Jasper Philipsen survives last-minute on-the-fly shoe switch to sprint to victory; Prince William joins Greg James on the Comic Relief tandem; Pidcock wins; Bike lane moaning; The end of bike shed planning sagas? + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Jasper Philipsen survives last-minute on-the-fly shoe switch to sprint to victory
He’s not the first and certainly won’t be the last rider to swap out a shoe mid-race, it’s the cycling equivalent of that tricky winger calling to the bench for a switch of footwear. In Philipsen’s case the shoe swap ended with him netting the winner, the Belgian opening his account for the season at Nokere-Koerse.
Shoe change for Jasper Philipsen! 👟👀
Jasper Philipsen opts for a late shoe change at Nokere Koerse — and makes it look easy! pic.twitter.com/YEniU3VVHg
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 18, 2026
First male rider to ever win a Belgian semi-classic wearing a different coloured shoe on each foot? One for the statos to check this evening. Compatriot Jordi Meeus and Juan Sebastian Molano took Philipsen on in the finish but, as has happened so often in recent years, there was no beating the Alpecin-Premier Tech star.
Heartbreak and ecstasy! 😮
Alec Segaert is caught by the peloton in the final metres of Nokere Koerse — with Jasper Philipsen coming through to take the win! 👏 pic.twitter.com/L2iKpHT3GQ
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 18, 2026
How superstitious Philipsen is remains to be seen. Will he now be forced to race San Remo with a silver left foot and white right? No word yet on why he needed to switch it out, but all’s well that ends well.
Anyway, someone who didn’t need such mid-race tinkering was Lotte Kopecky, the two-time world champ winning the women’s race with a typically powerful finish, her third success at Nokere Koerse.
Kopecky takes it! 🚀
Lotte Kopecky picks up her third win at Nokere Koerse with a super sprint! 👏 pic.twitter.com/i0Tm1ZHSWL
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 18, 2026
"Wins aren't easy to come by, so of course it's nice to get my hands in the air"
Speaking after his Milano-Torino victory, Pidcock told the TV cameras he’s happy to get another victory under his belt early in 2026.
“They’re not easy to come by, so of course it’s nice to get hands in the air,” he said.
“It was a weird day, felt like the first race of the season, almost. With all the accelerations all day, I felt a bit heavy-legged, but luckily in the end I had a kick.
“Primož is hard to read, he’s always in the saddle. I was expecting him to be good there. I was hesitating to attack, everyone was looking pretty strong, I knew at one point I had to go.”
Tom Pidcock wins Milano-Torino
PIDCOCK RIDES AWAY 🔥
Tom Pidcock plays the final climb of Milano–Torino perfectly to win! pic.twitter.com/QIOIiF67qw
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) March 18, 2026
Tom Pidcock starting 2026 as he ended 2025, in cracking form. What better way to show off the legs ahead of Milan-San Remo? Those Poggio descent drone shots would be quite something if the British rider is in the mix this weekend, shades of Matej Mohorič’s dropper post-aided plunge to victory, perhaps?
Well, Pidcock has his second win of 2026, regardless of what happens on Saturday. He stormed to the top of the Superga climb, leaving Tobias Halland Johannessen, Primož Roglič, Giulio Pellizzari and the rest of the (extremely reduced) peloton flailing behind and unable to answer his kick.
It follows his win at Ruta del Sol last month, Pidcock hoping to go closer at the opening Monument of the season on Saturday than he managed at Opening Weekend in Belgium, where he admitted afterwards the miserably cold conditions got the better of him.
A seventh place at Strade Bianche was a sign things might be moving in the right direction, form wise, today’s win the proof. Get stuck into them at the weekend, Tom…
Rohan Dennis criticised for Instagram post describing his car as “a weapon”, less than a year after receiving suspended sentence over driving incident which killed wife Melissa Hoskins
"This could be a good time for Pogačar... if he attacks at the right time": Eddy Merckx plots world champion's blueprint to Milan-San Remo glory
If there’s a man who knows a thing or two about winning Milan-San Remo, it’s Eddy Merckx. The Cannibal took the longest race of the season seven times, the modern-era greatest, Tadej Pogačar, once again lining up at the race this weekend looking to win his first and take another step closer to the Monument full house.
“This could be a good time for Pogačar… if he attacks at the right time,” Merckx told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Tadej must drop him, because after 300 kilometres on Via Roma, if they were still together… the favourite would be Mathieu. The long distance could be a friend to the Dutchman.
“[He should attack] on the Poggio. Even though he can break away from everyone on the Cipressa, last year only Van der Poel and Ganna were able to stay with him. He’s capable of long breakaways, but at the San Remo, the chances of them catching you are increased. And if there were strong headwinds on the Cipressa, it would be very difficult to make a difference. Even though he’s Tadej Pogačar.”
What do we reckon? Personally, I think Pogačar light things up on the Cipressa again this year, but is Merckx right? Should he save all his bullets for the Poggio?
Is Hammersmith & Fulham Council's claim new cycle lanes won't cost local taxpayer anything disingenuous?
It’s a very interesting point from Rendel in the comments, not least coming from a live blog regular on this site who’d obviously be on the pro-cycling infrastructure side of the ‘debate’. Is Hammersmith & Fulham Council justified in claiming the new schemes won’t cost local taxpayers a penny? Is this disingenuous?
“I am all for new cycling infrastructure, obviously, and I’m happy for local councils to spend money on it, but it’s a bit disingenuous of Hammersmith and Fulham to claim that their new cycle lanes come at ‘no cost to local taxpayers’,” he wrote.
“If you pay council tax in London, around 25% of it goes to the Greater London Authority, and part of TfL’s funding comes from the GLA, so local taxpayers are paying for it to an extent, the money is just taking a slightly circuitous route. Money well spent, but the council should be honest about it and not talk as if it is without cost.
“(Obviously, before the attack of the pedants, the council could claim that by “local taxpayers” they mean “people who pay that share of the council tax that goes to the local council” but that’s clearly not the impression they’re trying to convey).”
Driver set to go on trial for alleged attempted murder of Alejandro Valverde in road rage incident
> Driver set to go on trial for alleged attempted murder of Alejandro Valverde in road rage incident
Could we soon see the end of bonkers bike shed planning sagas in Ireland?
Some news from across the Irish Sea this week where Housing Minister James Browne has promised a “significant” review into planning rules.
The Irish Independent reckons this could mean bike storage in front gardens is exempt from planning laws.
It’s one of a number of rumoured changes reportedly looking to cut red tape and ease planning restrictions.
“Other exemptions will include subdivision of a property into two homes, dormer extensions, attic conversions, external wall insulation and bin and bike storage among other measures,” Ireland’s Minister of State for Planning John Cummins said.
“I am seeking to cut red tape to ensure the system is simplified, removing items from the planning process that don’t need to be in it.”
We’ll see how things develop, but could it be the end of bizarre case studies such as these?
"Ah, one of those chainstay-mounted derailleurs I've heard about"
Hookless wheels keep getting bad press — after several recent controversies, can brands sticking with the technology weather the hookless storm?
Prince William joins Greg James on Comic Relief tandem epic
James: “Is there Lycra underneath that?”
William: “There’s not Lycra but I am going to join you”Prince William surprising Greg James! Cute moment 💕 pic.twitter.com/xppJ345aae
— Hanz (@fashionistaera) March 17, 2026
The Prince of Wales joined Greg James for a half-hour stretch of his Comic Relief tandem challenge yesterday afternoon. Radio 1 DJ James is cycling 1,000km from Weymouth to Edinburgh, sharing the tandem with famous faces along the way, including Geraint Thomas.
Now, not casting any aspersions on Prince William’s pedalling prowess, but we’re guessing G might have offered a bit more assistance on the wattage front, even if the 2018 Tour de France winner admitted he hasn’t ridden a bike for six months since retiring.
“I didn’t kill the future king,” a relieved James commented after Prince William’s departure from their South Yorkshire spin.
“That’s the tightest I’ve grabbed the handlebars for the whole week.”
During the live stream the Prince of Wales told James, “What you’ve done is set an example about helping out. That’s the thing.
“It’s volunteering some of your time, putting yourself through a bit of pain at the same time, and supporting others. It’s something we do very well in this country, but we don’t really shout about it enough.”
The fundraiser has raised £1.1m for Comic Relief, with the Radio 1 DJ hoping to reach the finish line in Edinburgh on Friday.
We’ll keep the updates coming throughout the week here on the live blog…
“Everyone gains when more people cycle”: New report suggests cycling saving the NHS more than £72m per year
Council promises new cycle lane will reduce congestion and won't cost local taxpayers a penny... but grumpy Facebook commenters miserable they once saw a cyclist run a red light
So, according to Hammersmith & Fulham Council in London, a couple of new cycle routes at Holland Park roundabout and from Hammersmith Broadway to Olympia, will improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians, reduce congestion and emissions, and come at no cost to local taxpayers… the residents are going to be buzzing.
Well, some of them are. The usual Facebook comments section crowd is doing what it does best, a belting round of anti-cycling bingo underway under the council’s post here.
The context is that Hammersmith & Fulham Council has this week given its backing to two new cycle schemes through the borough. Cycleway 34 in Shepherds Bush and Cycleway 9 in Hammersmith, which are both be “delivered at no cost to local taxpayers” and funded by Transport for London (TfL).
“These schemes demonstrate our clear commitment to making cycling and walking safer, while also meeting our ambitious targets to tackle climate change,” local councillor Florian Chevoppe-Verdier said.
London’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman called the infrastructure “vital” and said many across the city remain committed to making “it safer and easier for people to cycle in London”, in turn “reducing congestion and improving air quality for local residents”.
Starting with some of the more positive Facebook comments, before we get stuck into the reason why we’re all here, Miika Nicholson told the council: “Slowly moving in the right direction with reducing traffic in London and encouraging safe cycle opportunities like Denmark, Netherlands etc. If only TfL would have put a cycle lane over Kew Bridge. There was absolutely no need for four lanes of traffic.”
For our segue into the ranting, we’ll leave it to Mindy Stasiulaitis who “loves reading the angry comments here”. Well, you’re in luck, Mindy…
“Cycling people should get driving licence”
“More phone snatching is going to happen and more idiots jumping red lights”
“No rules for cyclists”
“More traffic issues then and no cyclist using the lanes anyway”
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
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Latest Comments
@Xenophon2 I agree. I tried a different route from Garstang to Leeds on Saturday to avoid the Death Highways from Barnoldswick to Skipton. I had to turn off Hazard warnings on the 1040 because people have ruined the hazard facility by warning about every pothole, instead of only the bad ones. UK roads are full of them, and the red Hazard was turning up constantly. Similarly, radar is useless in the UK because nutter drivers are everywhere and the alarm will be going off all the time. I'm convinced this is a good radar and it's what I'd get if I had any use for it. I'm pretty sure it would have warned me about this Stagecoach bus on The Lancashire Terminator Express, and lots of the other vehicles as well- then what? ttps://upride.cc/incident/px12dnv_stagecoach41_closepass/
It's just the same on cucumber growers websites. Only last week, a Tuesday I think it was, there was an article on growing courgettes. I don't grow courgettes. I was livid and thought I was going to spontaneously combust. Luckily my wife knows the signs - steam rising from my boots, speaking in tongues- and was on hand to throw a bucket of water over me. She always seems to have a bucket of water handy. And as for red tomato growers websites? Don't get me started.
What size of golf balls though?
Given that humour, as defined by no less than Charlie Chaplin, is someone else's misfortune. it is clear that anyone who makes a joke should be fired. Which reminds me of the terrible joke about what the ring master said when the human cannonball died "It'll be difficult to find another man of his calibre." Fire me now to save time.
@Mr Blackbird Yes, I've been on the rugby field when a sudden storm of about 3mm stones erupted, like being shot by a thousand air rifles at once and as you say, the temperature plummet was incredible. Memorable also for the sight of props who hadn't broken above a jog in two decades and who thought you were a wuss if you went off for a mere broken arm suddenly doing creditable Linford Christie impressions in the rush for shelter!
@Rendel Harris I just finished watching a recording of today's stage and the hailstones appeared to be somewhere around blueberry sized. Possibly large enough to cause somebody to crash if they rode over one at the wrong angle. A few years ago I was riding a time trial on the A428 in Cambs. It was around 18 - 20 deg C. At around the half way point the heavens opened. The temperature must have dropped by about 10 degC almost immediately. Within about a minute, I was completely soaked and riding through about 10mm deep water on the carriageway, with my visor fogging up. The worst thing though was the feeling of shock. Had I been near the HQ I would have abandoned. The Vuelta riders must have experienced something much much worse than me, especially as they will have been acclimatised to 30+ degC in recent weeks. Hopefully none of them will get ill as a result of today - it was only stage 3, so pressed their immune systems aren't yet too stressed.
Sounds like this bike should have 5 stars 🤩…why only 4?
Poor you! 😂 Humans have been cycling gravel roads since bikes were invented. Tarmac is not the definition of road.
Hailstones the size of golf balls Ryan? It was bad but I've seen a "golf ball sized" hailstorm (in Spain, as it happens, from a safe shelter) and they smash glass and can knock people unconscious, often with skull fractures - no way would the riders have been able to carry on until they found shelter in that type of storm, it would have been every man for himself under the nearest tree or rock.
Oh, get over yourself. For many of us, the shit state of UK roads means that a gravel bike IS a road bike now.
10 thoughts on “Jasper Philipsen survives last-minute on-the-fly shoe switch to sprint to victory; Prince William joins Greg James on the Comic Relief tandem; Pidcock wins; Bike lane moaning; The end of bike shed planning sagas? + more on the live blog”
“TfL launches trial of new radar‑based speed cameras”
I wonder if these will face the same vandalism as the ULEZ cameras did recently.
https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2026/march/tfl-launches-trial-of-new-radar-based-speed-cameras
If those become commonplace RIP radar rear lights. I always get false positives with my rtl510 and the radar based traffic counters, but they’re rare. If every speed camera would be emitting radar it would get quite bad.
Re The Cycle Routes In Shepherd Bush And Hammersmith.
“All cyclists should have driving licences.” Garghh!
Around 85% of them do for fuck’s sake!
And what about cyclists ahead under 17? For fucking fuck’s sake!
From my limited experiences of driving in London, I would have thought that any measure to reduce the need for driving would be a positive and embraced by all. Especially as it as no cost to the taxpayer.
aged under 17
I am all for new cycling infrastructure, obviously, and I’m happy for local councils to spend money on it, but it’s a bit disingenuous of Hammersmith and Fulham to claim that their new cycle lanes come at “no cost to local taxpayers”: if you pay council tax in London, around 25% of it goes to the Greater London Authority, and part of TfL’s funding comes from the GLA, so local taxpayers are paying for it to an extent, the money is just taking a slightly circuitous route. Money well spent, but the council should be honest about it and not talk as if it is without cost.
(Obviously, before the attack of the pedants, the council could claim that by “local taxpayers” they mean “people who pay that share of the council tax that goes to the local council” but that’s clearly not the impression they’re trying to convey)
I see this with stuff happening locally, and while I think it’s right to point out that it’s a separate funding stream, people are aware that it is still coming from tax revenue, and it’s not unreasonable to complain about that slight of hand.
That said, I also think it demonstrates the benefits of having separate, ring-fenced pots of money, with decisions on this kind of infrastructure being made by people who aren’t also directly responsible for deciding how much goes on all of the very many other things that people suddenly care about when they hear cyclists might benefit from any public spending.
Customer, passenger, taxpayer and worker, different names but a single pocket to support the flow of public spending.
“Race proven in USA”
…but not up to the rigours of the daily commute.
“Cycling people should get driving licence” That’s the moronic level of intelligence of some people, Makes you wonder why they’re ever allowed behind the wheel of a vehicle.
“The Irish Independent reckons this could mean bike storage in front gardens is exempt from planning laws.”
In the meantime I suspect that if the storage in the photo was on some heavy duty castors it wouldn’t need planning permission.