Motorbike rider hits pensioner, so Twitter blames cyclists; Delivery cyclists jump red lights to avoid losing income, says Deliveroo rider; Jordan Peterson on LTNs; New year, same train bike storage woes; Estonian pro hit by driver + more on the live blog

Is it too early for a quick game of anti-cycling bingo?

2023 may only be in its infancy, but that hasn’t stopped the usual anti-cycling brigade on social media readying their by-now worn and tattered bingo cards, markers, and balls.

This week’s game comes courtesy of a clip that shows the potential hazards associated with the controversial and oft discussed but otherwise legal act of filtering.

Genuinely crazy that over 20 replies to this... are about cyclists. https://t.co/oY5dnkklZd

— Cybergibbons 🚲🚲🚲 (@cybergibbons) January 2, 2023

But – and here’s the twist – the video posted to Twitter rather clearly depicts a collision between an elderly pedestrian and a motorcyclist, not a cyclist.

However, proving they’ll stop at nothing (including recognising the bleedingly obvious or actually watching the clip before ferociously typing away their hot takes) in order to bash cyclists, our dedicated bingo callers just couldn’t resist the first opportunity of 2023:

Shouldn’t the cyclist be aware of pedestrians since they have priority over other road users. She was also old and might have physical disabilities.

— Kate💙 (@kateallender29) January 1, 2023

Cyclists should look out for pedestrians

— Adam Manktelow 🤩 (@MankyArs1) December 31, 2022

Arrogant cycling

— john messenger (@MONTY1JLM) January 1, 2023

Riding through stationary traffic though ? This is why a lot of people hate bikes including push bikes, just because you can doesn’t mean you should

— dirty walrus boy (@uncorkedmark) January 1, 2023

Bonus points for those veterans bringing up the Highway Code, road tax, and cycling IDs: 

And the cyclist can go away with no responsibility no matter the situation, well things are changing ID on all bikes are coming and with dash cams in cars like bikes both will have to behave

— Warren (@GrandaWarren) January 2, 2023

cyclists - always stick to the highway code!

— glynisfoot (@elizabethmchale) January 2, 2023

Tax cyclists. Make them accountable. Hope she sued that dangerous person

— R (@AlphaRichard) January 1, 2023

What time is it? I give up already…

Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel’s long-held status as the two undisputed stars of cyclocross was underlined during today’s epic, to-and-fro tussle at the latest round of the X2O Badkamers Trophy in Herentals.

Despite – SPOILER ALERT (yes, we’ve had complaints) – the race’s rather anticlimactic finale, as a very late rear wheel puncture denied Van Aert a potential hometown triumph, with Van der Poel sheepishly taking what was still a thoroughly deserved win, this afternoon showcased the very best of a rivalry that has defined an era both on the ‘cross field and on the road.

However, some within the cyclocross scene have begun to express concerns about the duo’s hegemony over the sport, and the vast sums they are currently making in appearance fees, which two-time world champion Sven Nys claims has created a potentially unhealthy and unsustainable situation for the sport.

Gaetan Flamme, Sportpic Agency

According to Het Nieuwsblad, Van der Poel is said to command a fee of €15,000 for a major race, while Van Aert can be paid up to €20,000. The third member of the ‘cross Big Three, world champion Tom Pidcock, can secure an appearance fee of €8,000 from race organisers.

According to Sporza having MvdP and WvA in the race rumoured to sell around 6,000 tickets extra.

Tickets between €12 and €15

6,000x€15 = €90,000

Start fees according to Belgian media: WvA: €15.000-€20.000 and MvdP €15.000

That’s well worth it then. #HerentalsCrosst

— José Been (@JoseBeenTV) January 3, 2023

However, several cyclocross riders have complained to the Belgian press about the apparent inequality within the sport, arguing that, while they understood the reasons behind Van der Poel and Van Aert’s top earnings, if the current situation continued many pros would not be able to carry on racing at the highest level.

Zdeněk Štybar, a three-time world cyclocross champion who joined Team Jayco-AlUla from Quick Step earlier this week, told Het Nieuwsblad that he raced the recent Azencross race in Loenhout, won by Van Aert, for free after the organisers told him that there was no money left in the kitty.

“I’m at the start here for free”, the 37-year-old Czech classics star said. “Apparently there was no more budget. But I do this for the love of the sport and because it is good preparation for the road season.”

One rider anonymously told the Belgian paper that there would be only ten riders left competing on the cyclocross circuit if the distribution of appearance money continued to be weighted so heavily towards a select few of the sport’s biggest names.

One of the biggest ‘cross stars of the 2000s and early 2010s – the era before WVA and MVDP – Sven Nys agreed with these concerns, and argued that some of the money should be kept aside for “real crossers”.

“This situation is not healthy,” the two-time world champion said. “I know that many guys have been at the start for free in recent weeks and will continue to be.

“We urgently need to put our heads together to brainstorm where we want to go with our sport. Because I’m afraid it can’t go on like this.”

While some commentators have noted that the big three’s earnings reflect the added publicity they generate for cyclocross, Tomas Van Den Spiegel, of race organiser Flanders Classics, has warned against overestimating the Van der Poel and Van Aert effect on ticket sales and the popularity of the sport.

"Their presence makes a difference, but you shouldn't overestimate it either,” Van Den Spiegel told Sporza over Christmas.

“We notice a 10 to 20 percent difference in ticket sales, no more than that. People love this sport anyway.”

Sadly @tompidcock will not take the start of the X2O Trofee race in Herentals later today.@ThymenArensman will again be in action as part of his pre-season build-up (1/2) pic.twitter.com/FeWy2b0lz4

— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) January 3, 2023

Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel are currently going toe-to-toe in today’s X2O Badkamers Trofee race in Herentals, the latest instalment in their scintillating festive campaign.

However, the third member of the ‘cross Big Three™, world champion Tom Pidcock, has been forced to pull out of today’s muddy action, which comes just two days after his spectacular crash during the GP Sven Nys on New Year’s Day, which left the Ineos Grenadiers rider with a nasty cut and bruising on his left leg.

> Tom Pidcock flies over barriers in “stupid crash” while leading cyclocross race 

“I’ve ridden the bike after the crash but I’m not quite ready to race today,” Pidcock said in a statement earlier today.

 “I’ve had a good block of races this festive period so there are plenty of positives to be taken from it. Now is a good time to draw a line and reset.”

The 23-year-old also confirmed on Sunday that he will not defend his rainbow jersey at next month’s cyclocross worlds in Hoogerheide, in favour of focusing on the spring classics on the road.

Mark, from the Zwift Riders Facebook group, certainly put some effort into this morning’s spin on the turbo:

Although to be fair, the same thing happened to my old school shoes on the way home from a funeral last month…

Intermarché-Circus-Wanty’s 19-year-old Madis Mihkels received hospital treatment for a “deep cut” in his back after being struck by a motorist while training near his hometown of Tartu, Estonian, yesterday.

Mihkels, who turned pro with Intermarché at the start of 2023 after racing for the team as a stagiaire since August, finished fourth at last year’s U23 world championships road race in Wollongong, before taking a strong sixth at the Gran Piemonte in October, behind leading WorldTour riders Iván García Cortina, Matej Mohorič, and Alberto Bettiol.

Yesterday, Madis Mihkels was struck by a car while training near Tartu (Estonia), resulting in a deep cut wound in his back.

His injury only requires stitches and fortunately no fracture was detected. Madis will focus on healing as we wish him a smooth & complete recovery soon.

— Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (@IntermarcheCW) January 3, 2023

According to a social media post from the Belgian squad this morning, Mihkels suffered a “deep cut wound in his back”, which required stitches, after being hit by the driver. However, fortunately the 19-year-old doesn’t appear to have suffered any more serious injuries or broken any bones in the collision. 

“Madis will focus on healing as we wish him a smooth and complete recovery soon,” Intermarché wrote.

It may be the first live blog of 2023, but that doesn’t mean we can’t roll out an old favourite…

Oh great. Thanks @GWRHelp for allowing other passengers to fill the bike spaces on this 13.16 from Plymouth to London with non bikes.
It's a New Year but the usual crap from greedy train companies @BCCletts @allpartycycling @theJeremyVine pic.twitter.com/448C1tV434

— One Woman Two Wheels (@1woman2wheels) January 2, 2023

The inflammatory issue of bikes, space, and trains (at least if you’re road.cc editor Jack) is, of course, one we’ve covered frequently on the site, from Cycling UK’s dismissal of London North Eastern Railway’s storage provision in October 2019 as “downright dangerous” to editor Jack Sexty’s rather blunt critique of GWR’s offering on a special edition of the live blog later that month.

Come on GWR, it’s 2023, sort it out…

Last month on the road.cc Podcast, we interviewed British ultra-distance cycling legend – and food delivery rider – Steve Abraham, who shared some rather scathing thoughts about Deliveroo and the online company’s relationship with its riders.

Steve, who works as a food courier in Milton Keynes, discussed with road.cc editor Jack the advantages and drawbacks of delivering for firms such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats, where drivers and riders are engaged as independent contractors and paid by the number of jobs they do, rather than being taken on as employees, with all the benefits that would entail, such as a minimum wage and holiday and sick pay.

> “You're just collateral” — Ultra-cycling legend Steve Abraham on Deliveroo and the gig economy

“If you want to work for a good company and have a good, steady income… don’t work for Deliveroo,” Steve said.

“Deliveroo and all the app companies, they’re rotten, dirty businesses. They’re out to make money by sitting around doing nothing, that’s what they are. Alright, they’re technology people, that’s just written a computer programme to make money for them, that’s the whole idea.

“And you’re just collateral – they need you to operate, if you stop working, they don’t care about you. They’re not looking out for you. They pretend to, but they don’t care about you. They’re not good companies to work for… I just like the job.”

Another issue associated with delivering food by bike for massive app-based companies not mentioned by Steve is the pressure placed on cyclists to make money by completing as many deliveries as possible in one shift.

This pressure, according to one Edinburgh-based Deliveroo rider, can result in couriers breaking several traffic laws, such as jumping red lights and riding on pavements (or, as we’ve seen plenty of times on road.cc, riding on the motorway), just to make ends meet.

“I do not have any issue with laws, and as a recreational club cyclist, I feel some obligation to not give cyclists a bad name and fuel anti-cyclist attitudes held by many motorists. Riding for Deliveroo, I have the opposite mindset,” the cyclist told the Scotsman.

> Pro triathlete and Ironman champ Joe Skipper turns Deliveroo cyclist

“If every road law was to be followed, it could easily add five minutes to a delivery, which would cut my income by 20 percent.

“My normal ‘Roo’ daytime income averages £10-12 per hour. To reduce that by 20 percent is therefore not realistic. Most Roo cyclists will, like me, not follow all road laws.

“A delivery rider will have a different attitude to the rules from a recreational cyclist. I don’t think most care about the law or what anyone else’s opinion of their cycling is. In 99 percent of breaches, no third party suffers any kind of inconvenience.”

> New study suggests high injury rate in food delivery cyclists is under-reported

The cyclist continued: “Running a red light can be exceptionally dangerous, particularly taking an amber gamble just as lights are changing to red. There are, however, numerous times when there are no cars in sight and riding through a red light is safe and has zero effect on any other party. If the light is on the green man and there are no pedestrians, there is again no impact on anyone.

“Other than being safer than riding up a one-way street the wrong way, I will use the pavement to avoid cobbles, especially when wet. Cobbles in many parts of Edinburgh are not properly maintained, very uneven and rather unsafe.

“Breaking a lot of rules will, I have no doubt at all, be a safer alternative. It will enable distances to be shortened and some major busy and dangerous junctions avoided all together. The downside would be the rider may put themselves at more risk.

“If the police were able to force delivery riders to follow every rule, many I imagine would pack it in.”