“Le Tour de C***s”: Cyclists accuse Scottish satirist of “spreading hate” with parody Tour de France Edinburgh Grand Départ poster, “making it more dangerous to ride a bike”; Pogačar Paris-Roubaix debut confirmed – is he “wise”? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Campaigners who claim to “support cycle path” actually want major bike lane plan scrapped... to make way for dual carriageway
A classic of the ‘But not that kind of bike path’ genre here…
> Campaigners who claim to “support cycle path” actually want major bike lane plan scrapped… to make way for dual carriageway
Someone’s excited…
Not going to lie, this is cycling Christmas. If Christmas only came along every 40 years and involved a skinny stage racer barging shoulders with big Belgian brutes over the worst roads you’ve ever seen…
Poll time: Will Tadej Pogačar be adding a big stone to his mantelpiece next month?
Alright, before we move on to other things, I reckon it’s time for a poll. Get your dusty crystal cobbles out…
“As SUVs get bigger, our children’s worlds get smaller”: Families organise cycle through London to protest cars getting heavier and larger, increasing risk of death by 30 per cent
And now for something completely different…
On Sunday, families cycled through central London en masse to protest that children, cyclists, and pedestrians are being “crowded out of space on our streets by supervised SUVs”.
The ride, organised by grassroots groups such as IBikeLondon, Streets for Kids, and Solve the School Run, which all form part of the Kidical Mass movement, aimed to highlight recent research showing the average weight of SUVs has increased by 400kg over the last seven years, in turn increasing the risks for pedestrians and cyclists.
According to a recent study conducted by the Belgian Road Safety Institute, which analysed 300,000 car passengers and vulnerable road users across the UK and Europe over four years, when vehicles are 300kg heavier, the risk of fatal injuries is 30 per cent higher for pedestrians and cyclists.
Vulnerable road users are also 30 per cent more likely to be killed if they’re hit by a car with a bonnet that’s 10cm higher than average.
As part of Sunday’s ride through London, the groups also called for fairer parking charges and taxes on new cars that reflect their size and the danger they pose.
“Children hit by bigger cars are far less likely to survive. As a parent-led charity, this is terrifying to us,” Solve the School Run’s Nicola Pastrore posted on Instagram this morning.
“As SUVs get bigger, our children’s worlds get smaller. We loved joining in the Kidical Mass London ride, with the Clean Cities Campaign, Mums for Lungs, and hundreds of concerned families to urge local authorities to put an end to car-spreading.”
“We know that SUVs lead to more fatal crashes, cause more potholes, and crowd out parking spaces,” added the UK head of Clean Cities Oliver Lord.
“No one would want to buy a car thinking it would be more dangerous for a child. We’re calling for central and local government to work on a plan that would save taxpayer money and generate revenue that can be invested in public transport, walking and cycling.
“For local councils that can be a system of parking charges where bigger or heavier SUVs pay a fairer share, or a review of vehicle tax to account for the damage that oversized SUVs do. We also need the car industry to step up. It doesn’t suit anyone – least of all car drivers – to have vehicles that are too big to park in our towns and cities.”
“A huge setback for active travel and sustainable transport”
> Non-foldable e-bikes to be banned from most Transport for London services to “ensure safety of customers and staff”
So, e-bikes with the same spec as the ones that have just been banned, but with hinges, are allowed? Make it make sense…
Belgian mountain biker dies after suffering heat stoke during Cape Epic, organisers confirm
A Belgian mountain biker has died after suffering heat stroke during last week’s Cape Epic, the race’s organisers confirmed on Monday night.
Ronny Raeymakers, a joiner from Essen, in the north of Belgium, was taking part in his third edition of the week-long South African mountain bike stage race alongside teammate Ben Elst in the over-50s Masters category when he fell ill during stage three last Wednesday, one of the hottest riding days in the event’s history.
With temperatures nudging 50 degrees during stage three, a loop around Paarl’s iconic granite rock mountain, forcing the organisers to first shorten and then cancel the stage, 51-year-old Raeymakers pressed the emergency button on his bike and was taken to hospital by helicopter.
He was treated in hospital for five days, but died due to complications caused by heat stroke on Monday morning, leaving behind a wife and two stepdaughters.
“This morning, we learned the devastating news of the passing of a member of our MTB community,” the Cape Epic organisers said in a statement.
“During stage three of the race, the rider’s SOS button was initiated, and the emergency medical team was deployed to initiate medical care, extract the rider from the course, and transport them to the hospital.
“Despite best medical efforts over the last few days, the rider’s condition worsened. We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the rider. We thank our onsite medical personnel who provided the rider with medical support before they were transported to hospital care.”
Why don’t cyclists use the cycle lane? Because there are nine – nine! – cars parked in it
A top-class display of bike lane blocking here from outside the Bristol Royal Infirmary this morning, as Gromit looks on disapprovingly:
(credit: Toni Livingstone, Facebook)
“Nine cars in the bike lane outside the BRI today”, Toni posted on the Bristol Cyclists Facebook page.
“It had to be a taxi,” noted Ian. But what about the other eight?
“Something about cyclists not using the bloody bike lanes we so kindly install for them, etc, etc,” added Mark.
And Rob said: “Parked cars will be okay, but cycle lanes will hold up traffic.”
It’s those pesky bike lanes, I tell ya…
Wally Gimber Trophy cancelled – due to fallen tree on course blocking the road
Over the past few years, as I’m sure you all know by now, the British domestic cycling scene has been hit hard by a series of economic, logistical, and safety pressures, leading to the demise of a number of historic races and teams.
So you know luck isn’t on your side when you’re forced to cancel a race because a tree fell across the course, blocking the road. On Sunday, that was the cruel fate that struck the Wally Gimber Trophy, the historic Dulwich Paragon CC-organised National B race that’s been won in the past by the likes of Bradley Wiggins and Tony Gibb.
A few hours before the race was due to start at 11am, as the 80 riders and 50 volunteers descended on Surrey, the organisers discovered that a set of emergency traffic lights had appeared on the course and that a large tree had fallen, pulling down a phone line and closing the road.
While the traffic lights were swiftly removed, the organisers were forced to postpone the race by two hours as they waited for a contractor to arrive to remove the tree. But with no sign of the tree surgeons by 11am, the organisers, after speaking to the local council, finally decided to pull the plug, a decision they say will cost them around £1,000.
“While the tree was scheduled for emergency clearance, work had still not commenced after a two-hour postponement of the event’s timetable, and – given the uncertainty – there was no option but to cancel,” Dulwich Paragon said on Instagram.
“We were bitterly disappointed to cancel,” added race organiser Patrick Hawkins.
“Approximately 50 volunteers had given up their Sundays, not to mention the 80 or so riders who’d come from all over the country, in some cases at great expense. It’s a terrible shame but we’ll be back next year.”
Throwback… errr, Wednesday
Of course, Tadej Pogačar is exactly a complete novice on Paris-Roubaix’s cobbles, having raced over them in a stage racing, early July context on stage five of the 2022 Tour de France to Arenberg (a stage most remembered for Jonas Vingegaard’s calamitous, Wacky Races-style three-part bike change and his Visma teammate Primož Roglič’s crash into a hay bale).
On that day, arguably one of the least climactic trips into Hell the Tour’s taken in recent years, Pogačar looked composed over the cobbles, putting the hammer down alongside Jasper Stuyven as Visma faltered behind, but eventually finished just 13 seconds ahead of the bunch.
So what does that tell us ahead of Paris-Roubaix? Very little, if I’m honest.
👀
Let’s face it, it’s a Pogi kind of day today on the live blog…
> Has Tadej Pogačar been spotted riding Colnago’s new V5Rs?
Forget the bike, it’s Tadej’s long flowing locks in the pic on the left I’m more concerned about… Oh, wait.
Also, based on the photo on the right, I might start a petition for cycling to introduce more mascots – each team could have one, handing out bottles and roaring on their riders while dressed as a giant fake Land Rover or a massive anthropomorphic fruit.
Anyone got One Cycling’s number? I have something I want to pitch to them…
Shots fired! Giant takes dig at Specialized in salty Instagram comment under post about brand’s fancy new balance bike
Yes, the moment has finally arrived…
No, not Tadej Pogačar’s Paris-Roubaix debut – Giant has unveiled its new carbon balance bike!
“There’s never been a push bike like this,” the brand said in an Instagram post marking the sleek-looking black machine’s arrival last night.
“Crafted almost entirely from recycled composite materials, the all-new Pre rCarbon has a superlight weight of just 2.5kg making it fast, fun and easy to push.
“The carbon chassis is paired with 12-inch carbon wheels that have a 3-spoke design and low-resistance hubs, along with 1.75-inch tires to help it glide smoothly along variable surfaces. And a forward-leaning rider position allows for efficient push motion, and the steering geometry is slightly steeper for more agile handling.”
Groundbreaking stuff. Except Gerard Murphy didn’t think so in the comments.
“Specialized had something similar a few years ago,” Gerard wrote, referring to Spesh’s Hotwalk Carbon number from a few years back, dubbed the “ultimate first bike” by the American company.
And while you’d expect a major, world-leading bike brand like Giant to simply ignore one negative comment thrown into the void, it appears that the company’s social media manager forgot to have their morning coffee before logging on today.
“Similar but at double the price and without the recycled and sustainable materials,” Giant shot back.
Ouch. The saltiness… Who’d have thought a balance bike would have Giant squabbling on the internet like a 12-year-old on transfer deadline day?
Are we set for Pogi-Roubaix next month? You lot aren’t so sure…
Oh, it’s tight!
I wonder how many times Mathieu van der Poel has voted?
“A textbook example of terrible highway design”
> Council under fire after “serious downgrade” at popular roundabout leaves cyclists and pedestrians with no safe route to hospital
Racing round-up: UAE Team Emirates double up in photo finish frenzy, as Juan Ayuso outsprints Primož Roglič at Catalunya and Juan Sebastian Molano storms to surprise win at crash-marred Brugge-De Panne
UAE Team Emirates’ almost perfect start to 2025 continued this afternoon, coming out on top in two very different photo finishes to take the squad’s tally of wins for the season to a staggering 21.
As the Volta a Catalunya entered the mountains with an uphill sprint finish at La Molina, on-fire Juan Ayuso usurped the master of the uphill sprint finish, Primož Roglič, the Spaniard forcing his way past the Red Bull-Bora rider to take the win and the race lead, after a late attack by Sepp Kuss, Marc Soler, and Lorenzo Fortunato was snuffed out.
Meanwhile, up in Belgium, a horrendous, crash-fest finale at the Classic Brugge-De Panne saw a number of big names, including Tim Merlier and Arnaud De Lie, hit the deck, leaving just a small group to contest the finish.
And it was UAE’s Juan Sebastian Molano who took advantage of all the chaos, launching his sprint early with over 3500m to go and holding off the fast-finishing Jonathan Milan by a whisker to take his first win of the season.
Former Tour of Flanders winner Kasper Asgreen to miss spring classics, EF Education-EasyPost confirm
Kasper Asgreen will miss the upcoming spring classics campaign as he recovers from a viral infection, his EF Education-EasyPost team has confirmed this afternoon.
The 30-year-old Dane, who outsprinted Mathieu van der Poel to win the 2021 Tour of Flanders, withdrew from Paris-Nice earlier this month ahead of the second stage, after complaining of fatigue and posting lower than normal recovery scores.
(SWPix.com)
“Kasper had a very good winter of training, but at Paris-Nice he started to complain of fatigue. His recovery markers that we monitor on a daily basis also reflected this,” says EF’s head doctor Jon Greenwell said in a statement.
“We monitor the resting heart rate, HRV and recovery score using Whoop each morning, and we saw that Kasper´s numbers were moving away from his normal range. Concerned about this, and the feedback we were getting from Kasper, the team decided to withdraw him from Paris-Nice, so we could investigate further and try to find a cause, and also make sure that we did not risk any longer term heart problems.
“The extensive investigations that were performed all came back as normal, and the conclusion was that Kasper had been exposed to a virus at some stage earlier in the year that had caused the fatigue.”
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
Reflecting on missing out on the classics, Tour de France stage winner Asgreen, who joined EF at the start of this year after spending seven years with Soudal-Quick Step, said: “It’s going to hurt to miss the races I love the most, but I’m very, very grateful that I’m in a team where they see my best value as being the best version of myself.
“All winter, I’ve been on track towards a great classics campaign. Together with my team, we’ve built an incredible group of riders to tackle the best races of the season, and feeling their support and belief in me has been incredible.
“A couple of weeks back, I got an infection and after some rest, I thought we were back on track without losing too much. However in Paris-Nice, it started to worsen again and I had to take more rest.
“These breaks have come at the worst possible time, ruining all that hard work that everyone has done throughout the winter. Although I would be healthy enough to do the races, the shape is no longer what it has to be to be competitive. Therefore, the team and I have decided that I should start refocusing on being the best possible version of myself and only then return to racing.”
1980s hairnet helmets, eat your heart out
It’s the style of a new generation, apparently…
> New 3D-printed cycling helmet could be ‘safer, lighter, and more comfortable’, but researchers admit design still needs more comprehensive testing
Can Tadej Pogačar win Paris-Roubaix? Or is he even “wise” to take on the Hell of North? Fans doubt world champion’s ability to fight for position on the cobbles – but others say his “willingness to compete” is what makes him great
It’s fair to say that Tadej Pogačar’s Paris-Roubaix debut puts us, in the modern era at least, in uncharted territory.
The rampant specialisation of cycling from the 1990s – placing riders into distinct categories based on their build and traits: stage racer, puncheur, cobbled classics rider, pure climber – meant that the prospect of a Tour de France champion taking to the start of Paris-Roubaix, never mind attempting to win the thing, became an increasingly remote possibility.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
The all-rounder movement of the 2020s, spearheaded by the irrepressible Pogačar, has redressed this balance to an extent. The Slovenian has aimed to win every type of race over the past five years, his 2023 Tour of Flanders victory proving he can flourish on both Alpine passes and on the cobbles (albeit cobbles planted on desperately steep slopes in the Flemish countryside).
But Paris-Roubaix, as we all know, is a different beast.
To put things into perspective, Bernard Hinault is the last man to have also won the Tour de France to triumph at the Hell of the North, in 1981.
Bradley Wiggins, in his late career move to the classics, was the last Tour winner to even ride Roubaix, in 2014 and 2015, finishing ninth and 18th respectively. Before Wiggo, we have to go all the way back to Greg LeMond in 1992, who also finished ninth that year.
(Tim de Waele)
Pogačar will also be the first reigning Tour de France winner to ride Roubaix since LeMond’s attempt in 1991, while the last reigning yellow jersey to win the race was, naturally, Eddy Merckx in 1973.
So, with history stacked against him, can Pogačar thrive over the brutal, jagged cobbles of the Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévèle, and the Carrefour de l’Arbre?
Some aren’t so sure.
“Is it wise of Pogačar to ride Paris-Roubaix?” asked cycling writer Tim Bonville-Ginn this morning.
“He has the talent and bike handling skills. But does he have the brute power to be up there with the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert?
“Can he handle the fight for positioning? He’ll have Nils Politt as support, at least.”
Mathieu van der Poel exits the Arenberg Forest at the 2023 Paris-Roubaix (Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
“Riding a race you might not win is not unwise. It is sport,” replied Jay Garcia.
“Pogačar’s greatness is that he is happy trying the very few races where he won’t completely destroy the competition… which would give him an enormous palmares already.”
“What it makes Pogačar the best rider is not only his talent in classics and stage races, but his willingness to compete, to race, to run, to have fun.
“That is the reason he is the biggest talent of his generation and the biggest talent of this century in cycling.”
It’s happening! Tadej Pogačar confirmed to make Paris-Roubaix debut, as world champion skips upcoming cobbled classics to focus on epic Flanders-Roubaix double
It’s happening…
After months of speculation, sent into overdrive last month by his teaser video on the infamous Arenberg cobbles, it has been confirmed this morning that Tadej Pogačar will make his long-awaited debut at Paris-Roubaix.
After his scintillating, but ultimately unsuccessful, long-range attack at Milan-Sanremo on Saturday, the world champion was scheduled to take on Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert at the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday, before racing Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, as his final tune-up races before the following week’s Tour of Flanders.
(SWpix/Zac Williams)
However, UAE Team Emirates have said this morning that Pogačar will now skip this week’s Belgian cobbled races to focus on a historic tilt at a Flanders-Roubaix double.
“It was initially planned for Tadej Pogačar to participate in both the E3 Saxo Classic and Gent-Wevelgem,” the team said in a statement.
“However, after discussions with the team, it has been decided that he will adjust his calendar to focus on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix instead, aiming for peak form in those iconic races.”
As the only monument the three-time Tour de France winner is yet to race, speculation surrounding the prospect of Pogačar finally racing Paris-Roubaix – which over the past four decades has been almost completely off-limit for grand tour contenders – has grown steadily in recent years.
Last month, the Slovenian superstar set tongues wagging by posting a video of himself training on the jagged cobbles of the Arenberg Forest, the Hell of the North’s most infamous sector, during a surprise recon with domestique deluxe Tim Wellens.
After his high-speed crash at Strade Bianche a few weeks ago (which didn’t stop him winning, of course), Pogačar’s team boss Mauro Gianetti warned his rider against taking to the start line in Compiègne, arguing that Paris-Roubaix “can be too dangerous” and that a bad crash on the cobbles could “jeopardise” his bid for a fourth Tour de France.
(SWpix/Zac Williams)
However, speaking after Pogačar’s dramatic third-place finish in Sanremo, Gianetti was a little more receptive to the idea of a Hell of the North debut and another showdown with Mathieu van der Poel, as the team admitted (accurately, as it turned out) that a decision would be made in a matter of days.
And speaking to Daniel Benson yesterday, UAE Team Emirates sports director Fabio Baldato confirmed that any change to Pogačar’s schedule to fit in Paris-Roubaix would mean axing at least one of the pre-Flanders races, especially as the world champion is also set to take on a full hilly classics campaign later in the spring.
“At the moment for Flanders, we come to do the Tour of Flanders for sure, E3 no. For news, you need to call my boss. It’s not so much about having a break; it’s about not doing too much because then he does Amstel, Fleche, and Liege,” Baldato told Benson.
When asked about Paris-Roubaix, the Italian continued: “For me, he can do it. But maybe it’s too much after Amstel, Fleche and Liege. Everyone has a different opinion. It’s also on Tadej, the last call comes from him.”
(SWpix/Zac Williams)
And that has certainly proved the case this morning, with the news that Pogačar will finally take on arguably cycling’s most brutal, uncompromising race, in what could the third instalment of a sparking spring trilogy with Sanremo victor Mathieu van der Poel.
If – and it’s a big if – he manages to cross the line first in Roubaix’s famous old velodrome, he’ll become the first Tour de France winner to triumph at the Hell of the North since Bernard Hinault in 1981.
What’s more, with E3 and Gent-Wevelgem now crossed off his schedule, the world champion will line up in Bruges for the start of the Tour of Flanders on 6 April – and what could prove a career and era-defining week – having raced his last cobbled classic… at the 2023 Tour of Flanders (which he won, of course).
But if there’s anyone who can pull off the unthinkable, it’s Tadej Pogačar. This classics season could be one for the ages.
“Le Tour de C***s”: Cyclists accuse Scottish satirist of “spreading hate” with parody Tour de France Edinburgh Grand Départ poster, “making it even more dangerous to ride a bike than it already is”
According to the team behind Edinburgh’s successful 2027 Grand Départ bid, the Tour de France’s upcoming visit to Scotland will be the largest free sporting event in British history and the “grandest of Grands Départs”, providing a lasting legacy that will encourage people to ride their bikes, boost economic growth, and support local communities.
And, by the looks of things, also prove a rich source for satirical social media posts.
The ‘Inverness Tourist Board’ – not the real Inverness Tourist Board, just to clarify – has already got the ball rolling on that front, marking the news that “the world’s biggest cycling race is coming to Scotland” with a parody poster that, it’s fair to say, has rubbed a few Scottish cyclists up the wrong way.
For those of you not familiar with that particular corner of the internet, the ‘Inverness Tourist Board’, or ITB, is one of those jokey social media accounts (a bit like the Chichester Anti-Recreation Partnership we featured earlier this year) specialising in spoof news reports, posters, and photoshopped images mostly lampooning their local area. And in the case of the ITB, Donald Trump and Elon Musk as well.
So, it’s no surprise then that the account turned its attention to the news that the Tour de France is coming to Scotland in 2027.
The page dutifully marked last week’s announcement with a poster depicting an ‘end of route’ cycling sign and a bike which appears to have been on the receiving end of some good ol’ Inverness hospitality (an e-bike scheme in the Highland capital was suspended last year due to “an obscene amount of vandalism”).
Oh, and an altered Tour de France logo which substituted ‘France’ for… well, you’ll see:
So, all the usual, fairly standard stuff then. However, it’s safe to say that quite a few in the comments didn’t see the funny side.
“Cyclist hating, the home of the low IQ,” Alan Cole wrote yesterday.
“Typical Scottish attitude, ‘nothing ever cones to Scotland’, then when it does, do nothing but complain,” added Dick.
Meanwhile, Dave Parsons argued that the post was “spreading hate, making it even more dangerous to ride a bike than it already is. Shame on you.”
And finally, Ewan Booth went in doubly hard, describing the poster as a “a bit uncalled for!” Ouch.
Faced with this stinging criticism, the ITB did what every parody social media account would do in the circumstances – bite back in the comments.
Responding to Ewan’s mild rebuke, the ITB said: “You’re right. We apologise profusely to c***s everywhere.”
And when it came to Dave’s assertion that they were “spreading hate”, the account replied: “Is that like a new catchphrase for everyone?”
“Over 80 people a day are killed or seriously injured on our roads,” Dave hit back. “Every single day. You think labelling a section of road users as ‘C***s’ is funny? Is it doing anything to stop the hatred cyclists have to face?”
To which the ITB said: “It’s no really our remit. Thanks for stopping by though.”
Oh, it’s going to be a ‘fun’ two years…
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12 Comments
Latest Comments
@robgodd The poor guy himself suffered a traumatic brain injury and his skull was so badly shattered a significant portion of it had to be removed - do me a favour, have a look around cycling helmet manufacturers and see if any of them claim the foam hats they produce will protect against or even mitigate that level of injury. I'll wait if you like, but I can save us both the time and tell you what you'll find: none of them. Not a single one of them will. Because they don't, and they *can't* based on simple physics. Once the point of failure in a material is reached all(or as near as makes no odds) of the additional force beyond that necessary threshhold transfers through to the object beneath. Since bicycle helmets are rated for forces roughly equivalent to being dropped straight down from a stationary start 1.5m above a hard surface. Now, I'm not an expert in vehicle crash investigation, but I'm *fairly* sure that any impact or series of impacts powerful enough to render a quarder of your skull into gravel, put you in a weeks-long coma, give you massive amnesia, and leave you with ongoing symptoms of traumatic brain injury are a little bit, a teeny-weeny amount, a little smidgeon-widgeon more than what bike helmets are rated for. That's why none of the companies that make them claim they will help in such circumstances: because they know it would be a lie, and that unlike uninformed punters, carbrained journalists, or "medical professionals" who think wearing a helmet would save you from a broken arm(an actual scenario encountered by a mate, who's nurse at the A&E tutted and harrumphed her way through his whole treatment due to his lack of helmet despite his bonce having come through *being hit by a car* - another scenario bike helmets are worthless in - completely unscathed), the lawyers for those companies know their business and understand that if you lie in advertising you will get sued into the ground.
The Battle of Ypres April 1915. The German infantry division advanced using das Brumptstadt Fahrarden. The slow speed kept them behind the cloud of chlorine gas as it drifted towards the Commonwealth trenches. The offensive cleaved a two mile gap in the Western Front. The use of cycles was copied by the Japanese as they invaded Singapore and Burmah. By then war technology had embraced wider low pressure tyres, carbon frames and hydration gels. The German forces decided not to incorporate cycling as part of Operation Session, as bike theft in London and the South East was rife and would have caused huge casualties. Ironically superior advancement of tyre technology led to a British victory at El Alamein. This technology played a key part in the US Marines victory at Iwo Jima.
The appropriate response to Google pissing on your cereal is not a fancy new sugar that removes the taste of urine. Stop using Google products where you can. Firefox browser and DuckDuckGo search engine have had noticeable upticks in market share by explicitly NOT pushing AI.
my thoughts exactly...I wonder how that approach is working, with motor vehicle drivers...🤔
I do not wish to diminish the personal tragedy, but one never hear calls for pedestrians or even hikers to wear clothing with integrated lightening rods.
RE Andy Burnam / Heidi Alexander - this is the best thing in many ways - set an example (even if currently it leads to lots of online name-calling). And imagine some of the political alternatives! The folks in the apparently second-placed party seem incredibly unlikely to be doing so. And even the current "new Greens" seem less interested in ... y'know, environmental things. OTOH I wish Heidi could be bolder. And I fear that like anyone ambitious enough to get to the top (exception B Johnson - well, I guess there was the Corbyn bicycle...) Burnam will be trimming his transport policy sails to fit the wind (should that be "bunker-fuel-burning engines"?)
@mattsccm Bull bars aren't banned, they just have to conform to regulations so they are deformable or have plates that allow crumple give on contact, rather than rigid steel bars that can smash into pedestrians and cyclists with no give at all, catch them and drag them under the wheels. If you think that's a problem, do one. Why should who is responsible for a collision remove the responsibility of people driving a tonne of machinery on the road from having safety features to at least mitigate some of the effects of a collision?
I'd be willing to bet that's lazy use of stock photography rather than deliberate misinformation, but the result is still the same.
@smallbeer You obviously don't realise how many bulls there are wandering around Chelsea, in and out of the china shops, that he needs to protect his Range Rover from.
I agree, it's bloody 'elf and safety overreach, can't help some people, I put some meat, sorry, neat decoration on the front of mine and the polis were round poking their noses in like that (mind you, that was a mistake...) (etc)
12 thoughts on ““Le Tour de C***s”: Cyclists accuse Scottish satirist of “spreading hate” with parody Tour de France Edinburgh Grand Départ poster, “making it more dangerous to ride a bike”; Pogačar Paris-Roubaix debut confirmed – is he “wise”? + more on the live blog”
Wow! Pogacar does not shy
Wow! Pogacar does not shy away from top competition. This is fantastic. And I am going to be there.
Up yours cyclist.
Up yours cyclist.
I must remember to cycle on the wrong side of the road to avoid this.
Don’t think this has popped
Don’t think this has popped up so far
“Petition to introduce mandatory drug testing for Westminster Council’s highways officers 🤯 “This option proposes a segregated two-way cycle track in the centre of the road … separated from the road by kerbs. This option is LTN 1/20 compliant as it provides full segregation for cyclists.”
https://bsky.app/profile/lastnotlost.bsky.social/post/3ll7c6mzq7k2b
Is this another effort from
Is this another effort from the folks who wanted to have cyclists riding on bridges (tubes?) above the rail lines?
Quote:
“super-sized” SUVs?
I wonder how many of those
I wonder how many of those taking part Drive suv’s
= Ryan Mallon wrote:
Satire is supposed to be
Satire is supposed to be witty and clever no. This is the sort of thing the mentally challenged oik down the local pub would come up with after a few pints and even then his mates wouldn’t find it that funny.
Maybe it’s a satire of satire
Maybe it’s a satire of satire? Post-satire?
mctrials23 wrote:
I can see you’ve had a look at the Inverness Tourist Board Facebook page…
Quote:
Geraint Thomas, six appearances including the year he won the Tour. Bradley Wiggins, eight appearances including the year before he won the Tour. Sean Kelly nine appearances two wins, including appearing in the same year he won the Vuelta. Laurent Fignon four times, Andy Hampsten 1987 the year before he won the Giro, Lemond and Hinault as mentioned…that’s just amongst GT winners, I’m sure there must’ve been other contenders who also rode it. OK “almost” but a few more than one might imagine.
Molano must be superman if he
Molano must be superman if he sprinted for over 3500m.