Insurance company admits "mistake" after cyclist's stolen bike claim declined as "no evidence" of damage to lock... because thief took it too; First Transcontinental finishers; GB Olympic cycling medals continue + more on the live blog

The Guardian newspaper has helped a devastated cyclist receive an insurance payout after their provider initially declined the claim as the thief had taken the lock too, meaning there was "no evidence of damage" to it. The tale appears in the 'Consumer champions' section of the paper today and features a reader from Brighton's unpleasant experience with Homeprotect, who have now admitted making a "mistake" over the initial rejection of the claim.

JC explained: "My e-bike was stolen this month but my insurer, Homeprotect, has rejected the claim because there is no evidence of damage to the lock. That’s because the thief made off with it, too. The bike was listed on my policy as a specific item to be covered even away from home. I don't believe that the policy wording is clear. It should state that a bike theft claim will only be considered where there is CCTV proof or a broken lock is found.

"I can't tell you how upsetting this is. I am 68 years old and bought the bike just before lockdown and it was a life-saver. It's kept me mobile and sane. I'd parked it outside my art class, locked to a bike stand. I came out and it was gone. I reported the theft to the police and gave Homeprotect the crime reference. I've asked the company to review its decision but so far it has not changed its mind.

"I used my bike every day because Brighton is so hilly, and also for long rides such as Land’s End to Edinburgh. A replacement will cost at least £2,500. This leaves me in an impossible situation. I'm being penalised because the thief took the lock."

Thinking the situation did indeed seem "unfair", the Guardian contacted Homeprotect and got them to admit a "mistake in declining" the claim, a decision that has since been overturned.

Homeprotect said: "We're very sorry about the poor experience JC has had in trying to resolve her claim for her stolen e-bike. We made a mistake in declining this claim and have since overturned the decision, with a payment being made to the customer for the value specified for the bike, plus the cost of the lock.

"We acknowledge the distress that's been caused by this claim being dealt with incorrectly, are reviewing our internal processes to ensure this doesn't happen again and have offered additional compensation to JC as a gesture of goodwill."

Well done to the Guardian and feel free to get in touch with us if you go through similar...

Place de la Concorde has a rich history, perhaps most notably for its bloodiness during the French Revolution, but is most familiar, in a cycling context at least, for its location at the bottom of the Champs-Élysées, years and years of the Tour de France's best sprinters flying past the famous square en route to final-stage victory. For this week, however, it has been turned into a playground for some of the most ridiculously talented bike handlers you could ever wish to spend your Wednesday afternoon watching, not least Kieran Reilly who just won silver.

And in some style too...

Just ridiculous from GB's Kieran Reilly 🔥

His first run in the BMX freestyle final is a stunning one! #BBCOlympics #Olympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/uXk4wXOlGh

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 31, 2024

Collarbone, wrist, hip... that's just three bones I'd break trying that... and that's before we even start on how many fewer teeth I'd leave Paris with. It was gold for Argentina's Jose Torres Gil who posted the top score of 94.82, while home favourite France's Anthony Jeanjean was in tears as he dropped to third. This Olympics lark is exciting, isn't it? And we haven't even hit the velodrome yet...

 

 

 

 

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Extraordinary drama at Transcontinental as Abdullah Zeinab who had looked to finish third after an admirable nine days chasing the win, only to eventually be caught by Christoph Strasser during a tough spell which saw the Palestinian rider suffer FIVE punctures since Sunday. Well, while it looked like it would be a third-place finish, disaster struck, Zeinab realising he'd missed part of the obligatory Finish Parcours, meaning he had to turn around to finish the race again, by which time Tim De Witte had arrived in Istanbul in third.

The event organisation praised Zeinab's "hardy resolution to persevere", taking "all manner of situations in his stride, and managing his mind to stay calm and collected through difficulty and discomfort". Andre Bachmann is today the fifth rider to finish overall, everyone else still with miles to cover, climbs to conquer and challenges to overcome.

Chapeau all, and good luck...

Cycling fans currently watching the triathlon bike leg & wondering when everyone in these groups is going to sit up & start swearing at each other. 🤷‍♂️

— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) July 31, 2024

Strange scenes as rival athletes on different teams contribute equal turns during Olympic race, without squabbling or sitting on... triathlon's weird...

 

 

 

 

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One minute shy of nine days exactly, Robin Gemperle reached the Transcontinental finish line in Istanbul having led from start to finish. He finished second to two-time winner Christoph Strasser last year, but the Swiss rider turned 2023's result around, finishing four hours ahead of Strasser this time.

Just the 12 punctures for Strasser during the nine days, but by our calculations Gemperle's moving time was 22km/h. Remarkable considering the terrain, lack of sleep and relentless nature of the ride.

It's not 1st April is it?

— Julian (@julianr_76) July 30, 2024

Yep, this is the news we first shared on yesterday's live blog, that just when you thought professional cycling couldn't get any weirder... they go and announce that stage six of the Vuelta will begin inside a Carrefour supermarket in Jerez. Bizarre. 

Naturally, it's because of sponsorship, the organisers telling us that to celebrate 12 years of Carrefour's backing (the brand whose logo appears on the red leader's jersey) the riders and lead car will set off from the supermarket's aisles "where customers usually do their shopping".

Let's hope the closure is well-communicated and some poor abuela isn't left stranded outside without lunch. Good luck getting this idea past the British public for the Tour of Britain... could you imagine the uproar if Asda/Tesco/Sainsbury's was shut for such purposes? 'Lycra-clad racers starve the elderly' would surely get an outing in certain sections of the press...

The Carrefour news is, of course, prime punning territory and a few of you entertained yourselves with... "Aisle believe it when I see it"... "Cycling round a supermarket? Are they off their trolley?"... and other efforts.

On Twitter, Tim Cooper recalled some amusing fun he used to enjoy in an unnamed Halfords store thanks to his mate being the manager: "Mate of mine used to manage a Halfords superstore and was the keyholder. After closing — and after everyone had gone — we had criterium races round the aisles on Halfords bikes. I think the max number we had racing was 5. This predates rolling CCTV security!"

Over on Facebook, Andrew William Smart commented: "I've always thought a crit stage in a multi-storey car park would be impressive." Now that sounds like fun.

tadej going solo win after he started the stage from the carrefour: pic.twitter.com/mFbgTorwfJ

— Laura 🇸🇮 (@ImCalledPikachu) July 30, 2024