“What a lovely car park”: Tailbacks force cyclists onto grass at Richmond Park; Spaghetti-gate: Van der Poel offends all of Italy; Cavendish closes in on the greats – again; Politicians and pro-car messages; Giro rest day blues + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
‘Why are people so unquestioning of pro-motoring messages?’
If there’s one thing that last week’s local elections showed, it’s that riding the coattails of a very small but aggressively loud group of activists, intent on restoring the car as the predominant feature of every street, isn’t the best path to political success.
But why, environmental psychology professor Ian Walker asks, did so many opposition councillors view the anti-LTN agenda as a sure-fire vote winner?
Interesting to ask why people are so unquestioning of pro-motoring messages. Have to presume the normative status of car-based mobility makes people assume pro-motoring reflects consensus, and also makes it harder to envisage change? https://t.co/2aGGwZ94VU
— Ian Walker (@ianwalker) May 9, 2022
oh definitely, it’s as much that people don’t care as they actively like them, but opposition parties should have thought about that before putting opposition to them at the heart of their campaigns
— Jon Stone (@joncstone) May 7, 2022
For those seeking nostalgia, we do still at least have @RBKC still proudly flying the flag for human-unfriendly streets, which doesn’t look like it will change.
— Peter Walker (@peterwalker99) May 7, 2022
However, as we reported over the weekend, not all voters rejected the anti-LTN brigade, and even elected some unsavoury candidates to prove their point…
> Anti-LTN candidate elected mayor despite five-year ban for “corrupt and illegal practices”
other side to the coin though is that in councils where they’ve really gone for the policy Labour has only increased or consolidated its majorities – Lambeth, WF, Hackney, Islington, Camden, especially Southwark where huge noise was made about Dulwich LTN and Labour made gains
— Jon Stone (@joncstone) May 7, 2022
Weekend roundup: Cav and Yates win at the Giro; “Corrupt” anti-LTN candidate elected mayor of Tower Hamlets; Driver fined £1,000 after shouting abuse at cyclists; Where is Britain’s most dangerous cycling city? + more
As you sat back and enjoyed what could be conservatively described as a promising opening Hungarian weekend to the Giro for its Team GB contingent, here’s a quick roundup of the weekend’s stories that you may have missed…
Mark Cavendish proved his spectacular return to the top of the sport at last year’s Tour de France was no late-career fluke, unleashing a monster 300 metre-long sprint (after yet another textbook lead out by the one and only Michael Mørkøv) to take his first Giro stage since 2013 and the sixteenth of his storied career.
“It was really nice. We wanted to get good in this first sprint, we did and I’m very happy,” the resurgent Manx Missile said after the finish in Balatonfüred.
“We’ve got half a team for the climbs and half a team for the sprints, but everybody committed. Ballerini, Van Lerberghe and Mørkøv, I’ve got an incredible final group there, and they delivered today.
“In the end I had to go long. I went at 300m to go. I had to hold a side and I’m just happy I could hold on for that long.”
While Fernando Gaviria and Arnaud Démare took second and third behind Cav, a boxed-in Biniam Girmay – second to Mathieu van der Poel on the opening stage’s uphill finish – was the only rival who looked like he had the speed to challenge the Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl rider if given the chance. The next few stages will be interesting…
On Saturday, Simon Yates was as equally impressive in the 9.2 kilometre time trial around Budapest, beating pink jersey Van der Poel by three seconds and 2017 Giro winner Tom Dumoulin to win his first ever grand tour time trial and send an ominous warning to his GC rivals.
Can the man from Bury banish the memories of 2018 and ride into Verona in pink in three weeks’ time?
Simon Yates took a BIG surprise victory ahead of Mathieu Van der Poel in the Stage 2 ITT of the Giro d’Italia 👏
Watch 👇
__________
🇮🇹 #Giro pic.twitter.com/WLJoWCmCpj— Velon CC (@VelonCC) May 7, 2022
Perhaps Yates’ biggest GC challenge will come from the course-invading cat who ‘dropped’ Jumbo-Visma’s Edoardo Affini during the stage two TT – prompting a few playful digs from his teammates about Affini’s climbing ability…
As is tradition every time Mathieu van der Poel wins a stage, we also took a nosy at his insane power numbers – which peaked during his sprint against Girmay at 1,116 watts. Easy.
Away from the Giro, we reported that a bike thief was sentenced to 160 hours of unpaid work after bizarrely claiming that he took the bike simply so he could “get to his house”, while an angry motorist – distraught that cyclists were “taking up the road” – was fined £1,000 for careless driving after sounding his horn and shouting abuse at the riders.
At the local elections, anti-LTN candidate Lutfur Rahman was elected mayor of Tower Hamlets, despite being removed from the same post in 2015 after being found guilty of vote-rigging, buying votes and religious intimidation.
Finally, a study from injury compensation site Claims.co.uk found that Chelmsford was the safest city for cycling in the UK, while Birmingham came out top in the ‘most dangerous category’ – though as Dan explained in the article, the study’s methodology was shaky to say the least…
Rest Day Blues at the Giro
Anyone else wake up feeling like this?
Giro d’Italia rest day. pic.twitter.com/2PlxfQLgo0
— giro(byn) d’italia (@robynjournalist) May 9, 2022
Dan Martin – who has proven a prolific and insightful tweeter since his retirement – seems jealous of those Giro riders enjoying the first of their three rest days…
A travel rest day is never fun. Thinking back to @LeTour 2013 when we raced 3 days on Corsica, flew the same night as stage 3 and raced the TTT the following day. Short flight yes but still a Late night. 19 grand tours and never had a 3rd rest day.
— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) May 9, 2022
Three rest days? What is this, a holiday camp? Bernard Hinault would have ridden from Hungary to Sicily back in the day. Modern pampered riders, eh?
Old Garmin teammate Nathan Haas was on hand, however, to remind Dan that he missed out on that elusive third rest day back in 2014 after crashing out on a cold, rainy night in Belfast…
I was going to say it’s still too soon. But that made me laugh so guess it isn’t.
— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) May 9, 2022
TTs also count as rest days of course. I forgot those.
— Dan Martin (@DanMartin86) May 9, 2022
“When you order Mark Cavendish from Wish”
When you order Mark Cavendish from Wish pic.twitter.com/YgAEWB7NzT
— Dan Deakins (@DanDeakins) May 8, 2022
“Looks like you need a gravel bike to ride in Richmond Park these days”: Long queue of cars forces cyclists onto grass
Officers at #RichmondPark have now closed the road to Broomfield Hill car park at the request of @theroyalparks There is currently a long tailback of all vehicles. Please avoid the area and consider public transport or walking to the park. pic.twitter.com/V2Bvymdop1
— Royal Parks Police (@MPSRoyal_Parks) May 8, 2022
Ah, it’s a lovely sunny Sunday – let’s spend it sitting in our cars at Richmond Park then, shall we?
Let’s just say that this rather striking image, posted by the Royal Parks yesterday as it announced that police officers had closed the road to Broomfield Hill car park due to heavy congestion, didn’t go down too well with those who believe that cars are ruining London’s green spaces…
It was so lovely this morning before the cars turned up
— Stefan Velo 🚲🥷 (@velostefan) May 8, 2022
Cyclists have to cycle on the grass as cars take all the road… Richmond park roads are actually busier than around it. Makes no sense, people should walk, take a bus, cycle and stop this obsession of driving everywhere.
— GHY (@Guihemery) May 8, 2022
There is another way 🤷🏻♂️ https://t.co/VyxN7iejVl
— 𝔅𝔞𝔡𝔤𝔢𝔯 RPR 🔱 🄹🄰🄼🄴🅂 (@badgercyclist) May 8, 2022
Please, please just ban cars (excepting blue badge holders) from all internal roads. Let them come into the gate carparks if you must, but outside that, no.
— Rendel Harris (@Rendel_Harris) May 8, 2022
Too many cars try to use a car park > Builds bigger car park > More people drive to use the bigger car park > Too many cars try to use the bigger car park > Builds even bigger car park. Repeat. Bigger car parks are not the answer. Reducing vehicles numbers in the park is.
— Ollie (@ohbee07) May 8, 2022
A beautiful park absolutely ruined by cars
— Keith’s Gone AWOL 🌻 (@eirestudio) May 8, 2022
Cav closes in on the greats – again
Mark Cavendish’s first and most recent Giro stage wins are 14 years apart (2008-2022).
Only two riders have bridged a longer stage winning gap in Giro history:
🇮🇹Gino Bartali – 15 years – (1935-1950)
🇮🇹Fausto Coppi – 15 years (1940-1955)#Giro105 #Giro— Cillian Kelly (@irishpeloton) May 9, 2022
Over the last fifteen years, we’ve all got used to Mark Cavendish pugnaciously sprinting his way into the pantheon of cycling greats.
The Manx Missile was the first British monument winner and male road world champion since Tom Simpson, and is currently two wins away from overhauling Rik Van Looy (as well as Mario Cipollini and Roger de Vlaeminck) as the second ‘winningest’ male pro of all time.
And – who could forget? – he currently sits level with another little-known Belgian rider (Eddy somebody…) at the top of the Tour de France’s list of stage winners, with 34.
Cav’s stunning sprint yesterday to win stage three of the Giro d’Italia has put another two greats of the sport in his sights – Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali.
Those two gods of Italian cycling won their first and last stages at the Giro 15 years apart (after their illustrious and intertwined careers were affected by the second world war).
Cavendish’s win, meanwhile, bridges a 14-year gap from his first victory at the Corsa Rosa, when he beat Robert Forster and Daniele Bennati into Catanzaro-Lungomare for the first of two breakout wins in Italy (the then-High Road man could have nabbed a third late on in the race, but instead allowed lead out man and future rival André Greipel to take a maiden grand tour stage).
He’s since won 16 stages at the Giro, as well as the points jersey classification in 2013 – the last time he rode the race before his winning return this week.
This Cavendish, he’s not bad…
Spaghetti-gate: Van der Poel offends the entire Italian nation
He may be the current pink jersey wearer and one of the best riders in the world, capable of doing extraordinary things on a bike, but Mathieu van der Poel has a long way to go if he wants to win over the tifosi.
Especially once they’ve seen this video of the Alpecin-Fenix rider committing what Italians everywhere will regard as a cardinal sin, by pouring red sauce all over his spaghetti:
How to destroy your good name in one single move! https://t.co/qTtHg9Cegc
— Matteo Trentin (@MATTEOTRENTIN) May 7, 2022
As Paris-Roubaix winner Elisa Longo Borghini would say any time someone insults her home cuisine: “After that, I don’t know what there is. Probably only death”.
They might not let him into Italy for tomorrow’s stage…
Cyclists deliver essentials to elderly in southern Ukraine
As the southern Ukraine city of Mykolayiv is bombarded by Russian missiles – with one person killed and 27 injured over the weekend – a group of volunteer cyclists has formed to deliver essentials to vulnerable elderly people in the area.
Mykolayiv is the first major city behind the front line of the conflict and has seen its water supplies disrupted in recent weeks.
The Red Cross called on the help of local cyclists due to fuel shortages.
“A friend of mine used to deliver food here,” said Volodymyr, one of the volunteers. “He said that they were creating a short-range delivery service. It’s small packages for senior citizens who live alone and can’t walk much.”
Twenty cyclists have joined the group, riding up to 50 miles a day to deliver essentials.
De Gendt versus De Gendt: the real GC battle is on…
Forget the fight for pink, the daily struggle to win a stage, or even the organisers’ weird Twitter combativity/popularity contest; the real highlight of this Giro d’Italia will be the battle to be crowned best De Gendt, a contest which will surely rage on until Verona…
GC battle for best De Gendt in the race. @AimeDeGendt is leading it by 13seconds but i’m getting closer. pic.twitter.com/662qxGVavY
— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) May 8, 2022
Glad i‘m not there doing a gc battle for best Simon with Simon Yates.
— Simon Geschke (@simongeschke) May 8, 2022
Thieves steal eight electric hire bikes from Leicester leisure centre
Leicestershire Police have appealed for help after eight Santander electric hire bikes were stolen from a Leicester leisure centre.
The bikes, which were secured to a stand at Braunstone Leisure Centre, were taken in the early hours of Friday morning.
Officers discovered one of the bikes hidden in a nearby park.
Anyone with information has been asked to call 101 and quote crime reference 22*257272.
The e-bike hire scheme is run by Leicester City Council, in partnership with Santander UK and operator Ride On.
According to Leicestershire Live, the bikes have been used by more than 19,000 people since the lifting of lockdown restrictions in April 2021, with almost 47,000 e-bike trips made during that period.
Move over Peter Sagan…
Some skill 😲 pic.twitter.com/U8oWjkSbsd
— Cycling Today (@CyclingTodayEn) May 9, 2022
Car culture in the UK: a case study
Short ride this morning.
Bumped into neighbour walking the 1.5 miles home from night shift, because he fell asleep driving home & wrote car off a few days earlier
Said he needs a bike, but he’s gonna start driving again once he replaces car.
It’s 5 minutes or so by bike on paths— Real Gaz on a proper bike #fbpe (@gazza_d) May 9, 2022
“So depressing”: Richmond Park tailback reaction
Before we all head off for a final spot of rest day recuperation before tomorrow’s assault on Mount Etna, here are some of your thoughts on Richmond Park’s sunny day traffic jams:
Like, Bute Park makes it a bit inconvenient to get from east to west in Cardiff in the car, but I think I speak for the entire city when I say we’d much rather have the park not spoilt.
— Josh Owen Morris (@JoshOwenMorris) May 9, 2022
That tweeted photo – Richmond Park – is just so depressing…
Cars have no business being in Richmond Park… just ban them.
Surely a glance at Google Maps would show a solid red line on the routes in question? I guess people know the way, so they aren’t using Google Maps to get there, and don’t pause to think.
Or maybe they just enjoy the experience Safari-style, looking at the wildlife from their stationary vehicle? Beggars belief.
And taking pot-shots at herds of passing cyclists?
They really need to get on and build a dual carriageway in Richmond Park.
The tweet from the Royal Parks Police neatly sums up their attitude to cycling, by what it omits rather than what it says.
“Please avoid the area and consider public transport or walking to the park.”
9 May 2022, 08:49
9 May 2022, 08:49
9 May 2022, 08:49
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Latest Comments
Highway Code could really do with updating to cover "Do not go out and use the road with the intent to generate clickbait". Also something about AI before we have artificial bad drivers (though they'll probably copy the bad human ones, might even be slightly better).
Highway code rule 147 seems relevant here... try to be understanding if other road users cause problems; they may be inexperienced or not know the area well. be patient; remember that anyone can make a mistake. do not allow yourself to become agitated or involved if someone is behaving badly on the road. This will only make the situation worse. Pull over, calm down and, when you feel relaxed, continue your journey. slow down and hold back if a road user pulls out into your path at a junction. Allow them to get clear. Do not over-react by driving too close behind to intimidate them.
I think for some the issue is the overall design of the knee and less about specific component suppliers. I've been running (riding...) 'bent knees and find over longer outings this is more relaxed. Also quite aero as I'm lower, and less likely to bang my nose when I fall over.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?
Yeah sod the workers. How dare they want to be paid a decent wage for their work. Perhaps it is due to the UK's poor business model, poor small business support. Why is all the costs, not only monetary, pushed on the smaller businesses and workers? It can be done, Switzerland expect people to be paid a decent wage, and it seems to work. I suppose it pushes more money back into the economy.
@lesterama You'll want to replace them anyhow, since the old knees aren't compatible with 12-speed drivetrains.
@wtjs Furthermore, Professor Sir John Charnley of Bury and Wrightington Hospital, Wigan, great benefactor of mankind for perfecting the total hip replacement, would object to the highly unstable hip joint shown here. It's bonded, no doubt, and equally doubtless kept failing without warning.
I run Dura Ace knees, as I love that they're lighter and that they need replacing within five years.
@mdavidford I run Dura Ace knees, as I love that their lighter and that they need replacing within five years.
@mdavidford Are the joints only available in Ultegra and 105? Beware Shimano enthusiasts! This is a fraud, selling off obsolete stock. Metal-on-Metal replacement joints are long out of use as they result in tiny metal fragments and undesirable tissue reaction.
37 thoughts on ““What a lovely car park”: Tailbacks force cyclists onto grass at Richmond Park; Spaghetti-gate: Van der Poel offends all of Italy; Cavendish closes in on the greats – again; Politicians and pro-car messages; Giro rest day blues + more on the live blog”
Should have wearing Hi Viz !
Should have wearing Hi Viz !
Saw that. From at least 40mph
Saw that. From at least 40mph to a dead stop. Could not have been pretty for the driver.
The tweets above telling us
The tweets above telling us that Labour and Tories have lost or gained seats in places with pro or anti LTN policies are meaningless without telling us what those parties (or those councillors) did in regard to those policies.
you could easily ask why are
you could easily ask why are people so unquestioning of twitter messages as a source of discourse as the pulse of the nation on any topic?
your daily reminder that there are alternative views https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/05/07/backlash-ltns-gives-tories-solace-london/
whilst I dont subscribe to the view that specific topics like LTNs on the whole are cause for much change in outcomes in council elections, or election battleground topics, I certainly agree with the statement one of the councillors quoted who said “It was mainly local issues they (voters on the doorstep) wanted to talk about and wanted the council to fix”.
It would be interesting to
It would be interesting to see some analysis of the difference in vote swings between councils with LTNs and similar councils without.
I’m not convinced that LTNs had much impact at all on the overall vote but people are, as usual, projecting their own assumptions on to the results.
Awavey wrote:
I wasn’t a Twitter user, but have an old account sat around. Now that Musk is buying it, I think it’s time that I stopped clicking on Twitter links completely. It’s a shitty platform for any kind of discourse that won’t fit into the character limit. (Mind you, I don’t bother with the Torygraph either as it’s paywalled)
The motoring mantra seems to
The motoring mantra seems to be ingrained in the UK……
If it’s 1.5 miles to his work
If it’s 1.5 miles to his work, why doesn’t he just walk? Does he have health issues, or is he just lazy? Driving that short distance will cause undue wear and tear for a vehicle engine.
OldRidgeback wrote:
I’m going to guess its sheer laziness. They seem perfectly capable of walking the route when they don’t have a car….. no doubt it will be the usual set of excuses for not doing so….. it’s never quite goldilocks weather for walking/cycling.
Given the OP has also said that the neigbour in question is the kind of person who will drive 500 yards to go to the shops…. it further adds to my suspicions that it is laziness.
Because once you have a car
Because once you have a car (or have the habit in this case) whatever the transport problem is the answer is “drive”. Raining? Drive. Carrying some stuff / going shopping on the way back? Drive. Got to go somewhere else after work? Drive. Kids need taking places (before / after work)? Drive.
There are some complicated things around how we’ve built our environments / social routines around the car which make it hard to change for many. “Hard” meaning “yes – things will change” and “it looks impossible from where you are now”. It may be “impossible” for some people – but luckily cycle transport (or walking) isn’t and doesn’t have to be a universal fix and doesn’t have to solve it all immediately.
Did my first submission for
Did my first submission for using a phone whilst driving, compounded by a right hook across a wanded cycle lane, then an extremely close pass on an old lady using walker.
A letter of advice was issued by Essex Police.
Vision ZeroNo VisionPeople are ready to give
People are ready to give credit to pro-driving messages because we’ve been subject to what is effectively a propaganda campaign for probably fifty years, with all the media promoting cars and rubbishing the alternatives, especially cycling. Then there is the paid advertising, showing an ideal of driving in perfect weather on clear roads. Nothing mysterious about why people now lap up this stuff.
“we’ve been subject to what
“we’ve been subject to what is effectively a propaganda campaign…with all the media promoting…and rubbishing the alternatives…then there is the paid advertising…nothing mysterious about why people mow lap this up this stuff”
Sounds like the past two years worldwide.
Just take your horse meds or
Just take your horse meds or drink your bleach and you will be fine. It has been guranteed by QAnon.
Ouch, that’s quality repartee
Ouch, that’s quality repartee there. Not a QAnon believer but your horse meds seemed to have saved thousands of lives in India so keep drinking whatever your media Kool Aid is champ. Maybe that’s why you’ll never achieve real change though being so whiny, refusal to acknowledge not everyone is a conspiracy theorist or ‘pro-driving’, so trying to belittle them makes your argument so much weaker.
Those Drivers using the park seem to be majority decent people coming to enjoy the park (no reports of close passes, or otherwise biligerent driving, etc.), some are families even. If they’re not able to easily cycle, and there is a road open to them, what’s their alternative? Just slag them off as idiots because that makes you feel superior I guess. Don’t acknowledge them, or propose an alternative. Better still, claim ‘their’ media are trolls yet ‘yours’ are fine. Magic.
Roulereo wrote:
Strange you mention India as I happened across some of the excess deaths stats the other day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/61333847
Although raw numbers aren’t
Although raw numbers aren’t necessarily all that helpful. India, for example has a population nearly ten times the size of Russia’s, so if it’s excess deaths are only roughly five times as high it would appear, relatively, to be doing significantly better.
Having said that, there are also the ‘known unknowns’ – people who just haven’t been counted because of gaps in record keeping, which is reckoned to be a substantial chunk in India’s case.
mdavidford wrote:
That’s excess deaths rather than COVID reported deaths, so likely to be more accurate than official reported COVID deaths. It will include deaths due to lack of healthcare provision (caused by COVID) as well.
Here’s the graph that is population adjusted
Yes – but it’s not just about
Yes – but it’s not just about classification – there are some (likely a lot) of deaths that are just missing altogether, because there are just no records of those people’s lives. And the people that are most affected by this will tend to be the poorer and more marginalised, who will also be those who tend to be hit harder by the effects of, say, a global pandemic.
mdavidford wrote:
True, but previous years will also likely have missed some figures too (maybe a smaller percentage), so it’s as accurate as we’re likely to get. Certainly a better measure than COVID reported deaths which seem to be politicised.
Uttar Pradesh home medical
Uttar Pradesh home medical kits, look it up. That’s the state in India with 230 million people which was on the verge of collapse in early 2021 according to the MSM, who then suddenly stopped reporting when cases dropped 97% in four weeks after the packs were distributed. Sure it was those pesky horse meds, or maybe just more media disinformation campaigns on behalf of Pfizer to discourage cheap medicines without expensive patents…Oh, and BBC lumping in 2020 deaths is pretty misleading when you consider the above. Thanks for your contribution though.
Roulereo wrote:
Uttar Pradesh? You don’t seem to have included any sources or references which is disingenuous when you’re supposedly trying to enlighten us.
Here’s some sources that I’ve found:
https://leadstories.com/hoax-alert/2021/11/fact-check-indian-state-of-uttar-pradesh-did-not-drop-covid-cases-to-zero-in-71-out-75-districts-in-24-hours.html
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/nov/12/facebook-posts/no-scientific-basis-claims-ivermectins-success-utt/
“This is not even remotely the case,” he said during a lecture with other doctors on Oct. 15. While there are claims that the state began using ivermectin in May 2021, during the height of India’s COVID-19 crisis, the government actually said it began giving the drug in August 2020.
“Not only did it not hasten the end of that alpha wave, but it didn’t prevent the delta wave,” Mark said.
Mark cited research where scientists looked at data for all deaths in India, and found that certain populous districts in Uttar Pradesh had no reported deaths at all for several months.
“So either you have to believe that ivermectin prevents you from dying of everything — car crashes, cancer, homicide, suicide — or, that the data is just garbage and you can’t interpret it,” he said.
The New York Times documented problems with India’s COVID-19 data in September, and found that political considerations interfered with open scientific inquiry.
The Indian Council of Medical Research, funded by India’s government, had recommended use of ivermectin for COVID-19 in May, but revised its guidance months later. Indian health authorities warned that the risk of bias is high in studies claiming that ivermectin is beneficial for COVID patients.
A review of available research published in Cochrane Library in July found that the available reliable evidence “does not support the use of ivermectin for treatment or prevention of COVID‐19 outside of well‐designed randomized trials.”
In May, PolitiFact checked a similar claim, that COVID-19 cases dropped in India after the government promoted ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, and ruled it Mostly False. The government did promote use of those drugs, and cases did fall, though the relationship between those events is unproven.
Health Feedback, a member of the International Fact-checking Network at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, found that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between the use of ivermectin and declining COVID case counts in Uttar Pradesh. The site found that other factors likely helped reduce case counts, including immunity from previous infection, vaccination and lockdowns.
It’d be great if Invermectin was effective, but clinical trials haven’t shown it to be of use.
Roulereo wrote:
Apart from:
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-18-february-2021-281009
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-12-may-2021-283273
(you can Google more)
Now this is a busy place and also one where leisure / quiet routes (cycling) is in conflict with through traffic as well as access to the park so don’t colour me surprised – but wait, cars have only been here for how many years and in a giant park we can’t sort out alternative routes?
No idea. There isn’t an airport there, or a port … no, I don’t see how they can get there if they can’t cycle or use a car. If only there were some form of publicly-available shared transport people could use, like what you’d find more of in a big city like London.
I don’t live there but having access limited to car parks around the edge with no through traffic would seem to be the way. Exceptions for access / emergency services and that will obviously need policing in some way. Will that make surrounding streets busier? Possibly – although if it’s nose-to-tail already then it won’t. At that point the solution is not “build more roads” or “we need somehow to let more cars through” and certainly not “damn cyclists!”
This is that rare occasion where “you started it” is an appropriate adult reply.
The tweet from the Royal
The tweet from the Royal Parks Police neatly sums up their attitude to cycling, by what it omits rather than what it says.
“Please avoid the area and consider public transport or walking to the park.”
Reference the Richmond Parks
Reference the Richmond Parks article. Cars did not force cyclists onto the grass. The cyclists chose to use the grass. Motorists chose to sit in traffic, cyclists chose to go round them.
They really need to get on
They really need to get on and build a dual carridgeway in Richmond park
Cars have no business being
Cars have no business being in Richmond Park…..just ban them.
Surely Google Maps would show
Surely a glance at Google Maps would show a solid red line on the routes in question? I guess people know the way, so they aren’t using Google Maps to get there, and don’t pause to think. Or maybe they just enjoy the experience Safari-style, looking at the wildlife from their stationary vehicle? Beggars belief.
Sriracha wrote:
And taking potshots at herds of passing cyclists?
I may get flamed for this but
I may get flamed for this but here goes:
I rode Richmond on 3 occasions this weekend and had a look in the cars while passing them.
Most were one occupant or hubbie and wife, but there were also families with little kids and starter bikes/scooters, also some with grandparents or those with limited mobility – saw some zimmer frames for example.
So banning cars would deny some people (easy) access to the park, the pleasure of open green spaces and of course the deer. Really not fair or inclusive.
What has worked with success in some parts of France is a parking area plus a shuttle bus plus car access limited to disabled.
There are supermarkets near Richmond gate and Kingston gate that could provide parking and bus drop-off points.
And in fairness, we should also stop using the place like a race track …
jaysa wrote:
Not really following because you haven’t shown a link between “came from very far away” / “otherwise couldn’t access” and “drove”. I suspect it’s the usual sliding scale of “convenience” / makes getting their 40 minutes rather than an hour and a quarter plus “have a car, so will use the car”.
However let’s assume this; what you’re saying reduces to “plenty of people drive (because reasons) so it’s not fair to stop them driving to park (because we made parking right in the park)”. But could we not just limit through traffic? Try it the other way round: “people who don’t drive to the park should stop being so entitled and make room for drivers”. See how it doesn’t really work? Don’t forget that to use the park those families and their small children on scooters then have to deal with the motor traffic too…
The idea of “drive and park and park (via bus)” sounds better. It does mean that there will be a fair bit of bus traffic though – a few heavy vehicles instead of lots of cars. Better?
I’m ignorant as I’ve not been there for decades but if I remember there are a) a couple of “destinations” actually in the park – so probably they “have” to have access so everyone else will cut about the place. b) “Royal Parks” so the idea of doing stuff that might “change the character” (ha) or “favour cyclists” probably means this idea is going nowhere.
There’s a separate track for
There’s a separate track for youngsters or less confident folk that goes round the edge.
They should stop through traffic and be tougher on commercial vehicles.
jaysa wrote:
I’ve long thought this (having been riding in the park nearly forty years). I don’t mind people driving to the park (if they must!) and parking in the car parks near the gates, it’s the continually circling traffic that is the problem – especially on days like Sunday when people drive round and round on a carousel waiting for a space to become available (and apparently were abusing parks staff for not letting them in). What I would do is keep the Kingston Gate, Roehampton Gate, Sheen Gate and Richmond Gate carparks open, possibly expand capacity slightly if it can be done sensitively, but close the Broomfield Hill one, maybe reopen Robin Hood Gate if possible to allow people through to the Pen Ponds carpark, but close all other roads except for blue badges and access (Royal Ballet School etc). To mitigate any inconvenience a shuttle bus service could be introduced, maybe going from Richmond and Norbiton stations and circling the park (they had one for the disabled pre Covid but I don’t think they’ve brought it back yet). I don’t want to stop people from all over London enjoying the park, but how can they enjoy it when it’s full of nose-to-tail traffic and fumes – or when they’re stuck in a traffic jam for hours? Oh, the other thing I’d do is have counters on the carparks and the gates shut to traffic when they’re full, the information to be available online so people don’t set out on pointless journeys when they’re never going to get in. Obviously also improve cycling infra so it’s easier and safer for all cyclists to journey there.
That tweeted photo – Richmond
That tweeted photo – Richmond Park – is just so depressing… 🙁
Re: Cavendish being the first
Re: Cavendish being the first British winner of a monument, Milan-San Remo 2009.
Does Nicole Cooke winnig the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 2007 not count ???
Just asking on behalf of the only (non-Paralympic) British Winner of the Olympic Road Race Gold Medal.
Notice you added ‘male before World Championship Road Race, but it should also apply to the first monument winner also.
capedcrusader wrote:
“The Manx Missile was the first British monument winner and male road world champion since Tom Simpson” i.e. the first British person to win both a monument and the male world road title since Simpson so no, Cooke doesn’t count as she won the women’s world road title.
Also, did the women’s RvV in
Also, did the women’s RvV in 2007 count as a ‘monument’, being as it was only in its 4th edition? What are the ‘rules’? Does any women’s race created alongside a men’s ‘monument’ automatically become a ‘monument’ as well? Does it need time to mature? Or should older women’s races – say Amstel Gold or Fleche Wallonne – have a claim?