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Matej Mohorič's Garmin stolen after Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, tells thief to keep device... just "please send today's file over"; Nick Ferrari and LBC talk cyclists; Behind the scenes of Pidcock's flying descent; Weekend round-up + more on the live blog

We're back for another week on the live blog, Dan Alexander is in the hot seat for Monday's opener...
Mon, Feb 27, 2023 09:15
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Matej Mohorič's Garmin stolen after Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, tells thief to keep device... just "please send today's file over"; Nick Ferrari and LBC talk cyclists; Behind the scenes of Pidcock's flying descent; Weekend round-up + more on the live blogMatej Mohoric 2023 (GCN/Eurosport)
27 February 2023, 09:00
Matej Mohorič's Garmin stolen after Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, tells thief to keep device... just "please send today's file over"

As if the blow of being swallowed up by the bunch at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday and bumped into third by Jumbo Visma's Classics dominance at Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne wasn't enough disappointment for Opening Weekend, Matej Mohorič's Garmin was stolen after yesterday's race.

Kuurne-Brusells-Kuurne 2023 (GCN/Eurosport)

In typical pro rider fashion, when the kit is free and the numbers everything, the Slovenian took to Twitter... not to ask for his device back (no, the thief can keep that) just please send the race file over...

 Like any good whodunnit a list of suspects was quickly drawn up, including teammate Damiano Caruso accusing Sonny Colbrelli and an accusation compatriot Jan Tratnik might be involved.

Anyway, thankfully Dan Lloyd was on hand to save the day...

The situation also raised such philosophical questions as... if a KOM falls in a Classic, but nobody on Strava gets to see it, did it really happen?

Mohorič will be hoping for more luck for the remainder of his spring campaign where he hopes to build on last year's San Remo success and top tens at E3, Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix. Based on his strength this weekend we wouldn't be surprised to see the 28-year-old bag another big one in 2023.

Not that we have any inside info... like, I don't know... his numbers from yesterday...

27 February 2023, 17:22
Happy Monday

Here's to Matej's Garmin turning up in the post... Ryan will be on live blog duty in the morning... have a great evening...

27 February 2023, 16:35
"I feel the crime was TfL's. You know you're continuing to take my money. When someone reports immediately a scam, they should stop payments": Cyclist's Santander Cycles scam nightmare
Santander Cycles e-bike (Transport for London)

A London cyclist has spoken out about his ordeal after thieves snatched the paper showing his bike hire code and then racked up a £400 bill over the weekend of February 17.

The rider, Jeremy, told the BBC he tried to hire a bike in central London when two teenage boys approached him, distracting him before snatching the receipt with his hire code. The youths ran away, hired a bike which was not returned all weekend and saw Jeremy charged £1.65 every 30 minutes, plus non-return charges for failing to return the bicycle within 24 hours.

"I felt foolish, I'd been caught out and I'm usually alert to this sort of thing," he said before explaining he reported the theft within 15 minutes to Transport for London but was told his report would only be accepted if he called Action Fraud. As it was a Friday night the call centre was closed for the weekend until Monday morning.

"I've had to stop thinking about it because otherwise it would have driven me crazy," he continued, confirming his bank, TfL and Action Fraud are trying to resolve the matter.

"I feel the crime was TfL's. You know you're continuing to take my money. When someone reports immediately a scam, they should stop payments," Jeremy said.

Transport for London's head of cycle hire David Eddington apologised for any distress caused and insisted they would be refunding him in full, stressing such cases are "extremely rare".

27 February 2023, 16:27
Driver escapes punishment for alleged hit-and-run on cyclist, as victim blasts police inaction and "barriers to justice"
Motorist escapes punishment after alleged hit-and-run (credit - Alan Myles)

> Driver escapes punishment for alleged hit-and-run on cyclist, as victim blasts police inaction and "barriers to justice"

27 February 2023, 14:49
LTNs are a "greenwash reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984", claims campaigner who has set up petition asking for schemes to be ripped out
Arnold Circus LTN (via Bob From Accounts on Twitter)

We get sent many a press release here at road.cc — new products, event announcements, pro cycling teams celebrating their GC rider's 9th place at UAE Tour — so much so that most just don't make the cut... not this one...

And while I'm not entirely sure we're the target audience for the news there's now a petition asking for councils to be required to remove LTNs and "underused bike lanes that lack public support", we'll happily share the fact it is limping along on 2,000 signatures.

David Tarsh, the petition's promoter, claims "these traffic schemes are the worst kind of greenwash, reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984; there’s a 'safer cycle pathway' that is more dangerous, low-traffic neighbourhoods that increase congestion, and extension of a clean air zone that will make a negligible improvement in air quality.

"The hidden agenda is an extortion racket based on demonising motorists and exploiting them for cash, under the cover of claiming to save the planet. The consequences are social division, economic damage, removal of liberty and discrimination against the least fortunate. They are counterproductive and the way they have been introduced is deeply corrupt."

The full petition info is here, but you might prefer to read one of these:

> Police urge against scrapping low traffic neighbourhood, saying it reduces crime

> Levels of motor traffic nearly halved within London LTNs, new study finds

> London Conservative group accused of scaremongering over anti-LTN video

> Analysis shows nearly a third of low-traffic neighbourhoods have been scrapped

> Low-traffic neighbourhoods encourage a quarter of Hackney’s residents to cycle more, poll finds

27 February 2023, 14:24
Frederik Frison's Peter Sagan impression is back...
27 February 2023, 13:02
27 February 2023, 12:53
Lotus and British Cycling continue partnership for 2024 Olympic Games in Paris
2020 Tokyo Alex Whitehead_SWpix.com 02

[ Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com]

The Great Britain Cycling Team will once again ride Lotus-developed bikes at next summer's Olympic Games in Paris. Both parties expressed excitement at continuing the relationship which helped win seven track cycling medals in Tokyo.

"Over the last Olympic cycle we have developed a fantastic relationship with Lotus, combining their expertise with our in-house team, constantly striving to find the most innovative solutions to give our track riders the best possible chance when the get to the start line," performance director of the Great Britain Cycling Team Stephen Park CBE said.

"We are excited to see what we can go on to achieve together as we work towards further refining our bike, which is just one part of the world-class support we are able to offer our riders as we set our sights on Paris 2024."

Lotus has a long history in cycling and was instrumental in the design and development of LotusSport bikes, including for Chris Boardman at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

1992 Olympics Lotus Type 108 Chris Boardman - 1.jpeg

Riding the Lotus Type 108 (above), he won gold in the men's pursuit and followed it up at the 1994 Tour de France – riding the Type 110 – winning the prologue to wear the yellow jersey.

27 February 2023, 12:29
The missing Strava activity
 

The final activity uploaded from Mohorič's Garmin before the shocking crime took place...

No sign of the Kuurne 80km attack and third-placed finish. Thoughts and prayers with you at this difficult time, Matej.

27 February 2023, 11:03
"There seems to be a sort of lawlessness, it's one rule for cyclists and one rule for everybody else": Nick Ferrari's LBC show discusses poll suggesting two-thirds of drivers believe aggressive cyclists are a threat to their safety

We recently reported the results of a poll in Ireland which indicated that cyclists are perceived to be among the nation's most dangerous road users, with around a fifth of those surveyed claiming that people on bikes represent the greatest threat on the country’s roads, just behind young male motorists and e-scooter users.

Well, there's another survey doing the rounds (and forming the basis of a segment on Nick Ferrari's LBC morning show), this time suggesting that almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of drivers believe aggressive cyclists are a threat to their safety.

In their news coverage of the IAM RoadSmart research LBC noted the results come "despite a staggering 494 cyclists being killed in crashes with cars between 2012 and 2021" while "in the same period, only four car-users perished in accidents with cyclists, according to Department for Transport figures."

However, Ferrari's segment, including a talk with a listener who accused bike riders of "lawlessness" and IAM RoadSmart's Neil Greig suggesting there are calls for a law to be introduced which would see drivers "automatically at fault" if they hit a cyclist was far more catchy for this genre of reporting...

Brace yourselves... this doesn't appear to be a parody prank call, as far as we're aware...

So, as per the Department for Transport's Reported road casualties in Great Britain: pedal cycle factsheet for 2021, as reported by us last year, almost half (46 per cent) of all cyclist fatalities between 2016 and 2021 were in two-vehicle collisions involving the driver of a car. 

'But what about collisions with other cyclists?' I hear our LBC listener ask....

Pedal cycle casualties in reported road collisions by severity showing other vehicles involved, GB: 2016 to 2021 (DfT)

 

27 February 2023, 10:29
The HEALTHY way to lose weight by cycling | top tips for sustainable weight loss

27 February 2023, 09:35
Behind the scenes of Pidcock's flying descent
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by SAFA (@safabrian)

> Don't try this at home! Tom Pidcock shows off his mind-blowing descending skills 

Dan Alexander

Dan is the road.cc news editor and has spent the past four years writing stories and features, as well as (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. Having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for the Non-League Paper, Dan joined road.cc in 2020. Come the weekend you'll find him labouring up a hill, probably with a mouth full of jelly babies, or making a bonk-induced trip to a south of England petrol station... in search of more jelly babies.

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33 comments

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squired replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
3 likes

I've always like the idea of making it mandatory that the rider's name is printed on the rear of the cycling shorts (i.e. across the bum).  That way you wouldn't have to memorise the numbers and identifying riders would be significantly easier.  From a camera perspective it would work well too, as often the camera bike sits behind riders in smaller groups.

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to squired | 1 year ago
1 like

That's a good idea - it would certainly be an improvement on Trek-Segafredo when they used to have, somewhat disturbingly, the word "splunk!" written across their rears.

Avatar
peted76 | 1 year ago
1 like

So excited to see this weekends racing! Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne did not dissapoint.. both races looked brutal. If this weekend is anything to go by.. it's going to be an amazing classics season!! 
It looks like Jumbo are heading for an amazing year!

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