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Geraint Thomas 2/3s of way through NHS Zwift fundraiser; Philippe Gilbert fined for riding bike outdoors in Monaco lockdown; Press snappers looking to frame cyclists? Shurely shome mishtake; Paramedic has bike stolen during 12-hour shift + more

Today's live blog with Alex Bowden (daytime) and Simon MacMichael (evening)...
UPDATED Thu, Apr 16, 2020 21:56
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16 April 2020, 20:24
Geraint Thomas is two-thirds of the way through his NHS fundraising marathon

Geraint Thomas has finished his second of three 12-hour stints on Zwift to raise money for the NHS.

Fair play to the 2018 Tour de France champion (and, of course, former road.cc pundit).

We know that G likes a beer now and again, but the recovery ones supplied by Cardiff brewery Brains literally have his name on the bottle.

We approve, and best of luck for the third and final leg tomorrow.

16 April 2020, 20:05
Philippe Gilbert fined for cycling during Monaco lockdown

Last month, if all had gone according to plan, Philippe Gilbert could have become just the fourth cyclist - all Belgian - to have won all five Monuments.

Instead, just along the Riviera in Monaco, where he lives, the Lotto-Soudal rider copped a €100 fine for going out for a spin on his bike and breaching lockdown rules.

In an interview on Facebook, the former world champion told Monacoinfo that he'd been riding on an 11-kilometre circuit when he was collared.

The Belgian admitted he was in the wrong, and with bragging rights that pretty much all of us can only dream of, said: "Just because I won Paris-Roubaix last year does not mean I have more rights than anyone else."

16 April 2020, 15:41
New cycling podcast!

A new cycling/walking podcast has landed, co-hosted by our own Laura Laker, along with cycling commentator, Ned Boulting, and Bicycle Mayor for Coventry, Adam Tranter.

Streets Ahead is about active travel, liveable streets and urban design.

The first episode looks at transport during and after COVID-19 and asks whether the pandemic has shown the general public what cycling and walking advocates have been seeing for decades.

You can find it here.

16 April 2020, 15:16
Family 'verbally abused while out cycling'

A Gloucester farmer refused to believe that a family out cycling really was a family and so obviously he verbally abused them for being out cycling.

I find these coronavirus lockdown public policing knobheadery stories very hard to report on.

They’re just too annoying to even think about.

You can read more at Gloucestershire Live if you’re so inclined.

16 April 2020, 15:11
Rather than slowing down, Pedal Me are busier than ever...
16 April 2020, 15:03
106-year-old great-grandmother who survived coronavirus has led “a really active life”

The BBC reports that 106-year-old Connie Titchen – who was recently released from hospital and is thought to be Britain's oldest patient to recover from coronavirus – has always loved to dance, cycle and play golf.

Her granddaughter reckons remaining physically active has been key to her strength in old age.

"She had a hip operation back in December and within 30 days she was walking again," she said.

16 April 2020, 15:02
16 April 2020, 14:54
Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 - 1
Coronavirus *could* be more likely to spread indoors than outdoors

Hefty caveats here that the study in question hasn’t yet been reviewed, BUT… National Review reports that Covid-19 *could* be much more likely to spread indoors than outdoors.

Chinese scientists identified 318 outbreaks with three or more cases, involving 1,245 confirmed cases.

They divided the venues in which the outbreaks occurred into six categories: homes, transport, food, entertainment, shopping, and miscellaneous. Many outbreaks involved more than one venue category.

Home outbreaks were the dominant category (254 of 318 outbreaks; 79.9%), followed by transport (108; 34.0%).

They identified only a single outbreak in an outdoor environment, which involved two cases.

They suggest that, “the transmission of respiratory infections such as SARS-CoV-2 from the infected to the susceptible is an indoor phenomenon.”

16 April 2020, 13:49
Dan Martin joins Geraint Thomas "for a bit"

Thomas is riding 12-hour shifts for three consecutive days - mirroring a typical hospital shift - to celebrate the hard work of front line workers and to raise money for the NHS.

He's on day two.

16 April 2020, 13:43
16 April 2020, 13:14
"Shouty photographer" accused of trying to take foreshortened shots of cyclists in Regent's Park yesterday

A number of colleagues subsequently leapt to the photographer's defence. The following comment from Daily Telegraph news photographer Eddie Mulholland hasn't gone down enormously well.

16 April 2020, 13:08
Cycling social distancing photography, part 12

A number of newspapers have been accused of distorting the truth through their use of misleading photos of cyclists recently.

It’s happened often enough that last week Cycling UK lodged a complaint with the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

This, from Sunday, seems to imply it’s still happening.

16 April 2020, 11:59
Crazy cycling-themed exit poll graphics used for South Korean election
16 April 2020, 11:28
Cranks
Brighton DIY bike workshop reopens

Cranks, a DIY bicycle workshop in Brighton where volunteer mechanics help people fix their bikes, had been closed but has decided to reopen on an appointment-only basis.

The Argus reports it will prioritise key workers if demand is high.

“Please do not come to the workshop if you have coronavirus symptoms and please do not come to the workshop without booking an appointment first,” said a spokesperson. “We are booking one person at a time.

"Customers can come and look at our recycled bikes for sale or bring their bike in for basic repairs. We cannot do major overhauls at this time.”

The company accepts donations plus the cost of parts for repairs.

Bike shops have been deemed essential services under government restrictions.

16 April 2020, 11:00
Paramedic has bike stolen from home during 12-hour shift

Writing on Facebook, Samuel Clyde Jones said: "This morning, after returning from a 12 hour emergency ambulance shift with EMAS I've found my house (Ilkeston) has been broken into and one of my mountain bikes among other items (Laptop, Garmin Edge 820 Cycle Computer, Garmin Varia Cycle Front Light, PS4) has been stolen.

"The bike is a Fluro-Yellow Norco Fluid with Yellow DMR platform pedals as pictured and was taken some time between 5:30PM 14th April and 6:30AM 15th April whilst I was at work. Judging by my WiFi and device activity I reckon it was some time after 9PM.

"At the moment (pandemic wise) two of the main things keeping me sane on my rest days are getting out on my bike and computer gaming/box-sets - so to come home and see how some absolute degenerate individual(s) can abuse the fact that I'm at work possibly helping their friends/family is beyond my comprehension."

If you've any information, there's ways to get in touch with him on that Facebook post.

16 April 2020, 10:39
Sustrans launches online map to help key workers find bikes and repairs

The Cycles for Key Workers page is the focal point for a number of cycle industry campaigns geared towards helping key workers cycle.

16 April 2020, 10:33
Hambini takes issue with our coverage

He says he's French.

16 April 2020, 10:05
Boy battling leukemia gets bike lifted up to his hospital room by crane

10-year-old Reese Loggins was presumably somewhat taken aback to look out of his window at Duke University Hospital to see a crane lifting a bike up to his room.

WBTV reports that Loggins has just had a bone marrow transplant and this is the second birthday he has had to spend in hospital.

His dad, Rusty, said Reese enjoys watching the cranes outside his hospital window, so he arranged for the construction crews to lift up the birthday surprise to his window on Wednesday morning.

The construction workers sang happy birthday as the bike was lifted up to his room and inside nurses came to Reese’s room to wish him a happy birthday.

“I just wanted to make it a special birthday for him for all he’s going through,” said Rusty. “Words can’t describe it to see him in the window and be able to see the bicycle and know that he’s going to get out soon and be able to ride it. It’s pretty awesome.”

16 April 2020, 09:02
Shock jock bike engineer Hambini accused of sexism

If you don’t know Sachin Hambini, he’s an aerospace engineer who also runs Hambini Performance Engineering, producing bottom brackets.

We’ve spoken to him about ceramic bearings before now.  

Hambini’s best known for running a YouTube channel where he talks about bike engineering; takes issue with a lot of people and a lot of things; and swears a lot.

Cycling Weekly’s tech editor, Michelle Arthurs, has today highlighted part of his recent criticism of a segment run by her publication.

She has quite understandably taken issue with his reference to bolt hole sizes.

Hambini-1
Hambini2
Hambini3
Hambini4

 

Hambini has countered by questioning why he was banned from commenting on Cycling Weekly’s YouTube channel before he’d left a comment.

He suggests it’s racism.

Or perhaps his reputation preceded him.

16 April 2020, 08:19
Pro cyclist closes in on 1,000km in a single Zwift ride

South African Willie Smit, who rides for UCI ProTeam Burgos BH, doesn't have a great deal on at the minute.

16 April 2020, 08:18

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Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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