Gordon Ramsay 'risking further wrath from neighbours' with 22 mile ride, claims Daily Mail; Custom bike stolen from man visiting sick daughter; Council signs WILL remain on path; Former women's team manager guilty of harassment + more on the live blog

 

 

 

 

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What a bike ride today, hills galore and some stunning country side thank you @huubdesign for the best gear and of course the ferrari of bikes @iamspecialized @iamspecialized_road Ps Deano I’m going to kick your arse in the next tri

A post shared by Gordon Ramsay (@gordongram) on Apr 19, 2020 at 8:55am PDT

The tabloid reports that Ramsay went on a "22 MILE cycle trip in Cornwall... despite government advice to keep trips to a minimum in lockdown"; claiming that he was "risking further wrath from his neighbours" after initially facing criticism for moving to his second home in Cornwall, despite this happening before the UK went into full lockdown. 

Of course there are still no laws in the UK specifically stating how long you should be out getting your daily exercise for, as noted in our Dos and Don'ts guide updated according to the latest government advice; some have attributed the misconception that outdoor exercise must be limited to one hour to a quote from Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove, who personally suggested that a walk should last an hour and a jog 30 minutes. 

Despite some comments on his Instagram post appearing to perpetuate this misconception, other followers were far more positive including Mark Cavendish and... erm... Steve-O off of Jackass.

The TV chef is a keen cyclist and triathlete, having completed the Ironman World Championship course in Hawaii through an invitational slot in a time of 14 hours, 4 minutes back in 2013. 

With recent reports of key workers getting their bikes stolen during the pandemic, this latest theft sinks to a whole new low; Franco Ashenhurst had his custom Curve Belgie Spirit stolen from outside Great Ormond Street Hospital. He posted on Facebook: 

"Message to the absolute low life scum that decided that they would STEAL my bike from outside of a children’s hospital. The same hospital that my very sick 2 month old daughter is in, and has had a spate of bike thefts both from visitors and staff from outside in the last few weeks according to security.

"I really hope that you are proud of the path you have taken in life and spend what small amount you get for my bike that I worked so hard for wisely. That bike you STOLE was the main way that I found therapy in this time that me and my family are going through and also provided a convenient and cheap way to get to the hospital whilst the roads in London are quiet."

The titanium bike is described as 'rare' with numerous custom spec options, and Curve titanium framesets sell for £2,595 at UK stockist Giro Cycles. In the comments on Mr Ashenhurst's Facebook post, Curve's Ryan Flinn has already promised to replace the bike with a new one and "figure out a way of covering the costs", while Chis Boardman has tweeted his feelings and offered to help: 

Horrible. DM me their email address 👍 https://t.co/sMqkNBPVgi

— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) April 20, 2020

Hopefully this bike is too hot to handle, but keep an eye out on the web for anything similar for sale. Mr Flinn warned: "Don’t try to intercept or take the bike.

"The best thing to do is to take a lock if you see it and lock it up."

Further down the page, we reported that a road.cc reader claimed the offending signs were still up in Little Bollington after the Parish Council said they had been taken down; however we've now been informed that those signs are on a canal towpath where cycling was already prohibited, and therefore will remain. 

Parish Councillor Mike Reed told road.cc: 

The signs about cyclists in the village of Little Bollington have been removed. But the new signs on the Bridgewater Canal have been left in place.

The words “Infringements will be prosecuted” have been covered over as this statement may be inappropriate. I will check this sign and make the same modification.

Please note that cycling on the canal towpath in this area is prohibited. The new signs are intended to make that clear. The prohibition has been in force by Peel Holdings, the owners of the Bridgwater Canal, for several years and signs have been in place for a long time.

The number of pedestrians and cyclists on the Bridgewater Canal is much higher than usual in this period of lockdown, when people are at home every day and are advised to take exercise. The good weather is also leading to much increased numbers. The narrow and restricted width of the towpath in this area make it impossible for cyclists to comply with social distancing rules when passing pedestrians.

There continues to be serious concern among both local residents and visitors to the area about cyclists on the towpath who are not complying with the government instructions on social distancing. There have been incidents where some cyclists who have been challenged to obey the rules have responded with verbal abuse and, in one case at least, an attempted assault.
 

The Swiss cycling footwear specialists have teamed up with apparel brand MAAP for the special edition EDGE+ model, which is set to be released in two new exclusive colours with a MAAP graphic signature. Numbers worldwide will be limited, head over to  The shoe has been released in two exclusive new colors with a MAAP graphic signature, and they're available in limited numbers worldwide - head over to MAAP's website for more info, where they're already on sale for €359.00. 

Stay safe! 🙂 #RideOn

— Zwift (@GoZwift) April 20, 2020

It appears Zwift are set on the idea of a Tour de France on their platform as suggested in our April Fool's article, if their 'checking in' on the UCI's president is anything to go by... 

After our initial story about the signs generated plenty of reaction on road.cc and on social media, Little Bollington Parish Council emailed road.cc. The first one said:

"We have read the comments on  road.cc website and accept that we got it wrong. The signs in Little Bollington have now been removed. We as a community welcome anyone who wishes to visit or pass through our village. We would ask that everyone ensures they respect social distancing. We want everyone to be safe during these difficult times, villagers and visitors alike."

After we replied they since messaged again, adding: 

"We do recognise our error of judgement on this matter. Your reporting was true and fair. Your criticism was valid. So also were many of the posts added on your website. But there are a few abusive comments and some foul language. This reflects badly on the cycling community. I suggest that these comments should be removed and the website should be moderated."

Although a reader over on our Facebook page claims that some of the signs still haven't been removed, the general reaction to the Parish Council's statement has been a positive one. Admitting you got it wrong should be commended, and for that we say chapeau to Little Bollington Parish Council.

We'll of course be following up to see if they plan on removing the rest of the signs, if the photo above was indeed taken this morning... 

It appears nothing under the sun is new... especially tubeless tyres, as our very own Mr Dave Atkinson spotted this excerpt in a book about bike maintenance from 1897 that found its way onto the internet. Next thing people will be sticking on their tyres with special glue or something... 

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