Cycling world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II; Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Sarah Storey, UCI, British Cycling, Tour de France and Tour of Britain pay respects + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Cycling world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
It has been a strange and, for many, unprecedented 24 hours, leading to the announcement from Buckingham Palace yesterday evening that Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, had died aged 96. Tributes have poured in from across the globe, and whilst there are thousands of important tributes, as a cycling website we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t report on the way the news was received across the cycling world…
This evening we join the nation in mourning the loss of Her Majesty The Queen, at the age of 96.
Our deepest condolences and sympathies are with the @RoyalFamily at this time. pic.twitter.com/Ed6JxqyNGM
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) September 8, 2022
The Tour of Britain late last night confirmed all remaining stages had been cancelled and sent “our deepest condolences to the whole of the Royal Family”.
Your Majesty, thank you for being our leading lady for such a long time. I will treasure having had the fortune to meet you & always be grateful to have been honoured by you too. Thoughts with the whole family 🙏🏻 #QueenElizabeth #RestInPeace pic.twitter.com/48UIMSc8iz
— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) September 8, 2022
Sir Chris Hoy joined the tributes, writing: “I share the sadness and sorrow of all Britons and many others around the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Her Majesty on a number of occasions and always admired her tremendous dedication and absolute commitment to her role, as well as the generosity and compassion she offered to all those she met. Her Majesty The Queen devoted her life to our country, guiding us through so many historically significant moments with great leadership.
“My thoughts are with the Royal Family at this very sad time.”
The Tour de France shares the grief of the Royal Family and the British people in this difficult period. Sincere condolences.
Le Tour de France présente ses sincères condoléances à la famille royale et au peuple britannique. pic.twitter.com/eDKnRY28VM
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 8, 2022
"The true joy of cycling"
Queen Elizabeth II (1926- 2022)
🌹 🚲
The true joy of cycling. 🇬🇧 #QueenElizabeth #londoncycling #cyclist pic.twitter.com/4ggGDiCkX8— Cycle Spirit London (@cyclespirit) September 8, 2022
Raleigh thanks Queen for "leadership, your dedication, and your humour"
Thank you for your leadership, your dedication, and your humour.
Rest in Peace, Your Majesty. pic.twitter.com/fHHbIVaJd7— Raleigh Bikes UK (@RaleighBikes_UK) September 9, 2022
"Surreal final night of Tour of Britain": How cancellation unfolded...
So, the surreal final night of this year’s @TourofBritain ended like this:
6:28pm – two-minute advance warning of the news while in media centre
9pm – first statement published from a Tesco car park
10:30pm – second statement finalised and live from Moto services
3am – bed pic.twitter.com/4jTeZsPDl3— Nick Bull (@nickbull21) September 9, 2022
UCI pays tribute to "an icon with a timeless legacy"
HM Queen Elizabeth II.
An icon across the world with a timeless legacy who will be greatly missed. RIP pic.twitter.com/jGvnoyT3fL
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 9, 2022
More tributes from across the cycling world
The passing of our Queen was inevitable but, somehow, never expected. A catalyst for peace, the World will miss her. I met and shook hands with her in 2005 at the Palace. She said: ” Cycling is getting very popular now, isn’t it.” How right (as always) she was.😢s
— Phil Liggett (@PhilLiggett) September 9, 2022
It is with deep regret that we learn of the death of Her Majesty The Queen. Our prayers and sympathies are with her family during this sad time.
The Duke of Richmond and Gordon pic.twitter.com/TvqRoSr6HS
— Eroica Britannia (@EroicaBritannia) September 8, 2022
"A symbol of stability and an absolute role model for tireless public service": Reader tributes
A quick round-up of some of your comments under yesterday’s story:
EnjoyTheRide: “God bless Her Majesty, a symbol of stability and an absolute role model for tireless public service. Amazing to think she inaugurated the new prime minister just two days ago, what an inspiration.”
hirsute: “Not a huge monarchy fan but she was brilliant.”
Under the Tour of Britain cancellation story some wondered why the race had been called off, but we’d just say there are logistical factors, notably the major policing operation, which a major bike race relies on to run safely, plus the fact as I write this the Premier League has postponed this round of fixtures, with many sporting events already cancelling weekend arrangements and many more expected to follow.
I’ll add this: my understanding is that there are also serious operational reasons, involving police resources (motos), why this decision was taken. Officers have been recalled for duty in London.
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) September 8, 2022
National Mourning Guidance
As per the National Mourning Guidance, major events, entertainment and sports have “no obligation to cancel or postpone events and sporting fixtures”. This may have implications for smaller races or sportive-style events this weekend, with the decision on holding events “at the discretion of individual organisations.”
With that said, it seems likely plenty of road races, time trials, mass-participation events and similar cycling activities will be postponed this weekend. Best to check with your event’s organiser.
Queen Elizabeth's reign in Tour de France wins
37 different riders won the Tour de France during the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth ll.
— CafeRoubaix (@CafeRoubaix) September 8, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne on 6 February 1953 following the death of her father George VI, with her coronation on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey. The following month Louison Bobet became the first of 37 different riders to win the yellow jersey during her 70-year reign. Bobet won the first three, in fact, and it took until 1958 for a non-Frenchman to win the race under the new Queen’s reign, Charly Gaul climbing to yellow in 1958.
The 60s saw Jacques Anquetil win four in a row to become the first five-time winner before, at the end of the decade, a cannibal stormed onto the scene. Through the 70s French success continued, with the fifth and final of Belgian Merckx’s wins in 1974 signalling a ten-year run where the home nation won yellow in eight of the ten editions, spearheaded by Bernard Hinault’s five.
New nations emerged to the top step of the podium in the 80s, Greg LeMond taking the world’s biggest bike race stateside in 1986, before Stephen Roche’s famous win of ’87.
Two more LeMond Tours followed, the final act before Miguel Indurain’s dominance of the nineties. Riis, Ullrich and Pantani’s superhuman performances followed, we don’t talk about the noughties, do we?
So that brings us to the decade when Britain sat atop the cycling world: Wiggins, Froome, Thomas, Cavendish. It doesn’t get much better than that…
Fred Wright wears black armband at La Vuelta
Black armband today for Fred Wright. pic.twitter.com/Rv8AZXs02A
— Daniel Friebe (@friebos) September 9, 2022
Tour of Britain cancellation brings forward Richie Porte's retirement
The Tour of Britain was Richie Porte’s final race as a professional cyclist, it remains to be seen if he adds one more late-season day out to have a proper send-off. The Tasmanian’s glittering palmares includes a seemingly never-ending list of week-long stage race wins: 2x Paris-Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie, Catalunya and, of course, eight stages and two GC wins at the Tour Down Under.
On the Grand Tour front, finishing on the podium at last year’s Tour de France is no doubt the highlight. Now, anyone want to move some things around and get him on the start line at a home World Championships? Just an idea.
Raise a wee dram
🥃 to the QUEEN 👊
— Brian Smith 𝕆𝕃𝕐 (@BriSmithy) September 8, 2022
9 September 2022, 08:12
9 September 2022, 08:12
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Latest Comments
@Motivated Yes, the colour of the bike was deliberate for that reason.
@tomlew yes, I have been looking at the beam pattern of the Toro and it seems to be actually round like a flashlight and therefore even for MTB is wasting light shining to the sky. I guess this is done to enable upside-down mounting. I agree this is not ideal when used on the road. I would not buy a light with a cutoff, so I guess I'm searching for a light with a shaped beam. 2000 lumen minimum. If there are suggestions, I'd be interested. Maybe something targeted for gravel as I imagine this bridges the light pattern between MTB round and road with a cutoff.
This sucks. I really hope someone helps to return the bike. It appears that the color was chosen to be similar to the Luton Town team colors, but this was not mentioned precisely in the article. 99% of the time, I'll go for a nature piss in as innocuous place as possible ... i.e. round the back of a cemetery :-) ... instead of stopping at a cafe for the toilet. I have no airtags or other measures to recover my bike were it to be stolen. I'd be in the same boat as this guy.
Unfortunately, I think it's the graphic nature of victims death, being dragged along under a car, a motorcyclist following the meat crayon smear, the victim still being alive and a life sentence that have brought a moments respite to the anti cycling brigade. Give them a week to forget and they'll be back at it.
@eburtthebike yep, completely agree. The issue is that we have normalised bad driving so much that it is true that people who you would consider of good character and good members of society engage in this behaviour routinely and don't consider it dangerous. At the end of the day, why would they? The law doesn't consider it dangerous, the courts don't consider it more than a moments inattention in most cases and you see it absolutely everywhere. Today on my way home from dropping my boys at nursery I had a guy who nearly drove into me coming down a hill. The sun was in his eyes. What do you think he did? Slowed and stopped, adjusted his sun visor so he could see before continuing? Of course not. He just kept going and put his hand over his brow as he barrelled down the single lane road only realising I was there about 20m from me. This is the problem. If he had hit and injured me, he wouldn't have been punished. It would have been because the sun was in his eyes. What could he be expected to do? Take action to ensure my safety? Of course not. You role the dice and say sorry when your actions hurt someone. Thats all the law requires. That you don't go out of your way to drive intentionally dangerously. Being a really shit driver doesn't matter.
@lesterama I haven't ridden Fairlight but my steel Mason is the best bike I've ever owned.
The not bright enough bit in the cons section I'm told shouldn't have been there, the reviewer's aim was simply to comment on what type of light it is. We've taken that out, added the lumen numbers in the body and removed the references to riding on dark lanes that are not relevant here.
@stulemanski you’re probably right. It’s daft though, they are NOT perfect but the CS routes were such good news for cyclists years ago, I know motorists got the hump but pedestrians weren’t saying “where’s our little blue path then?”. Unless they were…
Anyone thinking Burnham might rein in the political demonisation of cycling / e-bikes a bit might need to think again... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmze4zk4d789o
At last, they are being honest, their car parking space on public roads takes priority over everything.
12 thoughts on “Cycling world pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II; Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Sarah Storey, UCI, British Cycling, Tour de France and Tour of Britain pay respects + more on the live blog”
I was thinking what year is
I was thinking what year is that TdF photo from? Some research and I make it 2009 and that’s Alessandro Ballan in the WC stripes.
Erm, no. The TdF did not come
Erm, no. The TdF did not come to the UK in 2009. That is the 2014 Grand Depart royal photo op in front of Harewood House in Yorkshire, England.
Ok, so (quick check) it’s Rui
Ok, so (quick check) it’s Rui Costa.
Lovely photos of the Queen
Lovely photos of the Queen cycling – and no helmet or hi viz in sight.
They’re called a “crown” and
They’re called a “crown” and “regalia”. I think she wasn’t licenced then. That’s an amazing headlight though – is that carbide?
I’m sure there will be some
I’m sure there will be some on here who still think that we should have headlights like that and that, LEDs, along with disk brakes and electronic gears, are the work of the devil.
We took the wrong turn at
We took the wrong turn at copper if you ask me. Like most people I’m probably slightly nostalgic for the technology level of my early adult years. EverReady bike lights can stay dead and buried though!
chrisonatrike wrote:
Take that back!
I thought I was king of the road with 3 of them on the front with uprated bulbs and all 3 wired into a switch on the bars. . . . . . . . .OK, they were still rubbish, point taken. ?
I loved the gentle light you
I loved the gentle light you got as the batteries died, the plastic brackets and the momentum the chunky D-cells gave the flying light. 🙁
Ummm, not so much “carbide”
Ummm, not so much “carbide” (whatever that is) as “broken” I think
You’re right, looks electric
You’re right, looks electric not carbide. Lack of maintenance there – shocking (if you put your finger in the socket)! Is that a Raleigh Superbe or sports? Some interesting features on the former.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/superbe.html
Nuff said…
Nuff said…
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/sep/10/cancer-breakthrough-is-a-wake-up-call-on-danger-of-air-pollution