through the winter toward. For now, I can only thank the Lidl-Trek staff and riders for the support and look forward to getting healthy and racing again. Here we are on the ups and downs of the road.”
Wales to host national road racing championships for the next three years, with this year’s time trial, circuit and road race events to take place in Ceredigion
In what British Cycling has described as a “landmark deal”, the UK’s governing body for cycling and the Welsh Government have agreed for Wales to host the road racing championships for the next three years.
Just a few weeks after it was announced that both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes would be coming to Wales in 2027, the news comes as another boost for the Welsh cycling scene, having produced a number of talented young riders in recent years, including the likes of Josh Tarling, Stevie Wiliams, Emma Finucane and Zoe Bäckstedt, and Ella Maclean-Howell, just to name a few. In fact, Welsh riders made up 27 per cent of the Team GB cycling team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ceredigion, the coastal county from where Tarling and Wililams hail, will welcome riders for the first edition of this three-year deal, hosting the time trial, circuit race, and road race on 26 June, 27 June and 29 June, respectively.
Jonathan Day, Managing Director for British Cycling Events: “Wales has been a huge supporter of hosting major cycling events, so reaching this agreement with the Welsh Government is a huge milestone in securing host venues for the coveted National Road Championships for the next three years. The popularity of this event among riders and fans continues to grow, so it is fantastic to be working with partners in Wales where I am sure it will be a huge success.
“We are pleased to be working with all our partners to deliver the 2025 Lloyds National Road Championships in June this year.”
Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said: “This landmark agreement is further excellent news for Wales, particularly Ceredigion this summer, and testament to our unique offering of world-class cycling terrain.
“With this exciting announcement following confirmation that the Tour de France will come to Wales for the very first time in 2027, it helps cement our position as a premier destination for elite cycling events and offers a chance to see British and Welsh riders who will go on to compete in Le Tour and Tour de France Femmes in 2027.
“I look forward to both riders and spectators being treated to the opportunity to discover the very best of Welsh cycling landscapes.”
Councillor Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Ceredigion County Council said: “We are delighted that Ceredigion will be hosting the Lloyds National Road Cycling Championships this year. It will be an opportunity for us to showcase Ceredigion as a fantastic place for cyclists and for tourism, where you will experience fantastic scenery – our coastline, the countryside and mountains.
“Ceredigion has a proud record when it comes to producing elite cyclists including Josh Tarling, Stevie Williams and Gruff Lewis and we hope that hosting this event will inspire young cyclists who will be able to see their heroes in action.
“Hosting this event will provide significant economic benefits to the County and we look forward to welcoming the Championships to Ceredigion.”
"We've lost everything": Thieves disable CCTV and cut phone lines as "devastated" bike shop the latest cycling business targeted in organised overnight raid
“Pogi blowing Sanremo to pieces”: A breakdown with power data for Pogačar’s fastest-ever ascent of Cipressa (going 41kmph uphill)
Yep, you read that right. 41kmph uphill. Cipressa under 9 minutes. Best Milan-Sanremo in years?
New doping mystery case as Belgian police raid house and office of doctor with past “affiliations” to pro cycling team
Gather round, I’ve brought a doping mystery to solve for all you cycling sleuths.
According to Wielerflits, the Antwerp Federal Judicial Police has raided the house of a doctor based in Herentals who has previously been “affiliated with a professional team”.
Kristof Aerts of the Antwerp public prosecutor’s office said that “atypical prescribing behaviour” on behalf of the doctor came up during the investigation.
He told Het Laatste Nieuws: “During the investigation, atypical prescribing behaviour by the GP was noticed, and there could be a possibility of doping practices.
“The investigators of the Antwerp Federal Judicial Police collected information during the house searches that will be analysed in the next phase.”
First race? No problem... Caleb Ewan, racing in Ineos colours for the first time, wins opening stage of Coppi e Bartali
Ineos Grenadiers are flying! After a podium with Filippo Ganna at Milan-Sanremo this weekend, the team has tasted its fifth victory of the season, thanks to Caleb Ewan who delivered a win at the first time of asking.
The 30-year-old Australian who joined the struggling British outfit after a year at Jayco-AlUla, had a perfect leadout from Ben Swift, as well as the rest of his team who controlled the pace on the opening stage of Coppi e Bartali, to thank as he sprinted to a rather easy win in his first race for Ineos.
Caleb Ewan takes his first win in the new colors of INEOS Grenadiers! That was easy. #coppiebartali https://t.co/wUFtAOOgxU pic.twitter.com/7BZnIsfhyM
— Eemeli (@LosBrolin) March 25, 2025
Ethan Vernon makes it back-to-back British winners at Volta a Catalunya, as 19-year-old Matthew Brennan comes second in thrilling four-wide sprint finish
Remind me what year is it? 2014?
Because with two back-to-back British winners at Volta a Catalunya — 24-year-old Ethan Vernon coming home to take a well-deserved victory in a thrilling sprint finish in the second stage — it might as well be…
Speaking to reporters at the finish line, he said: “In the end it wasn’t an easy day. Trek and some other teams made it hard on the climb, so I suffered a bit then. I came back thanks to the good job of Itamar [Einhorn] my teammate who brought me back in good condition, and then Nick [Schultz] and Corbin [Strong] and George Bennett were phenomenal in the last few k. We came with momentum about 2k to go with a full train and we were set up perfectly for the end.
“It was really chaotic, I think we must have been going 80 kilometres per hour plus at the end there with the tail wind, it was super fast, but in the end, it suited me.
“We still have other objectives with [Matthew] Riccitello and George Bennett the next few days, and then hopefully another chance to sprint on Friday, and Corbyn’s got another chance again on Sunday. So yeah, I think we’ve got a lot of stages and hopefully a fairly good GC result for a couple of guys.
“I’m starting to like this race. It’s bringing some good memories. So hopefully come again next year!”
FOUR UP TO THE LINE 😲
Ethan Vernon just holds off the competition to claim the second stage of Volta Catalunya in a tight bunch sprint! pic.twitter.com/cEFVAgmR49
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 25, 2025
Meanwhile, Matthew Brennan, in the white jersey with green stripes after his inspired win in the first stage yesterday, by beating Kaden Groves has delivered another knockout blow to any doubters out there, if any, that Britain’s new superstar has truly arrived. Actually scratch that, as Ryan said, it’s in fact cycling’s new superstar who’s at the scene.
For context, here’s the results of his five races this month: Winner at Le Tour des 100 Communes, winner at GP Lillers, winner at GP de Denain, winner at Volta a Catalunya stage one, runner-up at Volta a Catalunya stage two.
Let me remind you, he’s 19…
Full results below:
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Cyclist confronts thieves who stole his bike, gets chased and assaulted but manages to recover bicycle
“Is it April 1st already?”: Cyclists confused if “ugly” £115 power meter that sits on your chain and “collects all sorts of grease and dirt” is a “joke”, but some argue “if it works, it works”
It’d appear that many of our readers are in the same boat as us — confused, bewildered, baffled — at BikeOn’s £115 CycleClick power meter, which seems wacky and bizarre, but claims to provide accurate data comparable to a high-end device.
Our tech editor Mat Brett provided a breakdown of the device yesterday, but to sum things up, this 70g contraption attaches directly to a bike’s chain without tools or modifications. It uses a ball-and-socket mounting system on the front derailleur and measures power output by detecting chain tension and speed as the chain passes over a built-in hump.
Another plus point is that the device syncs with apps like Strava, Zwift, and TrainingPeaks, making it a convenient option for cyclists wanting accurate performance data at a lower price.
But as we asked yesterday, what’s the catch? Obviously there’s questions and doubts about its accuracy (BikeOn claims accurate with an error margin for +/-1 per cent, but independent testing data doesn’t exist at present), and also about the added resistance and weight.
However, the biggest questions from the readers came in the form of potential wear-and-tear concerns for the chain, and then of course, the potential grime magnet that it could end up acting as.
That’s only recapping the gentler and kinder criticisms, others were harsher in their outlook, instead questioning the integrity and trustworthiness of the device itself and describing it as a “joke”.
road.cc reader qcscmh said: “I can think of many catches — Increased drive friction, power loss, faster chain wear, power device wear through the chain, how is accuracy compensated for temperature and oil or wax lubrication, extra noise,” before ending his takedown with: “Seems a rubbish idea.”
Terry Hut said: “Imagine riding with your chain cleaner attached. I assume it’s so loud you won’t need a bell anymore. People will hear you from miles away.”
mdavidford also brought up an interesting point: “His demo unit looks pretty scuffed up, which makes me wonder if it’s flapping out and contacting the foot as it passes, which would seem to be suboptimal.”
Cyclists on Facebook were also rather less forgiving, Ian Clark saying: “Imagine the amount of sh*te that would get caught up in that for those people who haven’t seen a can of degreaser in their lives?”
Brent Wander Borgemeister asked: “Does it calculate the watts it sucks from the drivetrain too?” while John Bremner remarked: “A social experiment to determine how easily a fool with a bike and their money can be parted?”
Alex Jessop wondered: “Surely anyone serious enough to want a power meter won’t want that ugly thing sat on their bike,” while Chris Rowan, like several others, was forced to have a quick glance at their calendars to check the date out of disbelief: “I thought this was an April fools joke. Had to check the calendar.”
A few were willing to give BikeOn and its co-founder Aram Novikov the benefit of the doubt, including road.cc reader james-o, who said: “Could be good for power reference levels on a basic turbo trainer bike set up. Interested.”
CycleClick is said to be waterproof and dustproof (with an IP67 rating) and is designed to operate in temperatures from -10°C to 60°C, and is rechargeable via USB-C. BikeOn says it will launch a crowdfunding campaign but you can get early access via prelaunch.com where you can leave a small refundable deposit to reserve “the lowest price ever” of $149.
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@chrisonabike ...have impersonated Dutch bike shop owners, people with disabilities, and possibly different genders / sexualities. And have gone from broken English to perfect fluency in a week or so Only a few of us remember those hilariously inept impersonations!
@belugabob Unfortunately going down this route is likely to be a missed opportunity. "Safer streets" can be done in a way that allows access to a virtuous circle with whole suite of benefits. But ... that would mean following something like in NL. So "sustainable safety" - a different philosophy of transport, plus gradual infra and organisational changes over decades. Generally opportunities for concentrations of money beat that. So it looks like we'll get "probably safer on average" but with who knows what side effects, while concentrating insane amounts of power (money) in the hands of a very few. And those will be effectively unaccountable, being almost all overseas, and not having to live in the same streets as their products (they may be flying)...
@Fursty Ferret "...regulator" That should be little comfort, because during previous scandals it became clear that in many cases the regulators were easily hoodwinked, or (especially US) they rely on the companies themselves to mark their own homework. (And in the case of SUVs/light trucks, I heard the US government has been hard a-lobbying the likes of Europe and the UK for "reciprocal recognition" e.g. to accept their product as is without further checks). Needing the makers to help / do the checks is even more likely given the complexity of self-driving vehicles. I suspect self-driving vehicles will likely soon be safer on average than human drivers (a low bar). Of course I think other potential consequences are also a matter of concern (not least - in *theory* humans can be held accountable, but holding humans in large companies accountable for their tech is a *lot* harder)...
@mdavidford Celebrity traitors with Lance? Worse - some of these slippery lycrist quislings deceive people that they're a) pedestrians - by getting off their bike and b) drivers - by getting into their cars! It's all on display in this forum, where IIRC such cyclists have appeared under multiple names, have impersonated Dutch bike shop owners, people with disabilities, and possibly different genders / sexualities. And have gone from broken English to perfect fluency in a week or so...
Politician in "fixing things for my mates / companies I have an interest in" shocker!
@mdavidford Could make that shorter - "we’re letting too many people drive" * I would bet to a first approximation the "damage" could be predicted by number of humans times time driven. Most effective way to fix that - without the UK's "just get rid of the vulnerable road users" - is to remove the motorists, to padded individual lanes, far away from vulnerable road users. Though they'll still crash (and into each other). * Should be "we have incentivised people so that most of them see 'driving' as the solution to most of their transport needs, as well as being part of their status as adults, and we could usefully change that *and* it would also improve health, the economy, the environment..."
@This Wreckage The other point is the observation that efforts to fix the transport systems which reduce motoring convenience almost always meet with very noisy opposition. But when a lot of motor (through) traffic has been removed it turns out that people don't want to go back. They don't all necessarily say how much nicer it is or connect that to the lack of motor traffic. But this experiment has been run in many different localities in different countries and the results seem to hold. Caveats as usual - it's always possible for authorities to bungle things terribly - or even deliberately mess things up with ulterior motives. And people have to have enough time to adapt to the new situation, which is probably nearer a year or two.
@This Wreckage And yet - in the poorest parts of where I stay (Edinburgh) it's not uncommon to see bikes with flat tyres rusting in the closes of flats, or on balconies, and they aren't all kids' bikes... I do agree that storage is an issue. IIRC some places (Edinburgh now) are starting to bring in guidance on having some cycle storage for new flats. Nothing like NL though where for decades it's been a part of the building regulations. I think most people who don't own a bike have simply never considered owning a bike as adults, because they're not "cyclists" (e.g. not practicing a sport) and transport cycling isn't "a thing" for most people in the UK currently.
It's really not smart to alienate so many potential buyers by putting hookless rims on a road bike. I personally don't think it's safe, but everyone can agree it greatly limits tire choices and inflation pressures. Both very important things on a road bike.
@This Wreckage I think we've covered that one. (It's the what the young (18-20s) adults are doing on social media isn't it...) You certainly have to engage with people, but if you ask people about something - like transport cycling in the UK - that they don't do (and more importantly *others* don't do) and have probably never thought about doing ... you have to take the answers with a large pinch of salt. Indeed even for things people *do* you might not get immediately helpful answers. Witness people being interviewed in NL about why they cycled to the shops to do the shopping: very few of them mention the infra or motor traffic reduction (or even the bike...). In that case you'd hear the truth e.g. "it's the easiest way" / "I like to go with my friends" - but *why* that is the case would need further investigation.
12 thoughts on ““Is it April 1st already?”: Cyclists confused if £115 power meter that sits on your chain and “collects grease and dirt” is a “joke”, but some argue “if it works, it works”; Thomas hoping for “exciting and special” UK Grand Départ + more on the live blog”
earlier today I watched the
earlier today I watched the video take down by Peak Torque of the GCN video about a shoe efficiency test…which led apparently to GCN removing the video ……Anyone making claims should be using protocols which can be shared and peer reviewed – I think the chain device fails to provide enough explanantion or evidence and so gets readers doubtful….
If you had 9Bn to spend on
If you had 9Bn to spend on travel and infrastructure, what would you spend it on ?
Hirsute wrote:
Lobbying for £50 billion.
Hirsute wrote:
Well if I was the UK government, it would almost certainly be a new tunnel between Tilbury and Gravesend.
mark1a wrote:
Well if I was the UK government, it would almost certainly be a new tunnel between Tilbury and Gravesend. — Hirsute
Surely making some motorway junction have slightly longer slip roads and better feeds to enhance (motor) traffic flow. That should soak up a good portion of the £9bn. And with what is left use it to help fund a cut in fuel duty. Have I got this right yet?
Hirsute wrote:
Monorail!
Come on Adwitiya. Do better.
Come on Adwitiya. Do better.
Are bike shops sentient now too?
“We’ve lost everything”: Thieves disable CCTV and cut phone lines as “devastated” bike shop the latest cycling business targeted in organised overnight raid
should be something like
“We’ve lost everything”: Thieves disable CCTV and cut phone lines as “devastated” owner of bike shop the latest cycling business targeted in organised overnight raid
The shop was the target, not
The shop was the target, not the owner, so you’re still wrong.
mitsky wrote:
The term “devastated” doesn’t necessarily have to apply to a sentient being as a feeling, for example “the building was devastated by a fire”
mark1a wrote:
That may well be so but in this specific case following the link to the article the first paragraph states “A “devastated” owner of a bike shop in Suffolk”, so the headline was a clumsy shortening of a reference to the owner, even if the shop itself was also “devastated”.
“We’ve lost everything”:
“We’ve lost everything”: Thieves disable CCTV and cut phone lines leaving owner “devastated” as bike shop the latest cycling business targeted in organised overnight raid
any good now?
There’s a ‘we’ in there,
There’s a ‘we’ in there, though, so, unless they’re royalty, it’s not just referring to a single owner, but multiple people involved with the shop. Arguably, if it’s all or most of the people involved who are devastated then ‘the shop’ is a reasonable metonymic way to refer to them.