“That’s probably why you got knocked off, ‘cos you can’t even manage to get in the f*****g lane”: Angry cyclist launches rant at Jeremy Vine on commute, ends up on Channel 5; Junior handed three-year ban for methamphetamine + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Driverless 'robotaxis' due to be introduced on London’s “infamously complex, congested, and contested streets" despite safety doubts
What could possibly go wrong?
Three-year ban for junior who tested positive for methamphetamine
Remember before Christmas when we reported on the 18-year old junior rider who tested positive for methamphetamine at the World Championships in Rwanda? Well, the case is now resolved.
Artyom Proskuryakov has been handed a three-year suspension, backdated to November when the provisional suspension was announced. The (relatively) speedy outcome to the case comes because Proskuryakov chose to accept the “consequences as provided for by the WADA anti-doping code and the UCI Anti-Doping rules, rather than contest the findings, as former Movistar and Red Bull pro Oier Lazkano has announced his intention to do.
For Proskuryakov, who finished 41st in the junior time trial at the Worlds, the result is an obvious major setback, but it also raises serious questions. For an 18-year-old junior to be suspended for a substance like this is deeply concerning, for both the wellbeing and protection of bodily autonomy of young riders, and for the national cycling federation of Azerbaijan.
Tour de France wildcards issued as Rockets miss out
The Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana have issued their wildcard invitations for this year’s races and, surprisingly, there is no room for the Unibet Rose Rockets.
If you’re not massively into your YouTube they might have passed you by, but fear not! The team was borne out of a Dutch YouTube channel created by ex-cyclist Bas Tietema, whose Tour de Tietema channel grew such an audience that they started a team, moving up to the second-tier ProTour last year. Since starting, the team have swapped their Dutch racing license for a French one, and have also signed some proper talent. Their marquee signings for 2026 include former Tour stage winners in Dylan Groenewegen, Wout Poels and cult hero Victor Lafay.
Other talents on their roster include former maillot rojo at the Vuelta Odd Christian Eiking and London-Irishman Rory Townsend. Such was their growth, hopes were high that they would be issued a wildcard, especially as a French team in the year after Breton outfit Arkea-B&B folded. But alas.
Instead, race organisers ASO have played diplomats, ensuring that all three Spanish ProTour teams are invited to at least one Grand Tour. Equipo Kern Pharma and Burgos Burpellet BH take their home Grand Tour, whilst Caja Rural get the nod alongside TotalEnergies at the Tour de France.
Cofidis, Pinarello-Q36.5 and Tudor Pro Cycling are automatically invited to the Grand Tours alongside all 18 World Tour teams, but maybe there is Grand Tour hope for the Rockets after all?
…PS no news on Giro invitations yet despite start <100 days away (complicated by uncertainty over pending intl. TV rights deal, ie teams don’t know what exposure and audience they’ll get). But Cofidis reportedly declining to take part leaves room for Bardiani, Polti-Malta… and the Rockets?
— the Inner Ring blog (@inrng.com) 30 January 2026 at 10:20
The ever-reliable Inner Ring blog points out that Cofidis have declined their invite to the Giro d’Italia, opening up one more wildcard spot for race organisers RCS. But with there only being two eligible Italian Pro Tour teams, that leaves one space remaining…
EF Pro Cycling seek new title sponsor
*Lord Kitchener voice* Do YOU want to have your name stretched across Ben Healy’s chest?
Well, EF Pro Cycling have put out a call for a new “strategic partner” to take the lead naming rights of the team, whose star riders also include Richard Carapaz and Neilson Powless, along with current World and Olympic Champions Magdeleine Vallieres and Kristen Faulkner. And there’s no point hiding the brutal reality underpinning the call for funding, that the money is needed to “enable the team to compete with the largest budgets in the sport and accelerate its ambitions”. These include winning the Tour de France Femmes within three years, and the men’s Tour de France “within the next decade with riders developed through the EF Pro Cycling system”. Ambitious indeed…
“It’s rare in professional sport for an owner and anchor partner to commit long-term at EF’s current level and still invite an additional title partner to invest purely to make the team stronger,” says team CEO Jonathan Vaughters. Vaughters started the team as Team Slipstream in 2007, and has seen it through several sponsorship iterations including Garmin and Cannondale. EF Education First, a language and education company, have been title sponsor since 2018.
“Our sport has changed dramatically over the past two decades,” says Vaughters. “WorldTour budgets have risen at an unprecedented pace, and we see this as an opportunity to partner with a brand that shares our vision of winning at the highest level while staying true to who we are.”
Shimano pull out of Eurobike trade show
Things aren’t looking good for the world’s biggest cycle trade fair. Back in October, we reported on several industry brands withdrawing from Eurobike, with Bosch the biggest brand to pull the plug, after it was reported that “fundamental change” was needed to save the event.
Now, Shimano have pulled out as well, in a statement saying they’re focused on “prioritising our customer- and consumer-focused events” where they can achieve better “personalised conversations and hands-on interactions”.
Declining visitor patterns, rising costs of exhibiting, and changes in how brands and riders connect were also cited behind the manufacturer’s decision, with the brand now said to be focusing on smaller-scale events.
Since we last covered Eurobike, the fair organiser has had a managerial shake-up and is said to be “planning conceptual adjustments to the Eurobike trade show concept for 2026, and especially for editions from 2027 onwards.” It remains to be seen what that’ll look like though for this year’s edition, which will take place between the 24-27th June.
New design for Jonas Vingegaard's bike?
Felt we needed some light relief on the friday blog. In case you missed it:
Jonathan Milan pipped by Malucelli in AlUla Tour sprint
It wasn’t to be three wins from three sprints for Jonathan Milan, the Italian paid the price for breaking out into the desert wind before his rivals. That enabled XDS-Astana’s Matteo Malucelli to surf his compatriot’s wheel before coming round for victory.
Tudor’s Yannis Voisard retains the overall lead after winning yesterday’s stage. Tomorrow’s final stage sees a short, sharp climb to Harrat Uwayrid inside the final 10km.
Why has Tadej Pogačar partnered with a “disgraced” crypto scheme?
As much as I want you here, reading this page, enjoying my output of news aggregation and occasional remarks, if you read one thing today it really should be Ryan’s deep-dive investigation into Tadej Pogačar’s latest sponsorship deal, and the media hullabaloo that surrounds it. It’s got corruption, terrorism laws and the former owner of Manchester City. If that doesn’t engage you then I really don’t know what will…
The devil (motorist) incarnate
Cycling journalist Carlton Reid is continuing his perusal of classic cycling magazines and stumbled upon this mildly amusing depiction of the all-entitled motorist and his thirst for motonormative infrastructure. The date of publication? 1936
War-on-cars, 1936 edition. Patterson take-down of the “modern improvement devil.”
— Carlton Reid (@carltonreid.com) 30 January 2026 at 11:54
Cardiff campaigners say cycleway signposting needed
Having lived in Cardiff, round the corner from Heath Hospital in fact, I can confirm that Cycleway 1 is really rather good, a segregated cycle lane connecting the main hospital to the city centre.
But campaigners in the Welsh capital are calling for better signage for their cycle infrastructure, with the Cardiff Cycle City arguing that there isn’t a single signpost detailing the Cycleway’s route or destination, deterring prospective users. The CCC also argue that infrastructure elsewhere in the city is similarly poorly signposted, such as underpasses and bridges. Specific issue is taken with “Inconsistent Wayfinding – While the city is heavily signposted for motorists, equivalent navigation for cyclists is largely absent, hindering the council’s goal of increasing cycling rates. What cycling signage exists is often outdated.” A petition has now been presented to Cardiff Council, calling for better signposting of active travel infrastructure.
“Cardiff has a growing network of cycleways, but they will only succeed if people know where they are and where they go.” A spokesperson from CCC said.
“Getting more people on bikes means cleaner air, less congestion, and better health for everyone in the city, but the council won’t succeed if they don’t get these basic details right.”
> Why do cycle lanes get so much stick online? Cardiff University researchers have some answers
Evenepoel unbeaten in 2026 after 50km solo win in Mallorca
Having decided that yesterday’s victory in the Team Time Trial of the Challenge Mallorca was an insufficient stretching of the legs, the double Olympic champion decided to line up for today’s hilly Trofeo Serra Tramuntana.
After the day’s early break was reeled in, Evenepoel first stretched the legs with an acceleration with some 55km remaining. Antonio Morgado and Pablo Castrillo were among those trying to stick with the Belgian but soon he was alone, and eventually cruised to victory by more than a minute and a half. Morgado outsprinted XDS-Astana’s Christian Scaroni to resolve the remaining podium places.
We should see Evenepoel line up again this weekend as the series of one-day island races comes to a conclusion, before he’ll be next spotted at the Volta a Valenciana and then the UAE Tour, where he’ll be alongside a certain Jonas Vingegaard.
Clarke bows out with homecoming this weekend
Besides the racing in Mallorca, this weekend also sees the Australian racing calendar conclude with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race for both the men and the women. The race’s namesake famously ended his career a month into the season at his own race, and now another Aussie is following in Evans’ footsteps.
39-year-old Simon Clarke is capping off a 17-year professional career that included three Grand Tour stage wins (including on the cobbles at the Tour de France in 2022), a mountains classification win at the Vuelta a Espana, and a day in pink at the Giro d’Italia. He also rode a whopping 20 Grand Tours, finishing 17. Some shift that.
“I was here for the first Cadel Evans race in 2015 with Cadel for his retirement, and I saw how that unfolded for him and I kind of always said ‘if I had my way I’d like to do the same,’” Clarke told SBS.
“I’ll be following the team’s orders, I don’t retire until Monday, or Sunday evening, so I’m on the clock… I won’t be thinking about retirement at all, I’ll be thinking about how we’re gonna attack the race and get the best result for the team.”
Professional until the very end…
"That's probably why you got knocked off, 'cos you can't even manage to get in the f*****g lane": Angry cyclist launches rant at Jeremy Vine on commute, ends up on Channel 5
It’s been a short while since we last mentioned Jeremy Vine, but superfans need to worry not. We’re used to various antics being shared from the Channel 5 and BBC Radio 2 presenter, but no longer on social media…
Thankfully for Vine he still has his programmes in which to share his unfortunate encounters and yesterday, things exploded somewhat, and it’s not a great look for cyclists…
Commuting to work on Wednesday morning, Vine is cycling through a fairly empty street when a fast-approaching cyclist comes from behind. Vine turns his head slightly, says he sees the cyclist in his peripheral vision and indicates to move into the combined bus and cycle lane. Cue an onslaught of various unbroadcastable words, a flurry of sound that evokes Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen more than a daytime talk show.
The cyclist, riding quite a shiny Canyon, is furious that Vine changed lanes at short notice, you can watch the full onslaught above. It’s difficult to convey the full-tone of the exchange in text alone, not least with the high proportion of bleeping deployed.
In truth, it’s altogether frustrating for a few reasons. Neither Vine nor the Canyon rider appear in the best light, Vine for his road awareness – as he subsequently acknowledged with his panellists – and the other cyclist for… well everything. But Vine’s exchange in the early hours then serves as the latest topic for debate:
“Have you ever been shouted at by a cyclist?”
We’re sure many people have, for sure, but it’s harder to imagine most talk shows devoting a full segment to road rage among drivers. What this debate serves to do is further antagonise cyclists and reinforce a victim complex among some drivers who will feel entitled to use the road without consequence.
We’d be interested to know your views on the whole segment in the comments. And, if you’d like to hear a somewhat more nuanced discussion with Vine, road.cc actually interviewed the man himself for our podcast’s 100th episode back in March. You can listen or read to that discussion here:
30 January 2026, 09:32
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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.
38 thoughts on ““That’s probably why you got knocked off, ‘cos you can’t even manage to get in the f*****g lane”: Angry cyclist launches rant at Jeremy Vine on commute, ends up on Channel 5; Junior handed three-year ban for methamphetamine + more on the live blog”
Frankly, putting out content
Frankly, putting out content like this is unforgiveable; Channel 5 ought to know better:
The number is 020 7862 2222, not 0207 862 2222. The national dialling code has been 020, not 0207, for more than a quarter of a century.
GMBasix wrote:
Does anyone ever dial a number without the dialling code anymore? Can you even? (You can’t from a mobile, but can you still from a landline?)
Yes you can if you’ve still
Yes you can if you’ve still got a landline and you’re dialling locally.
What about listening in from
What about listening in from a party line?
Not on a digital network; you
Not on a digital network; you need the code.
Cheers, I assumed so, but
Cheers, I assumed so, but wasn’t sure.
There’s a florist near me whose sign is so old it still has an 01 number.
Steve K wrote:
It’s sad I know but I love spotting those (maybe because I can temporarily pretend I’m under thirty again when I see them?), they’re like the old ghost signs on the side of buildings.
When anybody close-passes me
When anybody close-passes me in London (it’s been a while), I just call the operator and ask for Whitehall 1212.
GMBasix wrote:
The very earliest telephone directories didn’t even have numbers, just names that you asked for from the switchboard, I like the idea of simply picking up the receiver and saying “Just get me the Duke of Westminster, would you?”
Rendel Harris wrote:
To ask when father’s coming home?
To tell the old fella to set
To tell the old fella to set one up for me and I’ll be there shortly (although please God not a pint of Watney’s!).
I’ll put money on Lord Lucan
I’ll put money on Lord Lucan being bagged up in the one on the left.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Yes, but that would be infradig when one would simply have one’s man open the call for you.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Don’t say I don’t ever do anything for you.
I grew up not far from there
I grew up not far from there (Worcester Park) and have probably ridden/driven past that hundreds of times, I shall keep an eye out next time I go that way visiting the family that are still in the area!
Rendel Harris wrote:
Pop in and say hello 🙂 (Turn left past the shop and take the alleyway to cut through to my road)
Re : JV v angry cyclist…
Re : JV versus angry cyclist…
If a cyclist is faster they should overtake on the right, not the left.
I had this experience: https://youtu.be/eqMHTuiS8dU
Yours isn’t really the same
Yours isn’t really the same situation as the JV clip, though. In his it’s a segregated bus/cycle lane, and at the start they’re each holding their own lane. In that situation it’s fine to pass in either lane, otherwise it would suggest that a bus [driver] in the bus lane couldn’t pass slower moving vehicles in the other lane, which would render it fairly useless at its primary purpose.
It would be a bit silly, had JV stayed where he was, to insist that the other cyclist should have pulled across into the other lane to go around him.
Good point.
Good point.
Unless he’s from the
Unless he’s from the Netherlands.
Because, as we all know, you should pass the Dutchie on the left hand side.
I’m here all week.
Fortunately, it’s Friday. ?
Fortunately, it’s Friday. ?
There was an excellent line
There was an excellent line from Frankie Boyle on The Unbelievable Truth on Radio Four recently: “Mussolini was a very small child, in fact the boys at his school used to use him in a rudimentary game of pass the parcel, hence the expression pass Il Duce on the left-hand side.”
(No subject)
I’m not watching 12 minutes
I’m not watching 12 minutes of people arguing with each other while cycling.
What I like about Jeremy Vine (in general, without having watched this incident) is that he stands up to bullies.
It is barely a minute or so
It is barely a minute or so of the footage, the rest is JV talking to his co-hosts about it.
As it is on Youtube, You can speed it up to 1.5x.
JV vs Canyon gobby twat. The
JV vs Canyon gobby twat. The only thing niggling me about this is possibly the perspective of JV’s camera makes Canyon gobby twat look further away than he actually was. Otherwise, JV signalled his intention, and although that doesn’t guarantee it’s ok to make the manoeuvre, it probably should be enough in this case.
Canyon gobby twat should probably check the Highway Code, as he is the one doing the overtaking, it’s up to him to make his approach carefully. Not everyone would look over their shoulder before moving left, although of course everyone should. If I’m going fast enough to pass a cyclist ahead, I make sure I wait until it’s safe to do so, I know what’s behind me and how fast it’s approaching and that the road ahead of the person I am passing is reasonably clear.
Canyon gobby twat should probably also get some legal lights, I understood it to be a requirement that both front and rear lights should be on constantly.
As JV has blurred his face we
As JV has blurred his face we can’t ID him.
Though I’m wondering if he will out himself somehow.
In which case JV could then report him to the police for the lack of lights…
Daveyraveygravey wrote:
Flashing lights have been legal as sole front and rear illumination for bicycles in the UK since 2005 provided they flash between 60 and 240 times a minute, gobby twat’s look to be about 120.
And, if they are capable of
And, if they are capable of showing a constant light (even if not being used to do so), that they comply with BS6102/3 or an equivalent European standard and be marked as doing so.
Yes, slightly bizarre that if
Yes, slightly bizarre that if lights are flashing-only they don’t have to conform to any standard, just the aforementioned flash rate and a minimum four candela luminous intensity.
A semi-decent result for once
A semi-decent result for once.
“Driver jailed for killing man in West End rampage“
Minimum 37 years.
Though I wonder if an appeal will reduce it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dv8y2j8xxo
Well of course the murderer
Well of course the murderer made a rookie error – didn’t wait until his victims were on bicycles.
I was on my usual commute and
I was on my usual commute and I took a contra flow of less than ten metres and then joined the cycle lane. Another cyclist started shouted at me – oi, you can’t do that it’s one way etc. He caught up with me and rode alongside me telling me I was a danger to other cyclists and pedestrians. I wasn’t in a fighting mood so explained that I virtually stopped and looked and as no one was there I cut across less than 10 metres of a one way road – you saw me and you saw no one was in danger, there want even anyone there. But he wouldn’t leave it and kept going on and on and then called me a twat or something – at which point I replied ‘you’re calling me a twat dressed like’ ( he was in tight colourful Lycra ) And then he said – I’m going to report you for homophobic behaviour. Oh dear, I thought, what is he on about? ‘Just because I’m gay, you’re insulting my dress’ I was bewildered – I don’t know anything about your sexuality mate, I told him. I politely asked him to go away. And accelerated, and went really slowly. But he just wouldn’t go away. Eventually I just had to block him and tell him that he approached me, he started telling me off and accusing me of being a danger to road users and to being homophobic so please stop following me. And he did. Very bizarre though.
“Shock as cyclist turns out
“Shock as cyclist turns out to be man with strongly- held opinions and a burning desire to explain them to random people and particularly to correct what he sees as their mistakes “?
Or should that just be “Shock as *man* has …”? (Thinking about eg. many drivers “held up” for a couple of seconds who then have as much time as you allow them for complaint and explaining road Tax and the Highway Code to you).
Did you say “the place for that is on social media, mate”?
My go to line for cycling the
My go to line for cycling the wrong way up a one-way street is “well I’m only cycling one way, aren’t I?”
I must say I’d quite like to
I must say I’d quite like to be a fly on the wall in the police station when a chap in head-to-toe lycra walked in and said I want to report an unidentifiable cyclist for implying that I look like a twat…
Just saw this.
Just saw this.
“Bridge reopens for cyclists after two-year closure“
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg10dm80pmo
The biggest issue for me
The biggest issue for me about JV’s incident is that he’s used 95% of the airtime to simply have a go at the Canyon plonker, rather than properly debate the issue. It was essentially a continuation of what had happened, just without the other party in attendance, and didn’t paint a positive picture of cycling behaviour.
I can imagine the anti-cycling motorists laughing at cyclists arguing with each other, despite the fact motorists have far more experience in abusing each other than cyclists do.
As for the incident itself, it looked as though* JV gave enough warning, had Canyonman ridden at a sensible speed, ready to react. (* depending on camera’s angle of view).
I’d have probably called him a plonker and leave him to ride on whilst he wasted his energy reserves mouthing off in the distance.