Cyclists want to “control the roads” through lower speed limits, claims driver – who asks: “What right does a cyclist have to tell anyone what to do?” amid call for cycling insurance and number plates; MVDP: “I don’t like the Tour” + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“She was pushing her bike against me, and I didn’t like that very much”: Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado hits out at Zoe Bäckstedt after final corner shoving match during epic ‘cross battle
Lars van der Haar’s rugby-style shoulder relocation wasn’t the only example of headline-stealing antics during Saturday’s Superprestige race in Gullegem.
In the women’s race, as Lucinda Brand timed her trademark blistering final few laps to perfection to take the win – teeing up her superb solo triumph in Dendermonde a day later – it was all kicking off in the battle for second behind.
As Zoe Bäckstedt and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (who looked set for the victory until Brand’s late late show) turned onto the crucial muddy running section just before the finish, the 20-year-old overhauled her Dutch rival, before cutting across her to take the inside line.
😵⚡ Un finish 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲̀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂 et un 𝗱𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂 entre Alvarado et @Backstedt_Zoe ! ⚡😵
Lucinda Brand réalise la belle opération à Gullegem 🏆🇳🇱#cyclocross #superprestige #Gullegem #LucindaBrand #Alvarado #Backstedt pic.twitter.com/myMVI0gBTw
— Pickx Sports (@PickxSports) January 4, 2025
While Bäckstedt’s move was entirely warranted as she had nudged her bike ahead of Alvarado before cutting across (in fact, if both riders had been on their bikes, the move would barely have been noticed), Alvarado clearly didn’t take too kindly to the manoeuvre, shoving the young British star twice before remounting.
As Brand celebrated just ahead, the in-form Bäckstedt managed to just edge out the Fenix-Deceuninck rider in a thrilling shoulder-to-shoulder sprint to the line, to take an extremely encouraging second place.
Not that Alvarado, who ceded her Superprestige lead to Brand after finishing third, was in the mood for congratulating Bäckstedt after the race, however.
“She passed me and immediately cut me off, right towards my line,” the 26-year-old said when asked about the late shoving match between the pair.
“She was pushing her bike against me, and I didn’t like that very much, to be honest. She could’ve done it, sure, but maybe a little farther down the course. I tried to nudge her back onto her line, that’s all it was.
“I’m not sure if it affected the final result. We sprinted all the way to the finish, so I have no idea.”
Meanwhile, a “satisfied” Bäckstedt didn’t seem too concerned about Alvarado’s retaliation in the mud, during what the ever-improving 20-year-old described as a “fight for second place” – which, thankfully, didn’t become completely literal.
“I passed her as we entered the run-up section, and after that, it was a battle to the finish,” she said. “She came over me in the final chicane, but luckily I had enough power to secure second place.”
And more than enough grit, too.
“Great fun”
Well, they don’t call it the DenderMonster for nothing…
It may not be everyone’s cup of tea – the word “circus” cropped up on a few occasions yesterday, I’ll admit – but Sunday’s World Cup round in Dendermonde certainly lived up its muddy, chaotic billing.
It had all the necessary ingredients of a cyclocross epic: two excellent winners in Wout van Aert and Lucinda Brand, ridiculously heavy mud, riders caked in mud and almost unrecognisable (and hugging unsuspecting journos in the process), untimely punctures for almost everyone, lots of thick mud, running sections, hilly sections, trap-laden puddles, steps, mud, and mud. Did I mention the mud?
Dendermonde today showed why Cyclocross is the best sport in the world. It takes guts and heart as well as skill and power to succeed in this game, and all of that, and more, was in abundance in both the men’s and women’s races despite (or maybe because of) the harsh conditions.
— Cyclocross Guy (@cyclocrossireland.bsky.social) January 5, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Asked about his Dendermonde experience after the race, the dominant and still muddy Wout van Aert (who even succumbed to the mud a few times himself) summed it up perfectly.
“These are the cyclocross races you remember,” the still extremely muddy Belgian said. “When you’re doing it sometimes you question why, and it’s so difficult to stay concentrated and pull it off.
“So, great fun.”
And in case you missed out on any of that “great fun” yesterday, here’s a 38-second clip that encapsulates the beauty and madness of Dendermonde. And of cyclocross if we’re being honest:
This is crazy 😬
🎥: @cyclingmedia_ag pic.twitter.com/hzHIkH4RFW
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) January 5, 2025
Or as road safety campaigner Dr Robert Davis put it on social media: “Wout van Aert takes on a section of the UK’s National Cycle Network…”
It’s an oldie, but a goldie.
The silkiest cyclocross skills of the weekend
Forget Wout van Aert splicing through the thick Dendermonde mud, or powering over the seemingly impassable washboard sections, this is proper Belgian ‘cross tekkers:
Ciclismo. pic.twitter.com/VMQQyRtwGr
— La Fiamma Rossa (@lafiammarossa) January 5, 2025
“I’m not saying junior gears, but maybe 56 or 54 needs to be the limit”
Looks like Wout van Aert’s left field call for restricted gears for pros is already gaining traction within the peloton…
> Chris Froome backs Wout van Aert’s call to limit gearing in road races, with big chainrings blamed for “more serious crashes”
Quick, someone get Victor Campenaerts on the phone!
London drivers spent 101 hours on average sitting in traffic during 2024, new study finds – as capital named Europe’s most congested city again
And now for something completely different…
In news that is guaranteed to give you whiplash after a morning of muddy cyclocross round-ups, London has retained its coveted position as Europe’s most congested city, a new study from transport analytics company Inrix has found.
According to the study, motorists in the capital spent 101 hours on average sitting stationary in traffic last year, a two per cent rise on 2023’s gridlock times, and four hours more than the average time recorded in 2022.
Meanwhile, London’s A40 Westway – where plans to install a protected cycle lane were scrapped back in 2016 – was awarded the most congested road in the UK prize, with 5pm-6pm unsurprisingly deemed the worst time to be travelling on the A40.
Inrix also estimated that the cost of all this congestion to London comes to around £3.85bn, or £942 for each of the city’s four million drivers.
> BBC U-turns on article blaming London’s ‘most congested city’ title on cycle lanes
Paris, meanwhile, despite its active travel efforts in recent years, finished second on the company’s standstill leaderboard, clocking up 97 hours of delays, while Dublin – which is only beginning to slowly embrace protected cycling infrastructure – is third at 81 hours.
Bristol and Leeds were second and third, albeit a long way behind London, in the UK charts, with 65 and 60 hours of delays respectively.
Manchester, in fourth place, saw a 13 per cent increase in delays compared to 2023, while Birmingham’s congestion apparently dropped by 10 per cent, moving it down to sixth in the UK for traffic.
“While the UK did see a slight increase in congestion again this year, overall congestion has remained steady,” Bob Pishue, Inrix’s transportation analyst and the author of the report, said upon its publication today.
“Roadworks in key corridors such as the M25 Wisley interchange caused considerable traffic on a main artery into the capital.
“Interestingly it was cities outside of the capital that saw the greatest increase in congestion, with Manchester seeing a large increase, up 13 per cent.
“While London only had a modest increase in time lost, it still represented half of the entire country’s delay.”
> London’s cycle lanes ease congestion, rather than cause it as cycling keeps growing in capital
Responding to the sobering figures, a Transport for London spokesperson said: “We are committed to making sure Londoners can move around the capital as safely, sustainably and efficiently as possible.
“We support the movement of everyone across London and our investment in walking, cycling and public transport is making it easier to choose sustainable ways of travelling, helping to cut congestion.
“Our network includes some of the busiest roads in the country and we continue to invest in world-leading programmes to make sure roads are used as efficiently as possible.”
Iconic traffic-free Eddie Soens Memorial race set for a “break” in 2025, as rising costs at Aintree Racecourse and falling entry numbers make event financially unsustainable
The storms battering domestic racing in the UK show no signs of abating, after it was confirmed at the weekend that the Eddie Soens Memorial, one of the most historic and iconic races on the British calendar, will not go ahead in 2025 due to rising costs and plummeting entry numbers.
First held in 1961 and one of the traditional curtain raisers of the British cycling season, the Eddie Soens Memorial is famous for both its handicap format – allowing juniors and club racers to compete against pros – and its traffic-free conditions at Aintree Racecourse, the home of the Grand National.
Last year, at the 62nd edition of the event, Cycling Sheffield’s Jack Hartley beat Matt Bostock for the win, while multiple Olympic champion Ed Clancy – now in charge of turning around the domestic scene’s fortunes as head of British Cycling’s elite road racing task force – secured victory in 2009, 2013, and 2017. And back in 2010, when a road.cc-sponsored team took to the start, Team Sky’s Ben Swift raced it as part of his preparations for the world track championships.
However, the event has been plagued with financial troubles in recent years – and almost didn’t go ahead in 2020 due to a lack of funds, before bowing to Covid restrictions the following year – culminating in a £2,500 loss last year.
And now the British Continental has reported that rising costs, particularly after Aintree raised its fees from £400 to £1,850 a few years ago, mean that the race will be scrapped for 2025
“Aintree’s costs kept rising and rising – that’s mainly what’s killed off the event in its current form,” organiser Brian Rigby told the website.
Entry numbers, meanwhile, have also taken a dip in recent years, down from the usual 180 to just 100 in 2024, slashing entry fee revenues by around £1,300, a loss, Rigby says, that was compounded by British Cycling’s levy increases for 2025.
“It makes an already tough task impossible,” he said, indicative of the increasing pressures on grassroots racing in the UK.
Nevertheless, Rigby insisted that the race will return in 2026 – but almost certainly not in the traffic-free environs of Aintree, and probably on open roads instead, changing the character and format of one of Britain’s most established and storied races.
“I’ll have it back in 2026, just might be a bit different,” Rigby concluded.
“A five-year-old had a part in the planning”
> “It’s a safety issue”: New cycle lane blocks driveways and kerbs are “too high”, residents claim… but council insists “ample visibility” and tells drivers “to be suitably careful of all road users when accessing their property”
‘Do you reckon we’ve got enough sponsors on the jersey? Nah, let’s stick on a few more, it’ll look great’
There’s been quite a bit of chat on the internet this morning about Intermarché-Wanty’s kit for 2025, and it’s clear the jury’s still out on the new red and black touches, as well as the distinct lack of the team’s formerly fluorescent yellow and blue signature style.
However, nobody yet seems to have clocked that the Belgian squad’s new look appears to be paying tribute to the late, great Gianni Savio and his love for plastering as many sponsors as possible on the front of his old Androni jerseys:
Lovely touch, Intermarché.
Don’t try this at home (the falling off bit anyway)
Bike messenger-turned-demon descender Safa Brian here, showing that anyone, even a cyclist who can follow Tom Pidcock downhill, is capable of the odd random spill:
Lucinda Brand opts out of defending Dutch national cyclocross title, saying “my body needs some rest and training to recover” after ten races in 16 days
It’s fair to say Lucinda Brand has been on fire this winter.
The 35-year-old multidisciplinary star is currently leading the three major season-long cyclocross standings, the World Cup, Superprestige, and X20 Badkamers Trofee, a natural consequence of her staggering consistency – of the 24 races she’s started since October, she’s never once been off the podium.
And since 30 December, she’s raced on five occasions, winning three times – including back-to-back successes at Gullegem and Dendermonde – and securing two further second places.
But it seems that even the most machine-like racers can get tired, too. Because, with a realistic hope of winning her second world cyclocross title in France at the start of February on the horizon, Brand has decided to opt out of defending her Dutch national champion’s jersey, a title she’s won three times already, in Oisterwijk this weekend.
“It’s time to say goodbye to my National Champion jersey, but I’ve worn it with so much pride,” Brand posted on Instagram today.
“The National Championships have always meant a lot to me, and it truly hurts not to be able to take part this year. However, after racing 10 cyclocrosses in just 16 days, my body needs some rest and training to recover.
“It’s already been a fantastic season so far, and I hope to make it even more special in the coming weeks. Thank you for the support – let’s finish this season strong!”
With the way she’s currently riding, and with some much-needed rest in the bank, it’ll take a brave soul to bet against Brand.
“You would rather someone had died than be held responsible for your actions”
> Driver who left teenage cyclist “for dead” in horrific hit-and-run is given six-month suspended sentence due to ‘state of the prison service’
“Yikes!” Lars van der Haar branded a “hard man legend” after popping dislocated shoulder back into place mid-race… using his saddle (again) – as Dutch cyclocross star admits “it took a really long time to get it back in”
The weekend’s cyclocross action may have belonged to the flying Lucinda Brand and Wout van Aert, who both secured back-to-back victories in Gullegem and Dendermonde, but there were plenty of other eye-catching moments from a grimly muddy, freezing, and chaotic few days on the fields of Belgium.
First up, after nursing a knee injury which kept him out of the first two races of 2025, on Saturday four-time Dutch champion Lars van der Haar was back doing what he does best – popping his shoulder back into place mid-race.
After a good start in Gullegem, which saw him battling among the top five, Van der Haar’s race – and his attempts to dislodge Niels Vandeputte at the top of the season-long Superprestige rankings – were soon derailed by a crash on the fifth lap, which appeared to pop his previously dislocated shoulder out of place.
But instead of heading straight to the showers, like a normal person, the two-time European champion simply employed his by-now infamous – and wince inducing – ‘press down extremely hard on the saddle’ technique to pop his shoulder back in and carry on with his race:
Ouch.
Shoulder relocated without much fuss, the 33-year-old raced on and eventually finished 10th, as up ahead Wout van Aert capitalised on a late Eli Iserbyt mistake to take his first cyclocross victory since last January’s World Cup round in Benidorm.
Of course, this isn’t the first time that Van der Haar has opted for the casual saddle-based shoulder pop-in during a race.
In November 2023, the Dutch star performed another impromptu mid-race self-examination after crashing at the Superprestige race in Niel, prompting Eurosport commentator Marty McDonald to exclaim “He’s gone full Mel Gibson, Lethal Weapon there!”
And it seems Van der Haar’s party trick (although I’m not sure he showcased it over Christmas dinner, to be fair) is still impressing ‘cross fans… who weren’t eating at the time, I assume.
“Oh my goodness me, there is a sight I do not want to see,” Jez Cox, on the mic for Eurosport at the weekend, said at the time.
“We have seen him do that before. What a hard man.”
“Watching on delay but did Lars van de Haar pop back his shoulder again? Just casually standing in the mud there? Yikes,” Cox’s fellow Eurosport commentator José Been wrote on BlueSky later.
“What a legend,” added another social media user, while Dennis noted Van der Haar’s “interesting technique”.
“These guys are something else,” concluded one gobsmacked fan.
Meanwhile, Van der Haar, for his part, appeared to be completely nonplussed about the whole episode.
“It took a really long time to get it back in,” he said after the race. “”I also crashed, so it really wasn’t my day.”
Now that’s an understatement, Lars.
Both Giro d’Italia and Tour de France reportedly on the cards for Wout van Aert, but no Milan-Sanremo or Strade Bianche
With Mathieu van der Poel unveiling his road plans for 2025, it was only a matter of time we started hearing reports from his eternal shadow’s camp.
And right on schedule, Het Laatste Nieuws has reported that Wout van Aert – back to winning ways on the ‘cross bike at the weekend – is set to ride both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France this season.
The Visma-Lease a Bike leader was originally pencilled in to make his Giro debut last year, but those plans were put on hold after a horrific, high-speed crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen scuppered his spring campaign.
The Belgian paper also reports that Van Aert will be joined in Italy by sprinter Olav Kooij, and will likely be given a free role to hunt stages, in a similar vein to his pre-crash Vuelta exploits last year.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
After finishing his abbreviated cyclocross campaign at the end of January (skipping the worlds in France), the 30-year-old will kick off his road season in Spain on 17 February before heading to the Volta ao Algarve to prepare for a full cobbled classics campaign, focused on his two big remaining career goals: the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
There will be no Milan-Sanremo or Strade Bianche – races Van Aert won in 2020 – on the schedule, however, though he could cap off his classics campaign by aiming for a second win at Amstel Gold before preparing for a grand tour-heavy summer.
I’ve got Chiles, they’re multiplying…
> “Chaos could be coming our way” – Adrian Chiles asks whether e-bikes are “a new menace in need of tighter regulation” on BBC Panorama
Right, that’s me off for the evening – but remember to set your recorders for 8.30pm, in time for Panorama’s special on ‘E-Bikes: The Battle for Our Streets’.
Unless you’d prefer a nice relaxing evening not shouting at the tele, of course…
“It’s a race that I don’t really like”: Mathieu van der Poel admits “there’s not much for me to gain in the Tour de France” as Dutch star sets sights on becoming world mountain bike champion
Mathieu van der Poel looks set to swap three weeks of racing around France and performing lead-out duties for a summer of knobbly tyres, suspension, and rocks, as the Dutch champion confirmed his ambition to win the world cross-country mountain bike championship this year – and admitted he’s not all that fond of cycling’s biggest race.
Speaking to Sporza, the 29-year-old all-rounder – who’s aiming to recover from a rib injury to equal Erik De Vlaeminck’s record of seven world cyclocross titles next month – said he doesn’t enjoy operating within the constraints of the Tour de France.
“It’s a race that I don’t really like,” Van der Poel, who won a stage and wore yellow for six days on his spectacular Tour debut in 2021, before largely being consigned to lead-out duties for Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinter Jasper Philipsen ever since at the French grand tour.
(A.S.O./ Charly Lopez)
“Apart from trying to win stages and wear the yellow jersey there’s not much for me to gain in the Tour.
“I’d rather ride five races where I’m competing to win than 20 stages in which I’m not competing for the win half the time. With Jasper on board, my goal is always to help him win as many stages as possible. I like that and it also takes the pressure off me.
“To say I was unhappy at the Tour is perhaps a little strong, but I didn’t have a good time.”
Now, Van der Poel says his big ambition for the summer is to target a maiden MTB rainbow jersey, before building up to win Olympic gold in the discipline in 2028 in LA.
“If I could choose, I would like to become world champion mountain biker this year. I haven’t succeeded yet and it keeps playing in the back of my mind,” said Van der Poel, who’s won the rainbow jersey for road, gravel, and cyclocross across his illustrious career, but has only (only!) managed a career-best third in mountain biking, in 2018.
“LA will almost certainly be the last Games I participate in. It would be great to try to finish there on the mountain bike,” he continued.
But before we get to the summer, there’s the small matter of the spring classics – where a certain Tadej Pogačar stands in the way of Van der Poel winning a record-breaking fourth Tour of Flanders.
(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
“It will be difficult to beat him, but it is a challenge that I am happy to accept,” Van der Poel said of the world champion.
“We are thinking about how we can close the gap on Pogačar because that will be necessary to beat him in De Ronde.
“Perhaps that can be done by slightly different and more difficult training,” the Dutch star, who is also targeting a third straight Paris-Roubaix victory, said.
“That’s why I’m skipping the World Cup cyclocross in Benidorm, for example, because a training camp in that same period will make me better towards the spring.”
Cyclists want to “control the roads” through lower speed limits, claims driver – who asks: “What right does a cyclist have to tell anyone what to do?” amid call for cycling insurance, number plates, and bike inspections
Ah, the angry anti-cycling letter to the editor, a staple of the local press and a somewhat perverse favourite of the live blog, thanks to its insight into the world of fuming, often grammatically challenged, car at all costs motorists.
And one particular letter, published in the Daily Echo this morning and courtesy of David Chapman from the Dorset town of Ferndown – the scene of several anti-bike lane protests last year – has staked an early claim to be the angriest anti-cycling letter of 2025.
Because, it seems, Mr Chapman is concerned that cyclists are aiming to take control of the roads… by lowering speed limits.
“We’ve seen many stories from the cycling community regarding their wishes to control the roads to have lower speed limits despite having their own purpose-built safety lanes away from traffic,” David wrote in his letter to the editor.
“But isn’t it time cyclists took a look at themselves before telling others how things should be? Why do we need lower speed limits on roads with cyclepaths [sic] that keep cyclists away from traffic? Should we impose speed limits on cyclepaths?
“Until cyclists have insurance, licence plates, annual vehicle [sic] inspections carried out by government officials, cycling proficiency (for children, carried out at schools) and mandatory fixed lighting, what right does a cyclist have to tell anyone what to do on the roads?”
All good points, Dave, all good points.
Of course, Mr Chapman’s point about cyclists having “purpose-built safety lanes” would be somewhat weightier if the residents of Ferndown hadn’t just spent much of 2024 arguing against that very kind of infrastructure.
As we’ve reported on a regular basis over the past few months, the new two-mile cycle lane on Wimborne Road East in the Dorset town – completing a bigger project that was dubbed by the Daily Mail “Britain’s biggest bike lane” – has attracted the ire of some disgruntled locals and business owners, who have branded this final section, expected to cost £7.9m and funded by Active Travel England, a “waste of money”.
Some residents opposed to the scheme have also been accused of “spreading misinformation” after unfounded rumours emerged on social media claiming that several trees will be cut down during a future phase of construction, allegations dismissed by the council as “factually incorrect and negative”.
And in July, the former owner of Ferndown Fish & Chips blamed the construction of the cycle lane for his takeaway closing, claiming it hit his business takings by 40 per cent – despite the council pointing out that the specific phase of works highlighted by the owner was completed last year, while others suggested the multiple negative reviews online could also be a factor behind the chippy’s demise.
In August, meanwhile, a publican claimed the works are costing her business £5,000 a week and placing the pub in “survival mode” by driving customers away – though the council pointed out that the business owner had only recently “engaged” with the local authority about the disruption before going to the press.
The story’s also the same in nearby Poole, where a cycle lane made national newspaper headlines in November after upset locals claimed they had been “blocked” in their driveways by wands installed to segregate the route from traffic.
“It’s bad enough cycle lanes have been put there. Trying to reverse out now takes a lot longer and it’s a lot harder. You can’t just reverse out fast anymore,” one local said.
But Dave, you’re absolutely right, it’s the cyclists who wish to control the roads.
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Seems odd, given the name.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0413/9597/8398/files/BZ-4141010006-04_T7.pdf?v=1762220488 Shimano 50/34 52/36 53/39 54/40 11-30 11-34 11-36 SRAM 46/33 48/35 50/37 10-28 10-30 10-33 10-36
I've had a Komoot subscription for a few years. I won't be using the ChatGPT thing as everything about AI is objectionable, but that apart, the remark above about 'don't send me down a muddy gravel track' is absolutely on the nose. I first got Komoot as a way in to my local off-road routes, which did work, so if I'm planning a road ride I have to examine the Komoot route carefully as it does default to the shoddiest surface available. I think Komoot was always off-road focussed so this is simply in its nature.
Can it go lower than that? Also, what's the maximum rear cog one can configure? One would assume with a virtual set up like this that the range is more or less infinite but "up to" makes it sound as though there are limits.
Correct. The Guardian is not a source of scientific data. It is a newspaper that REPORTS on the findings of scientists. And scientists are almost unanimous that anthropocentric global warming is real and represents a thereat to humanity. Anyway, this article isn't from the Guardian, so I don't know why you're wanging on about it.
Have the people complaining actually tried the ChatGPT for Komoot app? It doesn't sound like it to me. Because if they had, they would have much more specific complaints about how crap it is. (I'm going to confess I'm a bit of a hypocrite - I haven't tried it myself, as I don't have a ChatGPT account (I do have a Komoot account). But plenty of examples on the internet of people trying it and getting routes that have seemingly little relationship to the prompt supplied).
“planning the race for the morning hours and avoiding the afternoons could substantially increase rider and spectator safety” but it would reduce the appeal to sponsors and TV broadcasters, who pay the bills and so are far more important than the riders and spectators. It's therefore not going to happen. Even making a last-minute switch in extreme situations probably won't work because of the amount of logistics and people involved - the TdF is SO much bigger than the Tour Down Under.
Ah, the scientific rigour of the climate-change-denying right, a blank assertion with no evidence offered coupled with an insult. Pathetic.
Or, in higher temperatures, use ice jackets and ice bundles which can be replenished from the support car.
A cooling sleeve cools you down for maybe 30 minutes and then it becomes a hassle, it also prevents heat leaving the body as an "empty" sleeve now becomes an extra layer. It does make some sense for a time, but in the long run it's just problematic to use. It's just much easier to just pour water over your body.
38 thoughts on “Cyclists want to “control the roads” through lower speed limits, claims driver – who asks: “What right does a cyclist have to tell anyone what to do?” amid call for cycling insurance and number plates; MVDP: “I don’t like the Tour” + more on the live blog”
Good clean racing between
Good clean racing between Welsh Bäckstedt and Alvarado and a great result too.
Another great winter of CX racing, but we could do with upping the commentator game, ex-champions clearly don’t necessarily make good commentators.
I’m a little gutted that I won’t be in Benidorm in a couple of weeks… 🙁
I thought the commentary was
I thought the commentary was super its a super hard job and they obviously know the subject super well and when the racing gets super fast they do a super job of keeping us up to date on a super fast changing situation.
They could maybe do with a
They could maybe do with a super-good thesaurus for their super-superlatives, but it’s the same throughout cycling for some reason: riders, DS’s, commentators, the lot.
In the the Zoe v Alvarado
In the the Zoe v Alvarado race they were being so super superlative about Brands win, they completely missed the fight for 2nd sprint finish.
so had no clue who took the result and the replays we got didn’t show the finish line angle, that clearly bunch of other countries coverage got, as that snapshot was all other twitter within minutes of the finish.
I spose we should be grateful they bother to show it live.
The ex champs are there for
The ex champs are there for expert opinion and observations, alongside the commentators. Of them, I find JP a bit annoying. Helen Wyman has grown on me.
She does seem to have been
She does seem to have been told to stop putting down amateur riders but is still able to get things spectaculary wrong, she is also 180º out of kilter with JP on puddle riding, which is wonderful.
Does Jeremy Power get paid by
Does Jeremy Power get paid by the word? He drones on and on, and contradicts himself continually.
When he is teamed up with Jez Cox, I left wanting Carlton Kirby. Dear god, shoot me now!!
As an aside, is the UK champs being televised?
dubwise wrote:
Bizarrely Carlton might be OK in the 1 hour races, he’s actually quite listenable on the track, the main problem we have is that there’s too much air time to fill on the Grand Tours which give him opportunity to waffle inanely.
Be on BCs YouTube channel I’d
Be on BCs YouTube channel I’d guess, though they’ve not promoted it yet.
As for Kirby, watch the current Dakar coverage to see how good he can be left to himself.
dubwise wrote:
To butcher an already butchered quote, “Carlton Kirby is not the answer, Carlton Kirby is the question – ‘no’ is the answer.”
London is Europe’s most
London is Europe’s most congested city, with drivers sat in traffic an average 101 hours last year
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/06/london-is-europes-most-congested-city-with-drivers-sat-in-traffic-an-average-101-hours-last-year
Obviously we need to improve
Obviously we need to improve flow for drivers! One more lane should fix it…
Is this a mark of just how much we really “have to drive” / have pushed freight onto the roads? O,r could it be that culturally our decision dial is still firmly set to favour “drive there” – even in a city with (in some places, for the UK…) good alternatives to driving?
(I know – “it’s complicated” – London is a) a large area with a large population compared with many European capitals – apparently largest in “Western Europe” per Wikipedia and b) really a conglomeration of joined towns/cities.)
The ranty highwayman
The ranty highwayman describes this as their annual press release.
It’s only a couple of hours a
It’s only a couple of hours a week, doesn’t seem that bad…
Seeing the headline about the
Seeing the headline about the BBC article on “e-bikes” tonight reminds me of this beauty, seen at lunchtime…
I’m not convinced that it is entirely street-legal. I saw it in motion a quarter hour later, being driven along uphill with no pedal motion.
I’m sure it was just that
I’m sure it was just that they couldn’t get all the Christmas wrapping off. Or they’ve taped several hot water bottles in there, to keep off the chill.
Or does that tape say “police – do not cross”?
It doesn’t show up well
It doesn’t show up well because I shrunk the photo down, but the tape actually says “Fragile”
Could be a ploy to reduce the
Could be a ploy to reduce the chances of the bike being stolen.?
Mr Blackbird wrote:
If it was my bike there would be a note taped to the handlebars saying ” If the battery on the top tube loses bluetooth connection to my phone it will explode.”
Reminds me of that Father Ted
Reminds me of that Father Ted episode…
It doesn’t look like van der
It doesn’t look like van der Haar shoves his shoulder down that hard at all
When you see people doing this in the movies, they really run at a wall or similar…
Is Lucinda Brand also a Jedi?
Is Lucinda Brand also a Jedi?
Quote:
I’m sure he’s all in favour of dedicated cycle infrastructure so long as it is built somewhere else.
Shame about the Eddie Soens
Shame about the Eddie Soens memorial race, I remember riding it back when on road races were limited to 40 riders, when the groups merged to a 200 rider peleton it was mind blowing and you could almost coast along in the middle!
I wouldn’t dream of telling a
I wouldn’t dream of telling a motorist what to do, but on this occasion, Mr Chapman needs to consider not talking out of his arse.
Also he may be interested to learn that lower speed limits (20 mph) are opposed by some club cyclists because it has stopped time trials and road races taking place on many courses.
I’m getting my tabard, shoe
I’m getting my tabard, shoe mot, eyesight test, hi viz, insurance so that as a pedestrian I can comment on road use and whether drivers should drive on the pavement.
“A five-year-old had a part
“A five-year-old had a part in the planning”
Maybe you should get the five year old to drive your car out of your driveway, for you…?
101 hours? Peanuts. Drivers
101 hours? Peanuts. Drivers in Chicago, America’s “Windy City,” racked up 155 hours in 2022: https://i-290blueline.com/chicago-commuters-lost-more-hours-to-congestion-in-2022-than-drivers-in-any-other-major-u-s-city-report-shows/
And trust me, it’s a lot easier to get on a bike and beat the traffic crush in London than in Chicago where, as in most American cities, cyclists truly do take their lives in their hands when they get near a roadway.
Regarding the article about
Regarding the article about Mr Chapman and his comments about cyclists wanting to control the roads, I am not a fan of the type of mockery therein.
I think it is fair to say that cyclists do want to control the roads. They have campaigned successfully for cycle lanes. They have campaigned successfully for segregated cycle spaces. They have campaigned even for shared pathways to the detriment of pedestrian safety. And most recently they have been successful in changing the rules of the road so that car drivers are responsible for cyclists’ safety.
I think it is fair to say that he has a very valid point. And I’m sure that there are many more campaigns to improve the lot of cyclists at the detriment of all other road users. You can’t really argue that taking space from pedestrians and motorised transport isn’t to their detriment. It is. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s simply a redistribution in your favour. But you have to accept that the more successful you are, the more pissed off others will be. So try to be gracious and not a bunch of entitled twats!
BigDoodyBoy wrote:
FTFY
Nobody’s really campaigning for that – that’s just what councils fob people off with when they can’t be bothered to make proper provision.
No rules were changed. There was simply more emphasis placed on the existing (but often ignored) responsibility to look out for other people when operating heavy machinery in a public space.
Motorised transport took the space from everybody else in the first place, to everyone’s detriment. Enabling other forms of travel makes spaces more pleasant and liveable, to everyone’s benefit. It also reduces the number of motor vehicles on the road, which generally makes the journeys for the remaining drivers easier.
You mean like those who resist any attempt to reduce their ‘entitlement’ to use the space for motor vehicles?
BigDoodyBoy wrote:
Erm, no it’s not.
Next.
BigDoodyBoy wrote:
Actually he was almost there with that idea. It should be “most cyclists (there are some elitist oddballs out there), people concerned with road safety, people genuinely interested in safe independent mobility for the young, old and those with disabilities, people who would like ‘nicer places’ … including actually most drivers … want to control the roads. ”
(And councils, and those responsible for the roads, because budgets).
Pretty sure the majority of people don’t want an anarchist or libertarian road strategy, designs or policing.
What many people do complain about is “if only the roads I use could be better / there wasn’t all that congestion”. But that is … because other drivers (or rules needed to keep them behaving safely)!
Your obviously correct in
Your obviously correct in that there is a *feeling* out there. Perhaps “I pay but get no say” or “got worse in my lifetime” – and on cyclists specifically “a minority is cheating / being specially favoured! “. Not all drivers, and this will vary (increases when there’s local change, or through listening to Loud John at the pub).
With a bit of thought I bet most people can still see that a) we can’t “keep it the same” (lots of reasons but mostly “increasing driving”) b) more safety measures and maybe even alternatives to driving are ultimately in *drivers’ interests.
But … it is feelings that steer humans, and that politicians work with.
Chris Boardman is getting even better in the subject of how to work with this – for better transport, not “just bikes”.
Also – it can be difficult
Also – it can be difficult because most people – even some cyclists – can’t tell “good enough” from “pointless” cycle infra from a picture. It actually has to be good enough that people who don’t currently cycle find it relatively attractive to *driving* – which is difficult indeed, and subtle.
Most people have very little idea of the cost of motoring infra *, a few might be able to tell you the road budget but won’t have much idea of how that looks by comparison to other transport-related spending. Nobody has any idea of the “true cost of motoring” because we don’t measure it!
So yes – there is a bit of a bind. Don’t loudly say “this isn’t good enough, here’s why” – and sit there while money is wasted on stuff which won’t change anything. Do say so and it can be seen as “but we just spend A MILLION POUNDS *for* cyclists…”
* Technically most of the “active travel infra” is actually motor infra! Most of it could be a lot cheaper and simpler (no roundabouts or traffic lights) if it weren’t for the need to keep people outside of cars safer – eg. “control the roads”!
Congratulations on your
Congratulations on your choice of nom de plume, which is both an apposite and an accurate reflection of the quality of your comment.
BigDoodyBoy wrote:
This right here shows how wrong-headed your thinking is.
Drivers have not been made responsible for the safety of cyclists, they’ve been made more responsible for their own actions when operating their vehicles around vulnerable road users including cyclists.
If you don’t feel you are capable of operating a vehicle safely around vulnerable road users please turn in your license, you no longer have the minimum abilities required to hold it. If you are capable then it’s a non-issue.
Actually – the problem is
Agree but actually – the problem is that much of our infra makes cyclists depend on drivers following the rules, paying attention and planning ahead. That makes cycling that bit more stressful, even when all is apparently going Ok.
If drivers can’t be moved somewhere else where the cyclists are not, then at least the infra should be designed to put responsibility for safety back in the hands of those who are most affected by the consequences!
Kieselguhr Kid wrote:
Agreed.
(PS – off topic, I note your username – I’m about 200 pages from the end of ‘Against the Day’ – the End is in sight!)