“Physically it’s manageable, mentally it’s relentless”: Cycling the entire Festive 500 in one ride… around a McDonald’s drive-through?!; Weirdest place to Zwift; Could £11bn power station proposal benefit cycling? + more on the live blog

The architect who designed the London Eye and Brighton’s i360 observation tower has published a proposal for a 14-mile tidal power station in Somerset, the plans including a new cycling circuit. The £11bn proposal suggests building a tidal power station from Minehead to Watchet, The Guardian reporting it would also feature 125 underwater turbines to “harness the power of the second-highest tidal range in the world”, and a cycling track for riding and races.

36km/h average… 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by 4 Star Endurance (@4starendurance)

> “A mistake has consequences, and I’m paying for them”: Pro cyclist “kicked off team” and pauses cycling career over dangerous bunny-hopping video

United Utilities and Westmorland and Furness Council have explained that parts of a new cycling and walking path in Cumbria, which only opened in June, faces closures for up to two years due to sewage works. It’s all because water company United Utilities is planning to built a three million litre underground tank next to its pumping station near Vickerstown Park in Walney, the BBC has reported.

With work set to begin in February and run until 2028, it has been suggested parts of the recently opened 1.4-mile cycling path will be shut during various stages of the project. The council insisted it will not be fully shut and said they are hoping to keep as much open as possible.

> Man with “generalised hatred of cyclists” arrested on suspicion of firing shots at group ride in Italy after shocking footage went viral

Unstoppable ?

Lucinda Brand takes her 12th victory in a row with another strong performance in Loenhout. pic.twitter.com/n3QBEjKQ6c

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) December 29, 2025

1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-2-1-1

That’s Lucinda Brand’s cyclocross record this winter, this afternoon’s X²O Badkamers Trofee Azencross – Loenhout her latest victory. Kristyna Zemanová was five seconds back in second, while Manon Bakker completed the podium. Brit Zoe Bäckstedt was back in fourth, continuing her comeback from a fractured wrist suffered in a training crash last month.

On the course, Mathieu van der Poel won this afternoon’s X²O Badkamers Trofee Azencross – Loenhout, a gutting puncture for Wout van Aert the key moment in deciding the action. The Belgian’s day got worse, a second flat subsequently ending his podium hopes too, but by that time his great rival Van der Poel was easing towards another major cyclocross victory.

Can anyone stop Mathieu van der Poel? ?

The word champion takes his 18th win in a row with victory in Loenhout ? pic.twitter.com/bGZ8xF7VTv

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) December 29, 2025

However, once again one of the big talking points was fan behaviour, Van der Poel somehow avoiding a crash early on in the race after a spectator appeared to make contact with the drops of his bike.

Not cool! ❌

Mathieu van der Poel lead the X2O Trofee in Loenhout despite this fan making contact! pic.twitter.com/8E27XvLt7H

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) December 29, 2025

Belgian broadcaster Sporza has since reported that the spectator was led away by police and the event’s organisers wish to press charges. 

However, despite the near disaster, Van der Poel was quite measured in his post-race comments and said he “didn’t feel like it was intentional”.

 “People are often so enthusiastic that they forget there are other riders coming,” he added. “I was very lucky, though. He touched my handlebars on a straight — I barely managed to stay upright.”

Foot retention
byu/jopas_ inJustridingalong

> London Naked Bike Ride hires more security due to increased “hostility” towards nude cyclists

Because nothing says Christmas like riding 500km around a fast food drive-through to complete a festive cycling challenge…

Matthew Fairbrother — an enduro racer who in 2022 bikepacked 1,500km from one event in Scotland to another in Slovenia and loves a long-distance challenge — has ticked off another big day out, this time completing the Festive 500 in one ride at home in New Zealand… by riding laps of a McDonald’s drive-through…

“Physically it’s manageable, mentally it’s relentless,” he told his followers on Instagram afterwards. 

In the end he did 503km although some people have pointed out something appears to have gone wrong with the elevation of the activity, unless you really can rack up 2,000m of climbing via drive-through speed bumps. The GPS is miraculously clean given the length and monotony of riding 500km around the same small loop.

 “My life is usually built around goals, purpose, and process,” Fairbrother explained. “Big projects with a thousand moving parts; logistics, terrain, weather, risk, timelines and always needing to think five steps ahead.

“Every now and then it’s nice to strip all of that back and do something purely for the sake of it. With no meaning, no destination to reach. Just turning up and letting my stubbornness do the work. What makes a challenge like this weirdly appealing is the simplicity. Physically it’s manageable, mentally it’s relentless. The same loop, the same sights and a million different thoughts, keeping the peace becomes the real challenge.

 

 

 

 

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“Somewhere within the stupidity is a controlled space to test patience, self-talk, boredom, and resilience. Skills I’ll need when the stakes actually matter and the consequences are real.”

In total, Matthew was on the bike for just over 20 hours, the elapsed time including breaks three minutes shy of an entire 24 hours, even at a 24.6km/h average speed. Bonkers.