“Thank you, whoever you are”: 4×4 driver stops to give stranded cyclists lift across flooded road; Was cycling during Storm Bert putting “strain on emergency services”? Or was it safer due to lack of cars?; Paddy’s got “biking bug” + more on the live blog

> Burglar avoids jail for stealing bikes worth $100,000 from Lance Armstrong

The UCI Cyclocross World Cup – now in its new, more compact format – returned at the weekend, as Fem van Empel and Eli Iserbyt both soloed to commanding victories in Antwerp yesterday, ahead of next week’s jaunt over to Dublin for round two.

And while there wasn’t much in the way of dramatic racing, this ‘cross season’s unfortunate penchant for idiotic actions by spectators continued, as one attention-seeking ‘fan’ – seemingly desperate to direct a heart gesture at a TV camera, while leaning his elbows over the fencing on the inside of a tight corner – got his comeuppance almost immediately, thanks to a perfectly executed shoulder check from Laurens Sweeck:

Pay attention to the oncoming riders, or get shoulder checked by Laurens Sweeck 😬

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— Katy M (@writebikerepeat.bsky.social) November 24, 2024 at 3:04 PM

And it’s fair to say that ‘fan’ picked the wrong set of shoulders to obstruct – look at the size of them, they’re huge!

Also, the look of disgust on the heart-sign-making spectator’s face makes the whole clip for me.

‘How dare this world-class racing cyclist ruin my moment on tele? MY moment?’

> “Don’t come to a bike race if you’re going to do this”: Cyclocross rider who stamped on rival’s bike has beer chucked on him by furious spectator

Sweeck’s brief encounter with a stupid fan wasn’t enough to stop him securing a strong second behind Iserbyt, thankfully, as he powered away from Michael Vanthourenhout to finish 17 seconds behind Belgian champion Iserbyt.

But spare a thought for poor Thibau Nys, who also collided shoulder first – this time with a wooden post, as he entered the pit area – before fading to 12th on the day.

Some shoulders are stronger than others, eh?

> Check out Vincenzo Nibali’s Tour de France-winning Specialized Tarmac from 2014

Van der Poel and Philipsen, eat your heart out: 

I’m not sure what’s worse – the denim shorts and lumberjack-style checked shirt combo, or that horrific leg warmers-over-shorts look…

Denim cycling hotpants, anyone?

> Cyclist death sparks MP to highlight “dire situation of underinvestment” in cycling, urges some drivers to change “irrational attitudes”

Dear drivers, Please please please please stop parking across cycling paths. Yours faithfully, People who travel by bike 🙏

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— Francesca 🚲💕 (@francescakms.bsky.social) November 21, 2024 at 7:28 PM

Leading track sprinter Matt Richardson, who shocked the cycling world in August when he defected to Great Britain after winning three medals, including two silvers, for Australia at the Paris Olympics, has been effectively banned from ever representing Australia again, after a review by the country’s governing body argued that the so-called “secret switch” conflicted with the “values of the Australian National Team and the broader cycling community”.

However, the AusCycling review concluded that any attempt to stop Richardson from competing for two years – a complete competition ban that was mooted in the wake of his defection – would be “legally unenforceable”.

The review, published this morning, also revealed that Richardson had attempted to take his Australian team bike and kit to Britain following the Olympics, but before he publicly announced his decision, a move AusCycling deemed an “unacceptable risk” to the squad’s intellectual property.

> Australia’s Olympic sprint and keirin silver medallist Matt Richardson set for surprise nationality switch to Team GB

In August, 25-year-old Richardson announced that he was moving to the Great Britain track team, after his application to switch nationality from Australia was accepted by the UCI.

Born in Maidstone, Kent, Richardson moved with his family to Western Australia when he was nine, maintaining dual citizenship in the process.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Since beginning to compete for Australia as a junior, Richardson has gone on to establish himself as one of the fastest men in the world, winning a world title in the team sprint in 2022, along with two Commonwealth golds that same year, before winning silver in both the sprint and the keirin, along with a bronze in the team sprint, at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

> Track cyclist who won three Olympic medals for Australia before “secret switch” to Team GB could face two-year ban from UCI, as AusCycling says Matthew Richardson would have been left out of Paris 2024 squad if they knew about defection plans

Following his defection – which AusCycling said was kept secret before the Games from teammates and staff, who only found out a few hours before the official announcement – Australian cycling’s governing body has been investigating the move, publishing its results this morning.

“The review, which involved a thorough investigation of Richardson’s actions, has determined he acted in a way which conflicted with the values of AusCycling, the Australian National Team, and the broader cycling community,” AusCycling said.

AusCycling noted the key findings of its review are as follows:

Richardson requested that the world cycling body, the Union Cycliste Internationale, delay official disclosure of his nationality change until after the Olympic Games. This request was supported by British Cycling.

He also withheld news of his decision from AusCycling, his teammates, and key stakeholders prior to the Games.

After the Games, but before announcing his decision, Richardson asked to take AusCycling property including a custom bike, cockpit, and Olympic race suit to Great Britain. This represented an unacceptable risk to AusCycling’s intellectual property. 

As a result of these findings, AusCycling concluded that Richardson will “not be eligible to rejoin the Australian Cycling Team at any point in the future”.

The sprinter is “also prohibited from using any resources associated with the Australian Cycling Team or its partners” and “will be ineligible for any AusCycling-related awards, effective immediately”.

AusCycling also said it “investigated the imposition of a two-year non-competition clause as outlined in Richardson’s athlete’s membership agreement”, but ultimately found that “such a ban was deemed legally unenforceable”.

 (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

The decision by AusCycling not to pursue a general two-year ban means Richardson will be eligible to represent Team GB following the European championships in February.

After missing the track worlds last month, Richardson made his debut for Britain, albeit as an independent rider, at the UCI Track Champions League on Saturday, beating Dutch sprint supremo Harrie Lavreysen in the sprint and keirin.

“I was really trying to soak in the experience,” he said after his GB debut.

“When the announcer called my name representing Great Britain, it was such a special feeling. It’s a dream come true really and to win every single race tonight was more than I could have ever wished for.”

(Alex Broadway/SWpix.com)

Following their review this morning, AusCycling’s performance manager Jesse Korf said: “These decisions underscore AusCycling’s adherence to the values of the Australian National Team and our broader commitment to the principle of Win Well.

“Integrity, respect, and trust are foundational to our team and organisation, and we remain focused on fostering an environment that upholds these standards.”

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So, apparently 300 miles and five days toiling over hills on a modified Raleigh Chopper can make you fall in love with cycling, to the extent that you’re willing to spend the winter suffering in your shed, staring at a screen on Zwift. Who knew?

Well that’s exactly what seems to have happened to Paddy McGuinness, who admitted at the weekend that he’s caught the “biking bug” in the wake of his gruelling and nostalgia-fuelled Children in Need ultra-endurance ride earlier this month.  

The 51-year-old BBC Radio 2 presenter raised over £10 million for the charity after cycling from Wrexham to Glasgow on a modified version of the iconic 1970s Raleigh Chopper bike, hauling himself over the nastily steep hills of the Lake District and being joined by Sir Chris Hoy along the way.

> “Will Children in Need be paying for his new knees?” Paddy McGuinness completes epic five-day, 300-mile Raleigh Chopper charity cycle, raising over £7.5m – with a little help from Sir Chris Hoy (and a Gladiator)

But just when you thought that was enough suffering for one month, the Phoenix Nights star decided – for some reason – to join the world of Zwift, taking on his first FTP ramp test on the virtual cycling platform.

“Did my first FTP on the Zwift bike. It’s no chopper!” McGuinness posted on social media, along with his results.

“I’m still trying to figure out how to whack it on my Strava? Tricky to figure it all out, tips welcomed. I think my ultra endurance challenge has given me the biking bug!!!”

Among those welcoming the former Top Gear host to the cycling fold was double British time trial champion Hayley Simmonds, who wrote: “Congrats on the challenge! Zwift is great for training motivation, especially at this time of year. Hope you’ve got it all connected with Strava now. Hopefully see you on there for a ride.”

Others, meanwhile, were there for the Take Me Out puns.

“Let the TAYLOR see the ZWIFT,” said Matt, to audible groans (I imagine).

“Welcome to cycling, the most enjoyable, addictive, and expensive hobby there is. Good luck!”

And speaking of expensive – working out how to link Zwift to his Strava account wasn’t the only thing on Paddy’s mind this weekend.

According to the Mail, McGuinness’ legal team are taking action against celebrity gossip site Popbitch after it claimed the 51-year-old stopped during his 300-mile charity cycle to indulge in a Michelin-starred meal.

The weekly newsletter accused McGuinness of taking a helicopter to visit the Cumbrian village of Cartmel, where he allegedly enjoyed a 15-course fine-dining experience at three Michelin-starred restaurant L’Enclume, before staying there overnight.

However, Paddy’s team have denied the claims made by the site – which specialises, it says, in ‘Scurrilous gossip. Scandalous Stories’ – and have prepared a legal letter against Popbitch.

“The story is completely and utterly false, at no point did Paddy leave the challenge or the team. They were together every second,” a source said.

“Paddy most nights was getting physio to prep him for the next day, followed by an early night due to the 6am wake-up.”

Paddy, welcome to the world of cycling – full of gossip and innuendo at every turn…

Le Coq Sportif, the iconic French sportswear manufacturer which made the leaders’ jerseys for the Tour de France in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, as well as between 2012 and 2021, has been placed into receivership, its parent company has announced.

Last month, Swiss company Airesis, which owns a 75 per cent stake in the brand, announced that Le Coq Sportif – which also provided the kit for the French Olympic squad in Paris this year – was facing “significant financial pressures”, and that it had requested the opening of a receivership procedure and judicial restructuring at a French court.

However, despite this move, Aeresis said it hoped an upturn in sales would materialise after Paris, protecting the brand and its employees.

“Le Coq Sportif is using this procedure to respond to the challenges facing the brand, while wanting to protect its 330 employees and hundreds of indirect jobs,” the Swiss parent company said.

“This recovery period is also an opportunity for the company to be able to initiate and finalise discussions with new investors and strategic partners in order to perpetuate its activity and strengthen its economic model.”

After being synonymous with the Tour de France’s yellow jersey for decades in the 20th century, Le Coq Sportif (and its iconic logo) once again took over the highly coveted role of leaders’ jersey manufacturer at the Tour from Nike in 2012, providing the yellow jersey for Bradley Wiggins’ win that year, as well as Chris Froome’s four overall victories, and Tadej Pogačar’s first two triumphs in 2020 and 2021.

Even his victorious teammate Felix Großschartner doesn’t appear overly happy at helping to continue Pogi’s relentless winning streak at sports agency A&J’s inaugural pro cycling padel tournament at the weekend.

Have a day off, mate, please…

 

 

 

 

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> Cyclist knocked off bike claims police “completely unwilling to prosecute” drivers who hit cyclists

Blimey. I have to admit, I’m not sure I would have fancied descending that hill-cum-waterfall in those conditions yesterday.

I think I’ll stick to the shed the next time the roads turn into rivers, thanks.

While the members of the Bury Clarion Cycling Club were being ferried across a large puddle up in Lancashire, road.cc co-founder Dave and his mates were having a whale of a time putting their mudguards and waterproof gear to good use as they battled through Storm Bert yesterday:

 

 

 

 

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Errr… I’m glad I stuck with the turbo trainer, thanks.

“Did anyone else think that today was a good day for a bike ride???” Dave asked on our Instagram page.

And the response was… mixed, to say the lease.

“Chapeau guys,” said John.

“Yep. That was me this afternoon,” added David.

“It was tempting because of the nice temperatures, but the wind was a bit dangerous for me,” said Barefoot Lady.

“Nope! I rode home last night from work in the dark and the roads were like this! Bad move!” wrote Max.

“Been there, done that before, no thanks, not doing it again,” said Andrew, while Aidan was also in the ‘no’ camp, pointing out that “there was a yellow weather warning”.

‘It’s alright, it’s only up to my ankles’

And finally, Steve was highly critical of any cyclists choosing to venture out onto the storm-affected roads this weekend, and even brought the NHS into it.

“Taking unnecessary risks that put a further strain on emergency services. Well done,” he critiqued.

And Dave’s response?

“Only saw about eight cars and most of them were stopped by floods. So, on balance probably safer than a normal day.”

What do you think? Is a flooded car-free road safer for cyclists than a dry one packed with drivers? Or is heading out on the bike in stormy conditions a foolhardy endeavour?

Or did the wet, windy, and wild conditions simply provide you with a handy excuse to avoid any type of training this weekend? Hands up at the back…

Search for the term ‘4×4 driver’ in the road.cc archives, and you’ll find plenty of old stories – none of which, you’ll hardly be surprised to learn, offer an overly flattering portrayal of SUV owners and their attitudes towards cyclists.

‘4×4 driver pushes cyclists “into the gutter”.’

‘Punishment pass 4×4 driver decides to “teach me a lesson”, says cyclist.’

‘4×4 driver rams cyclist and crushes bike during dispute.’

And, of course: ‘4×4 driver escapes punishment after reversing at cyclist and running over dog.’

So, it was a welcome surprise to see one 4×4 owner attempt to change the narrative over the weekend – by helpfully stopping to transport some stranded cyclists across a flooded section of road during their Sunday club ride.

Braving Storm Bert, the hardy (or foolish) cyclists, members of Bury Clarion Cycling Club, were making their way towards the Lancashire village of Belmont when they were stopped in their tracks by a lovely brown swimming pool that used to resemble a road.

“Just before we got to Belmont village, we encountered a serious issue as the road was completely flooded and too dangerous for us to cycle through,” one member of the group, Austin Kirkham, wrote on the club’s Facebook page.

But fortunately, a fuel-guzzling Good Samaritan was on hand to keep the club ride on the road.

“While Paul was looking at options to re-route us, the 4×4 coming towards us through the flooded road stopped,” Austin continued.

“The guy driving said, ‘I’m just going to spin round, and I will transport you and your bikes across’ – thank you, whoever you are. We then carried on to Roots Café for a two-course meal.”

Now, that’s the kind of 4×4 owner we want to see more of on road.cc, intent on making sure club cyclists will never miss their lunch appointment… Excellent stuff.