Essex Police blasted for telling cyclist to mind language after shocking near miss; Motorists jam up Boscombe bike lanes – 2 months after Mail asked, “is there any room left for cars?”; Vos the GOAT; Longo Borghini wrong turn memes + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
‘To the bus!’: Elisa Longo Borghini’s wrong turn at Tour Femmes strikes meme gold
What a 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞 for Elisa Longo Borghini – who goes the wrong way! ⚠️
But it’s a second stage victory at the Tour de France Femmes for Lorena Wiebes ✌️#TDFF | @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/lNXZigI1fQ
— Eurosport (@eurosport) July 28, 2022
It was all going so well for Trek-Segafredo during the final kilometres of yesterday’s stage five of the Tour de France Femmes into Saint-Dié-des-Vosges.
First, the team’s world time trial champion Ellen van Dijk thundered along at the front of the peloton, setting a ferocious pace for her sprinter – and world champion – Elisa Balsamo. So far, so good.
In the final kilometre, Elisa Longo Borghini – this year’s Paris-Roubaix winner and one of the hot favourites to take the yellow jersey on Sunday – took over from van Dijk and accelerated hard, hoping to tee up Balsamo, who had spent much of the previous three days working for Longo Borghini’s GC bid.
But then, disaster struck. As Marianne Vos, Lorena Wiebes and the rest got ready to jink to the right through a chicane with 400 metres to go, Longo Borghini instead decided that she would prefer taking a 90-degree left hander, diving through a (frankly far too large) gap in the barriers designated as an exit point for support vehicles.
While the former Italian champion’s mistake probably left her slightly red-faced and also more worryingly, I’d imagine, lost her nine seconds in the battle for the overall win, at least her team were able to poke fun at her unfortunate mishap, sparking some gentle amusement on the internet in the process (which is what we’re all here for, right?):
The surprise attack of #TDFF stage 5… pic.twitter.com/64I4tdZJ6I
— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) July 28, 2022
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) July 28, 2022
Have to say, I feel personally attacked by Cycling Out Of Context there…
Others were quick to come to the conclusion that someone, somewhere must have been committing a culinary crime on Italian food, setting Longo Borghini’s infamous foodie senses tingling:
“Elisa, someone is eating ketchup with pasta in the bus!”
Elisa : “Say no more 🤌” #TDFF https://t.co/FJDU3ng0Uk— Phoenix (@AnalystPhoenix) July 28, 2022
Even van Dijk got involved:
Smart move @ElisaLongoB, this way you didn’t have to wait for the shower in the bus 😉 pic.twitter.com/1KImKSIC0O
— Ellen van Dijk (@ellenvdijk) July 28, 2022
While the internet gathered to rib Longo Borghini (all in jest of course), European champion van Dijk was also keen to point out the finger at race organisers ASO for allowing such an aching chasm to exist between the barriers at a sprint finish:
Stole your screenshot @thijszonneveld 🙏. And in her defense: there should never be a gap like this in the last 500m without a guard.
— Ellen van Dijk (@ellenvdijk) July 28, 2022
Or maybe Longo Borghini really did hear that the team chef was putting salad in that evening’s risotto, and someone had to stop them…
Emma Norsgaard update: No broken bones for Movistar rider forced to abandon after dramatic mass pile-up
We’re happy to report @emmanorsgaard1 has no fractures following her crash on st. 5 of @LeTourFemmes #TDFF.
The Danish rider will remain under medical observation and rest for 24 hours, to monitor any after-effects from the incident.
Mucho ánimo, Emma 🤗💙
📸 @SprintCycling pic.twitter.com/8M7YipMoGC
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 29, 2022
Yesterday’s horrific-looking mass crash at the Tour de France Femmes left a number of riders bloodied, battered and sore – and saw the Tour’s medical team working overtime to patch up them up before the sprint finish in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges.
While the likes of Chantal van den Broek-Blaak and Marta Bastianelli were able to carry on despite their injuries, Movistar’s Emma Norsgaard was less fortunate. The Danish sprinter was forced to abandon the race after looking in some discomfort while being checked out by the doctor.
Fortunately, Movistar confirmed this morning that Norsgaard did not suffer any broken bones in the fall but will remain under medical observation for any potential aftereffects of the crash, before travelling home to Girona.
❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Rq2RCAMmJL
— emmanorsgaard (@emmanorsgaard1) July 29, 2022
.@emmanorsgaard1 wants to thank everyone who sent her messages of support and was worried about her crash at @LeTourFemmes #TDFF yesterday. #RodamosJuntos pic.twitter.com/WQENQY6cE5
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 29, 2022
Shit cycling shots
‘The beauty, nay, the wonder, is in the composition.’#CyclingImages#ShitCyclingPhotography@roadcc pic.twitter.com/JmFbIlDFpW
— Shit Cycling Shots (@ShitBikePhotos) July 28, 2022
This may be my new favourite Twitter account (though good luck saying its name after a few pints).
And yes, there is a TT rider hiding somewhere in that photo…
“If your city or town doesn’t make you feel confident enough to cycle round looking this cool, it’s failed you”
If your city or town doesn’t make you feel confident enough to cycle round looking this cool, it’s failed you.
(You shouldn’t need specialist clothing or safety equipment to do something which should be so ordinary) pic.twitter.com/G8pRXRdmzV
— Adam Bronkhorst (@AdamBronkhorst) July 28, 2022
Wiebes’ whopping power
No wonder DSM’s Lorena Wiebes is the current fastest sprinter in the world…
📊 A few stats from the sprint won by Lorena Wiebes (📷) | #TDFF
• Time | 0:15 (the time of sprinting)
• Speed | Avg 60.8 Kph (Max 65.5 Kph)
• Power | Avg 1,035 W (Max 1,304 W) ⚡️
• Cadence | Avg 115 rpm (Max 129 rpm) pic.twitter.com/tpgBbXdpao— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) July 28, 2022
During yesterday’s sprint at the Tour Femmes – which, remember, was stalled slightly in the final 400 metres after Elisa Longo Borghini’s slight detour – the Dutch star averaged over 1,000 watts during her 15-second burst to the line, maxing out at 1,304 watts and a cool 41mph.
Pure power.
“It feels like a token gesture”: Bournemouth resident notes number of motorists parked in cycle lanes – two months after the Mail asked, “is there any room left for cars?”
You may remember back in May we reported on the meltdown that occurred in sections of the national press after Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council scandalously – scandalously, I tell ya – painted bicycle symbols in the middle of lanes in Boscombe, as part of resurfacing works in the Bournemouth suburb.
The council said at the time that the new road markings on the A35 Christchurch Road and between Browning Avenue and the Christchurch Road roundabout were added to encourage cyclists to take a “prominent” position on the road, to “make them more visible to other motorists”.
While bike symbols in shared use lanes have been used in the UK since 1975, the installation of a decades-old road marking in Bournemouth resulted in both the MailOnline and Daily Telegraph, in between bouts of frothing no doubt, penning articles claiming that the symbols encourage cyclists to “ignore” the town’s dedicated bike lane.
> Bike lane meltdown: New road markings prompt Mail to ask, “is there any room left for cars?”
“Cyclists are being encouraged by council officials to ignore a dedicated cycle path and use a busy main road instead in an attempt to force traffic in the town centre to slow down,” the Mail said.
“Although cyclists have the use of the 7ft wide bike lane alongside the A35 in Bournemouth, Dorset, large bike symbols have been painted on the main road as well.”
The Mail then described the markings as the “latest move by the authorities to drive cars off the road” and included in their headline the question: “Is there any room left for cars?”
Those pesky, lycra-clad cyclists, always ignoring those lovely, narrow bits of paint we kindly offer them…
So, how are Boscombe’s cycle lanes doing, two months after the press extolled their virtues so lovingly?
Well, one Bournemouth resident has been taking note of the bike lanes in question on the Christchurch Road as he drives to work every morning… and, you guessed it, they’re full of parked cars:
Driving to work this morning and same as usual. Parking in bike lanes. @BCPCouncil @Bournemouthecho @vikki4mdnp #segregatedbikelanes These are not isolated occurrence’s. pic.twitter.com/trsEEgX8QO
— Mr Fisheyedboy 🇪🇺 (@fisheyedboy2) July 28, 2022
Dean Hawthorne has told the Bournemouth Daily Echo that he will record the constant parking in bike lanes – which he describes as an “accident waiting to happen” – until “something is done”.
“They’re obviously not monitored at all because I drive down that road regularly and they always have people parked in them. To be fair the whole area around Boscombe doesn’t seem to be monitored,” he said.
“Having cars parked in the cycle lane pushes cyclists into the main flow of traffic which is a danger because cyclists are potentially vulnerable to vehicles. There are a number of school runs in the area as well, it’s an accident waiting to happen.
“There was a report recently about the air quality and Christchurch Road is particularly bad.
“If you want people to start cycling, you need to offer good cycling infrastructure and what they’ve offered isn’t. It’s just some lines on a road and if it’s not being monitored, if one person parks there, you get 20 people parking there.
“There is a parking issue in the area because every summer we have the same issue, it’s no surprise, it’s just going to get worse if nothing is done about it.”
Dean continued: “I believe you need segregated cycle lanes, even if it’s the bollards. All around the world there are much busier places than Bournemouth who have successfully integrated cycle lanes, so it needs to be looked at properly by people who know what they’re doing.
“The cycle lanes that are there are broken up anyway, they’re not continuous so it does feel a bit like a token gesture.
“A white line on the floor is not suitable really, there needs to be more and it needs to be monitored, I’ve never seen anyone with a ticket round there.
“I will keep filming it as long as it goes on because it’s just not good enough.”
Councillor for Boscombe East and Pokesdown, Andy Jones, agreed with Dean, telling the Echo: “The last however many times, I’ve walked and driven along that particular part of the road, there’s frequently cars parked in there and it’s clearly marked with ‘no waiting, no stopping’ restrictions so vehicles shouldn’t be in there for any length of time.
“Having civil enforcement officers patrol is obviously an important aspect but they can’t be there all the time.
“One of the things that I’ve asked our portfolio holder for transportation Mike Greene to look at is the possibility of using camera enforcement, so he’s going to go away and look at that, speak to the relevant officers and come back to me.
“I believe there is legislation there to allow that enforcement but he’s going to look into it and advise.
“I think we need to look at a smarter way of tackling this, we can use camera enforcement, and have tickets sent through the post that way and clearly that’s going to be a far more effective way of dealing with it than what we’ve got at the moment.
“Residents have been contacting me about it so clearly what’s happening at the moment isn’t satisfactory and at the end of the day it is a cycle lane and people should be able to cycle through it without coming across parked cars.”
Ronaldo and David Beckham compete at the Commonwealth Games, in the – checks notes – Team Sprint for India
After Erik ten Hag performed his tactical magic (however indirectly) for Jumbo-Visma at the Tour de France, Manchester United stars past and present can’t seem to get enough of bike racing.
At the Commonwealth Games today – and this is completely true, I wouldn’t make this stuff up – both David Beckham Elkatohchoongo and Ronaldo Laitonjam lined up in the team sprint event for India, managing sixth, 0.6 seconds shy of the medal runoff:
David Beckham and Ronaldo lining up for India in the Men’s Sprint 😯#B2022 pic.twitter.com/RBcfZ0RDfG
— 7Sport (@7Sport) July 29, 2022
Apparently, Bryan Robson was injured during the warmup, so couldn’t make the start…
For the sake of pedantry, Ronaldo Laitonjam was born in July 2002, a full year before an 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo signed for the red half of Manchester.
His parents, then, may have been fans of a different Ronaldo, the Real Madrid forward who that summer was ripping up the World Cup for Brazil…
And while we’re at it, David Beckham Elkatohchoongo was born in September 2003, two months after Mr Posh Spice signed for Madrid, after being chased out of Manchester by Alex Ferguson for spending too much time at the hairdressers.
So, maybe the parents of the India track team aren’t United fans after all. That’s disappointing…
Ouch: Lorena Wiebes out of contention after heavy crash
Lorena Wiebes won’t fight for the stage win today it looks like, she crashed hard and she is pretty banged up…😢 #TDFF pic.twitter.com/EejLfAslCu
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) July 29, 2022
There’ll be no hat-trick at the Tour de France Femmes for Lorena Wiebes, who crashed heavily on a fast, twisting descent with 23km to go, leaving her bloodied and bruised.
With a Cat 4 towards the finish, Wiebes’ DSM team are currently working hard to bring it all back together for Liane Lippert.
45 seconds ahead of the peloton, Jumbo-Visma’s Anna Henderson is forcing the pace, and – if the break stays away – must fancy her chance for the stage.
Henderson’s fellow Brit, Uno-X’s former hour record holder Joss Lowden, has also looked strong in the day’s breakaway, and remains in contention for the stage, as well as sweeping up a number of mountain classification points.
It’s been a decent day in the Lowden-Bigham household – Lowden’s fiancé and aero guru Dan Bigham has helped the England team to the gold medal match in the team pursuit at the Commonwealth Games. Now, that’s a power couple…
Long Time Coming: Marianne Vos wins in yellow at the Tour de France Femmes
🇳🇱 @marianne_vos wins in Rosheim, in her Yellow Jersey 💛
Victoire en Jaune pour @marianne_vos 💛#TDFF #WatchTheFemmes pic.twitter.com/D6UKOGBOPo— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 29, 2022
Cometh the hour, cometh the greatest cyclist of them all.
Marianne Vos, the dominant cyclist of her or indeed any generation, has been one of the leading voices calling for the creation of a proper women’s Tour de France throughout her sixteen years in the peloton.
By the time ASO finally relented, and a company like Zwift came along with the funds, Vos had turned 35, her days of unrelenting dominance behind her, despite her continued strength and impressive win rate.
Had Vos’ opportunity to make her mark at the most famous bike race in the world passed, a victim of stubborn traditionalists and cautious naysayers?
A.S.O./Thomas Maheux
But this is Marianne Vos we’re dealing with, remember, and the Dutch superstar wasn’t going to let the chance of a lifetime pass her by.
The three-time world road champion’s Tour has been nothing short of remarkable: after finishing second on the opening day in Paris, she didn’t take long to secure that long-awaited first win – 15 years in the making – and went into the yellow jersey. Since then, she’s placed second, fifth, and third.
And today in Rosheim, Vos added yet another line to her glittering palmares, one she may underscore a few times when she’s retired – winning a stage in the yellow jersey.
And it’s only fitting that Vos – the standard bearer of women’s cycling for so long – would become the first rider in this new era of the women’s Tour de France to cross the line in yellow with her arms aloft.
Sometimes in cycling, riders get what they deserve.
😵 Jusqu’au bout de l’effort ! 💛#TDFF #MaillotJauneLCL pic.twitter.com/m8017XOAM5
— Maillot Jaune LCL (@MaillotjauneLCL) July 29, 2022
After the day’s large breakaway splintered to pieces on the finishing circuit, leaving only Uno-X’s Joss Lowden, Jumbo-Visma’s Anna Henderson (who showcased her daredevil descending skills on the fast descent towards the finish, which caught out two-time stage winner Lorena Wiebes) and FDJ’s last-rider-standing Marie Le Net out in front, Team DSM and then Trek-Segafredo’s Ellen van Dijk (who else?) brought the race together for a final bunch kick before the weekend’s decisive mountains.
The Trek trident of van Dijk, Elisa Longo Borghini and Elisa Balsamo yet again failed to find its target, however, despite the two Italians’ successful if desperate attempt to enter the eye of a needle on the final left hander.
While Trek huffed and puffed in the final kilometre, yellow jersey Vos remained ice cool, drifting from van Dijk’s wheel to Longo Borghini’s, before outjumping the lethargic Balsamo.
The world champion had nothing to answer; Marta Bastianelli and Lotte Kopecky were simply chasing shadows.
👀 What a sprint by 🇳🇱@marianne_vos!
👀 Quel sprint de 🇳🇱@marianne_vos ! #TDFF #WatchTheFemmes pic.twitter.com/qCwmwtYljU
— Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (@LeTourFemmes) July 29, 2022
Vos, meanwhile, had just taken the 244th victory of her career.
After years of fighting for the right for women to win stages and wear the yellow jersey at the Tour, this win in Rosheim may be remembered as one of the most special.
Be afraid, be very afraid…
Even I’m scared of this sparkly-eyed Van Vleuten and I’m sat in my bedroom over 1000km away. Good luck to all those going up against her tomorrow 👀.#TDFF pic.twitter.com/BQl0mDVDPp
— Will Newton (@InsidePeloton96) July 29, 2022
If Annemiek van Vleuten has fully recovered from the stomach infection that plagued her opening few stages of the Tour de France Femmes, her rivals may be in for a rude awakening when the race hits the mountains tomorrow…
Make sure to set your recorders, it’s going to be a good one!
“Once you remove the offensive language we will engage with you”: Essex Police blasted for telling cyclist to mind their language after shocking near miss
Essex Police have been criticised for appearing to dismiss a cyclist’s concerns about a shocking close pass – because he swore at them on Twitter.
Cyclist Tony was left “absolutely fuming” after a driver only received a warning letter for committing a reckless close pass which forced him to swerve towards the grass verge to avoid being hit.
“I had just exited a roundabout and was reasonably far out from the kerb, when the Range Rover driver decides to overtake ignoring the oncoming traffic,” Tony told road.cc of the incident, which occurred near Grays in Essex.
“They then drive closer to me, squeezing between myself and an oncoming vehicle, forcing me to swerve hard to my left to avoid being hit.
“You’d think this was a clear cut ‘send out a NIP’ for the police, but nope, their response was to send a warning letter.”
After hearing the news, a clearly disgruntled Tony took to Twitter to complain about the rather questionable outcome.
@SaferEssexRoads @EPRoadsPolicing @EssexPoliceUK @CyclingUKEssex @EssexPFCC Anyone care to comment on how this dangerous driving, with driver purposely getting closer as they are alongside only warrants a warning letter, do you just not give a fuck about the safety of cyclists?
— CykelTony (@tony_eh) July 28, 2022
“How the hell this only warranted a warning letter from Essex Police I don’t know,” he wrote.
Then, tweeting Essex Police, as well as their Roads Policing Unit directly, Tony said: “Anyone care to comment on how this dangerous driving, with driver purposely getting closer as they are alongside, only warrants a warning letter.
“Do you just not give a fuck about the safety of cyclists?”
The response? Well, let’s just say Essex’s Road Policing unit got to the heart of the matter:
Once you remove the offensive language we will engage with you, but not via this platform.
— Essex Roads Policing (@EPRoadsPolicing) July 28, 2022
That rather taciturn reply didn’t, surprisingly, help matters, with Tony and a number of other Twitter users sharply criticising the police’s dismissive response:
You’re kidding right? I’m absolutely fuming over this, this driver wilfully put my life at risk and you’re telling me off for a bit of swearing!
— CykelTony (@tony_eh) July 28, 2022
Are you serious? This was a deliberate assault! You expect him to say “Oh dear”?
— Peter See (@PeterSee8) July 28, 2022
Not a great response, I think the public have a right to know why this decision was made. It shows the extra eyes service in a very poor light. I can understand the bad language, as can you.
— Makecyclingsafeagain (@Makecyclingsafe) July 28, 2022
Language aside, the public has an interest in understanding @EPRoadsPolicing’s policy with regards to taking action through #3rdPartyReporting, so if you could explain more generally in what circumstances a NIP would be issued rather than a warning letter it would be appreciated.
— Cycling Surrey 🇺🇦 (@CyclingSurrey) July 28, 2022
Let’s get this straight, you want him to remove his offensive language from this platform but still won’t engage with him on this platform irrespective? So, you are going to ignore any other formal complaint or correspondence until he removes this? Are you serious?
— Jonathan Stone 🇺🇦 (@JonnyStone) July 29, 2022
Tony tells road.cc that he intends to appeal the outcome of the case.
“I can usually brush off close passes quite easily, but this one actually left me quite shaken for several hours,” he says.
“I fully intend to raise an official complaint regarding the outcome and then appeal to the PCC when they brush it off.”
Essex Police’s war on swearing update: Close pass driver now given choice of safety course or conditional offer
A bit of an update on this morning’s story about the close passing driver, the sweary cyclist, and the priority-missing police force…
road.cc reader Tony, the subject of a recklessly overtaking driver while cycling near Grays, Essex, has informed us that Essex Police – who yesterday told Tony that they would only engage with him if he cut out the curse words on Twitter, thank you very much – have upgraded the motorist’s punishment from a warning letter to the choice of a driving safety course or a conditional offer.
Interesting, just had an email and checked the essex extra eyes website and it now shows the driver has been given the choice of course or conditional offer.#cycling https://t.co/jwUUkavErs
— CykelTony (@tony_eh) July 29, 2022
Tony said he received an email today telling him that the case had been reviewed, with the Essex Extra Eyes portal now informing him of the new outcome.
Maybe swearing does pay off after all.
Effin’ brilliant news.
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@Rendel Harris you've painted a rather alluring picture of social harmony there, but unfortunately you've got my name wrong. I'm Jack, not Nigel. However, to return the compliment, I must think of a story for you. I imagine you sat outside a pub, real ale and pipe propped on the adjacent table, in a similar fashion to Nigel Farage at his populist best. You turn to your wife. "You know what dear? I think I've been a bit harsh in my time. I've shunned the politeness and wisdom of others for too long and want to change my ways.* "There there Rendel", says Mrs Harris. "You're not a bad old stick, it's just living in London that's emptied your soul of kindness and compassion. I've found a lovely new place where we can settle down in our later years. It's on a leafy cul de sac, surrounded by friendly neighbours and smiling faces. There's a guy a couple of doors down, a remarkable man. As well as his towering intellect and rapier wit, he's also a keen cyclist, holding severa local KOMs. Don't be perturbed dear - he'll ride with anyone provided they show other road users the kindness and courtesy they deserve." Rendel turned emotionally, voice shaking. "Oh my dear, thank you for this second chance", and with that the rest of the pub goers turned and applauded the couple, throwing garlands of petals in their wake. The end.
As a Councillor, Edward needs to be paying some attention to all that parking obstructing visibility and manoeuvres at the junction, and sorting out those radii.
Ed Hill was chucked out by Reform in 2025, though TBF to him it was about how to run it rather than ideology I think. He is now reportedly closer to Advance UK, which is distinctly more extreme than Reform. I'd call this Alan Amos style attention seeking.
Emily, thank you for such an insightful piece. I’m a man, but I enjoy watching the women’s races, possibly more than the men’s. The racing is so much closer, we rarely know who’s going to win. You painted a wonderful picture of how a true champion is able to ‘rise above’ setbacks and distractions, and focus their energy on the task in hand. ‘All’s fair in live and war -and sport, but always good to hear riders expressing their admiration for their competitors
@Nigel Garage ...and then everyone applauded my courtesy and I waved courteously to all the people who were courteously throwing flowers and cheering and courteously waving flags that said "Nigel is the best!"
The picture from street view clearly shows give way lines from the roads to the green painted cycle/pedestrian lane. The road user should give way (or must...) to the user of the green lane. This would of course apply to any cyclist on the roadway.
If I recall there is a cave or two along the route - perhaps they were sheltering from the heat in one of those having taken it for a Golf bunker?
“So if there’s a cyclist travelling down the cycle path at the moment, from this position I can’t see them because my blind spots are too big on the left hand side of the vehicle”, claims Hill. Well, there's your problem, right there...🙄
First impression from the headline that he's likely a twit. Then the detail he was expelled from Reform makes you suspect that failing even their low bar requirements he really is. Then he clearly explains his vehicle is unsafe for the highway because he can't see to give way when turning. Any collision he now has should have that video run out explaining he drove a vehicle he knew to be unsafe. Advice for motorists; instead of thinking that pedestrians and cyclists are low risk 100kg objects, imagine them as a 300 Tonne trains that will crush you and your vehicle if you cross into their paths. You'd give way to the train, so you equally can to the others.
I've had a brief look on Facebook, and Ed Hill (who now appears to be affiliated with Advance UK) seems to have taken some useful road safety improvements under his remit, including an initiative to help local pedestrians on unpaved roads, where the wider council won't help due to planning failures. Regarding the cycle path, I think this is linked to a wider misunderstanding about giving way at junctions and I'm afraid I cannot agree with Mr Hill's conclusion. Regardless of the suitability of the cycle path, vehicles should give way at the junction to both pedestrians crossing and cyclists. It seems to be a poorly understood rule among motorists where some believe they have priority at junctions like this, where they certainly do not. I once had a similar issue myself, while leisurely walking to Waitrose to buy some lunchtime fripperies. A driver beeped their horn as I crossed the junction, despite me having priority, and was shocked and apologetic when I explained I had priority. A polite conversation later, the driver departed, educated and updated on the rules of the road.
34 thoughts on “Essex Police blasted for telling cyclist to mind language after shocking near miss; Motorists jam up Boscombe bike lanes – 2 months after Mail asked, “is there any room left for cars?”; Vos the GOAT; Longo Borghini wrong turn memes + more on the live blog”
In totally unrelated news, I
In totally unrelated news, I came across this piece in the local online rag. For once, a decent light read regarding Box Hill & cycling (really just a reminisence about the 2012 Limpics) with no cycling culture war bingo shenanigans. Just thought I’d share.
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/lifestyle/fun-stuff/box-hill-olympic-cycling-car-24599750
The Essex Close pass. Anyone
The Essex Close pass. Anyone else distracted by the loose straps brushing against the rear wheel at the start.
As for the incident, intial fast response but yes, don’t understand why only a letter and not a NIP.
don’t understand why only a
don’t understand why only a letter and not a NIP
I do- the decision is already made at Essex Traffic as soon as they know it’s a cyclist complaining and he isn’t KSI’d- I’m pretty convinced there has never been a prosecution for close-passing in Essex- I know there hasn’t in Lancashire. I recall a (much) earlier comment from Essex Police on here where they claimed a close pass wasn’t significantly close ‘because the cyclist hadn’t swerved or braked’. If it wasn’t the police you wouldn’t believe someone could be stupid enough to write that- they have no conception of which way up a bike should be, or how you make it go, and have no intention of finding out.
I send Essex Police timewarp
I send Essex Police timewarp videos, no sound. Seven for ten submissions now, ranging from NIPS, course offers and warning letters.
It isn’t the sound on the
It isn’t the sound on the original video that is the issue, it is him asking “do you not give a fuck about cyclists safety” where they complained about his language. And tbh, he isn’t calling them F words or C words in which I would have some sympathy for the customer service agent running twitter. So seems a strange hill to die on, especially as they have indicated it is not Twitter that the conversation would have continued on anyway.
Regardless of the rights and
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the pass you aint gonna get much sympathy from someone if you swear in the conversation in a aggressive manner. You have even less excuse when you are taking the time to type something.
It might not have been “at” them, but it was still unecessary.
The first rule of asking someone to do something for you is be polite but firm. Its both simple manners and simple pyschology.
I sympathise with the outrage over lack of action – but not over the outrage of asking someone to be polite in their dealings.
It is safe to assume that
It is safe to assume that delthebike is yet another trolling fantasist- for obvious reasons
Bit harsh. Essex are up and
Bit harsh. Essex are up and down and do things right on occasion.
We don’t know what time span delthebike refers to. Also they may have got lucky with the reviewer or submitted the worst ones only.
Hesitate to mention it, but
Hesitate to mention it, but Ashley Neal has a new video – “Cycling Fails”. Clip 4 (at 3m28s) is generating a lot of debate…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZvhONCxnoM
Is this the video he promised
Is this the video he promised us in the forums where he claimed he was going to disprove the “myth” that car horns are loud/startling when the go off six inches from your right ear?
I’m usually ambivalent towards Neal – I think he’s an overall positive force who is looking to improve driving standards, but his cycling takes (which seem to be mostly from the perspective of driver convenience, not cyclist safety) are invariably garbage and he doesn’t take constructive criticism well. That being said, his last visit to our forums pissed me off so much I don’t want to give him clicks anymore.
I got a bit bored – but some
I got a bit bored – but some quite awful cycling on there.
I think it was clip 11 where he was castigating the rider for passing a bus where a passenger could have popped out – and yet the following car did the same.
I’m not sure what the “learning point” is. Yes, there are amazing idiots out there, but unless he is going to show some cycling excellence, (“Look, this cyclist was in the gutter, got clipped by a mirror and DIDN’T SWEAR”) I can’t see this series doing a lot for drivers’ behaviour around cyclists.
Clip 4 is 50/50 because the rider was reacting to the Porsche nearly pulling out on him, but a bit of a fail on defensive riding and observation.
IanMSpencer wrote:
Although there are a couple of places where he points out poor driving too, the main thrust of this one is what he thinks the cyclists did wrong / could have done better (he also has a “driving fails” series).
The police are only concerned
The police are only concerned about swearing when it comes from cyclists- it’s just one of the routine suite of excuses they deploy for not doing anything about offences against cyclists. When the psycho-nutter BMW driver threatened to ‘fucking flatten’ me and to ‘knock me off my bike’ following a close-pass there is no swearing at all from me and shouting, swearing and threats from the driver of BMW PK14 HLW, all fully recorded on the HD video. There was no mention of the swearing by the police during the 3 months it took them to get around to ‘having a word’ with him. This is the 1.5 metres clearance he claimed to have given me, like they always do- in order to demonstrate the ability to read
Was the offensive language ‘E
Was the offensive language ‘E***x P***ce’?
LiveBlog wrote:
But the same year that the Brazilian footballer Ronaldo (who I suspect he’s named after) was Golden Boot at the World Cup.
EDIT: my bad, I should have read your next line…
Or Ronaldinho…as Ronaldo
Or Ronaldinho…as Ronaldo was born in June, not July, the day after England fans might remember Ronaldinho scoring a spectacular free kick.
Christiano was named after
Christiano was named after American Pres Ronnie Reagan.
Essex police screw up again.
Essex police screw up again.
Dont even know the highway code
https://mobile.twitter.com/CampaignCycling/status/1553085496607313921
After being called out
https://mobile.twitter.com/CampaignCycling/status/1553084567011184641
Absolutely pathetic.
And do not filter is on their website
https://www.essex.police.uk/police-forces/essex-police/areas/essex-police/campaigns/campaigns/2022/summer-road-safety/vulnerable-road-users/
Who writes this garbage and is utterly ignorant?
Essex police screw up again.
Essex police screw up again.
Dont even know the highway code
This is outrageous! Lancashire Constabulary are much more ignorant of the Highway Code than Essex Police and deserve the recognition and the Top Spot
hirsute wrote:
So, they think that filtering is dangerous due to the fact that the non-filtering drivers don’t bother checking mirrors? I can only think their next advice is for pedestrians to avoid zebra crossings as some drivers might not bother stopping.
And do not filter is on their
And do not filter is on their website
https://www.essex.police.uk/police-forces/essex-police/areas/essex-polic…
Interesting. The Do Not Filter order was on the Essex Police website yesterday evening, and isn’t there today
Must be a fake police account
Must be a fake police account, no mention of helmets or hi viz.
Essex police screw up again.
Dont even know the highway code
https://mobile.twitter.com/CampaignCycling/status/1553085496607313921
I’ve just noticed that if you replace ‘filtering’ with ‘cycling’ in this police advice (now removed) you get a true idea of the police view of cycling
There is a difference between
There is a difference between filtering through stationary traffic and moving traffic where the advice about the drivers vehicles you are seeking to overtake changing lanes without looking properly is basically sound.
To be fair, If I was the
To be fair, If I was the Essex driver I’d probably have chinned the cyclist after they had behaved in such a threatening way. The law is clear on self defence and I’d get a bar room barrister to bore the shite out of anyone that wanted to charge me, which they couldn’t do anyway because the law is clear (unless they can prove otherwise), with their twaddle.
Found in the anti-cycling
Found in the anti-cycling guardian yesterday.
It’s a gummy squirrel.
ktache wrote:
That looks more like a
That looks more like a psychedelic jazz squirrel.
mdavidford wrote:
Probably playing Alice Coltrane or Lonnie Liston Smith
ktache wrote:
It looks like a sex toy…
Jenova20 wrote:
Anything’s a sex toy if you’re pervy or brave enough
Just watching the Tri and
Just watching the Tri and realising I might be losing one of my few KOM’s today.
Edit: Down to 7th. Bastards!
AlsoSomniloquism wrote:
It’s nice having big events on your doorstep, but they do have their drawbacks …
not sure of the location.
not sure of the location.