“Completely made up”: Cycling page with thousands of followers spreads bizarre fake stories, including one claiming Tadej Pogačar confronted by Greta Thunberg during TV interview; Incredibly serious Zwift safety concerns… (not) + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"Completely made up": Cycling page with thousands of followers spreads bizarre fake stories, including one claiming Tadej Pogačar clashed with Greta Thunberg during a TV interview
Here’s a rather bizarre start to Thursday for you: a Facebook page presenting itself as a news site appears to be chasing engagement with completely made-up ‘stories’ about pro cyclists.
The reviews of the page from fed-up people who keep seeing the posts on their feed include plenty of mentions of ‘fake news’, but this week’s (now deleted) one has attracted particular attention for claiming Tadej Pogačar “was unexpectedly interrupted” by Greta Thunberg during a TV interview and “was publicly called a ‘traitor’ for refusing to join a LGBTQ+ awareness and climate change campaign”.
We told you it was bizarre.
Now, it would be all too easy to dismiss this. Who could possibly believe that’s true? But the page in question has thousands of followers (enough to fill most League One football clubs’ stadiums) and the comments and reactions suggested some were taking the ‘news’ seriously.
Furthermore, as cycling journalist Peter Stuart pointed out on in a post on LinkedIn, the fake post was then appearing in Google’s AI overview.
“Pogačar was allegedly interrupted by activist Greta Thunberg during a live television appearance,” the AI Overview told readers searching for any news about Pogačar and Thunberg.
“Reports suggest Thunberg criticised Pogačar regarding environmental campaign participation, to which the cyclist responded calmly, causing the studio audience to applaud him.”
Fortunately the discussion around the page’s fake stories, and Google AI’s interpretation of them, means it now flags it all as made-up, but what strange times we’re living through…
Was there ever any doubt?
Different bike, same outcome 👊🏻
Despite last-minute changes from TT bikes to road bikes, time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel still won Stage 2 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana ahead of teammate Aleksandr Vlasov 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/vwgf4c6tCc
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) February 5, 2026
Racing round-up: Lorena Wiebes gets 2026 underway with a win, but Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana time trial neutralised due to strong wins
Wiebes wins with ease 😮💨
Lorena Wiebes proved once again she’s the woman to beat in the sprints, delivering another imperious performance to take her 119th career win on Stage 1 of the UAE Women’s Tour 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/D39RCFz1kr
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) February 5, 2026
The sprint queen is up and running in 2026. New year, same result, this first stage of the UAE Women’s Tour all too familiar for every other team trying to get Wiebes beat. Just look at that gap back to Lara Gillespie and Zoe Bäckstedt.
Over in Spain, the TT at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana has been neutralised amid strong winds and reports of roadside barriers being blown over. The stage win is still up for grabs and Remco Evenepoel has just rolled down the start ramp as we speak. He’ll have to beat Brandon McNulty’s 20.47, so we should know fairly soon.
On the decision to neutralise the GC, the organisers confirmed: “As a result of the safety protocol meeting, comprising the various departments previously communicated, and following a thorough analysis of the situation and the conditions under which the stage will be conducted, the decision has been taken to proceed with the start in accordance to the planned route.
“Nevertheless, it has been agreed that the times recorded will not count towards the general classification. The stage will have a stage winner, and the corresponding podium ceremony will be held in accordance with the established protocol.”
British cycling clothing brand Le Col bought by Head Group, months on from founder's departure following years of heavy losses
Common sense prevails (for now)... Ineos Grenadiers don black shorts
View this post on Instagram
The grey/white ones are gone and Ineos are back in black. Maybe someone’s pointed out to a chief bean-counter behind-the-scenes just how much extra washing the white ones would have meant? Those controversial shorts did get an outing in Aus recently, but the reality of European weather vs summer Down Under might have forced their hand.
Pro cyclist struck by speeding 100kph driver in alleged hit and run – despite being "perfectly visible" with hi-vis jersey and flashing light
"Not the best start to the year, but I'll bounce back": Mads Pedersen breaks collarbone and wrist in crash in first race of the season, faces disrupted classics prep
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A tough start to 2026 for Mads Pedersen, the Dane crashing and breaking his collarbone and wrist on stage one of Volta a la Communitat Valenciana.
Pedersen is undergoing surgery on his collarbone today, the wrist injury not believed to require an operation as things stand.
It all puts his spring classics campaign up in the air, at the very least disrupting his early-season racing and prep for the cobbles.
“Not the best start of the year,” Pedersen wrote on Instagram. “I’ll bounce back.”
Lime bike boss proposes adjusting traffic lights "to reward safe cyclists"
But can Matt Richardson do this?
Dutch cyclist Piet Van Kempen having breakfast at a six-day event in 1936
📷Derek Berwin
— Cool Bike Art (@coolbikeart1.bsky.social) 4 February 2026 at 17:48
European Track Championships: Matt Richardson ends Harrie Lavreysen's seven-year winning run + Josie Knight breaks individual pursuit world record
It was another successful day for the Brits in Konya at the 2026 UEC Track Elite European Championships, Josie Knight and Matt Richardson adding another two gold medals to the tally. Great Britain sit at the top of the leaderboard heading into the final day of competition.
Richardson ended world champion Harrie Lavreysen’s unbeaten run in the sprint, this the first time that Dutchman has lost the event since 2019. Lavreysen took the first race before Richardson landed the second, the first time he’s ever beaten the 19-time world champion over the line.
In the decider, Richardson launched with one lap to go and held off Lavreysen to take a stunning win.
“It was hopefully an exciting final for the people watching at home,” Richardson said afterwards. “I certainly enjoyed myself; It was a really hard-fought battle. I’ve been working on trying to beat Harrie for many many years and always fell a little bit short so it’s really satisfying to finally get on that top step. I’m really proud to be able to wear this jersey for the next year and I’m going to enjoy it a lot.”
Elsewhere, Josie Knight regained the European individual pursuit title, setting a world record in the process. Knight’s time of 4:19.461 took 4.181 seconds off Vittoria Bussi’s previous record from May 2025. Teammate Millie Couzens won bronze to make it a British 1-3 on the podium.
Incredibly serious Zwift safety concerns... (not)
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As a Councillor, Edward needs to be paying some attention to all that parking obstructing visibility and manoeuvres at the junction, and sorting out those radii.
Ed Hill was chucked out by Reform in 2025, though TBF to him it was about how to run it rather than ideology I think. He is now reportedly closer to Advance UK, which is distinctly more extreme than Reform. I'd call this Alan Amos style attention seeking.
Emily, thank you for such an insightful piece. I’m a man, but I enjoy watching the women’s races, possibly more than the men’s. The racing is so much closer, we rarely know who’s going to win. You painted a wonderful picture of how a true champion is able to ‘rise above’ setbacks and distractions, and focus their energy on the task in hand. ‘All’s fair in live and war -and sport, but always good to hear riders expressing their admiration for their competitors
@Nigel Garage ...and then everyone applauded my courtesy and I waved courteously to all the people who were courteously throwing flowers and cheering and courteously waving flags that said "Nigel is the best!"
The picture from street view clearly shows give way lines from the roads to the green painted cycle/pedestrian lane. The road user should give way (or must...) to the user of the green lane. This would of course apply to any cyclist on the roadway.
If I recall there is a cave or two along the route - perhaps they were sheltering from the heat in one of those having taken it for a Golf bunker?
“So if there’s a cyclist travelling down the cycle path at the moment, from this position I can’t see them because my blind spots are too big on the left hand side of the vehicle”, claims Hill. Well, there's your problem, right there...🙄
First impression from the headline that he's likely a twit. Then the detail he was expelled from Reform makes you suspect that failing even their low bar requirements he really is. Then he clearly explains his vehicle is unsafe for the highway because he can't see to give way when turning. Any collision he now has should have that video run out explaining he drove a vehicle he knew to be unsafe. Advice for motorists; instead of thinking that pedestrians and cyclists are low risk 100kg objects, imagine them as a 300 Tonne trains that will crush you and your vehicle if you cross into their paths. You'd give way to the train, so you equally can to the others.
I've had a brief look on Facebook, and Ed Hill (who now appears to be affiliated with Advance UK) seems to have taken some useful road safety improvements under his remit, including an initiative to help local pedestrians on unpaved roads, where the wider council won't help due to planning failures. Regarding the cycle path, I think this is linked to a wider misunderstanding about giving way at junctions and I'm afraid I cannot agree with Mr Hill's conclusion. Regardless of the suitability of the cycle path, vehicles should give way at the junction to both pedestrians crossing and cyclists. It seems to be a poorly understood rule among motorists where some believe they have priority at junctions like this, where they certainly do not. I once had a similar issue myself, while leisurely walking to Waitrose to buy some lunchtime fripperies. A driver beeped their horn as I crossed the junction, despite me having priority, and was shocked and apologetic when I explained I had priority. A polite conversation later, the driver departed, educated and updated on the rules of the road.
"A cycle lane that traverses the entrance to a side road in Exeter should be changed so that “cyclists give way to vehicles”, according to an independent county councillor" Newsflash: Bicycles are vehicles. Now what?
6 thoughts on ““Completely made up”: Cycling page with thousands of followers spreads bizarre fake stories, including one claiming Tadej Pogačar confronted by Greta Thunberg during TV interview; Incredibly serious Zwift safety concerns… (not) + more on the live blog”
I think perhaps you meant the first time that he’s not failed to lose it.
Didn’t we see Van Kempen’s bike on the blog a couple of weeks ago?
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-22-january-2026-317755#Mother%20of%20God!
It appears the Irish government previously discussed plans to make helmets and hiviz mandatory for ebikes and escooters are being extended to apply to bicycles too: https://irishcycle.com/2026/02/04/all-bicycles-included-in-draft-plan-for-mandatory-helmets-and-high-vis-department-confirms/
Write to your TDs now!
https://road.cc/content/news/ireland-introduce-helmet-and-hi-vis-laws-cyclists-317819
Check the dates. That road.cc article is from January 26th, and the Irishcycle article is from February 4th. As the Irishcycle article states:
” today was the first time that they have made it clear that all bicycles are included in the draft plans”.
I.e., this story has developed since the road.cc article you’ve referred to.
That wouldn’t surprise me :-/
Maybe you should update the previous thread, it’ll probably be lost in here.