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  • News
Chris Froome ASMR video 3 (Chris Froome, Twitter)
Chris Froome ASMR video 3 (Chris Froome, Twitter) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Chris Froome posts Bentley ASMR parody bike video – and even touches his disc brake rotor; Cycling Mikey recognised by person on other end of driver’s phone call; Fans react to Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step merger rumours + more on the live blog

It’s Monday and Ryan Mallon is back in the (hopefully working) live blog hot seat, hoping to kick start your week with all the latest cycling news, views, and weird videos
  • by Ryan Mallon
Mon, Sep 25, 2023 08:54
13

SUMMARY

  • Weekend roundup
  • Women’s marathon record broken in cheap shoes – according to cyclists anyway
  • VAM, bam, almost Van: Christophe Laporte holds off Wout van Aert to win European road race championships in thrilling finale
  • “Huge step backwards for road safety”: Reopening rat-run will put cyclists and pedestrians in danger, critics say
  • Lib Dems’ commitment to reversing cycling cuts “a good start, but could be bolder”, says Cycling UK
  • AVV pulls a Valverde: Annemiek van Vleuten returns to racing – one month after retiring – at gravel worlds
  • AG2R Citroën set to switch from BMC to Decathlon’s Van Rysel bikes in 2024
  • “Three women killed cycling in London in just over a month. Utterly sick of this? Us too”: London Cycling Campaign launches campaign calling for all women to “have access to safe, affordable, and accessible transport”
  • 90-year-old retired vicar breaks record for oldest Land’s End to John O’Groats ride
  • Road Safety GB: ‘Let’s try to make Britain just like that famously successful cycling nation… checks notes… Australia!’
  • Patrick Lefevere remains tight-lipped over Jumbo-Visma merger rumours, telling reporters he left his phone at home – despite holding a phone in his hand
  • The future?
  • “Team mergers are never good for the sport”: Cycling fans react with horror to rumours of creation of Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step super team
  • A Cycling Mikey classic: Camera cyclist’s voice recognised... by person on the other end of motorist’s phone call
  • Chris Froome dives into the world of ASMR with surprisingly funny Factor video… and even touches the disc brake rotor
Chris Froome ASMR video 3 (Chris Froome, Twitter)
Chris Froome ASMR video 3 (Chris Froome, Twitter) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
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25 September 2023, 08:54

Weekend roundup

From unauthorised Las Vegas trips (and no, I’m not talking about the road.cc team) to questionable ‘vulnerable road user’ police operations, here’s your weekly roundup of all the things you might have missed while out on your bike over the last few days…

Red light operation (@PSOSRoads)
Red light operation (@PSOSRoads) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Red light operation (@PSOSRoads)
Red light operation (@PSOSRoads) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> ‘Vulnerable Road User’ operation sees police fine cyclists for jumping red lights

> Near Miss of the Day 877: Driver ordered to pay £1,074 for close pass on cyclist

> Teens who allegedly filmed themselves killing cyclist now accused of trying to kill second bike rider

> “Should not have finished”: Boss of Swiss cycling team admits they got Stefan Küng crash wrong

> “About time”: Cyclists react to Shimano crank recall after more than 4,500 incidents

Mauro Schmid Las Vegas (Strava)
Mauro Schmid Las Vegas (Strava) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Mauro Schmid Las Vegas (Strava)
Mauro Schmid Las Vegas (Strava) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> Spin City: Mauro Schmid’s perfect reply to Patrick Lefevere criticism of Las Vegas trip while his “Garmin was broken”

> Miguel Angel López victim of kidnap and robbery

> Cyclist killed by falling tree on rural country road

> Is this the mysterious new Decathlon race bike? Plus DT Swiss’ new alloy wheels set to bring aero to the masses, Moots’ carbon gravel e-bike, Elves’ hill climb wheels and loads more tech news

25 September 2023, 08:54

Women’s marathon record broken in cheap shoes – according to cyclists anyway

Did any other cycling fans read this and think, that is a lot but not like, *a lot* for shoes? pic.twitter.com/HbvXviPxcS

— Josh Owen Morris (@JoshOwenMorris) September 24, 2023

25 September 2023, 08:54

VAM, bam, almost Van: Christophe Laporte holds off Wout van Aert to win European road race championships in thrilling finale

I couldn’t let the morning pass on today’s live blog without mentioning that absolute thriller of a final kilometre at yesterday’s men’s European road race championships on top of the Col du VAM, where Christophe Laporte miraculously held off his Jumbo-Visma teammates, but rivals for the day, Wout van Aert and Olav Kooij to take a stunning victory.

In case you missed it, the French rider – whose previous win this season ahead of Van Aert at Gent-Wevelgem was a rather more sedate, celebratory affair – channelled his inner Mischa Bredewold (who soloed to a brilliant win at Saturday’s women’s race), attacking with 12km to go, not long after a race-defining crash in the bunch split the field to pieces and ruined the rampant-looking Filippo Ganna’s chances of victory.

“What a finish. What a finish!” 😱

Christophe Laporte beats out Wout van Aert in a thrilling finish and becomes European champion 🥇#EuroRoad23 | @JumboVismaRoad | @LAPORTEChristop pic.twitter.com/EDQvRRhk0w

— Eurosport (@eurosport) September 24, 2023

With Laporte holding a slender lead to the foot of the former landfill site turned cycling playground in Drenthe – despite Carlton Kirby on comms practically handing the French rider the Euros jersey even before he hit the final climbs – a late charge from Van Aert and Kooij, aided by non-Jumbo rider Arnaud De Lie, appeared to spell the end of the escapee’s hopes.

But just as Van Aert appeared on his shoulder, Laporte had enough in the tank to kick again, sealing yet another Jumbo-Visma 1-2-3 (though this time at least they were wearing different jerseys) and adding the icing on the cake to a fantastic 2023 for the Frenchman. What a race, and no gifts this time, eh?

25 September 2023, 08:54

“Huge step backwards for road safety”: Reopening rat-run will put cyclists and pedestrians in danger, critics say

Another day, another council reversing active travel measures…

A council’s decision to reopen a road closure to through traffic will have a detrimental effect on road safety and active travel, seeing the “quiet, safe, and liveable” street reversed to “rat-running and speeding cars” again, critics have said.

One councillor, meanwhile, said he wants the closure reversed – despite being a former cyclist who got knocked off his bike twice by drivers who were not looking where they were going…

Archer Lane modal filter (@SheffieldGreens)
Archer Lane modal filter (@SheffieldGreens) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Archer Lane modal filter (@SheffieldGreens)
Archer Lane modal filter (@SheffieldGreens) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Read more: > Reopening rat-run will put cyclists and pedestrians in danger, critics say

25 September 2023, 08:54

Lib Dems’ commitment to reversing cycling cuts “a good start, but could be bolder”, says Cycling UK

If you hadn’t already guessed by Rishi Sunak’s much-ridiculed watering down of the UK’s net zero policies last week, we’re beginning to creep ever closer to election season (hey, January 2025 is basically around the corner!), and policy pledges and promises will be all the rage over conference season.

And the Liberal Democrats, who are now in Bournemouth for their annual get together, have kicked things off by supporting a motion supporting reversing government cuts to cycling and walking in England during a meeting on transport this morning.

Earlier this year, ministers cut the dedicated budget for cycling and walking by two thirds, despite the National Audit Committee pointing out that funding levels would not be enough to meet the government’s target to double cycling numbers by 2025.

> Rishi Sunak’s watered-down net zero policies could “destroy any hopes of a cycle friendly future,” says Cycling UK

And while Cycling UK has praised the Lib Dems for committing to reversing the cuts, the charity believes that parties need to be bolder on active travel when the time comes to drawing up their manifestos.

“The Liberal Democrats recognise the damage done by cutting funding for cycling and walking and have pledged to reverse these, which is a good start – but in their next manifesto, they must be bolder if they are to reap all of the many environmental, health, and wellbeing benefits that come from more people cycling,” Sarah McMonagle, Cycling UK’s director of external affairs, said this morning.

“Getting more people out cycling and walking is a worthy ambition, but restoring a level underinvestment this government previously had in place will not achieve it.”

25 September 2023, 08:54

AVV pulls a Valverde: Annemiek van Vleuten returns to racing – one month after retiring – at gravel worlds

So, that didn’t take long, did it?

Just over two weeks after riding her last professional race on the road at the Simac Ladies Tour, Annemiek van Vleuten has confirmed that she will once again pin a number on her back at next month’s gravel world championships in Italy.

> Raising the bar: Annemiek van Vleuten, one of cycling’s great revolutionaries, retires

The 40-year-old, who insisted to a group of reporters, including this one, in Glasgow that she wouldn’t pursue a post-retirement gravel career, announced that she will race the Veneto-based worlds on 7 October, one day before her 41st birthday, in an interview with Dutch podcast In Het Wiel.

“In a crazy mood I said yes to that. The team liked it, the sponsors liked it, and I also found it funny to participate,” the four-time world champion on the road told the podcast.

However, that doesn’t mean AVV will be following in the wheel tracks of her Movistar colleague Alejandro Valverde, who swapped the road bike and a cosy retirement for a position as the Spanish squad’s gravel poster boy earlier this year (and some brown shorts, too).

“I have no ambitions in a gravel career, so I think I will end it here,” Van Vleuten said, insisting that unlike Valverde she was not “unretiring”.

“I’m going to ride this in my retirement. I’m not prepared for it and I’m not going to train for it.

“I’m going to participate and have a nice photo with Alejandro Valverde. It’s a bit a part of my farewell tour. I threw the ball up myself and it was immediately headed in by the team. Before I knew it I was registered. Especially if it is in Italy, I am open to that.”

25 September 2023, 08:54

AG2R Citroën set to switch from BMC to Decathlon’s Van Rysel bikes in 2024

Following some speculation earlier this year, it’s been confirmed to road.cc – or at least those of us enjoying ourselves at the Sea Otter Europe festival in Girona this week (hint: it’s not me) – that Decathlon’s new Van Rysel RCR bikes, spotted on the Decathlon website last week, will be raced in the WorldTour by AG2R next year.

While the sporting goods giant hasn’t been associated with cycling’s top table for a generation, this won’t be the first time we’ve seen a bike from Decathlon in the pro peloton. Back in the early 2000s, Estonian sprinter Jaan Kirsipuu, riding for the AG2R team, won three of his four career Tour de France stages while riding a Decathlon Penta Pro.

AG2R’s switch from BMC also means that it’s highly likely that Campagnolo won’t be represented in the WorldTour peloton for the first time since 2012. Which, for a component traditionalist like me, is quite sad.

2023 Van Rysel RCR frame
2023 Van Rysel RCR frame (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
2023 Van Rysel RCR frame
2023 Van Rysel RCR frame (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Read more: > Confirmed: AG2R Citroën will ride Decathlon’s Van Rysel bikes in 2024, plus more details + pics of all new road racers

25 September 2023, 08:54

“Three women killed cycling in London in just over a month. Utterly sick of this? Us too”: London Cycling Campaign launches campaign calling for all women to “have access to safe, affordable, and accessible transport”

Three women killed cycling in just over a month.

🚲 36-year-old woman killed in Hackney
🚲 27-year-old woman killed on Battersea Bridge
🚲 Mid-20s woman killed in Harrow

Utterly sick of this? Us too. Sign the petition #WomensFreedomRide https://t.co/2lZTa0ZdXu

— London Cycling Campaign (@London_Cycling) September 25, 2023

After three women were killed while riding bikes on the streets of London over the past month, the London Cycling Campaign has launched a petition urging mayor Sadiq Khan to make the capital “a city where any woman can cycle safely”.

In the petition, which can be accessed here, the campaign group’s women’s network wrote:

We want to see riding a bike made safe, easy, and convenient for women of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, across the whole city.

Being able to get around safely, cheaply and independently can be life changing. On average, women have less free time, less disposable income, less access to motor vehicles and more caring responsibilities than men. For all of these reasons, and many more, it’s critical that all women have access to safe, affordable, and accessible transport that meets their needs.

The bicycle has played a significant role in liberating women in the past, and cycling could be liberating for women in London today, offering us independence, health, and affordable, climate-safe transport. But it can only do that in the right environment.

Therefore we are calling on the Mayor to make London a city where any woman can cycle safely.

The petition, which currently has almost 1,500 signatures, also calls on Khan to “ensure cycling is an inclusive mode of transport that men and women use equally, across London, by 2030”, by addressing physical and social safety for women when cycling, and by “thinking beyond the commute” to create safe local cycling networks.

25 September 2023, 08:54

90-year-old retired vicar breaks record for oldest Land’s End to John O’Groats ride

 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Peter Langford – Lands End to John o Groats at 90 (@petersbikeride)

What do you expect to be doing when you’re 90? Probably not riding your bike the length of Britain, anyway.

But that’s exactly what Peter Langford spent his summer doing, breaking the record for the oldest person to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats in the process.

The retired vicar from Suffolk had already completed LEJOG on three previous occasions, aged 75, 80, and 85, and set off on 22 August, three days after his 90th birthday, for another crack at those famous 1,100 miles.

 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Peter Langford – Lands End to John o Groats at 90 (@petersbikeride)

After arriving at John O’Groats last Thursday after a month on the road, raising over £36,000 for homelessness charities in the process, John told the BBC that he was “relieved” to have finished his fourth LEJOG – and that he wouldn’t be attempting it again when he’s 95.

“I look back and think ‘how did I manage some of those hills?’,” he said. “My overriding feeling is gratitude for the opportunity to do it, and the ability to do it at my age and for the huge generosity of people. The amount that has come in is phenomenal.

“I recognise that I am extraordinarily lucky. I shall keep on cycling locally, because it’s good exercise. I will keep up about 50 miles a week but latterly in my training I was doing more than 100 miles a week and going out in all weathers.

“I will be more of a fair-weather cyclist now, I think.”

To be honest, I think that’s more than fair enough.

25 September 2023, 08:54

Road Safety GB: ‘Let’s try to make Britain just like that famously successful cycling nation… checks notes… Australia!’

Helmet campaign (Bedfordshire Road Safety Partnership)
Helmet campaign (Bedfordshire Road Safety Partnership) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Helmet campaign (Bedfordshire Road Safety Partnership)
Helmet campaign (Bedfordshire Road Safety Partnership) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

> Road safety organisation accused of “victim-blaming” over cycling helmet campaign

Ah, here we go again: Another road safety campaign focused on helmets…

This latest one, from the Bedfordshire Road Safety Partnership, has been criticised by cyclists on social media, not for its painful rhyme schemes, but for “victim blaming” and failing to tackle road danger “at source” – after basing the campaign around a cartoon cyclist named Ted, who wasn’t wearing a helmet while riding “real quick”, and ended up in hospital after hitting a stick.

Those pesky, super quick helmet-less cyclists, they’re the real issue! No mention, of course, of any motorists, because they’re not a problem on the roads for cyclists, are they?

Anyway, the campaign has also been endorsed by national road safety organisation, Road Safety GB, who say it aims to make helmet wearing in the UK the “norm, as it is in Australia”.

> Academic behind ‘cyclists seen as less human’ study: “If you have a safe and normal cycling culture, how could you see people as anything but human?”

Ah yes, Australia, where helmets have been mandatory for over 30 years, yet where injuries for cyclists have increased, where fines for not wearing a helmet are handed out “aggressively and disproportionately” where cyclists believe that riding a bike is “discouraged”, and where recent studies have found that cyclists wearing helmets are viewed by drivers as “less human”…

Maybe we could launch our own campaign? ‘Don’t be like Road Safety GB, and don’t try to replicate Australia’s contentious approach to cycling in the UK.’

Ah, shoot, it didn’t rhyme…

25 September 2023, 08:54

Patrick Lefevere remains tight-lipped over Jumbo-Visma merger rumours, telling reporters he left his phone at home – despite holding a phone in his hand

Perhaps my favourite story to emerge out of the whole Jumbo-Visma/Soudal Quick-Step rumours saga is Patrick Lefevere’s uncharacteristically coy encounter with Belgian broadcaster Sporza last night.

The outspoken Belgian boss was, funnily enough, attending an Anderlecht match with his rider, and former Anderlecht youth player, Remco Evenepoel and his father Patrick, at the time the news broke courtesy of WielerFlits last night.

Lefevere remained extremely tight-lipped, however, when approached by Sporza, telling the reporter that he didn’t have his phone with him, therefore missing any chance of it “exploding” due to the rumours. Of course, Lefevere said all this while holding a phone in his hand, which only adds to the confusion surrounding the whole thing.

“If you want to follow WielerFlits, do so,” he said while getting into his car. “Make of it what you want. No comment, sorry.”

Evenepoel’s father was a little more forthcoming, meanwhile, telling Sporza outside Lotto Park that “We are shocked, Remco too”, concerning the merger rumours.

Interesting, very interesting indeed…

25 September 2023, 08:54

The future?

Fantastic ride today for #SaferStreets at today’s #KidicalMassLond We would like to thank our fantastic ride lead @Rahario, @willnorman, @0jhl , every single marshal and friend who joined for helping us stay safe and @IBikeLondon for making the atmosphere euphoric and THE KIDS! pic.twitter.com/Mm3GnYmIOx

— Kidical Mass London (@KidicalMassLond) September 24, 2023

25 September 2023, 08:54

“Team mergers are never good for the sport”: Cycling fans react with horror to rumours of creation of Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step super team

Just when you thought Jumbo-Visma – fresh from winning all three grand tours in a season for the first time in cycling’s history, and cementing that record-smashing feat with a nonchalant 1-2-3 at the Vuelta – couldn’t become any more ruthlessly dominant, rumours emerged last night that the Dutch team is on the verge of merging with one of the other most successful squads of the past two decades, Soudal Quick-Step.

Yep – on the day that three Jumbo-Visma riders stood on the podium of the men’s European road race championships, Wielerflits reported that the two teams have been in discussions about a possible merger since July, and that both Visma and Soudal are already on board.

Roglic and Evenepoel, Vuelta a Espana 2023 stage 8 (@Cxcling Creative Agency)
Roglic and Evenepoel, Vuelta a Espana 2023 stage 8 (@Cxcling Creative Agency) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Roglic and Evenepoel, Vuelta a Espana 2023 stage 8 (@Cxcling Creative Agency)
Roglic and Evenepoel, Vuelta a Espana 2023 stage 8 (@Cxcling Creative Agency) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

A glimpse into the future? (Cxcling Creative Agency)

In some ways, the rumours make a lot of sense. The future of Soudal Quick-Step – home of Remco Evenepoel, Julian Alaphilippe, and Kasper Asgreen – has been uncertain for a while now, with rumours swirling of a potential partnership between Patrick Lefevere’s team and the Ineos Grenadiers in recent months.

Meanwhile, Jumbo-Visma have their own financial hole to fill, as beleaguered supermarket chain Jumbo confirmed they are stepping away from sports sponsorship after a scandal-ridden year.

> Jumbo distances itself from CEO in wake of money-laundering investigation concerning motorsports sponsorship – though cycling team believed not to be involved

Under the new, amalgamated super team, which as Wielerflits reports could be confirmed in time for the start of next season, Jumbo-Visma boss Richard Plugge would take the role of CEO of the new squad, while Lefevere would sit on the team’s supervisory board.

However, the prospect of two of the most successful teams of the past three decades – and with a combined half a century of racing heritage between them – joining forces to create a kind of classics and grand tour smashing Harlem Globetrotters hasn’t gone down too well with many cycling fans and pundits.

Team mergers are never good for the sport

— #SiempreGino (@NairoInGreen) September 24, 2023

“Just a reminder that it’s not just riders who have an uncertain future in the face of this,” wrote Katie on Twitter. “There are hundreds of staff members who work tirelessly behind the scenes who will go to bed worried about job security tonight. It’s all fun and speculation but also real life for some.”

Eurosport commentator José Been added: “No one even mildly interested in what happens to the two women’s teams when there is a merger? That’s 50 + riders across four teams (elite, U23 and juniors) too.”

And goodness knows how Remco must be feeling right now:

😮 pic.twitter.com/GzvZObCCcd

— Anna Mac 👑🪱 🌈🖤 (@AnnamacB) September 24, 2023

Of course, other reports from Belgium have suggested this morning that a merger – the equivalent of Manchester City and Liverpool joining forces – is far from a done deal, and that some of the sponsors, as well as the riders and staff, aren’t even aware of what’s going on apparently behind closed doors.

What do you think? Is the possible creation of a Visma-Soudal team a good thing for the sport? Or are we facing the prospect of 1-2-3s at Flander, Roubaix, and the Tour for the foreseeable future?

Or are we just in the midst of cycling’s famed silly season?

25 September 2023, 08:54

A Cycling Mikey classic: Camera cyclist’s voice recognised... by person on the other end of motorist’s phone call

Alright everyone, that’s it, call off the internet for the day, because we’ve just reached peak Cycling Mikey.

In a video posted online last night, the camera cyclist-in-chief was chatting to yet another phone-holding motorist at a set of traffic lights, when a voice on the other end of the phone call suddenly exclaimed: “Is that Cycling Mikey? Oh my God!”

I catch a phone driver, and his remote caller recognises my voice hahaha. pic.twitter.com/gIFNb8Kox8

— CyclingMikey the Unspeakable (@MikeyCycling) September 24, 2023

Classic. It just doesn’t get any more Cycling Mikey than that, does it?

But hold on a second – the most internet thing of 2023 got even more internety, when the Twitter account ‘Didn’t Happen of the Year’ posted Mike’s pre-video tweet about the incident with the questionable caption: “Either a grass or a liar”.

Did it happen? Yes it did. @_DHOTYA got owned by @MikeyCycling https://t.co/7fC4zpCN7u

— Camera Life (@Kitschiguy) September 25, 2023

After Mike proved the veracity of his original tweet by posting the video – and, as regular blog readers will know, no incident is too outlandish when you’re Mikey – a Twitter spat has now erupted between the camera cyclist and the ‘comedy’ account:

You’ve also told us you consider yourself a criminal.

Only children and criminals use language like grass and snitch. The rest of us call that good citizenship.

— CyclingMikey the Unspeakable (@MikeyCycling) September 25, 2023

You already libelled me by calling me a grass. Secondly, using “grass” tells us that you identify with these road criminals and consider yourself part of their group. You’re saying it’s bad that they get reported & prosecuted. You are self identifying as not-a-good-citizen.

— CyclingMikey the Unspeakable (@MikeyCycling) September 25, 2023

“I didn’t have Cycling Mikey vs DHOTYA on my bingo card. Amazing,” wrote Freddie. Me neither, Fred…

But, just to add a touch of brightness to another day of shouty people on the internet shouting at each other, one social media user who responded to DHOTYA’s tweet with “I’ll put a tenner on camera not working” has since apologised to Mikey himself and even put his money where his mouth is, donating said tenner to road safety charity Brake:

Done, a bets a bet and I’m a man of my word 👍 pic.twitter.com/pxqIzdmPJ9

— 🜏 Nosfeshartu 🜏 (@Nosfeshartu) September 24, 2023

See, the internet isn’t all bad all the time…

25 September 2023, 08:54

Chris Froome dives into the world of ASMR with surprisingly funny Factor video… and even touches the disc brake rotor

At 38 and, I think it’s fair to say, his days at the top of the sport far behind him, it wouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that Chris Froome is starting to think about life beyond professional cycling.

It is, however, a surprise to find out that a career in ASMR viral video production could be on the cards for the four-time Tour de France winner…

Yes, that’s right – this morning Froome jumped headfirst into the world of whispering and hitting things for other people’s relaxation with his note perfect and surprisingly rather funny (hey, it is pro cycling after all) take on the much-parodied Bentley ASMR ad that went viral over the summer:

Some cycling asmr for you. It’s a pleasure 😘 #asmr #bentley #factorbikes #cycling pic.twitter.com/gN5m4D1y0v

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) September 25, 2023

Swapping the Bentley and the black dress for his Factor bike and Israel-Premier Tech kit, I’m happy to report the Froome Dog nailed his first foray into internet comedy (if we don’t count that time he ran up the Ventoux…).

The perfectly whispered ‘Factor’, complete with comedy head shake.

The caressing of the handlebars (yes, I said caressing).

The brilliantly random indicator sounds.

The conclusive thwack of the water bottle right at the end.

Chris Froome ASMR video 4 (Chris Froome, Twitter)
Chris Froome ASMR video 4 (Chris Froome, Twitter) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Chris Froome ASMR video 4 (Chris Froome, Twitter)
Chris Froome ASMR video 4 (Chris Froome, Twitter) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

Oh, and most importantly, Froome’s decision (and I’m sure it was a difficult one, given his history with them) to tap away on the disc brake rotor…

So, just to recap the Froome philosophy on disc brakes: Not so great to race on, but apparently perfect for viral videos. Got it, Chris.

> Fed up Froome denounces disc brake wheels on Instagram Reel

Disc brake conjecture aside, I think it’s safe to say that Froome’s career change has gone down well this morning.

“Never been so proud of having you as my profile picture,” wrote the Cycling Out of Context account, which thanks to this latest video will now never run out of content…

“One thing I never expected to see on the internet: Chris Froome ASMR,” says Dan Deakins.

The turn signal sound got me.

— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) September 25, 2023

Even Thomas De Gendt, an internet comedian in his own right, was impressed.

“The turn signal sound got me,” the Lotto Dstny rider wrote.

Chris Froome ASMR video 2 (Chris Froome, Twitter)
Chris Froome ASMR video 2 (Chris Froome, Twitter) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
Chris Froome ASMR video 2 (Chris Froome, Twitter)
Chris Froome ASMR video 2 (Chris Froome, Twitter) (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)

I for one can’t wait for Froome’s next ASMR video, which – sources tell me – will be based on a nice, quiet, relaxing place he’s spent quite a bit of time in lately: the grupetto…

What, too harsh?

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  • cycling live blog, live blog, road.cc live blog
Ryan Mallon
After obtaining a PhD, lecturing, and hosting a history podcast at Queen’s University Belfast, Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s news editor. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.  

13 Comments

13 thoughts on “Chris Froome posts Bentley ASMR parody bike video – and even touches his disc brake rotor; Cycling Mikey recognised by person on other end of driver’s phone call; Fans react to Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step merger rumours + more on the live blog”

  1. Paul J
    September 25, 2023 at 11:05 am
    0

    Some heritage if that merger

    Some heritage if that merger goes through. Jumbo-Visma / Rabobank go back to at least Kwantum Hallen – Decosol – Yoko through Jan Raas’ tenure – which arose cause of Ti-Raleigh splitting apart cause of Raas falling out with Peter Post, and taking a few riders with him.

    Quickstep goes back to Mapei days, where Levefre was DS, before he split and setup Domo – Farm Frites, which became Quick-Step, which had Mapei as a sub-sponsor when the original team went.

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    • Paul J
      September 25, 2023 at 1:52 pm
      0

      Various dutch commentators

      Various dutch commentators seem to be talking like this is pretty much a done deal.

      Log In or Register to post comments
    • JMcL_Ireland
      September 25, 2023 at 1:58 pm
      0

      At the end of the day though,

      At the end of the day though, something will have to give – “Sorry Jonas – no tour for you this year, we’re sending Remco”. The Vuelta was chaotic enough with the JV antics, and would have been a snoozefest but for Remco’s too late finding of form. Also at the end of the day they’ll be limited  in team size (is it 30 riders?) so the other 30 odd – and of course as pointed out all the extra behind the scenes “overhead” – will be out on their ears. Not a good move from anybody’s perspective bar the few who will benefit – especially if the Saudi sportswashing money comes flooding in as well

      Log In or Register to post comments
      • Left_is_for_Losers
        September 25, 2023 at 2:21 pm
        0

        JMcL_Ireland wrote:

        At the end of the day though, something will have to give – “Sorry Jonas – no tour for you this year, we’re sending Remco”. The Vuelta was chaotic enough with the JV antics, and would have been a snoozefest but for Remco’s too late finding of form. Also at the end of the day they’ll be limited  in team size (is it 30 riders?) so the other 30 odd – and of course as pointed out all the extra behind the scenes “overhead” – will be out on their ears. Not a good move from anybody’s perspective bar the few who will benefit – especially if the Saudi sportswashing money comes flooding in as well

        — JMcL_Ireland

        It’s good for some of the other teams who will be looking to snap up talent from Jumbo/SQS who don’t want to stay…imagine a team with Evenepoel, Roglic, Vingegaard, Kuss, Van Wilder, Laporte, WVA, van Baarle, Kooij – there will be, bluntly speaking, too many egos to keep under one roof, and not enough opportunities to keep them all happy. 

        That said, it’s a shame to see essentially the demise of a team in the WT peleton. 

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  2. Car Delenda Est
    September 25, 2023 at 2:19 pm
    0

    While I strongly support
    While I strongly support stressing the importance of cycling accessibility to unempowered groups such as women (and children) I think it’s misguided to imply that either a) women are overrepresented in KSI stats or b) that violence against men is more acceptable or less damaging.

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    • Left_is_for_Losers
      September 25, 2023 at 2:59 pm
      0

      I also agree with the

      I also agree with the sentiment, but not the way the message is delivered. Is it therefore acceptable to make male cyclists cycle in more dangerous places/times? A safe cycling city should be safe for all. 

      Log In or Register to post comments
    • Seventyone
      September 25, 2023 at 5:51 pm
      0

      I wouldn’t be at all
      I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see that,per mile cycled, women have a higher risk of death than men

      Log In or Register to post comments
      • Rendel Harris
        September 25, 2023 at 6:32 pm
        0

        Seventyone wrote:

        I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see that,per mile cycled, women have a higher risk of death than men

        — Seventyone

        Actually, if I recall correctly, it’s slightly lower: in the UK women ride around 20% of total cycling miles and account for 15%-17% of fatalities amongst bike riders. Globally men are much more likely, I think about 2.5 times, to be killed cycling, for a variety of (hypothesised) reasons such as men taking more risks, more likely to ride at night and in bad weather conditions, et cetera. Women are significantly more likely to be killed by left/right (depending on country) turning HGVs though.

        Log In or Register to post comments
    • Rome73
      September 26, 2023 at 6:25 am
      0

      Are the LCC implying that? 

      Are the LCC implying that? 
      women are probably bullied and harassed more whilst cycling. 

      Log In or Register to post comments
      • Car Delenda Est
        September 26, 2023 at 3:46 pm
        0

        I checked the petition again
        I checked the petition again and I’m sure some bits have been cut out since yesterday, I have no issue with what’s on it now.
        I checked the Wayback Machine but the only snapshot was from March.
        Much of it seems familiar but I can’t guarantee that it’s exactly what was on there yesterday.

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  3. eburtthebike
    September 25, 2023 at 2:35 pm
    0

    “And the Liberal Democrats,

    “And the Liberal Democrats, who are now in Bournemouth for their annual get together, have kicked things off by supporting a motion supporting reversing government cuts to cycling and walking…”

    The same Lib-Dems who just voted to re-open a dangerous rat run?

    Hymn sheet anyone?

    Log In or Register to post comments
  4. eburtthebike
    September 25, 2023 at 2:40 pm
    0

    “…..one social media user

    “…..one social media user who responded to DHOTYA’s tweet with “I’ll put a tenner on camera not working” has since apologised to Mikey himself and even put his money where his mouth is, donating said tenner to road safety charity Brake:”

    Such a pity he didn’t donate it to a proper road safety charity, not one that promotes helmets instead of measures that actually work.

    Log In or Register to post comments
  5. eburtthebike
    September 25, 2023 at 2:41 pm
    0

    “…..one social media user

    Double.

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Terry Hutt 3 hours ago

“People who are wearing body armour get used to being shot at, when it’s the getting shot at that’s the problem.” People who are wearing body armour get used to being shot at because they survive. People not wearing it die the first time they are shot. So they don't really have much chance to get used to being shot at, do they? But seriously if you don't want to wear a helmet and you're an adult, no-one should have the right to make you wear one.

in: Bike helmet saved Dylan van Baarle’s life says Pauline Ferrand-Prévot after Dutchman’s collision with car driver weeks before their wedding
ktache 10 hours ago

@lawrence18uk Occasionally I see tradies travelling with some tools on the train, compact tool bags, rucksacks and wheelie luggage, often carrying long spirit levels separately, but on a couple of occasions collapsible ladders.

in: “A lot of businesses would be surprised by just how much modern electric cargo bikes can carry”: London Assembly member responds to mockery over comments suggesting tradespeople switch to cargo bikes
GravelIsNothingNew 11 hours ago

Finally some proper Gravel for the UCI World Championships! …no dates in the article. Racing starts today 10/11 Oct. Watch it free on SBS. … Go well Matt…

in: Brutal climbs, ‘proper’ gravel, and a star-studded startlist: Here’s what to expect from the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships Down Under
lawrence18uk 11 hours ago

@Aluminium can - as an alternative to vans, yes cargo bikes (plenty in Cambridge), and I've been wondering whether supplies could be delivered from retailers - using delivery robots. and it's possible I suppose that ladders could fall in the same category - you could, instead of just hiring a bicycle, hire a ladder and it would arrive of its own accord.

in: “A lot of businesses would be surprised by just how much modern electric cargo bikes can carry”: London Assembly member responds to mockery over comments suggesting tradespeople switch to cargo bikes
mdavidford 12 hours ago

... and we still had apostrophe rationing.

in: “It’s important to welcome agreement across party lines”: Labour MP welcomes Reform councillor’s support for £22 million cycle lane; Is racing getting too intense? Two young pros retire as Bernal confirms he might quit + more on the live blog
ktache 12 hours ago

@Rendel Harris There was a bit in the bicycle hating Guardian, a nice little read, part of his justification was to acclimatise to the heat and humidity, which if he was in a better car might have been worth it. Good luck to him, chapeau.

in: “Cask strength stupid”: Fans react to suggestion Tour de France riders “lack the strength to race a proper bicyclist” on a normal bike; Egan Bernal reportedly mulling retirement + more on the live blog
Rendel Harris 14 hours ago

@SecretSam That's not really fair, in fact not fair at all. It wasn't his fault that the last two mountain stages were shortened and on the first one he had dropped everyone and was a minute clear as he summitted the Iseran when the stage was neutralised, and on the second he stayed with or dropped all the other GC contenders. You seem to have forgotten his Giro win as well as Paris Nice and the Tour de Suisse. Only the fourth rider to have won the Tour and Giro before the age of twenty-five. Yes he probably couldn't have stayed with Pogacar even if he hadn't had the awful crash, and probably nor could any other rider in history except perhaps Merckx.

in: “It’s important to welcome agreement across party lines”: Labour MP welcomes Reform councillor’s support for £22 million cycle lane; Is racing getting too intense? Two young pros retire as Bernal confirms he might quit + more on the live blog
Mr Blackbird 15 hours ago

@lesterama Bernal has had two whammys. His crash, which he has probably never fully recovered from and Ineos taking a nosedive. They have no focus and no identity.

in: “It’s important to welcome agreement across party lines”: Labour MP welcomes Reform councillor’s support for £22 million cycle lane; Is racing getting too intense? Two young pros retire as Bernal confirms he might quit + more on the live blog
No Reply 15 hours ago

@Zermattjohn Read the comment I posted about my experience

in: Challenge Strada Bianca Handmade Tubeless Ready Gravel All Road Tyre (50mm) review
No Reply 15 hours ago

I bought some Challenge Strada tyres. After a while the sidewalls began to detach from the tyre and the tread became rippled making them unsafe to use. The shop I bought them from asked me to drop them in and he would show the Challenge rep as he was due in the following week. The rep bizarrely firstly claimed that the tyres had failed because they may have been punctured (they hadn’t), then immediately claimed that they had failed because the rear tyre was more worn than the front! I emailed pictures to Challenge and was told they had failed because they had been fitted incorrectly. The black strip they had introduced to stop the issue I had was supposed to be above the rim. Which it clearly was shown to be correct on the pictures I sent to them which proved that the tyres were correctly fitted. This seems to be the norm now in the cycle industry, if there is an issue with a product, the company automatically blames the end user rather than look to address the issue, thereby pissing the customer off. A pissed off customer rarely returns.

in: Challenge Strada Bianca Handmade Tubeless Ready Gravel All Road Tyre (50mm) review

Most Popular News

1. “It’s important to welcome agreement across party lines”: Labour MP welcomes Reform councillor’s support for £22 million cycle lane; Is racing getting too intense? Two young pros retire as Bernal confirms he might quit + more on the live blog

2. “A lot of businesses would be surprised by just how much modern electric cargo bikes can carry”: London Assembly member responds to mockery over comments suggesting tradespeople switch to cargo bikes

3. Bike helmet saved Dylan van Baarle’s life says Pauline Ferrand-Prévot after Dutchman’s collision with car driver weeks before their wedding

4. “Cask strength stupid”: Fans react to suggestion Tour de France riders “lack the strength to race a proper bicyclist” on a normal bike; Egan Bernal reportedly mulling retirement + more on the live blog

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8. “Deeply alarming”: Not one offence on Bristol and Bath Railway Path resulted in charges since 2024 despite rise in crime – but police argue total incidents “remain relatively low”

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