Crap driver tells Jeremy Vine to “Fuck off”; Geraint Thomas's season over; Demare wins again at Giro; 100 miles at 42.6mph (while drafting); Car tech preventing speeding mandatory in EU from 2022; Muddy Classics; + more

To be the best, you’ve got to train on the best 💪

📸 @England pic.twitter.com/mm7Fi0i2e0

— wattbike (@wattbike) October 8, 2020

Demare like all of us when we arrive at a party too early, but with cameras in his face. I'm just hanging around, trying to look cool while I catch someone's ey....ooooh there's a friend. Hi!! 👋

— Orla Chennaoui (@SportsOrla) October 8, 2020

Arnaud Demare of Groupama-FDJ has won Stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia in Matera, his second victory in this year's race, and 12th of this strangest of seasons.

The French national champion made it look easy today, unlike his hair's-breadth win in Villafranca Tirreno on Tuesday, distancing his rivals before the line in a tough finale.

Bora-Hansgrohe's Peter Sagan was favourite for the win today but finished eighth and loses the points jersey to Demare. The three-time world champion, riding the Giro for the first time, is also still waiting to become the 99th rider to have won a stage of each of cycling's three Grand Tours.

Chris Boardman has been a bit more specific about his dissatisfaction with that BBC segment on low traffic neighbourhoods. (See yesterday's live blog and also Jon Burke's comments earlier.)

I’ll do this just once:

LTNs are not ‘blocked to cars’ Only through traffic,

In FACT all roads are accessible by car, you just can’t use them to cut through.

So it’s both inaccurate and provocatively framing LTN’s as people having something taken away. That’s irresponsible https://t.co/g1whrrwcE1

— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) October 8, 2020

Pedal Me are to replace the vans that Lime Bike has been using to redistribute its bikes on the streets.

E-cargo bikes will now be used to pick up/drop off multiple e-bikes at a time.

They'll be swapping batteries in and out as well.

The partnership will negate over 60,0000 motor vehicle miles per year and means Lime’s e-bike service will be fully car-free across London

London. It’s time to ditch the car (and van) for good.

We’re very excited to announce a new partnership with @limebike here in London.

Together we’ll be working to reduce 60,000 miles currently done by electric vans.. pic.twitter.com/du5igjBKtQ

— Pedal Me (@pedalmeapp) October 8, 2020

On Monday, Jon Ornée set what he believes is a world record for fastest 100 miles by bicycle (while drafting).

He rode behind a minivan on a NASCAR racetrack for 100 miles in 2:20:46 at an average speed of 42.6mph.

In 2019, Marcin Bialoblocki rode a 100-mile time trial in 3:13:37. Drafting behind a vehicle is obviously a huge advantage and Ornée is applying for it to be a new category.

Ornée was hit by an SUV while cycling in May last year, a near-death experience he says has changed his life.

“I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be cool if a car and bike teamed up for a change and did something spectacular?’”

Ornée’s dad drove the van and he wore a bluetooth earpiece so that he could chat to him.

“Going around a track while staring at the back of a vehicle is a ton of fun for the first couple laps,” he explained. “Doing it for over two hours is somewhat hypnotic. It was good to be able to chat a bit to keep my mind engaged.”

Ornée said the plan was originally to do 42mph on the straights and 40mph on the turns, “but after a few laps I asked him to hold it steady at 42, which felt comfortable.”

Hydration was one of his main concerns, to the extent that he “definitely over-hydrated the 24 hours before the ride.”

He said reaching down for a water bottle at 43mph felt a little sketchy, so he drank from a bottle mounted between his aerobars using a straw.

Yep that is great.
We do use bikes at events to get through crowds ie Wimbledon or Glastonbury etc #thinkbikes pic.twitter.com/030VQd9VpJ

— Edmund King OBE (@AAPresident) October 7, 2020

Mandatory safety features will be introduced in cars to combat speeding in the EU from 2022. The only question is what form they will take.

The BBC reports that the EU is proposing kit that will render the accelerator pedal temporarily unresponsive when the speed limit is reached.

Car makers want a bleeping light on the dashboard.

Oliver Carsten from Leeds University trialled the “Intelligent Speed Assistant” accelerator pedal and said: “It gave us a massive improvement in speed compliance with UK drivers, especially on urban roads.

“We fear that replacing it with a beeping system will just annoy drivers, so they will mute it as soon as they step into the vehicle.”

The issue is being debated today. Whether the system they go for will apply in the UK depends on trade deals and whatnot.

Described as "wavy and demanding" in early parts before "a few mild climbs and descents in the closing part lead to punchier bits in the stage finale."

Race situation: Joao Almeida (Deceuninck - Quick Step) leads Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-McLaren) by 43 seconds with Wilco Kelderman (Sunweb) a further five seconds back. There are currently 14 riders within two minutes.

Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) leads the points classification, ahead of Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) and Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers).