“He should be wearing hi-vis”: Lorry driver turns himself into police after “worst close pass ever” – but motorists still find ways to blame cyclist; Cycle lane slammed due to loss of illegal parking spaces; Tour de France routes + more on the live blog

> Bodyguard Strava use putting Trump, Macron, Biden and other world leaders in danger, French newspaper investigation claims

It’s Tour de France route presentation day, and Sir Mark of Cavendish is in the building.

Does that mean the 35-time Tour stage winner has decided to backtrack once again on his retirement plans, and has jetted over to Paris to scout out opportunities for stage win number 36?

You’re not the only ones looking forward to discovering the courses! 😁

Vous n’êtes pas les seuls à avoir hâte de découvrir les parcours ! 😁

👋 @MarkCavendish

#TDF2025 | #TDFF2025 pic.twitter.com/LqTTaZYxag

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) October 29, 2024

No, it almost certainly does not. Though you never can tell with Cav… Actually, you know what, this time, you definitely can.

I’ll be honest with you, I had completely forgot all about cryptocurrency and blockchains, and all that other virtual nothingness (two years is a long time in the cycling crypto world, apparently), until I read Canyon-SRAM’s latest press release this morning, which announced that this year’s Tour de France Femmes winners will henceforth be known as Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, in a three-year deal signed in Monaco last week.

Of course, this isn’t the first time cycling has dipped its toe in the crypto pool – just as Colnago, or Wout van Aert, or Rich Mitch – but Canyon-SRAM’s new title sponsor does mark the first time that a Bitcoin company has put its name to a team since Qhubeka’s ill-fated partnership with the mysterious NextHash in 2021.

According to Canyon-SRAM’s press release, the Poland-based zondacrypto is one of the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region’s largest regulated cryptocurrency exchange marketplaces (I don’t know either), with licenses to operate in Italy, Switzerland, Cyprus, Lithuania, Slovakia, Estonia, and Canada and “serving a growing community of over 1.3 million active users”.

 (A.S.O./Charly Lopez)

“We’re excited to welcome zondacrypto as one of our main partners starting in 2025,” team manager Ronny Lauke, who guided Kasia Niewiadoma to her maiden Tour de France Femmes title this summer, said.

“As we evolve as a team, it’s essential to align with partners that share our drive for innovation and ambition. The dynamic approach to digital finance that zondacrypto has, coupled with its vision for the future, makes it the perfect partner to help us push boundaries both on and off the bike.

“Together as CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, we look forward to forging new paths and continuing to elevate women’s cycling globally.”

Meanwhile, Przemysław Kral, zondacrypto’s CEO (so apparently they are aware of capital letters), added: “zondacrypto holds the yellow jersey of the cryptocurrency industry leader in the CEE region. Now we are riding together with the world’s leading cycling team, which includes the last winner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on board. As a brand, we are very committed to supporting female sports. We are already partners of Magdalena Fręch and Giro d’Italia Women. And now it’s time to start racing together and achieve many more successes.”

Let’s just hope they agree on a letter case before the season starts…

This is like Christmas Day…

Your cycling watching summer is currently being planned out by Christian Prudhomme and Marion Rousse at ASO’s annual fancy shindig in Paris, and it looks like it’s going to be a cracker.

First up this morning, we had the news that the women’s peloton is set for the longest and hardest edition yet of the modern iteration of the Tour de France Femmes, which will take place across nine days and conclude with a gruelling three days in the Alps, featuring legendary climbs like the Col de Joux-Plane and the fearsome Col de la Madeleine.

A Grand Départ in Brittany, one of France’s cycling heartlands, will coincide with the first two stages of the men’s race and means a grippy opening few days, with stage one finishing on Plumelec’s famous uphill drag to the Côte de Cadoudal.

A series of three rolling yet tough days will give the sprinters a chance, before a hilly finale in Guéret on stage five.

And then out come the big guns. Stage six represents a not so gentle introduction into the Alps, with three sizeable if surmountable climbs near the finish in Ambert, before things really kick into gear the following day, which will see the riders tackle the Col du Granier (8.9km at 5.4 per cent), before a rapid descent to the finish in Chambéry.

The legendary slopes of the Col de la Madeleine on the eighth stage could well prove pivotal in deciding the final yellow jersey, with its 18.6km, 8.1 per cent slopes hosting a summit finish, while the mighty Col de Joux-Plane could form a springboard for some last-ditch attacks on the final stage, which will end with a draggy finish to Châtel.

“The level in women’s cycling is rising and that’s why we have nine stages instead of eight. And nine hard ones,” race organiser Marion Rousse said this morning, while revealing the race details.

Now that’s an understatement.

A lot to digest in next year’s Tour de France Hommes route, from a Ventoux rendezvous to an epic trio of stages in the Pyrenees, some nuggets for 1980s cycling nostalgia merchants (La Plagne! Superbagnères!), and two interesting time trials (one flat, one not so much), plus a lot else in between.

I’ll get back to you soon with some fully (or at least partially) formed thoughts, but it’s clear that, if Pogačar, Vingegaard, and Evenepoel are all fit and in form, it could be one for the ages.

See, I told you it was like Christmas!

You know the clocks have changed when…

> road.cc front bike lights Beam Test 2024/25 — our big Beam Comparison Engine is live to help you choose the best front light for your riding

Ahead of tomorrow’s Budget, the House of Commons has formally appointed its new Transport Committee, which will be headed by Labour MP Ruth Cadbury, who co-chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking for eight years.

Before resigning from the role in December 2023, upon her appointment as Shadow Justice Minister, Cadbury had called for motorists who commit driving offences while behind the wheel of larger, heavier cars to receive tougher penalties, with the size and weight of the vehicle seen as an “aggravating factor” when it comes to sentencing.

A constant advocate for “consistent” funding for active travel, Cadbury also argued last year that promoting cycling and walking policies should not be controversial.

> MP stresses need for “consistent” cycling funding after “disappointing” cut to active travel budget

“Debate around active travel can be polarising,” the MP for Brentford and Isleworth said. “In reality, I don’t think it’s controversial at all… the talk of 15-minute cities, that term may have become a bit pejorative, but basically it means having the things you need within 15 minutes walk or cycle, including points of public transport.

“For most of us this is popular and it provides tangible benefits for communities – cleaner air, better high streets, easier access to amenities and safer roads – as well as free travel and healthier outcomes for those who walk or cycle.”

Cadbury, who was appointed as chair by all members of the Commons last month, will be joined in the Transport Committee by Steff Aquarone (Liberal Democrats), Dr Scott Arthur (Labour), Catherine Atkinson (Labour), Elsie Blundell (Labour), Olly Glover (Liberal Democrats), Katie Lam (Conservative), Alex Mayer (Labour), Baggy Shanker (Labour), Rebecca Smith (Conservative), and Laurence Turner (Labour).

A coalition of academics, health groups, cycling organisations and other major bodies have written to Labour’s Chancellor Rachel Reeves calling for active travel funding to be increased to 10 per cent of the overall transport budget.

Cycling UK, British Cycling, Greenpeace, the Centre for Mental Health and the Association of Directors of Public Health are among the 18 organisations to have asked the Chancellor to “significantly increase investment in walking, wheeling, and cycling”.

Read more: > Cycling UK and British Cycling urge Labour to “significantly increase” active travel budget to 10% of transport spending

Ah, the old ‘loss of parking spaces’ chestnut.

Whether it’s in residential areas or near town centres, councillors, business owners, and a few nervy local NIMBYs will all greet the looming spectre of some new protected cycling infrastructure with the same piercing exclamation: ‘But what about the car parking spaces?!’

We’ve heard it all in the past, from residents in York opposing a new active travel and public transport overhaul in the city because they were worried about losing parking spaces on the street, to Brighton-based business owners who were scathing of the council’s plans to remove two car parking spots, to make way for eight hire bike spaces.

But in Dublin this week, things have taken an even stranger turn on the NIMBY (or should that be Not Outside My House?) front.

IrishCycle.com has reported that plans for a new cycling and walking scheme in the city have been opposed by councillors due to the potential loss of car parking spaces – which, judging by the road in question, means that residents will no longer be able to illegally park on the grass verges or footpaths outside their homes.

And, to make things even more ridiculous, the cycle lane scheme in question even includes provision for 16 actual, legal car parking spaces – so residents don’t have to abandon their cars on the grass or pavement anymore, like this:

Won’t someone please think of the illegally parked cars?

But that hasn’t stopped the usual opposition from rearing its head – But, hey, anything to stop a new cycle lane, eh?

In a recent committee meeting at Dublin City Council, independent Barry Heneghan called on his fellow councillors to agree “that this North Central Area Committee notes that residents of Gracefield Road and Brookwood Avenue are unhappy with the proposed number of parking bays outside residences along the route of the Gracefield Road to Vernon Avenue Walking and Cycling Scheme and calls for the inclusion of additional parking bays to be added to the scheme design that would be commensurate with current parking capacity, and that this be communicated to residents, before the project goes to the tender stage.”

The council’s response to Heneghan’s motion noted that the local authority was formalising 16 car parking spaces as part of the scheme (though it didn’t point out, unfortunately, that the current spaces highlighted by Heneghan are, in fact, illegal).

The council also said that providing any extra spaces would cause issues with trees and utility boxes, and that residents could apply to convert their garden spaces into a parking facility.

“It is proposed to create sixteen areas that will facilitate parking along sections of the route,” official said. “These will be at various locations along Gracefield Road and Brookwood Avenue. Providing additional locations for parking would be unreasonable, as it would require removal of trees and utility infrastructure.”

However, Heneghan responded by saying the scheme would be unfair on residents who want to host parties. Yes, that’s right.

“I don’t think it is really fair, I think people are not really considering mobility issues, people having a family party or anything like that,” he said.

“Just to show my support for the residents, the amount of car spots that are being removed should be added to the scheme. It’s ridiculous for any residents who are living on the road, they want their car spots and there is space and there is area where they [the project team] could omit a tree and put in two more car spots.

“People who are having people over [to visit], people who are elderly, they need those car spots.”

> Residents’ anger at plans to scrap car parking for cycle lane, but council transport director says walking and cycling should be “prioritised” as “there’s just not room for everything”

However, not everyone was on board with Heneghan’s party-based amendment.

“I don’t know how many car parking spaces are being sought here, is there a number?” asked Social Democrat Paddy Monahan. “Because if we’re going to fundamentally undermine a scheme which has been designed by the engineers, I’d like to know exactly what we are agreeing with.

Monahan also said it was “magical thinking” to think councillors could “sprinkle magical dust” to provide for everything on a project with limited street space, on a street which already has a “huge number” of parking spaces.

Nevertheless, Deirdre Heney of Fianna Fáil added that those designing active travel schemes should put themselves in the position of the “people losing parking spaces” and “maybe go halfway or whatever”, because residents are “sharing the road space”.

Yes, the space that is currently grass on a public street, and is illegal to park on, which will make way as part of the scheme for proper parking… Oh, I give up.

It seems like the UK is just full of police officers running about, borrowing bikes off unsuspecting members of the public to chase down crims.

Last week in Colchester, in what could be a new live blog series it’s happening so frequently these days, Essex Police’s city centre team were on foot patrol when they were informed over their radios that a man wanted for domestic abuse offences had escaped from officers and was headed towards Castle Park.

In a social media post, Essex Police continued: “The man was spotted by PCSO Oscroft-Curtis and upon realising started to run again. PC Mond who was on foot patrol in the park quickly spoke to a member of the public who was pushing his bicycle through the park, and borrowed the push bike to pursue the man who was intent on getting away.

“Utilising the push bike, and the city centre CCTV, the man was arrested for threats to kill, criminal damage offences, and drug offences and taken to custody.

“The push bike was then returned to the owner with a very big thank you.”

Cycling, making the world a safer place every day.

The Transport Action Network (TAN), the campaign group currently in the midst of a legal challenge against last year’s cuts to cycling and walking funding in England, says it needs to raise an additional £7,000 by 12 November to proceed with its legal appeal.

Last week, the Court of Appeal granted permission to the TAN to challenge the cuts made last year by the Conservative government, with the judge citing a “real prospect of success” in overturning an earlier ruling, in a decision considered pivotal to future long-term investment in active transport.

The Rt Hon. Lord Justice Lewison said the campaigners can now appeal against an earlier ruling that active travel funding cuts were legal as any funding was only “intended” to be made available, rather than based on a firm commitment, leading to the £200m worth of cuts made in 2023.

> Court of Appeal to reconsider ruling on cycle funding cuts in England, with judge citing “real prospect of success”

The TAN’s director Chris Todd said that the earlier ruling in the summer, which downgraded the previous funding commitments to simply “intended”, threatens “the target to increase walking and cycling to half of urban journeys by 2030”.

However, in order to continue their appeal, TAN says it needs to raise an additional £12,000 by 12 November, bringing their crowdfunding total to £50,000. Since last week’s news, around £5,000 has already been raised, meaning £7,000 is now needed to keep the appeal rolling along.

TAN also says it needs an additional £30,000 (amounting to a total of £70,000) to cover its legal challenge in total, but adds that the extra funding can be secured further down the line.

“Besides the legal merits, having this challenge as the Government carries out a multi-year spending review in spring 2025 would be incredibly good timing,” Todd said on the group’s Crowd Justice page.

“It would raise the profile of walking and cycling funding at this crucial moment. Cycling and walking are essential to all the new government’s missions for growth, health, safe streets, climate and opportunity. Please help us take on the Treasury by donating to our appeal and sharing this widely with friends, colleagues, and family.”

Don’t worry, so’s mine – which is why I’m glad Emily’s put together this handy guide/motivational package to help you (and me) make the most of the winter months on the bike:

> How to increase your cycling motivation in winter — essential tips to keep your spirits up on the bike when the temps drop

I’m just having one more week of doing nothing, I promise…

I knew it!

Speaking at today’s Tour de France route presentation in Paris, Mark Cavendish kept us all on tenterhooks when it comes to the possibility, however slim, of the Manx Missile lining up in Lille next July, for another crack at the Tour and stage win number 36.

“Like everyone who has ridden the Tour de France or the Tour de France Femmes, you finish it and you think: ‘I’ll never do that again’, then a couple of days later, you miss it and you long for the buzz the year after,” the 39-year-old said on stage in Paris today.

When asked what he felt about another tilt at the Tour beyond his 40th birthday next year, Cavendish coyly replied: “We’ll see.”

Oh Mark, you tease.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

So, does that mean the Tour stage win record holder is seriously reconsidering his retirement plans, or is this all an elaborate ruse to drum up interest for what will be his last appearance as a professional at ASO’s Tour-themed crits in Singapore in a few weeks?

I’ll venture it’s the latter. Especially when you take into account Cavendish’s own take on post-Tour life.

“Life has been great,” he said during the presentation. “I’ve been riding my bike, spending time with my kids. I just haven’t been shouting at races anymore.

“I’ve been travelling and I’ve been busy. I’ve just come back from a holiday with my children. It was the first time I could really enjoy a holiday, which is very, very nice.”

And, despite his coy hints in Paris today, I reckon the Cavendish family could well be gearing up for their first July holiday in a while next year.

Tadej Pogačar and company have been spending the past few seasons turning back the clock with their old school, attacking tactics, so it’s only fitting that ASO eventually leaned into the retro vibe with a very nostalgia-laden Tour de France route for 2025.

Described by cycling writer Peter Cossins as a “Rolling Stones setlist of a route”, the 2025 Tour Hommes parcours, unveiled today in Paris, certainly isn’t lacking in tried and trusted warhorses, with one or two long-forgotten singles also coming to the fore after a few decades spent on the shelf.

Perhaps buoyed by last year’s successful return of the long thought dormant Puy de Dôme, there’s a real 1980s vibe to some of the summit finishes, with the Pyrenean climb of Superbagnères – where Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault battled it out in 1986 – making its first Tour appearance since 1989, when Robert Millar (now Pippa York) won.  

La Plagne, the scene of Stephen Roche’s dramatic revival in 1987, also returns to the Tour for the first time in 23 years.

Oh, and the fearsome, legendary Mont Ventoux (the Sympathy for the Devil of Tour climbs) makes its every-so-often inclusion in the route, and as a summit finish for the first time since 2016, when we didn’t quite reach the top due to strong winds and Chris Froome was memorably forced to run after a chaotic crash.

Just like a Stones gig, the 2025 Tour promises to deliver all the thrills and excitement honed to perfection down the decades – while Pogačar will be hoping his quest for a fourth yellow jersey won’t lead to him getting no satisfaction. But, as Jonas Vingegaard knows, you can’t always get what you want (alright, that’s enough).

Anyway, here’s my top five stages to mark in your calendar ahead of next year’s Grande Boucle.

Stage 10, Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, 163km

With ten stages until the first rest day, the first week (‘week’ in its loosest sense) of the 2025 Tour is a long and varied one, with opportunities for the sprinters – including a chance for yellow on the first day in Lille – interspersed with a few lumpy stages with punchy finishes, as well as a GC-restructuring 33km time trial in Caen on stage five.

But stage ten’s saw-toothed profile in the Massif Central, on Bastille Day no less, is the first time the battle for the yellow jersey could be blown to pieces. And with ten straight days under their belt, the relentless nature of the profile, featuring seven climbs, could be the undoing of at least one big name.

Stage 13, Loudenvielle to Peyragudes, 11km mountain time trial

Bike change or no bike change? The second time trial of the 2025 Tour, featuring three kilometres of flat plus an eight kilometre ascent to the top of Peyragudes (the Pyrenean Frankenstein’s Monster of the classic Peyresourde mountain), promises to be a humdinger.

And, judging by the Tour’s recent history of mountain time trials, it could well decide the race.

Stage 14, Pau to Luchon-Superbagnères, 183km

It’s wall to wall classics for stage 14, with the organisers plumping for an almost exact replica of the stage that saw Greg LeMond put almost five minutes into race leader and teammate/deadly enemy Bernard Hinault back in 1986.

The Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde, and a throwback summit finish at Superbagnères? What more could you want from 183km of Pyrenean racing? Oh, and someone please get 1989 stage winner (and 1986 stage runner-up) Pippa York on commentary or pundit duties for this one, please.

Stage 16, Montpellier to Mont Ventoux, 172km

It’s the Ventoux. ‘Nuff said.

Stage 18, Vif to Courchevel Col de la Loze, 171km

After a rendezvous on the Ventoux, the riders finally head into the Alps, where two Tour staples, the Glandon and Madeleine, set the scene for a modern Tour classic, the Col de la Loze, at 2,300m the high point of the 2025 race and a fitting end to a stage packed with proper Alpine giants.

Oh, and with 5,500m of climbing, it’s officially the hardest Tour stage ever. Deep into the third week, I’m sure the sprinters will be delighted.

Over the years on road.cc, we’ve seen some shockingly close passes and frightening near misses, experienced by cyclists at the hands of dangerous drivers.

Our Near Miss of the Day series hasn’t surpassed the 900 mark for nothing, after all.

But this brutally close overtake (if we can call it that) by a lorry driver, captured by a cyclist in Japan and posted on social media last night, is arguably the most shocking of the lot:

That was shockingly close!

Unfortunately, I hear that the authorities in Japan are even worse than the authorities in the UK, when it comes to prosecuting drivers who close pass cyclists. pic.twitter.com/gzC4YIptCz

— PedalPerspective (@Pedalperspectiv) October 28, 2024

Bloody ‘ell. How he managed to keep that upright, I’ll never know.

“That’s the most horrific close pass I’ve ever seen,” said Tim, in response to the clip, while others also described the incident as the “worst close pass ever”.

And it’s hard to argue with that assessment.

“Not sure you can call that a pass, more of a brush!” added Cycling in London.

“I’ve cycled in Japan – the close passing is horrendous. Despite that cycling is still very popular. It made me very uncomfortable,” wrote Cristiona.

“Lucky he rides with straight arms, that would have shattered my elbow,” noted Simon.

“That was shockingly close!” said Pedal Perspective, who shared the video on Twitter. “Unfortunately, I hear that the authorities in Japan are even worse than the authorities in the UK, when it comes to prosecuting drivers who close pass cyclists.”

> Everything you need to know about bike cameras — how to choose, tips for recording quality footage and what to do if you capture a near miss, close pass or collision

On that note, a social media user claiming to know the cyclist said the cyclist was “able to report this to police but had to jump through some extra hoops”, after apparently being passed from police station to police station before finding the correct one to file his report.

He also claimed that, in a turn up for the books, the lorry driver actually turned himself in to the police. Now you don’t see that every day.

But, despite the offending close passing driver himself seemingly putting his hands up in the air and admitting his guilt, that hasn’t stopped the usual suspects on Elon Musk’s post-common sense platform to weigh in with yet more bizarre victim blaming.

Yep, even for this one.

“Genuine question, is it still a requirement, or good practice to look behind you before you manoeuvre on a bicycle,” asked Rod, for some reason.

“Maybe wear bright colours, I know I would,” added Andrew, starting a hi-vis victim blaming theme in the comments.

> Cyclists slam “victim blaming” road safety video advising “improve visibility on the road” so drivers don’t hit you

“He should be wearing hi-vis and riding in the ditch, not blocking the roads that are paid for by hard working tradies,” said Jan.

Meanwhile, Stu added: “Maybe he didn’t see you because you’re dressed in black, you moron.”

And Jimmy said: “Shouldn’t be riding his bike on the highway like that. Seems like a no brainer right!”

“Boohoo,” concluded Johnny. “Stop cycling in the middle of the road you w@nkers.”

If Johnny thinks that’s the middle of the road, no wonder there are so many close passes, eh?