Mathieu van der Poo-el: World champion's visit to Scottish couple’s toilet makes front page news; Live from the Worlds; Jeremy Vine accused of jumping red light as he films bin lorry driver on bike lane; Lime Bike advice stickers + more on the live blog

As someone who loves cycling, I suppose it’s heartening to know that, with all that’s going on in the world at the moment, the Daily Record decided to focus this morning’s front page on Mathieu van der Poel’s emergency visit – in the middle of the protest that temporarily halted Sunday’s elite men’s road race – to a local Scottish couple’s house to, ahem, use their facilities…

Now that’s what I call a front-page splash (or should that be dump?).

And come on, the Daily Record, ‘Mathieu van der Poo-el’ was stirring you right in the face and you went with that headline?

Anyway… Proud Scottish hosts Davie and Shona Findlay told the newspaper that they were “thrilled” to play such an integral role in Van der Poel’s maiden world road race title, and the first Dutch rainbow jersey in almost 40 years.

> “A few corners too many”: Riders react to claims that Glasgow city circuit was a “death race” and “designed in a pub” after Mathieu van der Poel wins epic battle

“All we did was offer a bit of hospitality, which we would always do. Any of the neighbours would have done the same thing,” says Davie, who lives near the site of Sunday’s environmental protest, which halted the race for almost an hour in the Carron Valley.

“We did feel that it was a bit of an emergency because the team manager came first and asked if we could let one rider use the facilities, who I now take to be Mathieu van der Poel.

“He was such a nice guy and extremely polite and he was so grateful. The next thing we knew there was another rider and then another and I think we had four of the guys from the Netherlands in.

“I think they were just taking advantage of the lull in the race and enjoying the rest while they got focused for the restart.”

Delightful. Although, to be fair, given Tom Dumoulin’s exploits in the past, we should all just be glad that Dutch riders have now taken to using the toilet…

 (Pauline Ballet/SWpix.com)

Van der Poel even showed how grateful he was by giving a shout out on Dutch TV to the Findlays.

“I had to do a big massive message,” he said. “I had to knock on the door of a couple’s house along the course. I really owe them and I would like to thank them so much. I couldn’t have carried on racing without their help.

“It was the biggest race of my life and it was so kind of these people to let me in their house and let me sit on their toilet.”

After hearing the world champion’s message, Davie said: “I heard that Mathieu had a very nice message for us so if we’re able to respond to that, I’d like to tell him that he’s very welcome and I’m thrilled that we could help him any way. It’s all a bit surreal to be honest, as we’re aware of what a massive race it was and the incident with the protestors made our home a real focal point in world news for an hour or so.”

(Alex Broadway/SWpix.com)

I hear the Findlays’ toilet seat and a tin of Febreze will be appearing next to the infamous BOA dial at the Netherlands’ cycling museum before Christmas…

In the winners’ press conference, Switzerland's Marlen Reusser discussed her “stupid” crash on a corner, and that she may need to work to regain her confidence before Thursday’s individual time trial in Stirling and, of course, Sunday’s road race.

“This was not the strategy,” she laughed when asked about how her crash affected the team’s plan. “I did what I shouldn’t do, and pedalled on the corner. Which was really stupid. But I managed to get back and we finished okay.

“I’m glad the men always give us a nice advantage, so we can do stupid things, so that was nice.

“I just have a little bruise, but I just don’t like that I did this. It’s taken away a bit of confidence that I need to get back tomorrow.”

Team Time Trial Mixed Relay podium!

🥇 Switzerland 🇨🇭
🥈 France 🇫🇷
🥉 Germany 🇩🇪#GlasgowScotland2023 pic.twitter.com/8CEAsW5avO

— UCI (@UCI_cycling) August 8, 2023

Well, that was a bit dramatic, wasn’t it?

On a lovely, sunny day in Glasgow, Switzerland secured their second consecutive world team time trial title, beating a strong France team by just seven seconds, despite their powerhouse Tour de France Femmes stage winner Marlen Reusser having to overcome a crash and chase back on.

After Stefan Bissegger, Stefan Küng, and Mauro Schmid set the fastest men’s time, Élise Chabbey, Nicole Koller, and Marlen Reusser completed their assignment, which at one point looked perilous after Reusser crashed on a corner. However, the SD Worx TT specialist managed to rejoin her teammates to secure a narrow victory over France.

Pedal strike potentially for Marlen Reusser and the bike just flips!#GlasgowScotland2023 pic.twitter.com/PpAKxn3AYG

— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) August 8, 2023

Germany took the bronze, 51 seconds down, while Great Britain finished fourth a further 12 seconds down.

Meanwhile, Italy finished fifth, despite Silvio Persico’s troubles with her rear mech, which forced her to resort to the blunt force DIY method ((before eventually resorting to a bike change)…

🫣 Don't look! An interesting mechanic method from silvia_persico! #GlasgowScotland2023 #couchpeloton #sbscycling pic.twitter.com/5sOzPJmW4E

— SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) August 8, 2023

Is it time for Bigham’s revenge, after his devastating defeat to Filippo Ganna on the boards the other night?

Several changes are being planned for cycle paths in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, including putting up signs indicating “shared-use path” and updating the town's cycle maps, after a 77-year-old cyclist was killed by a pedestrian angered by her “presence” on the pavement.

Read more: > “Shared-use path” signs to be put up after pedestrian’s “resentment” towards cyclist using pavement led to manslaughter

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙩 🎭

First riders off at 1pm - get set for fireworks in the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay!

6️⃣ Riders in a team, 3 men and 3 women
🏙 Glasgow city centre circuit
🗺 2 laps, 40.3km total
⏱ Fastest time wins!

🔗 Start list ↙… pic.twitter.com/rZnIgtrMRz

— 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships (@CyclingWorlds) August 8, 2023

After a one-day hiatus, the festivities return to the much-debated roads of Glasgow city centre, with the relay team time trial due to take place this afternoon. I’m heading to George Square now to catch all the action, and I’ll keep you posted about what’s happening on the road and elsewhere (because, as you all know, Glasgow is an interesting place, world champs or not…).

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Dave Buonaguidi (@realhackneydave)

What do you reckon? Is this the way to prevent so-called “Lime lemons” from leaving their bikes scattered across the city? Or is this just another sticker-based game of anti-cycling bingo?

It’s a sad day for cycling fans with a special fondness for the epic grandeur of the mountains, as one of the sport’s finest ever practitioners of the art of climbing, Federico Bahamontes, has passed away, aged 95.

Nicknamed the Eagle of Toledo, the feisty, confrontational Bahamontes was the first Spanish winner of the Tour de France, winning the 1959 edition ahead of Henry Anglade and Jacques Anquetil, but it was another classification of the Tour where he really made his name.

🕊️It is with deep sadness that we learn of the passing of Federico Bahamontes, winner of the 1959 Tour de France.
Aged 95, the Eagle of Toledo was the oldest Tour de France winner, the first Spanish winner, and a six-time winner of the Mountain classification.

Our thoughts and… pic.twitter.com/tV308Szoi3

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) August 8, 2023

He was the first rider to win the mountains competition at all three grand tours, and took six King of the Mountains titles at the Tour between 1954 and 1964, a record that would later be equalled be another legendary climber, the Belgian Lucien van Impe (who out of deference to Bahamontes’ standing within the sport, refused to attempt to surpass his six KOMs at the Tour), before Richard Virenque eventually eclipsed both with his seventh polka dot jersey in 2004.

The undisputed best climber of his generation, Bahamontes’ times on cycling’s iconic roads can even stand up to the standards of today’s finely tuned peloton with its emphasis on nutrition and groundbreaking equipment. His mountain time trial win on the Puy de Dôme, on his way to overall victory at the Tour in 1959, saw him ascent the mythical Massif Central volcano almost two minutes faster than the winner of this year’s Tour stage on the Puy, Michael Woods.

Alongside his success, Bahamontes also embodied the individual, often eccentric personality that defines some of the sport’s greatest climbers. On his debut Tour in 1954, he famously stopped at the top of the Col de Romeyere, after stones had broken his spokes, and enjoyed an ice cream while waiting for his team car to arrive with the bunch.

Con profundo pesar, lloramos la pérdida de Federico Martín Bahamontes, el Águila de Toledo, un referente del deporte que ha llevado el nombre de nuestra ciudad a lo más alto.
El primer español en ganar el Tour de Francia forma parte de la historia del deporte en nuestro país,… pic.twitter.com/QuRV3wBvou

— Carlos Velázquez (@cvelazquezromo) August 8, 2023

“It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the loss of Federico Martin Bahamontes, the Eagle of Toledo, a benchmark in sport who has taken the name of our city to the very top,” the mayor of Toledo Carlos Velazquez announced this morning on social media.

When the riders hit the Alps and Pyrenees of the Tour next year, remember to raise a toast to Federico Bahamontes, one of the greatest to ever ride his bike up a hill.

So Ryan, how are you feeling on your fourth day in Glasgow at the world champs?

Me, this morning:

While I shake myself in preparation for another day of bike race spectating (I know, it’s a hard life), the fallout from Sunday’s epic road race – from debates over team tactics to the future of the planet – continues to rumble on…

> Is cycling's 'sportswashing' debate too big to ignore? World Championships protest shines spotlight on less-than-green sponsors

> “I don’t know what you’re trying to get at. What went wrong?” Jasper Stuyven takes swipe at media after Belgium accused of underperforming at world championships