Josh Quigley abandons seven-day cycling distance world record attempt due to injury; Cyclist films close encounter with alligator; More than 100 stolen bikes donated to NHS staff; Cav reflects on recent wins; Sagan to the Giro + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Met Police donates stolen bikes to NHS staff
This week #HereEast hosted a Bike Drive for @NHS staff in collaboration with @metpoliceuk and Pro Bike Service CIC.
NHS heroes were given free bikes as part of the Met’s recycling scheme to support those supporting us. More on @standardnews: https://t.co/6g8WoaLeNJ pic.twitter.com/IguVqSMN97
— Here East (@HereEast) April 29, 2021
More than 100 bicycles were given to NHS staff for free this week thanks to the work of bicycle charity Pro Bike Service CIC and the Metropolitan Police. The Met donated the bicycles, which were all believed to be stolen and had been in police storage unclaimed.
Pro Bike Services CIC restored the bikes, giving them a service and doing any repairs for free, while representatives from Bike Register and Sold Secure registered the staff’s new bicycles and provided locks.
Andrew Attfield from Barts Health NHS Trust was grateful for the donations: “If you’ve ever had your bike stolen or borrowed without your permission, you’ll know how upsetting it can be. Barts Health staff are incredibly grateful to the Metropolitan Police and Pro Bike Service CIC for organising this contribution.”
Bike theft from hospitals has become a significant problem, especially during the pandemic as more staff cycle to work to avoid public transport. In February, the London Cycling Campaign slammed poor bike parking facilities at University College Hospital after a recent spate of thefts.
Founder of Pro Bike Service CIC Lawrence Mohammed said he hopes more will be done to prevent bike thefts but was also keen to help support NHS staff who have given so much during the last year. “I believe it’s vital we tackle crime at multiple levels,” he said. “From early intervention with disadvantaged children, restorative justice and effective rehabilitation for offenders, to prevention through bike marking and the return of stolen bikes where possible.
“All of the bikes gifted need servicing, repair and new parts to be brought back to their former glory and the number of bikes the Met have secured exceeded my expectations. As a result, I am now calling on other bike shops to offer their support to this initiative.”
Aggressive cycling
Some very aggressive cycling in Putney tonight. pic.twitter.com/YjbDJ9x4Ag
— Jo Rigby (@Jo_Earlsfield) April 29, 2021
Florida cyclist captures close encounter with alligator on camera
There are times you just have to be grateful the worst wildlife we have to deal with in the UK is often just a bike-seeking pheasant…going off-road in Florida left one cyclist in this less-than-ideal spot. What do you do in this situation? Try and speed past before it notices or turn around? I am going for the latter…
Obviously the correct answer is stand a couple of metres away filming the gators until they move and you have yourself a viral video. According to NBC, Brenda Stelzer came across the reptiles on a trail at Bird Rookery Swamp near Naples in the south of the state.
“I guess I was a little afraid but not where I panicked,” Stelzer said. “I was like I either have to shut my phone off, back up and get a running start to bike past him quickly or just dismount the bike and put the bike between me and the alligators.”
A professor of ecology and environmental studies at Florida Gulf Coast University told the news outlet that cyclists should not be concerned if they see an alligator on a trail. “If you see a gator on a trail he is not there waiting to catch you and pull you off your bike he is just getting sun and doesn’t want to be disturbed. I feel like I need to be a gator length farther away from the front end of a gator. It’s a really really low probability that you are going to have a bad interaction with an alligator.”
Fair enough, professor, good advice for Floridians but I can tell you now, if I ever come across a trail-blocking gator here in England I will be turning around and sprinting back to the cafe…
ChiswickChaos Twitter account against LTNs and cycle lanes claims Strava is evidence of cyclists "racing" in Chiswick
Local #cycleflake keeps tellling people that there is no lycra cycle racing at #Chiswick However #strava shows a different picture. The roads (usually bridges and straight stretches) are popular. Each section is divided into segments. https://t.co/ur4EJheVXt pic.twitter.com/ThNWJuznNC
— ChiswickChaos (@chiswick_chaos) April 29, 2021
Sadly this account seems to have missed the point of the vast majority of rides uploaded to Strava and why cyclists use the app. The tweet leaps to the assumption that every time anyone records a ride they are going hell for leather to top the segment leaderboards, rather than possibly just wanting to track their rides, use maps, follow new routes or see where their mates have been riding…
I placed gold and silver in my race yesterday.
It was a three stage utility race. Haircut – food shop – hill climb.
I’m training for the big shop invitational this weekend. https://t.co/tw7YS8wKF1 pic.twitter.com/w4q2RnM9FU
— Andrew White (@ABeardWalks) April 30, 2021
"The Tour of Turkey is not the Tour de France, but just to win again after some years of physical and psychological difficulties is something special": Cav reflects on Tour of Turkey wins
Mark Cavendish penned a blog on Deceuninck-Quick-Step’s website to reflect on his winning return at the Tour of Turkey. The 30-time Tour de France stage winner explained the emotion of being back on the top step of the podium, regardless of the fact it was not at a Grand Tour or WorldTour race.
“The Tour of Turkey is not the Tour de France, but just to win again after some years of physical and psychological difficulties is something special. Raising my hands is super emotional, as I felt a lot of people had just given up on me over the last years. But Patrick [Lefevere] believed in me, I owe him so much. He is my hero.
“I’ll work towards my next races now. I want to help the team where and when is possible and enjoy every day on the bike with The Wolfpack, because whatever comes from now on is a bonus.”
Cav won four stages of the race but was just as happy to see teammate Fabio Jakobsen back in the peloton. “It’s amazing seeing the guys work for me and afterwards celebrating together. Especially Fabio, having done this Tour of Turkey with him is incredible. I remember him as a neo-pro, I’ve seen him grow. I was there in Poland last year and to have him in the team with us now is great, it’s a big step seeing him back in the bunch after what happened.
“The pride for me that he was involved in the four wins is enormous. Deceuninck – Quick-Step is special, it’s a family. We win together and we lose together.”
Peter Sagan to ride the Giro d'Italia as Bora-hansgrohe announce line-up for first Grand Tour of the season
THE GIRO D`ITALIA IS COMING! 🇮🇹 👑
Check out our lineup for the first Grand Tour this year!
🇮🇹 Giovanni Aleotti
🇮🇹 Cesare Benedetti
🇵🇱 Maciej Bodnar
🇩🇪 Emanuel Buchmann
🇮🇹 Matteo Fabbro
🇦🇹 Felix Großschartner
🇮🇹 Daniel Oss
🇸🇰 Peter Sagan#GirodItalia #Giro #borahansgrohe pic.twitter.com/vY15viT6D0— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) April 30, 2021
As expected Peter Sagan will be on the start line in Turin next Saturday for the Giro d’Italia. Sagan debuted at the race last season, winning stage ten. The three-time world champion appears to be in good form ahead of the Giro having won Wednesday’s first road stage of the Tour de Romandie and he should get another crack at victory later today. Sagan will be joined by the team’s GC hopeful Emanuel Buchmann who finished fourth at the Tour de France in 2019.
Your Reilly, your way
Here is a fitting tribute to renowned framebuilder Mark Reilly who sadly died last month. Mark’s legacy will live on with every ride cyclists make using one of his frames. As you can see in this video, there are plenty of them.
Josh Quigley forced to abandon seven-day cycling distance world record attempt due to injury
With regret, Josh has had to abandon the attempt due to injury. More details will follow shortly, but we just wanted to keep people informed in the meantime.
7 DAY CYCLING WORLD RECORD 🚴🏻♂️🥇
Sponsor: @Thomas_Franks_
Charity: @Arthritis_ACTN
— Josh Quigley (@JoshQuigley2026) April 30, 2021
Unfortunately Josh Quigley had to abandon his seven-day cycling distance world record attempt this lunchtime due to an injury. Josh covered more than 1,200 miles in the first five days and was chasing down the 2,177-mile target by trying to ride 320 miles each day. His efforts were made more remarkable by the fact that as recently as January, he was hospitalised with multiple fractures following a training crash in Dubai.
That incident was just over a year since he was forced to abandon his around-the-world attempt after a horror collision with a driver in Texas left him with a punctured lung and multiple fractures. In September he broke the North Coast 500 record, covering the 516-mile route across the Scottish Highlands in 31 hours, five minutes faster than the previous best.
DAY 5: 15 MILES / 1215 MILES TOTAL / 56% OF RECORD
7 DAY CYCLING WORLD RECORD 🚴🏻♂️🥇
GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS: GREATEST DISTANCE CYCLED IN ONE WEEK – UNPACED 🌍🏆
Sponsor: @Thomas_Franks_
Charity: @Arthritis_ACTN pic.twitter.com/jSJOtRxGPw
— Josh Quigley (@JoshQuigley2026) April 30, 2021
Primal Europe launches 'Shut Up Legs' collaboration with former pro rider Jens Voigt
Primal Europe has teamed up with Jens Voigt and his iconic ‘Shut Up Legs’ brand to bring out some flashy new kits with the former pro rider’s catchphrase prominent in the design. The range includes four striking jersey and bib short combinations, including a navy jersey with ‘Shut Up Legs’ literally written all over it to remind you what to do on that killer final climb of a long ride.
“Early in my career, at some of my first races, I realised that attacking is just my nature. I am a person that acts instead of reacts,” Voigt explained. “It’s the same with a lot of things in life. If you come to a room where nobody knows anybody else, instead of having an embarrassing silence, I just break the silence and chat to the first person next to me. It’s the same in cycling. I like to make things happen.”
Well, that is the philosophy behind the man. The kits look quite cool too…
A video to make your legs hurt
Can’t stop. Won’t stop.
Rigo’s training in Colombia is going quite well these days 🇨🇴 🤜 pic.twitter.com/anocPz03yn
— EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) April 29, 2021
Oof, that is steep…wonder if this is Rigo training to finally drop that pesky backpack-wearing local in his baggy khakis…
British Cycling updates National Road Series calendar
British Cycling has updated us on their plans for the 2021 HSBC National Road Series. The rounds in Sheffield (14 July), Colne (20 July) and the Midlands (30 July) have been cancelled due to “ongoing challenges associated with Covid-19”. It is hoped the rounds in Otley and Barnsley, scheduled for 30 June and 9 July respectively will go ahead and British Cycling hinted at the possibility of adding a new round for both the men’s and women’s series.
The National Road Championships has not been cancelled but will move to a new date later in the year, which will be announced in the current weeks. The event had originally been scheduled for 24-27 June.
British Cycling’s head of sport and major events Jonathan Day explained the challenge for race organisers. “While we have been really encouraged by the appetite for racing since the resumption of activities on March 29, it is sadly clear that difficulties remain in securing the necessary local permissions required for hosting larger scale events.
“We are incredibly thankful for the efforts of all of our event organisers and look forward to welcoming those which have sadly been cancelled today back onto the calendar in 2022. The team is also continuing to support those organisers whose events remain on the calendar, and after a challenging 12 months we’re excited to get things underway at the Women’s CiCLE Classic on June 27th.”
Marc Soler wins stage three of Tour de Romandie
This Netflix episode will be glorious, I can feel it. 🤫 #TDR2021 pic.twitter.com/roZiTR88fo
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) April 30, 2021
One of the stars of Movistar’s Netflix documentary Marc Soler had a message for the haters as he crossed the finish line at the Tour de Romandie today…
The Spaniard attacked on the final climb and survived until the end in what can only be described as miserable conditions. Magnus Cort beat Peter Sagan in the sprint for second. Tomorrow’s summit finish at the 2,000m high Thyon 2000 climb has been brought forwards due to expected rain and snow. Sounds fun.
30 April 2021, 08:00
30 April 2021, 08:00
30 April 2021, 08:00
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Latest Comments
@chrisonabike True, things went back to normal once the pandemic was over. In this case, however the problems are still ongoing, and aren't likely to be resolved in the near future. If anything, they're going to get worse. Food shortages are predicted because of the effect that the heatwave has had on crops. This is bound to push prices up. The Straits of Hormuz aren't likely to reopen anytime soon and the strategic oil reserves are running low. Russia is having to import petrol because its own refineries have been badly hit, so that's even more competition for an even more scarce resource. I think that more and more people are going to see cycling as a way of cutting household bills.
I think if "grown up" cyclists * are quibbling about ASLs we've very much missed the road safety point anyway. (Not to mention the wider "better transport choices" picture). ASLs are poor-to-useless "cycling infra", even for their design intent. If the idea is "for less confident cyclists" then a design that requires that you re-position in front of the motor traffic - waiting to accelerate - seems unhelpful. Of course they're only designed to help when traffic is stopped, and you can reach the front in time and if vehicles aren't already occupying them. As we're noting here drivers frequently ignore them - whether that be deliberate, a lack of road craft, because they were concentrating on following the vehicle in front, or because the paint has rubbed off. * Aside: shouldn't cycling also be safe and accessible for kids? Or should they only be allowed to do this when accompanied by sufficient qualified adults? Or be limited to parks and otherwise being driven around by their carers? Perhaps there is another way...?
Hi Bungle, I saw you follow-up comment. I can't imaging there's a tolerance of 4 seconds on camera enforced lights, seems an odd decision - an offence is committed if a vehicle starts crossing on a red, any tolerance is discretionary. There does seem to be some odd thinking about 'advanced stop lines' where the rules relating to them are identical to a regular stop line, as explained correctly elsewhere in the Highway Code. It does seem a regular offence. Where I live it doesn't help that some of them are very faint and disappear in rain.
@ktache Not sure he's totally ruled out of the worlds yet (though I think it would be best if he doesn't), normal recovery time is about eight weeks but surgery can halve that...depending on the nature of the break he could be just about fit to ride by the time of the elite men's race, but he'll have missed a lot of training. Hopefully his managers and team will persuade him to wait until Lombardia, if not just to knock it off for the rest of the year.
@Bungle_52 The Met told me a couple of years ago when rejecting a submission that they needed a clear three seconds of red visible before they would consider it for an RLJ prosecution. I pointed out to them that this meant that at 30 mph a driver could see a light change to red from 40 metres away and still get through without sanction, or 55 m if they accelerated to 40 as most do. They just replied "them's our rules..."
@Ben Graham I have just checked the footage from my report. The driver crosses the 1st stop line 4 seconds after the light turns red. All on camera from behind the vehicle. No further action. So I assume the margin is at least 4 seconds.
Oh, and active travel funding per head (in England at least) is laughable compared to other places. Plus it is delivered intermittently. It's more like a Blue Peter contest...
Yup, I see those opportunities being missed all the time in Edinburgh. When it gets really bad, dig it all up and put it back down again how it was. Contrast with what seems to happen in NL - when things are dug up the whole thing seems to get a "let's redo this according to the current standards" treatment. They even coordinate with the utilities, so that after a refurb the street isn't immediately dug up again because of leaking pipes / we suddenly realised the new estate being planned for round the corner will want broadband etc. Pros and cons of course - you may wait longer there for changes as smaller changes may be deferred until a major redo is due. (Though in the UK case you likely wouldn't get them at all...) It seems we "can't have nice things" in the UK in part because a) we have greater motor traffic speeds/volumes spead across "streets" / within urban areas b) the funding and organisational responsibility differs. Are we in the "Sam Vimes boots" territory (being too poor to afford better products which not only save money over time but actually work)? There is long term money pressure on LAs and it seems that due to poor construction and maintenance we have to regularly pour money into (pot-)holes in the road. And it seems there's no budget to check up on or enforce adequate standards from utilities work or even private building.
Shame about the world champs defence. Speedy recovery. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/30/tadej-pogacar-vuelta-a-espana-cycling-crash-hospital-stage-nine
I believe the accepted form for this kind of argument is "I know you are, you said you were, but what am I?".
11 thoughts on “Josh Quigley abandons seven-day cycling distance world record attempt due to injury; Cyclist films close encounter with alligator; More than 100 stolen bikes donated to NHS staff; Cav reflects on recent wins; Sagan to the Giro + more on the live blog”
The quote from Pro Bike makes
The quote from Pro Bike makes it sound like there is a still a backlog of bikes to refurbish?
There might be quite a few
There might be quite a few bikes to work on. A mate of mine bought an MTB from a police sale a few years back. I think this is a pretty good move by the cops.
In the current climate, I
I guess the police actually have the best stock availability and turnover. Which says something about how effective they are at their day job…
Sriracha wrote:
In fairness, that’s like me hog-tying you then criticising your ability to play football.
I didn’t criticise the police
I didn’t criticise the police. I commented on their effectiveness (at crime prevention). If there are loads of stolen bikes, that’s fair comment. As to why they are proving ineffective, that would need investigating further – you suggest possibly they are hog-tied.
OMG – the alligators!!
OMG – the alligators!!
I already thought he was getting too close to the one on the path – pan left and my bowels loosened
Gimpl wrote:
Looked like someone else had already run over its tail! Where’s Danny Mac at the mo?
The fella was a big wuss. I
The fella was a big wuss. I’d have accelerated and bunny-hopped over the tail…
Aligators – they’re just like
Aligators – they’re just like any other aggressive species on the road – they won’t see you unless you jump a red light, don’t ride in a cycle lane or ride two abreast.
In the British Cycling update
In the British Cycling update you refer to the National Road Series, but then list National Circuit Series races….To be far, BC have cocked it up themselves aswell.
The road series update is here https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/about/article/20210430-about-bc-news-BRITISH-CYCLING-UPDATE–NATIONAL-ROAD-CALENDAR-0
Updated calendar
HSBC UK | National Road Series (Men)
• Round 1: Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, Lincoln (9 May) POSTPONED
• Round 2: Beaumont Trophy, Stamfordham (4 July)
• Round 3: Lancaster Grand Prix, Lancaster (15 August)
• Round 4: The Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix, Ampleforth (22 August)
HSBC UK | National Road Series (Women)
• Round 1: Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, Lincoln (9 May) POSTPONED
• Round 2: 5th Women’s CiCLE Classic, Rutland (27 June)
• Round 3: Curlew Cup, Stamfordham (4 July)
• Round 4: The Ryedale Women’s Grasscrete Grand Prix, Ampleforth (22 August)
HSBC UK | National Circuit Series (Men)
• Round 1: Property Development Men’s Otley Grand Prix, Otley (30 June)
• Round 2: Barnsley Town Centre, Barnsley (9 July)
HSBC UK | National Circuit Series (Women)
• Round 1: Pinsent Masons Women’s Otley Grand Prix, Otley (30 June)
• Round 2: Barnsley Town Centre, Barnsley (9 July)
How the French deal with
How the French deal with potholes…
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2021/may/01/the-artist-who-fills-potholes-with-mosaics-in-pictures