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Cycling world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II; Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Sarah Storey, UCI, British Cycling, Tour de France and Tour of Britain pay respects + more on the live blog

Dan Alexander is on duty for your Friday live blog
Fri, Sep 09, 2022 09:12
12
Cycling world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II; Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Sarah Storey, UCI, British Cycling, Tour de France and Tour of Britain pay respects + more on the live blogQueen Elizabeth II (CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Julian Calder)
09 September 2022, 13:41
Raise a wee dram
09 September 2022, 13:32
Tour of Britain cancellation brings forward Richie Porte's retirement
Richie Porte Tour of Britain 2022 (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

The Tour of Britain was Richie Porte's final race as a professional cyclist, it remains to be seen if he adds one more late-season day out to have a proper send-off. The Tasmanian's glittering palmares includes a seemingly never-ending list of week-long stage race wins: 2x Paris-Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie, Catalunya and, of course, eight stages and two GC wins at the Tour Down Under.

On the Grand Tour front, finishing on the podium at last year's Tour de France is no doubt the highlight. Now, anyone want to move some things around and get him on the start line at a home World Championships? Just an idea.

09 September 2022, 13:31
09 September 2022, 11:26
Fred Wright wears black armband at La Vuelta
09 September 2022, 10:47
Queen Elizabeth's reign in Tour de France wins

Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on 6 February 1953 following the death of her father George VI, with her coronation on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey. The following month Louison Bobet became the first of 37 different riders to win the yellow jersey during her 70-year reign. Bobet won the first three, in fact, and it took until 1958 for a non-Frenchman to win the race under the new Queen's reign, Charly Gaul climbing to yellow in 1958.

The 60s saw Jacques Anquetil win four in a row to become the first five-time winner before, at the end of the decade, a cannibal stormed onto the scene. Through the 70s French success continued, with the fifth and final of Belgian Merckx's wins in 1974 signalling a ten-year run where the home nation won yellow in eight of the ten editions, spearheaded by Bernard Hinault's five. 

New nations emerged to the top step of the podium in the 80s, Greg LeMond taking the world's biggest bike race stateside in 1986, before Stephen Roche's famous win of '87.

Two more LeMond Tours followed, the final act before Miguel Indurain's dominance of the nineties. Riis, Ullrich and Pantani's superhuman performances followed, we don't talk about the noughties, do we?

So that brings us to the decade when Britain sat atop the cycling world: Wiggins, Froome, Thomas, Cavendish. It doesn't get much better than that...

09 September 2022, 10:42
National Mourning Guidance

As per the National Mourning Guidance, major events, entertainment and sports have "no obligation to cancel or postpone events and sporting fixtures". This may have implications for smaller races or sportive-style events this weekend, with the decision on holding events "at the discretion of individual organisations."

With that said, it seems likely plenty of road races, time trials, mass-participation events and similar cycling activities will be postponed this weekend. Best to check with your event's organiser.

09 September 2022, 10:30
"A symbol of stability and an absolute role model for tireless public service": Reader tributes
Queen Elizabeth II (licensed by Foreign & Commonwealth Office under Open Government Licence v1.0)

A quick round-up of some of your comments under yesterday's story:

EnjoyTheRide: "God bless Her Majesty, a symbol of stability and an absolute role model for tireless public service. Amazing to think she inaugurated the new prime minister just two days ago, what an inspiration."

hirsute: "Not a huge monarchy fan but she was brilliant."

Under the Tour of Britain cancellation story some wondered why the race had been called off, but we'd just say there are logistical factors, notably the major policing operation, which a major bike race relies on to run safely, plus the fact as I write this the Premier League has postponed this round of fixtures, with many sporting events already cancelling weekend arrangements and many more expected to follow.

09 September 2022, 10:08
More tributes from across the cycling world
09 September 2022, 09:28
09 September 2022, 09:25
UCI pays tribute to "an icon with a timeless legacy"
09 September 2022, 09:03
"Surreal final night of Tour of Britain": How cancellation unfolded...
09 September 2022, 08:40
Raleigh thanks Queen for "leadership, your dedication, and your humour"
09 September 2022, 08:15
"The true joy of cycling"
09 September 2022, 07:54
Cycling world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

It has been a strange and, for many, unprecedented 24 hours, leading to the announcement from Buckingham Palace yesterday evening that Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, had died aged 96. Tributes have poured in from across the globe, and whilst there are thousands of important tributes, as a cycling website we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't report on the way the news was received across the cycling world...

 The Tour of Britain late last night confirmed all remaining stages had been cancelled and sent "our deepest condolences to the whole of the Royal Family".

Sir Chris Hoy joined the tributes, writing: "I share the sadness and sorrow of all Britons and many others around the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"I had the pleasure of meeting Her Majesty on a number of occasions and always admired her tremendous dedication and absolute commitment to her role, as well as the generosity and compassion she offered to all those she met. Her Majesty The Queen devoted her life to our country, guiding us through so many historically significant moments with great leadership.

"My thoughts are with the Royal Family at this very sad time." 

Queen Elizabeth II (licensed by Foreign & Commonwealth Office under Open Government Licence v1.0)
Dan Alexander

Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.

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12 comments

Avatar
ktache | 1 year ago
1 like

Nuff said...

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/sep/10/cancer-breakthrough-is-a...

Avatar
Steve K | 1 year ago
13 likes

Lovely photos of the Queen cycling - and no helmet or hi viz in sight.

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to Steve K | 1 year ago
2 likes

They're called a "crown" and "regalia".  I think she wasn't licenced then.  That's an amazing headlight though - is that carbide?

Avatar
Steve K replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
6 likes

I'm sure there will be some on here who still think that we should have headlights like that and that, LEDs, along with disk brakes and electronic gears, are the work of the devil.

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to Steve K | 1 year ago
3 likes

We took the wrong turn at copper if you ask me.  Like most people I'm probably slightly nostalgic for the technology level of my early adult years.  EverReady bike lights can stay dead and buried though!

Avatar
NOtotheEU replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
2 likes

chrisonatrike wrote:

 EverReady bike lights can stay dead and buried though!

Take that back! 

I thought I was king of the road with 3 of them on the front with uprated bulbs and all 3 wired into a switch on the bars. . . . . . . . .OK, they were still rubbish, point taken. 😭

 

 

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to NOtotheEU | 1 year ago
1 like

I loved the gentle light you got as the batteries died, the plastic brackets and the momentum the chunky D-cells gave the flying light. 2

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oceandweller replied to chrisonabike | 1 year ago
2 likes

Ummm, not so much "carbide" (whatever that is) as "broken" I think

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chrisonabike replied to oceandweller | 1 year ago
1 like

You're right, looks electric not carbide.  Lack of maintenance there - shocking (if you put your finger in the socket)!  Is that a Raleigh Superbe or sports?  Some interesting features on the former.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/superbe.html

Avatar
Miller | 1 year ago
1 like

I was thinking what year is that TdF photo from? Some research and I make it 2009 and that's Alessandro Ballan in the WC stripes.

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NickStrugnell replied to Miller | 1 year ago
5 likes

Erm, no. The TdF did not come to the UK in 2009. That is the 2014 Grand Depart royal photo op in front of Harewood House in Yorkshire, England.

Avatar
Miller replied to NickStrugnell | 1 year ago
0 likes

Ok, so (quick check) it's Rui Costa.

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