“Organising cycle races in the UK is harder than ever before”: Tour of Britain hits back at critics calling race “dull”; Jake Paul seen in Jumbo-Visma kit aboard a Cervélo… no, really; ‘Speeding cyclists’ talk reaches day three + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Jake Paul seen in Jumbo-Visma kit aboard a Cervélo
If you don’t know who Jake Paul is… congratulations, your life will probably be better if you scroll on past. If you are already acquainted with the fame-driven world of YouTube and celebrity boxing, come right on in…
The man whose Wikipedia page is dominated by the ‘Controversies and legal issues’ section is in the Netherlands and was seemingly convinced into a spin alongside speed skater Jutta Leerdam (who competes as a Jumbo-Visma athlete, explaining the kit and Cervélo crossover)…
Maybe pay-per-view celeb hill climbs or individual pursuits will be the next big thing in the influencer money-making world? Preceded by months of cringe-inducing trash talk and fake ‘beef’, of course… (I don’t mean Quorn)…
Your thoughts on this year's Tour of Britain
“Contrary to popular belief, you cannot just stick pins in a map and say ‘we’re going to have a stage there’. Organising cycle races in the UK is harder than ever before”: Tour of Britain hits back at critics calling race “dull”https://t.co/0I1IwjZxuh #TourOfBritain pic.twitter.com/9MWiob60bN
— road.cc (@roadcc) September 6, 2023
Left_is_for_Losers: “Re this years Tour of Britain — been really impressed with the crowds, you look at the finishes and wonder how it is that professional cycling in the UK is in so much decline?
“It does seem quite a flat route — you would have thought that you could find a few more hills or one more hilly stage somewhere. After the world champs in Glasgow and that success, it’s a shame there isn’t anything up there.
“Still — it’s great to see pro racing in Britain, so I’m happy!”
SimoninSpalding: “Part of the issue with this year’s Tour is also the weather. At this time of year you would hope for a few breezy days that could create some excitement with cross winds, tailwind-assisted breakaways etc. but instead we are ‘suffering’ the weather we should have had in June and July.”
NickSprink: “We also don’t have the equivalent of the Alps. Difficult to find long climbs up to 2000m+ in the UK, they don’t exist. So best we can do is bumpy compared to what is available to the planners of the Grand Tours.”
Miller: “It’s also worth noting that it is very hard to split up the super-fit and highly coached peloton of professional riders. This is why recent Grand Tours have taken to having weird stages with gravel or ridiculously steep finishes: organisers are trying to find some way to force gaps between riders.”
Rendel Harris: “Whilst one can certainly sympathise with the logistical challenges faced by the ToB organisers, and also the fact as others have noted that we just don’t have the hills to smash a peloton to pieces, it is pretty ridiculous that after three days we have 56 riders effectively equal first with the leader being decided on his place in the points classification.
“Why are there no bonus seconds on the line or for intermediate sprints, and why no time trial? I realise a time trial has its own logistical problems given that it requires the road to be closed for longer, but surely one could be held in an off-road venue such as a park or stately home grounds? The race is clearly crying out for something to split up the riders so that attacks will have to be made.”
'Speeding cyclists' talk reaches (very tired) day three thanks to a loophole-loving lawyer
Late to the party on this one, Mr Loophole…
Cyclists need relevant law not advice. When will the Government introduce legislative parity for all road users, including cyclists, escooters and ebikes? #cycling https://t.co/jtSyqbMbG5
— Nick Freeman (@TheMrLoophole) September 6, 2023
Apologies for putting this idea into your brain on a sunny Wednesday morning… but I’d say that’s a 10/10 guess for what AI Nick Freeman would tweet about the story… ChatGPT Loophole edition, I’m not sure this live blog’s ready for that…
The award for most unlikely ULEZ supporter goes to... Richard Keys?!
Public transport system in London now is top class @TfL So many options. As a car junkie I hate to admit it but it’s gorgeous walking in the capital on days like these. Stick to your guns inc ULEZ.
— Richard Keys (@richardajkeys) September 5, 2023
Genuinely shocked by this. I just assumed ‘Keysy’ would be in the other camp, chewing Andy Gray’s ear off on beIN SPORTS about “this London mayor Sadiq Khan… or as I’ve dubbed him… Sadiq Khan’t” like he’s an underperforming manager of Manchester United.
La Vuelta's secret battle: Filippo Ganna vs Jacopo Mosca
The #LaVuelta23 battle you never knew about 🤪 @SunJjak stole Pippo’s bike computer so @GannaFilippo stole Jacopo’s bike…
What’s next?! 😂🙈 pic.twitter.com/YcTmgWYuz2
— Lidl-Trek (@LidlTrek) September 6, 2023
Tour of Britain reaction round-up: Hills, no Scottish visit + more
Loads of reaction from you lot this morning, all focused around that ‘has the Tour of Britain been dull?’ discussion…
Unfortunately, whilst I agree with the tour of Britain organisers, it has been a very dull race. Councils don’t want/ can’t afford cycle races. It’s a shame but hardly surprising given the current state of this country….
— Thor Sokkolfrson (@Captain_Havok) September 6, 2023
60kg lean keen … : “In north-east Wales we have the Horseshoe Pass (not the only big hill in local area), but the Wrexham stage went east not west? I believe it was because Denbighshire would not play ball, so it was a flatish short stage, it could have been a epic (good weather etc.) but I and so many others turned out and made the day a good one. Let’s hope the tour comes back to Wrexham and we can go west for a day in the hills.”
Dull, England -centric, snooze fest.
— Graham McKechnie (@albabairn) September 6, 2023
Another one here… “As a rider and racing fan, I’m finding this year’s Tour of Britain really boring. I appreciate what the organisers have said about choosing venues and routes, but something needs to be done.
“The local authorities who sponsor and fund the event are looking for start and finish venues in high-profile towns and cities as a form of marketing. Perhaps they will look beyond this, to create a more engaging and memorable race, where breakaways and mountain stages will attract greater TV viewing figures and, as a result, more rider interest.”
I’ve got to admit I do have a fair bit of sympathy for the organisers. Road surfaces, disinterested councils, road closures, rider safety etc. there are more than enough issues for people to moan at you about and challenges to overcome.
If the plan’s to keep the GC even for this weekend’s Gloucestershire/Wales hilly finale, I’m okay with that, I’d say it’s less boring now than if Wout van Aert was already leading and in control thanks to an early hilly stage and bonus seconds (if they’d been included). But that’s just me… would it be nice if the sprints were more competitive? 100%. Is it the organisers’ fault if you give teams potentially six sprint stages and still nobody sends anybody able to beat Jumbo-Visma? The sprinters must all be at La Vuelta… oh, wait…
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The 'amateur sleuths' tackling bike theft in Finland
The BBC has an interesting feature on its website looking into how a group called Bike Patrols is hunting down bike thieves in Finland.
The citizen group, made up of volunteers who spend several hours a day tracking down stolen bikes in the city of Oulu, is trying to cut the number of bike theft cases reported to the police in the city, 1,738 in the past year.
In summer, 77 per cent of Oulu residents cycle, with 42 per cent continuing into the winter months, while it is reported that due to the impressive infrastructure, children cycle to school on their own without issue.
However, the popularity of cycling unfortunately means bike thefts are also prevalent, the local police saying it has to “prioritise investigating more serious crimes”. But, Bike Patrols filled the gap and have found a quite incredible 1,298 stolen bikes… in the past year. That’s equivalent to 75 per cent of the aforementioned bike theft total.
“People told us where bikes disappeared from. We checked out each location and slowly figured out where stolen bikes ended up in different parts of the city,” Ilkka Pulkkinen of Bike Patrols explained.
"Cyclists are entitled to use the road as much as anyone else": Councillors and locals blast "discriminatory" 'Cyclists Dismount and Proceed with Caution' signs at temporary traffic lights
Olav Kooij wins stage four of the Tour of Britain (equals consecutive stage win record)
HISTORY MADE IN NEWARK-ON-TRENT!@KooijOlav equals Edvald Boasson Hagen’s record of four-consecutive stage victories 🏆#TourOfBritain 🔴🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/cRTPfY2Y2s
— The Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 6, 2023
It’s groundhog day…
Four wins from four stages. It’s almost like having Wout van Aert on lead-out duty for the fastest sprinter in the race is a solid tactic… more expert analysis on that soon…
The commentary team for GCN+, Matt Stephens and Brian Smith had some not-so-encouraging words for those of you unhappy with the lack of climbing action so far this week…
Smith: Just copy and paste that for tomorrow.
Stephens: It’s even flatter tomorrow, Brian! If you thought these days were flat, tomorrow and the next day are extraordinarily flat… I can see this man winning six stages.
Highlight of the day? Whichever farmer arranged the sheep feed in the shape of a penny farthing…
Live land art at the @tourofbritain: sheep in the shape (roughly) of a penny farthing. 🐏 Ram-tastic! 👏 #AtYourSide #TourOfBritain pic.twitter.com/8xnTVpm6sQ
— Brother UK Cycling (@BrotherCycling) September 6, 2023
Simac stage sprint showdown sees star shocked
Anyone got any more S-words to add to that title…
🚴♀️Wow what a sprint! So close‼️
🥇 @Elisa_balsamo @lidltrek wins stage 1 📍Gennep-Gennep 🛣️139,6 km
🥈 @lorenawiebes @teamsdworx
🥉 @charlotte_kool @TDSM_Firmenich #SLT2023 pic.twitter.com/FtVtS86iVL— Simac Ladies Tour (@ladiestour) September 6, 2023
Over at the Annemiek van Vleuten celebration race… sorry, I mean the Simac Ladies Tour, it was former world champion Elisa Balsamo who pipped Lorena Wiebes to the opening road stage of the week. With Charlotte Kool third, that’s a proper unofficial sprinters’ world championship of a stage, Wiebes probably starting as favourite given her scintillating form this season.
Let’s hope we see another top-tier battle on Friday’s second sprint of the week.
Jesús Herrada wins from La Vuelta breakaway — no change on GC
💫 Una batalla por la victoria hasta los metros finales… 🔥 ¡La fuga lo ha conseguido! 🎥 Revive el ÚLTIMO KM.
💥 A battle until the closing metres for the stage win as stage 1️⃣1️⃣ honours go the way of the break today. 🎥 Watch back the final KM!
#LaVuelta23 pic.twitter.com/OL49KNcWay— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) September 6, 2023
One of those double race days at a Grand Tour where we get the stage win battle from the breakaway before the GC riders take things up a few minutes later. The final climb wasn’t hard enough to split the GC guys, despite Hugh Carthy’s efforts, meaning Sepp Kuss will once again be in red tomorrow.
Up the road, Geraint Thomas finished fifth from the breakaway, Jesús Herrada taking a third Vuelta stage win since 2019 by powering away from Romain Grégoire, Andreas Kron and Jonathan Caicedo in the final few hundred metres.
Pure comedy from an overzealous Cofidis soigneur, and an arguably even more overzealous policeman, at the finish…
La Guardia taking down the soigneur is a new one for me. Probably Remco’s fault. pic.twitter.com/PQWVd7Y3WA
— How The Race Was Won® (@Cyclocosm) September 6, 2023
"Organising cycle races in the UK is harder than ever before": Tour of Britain hits back at "dull" racing critics
After three sprints and three Jumbo-Visma-dominated Olav Kooij victories, there have been a few rumblings on social media that this year’s Tour of Britain might be a bit boring. Now I doubt any of the thousands of spectators who have lined the route so far thought it boring to see their back yard hosting a bike race of its scale, but some of those watching on from the comfort of their TV-viewing perch have been less impressed.
[SWpix.com/Zac Williams]
Taking to X (Twitter), one fan said it had been “dull”, while another suggested “there’s nothing interesting” and we “may as well watch a 200-lap scratch race”.
“Not sure who designed the route but are they afraid of hills? Pretty dull so far,” another said.
Replying to the critics, the Tour of Britain’s social media admin pointed out the route was designed by the same team heavily praised for their Kendal 2016, Whinlatter 2018, Burton Dassett 2019, Great Orme 2021 stages (and chucked this Sunday’s Caerphilly finale into that bracket too, suggesting they think they’ve got a winner there)…
Contrary to popular belief, you cannot just stick pins in a map and say “we’re going to have a stage there”. Organising cycle races in the UK is harder than ever before; there’s a reason why the calendar has lost around a quarter of UCI race days in the last five years alone.
— The Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 6, 2023
“If somebody wants to give us a sizeable seven-figure (near eight-figure) sum to give us the opportunity of doing that, we’ve got plenty of stages that have never been run before in mind,” they added.
The bad news for those who want hills is the next three (very flat) stages look likely to be sprints too, before this weekend’s climbing finale in Gloucestershire and at Caerphilly Mountain.
Maybe good things come to those who wait?
6 September 2023, 08:11
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Latest Comments
@kinderje Are you aware that -ise endings are actually the newer form, having supplanted -ize (as used by Shakespeare, the King James Bible and Jane Austen, amongst many others) in the mid 19th century? Etymologically there is a far better argument for -ize endings for words with Greek and Latin roots than the -ise ending which arose from Victorian publishers imitating French verb endings. Both endings are now regarded as acceptable in British English, although the Oxford style guide recommends -ize. It is most certainly not incorrect.
@Backladder Given that the makers are selling it as being useable on any ride on open roads, it doesn't seem unreasonable to try to test it in those conditions.
'Leasting'? That's a whole 4 letters less.
Although usually the easiest thing of all would be for them just to stop for a few moments while you cycle past them (which requires a lot less space to do safely than them passing you), but most people seem allergic to stopping, even for the briefest time.
@Backladder Oh I think I can guess - the nearest indoor velodrome to road.cc HQ looks to be some distance away in Wales, whereas Odd Down Cycle Track (where this test was conducted) is just 2 miles away.
There are a number of causes of "the divide between motorists and cyclists". Only one is to do with the technology (of bicycles and cars) and that's the nature of the car, which is designed to induce the sort of dangerous and careless behaviours that providing humans with a lot of power and glamour fetches out of us. Other causes are much more insidious - A culture of hyper-individualism bordering on solipsism, with violently ultra-selfish and aggressive anti-heroes being promoted in every mass media channel as the ideal. A "news" media that overwhelmingly seeks, creates and offers pariahs and scapegoats to the rabid individualists, which pariahs and scapegoats includes all kinds of those perceived as less powerful and therefore easy victims, including cyclists. The near complete lack of any curb upon the dangerous antics of vast numbers of media-maddened motorists by the forces of law and order, many of whom are actually members themselves of the mass media maddened motorist ilk. ******** No amount of a more rational discourse about active travel or the means of making it safer will change these root causes of the vast numbers of deaths and maiming due to inept, incompetent and deliberately violent antics of vast numbers of motorists allowed their dangerous "weapons of choice". Yet many other highly damaging aspects of modern societies would be solved by a much more effective curbing of mass media mob-building and goading along with a serious attempt to prevent motorists and a whole range of other damagers from behaving as badly as so many do. It'll not happen, of course. Large and powerful elements of the modern world obtain far too much ultra-riches and power from current conditions for them to allow any significant change. And vast numbers of the population have long had their minds, attitudes and behaviours captured and directed by various oligarchical monsters and their mass media propaganda horns. About the only chance of safe active travel becoming extant is for the population at large to become mostly too poor to afford a car, ironically one other likely outcome of the machinations of those same power and money-mad monsters that have created the car-issue in the first place. Their need for zero-sum socio-economic arrangements degrades everything, including the wallet-contents of the masses.
@Astralstroll The hierarchy of road users does not mean priority of road users except in certain circumstances, e.g. stopping to let pedestrians cross junctions before turning. It doesn't mean that cyclists have priority over motor vehicles at all times any more than the pedestrians have priority over cyclists at all times. It certainly doesn't mean that you have priority in the circumstances you describe; personally, unless the driver is being a complete dick, on a narrow country lane I accept that it is easier for me to turn around and go back to the nearest passing place, which is never that far if you're on a bike, than for a tractor or other large vehicle to reverse back down the road for my benefit.
If you were spending that much money on the device the obvious thing to do is to book a couple of hours in a velodrome for testing in a stable environment, I can't understand why Road.cc tried to do it outdoors.
@Astralstroll The Hierarchy of Road Users, announced with great fanfares in 2022, has been rendered into complete fiction by the attitude of the police: there is this hierarchy/ priority list but we don't take it seriously and if drivers ignore it we don't care! The same applies to the ludicrous notice of close-passing - No KSI'd cyclist = No Offence ttps://upride.cc/incident/lwa190_minicooper_hierarchy/
42 thoughts on ““Organising cycle races in the UK is harder than ever before”: Tour of Britain hits back at critics calling race “dull”; Jake Paul seen in Jumbo-Visma kit aboard a Cervélo… no, really; ‘Speeding cyclists’ talk reaches day three + more on the live blog”
It’s also worth noting that
It’s also worth noting that it is very hard to split up the super-fit and highly coached peloton of professional riders. This is why recent grand tours have taken to having weird stages with gravel or ridiculously steep finishes: organisers are trying to find some way to force gaps between riders.
Miller wrote:
It ought, though, be easier to split the Tour of Britain field, oughtn’t it – given the different levels of rider involved.
We also don’t have the
We also don’t have the equivalent of the Alps. Difficult to find long climbs up to 2000m+ in the UK, they don’t exist. So best we can do is bumpy compared to what is available to the planners of the Grand Tours.
NickSprink wrote:
In North east Wales we have the horse shoe pass (not the only big hill in local area), but the Wrexham stage went East not West??? I believe it was because Denbighshire would not play ball, so it was a flat ish short stage, it could have been a epic (good weather ect) but I and so many others turned out and made the day a good one. Lets hope the tour comes back to Wrexham and we can go West for a day in the hills.
60kg lean keen climbing
This seems to be a primary reason for some not so good routes – our counties are quite small – so it’s difficult to run a decent route within the confines of one county etc – I can imagine it makes it quite limiting.
Suprised not to see more pure sprinters at the race too – given that basically 7/8 stages are sprints you would have thought that would be more opportunity.
Part of the issue with this
Part of the issue with this year’s Tour is also the weather. At this time of year you would hope for a few breezy days that could create some excitement with cross winds, tailwind assisted breakaways etc. but instead we are “suffering” the weather we should have had in June and July.
Re this years ToB – been
Re this years ToB – been really impressed with the crowds, you look at the finishes and wonder how it is that professional cycling in the UK is in so much decline.
It does seem quite a flat route – you would have thought that you could find a few more hills or one more hilly stage somewhere. After the world champs in Glasgow and that success, it’s a shame there isn’t anything up there.
Still – it’s great to see pro racing in Britain, so I’m happy!
Whilst one can certainly
Whilst one can certainly sympathise with the logistical challenges faced by the ToB organisers, and also the fact as others have noted that we just don’t have the hills to smash a peloton to pieces, it is pretty ridiculous that after three days we have 56 riders effectively equal first with the leader being decided on his place in the points classification. Why are there no bonus seconds on the line or for intermediate sprints, and why no time trial? I realise a time trial has its own logistical problems given that it requires the road to be closed for longer, but surely one could be held in an off-road venue such as a park or stately home grounds? The race is clearly crying out for something to split up the riders so that attacks will have to be made.
Because folk would then
Because folk would then complain the race is being decided by bonus seconds, not real time gaps.
They’ve got something that will split up the riders, it’s called stage 8.
Last year’s race would have
Last year’s race would have been epic, if Mrs Windsor hadn’t carked it at an inopportune moment. Two really lumpy days cancelled including what turned out to be a very windy jaunt on the Isle of Wight.
Agreed, stage 7 was passing
Agreed, stage 7 was passing within 300 metres of my house, and I had a more direct ride route planned to pick up the bunch passing again another 2-3 times on its way east, but it was not to be.
kil0ran wrote:
An Isle of Wight stage would have been most excellent as long as they kept in the £1 floating bridge at Cowes….
There was a TT in Tamworth
There was a TT in Tamworth last year or the year before for the Womens race. So they can be done if the area wants it.
The state of the UKs road for
The state of the UKs road for all road users is an absolute disgrace. Im thankfully amazed nobody has been injured the amount of pot holes etc.
It must be hard for any cycling group to find decent roads. Try down hete the a shocker it makes me teasy the state of the dutchys roads.
A reminder that the
A reminder that the ubiquitous caution “Don’t feed the trolls” should apply to road.cc editors as well as forum commenters.
I don’t see trolling in any
I don’t see trolling in any of the quoted comments…
I was referring to the posts
I was referring to the posts giving platform to people of questionable repute.
There is a distinct line between celebrity and professional attention-whore, and that line is an achievement worthy of celebration. Getting attention by infamy and scandal is not an achievement that warrants further attention.
Mr Loophole (no, not “a-hole”
Mr Loophole (no, not “a-hole”) Nick Freeman wants legislative parity for users of vehicles that are not comparible (ie bikes/motor vehicles).
I’ve witnessed, first hand, 3 incidents involving collisions between cyclists and pedestrians.
Whilst the fault varied in each case (one was 50/50, the other two were the fault of the cyclists riding on the pavement and expecting the pedestrians to give way to them), they all ended up with the cyclist being far worse off than the pedestrian (who would basically walk away almost completely unharmed).
I wonder what Nick Freeman would prefer: being hit by a cyclist or a motor vehicle driver…
Depends on the cyclist, a DH
Depends on the cyclist, a DH rider will have much better upper body strength compared to a GC climber.
mitsky wrote:
— mitskyI fall into both categories and gladly volunteer to hit him 🙂
So I take it Mr Loophole
So I take it Mr Loophole wants pedestrians to be required to have insurance; licence plates on buggies; wheelchair users to pass an MOT; etc.?
Or does he just means he wants to make life more difficult for outgroups that he doesn’t like?
Nick Freeman wrote:
Yay, legislative parity for all road users! Look forward to pedestrian licences, MOTs for rollerblades, insurance for electric wheelchairs, V5 documentation for prams and buggies and of course emissions tests for horses and their riders (I’ve known some of both species that would have trouble passing).
A lot of “if’s” incoming…
A lot of “if’s” incoming…
IF peds etc needed licences, and IF, the were sufficient police to police the roads and IF the CPS got its act together and IF the courts could handle the number of additional cases…. I wonder how many new clients Mr Freeman would pick up…..?
As usual, he is just trying to drum up business.
Rendel Harris wrote:
Yay, legislative parity for all road users! Look forward to pedestrian licences, MOTs for rollerblades, insurance for electric wheelchairs, V5 documentation for prams and buggies and of course emissions tests for horses and their riders (I’ve known some of both species that would have trouble passing).— Nick Freeman
And effective prosecution of car drivers without spurious weasel arguments getting them off?
Wasn’t Spurious Weasel the
Wasn’t Spurious Weasel the college band that Tony Blair played guitar in?
He was just playing a session
He was playing a session with some Royal Signals musicians… they were just jamming.
I remember that session. I
I remember that session. I found it very difficult to interpret…
Nick Freeman wrote:
I had assumed it was because the legislation takes into consideration the risk and danger caused by different road users. I’m sure there was something in the news recently about a “Hierarchy of somesuch” in relation to it…
Genuinely haven’t seen
Genuinely haven’t seen anything Richard Keys has done since the Milk Races in the 80s.
Presumably he’s been doing football, it’s football on Sky isn’t it.
Wolfcastle50 wrote:
He was kicked off Sky for being a misogynist dinosaur.
Im surprised he isnt
Im surprised he isnt presenting the Saudi Pro League in that case.
Close works for Qatar based
Close works for Qatar based Bein Sports. So unlikey to report on Saudi Pro League.
Ok, let’s have parity, Mr
Ok, let’s have parity, Mr Freeman. All car engines to cut out once the car exceeds 25kph, anyone?
Steve K wrote:
and no more than 250w engines either.
Make em all hi-viz and
Make em all hi-viz and compulsory polystyrene hats for occupants too. And regular drivist bashing in the media
This is how our local paper
This is how our local paper is promoting the arrival of world class cyclists to the town in the Tour of Britain, which they’re barely skirting through because the local council refuses to get properly involved with it.
“Parking restrictions on busy Ipswich road”
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/23770539.parking-restrictions-ipswich-tour-britain-2023/
The race organisers really have a thankless task, rather than criticise, we should support them as much as we can.
40% of people in Oulu cycle
40% of people in Oulu cycle in winter! That’s brilliant.
For reference, Oulu is almost in the arctic circle. It’s dark, snowy, and bloomin’ cold in winter.
Mass cycling isn’t about weather, it’s about infrastructure
Oulu does look like a good
Oulu does look like a good place for cycling [1] [2]!
Finland has hosted the International Winter Cycling Congress e.g. 2020 in Joensuu – a place probably no-one has heard of but where likely more kids cycle to school in winter than UK kids do in summer!
Just noticed that Bicycle
Just noticed that Bicycle Dutch has a video out about cycling in the summer in Oulu too. Perhaps the most revealing is this:
…
“This brochure gives information about the main cycling routes and the diversity of cycling in Oulu: it does not matter whether you sport a cruiser, mountain bike or a pink Jopo. You do not need special gear to cycle. Instead, you can cycle barefoot or with your boots on and with or without a helmet. The most important thing is that you cycle.
“Cycling improves your physical condition and is an eco-friendly mode of transportation… But in the Oulu region cycling is something much more. In Oulu, all styles of cycling are allowed. You can exercise or you can cycle just for fun – there is no need to stress about proper gear or fancy bike models! Cycling is a natural part of the all-year-round lives of Oulu citizens.— BicycleDutch
(My emphasis). Can’t imagine many councils lending their name to that kind of sentiment. It’s more like “cycling is a thing people can do” … followed by a list of conditions you should obey and/or safety requirements. Or at best something stating how much they’re going to do for cycling at some unspecified future time.
Not a week goes by without
Not a week goes by without that UK lawer Mr Poophole sticking his little turtle head out and pestering social media with his verbal diarrhea… what an odious little turd.
The Wrexham stage was a
The Wrexham stage was a complete wasted opportunity. Look at a map of Wrexham, cast your eyes left and what do you see, hills, loads of bloody hills. Okay, they might not be the Alps but even I could come up with a course that’d make a challanging day and avoided the main roads like the A5 or A483. As for the run into town and the finish, absolutly shockingly bad.
Only a year after hearing of
Only a year after hearing of their iminant release.
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