Richie Porte’s wife “already tired of seeing comments about his weight” after rider’s retirement (and he’s back on rim brakes); Police blasted for passing cyclist on wrong side; CX life lessons; Cycling doubles during train strikes + more on the live blog

Today’s main live blog story, on the rather ill-advised comments aimed at a fit and healthy Richie Porte as he begins to enjoy life after a decade-plus in the stressful and ultra-controlled environment of professional cycling, has got plenty of you talking (and has even attracted a few likes from pro cyclists on Twitter – Hi, Matteo Fabbro).

Here’s a selection of some of your thoughts from Facebook, Twitter, and (of course) the comments section:

Looking good .... and most importantly healthy.

— RoadRideEvents (@roadrideevents) January 9, 2023

This guy is an absolute legend and looks as fit as a butcher dog.

— ZwiftyCXer (@T15TSL) January 9, 2023

“Good for Richie and Gemma for standing up on this,” says road.cc reader SimoninSpalding, who then turned to an arguably more pressing issue: “My issue is how Richie thinks he qualifies as a MAMIL already? He needs a few more years before I will accept him into the club.”

Would love to see @richie_porte still wipe the floor with all the people making the ridiculous comments on the club ride sprints.

— Steve Gabriel (@stevegabe1980) January 9, 2023

I’d say he now looks like most of us out there who enjoy cycling, good food with the odd treat. Oh and he can now enjoy his time with his family so good on him! Gota admire those professional armchair coaches eh 😂 go #RichiePorte

— Marti Jerrard - K74 (@K74Marti) January 9, 2023

Weight, and shape. Unbalanced bodies finely tuned for powering bicycles. It must be a relief not to contort to conform to elite cycling expectations.

— Nick the Wink (@nickTheWink) January 9, 2023

However, in the comments section, ejocs reckoned that the remarks about Porte’s weight were taken out of context: “As far as I can tell, the weight-related comments on Porte's post are referencing his failure to sport a MAMIL body (for example: ‘You need to work on your gut a bit, carbo load and decrease your cycling, that should do the trick’), not mocking him for gaining weight.

“In other words, they're playing up the inside joke he himself referenced in his post. True, that wouldn't be obvious without some cultural context, but for once I don't think Instagram and internet commenters are as horrible as they're being portrayed.”

Whether it’s a cyclist post career or a female or male cyclist at the top of the sport, big or small, comments about body morphology are universally rude and unwelcome. It’s a tough convo even with a coach in-season! 🤦🏼‍♀️

— Melanie McQuaid (@MelanieMcQuaid) January 9, 2023

Over on Facebook, Phillip Griffiths wrote: “Can't understand the comments. He doesn't look big. Looks normal. However, he is retired. It's time to enjoy life after making so many sacrifices in his life. Eating things and doing things he couldn't. Cycling is an extreme sport for staying extremely light.

“Kit sizes are also a joke. I wear size small tops but have to buy XL in cycling. Doesn't make any sense.”

Similarly, Jimmy Ray Will noted pro cycling’s unhealthy obsession with weight as a factor behind some of the comments directed at Porte.

“I always struggle when professional cyclists complain about excess focus around weight,” he wrote. “The key fundamental of the sport is about generating as much power as possible, with as little body weight. If this triggers people, they should probably do something different.

“Professional sport is very rarely, if ever, a healthy lifestyle, you make a choice and you deal with the consequences.

“I think it is scary looking at that photo of a normal, slim man, and being shocked at how 'chunky Ritchie is looking these days'. There is nothing normal about this sport, but the problem is the sport and not the people commentating.”

Finally, many were just buzzing to see a retired pro back where they belong: riding a bike with rim brakes…

Great to see him on rim brakes!

— Pete (@smythy75) January 9, 2023

And ineos socks lol

— elaine smith🏴‍☠️🇬🇧🇺🇦❤️💂 (@miffysmithe) January 9, 2023

No issue with his weight! Im more stoked to see him on rim brakes and alloy wheels.
Keep rolling legend

— Rob Dallimore (@Mr_Rob_Dobolina) January 9, 2023

Christ I wish I was as "obese" as him. Most amateur cyclists would be super happy with that physique!! Power to you Richie and great to see you really prefer rim brakes

— jonathan cave (@dozerman) January 9, 2023

We’ve got a classic Twitter debate to take you into lunchtime on the blog today…

The following clip, posted this morning, shows a police officer overtaking cyclist James on the Blackshaw Road in south west London late last night.

23:18 Sunday 8th Jan. Blackshaw Rd SW19. Is this an acceptable pass by a Police car?? What sort of driving example is this? I can understand if he was on a call but otherwise it is just impatience and blatantly ignoring the rules of the road. What do you think? pic.twitter.com/uPaKEWSu0c

— James Bikelover (@Mad_1nventor) January 9, 2023

Though the overtake was fairly wide and gave James plenty of space (perhaps for all the wrong reasons), much of the spirited debate that has followed underneath the clip has centred on the driver’s decision to pass the cyclist on the wrong side of a pedestrian refuge island:

This is right outside St George’s hospital. Rightly or wrongly, at all times of the day and night you can find people wandering and crossing the road. If they looked the right way as they stepped out but were hit by a vehicle on the wrong side of the road….

— James Bikelover (@Mad_1nventor) January 9, 2023

Yes, absolutely. Police drivers are highly trained and you have no idea where they were going, blues and twos or not.

— John Pearse (@Jaypers777) January 9, 2023

Ridiculous driving by the police who are not above the law, though they often think they are.
Apologists are just that.
Definitely report, the police can easily establish who it was even without the number plate.

— HARRIS PROPERTY (@AlanHarrisSpain) January 9, 2023

As several commenters noted, the driver’s failure to comply with the ‘keep left’ sign at the pedestrian island could result in three penalty points (though as we’ve seen on the live blog in the past, that doesn’t always prove the case).

> Wiltshire Police say they won't charge driver who overtook on the wrong side of a refuge island because they gave 'enough room' 

That's a clear contravention of the Keep Left sign and at least one driver I reported (with video) was prosecuted for that.
I'd report it to Op Snap

— 🚲 Will - @WilliamNB [at] toot.bike 🇿🇦🇬🇧 (@WilliamNB) January 9, 2023

If it was an emergency, then it can be justified by the police via job records. If it wasn’t an emergency, then the driver needs consequences.

— CyclingMikey (@MikeyCycling) January 9, 2023

The Met has at least responded to the video, sending James one of those automated ‘get in touch’ messages… 

Please DM us, so we can take further details. Thank you https://t.co/dinxYKkXmT

— Met Contact Centre (@MetCC) January 9, 2023

Yesterday’s feature on the rising cost of cycling – which explored the impact of inflation on bikes, equipment, and clothing in recent years, and compared prices between 2009 and 2023 (with some fairly nifty graphs thrown in for good measure) – has led to quite a bit of discussion on the ol’ interweb.

Responses have ranged from those who feel that they are being “ripped off” by the inflated prices of recent years, while others have noted that inflation isn’t the only driving force here, and that the quality of bikes, components, and kit (even those with the same brand names) has surged in the past decade, resulting in a heftier price tag in your local shop.

> The rising cost of cycling — when will this crisis stop!?

Of course, it’s a complex issue, and we’re currently working on a follow-up podcast and video which will address some of the things we just didn’t get round to in the initial feature.

In the meantime, here’s a selection of some of your thoughts on the current state of the cycling market:

In a year with much of the global economy heading towards recession, I am seeing +$8000 bikes sporting low end group sets. I get inflation but this is just infuriating and makes a person not want to get a new bike.

— Ron (@pursuit0226) January 8, 2023

Liberating that someone finally addresses the absurdly high price tags. Bikes have gotten more expensive, heavier and harder to service - and the prices are not justified, nor on apparel. Good on you https://t.co/ch9OaBIIcI

— Jens Brahe (@wonderbrahe) January 8, 2023

OnYerBike: 

An interesting article. I wonder if there are any economists who could weigh in on the appropriate use of inflation.

The bike industry would certainly argue that whilst the names might have stayed the same, the bikes themselves have improved significantly. Inflation statistics are based on a basket of goods that stays largely the same - a pint of milk produced today will be essentially identical to a pint of milk from 2009. But today's bikes are arguably "better" than those of yesteryear - certainly the manufacturers like to tell us that every iteration is more aero, stiffer, more comfortable etc. than the previous generation. 

I note that all the current generation of bikes have disc brakes, where as they were all rim brake in 2009. In several cases you're comparing mechanical groupsets to electronic ones (Google suggests the Tarmac SL3 was available with Di2 but the RRP quoted is for a SRAM mechanical equipped version - but I might be wrong on that one).

More obviously, the (current) Defy Advanced has a carbon frame, while the 2009 Defy was aluminium alloy. I note that in 2016 Giant released the Contend, which on paper appears much more directly comparable to the 2009 Defy, and the current RRP for the entry level model is £849. A quick browse on cycling retailers websites indicates there are a number of entry level road bikes that look at least as good as the 2009 Defy with an RRP <£1,000. 

Similarly, while the "range topping" Madone might have got more expensive, the RRP of the cheapest current Madone, the SL6, is only £4,800. I wouldn't want to say that is a "fairer" comparison, but I would say given the choice between a factory-fresh 2009 Madone 6.2 and a current SL6 for the same money, I for one would probably go for today's model.

I guess my conclusion would be that if you're a competitive cyclist who wants every last marginal gain, then yes you would need to spend more today to have the latest and greatest tech. But for everyone else, there are still some very good bikes at sensible prices.

Two of my bikes are second-hand (and 20+ years old) and my carbon road bike with full Ultegra was a bargain from Wiggle/CR, just before prices went crazy in 2020. I can't imagine justifying a new bike now. It makes no more sense for me than a Ferrari I can't really use.

— Roy Everitt (@Paris2Pyrenees) January 9, 2023

ooblyboo: "I think road.cc deserve some credit for attempting to illustrate the rate at which prices have risen, even if the comparisons aren't perfect. It has been a few years since I upgraded to a new bike and at today's prices I just can't imagine doing so. My last purchase was a second hand TT bike which is now nearly 10 years old. A half-decent new one now is often greater than the cost of a brand new motorbike and the price isn't justifiable.

"Many models from recognised brands are becoming unaffordable. I will keep my ageing steeds going but as a commenter notes below, the alternative is the cheaper Chinese brands. Not an approach I am particularly keen on because it looks like a bit of a lottery but channels like TraceVelo show that there is quality to be had in certain corners of the internet at somewhat more reasonable prices."

IanEdward: "They'll just charge what the market can bear. Now they've seen what people are willing to pay for electronic gears and disc brakes it would appear that the sky is the limit! Meanwhile you can still buy high end aluminium wheels for £350, 105 mechanical rim brake groupsets for £300, good framesets for upwards of £750... You can probably still build a very nice fast bike for £2k if you wanted but no whirring gearshifts and no disc brakes..."

Kil0ran: "If you're willing to BYO (build your own) it's still possible to get an affordable bike. Go with Tiagra - or even Claris - and source parts secondhand. The secondhand market is absolutely saturated at the moment. Know which brands spec the same frame from Claris to Dura-Ace, have a decent set of easily convertible wheels and you can build a high-end bike for low-end money."

If you have a bike then you don't need another.
If you don't have a bike but want one then buy second hand.
Those in the business of making and selling need you.
You do not need them.

— 💚💛❤ Perrywong ❤💛💚 (@Perrywong) January 8, 2023

Whitby’s Donkey Track, featured on the blog last April, never seems to get any easier, no matter which angle you look at it from…

Britain's steepest street (possibly): Church Road (aka Donkey Track), Whitby. 48%, 1 in 2 (this photo suggests). Blog https://t.co/HPAfkZTCF9 pic.twitter.com/NHxaI1PJNY

— Rob Ainsley (@realcycling) January 7, 2023

Naw come on, that's someone's roof.

— Gareth Cartman (@clevergareth) January 8, 2023

Coming down looks a hoot though pic.twitter.com/R7l0QSP8z5

— Dr Johnny Bananas (@barbedquill) January 8, 2023

> Stupidly steep hills: could you ride up a 50 percent gradient?

Let the ‘where’s the steepest street in Britain’ debate recommence:

No. But not sure that counts. It’s TOO STEEP.

— Simon Warren (@100Climbs) January 7, 2023

Vale Street(also Bristol)? pic.twitter.com/IhuKkBWjAc

— Clockwise (@Clockwisesss) January 7, 2023

That's Gold Hill in Shaftesbury. Always good fun to ride up, I haven't dared trying it down. pic.twitter.com/vi2uiqnFqc

— Nathaniel Cleland (@bellezzasolocle) January 7, 2023

The mercurial Colombian climber Miguel Ángel López has finally secured a ride for 2023, signing for third-tier outfit Team Medellín-EPM a month after he was sacked by Astana-Qazaqstan for his alleged links to a doping investigation in Spain.

The 28-year-old, who has endured a chequered few years punctuated by a brief, tumultuous, and ill-fated spell at Movistar before his abruptly curtailed return to Astana in 2022, was confirmed as the Colombian Continental outfit’s new singing yesterday, and will represent his new team at this month’s Vuelta a San Juan.

However, Medellín’s position in cycling’s third tier means that López won’t be present at this year’s grand tours, or the WorldTour stage races he’s conquered in the past, such as the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour de Suisse.

#ATENCIÓN 🚨

Estamos encantados de hacer oficial la vinculación de @SupermanlopezN al equipo para la presente temporada. Qué orgullo que vistas nuestros colores y representes a Medellín por Colombia y el mundo.

Bienvenido campeón, MEDELLÍN será siempre tu casa 🔝 pic.twitter.com/4LwQdoIJuP

— Team Medellín EPM (@team_medellin) January 8, 2023

“It was a complicated year, being without a team in 2023, with all the team’s filled up and there wasn’t any space,” López said Monday.

“This team has given me a big opportunity to race in 2023. To start with in the Vuelta a San Juan, and we can race and get through the season.”

“Get through the season” – ever the optimist, Miguel…

> Miguel Ángel López sacked by Astana due to doping links, but rider maintains he has “never tested positive”

López’s shunting to the periphery of pro cycling was confirmed last month when Astana announced the termination of his contract, claiming that the team “had discovered new elements” linking him to alleged doping doctor Marcos Maynar.

These “new elements”, Spanish newspaper ABC reported at the time, relate to a document claiming that López received a dose of menotropin, a human growth hormone that increases muscle mass and eliminate fluids, before the start of last year’s Giro d’Italia in Hungary.

López, who was initially suspended by Astana in July when his name came up following Maynar’s arrest as part of the Spanish police’s Operation Ilex investigation, of course strongly denies the allegations, and even trotted out the well-worn ‘I’ve never tested positive’ line following his sacking in December.

At Medellín, he will join former U23 world champion Fabio Duarte and – ironically, considering the nature of the investigation which prompted López’s dismissal from Astana – former Operación Puerto alumnus, 46-year-old Óscar Sevilla.

Zac Williams/SWpix.com

The Tour de France stage winner’s arrival has also heightened the rumours that Medellín will splash the cash on another Colombian star without a team for 2023 after being caught up in a doping scandal, Nairo Quintana.

The Giro and Vuelta winner was let go from Arkéa-Samsic – despite recently agreeing a three-year contract extension – after being disqualified from last year’s Tour de France following a positive test for Tramadol.

Quintana has yet to announce a new deal for 2023 but, like López, is expected to seek refuge away from the biggest teams, with Medellín highly touted as a possible destination.

Are we beginning to see the foundations of a Colombian Rock Racing?

As most train services return to normal today for the first time since Christmas, new data has shown that the number of cyclists on Pancras Road, King’s Cross, more than doubled during the recent rail strikes.

According to a study conducted by transport technology scaleup VivaCity, the number of cyclists increased by 102 percent compared to the three previous ‘non strike’ days, making up 18 percent of the total traffic in the area.

However, while the number of people on bikes swelled during the strikes, the number of cars also rose by 20 percent.

“With train strikes having a huge impact on travel across the capital, it’s interesting to see how many Londoners have opted to cycle to work during the weeks affected by train strikes,” says VivaCity’s CEO Mark Nicholson.

“It’s promising to see active travel being prioritised, our mission is to work with local authorities to ensure that London’s roads are well equipped for, and welcome these changes in the long term.”