“Victim blaming” road sign tells cyclists to “consider other road users”; ‘Would you let your child cycle to school in that bike lane?’ Cycle to School safety advice slammed; Ineos to set up women’s team?; Ganna’s 3D-printed bike + more on the live blog

A few months on the live blog, you may recall, road.cc reported that Bedfordshire Police were widely ridiculed after tweeting a since-deleted bike safety message which appeared to equate the number of cycling fatalities in the county with “mistakes” made by cyclists.

Promoting the 2 Wheels initiative, Bedfordshire Police wrote: “Even if you’re an experienced cyclist, there are things everyone needs to remember when setting off on their journey. There were 33 cyclists killed or seriously injured on Bedfordshire roads last year. One mistake could be fatal.”

> “Victim blaming as policy”: Cyclists blast Bedfordshire Police’s “one mistake could be fatal” cycling safety campaign

Unsurprisingly, the tweet was heavily criticised by cyclists online, who accused the police of “victim blaming” and of shifting the onus for safety away from motorists’ behaviour and responsibilities on the road.

Well, over the border in Hertfordshire, it doesn’t seem that many lessons have been learned, at least by those in charge of road signage.

The above sign, urging people on bikes to “cycle safely” and to “please consider other road users” was spotted over the weekend on the busy A120 by road.cc reader Rob.

“Wasn’t sure if it was a sick joke or gallows humour for the few cyclists brave enough to venture on the A120 when I saw this message displayed on Hertfordshire traffic signs today,” Rob told road.cc.

“I do consider them – I consider a substantial minority to be highly dangerous,” he concluded.

Perhaps Hertfordshire Constabulary could have a chat with those responsible for the weekend’s message on the A120.

> ‘Dangerous cycling is not a priority,’ police force says

On Thursday, road.cc reported that the county’s police force has insisted that dangerous or anti-social cycling “is not a priority”, after a local paper questioned why the police had failed to charge a single cyclist for traffic offences in St Albans and Harpenden during the last two years.

“Anti-social or dangerous cycling has not been flagged as a priority in St Albans,” Hertfordshire Constabulary’s spokesperson told the (I imagine) incredulous local reporter.

“We do support national road safety campaigns, in conjunction with the Hertfordshire Road Safety Partnership, but as per the latest Highway Code cyclists are now considered vulnerable road users and as such the priority for these campaigns is to educate and inform other motorists about their responsibility to use roads safely, to ensure that they are safe for all users.”

Road signage folks, take note…

As the leaves begin to fall and the professional road racing seasons winds down (Il Lombardia is this Saturday, eeekkk!), there are still plenty of rumours flying around to keep cycling fans occupied in-between cyclocross races this autumn and winter.

One particularly interesting bit of gossip making its way around the bike racing world this morning surrounds the potential formation of a new women’s pro team backed by Ineos and led by French all-terrain superstar Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

While Jim Ratcliffe has spent the last few weeks vainly pursuing Remco Evenepoel’s signature and renewing his calls for Ineos to undertake fracking in the UK (two things that will make him extremely popular amongst cyclists, I suspect), VeloNews has reported this morning that the chemical magnate’s next move will be into women’s cycling.

After 12 years of ignoring the women’s side of the sport, two sources have purportedly confirmed that the British squad has signed an agreement with Ferrand-Prévot, who has won world titles on the road and in cyclocross and mountain biking, for 2023, making her Ineos’ “first woman racer”.

Alex Broadway/SWpix.com

The 30-year-old Frenchwoman took three mountain bike world titles this summer, in the short track, cross country, and marathon races, and is aiming to secure her fourth rainbow jersey of the year at the inaugural UCI Gravel World Championships in Veneto, Italy, this weekend.

It is unclear if Ferrand-Prévot’s partnership with Ineos will be an isolated one or if it spells the beginning of a larger project.

With the Absolute–Absalon–BMC rider mostly concerned with off-road duties these days, the deal could potentially see Ineos register a mountain bike team, that will of course include Tom Pidcock on the men’s side. Whether the women’s team will race on the road is also yet to be confirmed.

In any case, perhaps someone should ring Pinarello and tell them to finally get cracking on an off-road machine…

“The following media includes potentially sensitive content…”

Twitter was certainly right about that:

191mph in a Ferrari SF90 Spider.
In Derbyshire on Sunday pic.twitter.com/5QlMKnbXJQ

— London & UK Street News (@CrimeLdn) October 3, 2022

191mph on the public highway? Pinging @AndyCoxDCS …

— CyclingMikey (@MikeyCycling) October 3, 2022

Former Hour Record holder, six-time British time trial champion and two-time Giro d’Italia stage winner Alex Dowsett is celebrating his 34th birthday today in style… by pinning on a number at a pro road race for the very last time.

The Israel-Premier Tech rider, who announced that he was stepping back from WorldTour racing at the end of August, isn’t too happy with his final race number at the Münsterland Giro, however.

Dowsett tweeted this morning that, after 12 years in the pro ranks, his last number before he rides off into the sunset (or more accurately, the gravel) only serves to remind him – if he needed a reminder on the day of his retirement – that he just ain’t as young as he used to be…

My last bunch race in the pro ranks and they play this kind of sick joke on me.

Giving me a race number akin to the age I was yesterday. 😂 pic.twitter.com/nTiXnGCp0A

— Alex Dowsett (@alexdowsett) October 3, 2022

🚨 UPDATE 🚨

Unfortunately Simon Yates suffered a fall during training yesterday & sustained some minor injuries that will rule him out of racing #iLombardia on Saturday ❌

Yates will now end his 2022 racing season & focus on rest, recovery & building towards 2023 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/8HLqTCSDsM

— Team BikeExchange-Jayco (@GreenEDGEteam) October 3, 2022

It’s the victim blaming klaxon again!

For today’s second edition of ‘Local Authorities Putting The Onus For Safety On Vulnerable Road Users’ (I’ll try to think of a snappier title this afternoon), we’re hopping over the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland, where the Twitter account of the official government website, NI Direct, celebrated the start of Cycle to School Week by instructing schoolchildren to be “bike smart”…

…While using a photo of a narrow, painted cycle lane that could charitably be described as a death trap:

Are you taking part in cycle to school week?
Find advice that can help you to stay safe on the road at: https://t.co/brNaNVrF7s @deptinfra#CycleToSchoolWeek pic.twitter.com/BBHuPjWm0m

— nidirect (@nidirect) October 3, 2022

The tweet itself linked to the Highway Code for Northern Ireland’s ‘Rules for Cyclists’, which informs bike riders that they should wear helmets, appropriate fluorescent and reflective clothing, and fit their bike with a red rear reflector.

The guidelines also tell cyclists, among other things, to “be considerate of other road users”, to use cycle routes and lanes, bike boxes and toucan crossings when possible (though they do note that they’re not compulsory), to “be aware that drivers may not easily see you” on roundabouts, and to “leave plenty of room when passing parked vehicles and watch out for doors being opened”.

However, it was this morning’s unfortunate juxtaposition of message and image – telling young cyclists to be safe while depicting a particularly unsafe example of cycling infrastructure – that has especially angered local bike riders and parents on Twitter:

Question, @nidirect. Would you let your child cycle to school on a road where they are only separated from drivers by a line of paint? https://t.co/IcSyGTPhJ3

— Stripymoggie (@StripyMoggie) October 3, 2022

Provide cyclists with decent infrastructure then and stop puttin the onus on them

— Stephen Esq. (@IsMiseStiofan) October 3, 2022

Don’t worry parents … your kids are protected from bad & distracted drivers by a line of paint … you’ve nothing to worry about 🙄

— Aaron (@arnoboko) October 3, 2022

Wow, what a joke. The image says it all, painted infra != infra and “it’s your job to be safe” despite all the evidence to the contrary

— Gerry Casey (@gerardhughcasey) October 3, 2022

Have a look at the picture below. Would you want you kid to cycle in a bike lane like that? BTY most of the painted bike lanes allow parking. @deptinfra active travel needs infrastructure. @JohnODowdSF needs to drag the department into the 21st century. https://t.co/HyzP4RB9Cl

— Dominic Bryan (@Domsball) October 3, 2022

Nope! Very telling that the very laziest of “cycling infrastructure” is featured and that all the guidance puts the onus of responsibility for safety on the …CHILDREN. It’s almost as if they 👏 don’t 👏 really 👏 care

— TainyKaney 🇮🇪🇨🇦 (@TainyKaney) October 3, 2022

The “lane” in that picture is so narrow it doesn’t even have a enough room for the bicycle motif, @nidirect. pic.twitter.com/OKASFUQdOT

— Stripymoggie (@StripyMoggie) October 3, 2022

During our study tour on Friday I learned something new. The beautiful cycling bridge across the Waal River in Nijmegen is actually a shared use path. I feel like a new type of sharrow would be in order. “Sheep may take the full lane” pic.twitter.com/ltR9fgOHb8

— Lennart Nout (@lennartnout) October 2, 2022

While the Northern Ireland government site is busy telling schoolchildren to be “bike smart”, the tweet below captures one of the many obstacles faced by a six-year-old cyclist on her way to a dance class in Belfast yesterday:

Belfast forever keeping it classy with on-pavement parking. Forget the 6 year old who wants to cycle to her dance class. The public pavement is clearly meant for storing privately owned vehicles. #CarIsKing pic.twitter.com/apyk35tt7Z

— Claire Ellis (@clairee11is) October 2, 2022

But yeah, be “bike smart”, that’s the solution…

Always good to see children eager to cycle to school and we happy to help where we can, mossborne riverside it was a pleasure to cycle with you and now we will be conducting some patrols in and around the area. Stay safe keep cycling. pic.twitter.com/9fIa8LmzWN

— Cycle Safety Team (@MetCycleCops) October 3, 2022

Dutch star Mathieu van der Poel will aim to put a difficult few weeks behind him by lining up at the start of the inaugural UCI-recognised gravel world championships in Veneto, Italy, this Sunday.

The weekend’s race – the first of its kind to be sanctioned by the UCI – will also mark the 27-year-old’s first appearance since being fined A$1,500 for assaulting two teenage girls in his hotel on the eve of the world road race championships in Wollongong eight days ago.

Van der Poel has told the media that he regrets his handling of the situation, but has denied pushing or attempting to intentionally harm the girls.

> Mathieu van der Poel fined A$1,500 after pleading guilty to assault after hotel incident 

Van der Poel will be joined on the white roads of the Veneto region by his Alpecin-Fenix teammate Gianni Vermeersch, and a host of other top road pros, including Peter Sagan, Greg Van Avermaet, Zdenek Stybar and Daniel Oss.

The routes will start in Vicenza and finish in the medieval walled city of Cittadella, taking in the classic Italian gravel sections familiar to fans of Strade Bianche and some cobbled stretches, which together will account for more then three-quarters of the route.

In a press release from his Alpecin-Fenix team today, Van der Poel said that he and his fellow riders are “writing a bit of history on Sunday” – though the double Tour of Flanders winner did admit that he’d only trained on his gravel bike once before confirming his participation at the worlds.

“For me, my very first gravel race in my career. Although it is not completely new,” he said.

“I trained on the gravel bike for the first time today and it feels like something between road racing and cyclocross. The adaptation on the bike wasn’t too bad.

“It’s mainly fun to be there. And if the feeling is okay on Sunday, we will obviously do our best to get the best possible result.”

“A World Championship is special anyway,” says the Belgian Vermeersch. “For me too, this is the very first race with the gravel bike. I don’t really know what to expect.

“I have already looked at the course on the internet and it seems relatively flat and not too technical. A bit like the gravel roads in Dwars door het Hageland [where Vermeersch finished second earlier this year]. In any case, I am looking forward to it. My first encounter with the bike was already pleasant.”

Following their gravel debut on Sunday, Van der Poel and Vermeersch will compete at the Serenissima Gravel race, also in Vento, five days later on 14 October. The Alpecin-Fenix duo will then take a break before commencing their cyclocross seasons this winter.

REMCO
REMCO
REMCO
REMCO
REMCO pic.twitter.com/YGOqjnm2Md

— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) October 2, 2022

World champion Remco Evenepoel received a hero’s welcome in Brussels yesterday, as thousands of Belgian cycling fans packed the Grand Place, or Grote Markt, to celebrate their latest star’s coming of age.

Long touted as a future star, the 22-year-old, who will debut the rainbow stripes – to yet more fanfare – at Binche-Chimay-Binche tomorrow, has now cemented his place as the new king of Belgium after soloing to victory at Liège–Bastogne–Liège in the spring and later becoming his country’s first grand tour winner in 44 years at the Vuelta a España, before his crowning moment in Wollongong last week.

How times have changed, from handshakes (1969) to selfies (2022).

But the cabrio stays. 🙂 pic.twitter.com/jBIEmTtSeh

— Jonas Creteur (@jonas_creteur) October 2, 2022

After a ceremony in the morning Dilbeek, where he grew up, Evenepoel dashed off to Brussels’ Grand Place, where the massive crowds bore more than a striking resemblance to those which greeted Eddy Merckx after the first of his five Tour wins in July 1969 (of course, the Merckxian comparisons don’t end there for Evenepoel).

Amazing images from Sunday’s celebration in Brussels 🥰

Video: @caravaggiomedia pic.twitter.com/qUhLXhWJwP

— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) October 3, 2022

From Brussels, with love 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/TArB4cPYyO

— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) October 2, 2022

However, the less said about his DJing and singing skills, the better…

Caption this 😂🎧❤️ pic.twitter.com/Dz89rVfXxl

— Remco Evenepoel (@EvenepoelRemco) October 2, 2022

DJ @EvenepoelRemco 😁 pic.twitter.com/D2sPK82PW2

— Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team (@qst_alphavinyl) October 2, 2022

pic.twitter.com/YZrLPdCemz

— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) October 2, 2022

The Belgian fans and press, of course, lapped it all up, as Het Nieuwsblad reported that their new two-wheeled king “played the crowd like an accomplished entertainer”.

“What can’t that boy do?”

Sing, I reckon…

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by PINARELLO (@pinarello_official)

Filippo Ganna is set to take on Dan Bigham’s Hour Record this Saturday this Saturday evening at the Grenchen velodrome in Switzerland.

And the Italian time trial machine will be doing so upon a “world-first” 3D printed Pinarello Bolide bike.

The new Bolide F HR 3D, unveiled today by the venerable Italian bike manufacturer, is claimed to be the first fully 3D-printed track bike – stepping up from the now relatively common custom-printed handlebars and saddles – and is made from a high strength scandium-aluminium-magnesium alloy used in aerospace material and specifically designed for 3D printing.

The seat tube and seat post incorporate a tooth-shaped design that Pinarello calls ‘Airstream technology’, which is said to minimise drag.

The fearsome looking bike, a prototype of which was ridden by Bigham on his way to the record in August, also takes advantage of the UCI’s removal of the 3:1 tube profile rule, resulting in narrower wheel hubs and bottom bracket and the development of new, extreme AirFoil sections and shapes.

This whole process has led to a bike featuring “millimetre-perfect sizing” and boundary-pushing design.

“This is such a unique project,” Pinarello marketing chief Federico Sabrissa said in a statement. “We believe it’s the beginning of a new manufacturing era.”

The brand’s chairman Fausto Pinarello said: “Constant innovation and research are the foundations of success if you want to build the fastest time trial bike for the track. From Miguel Indurain’s World Hour record to the recent gold medals in the team pursuit in Tokyo, Pinarello has always set the gold standard in this segment.

“Working closely with Filippo Ganna and the Ineos Grenadiers team to develop this revolutionary product is part of our company DNA. And the result of that extreme research, the spirit of innovation it engenders, and the technology it produces is then spread through the whole range of Pinarello products.”

Under the UCI’s regulations for Hour Record bikes, the Bolide will be made available to the general public. But due to the 3D printing technique and on-demand build, expect it to very, very pricey.

Nevertheless, Sabrissa said: “The next step will be to make it more affordable by finding ways to scan riders with more affordable equipment and automatically design each unique bike. From a world champion, to every World Tour rider, and eventually to each and every cyclist out there.”

Look mum, I’m on @netflix ! 📺👀@annekevandijk2 https://t.co/gqPLK49pw4

— Ellen van Dijk (@ellenvdijk) October 2, 2022

And it’s narrated by Idris Elba – Although, I’m not going to lie, my brain initially thought the tweet was referring to Iris Slappendel, which would have been great too… 

While the CRO Race may have featured an exhilarating finale, with Matej Mohorič clinching the overall title from Jonas Vingegaard on bonus seconds in yesterday’s final sprint (as promising 19-year-old British rider Oscar Onley took a mightily impressive third place overall), the race’s organisers and the UCI have come under fire after the Croatian stage race was plagued by a series of dangerous finishes.

Three of the six stages featured sketchy run-ins with tight turns, prompting complaints from some of the riders, while the final stage’s finishing circuit in Zagreb included tram lines, a plethora of road furniture, spectators on the road, and a series of tricky corners.

Great to see that @UCI_cycling is making the riders’ safety one of their priorities nowadays. Look at this finishing circuit in final stage of Tour of Croatia 🇭🇷 today. WTF??!? pic.twitter.com/QN2iPoHDOR

— Johan Bruyneel (@JohanBruyneel) October 2, 2022

Simply too dangerous @UCI_cycling and time and time again you do nothing until something happens. pic.twitter.com/NHThFTcXPK

— Brian Smith 𝕆𝕃𝕐 (@BriSmithy) October 2, 2022

Jumbo-Visma’s Jos van Emden told Velo News last night that the riders’ protests over safety throughout the CRO Race were simply waved away by the commissaires.

“The whole race was dangerous with the local circuits. Before the circuits it was OK but these circuits were too much,” the 37-year-old Dutch veteran said. “When I looked in the road book in the morning I had hoped that it would be OK but it was the opposite.

“It should be unacceptable but I don’t know what can be done. The UCI should do something, but I can’t take the UCI seriously anymore.

“There were tram lines, road furniture, and then small poles to prevent cars from parking. There were potholes on the descent that you could disappear in and it’s not just today. It was every day in that race on the local laps.

Negli ultimi 5 anni prima il Tour of Croatia e poi la Cro Race hanno proposto per ben 3 volte l’arrivo di Crikvenica (2018,2021,2022).
In tutte e tre le occasioni la stretta curva ad U ai -600m è stata teatro di cadute.
Come di consueto la sicurezza giunge dopo tutto#CRORace pic.twitter.com/YsW26jAmLO

— Leonardo (@Leonardo44447) September 30, 2022

“We complained with some riders a few days ago because of rain in a ridiculous final. Even in the dry they’ve crashed there five years in a row, and then the UCI commissaires say that they don’t see any problems.

“To me the UCI lost all credibility. They showed that they don’t give a damn. They just don’t care about our safety. I’m 100 percent sure that they don’t check the finals.”

Once again the @UCI_cycling is being the UCI. Not only today but 3 out of 6 stages where way over the limit.@DLappartient how do you think it’s going? https://t.co/4VQOmqfe2i

— Jos van Emden (@josvanemden) October 2, 2022

Isn’t it disappointing that it’s always the same races that have issues related to parcours safety?

I swear I see complaints from both viewers and riders about #CRORace, Tour of Turkey & Pologne on a yearly basis.

— Benji Naesen (@BenjiNaesen) October 2, 2022

“This was my first time at the Cro Race, and it will be my last,” Van Emden said.

“I don’t think that Jumbo-Visma will go back. The chance of breaking something is just too big. Jonas [Vingegaard] didn’t like that he lost the race but he said he didn’t want to break his neck. That was the best decision, so we lost the race, but we stayed healthy and that’s the most important thing.”

While the riders were happy just to stay upright in Zagreb, Eurosport-GCN’s Brian Smith noted a similar trend at the Famenne Ardenne Classic, where hotshot young Belgian sprinter Arnaud De Lie crashed in the final kilometre – and still managed 15th on the day…

And another dangerous finish @UCI_cycling at Famenne Ardenne Classic pic.twitter.com/uKDEmdH6L3

— Brian Smith 𝕆𝕃𝕐 (@BriSmithy) October 3, 2022

Arnaud De Lie finished 15th. He crashed on the final bend with 900m to go but got up, jumped on his bike, chased and sprinted through the bunch… pic.twitter.com/FzlDkgoxag

— the Inner Ring (@inrng) October 2, 2022

Bad luck is keeping @Arnaud_De_Lie @Lotto_Soudal from another top result lately, but Arnauds sprint today was something special. Crashes with 800m to go to then put out almost 800W in the last 600m (50.3km/h) on a uphill stretch. Faster than anyone in the bunch. Insane! pic.twitter.com/qQdQATJgVQ

— KPolanc (@KPolanc1) October 2, 2022

It seems as if road.cc reader Sriracha has solved the mystery of the head-scratching ‘Cycle Safely’ road sign:

It’s a typo! They were intending to remind motorists to consider their obligations to the safety of other, more vulnerable, road users under the recent changes to the Highway Code:

Cycle Safety

Please consider other road users

OK, maybe not.