Councillor under fire over anti-cyclist “w*nking off the Dutch” tweet considering his position; Best ever cycling save? Vuelta “part of the process of getting back”, says Froome; Trek join ‘How it started. How it’s going’ bandwagon + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
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Why cyclists should* wear a helmet
don’t forget to wear your bicycle helmet, it will help with working out where your head was for identification purposes pic.twitter.com/atFvazIqX9
— Jo Burt (@VecchioJo) October 21, 2020
*It’s actually up to you, but that would ruin this dark tweet from road.cc contributor Jo Burt.
"Froome and Pinot lost how much time?"
#LaVuelta20 pic.twitter.com/9iiDmBmJWP
— Tilda (@matildaprice_) October 20, 2020
The thing Manchester mayor Andy Burnham was shocked about is admittedly a lot more important in the grand scheme of things… but even so, Froome 11 minutes down on the first stage of a Grand Tour!
Oxfordshire councillor to be investigated after appearing to endorse tweet that accuses cyclists of "w*nking off the Dutch"
Cllr Liam Walker, a Conservative who is Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Highways Delivery and Operations believe it or not, has been forced to backtrack after replying to the tweet, which also suggests that cyclists should “f*ck off over” to the Netherlands.
Who knew that as the weather got worse all those temporary measures wouldn’t get used….. cycling went up during lockdown because people had time on their hands. Now they are back to work & on school run they need their cars. This was obvious months ago. https://t.co/cjpWAKXYqe
— Cllr Liam Walker (@_Liam_Walker_) October 19, 2020
I’m well aware of that. It’s not a lack of vision it’s the reality of where does the funding for all this come from? I’m tired of being trolled by Oxford cycling groups always demanding more with no plan how to fund these things.
— Cllr Liam Walker (@_Liam_Walker_) October 20, 2020
What a piss poor comparison 🤦🏻♂️ so every cyclist is a fair weather rider ! You are a tool ! And you are a councillor 😂😂😂 fml 🤦🏻♂️ think you might find cycling went up due to HOW SAFE it was because of no cars.
— AtotheJ (@AtotheJ19) October 19, 2020
Cllr Walker has now deleted the reply, that originally appeared under a thread in which he appeared to criticise new cycle lanes installed during the pandemic. He claimed that cycling levels were going down as the weather turned and people return to work and the school run, while a number of people replied arguing that cycling levels are going down again because of increased danger on the roads due to more motor vehicle traffic.
Cllr Walker has (sort of) apologised for his tweet, saying that he has deleted it because reading “all sort of expletives” about himself “takes its toll”:
“I am sorry if anyone was offended, it was just a tongue-in-cheek comment off the back of that article”, Walker told the Oxford Mail.
“Obviously I did not say it, I implied I agreed with the view.
“I hear a lot about what is going on in Holland but we are not the same as Holland. We are trying to do the best we can to improve infrastructure but with restricted funding.”
Oxfordshire County Council confirmed that they had received a number of complaints about Cllr Walker’s conduct, with a spokesperson saying: “Oxfordshire County Council has received complaints about this matter, and they will be investigated by the monitoring officer.
“The council has a member code of conduct and has adopted a complaints procedure for assessing whether this has been breached. The monitoring officer will investigate this matter over the next few days in accordance with that procedure.”
Mitchelton-Scott album drop coming soon
A few hours later…
🪓🛠🔪Problem solved 💪🏼😂 pic.twitter.com/yqqQYAL8Iq
— Mitchelton-SCOTT (@MitcheltonSCOTT) October 21, 2020
Or should that be GreenEdge? In any case, road.cc Liam has suggested that they should cover the dance-pop musical horror show that is ‘Timber’ by Ke$ha… everyone else on the team has suggested any other song in history.
Froome says Vuelta is "part of the process of getting back"
Baptism by fire for the first day back in a grand tour since my crash! 🔥 @lavuelta knows how to dish out the pain 😆 All part of the process in getting back! Looking forward to the fight over the next 3 weeks 👊
📸 @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/pzw1qS8BbZ— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) October 21, 2020
Have the goalposts moved, or did the two-time Vuelta winner know he wasn’t going to be in contention for the GC in the first place? Plenty of fans have chimed in to wish Froome the best, hoping that he’ll be back to his unbeatable best one day.
It's raining, it's pouring... so check out our relevant buyer's guides if your wet weather kit draw needs restoring
What’s your go-to bit of kit for crap weather? Do let us know what you swear by in the comments, and check out these buyer’s guides for our top recommendations…
29 of the best pieces of waterproof cycling clothing
26 of the best waterproof cycling jackets 2020
And don’t forget to refresh yourself on our nine top survival tips for cycling in the rain of course.
Driver arrested after killing 10-year-old boy who was riding bike
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Humberside police say the driver, in a blue BMW, hit two boys who were riding bikes when the incident happened at around 6pm on Monday evening.
One of the boys died in hospital, and the other is still in a criticial condition. The 30-year-old driver has been arrested “on suspicion of driving offences in connection with the collision” according to police, and he remains in custody.
Officers are appealing for witnesses, and anyone who saw either vehicle prior to the collision, or anyone with dashcam footage from the area at the time. Anyone with information is asked to called 101 quoting log 488 of 19 October.
Let it snow at the Giro
🤩 #Giro pic.twitter.com/2M7ue9oPFm
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) October 21, 2020
Parts of stage 17 are a winter wonderland today
One job
“You had one job”https://t.co/tj2GlQdVqT
— Angry People in Local Newspapers (@angrypiln) October 21, 2020
An Auckland Transport spokesman said the possum got painted over because it was “missed on a dark country road”, apparently.
What a save: Belgian pro Tim Merlier manages to stay on his bike, sat on his top tube with both feet unclipped
30 km – nog 13 man in de kopgroep. Door een rukwind is er weer een bijna valpartij. Wonder boven wonder blijft Merlier recht!#TJVSlive pic.twitter.com/X5EpTlCW2o
— Team Jumbo-Visma Supporters (@TJV_supporters) October 21, 2020
What with all the bike racing going on today, we didn’t anticipate the relatively obscure Three Days of De Panne piquing our interest more than the two Grand Tours going on at once… but here we are, and above you’ll see a pretty epic save from Alpecin–Fenix rider Tim Merlier.
A big gust of wind appears to rip through the peloton, and Merlier ends up with both feet unclipped after being knocked by one of the riders. How did he stay upright? Our resident racing snake and Taylor Swift fan Liam Cahill explains:
“It looks like the group was hit by a big gust of wind, and the effects of it will have got worse as it rippled through.
“By the time it hit the back, the affect was greater and Merlier was likely clipped by another rider, which was almost enough to throw him off his bike… instead Merlier wisely sat on his top tube to regain full balance, then clipped back in.”
Well, it all panned out pretty well for him in the end… has something like this ever happened to you, and did you manage to stay on your bike? Do share your tale of woe or glory in the comments as always.
Merlier came third for his efforts
Top 10
Yves Lampaert 🇧🇪 @deceuninck_qst wins #AG3daagse 🇧🇪
2. TimDeclercq 🇧🇪
3. TimMerlier 🇧🇪#MathieuVanderPoel 🇳🇱 Fell into ditch – He is OK. pic.twitter.com/Vb7o5oEIFs— 🇮🇪 🚴♀️ IrishCyclingNews.com 🚴♂️🇮🇪 (@Irish_Cycling) October 21, 2020
That impressive save earned the 27-year-old a podium spot at Three Days of De Panne. It also appears we’ve been out-punned by ProCycling’s editor Ed Pickering…
Three Days of deep pain for Tim Merlier. pic.twitter.com/xHdgEdf2HI
— Edward Pickering (@EdwardPickering) October 21, 2020
Do you cycle on fast dual carriageways?
Our latest road.cc reader opinion piece is itself generating plenty of opinions… what do you think?
Trek join the 'How it started. How it's going' bandwagon
$ 120 is how it started and $ 12.000 is how it is going
— Rick (@Rick_023) October 21, 2020
Yep, they definitely walked straight into that one.
Ben O'Connor wins Giro stage 17
🏁What a great feat accomplished by @ben_oconnor95! Watch now the Last Km of Stage 17 of #Giro d’Italia 2020!
🏁Che impresa! Riguarda l’ultimo km della Tappa 17 del #Giro d’Italia 2020! pic.twitter.com/yvxlEM2DY4
— Giro d’Italia (@giroditalia) October 21, 2020
All the more impressive after getting narrowly beaten in a head-to-head with Jan Tratnik on stage 16, the Australian got his revenge today with a sweet solo victory on the slopes of Madonna di Campiglio.
With the move reeled back in it’s a select lead group taking on this tough climb. Carapaz in green and @ivansosacuervo are up there in this selection #LaVuelta20
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) October 21, 2020
Meanwhile at the Vuelta, there’s just over 20km to go and Richard Carapaz was pushing the pace. The move was reeled back, and a small pack has now formed at the front.
Marc Soler wins Vuelta stage 2
🏅Victoria para @solermarc93
Victory for @solermarc93 🏅#LaVuelta20 pic.twitter.com/B7ktFvzZuP
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) October 21, 2020
An impressive solo win by Soler. With Richard Carapaz, Dan Martin and Primoz Roglic all finishing 19 seconds behind, Roglic will keep hold of the red jersey.
Councillor Liam Walker considering position after row over anti-cyclist tweet "mentally takes its toll"
Cllr Walker was heavily criticised for appearing to endorse the tweet above that says cyclists “are constantly w*nking off the Dutch”, and suggests such people should move to the Netherlands. He is now being investigated by Oxfordshire County Council following a number of complaints about his conduct.
After first issuing a statement apologising for any offence caused, Walker has now took to Twitter to say that he is “taking a break” from social media in the wake of the row. He said:
“I’m going to take some time off Twitter. It’s been a crazy few days after my inappropriate tweet about cyclists which has resulted in several complaints to the council. My apologies again to anyone who was offended this was not my intention.
“I’ve always been one to speak my mind forgetting that as elected officials we have a responsibility to ensure we balance personal and professional opinions. I’m acutely aware my tweets are monitored by many in the hope I trip up. It’s right our monitoring officer now investigates the complaints fully and fairly.
“In the meantime I guess I need to decide if having the huge responsibility of highways in Oxfordshire and being a councillor is really right for me. I love the role and the incredible team at OCC but sometimes all this mentally takes its toll and personal life should always come first.”
21 October 2020, 07:41
The debate is more complex than ‘close pass equals condemnation’,” says road.cc reader Phil
Cycling on fast dual carriageways – Yes or No? A road.cc reader gives his view
“The debate is more complex than ‘close pass equals condemnation’,” says road.cc reader Phil
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Latest Comments
This seems like an obvious yes from the chancellor. I can't imagine it would cost the treasury much, but will mean a lot to those who will benefit from it.
“Next to a leisurely walk, I enjoy a spin on my tandem bicycle. It is splendid to feel the wind blowing in my face and the springy motion of my iron steed. The rapid rush through the air gives me a delicious sense of strength and buoyancy, and the exercise makes my pulse dance and my heart sing.” – Helen Keller
@FionaJJ That is a fair point about reusing a contractor that has performed well in the past. Some companies I have worked for have required two or three quotations for work. However for processing machinery, selection is usually based on the best (or sometimes only) technical solution. Presumably lawyers get involved in approving public tender specifications and the contract awarding procedure? That would certainly add significant costs! I think another factor is that public officials are sometimes out of their depth. Several major projects executed by my local council have gone badly wrong, resulting in poor end results and or huge losses of money. It is not a good idea to expect multi £m projects to managed by official whose competency ceiling is perhaps deciding what colour to paint a bus shelter!
@FionaJJ You miss the point. Revenue from parking charges increased. People are trying to frame it as "the issue has been, there has been less parking income." Clearly that is a lie.
@Rendel Harris the issue is, that's not how this lands with the public. As a result of stories like this being promoted by cycling organisations, a tiny tiny proportion of people will use masks when they cycle. A much larger group of people will decide (or add another reason to their list) of "cycling isn't good for me so I won't do it". I'm not saying don't do the research. I am saying, cycling organisations will do more harm than good when they choose this as the message to promote.
@espressodan I could be wrong but it feels more like she's been told her services are no longer required and if she quits they'll let her say what she wants (in preparation for her next job no doubt). Clearly she hasn't made them profitable but she's not alone in failing to do that.
"Rapha’s holding company Carpegna Ltd also reduced the carrying value of the company by two thirds from £169m to £67m." Nobody is going to pay £67m for a business that has never made a profit, even in the days when Rapha kit was everywhere.
@Liam Cahill How exactly do you ride a "stationary bike" then?
@Mr Blackbird I'm sure lots of people would struggle to work out where those costs are going too. Not that I'm defending any specific spending on any specific new roundabout. But while private sector procurement still needs to comply with CDM regulations, if a director of a company knows that contractor A is good at building factories, and they liked what they did last time they can simply phone them up and ask for a quote. The public sector cannot do that, even if they know full well that's the best firm for the job who will give best value for money. Not to mention all of the other stuff that is required before you can do certain work for the public sector, like demonstrating that you don't use slave labour, or blacklisting. And because tenders are open to all, they have to include questions that rule out everyone that isn't competent in a way that can't be challenged by their lawyers. A lot of the work that goes into setting up a new factory is indoor work that can be done at any time of the year, and any time of day once you've got the lights installed. Some civil engineering works will never be scheduled for the winter months, and those that are will be subject to short working days and inevitable weather delays. Contractors have to factor all of that into their costs. I think you are right that the costs of public consultation are relevant. Not just the costs of the actual consultation, but multiple design iterations and the delays that come with it. Someone on my local Facebook couldn't understand why the council wasn't installing the replacement pedestrian/cycle bridge over a river entering an exposed and tidal bit of the coast during the winter when there would be less disruption for the fair weather dog walkers. When it was suggested that you can't set concrete below a certain temperature the response was 'that's just a rule of thumb as any decent builder can tell you'.
@Rendel Harris There's also the issue that Lime/other hire e-bikes kick quite hard as you set off, so if there's a non-e-bike in front of you, there's a real risk of running into the back of them while they get moving. So (on the rare occasion I ride a hire e-bike) I'll try and get to a position where there isn't a rider in front of me, unless they're also on an e-bike, to avoid that risk!
17 thoughts on “Councillor under fire over anti-cyclist “w*nking off the Dutch” tweet considering his position; Best ever cycling save? Vuelta “part of the process of getting back”, says Froome; Trek join ‘How it started. How it’s going’ bandwagon + more on the live blog”
It would appear Cllr Liam
It would appear Cllr Liam Walker has form:
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17843563.councillor-liam-walker-uses-term-breached-ethical-code/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/16/local-council-launches-inquiry-councillor-used-emojis-label/
Seriously, if you can’t engage in adult discussion and debate, are you mature enough to be a councillor making decisions affecting people’s lives?
It’s quite ironic that
It’s quite ironic that apparently he got into politics by campaining for funding for a BMX park! Let’s hope he doesn’t completely forget where it all began.
https://www.liam-walker.com/meet-liam
Looks like one of these career politicians who has never done anything else and sadly seems to have fallen in with the wrong crowd.
eburtthebike wrote:
“The best argument against Democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter [or elected representative].”
att. Famous things famously not said by someone famous
Quote:
Disingenuous to frame it in terms of “extra” money, since of course there never is any “extra” money; if there were it would have been spent already – money does not just lie around idle waiting to be discovered. So you can dismiss any proposal on that basis.
The proper way is to consider spending [i]priorities[/i] within whatever money is available. The priorities can change without needing any magic “extra” money. That way there is proper debate, whereas the old “extra” money argument just preserves the status quo. At which point you have to ask, do we need councillors to preside over such non-decisions?
Sriracha wrote:
Clearly, this councillor isn’t mature or wise enough to appreciate this perfectly clear point, or to engage in this kind of grown up debate.
Nicely put
Blimey
Love my wheels wrote:
Careful! That kind of vicious, nasty, attacking comment gets you thrown off facebook these days.
Love this bit about people
Love this bit about people don’t cycle in winter so no infrastructure not necessary
How about people don’t drive in summer so no infrastructure necessary….
Quote:
Nice
Mines got my name tag in it..
Mine’s got my name tag in it….
Only if your mum sews your
Only if your mum sews your nametag on the inside !
I’m still not clear what
I’m still not clear what
‘Cyclists constantly wanking off the dutch’ actually means
Are UK cyclists some sort of rentboy ?
hirsute wrote:
Well he’s a polly tit ration and they are renowned for their proclivity with young children, so maybe he knows what he’s talking about seeing as he must have a wealth of experience wanking and being wanked.
I think it has something to
I think it has something to do with ‘owning the libs’ but I’m not 100%…
hirsute wrote:
Sounds like he’s suggesting that we love the Dutch attitiude to cycling and constantly suck up to them and love bringing it up. Similar comparison to the stereotype of how Vegetarians have to let everyone know they’re Vegetarian constantly and bring every conversation around to Vegetarianism somehow.
The cartoon is a take-off
The cartoon is a take-off from the rather excellent War and Peas series. Highly recommended if you need a gentle chuckle. Check out the Perry Bible Fellowship (weird name, also excellent) too.
“Who knew that as the weather
“Who knew that as the weather got worse all those temporary measures wouldn’t get used….. cycling went up during lockdown because people had time on their hands. Now they are back to work & on school run they need their cars. This was obvious months ago.”
Cycling increased during lockdown for many reasons. The weather was one but the lack of traffic was definitely an important factor. It is also correct that it is not as pleasant to ride in poor weather. In my opinion if we want people to commute in bad weather it is important to get them started in the good weather of the summer so the behaviour is ingrained by the time the bad weather arrives.
We had the chance to do this as we came out of lockdown but, in my experience, drivers became even more aggressive than they had been before lockdown. I resurrected my action camera and would not go out without it and that is still the case. This is not just my experience. My wife is now scared to go out on the bike after a 4×4 pickup drove straight at her and veered off at the last minute. We still can’t work out why this happened. She has always cycled and even cycled into town the day before she gave birth to our first. When the second arrived she got a tricycle with seats on the back to get around on. She is no wimp. Many other people I have talked to who had enjoyed cycling in lockdown will not now cycle on the roads.
We missed the opportunity to give cyclists safe infrastructure in the good weather, we continue to miss the opportunity to punish drivers for aggresssive behaviour towards cyclists. Both need to be sorted by next spring if we really expect people to commute by bike in poor weather.