France has effectively banned recreational cycling as part of its coronavirus lockdown. The sports ministry made the announcement after widespread criticism of the large numbers of people taking to the streets for exercise after a lockdown was imposed on Tuesday.
Authorities have urged people to only leave their homes once a day, saying they should choose between going for a run or going to get groceries.
“Remember that you are not supposed to leave except for urgent matters such as grocery shopping or health reasons,” said the Ministry for Sport. “A short run is possible, but not a 10k.”
The French Cycling Federation later tweeted a request that all cyclists “show responsibility by avoiding any practice outside during this period.”
? Face à l’épidémie de COVID-19, la @FFCyclisme demande à tous les cyclistes de faire preuve de responsabilité en évitant toute pratique à l’extérieur durant cette période.
Un seul mot d’ordre : “Sauvez des vies ! Restez chez vous !”
Plus d’informations ⤵ pic.twitter.com/tj0l3WJn8n
— FFC (@FFCyclisme) March 19, 2020
It is hard to say to what extent cycling is considered a genuine risk and to what extent the move is symbolic.
French president Emmanuelle Macron has reportedly been appalled by the French population’s lack of collective discipline in respecting social distancing measures and it could be that the stricter rules are an effort to convey the message that people really do need to stay at home.
Thelocal.fr reports that cycling to work is still permitted.
In the UK, campaigners have called for the Government to treat cycling as a ‘strategic industry’.
British Cycling has asked the Health Secretary to recommend cycling as part of Government advice as a way to stay active and to alleviate some of the issues related to prolonged isolation, while Cycling UK yesterday advised families to keep riding their bikes.
In Italy, cycling has been banned to minimise the risk of accidents and so reduce demand on the already overburdened medical service. Spain has also put restrictions on recreational cycling.
55 thoughts on “France bans cycling as it tightens coronavirus measures”
I’d really like to know the
I’d really like to know the reasoning behind these bans. As CUK, BC and others have pointed out, risk is very low and benefits huge, so why ban it?
Something must be done. This
Something must be done. This is something. We must do it.
eburtthebike wrote:
Well, consider the general reaction to incidents.
Does that answer your question?
And I only wish it were
And I only wish it were satire.
I suspect they look at the
I suspect they look at the number of cyclists attending A&E in their respective countries and wrongly assume that it’s all self-inflicted despite most cycling accidents involving a motor vehicle. Deduct accidents involving a motor vehicle and cycling is very safe.
My concern regarding banning outdoor activities won’t be from cycling but from joggers and dog walkers. I’m appalled at the number of people ignoring social distancing, especially elderly dogwalkers.
billymansell wrote:
Walked to the Post Office yesterday. On footway, young woman pushing a buggy, walked straight at me, forcing me to move out of the way.
why would you not move out of
why would you not move out of the way for someone pushing a buggy?
cyclefaster wrote:
I’m generally quite polite and will move out of the way for anyone, buggy or not. But I don’t subscribe to the general mood in today’s society that mothers are sacred and we must all genuflect before them, and also, this woman aimed her buggy at me.
It takes a special kind of
It takes a special kind of paranoia to think someone AIMED their buggy at you. And I guarantee the mother pushing a buggy was a) exhausted and b) not doing it to annoy you, or even for fun.
If you’d just taken a single step to the side (no genuflection necessary), you’d have saved yourself having to make two tedious posts.
Pretty rich of you to talk about entitlement after that ludicrous “near miss” video of yours. The one where you felt entitled to ride across a busy road without checking your speed, expecting the traffic to part like the fucking Red Sea.
billymansell wrote:
And how would joggers be liable for there being a ban? A runner going for a solitary run is just the same as a cyclist going for a solitary ride surely?
Apologies if I didn’t make it
Apologies if I didn’t make it clear. I’ve been out every day this week and every day many joggers I see are in twos or more with fewer single joggers. For many jogging is a social thing but for now the rules have changed for us all.
Dogwalkers disregarding social distancing appears even more common. I’ve only seen a coupe of instances where people stopped to talk and maintained a distance but too many are carrying on as before.
Looking at other countries it is when people fail to maintain the basic rules of social distancing that governments eventually implement lockdowns. Let’s hope not here.
billymansell wrote:
Likely a lot of those jogging in pairs are already living together, so they’re probably at less risk of passing each other the virus than they would be if they were mooching around the house.
Even including collisions
Even including collisions with motor vehicles cycling is very safe.
They haven’t banned people driving cars but drivers are the ones that cause by far the most misery – to pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicle occupants. Let’s see who’s to blame before we start banning people from the roads.
If you look at the RAS50 data (ras50007.ods) shows “Injudicious action” was a contributory factor in 25,000 reported casualties, “Driver/Rider error or reaction” 79,000, “Impairment or distraction” 18,750 and “Driver/Rider careless, reckless or in a hurry” 18,900.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/ras50-contributory-factors
Oh, and “Pedestrian failed to look properly” accounted for 7,577 of the 11,000 ped statistics.
I’m less cynical. If a
I’m less cynical. If a cyclist can travel 100kms on a recreational ride, they can be a vector for carrying virus from one town to another.
Also, the ‘something must be done/a signal must be sent’ is entirely reasonable in these circumstances. There cannot be any pissing around at all with this virus, and people just can’t follow basic rules like “please don’t go down the pub”. I’m all up for restriction of civil liberties in these circumstances. Let’s not be dicks.
the little onion wrote:
Imposing arbitrary rules reduces respect for those rules. When people can see the point of the rule, they’re more likely to respect them.
I agree entirely. That’s the
I agree entirely. That’s the difference between the UK and Spain. In spain, the government have been far better. The rules have been clear, as has the rationale. In the UK, the government have been crap. I.e. saying ‘please don’t go down to the pub’ rather than just shutting the damn things.
(p.s. for clarity, I wasn’t saying that cyclists are dicks, just the general british population….)
the little onion wrote:
I don’t agree, this lockdown is an over reation that will destroy the economy. The elderly and vunerable should be self isolating for their own protection. The rest of us have to wait 18 months or so for a vaccine so mostly we will get it, lie down and feel shit for a bit and then get over it. It’s not worth destroying the economy for a generation. The consequences will be far worse than a bout of bad flu.
Agree. If look at it as
Agree. If look at it as purely numbers game then the cost of protecting people with little life left isn’t worth putting millions into poverty. Boomers win again.
My parents are being completely ignorant I’m alright Jack about this anyway. One of them has dementia so I’ll excuse her but the other is head in the sand and recently nearly died of pneumonia but is still being an idiot about it all. Old people.
Read the Imperial college
Read the Imperial college report. Then come back to me with an apology. That is dangerous bullshit that WILL COST THOUSANDS OF LIVES
bikeman01 wrote:
Please please read this: imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf
That paper clearly sets out
That paper clearly sets out the problem with our current strategy.
The huge rebound we’ll get in the winter.
The economy can’t handle too long in its current state.
If we can’t afford to shut down over and over again then we’ll end up in an even worse situation come the winter.
I don’t think we will be able to shut down for that long or on multiple occasions.
We need an alternative strategy.
the little onion wrote:
That Imperial College study is so flawed & has been rightly heavily criticised by academics.
Here’s some reading as to why:
https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-the-hammer-and-the-dance-be9337092b56
bikeman01 wrote:
A comparison with Flu. By a Doctor. Puts it into true perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szueWSgLHpw
the little onion wrote:
And how far can a car travel?
Tell me, if I go on a 100
Tell me, if I go on a 100 mile bike ride, as I’m considering doing tomorrow, at what point do I risk infecting someone else? I’m not planning on a cafe stop, I’ll bring a packed lunch. Do you think someone’s going to nick my bike and lick the handlebars? Do you think someone’s going to walk up to me at a set of traffic lights and breath in my outbreath?
Good grief, give me strength.
Agree.
Where has ‘Close pass of the day’ gone?
No one is out and about to
No one is out and about to get footage.
I did have some caravan twat last week that is down for prosecution. I hope he doesn’t try and pull a fast one and dispute it in the hope the court can’t meet.
Sorry, Hirsute, it was meant
Sorry, Hirsute, it was meant with a twang of irony. Less cars, less close passes.
I’m in rural France at the moment. No police enforcing the new rules, which would be a ridiculous waste of time, anyway. Even so, still carrying the required ‘attestation’ on my daily shopping trip. I think the UK, which is lagging slightly benind, have a bit of a shock coming to them if they don’t start to listen to the ‘government’, regardless of what we think. From what I see on the TV, it seems as though the cities will bring the wrath onto everyone.
efail wrote:
The drivers have suddenly got responsible and are practicing social distancing or whatever the phrase is.
Police: So you’re cycling to
Police: So you’re cycling to work? Where Do you work?
Cyclist: The weather station at the top of Mont Ventoux officer…
The cyclist continues:
The cyclist continues:
“I also need to visit a number of other weather stations in the region.
I’m riding alone and I’ve washed my hands. Now make sure you stand at least 2 metres away monsieur and allow me to continue with my essential work.”
Even if there’s now an
Even if there’s now an automatic weather station up there that is a brilliant and witty comment. I live in lock down France, where were no longer allowed to cycle for sports or leisure reasons. Thanks for making me smile!
The analysis from the Italian
The analysis from the Italian NHS on 2000 dead reveals that the average age of the deceased is 79.5yrs. Almost half the dead had three preconditions (heart disease, diabetes, kidney ailments etc); a quarter had two and the remainder one. There were just 17 deaths under 50, all of which had a severe pre-condition. Seventy percent were male. The average life expectancy of an Italian male is 81.2yrs.
Now, the spread of COVID-19 positive tests in pretty even: 37% 70+; 37% 50-70 and the balance basically 19 – 50. But deaths are MASSIVELY skewed towards the very elderly AND already seriously infirm. (Statista stats).
Still think that it is worth closing the economy for this? There are many businesses that will close from the measures taken by the Government and the panick that is ensuing….and they will not re-open: airlines, hotels, holidays businesses in the UK and abroad, your restaurants, cafes, shops and many, many manufacturing businesses that will run out of cash …
On a macro level Sterling is plummeting along with the stock market. The cost of government borrowing will inevitably increase and those that are left behind – and if we look at the Italian pattern that will be the vast majority of us – will be paying for this for decades. Still think it is worth closing the economy for this?
Chris Hayes wrote:
Yes – absolutely. Half a million deaths DIRECTLY from the disease is what is expected, unless there is mitigation. This includes lots of young people with immune issues. On top of this is the INDIRECT deaths from people who can’t get treatment because the hospitals are overflowing with covid-19 patients.
We are at the very very start of a long journey, unless we nip this in the bud. And even then….
Spanish flu, immediately after world war one, killed more people than the war itself. Just bear that in mind.
Well if all the oldies that
Well if all the oldies that are expected to die, and those at risk younguns just do it quietly, and don’t clog up the A&E and ICU, so just die at home, then we’ll be alright.
If not, much higher deaths from heart attacks and strokes. Far more road deaths and industrial accidents caused fatalities. And then what happens after the next terrorist outrage or train crash. And cancer, forget about getting anything done about that.
Back pain, hip replacements, mental health, all overwhelmed bacause we just have to look after the dying and try and get it below 15%.
I might be alright, but I’m really hoping my better half can make it though this and we’d both like a few more years with our mothers around.
The casino capitalists almost brought their entire system down in ’08 and we are and will be paying for it for many years. This one, well hopefully we will manage and make it through, and perhaps with a bit of thought and changes we might come out of it better.
I agree with you. So use
I agree with you. So use some of the GBP350,000,000 plus to build more hospitals and a social care system for the elderly to isolate them – rather than screw up the economy for the rest of us – for decades to come.
Keep in mind road traffic
Keep in mind road traffic deaths are over 3000 per day globally, well in excess of any war, terrorist act and COVID-19, yet it does not provoke the kind of urgent response being used for the virus. And there are medical causes like heart disease and stroke that in many cases are preventable, responsible for many more deaths and hospitalisations. Air pollution is responsible for more deaths, but we don’t shut down the economy because of it. Influenza kills at least 300,000 a year.
In that context, it’s quite reasonable to question if the response to COVID-19 is proportionate, or irrational panic. Or if you’re a cynic like me, wonder if it is being used as an opportunity to cause global recession and hit the reset button on the economy.
But it is perfectly possible
But it is perfectly possible to let low risk people go about their lives, whilst really isolating those at a higher risk (which in Italy is those over 70yrs with 1 – 3 serious illnesses – many of which live in the sad isolation of old age anyway). Also the death toll in Italy has been particulary high due to intergenerational living. Hands up on here if you live with you grandparents?
Do you realise how many hospitals and COVID-19 resistant care-homes we could build for them with GBP 350,000,000,000? Let alone the two other ‘stimulus’ tranches we’ve seen this week…
It’s not about the current
It’s not about the current death rate. The real aim is about slowing the number of infections to buy time for the build up of herd immunity and/or effective medication. An eminent immunologist described Corvid 19 as ‘slippery’. After species jumping it mutated to allow human to human transfer in a few weeks. It took years for this to happen in previous similar cases. It has mutated again at least once as there are now two known strains. If it mutates again into something really nasty before we are able to deal with it then the manure will really hit the aircon.
“perfectly possible to let
“perfectly possible to let low risk people go about their lives, whilst really isolating those at a higher risk”
“the death toll in Italy has been particulary high due to intergenerational living”
Wow! Who knew you were an expert in this field. Did you even know you where one a month ago?
oh yeah and also you’re also really hot in large infrastructure projects! Amazing!
“Do you realise how many hospitals and COVID-19 resistant care-homes we could build for them with GBP 350,000,000,000?”
Just wondering when all those lovely CV19 resistant hospitals and care homes will open their doors? 2021? 2022?
Now is not the time for armchair experts. Listen and adhere to PublIc Health England advice. Peoples lives, someone’s mum, someone’s dad, someone’s loved ones lives depend on it.
Please – don’t second guess this. Do the right thing.
the little onion wrote:
Mitigation won’t solve anything, millions will die anyway; sooner rather than later.
Suppression is the way
Efficient & effective Testing coupled with Contact Tracing is the key, otherwise social measures (mandatory quarantine & isolation, distancing, etc) alone are futile.
That’s how China & S. Korea were so successful at tackling the outbreak.
Nice to finally see a voice
Nice to finally see a voice of reason. We should do all we can to avoid more deaths, but the measures taken are no longer proportionate to what reason suggest we should do. Banning cycling will only have a negative influence on people’s immune system – especially in the long run. Not to mention their mental health. Also, where were all the concerned voices last year when 80.000 people died in the US from the flu H3n2?
Chris – your stats may be
Chris – your stats may be correct and ‘reassuring’ but the public health system still has to cope with the situation and this is why you have to have these measures. In north Italy the army is moving coffins by night to other regions for burial as local cemeteries are full. The army is also setting up field hospitals. The victims may be old but they still have the right to a dignified death and burial. World health systems are designed for quotidian events and not pandemics. (it can cope with x amount of strokes / heart attacks / RTCs per day) Which is another reason why there are such strict measures: to help prevent the collapse of the health system.
Also, I guess no one really knows how the virus may mutate. It could start attacking younger bodies so surely it’s best to halt it as soon as possible.
I cannot help but think that
I cannot help but think that this is a massive over reaction too. This is akin to taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Many businesses will go under. Many in the at risk category are of an age where they do not work, and can self isolate for weeks. No, it is not ideal but why cripple the whole economy, when we will be all paying for this for decades. I do think solitary cycling and walking should be kept up. It cleanses the mind, relaxes and gives you a good feeling. I have started walking around the edges of the inustrial estate where I work at lunchtime, mainly to get away from the doom and gloom on every radio station. (Jeremy Vines The world is ending two hour slot for one). A few minutes away from the business park I am in country lanes, the birds are singing, nature tells us that life goes on, and I am a world away from the shit. And for an hour, I can be happy listening to the birdsong and feeling the warmish spring sun on my back.
Keep it up Bill. I’m heading
Keep it up Bill. I’m heading into Kent and the Ashdown Forest today – but will observe social distancing ettiquette. Hopefully some of those bike shops are still selling coffee 🙂
Sledgehammer for a nut? When
Sledgehammer for a nut? When the nut in question has the potential to kill millions of people. Use the sledgehammer, then burn it, encase it in concrete and drop it down the deepest hole available.
Whilst we are still allowed out, and that might well change if people don’t take distancing seriously, then please, whatever you are doing, just dial it back a notch.
Getting on top of this thing sooner rather than later means we can get back to normal sooner.
Road CC, what are you doing?
Road CC, what are you doing? Allowing the clickbait ads to cover the bottom of the screen? I accept ads pay revenue to you, but this is ridiculous.
From France, here really a
From France, here really a lot of people think that the lockdown is a good thing (on strava you can get insults if you show that you went outside…) but for me it seems also a bit too much (well only the future will tell). There will probably be an economical (/ financial / oil ) crisis and this may impact for a long time on the life of lots of people, especially the youngs…
As for cycling, in theory it stays okay for commuting and going to the store (see tweet from sport minister https://twitter.com/Sports_gouv/status/1240693335834021889) but coming back from groceries I was stopped by police and they said it’s not allowed for anything as it’s “too dangerous” ! Anyway you can drive your can at high speed as there is nobody on the roads but that doesn’t seem dangerous for them.
I hope for you in the UK that your government will follow what british cycling recommends !
In other and yet strangly
In other and yet strangly similar news, E4 changed the tonights first scheduled episode of Rick and Morty, from S1 ep6 to S3 ep10 (The Obamaish one). I know I didn’t imagine that the original was meant to be on, they showed a clip of the scheduled episode on Sunday Brunch.
dear Road CC. Please can you
dear Road CC. Please can you shrink the MASSIVE Rapha banner that is taking up a third of my screen.
And the gravel bike adverts
And the gravel bike adverts that are blocking mine. It’ll be interesting to see how long advertising revenues last, by the way…given that no one will be buying anything anytime soon!
I went out on my bike this
I went out on my bike this morning, on my own, and cycled from Preston to Malham and back. The roads were extremely quiet all the way there. As I was descending into Malham, I stopped halfway down to take some photos, I was amazed how many people were walking along the path from Malham all the way up the side of Malham cove. They were like ants. But that was only the beginning. As I cycled through Malham, it was like a dozen buses had tipped up and chucked everyone out. It was bedlam, the busiest I have ever seen it, and this was at just 10.30! No social distancing here at all, everyone looked in great spirits as they bumped into others. Unbelievable. And the cafe was open too, but I don’t know if it was just take away being served. As I cycled out, towards Hellifield, there was a constant stream of cars coming in, with nowhere to park as Malham was gridlocked.
I’m reading through the
I’m reading through the comments with incredulity. The I’m alright jack people are the biggest surprise as they don’t seem to know what is going on. The why close all the businesses don’t seem to know what is going on. The don’t take away our cycling ones don’t seem to know what is going on.
tbh, no one knows what is going to happen or fully what is going on in a virus that was properly noticed as a concern In December and is now pretty much world wide and overwhelming health organisations all over.
However let’s have some facts so far. This is not flu, the is a respiratory disease. Flu Is not specifically respiratory. Flu has vaccines, herd immunity and known treatments and test still people die. We have none of this for COVID-19.
“only the old die and they don’t work anyway”. Yes the majority of the deaths are old people. But that is not all of them. Tell that to the 15 medical staff who have died in Italy helping to treat sick COVID-19 victims. But that is not the only main figure to be concerned of. Current estimates are up to 20% of everyone who gets it (barring children) need some hospitalisation with 2% needing critical care. So all the people on the beaches yesterday or milling around parks or towns or panic buying at supermarkets because I’m young so even if I get it, I will be ok, please think again.
The government lockdowns for everyone are in place to try to limit the rates of infection to coping numbers and then i suspect there will be relaxations, with measures put in place to react quickly to outbreaks like South Korea do. This is going to be a world altering experience and we have to hope that it currently doesn’t mutate too much and that vaccines and / or treatments come along soon. There might even be a flu and COVID season and vaccines done together from now on.
As for the cycling shutdowns. Whilst I wish they didn’t happen, if they do it is another control mechanism in the cog. Whilst maybe some of it might be to avoid extra strain on medical services, the majority will be to stop it being a workaround to avoid travel when we are put in larger sanctions over it. (No driving your car anywhere but to the supermarket but you can cycle anywhere you want to will soon have people abusing it, after all Spanish people were buying and using stuffed dogs to go out and about).
And finally can I say, yes I know nothing, the same as pretty much everyone else on this board, I’m just aware that there are more numbers out there to be concerned about then the headline ones. Governments around the world are doing thing we would never have dreamt about three months ago. They are not doing it on a whim. However they are the lesser of two evils in there eyes. We never got to these levels with SARS, bird flu, Ebola, Mers and swine flu because these weren’t as deadly or as easily caught as COVID is and the world got lucky. It didn’t in 1918 and it hasn’t now.
This. All this. Remember that
This. All this. Remember that in 10 days we will not have a NHS. It will be completely overwhelmed. There isn’t enough capacity to deal with the under 40s who will need hospitalisation for Covid, let alone those who get ill or need treatment for anything else. Even if we just let all the over 80s die without treatment, it will still not cope. I’m just flabbergasted by the response here
I gather from the comments
I gather from the comments section that some French busybodies are scouring Strava to see who is still riding their bicycles and then sending them rude notes. And people wonder why I avoid social media …