Welcome to Tuesday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Live blog: Cyclists aren’t the “Scourge Of The Streets” says Chris Boardman ahead of tonight’s Channel 5 documentary – they’re people’s family members; Grayson Perry’s blinging bike; TdF latest + more
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Tue, Jul 09, 2019 19:02
SUMMARY
9 July 2019, 19:02
We feel your pain Chris...
Tomorrow, I intend to commute by train with a bike. I’m stressed already. And surely that’s not right.
— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) 8 July 2019
Ever tried boarding a Great Western train from Bristol without a reservation booked about a year in advance? Never ends well!
9 July 2019, 19:02
"Scraping the bottom of the barrel"
This really is scraping the bottom of the barrel!!
— Paul Taylor (@Paultaylor66) 9 July 2019
This ‘documentary’, which has been called “45 minutes of hatred” by journalist Peter Walker, airs tonight unfortunately…
9 July 2019, 19:02
Alex Dowsett's winning Tour de France Twitter so far
There was a couple of crashes today. Subsequently the flat earthers are calling for a ban of stage 3 of the tdf along with road bikes, tarmac roads, lycra, exercise, sweat, downhills, uphills, flat roads, tyres and brakes, as some crashes are caused by too much brakes
— Alex Dowsett (@alexdowsett) 8 July 2019
Dowsett always has an amusing anecdote or two to share, and this one is regarding his previous criticism of an interviewer who asked if time trials should be banned because Chris Froome had an accident on a time trial bike. Some sensible suggestions here…
9 July 2019, 19:02
So much going on in one photo...
Chilling in the presidential suite #lifeontheroad pic.twitter.com/Xnacsdgw2b
— Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) 8 July 2019
Epic tan lines, an empty takeaway carton, some suspect art on the wall, and who knows what’s going on to right of G’s bedside!
9 July 2019, 19:02
9-year-old crashes less than 1km into a 100km charity bike ride due to "disgustingly repaired" pothole
Bailey Bocutt embarked on the ride with his mum, granddad and members of the EG Cycling Club to raise funds for cancer charities, inspired to make a difference after seeing his cousin battling Leukaemia.
Less than 1km from starting, however, Bailey hit a large pothole (above) on the A22 near East Grinstead, which according to his mother was “A disgustingly poorly repaired patch that had collapsed.”
9 year old Bailey had a nasty tumble at the weekend doing a 100km() charity ride. I’m sure the cycling community would all like to send him a massive get well soon! https://t.co/kKQQYzXv2v
— Chris Hoy (@chrishoy) July 8, 2019
Bailey was taken to hospital and kept overnight due to the extent of his injuries, but a family friend told road.cc that he is now recovering at home. He received a message of support from Sir Chris Hoy yesterday, and is determined to get back on the bike to complete the ride at a later date. Bailey has already raised over £8,000 for Children with Cancer, Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden, the fundraising page is here.
9 July 2019, 19:02
Brad on a bike: Cav approves
Absolutely crying with laughter watching @SirWiggo on the moto for @Eurosport_UK’s @LeTour coverage. Along with bike racing, he was made to do this. His Instagram Stories are absolute gold too. Not just for laughs, his knowledge is impeccable pic.twitter.com/3IvkvHJ05o
— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) July 8, 2019
9 July 2019, 19:02
Tim Wellens' Tasty KoM Bike
Proud mechanics with the bike for @Tim_Wellens today and more to come !
Nice job @Lotto_Soudal @Ridley_Bikes @CaptofCycling pic.twitter.com/roTT72PhC4— Marc Sergeant (@marc_sergeant) July 9, 2019
We suspect that Ridley had this frame ready before the Tour because overnight, PolkaDot Jersey wearer Tim Wellens magically got a new bike with a fancy new paint job.
It probably wasn’t magic pixies that built it up though, more like one of these tired Belgian mechanics!
9 July 2019, 19:02
The never-ending podium handshake
The never ending podium handshake, featuring @KNiewiadoma pic.twitter.com/0TASutjUhY
— Coreen Mazzocchi (@mazzok) July 8, 2019
Canyon-SRAM’s Kasia Niewiadom found herself locked in a seemingly infinite handshake as she collected the Maglia Rosa yesterday, in a test of endurance on a par with the 100km stage she’d just completed. A captivatingly akward watch…
9 July 2019, 19:02
Important sock length update
Stunning work by the cat3memes Instagram account here. Operación Socko is in full swing…
9 July 2019, 19:02
Quick-Step confirm Kasper Asgreen is fit and ready for stage 4 after yesterday's crash
Here he is!@k_asgreen, happy to continue #TDF2019 and to get a morale-boosting visit from his beautiful family before the start of the stage. pic.twitter.com/fpT9JqLmVc
— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) July 9, 2019
Thankfully Asgreen came off far better than his bike, which was literally cut in two after he crashed deep into yesterday’s stage. He went to hospital after gingerly crossing the line but has been given the all-clear to continue today.
9 July 2019, 19:02
Arkea Samsic's dangerous socks
What do you reckon, do these Ekoi socks worn by Arkea Samsic meet the UCI’s rules? As we all know by now, socks must not extend higher than the halfway point between the ankle and the knee. These boys are living life on the edge.
9 July 2019, 19:02
Graham Obree* joins the TdF peloton
An Un-identified Rolling Object goes on the attack
Attaque d’un Objet Roulant Non Identifié #TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/DP0sEfVdB6
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 9, 2019
*Probably not Obree
9 July 2019, 19:02
That's an amazing front light on Grayson Perry's bike ...
Going for a very gentle pedal round central London, yes I have got lights in case no one sees me pic.twitter.com/oeaWJQVGdp
— Grayson Perry (@Alan_Measles) July 8, 2019
9 July 2019, 19:02
Tour stage 4 latest: Frederik Backaert wins intermediate sprint, Viviani picks up points, drunk people in a paddling pool
Coming to you live from the most refreshing place to watch the 4th stage
En direct du coin le plus rafraichissant pour regarder passer l’étape 4 #TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/MI0Ar1e5fR— Tour de France (@LeTour) July 9, 2019
Backaert was first over the line out of the breakaway, and from the peloton Elia Viviani was the best of the rest ahead of Sonny Colbrelli and Peter Sagan. And these people found a more refreshing way to watch the action…
9 July 2019, 19:02
Viviani wins stage 4 photo finish
@eliaviviani wins in the sprint!
@eliaviviani s’impose au sprint !#TDF2019 pic.twitter.com/80cmyzvR3Z— Tour de France (@LeTour) July 9, 2019
It’s two in a row for Deceuninck–Quick-Step, as Elia Viviani beats Alexander Kristoff and Caleb Ewan to the line with Peter Sagan finishing fourth – full story on the site coming soon.
9 July 2019, 19:02
Chateau, Ellie!
Some serious face-pulling by The Gurning Kwik Fit team’s Ellie Vivaldi there! She’s won the women’s race just a day after her teammates Julian, Alan and Philip took the top three places yesterday. Chateau!!!
— UK Cycling Expert (@ukcyclingexpert) July 9, 2019
9 July 2019, 19:02
Cyclist's aren't the 'Scourge of the Streets' - they're people's family, says Chris Boardman
Chris Boardman, the world and Olympic gold medal winning cyclist turned cycling campaigner, has said ahead of tonight’s Channel 5 documentary that cyclist’s aren’t the “Scourge Of The Streets” – a reference to the programme’s title – but members of people’s families.
Boardman who remains a policy advisor to British Cycling in addition to his principal role as Greater Manchester’s cycling and walking commissioner, was speaking in a short film for the governing body ahead of the programme, which airs at 9.15 this evening.
Cyclists aren’t the ‘scourge of the streets’. They are mothers, fathers, grandparents and children all doing their bit to make Britain a healthier, greener and more liveable place.
Share this video from @Chris_Boardman to help us make our message loud and clear to @channel5_tv pic.twitter.com/PDkRGEjsRi
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) July 9, 2019
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Jack is group editor across road.cc, off.road.cc and ebiketips, overseeing all three sites in the F-At Digital group to make sure everything’s up to scratch. He’s been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of road.cc including tech, news and video, and also contributed to ebiketips before being named editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town, and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master’s degree in print journalism, and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it’s a long story).
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Latest Comments
mctrials23 7 minutes ago
@perce I'm not sure I agree with that. I think thats just confirming that he is take fully responsibility and recognises that the cyclist could have done nothing to mitigate it.
Paul J 48 minutes ago
If we don't fight it now, we'll all end up forced to wear baggy shorts!
kinderje 2 hours ago
@Rendel Harris Agree, I am baffled that the 84 year old who is now banned from driving for year can then start driving again without a retest. We should be re-tested regularly.
Rendel Harris 3 hours ago
@mitsky Just checking the figures and apparently the 2026 average cost is £58,000 per year per prisoner; worth noting that is only the direct cost, you then have to factor in ten years of lost tax income from the prisoner, ten years that the prisoner is making no contribution to society as a worker or as a consumer, plus the fact that if they were the primary breadwinner very likely the costs will include benefits for their family as well. None of which should be a reason for keeping violent recidivists out of prison of course, nor drug/drink drivers who kill, but it is a factor worth considering for lower-level offences.
Rendel Harris 3 hours ago
@Surreyrider I ride in Surrey a fair bit and absolutely many do look like that but the point is they all *think* they're driving perfectly reasonably (as one discovers when remonstrating with someone who's skimmed one by 30cm, "I gave you masses of room") so deterrent penalties have little effect. That's why we need to strike at the root cause and actually train drivers properly and test them stringently (and more than once over the course of a potential 70+ years of driving, it's absolutely absurd that competence and knowledge in what for most people is the activity in their life that will run the biggest risk of killing people you never have to have your qualifications renewed).
Rendel Harris 3 hours ago
@mitsky Imprisonment currently costs over £50k p.a. per prisoner and obviously that will rise over the course of a ten-year stretch with inflation. Regarding culpability and mitigating sentences etc, of course I'm not against condign punishment for drivers who kill (and cyclists on the tiny, tiny handful of occasions when this happens), including prison as appropriate; I was objecting to the ridiculous and oft-repeated demand of MM that drivers who kill cyclists must get ten years, "no excuses, no exceptions".
Blackthorne83 7 hours ago
Hey, but their wool blend cycling adjacent t-shirts are/were fantastic.
RoadYeti 8 hours ago
@Surreyrider Still the boss. Ride one, you'll see why
chrisonabike 11 hours ago
@Smoggysteve "Most would happily ride on the roads and be treated with respect by drivers". But people aren't - and as far as I can see they won't be. Not until there is a lot less driving and it's slower around cyclists, and far more people driving have "skin in the game" eg. they sometimes cycle and their friends and family do also. That's what leads to the model - which is perhaps most advanced in NL - where cycling, walking and driving are all seen as separate normal transport modes. Their needs, vulnerabilities and any dangers to others are considered. And *that* leads to "mix / share when possible, separate when necessary". But "possible" is "where your 10-year old would be safe to cycle unsupervised" - so very few motor vehicles, going slow! And AFAICS everybody - even "existing cyclists" - is happy with the result. (I dunno about a few pro cyclists - but don't they tend to have training camps in different counties anyway?)
chrisonabike 12 hours ago
@quiff as an Edinburgh resident I can confidently say he's speaking without moving his lips in one sense: - while as I noted in a separate comment there *is* now some real separated cycle infra, all the examples i can think of have *at least as much space* for pedestrians. The rest of the "cycle infra" is essentially similar to the situation in the rest of the UK: eg. bus lanes*, cycle lanes and shared use paths (eg. "build" infra by sticking up a sign). Edinburgh is one of the places with a moderately extensive network of former railways which have been converted to "shared use" paths (completely motor traffic few). However though shared they are not narrow by UK standards. And this is all effectively a "free extra" for all non- motorised users, not like the "sign a cycle path" where pedestrians do lose space. I think this all comes from the "popular understanding" of cycling in which ultimately cyclists are the "other". They don't fit "motor vehicle" or "pedestrian" (including wheelchairs on the very rare occasions people think about that). Thus "cyclists are cheating" in multiple ways! They shouldn't get their own space as "there aren't enough" of them. And "they can just use the road / path". But being able to *choose* "on the road" or "on the footway" (shared use path) is clearly unfair - nobody else gets to do that! BUT of course even if they did pick just one of road OR pedestrian space it's still not fair anyway because they're "too slow" for the road (don't pay "road tax" etc...) and "far too fast" for pedestrians... * Though some existing cyclists may appreciate them when there are few buses, buses and bikes are a very poor mix for several reasons.
8 thoughts on “Live blog: Cyclists aren’t the “Scourge Of The Streets” says Chris Boardman ahead of tonight’s Channel 5 documentary – they’re people’s family members; Grayson Perry’s blinging bike; TdF latest + more”
Hope you get back on your
Hope you get back on your bike soon Bailey!
I wish councils would at least do some spot checks on the work of their contractors and subcontractors road repairs.
Jesus. I hope he can sue the
Jesus. I hope he can sue the council for that. That’s a terrible bit of damage.
Just when the world thought
Just when the world thought that there could be no tan worse than a cyclists tan… the Lotto Soudal mechanics appear from the back of the truck.
The damage is that the road
The damage is that the road subgrade has washed away underneath the patch – for some time by look of (limited) picture. This would have been a visible defect for months.
Without the context of a good picture of the whole road can’t comment any further
My thanks to his holiness,
My thanks to his holiness, Lord Sir Chris Boardman for that short piece re cyclists and their place on the streets. In a few short moments he puts everything into context and gives me (some) hope for the future of transport in this country.
that wasnt as bad as i
that wasnt as bad as i thought it was going to be. Still showed some ignorant morons out there still think cycle paths are compulsory though. Dave sherry made me laugh, as im similar to him. I’m probably as qualified as he is, allbeit i drive trucks, not buses. Go on davey! The old guy in the big red truck saying he couldnt get past the cyclists on box hill, may i ask, would he not be able to pass if he rode a motorbike, the other single occupant transport vehicle? A big red nissan truck is for hauling two to three people and a load of chopped trees, not for a whiney old man to move around by himself in. I’d have got past all of those bikes easily on my motorbikes, cos i chose the right vehicle to overtake other people, not a car….using a car to try and get around other people is like walking into a lift whilst chronically obese, then having a shout at the underweight toddlers in the lift with you when you realise you can’t get out without hitting them. You are too fat and wide, thus have chosen the wrong vehicle[ or weight and width, in this example]. The bike lane cabby- the bike lanes are empty because most people are at work, yes? That tends to be what people do… the road is full up because thats just how it is, full. The roads without cycle lanes are full up and stop moving too. You never seen a motorway come to a standstill? Thats the cycle lanes fault is it? Oh yes, they dont have cycle lanes, so you got nobody to complain about. I think next time i ride my motorbikes and i come across single occupants in cars in traffic jams im going to point at the bus stop signs and inform them they must be on the bus as the law says they have to be, the council spent a lot of money for these bus services so why dont you use them instead of slowing down bikes?
gaz rides wrote:
Pensioners too. They get FREE bus passes, provided at GREAT expense by the government, how dare they choose to drive a car the ungrateful bunch?!
Now available to watch on
Now available to watch on line https://www.my5.tv/cyclists-scourge-of-the-streets/season-1/cycle-wars