“When your grandpa has secret watts”: Pro cyclists joined by Converse-wearing local stylishly flying up climb aboard steel beauty; But cyclists don’t ride in the cold; Pro cycling’s new monster climb + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
"When your grandpa has secret watts": Pro cyclists joined by Converse-wearing local stylishly flying up climb aboard steel beauty
While one of the hot topics of the early season has been how to behave around pro cyclists while they train, sparked by several high-profile examples of how not to behave, here’s a fan/pro clip that’s good for the soul on a Wednesday morning…
stuck in traffic on my morning KOMmute
by
u/FlyThink7908 in
BicyclingCirclejerk
Full credit to the good people at Assos who were out getting photos and video of the EF Education-Oatly riders in their new kit when the coolest rider on the continent rolled up for a tow. Backpack on, Converse on, steel bike from before some of the pros were born, that’s one cool person to be drafting your group.
Very much from the same genre as one of our favourite live blogs ever…
> Rigoberto Urán drafted by backpack-wearing local at 45km/h
If the chap from the Assos clip had gone no-hands to light a cigarette before flicking his downtube shifter to launch a Pantani-style attack, I fear the cycling corner of the internet may have spontaneously combusted. As it was, his antics have still earned him a sizeable fan club…
“He actually stopped at the bottom of the hill for a few pints to give them a head start…”
“Please don’t post videos of me without my permission”
“A man of culture”
“It’s Grandpa Pogačar”
“He’s the neutral service bike and he’s got 15 litres of water in that pack for when the peloton gets thirsty.”
“He’s the Pele-Don!”
Any teams got any space for a last-minute wildcard this season?
Komoot launches ChatGPT app to provide instant AI-powered route planning via “natural language prompts”
Police force apologises over 'incorrectly categorised 999 call' which saw cyclist left injured in busy road for three hours before emergency services attended
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Dyfed Powys Police have responded to criticism from a councillor over a case which saw a cyclist left injured in a busy road for several hours before emergency services arrived.
Questions were asked about why the police had not attended to direct traffic and keep the injured rider, and members of the public who stopped to help, safe during the three-hour wait for an ambulance.
The Shropshire Star reports a superintendent from the force has now apologised and said the situation stemmed from the call for assistance being categorised incorrectly.
“A full review has been completed into the road traffic collision which occurred at Borfa Green, Welshpool,” Superintendent Jon Rees said. “The review identified that the call for assistance was categorised incorrectly at the point of contact, and whilst there was effective communication between Dyfed-Powys Police and the Welsh Ambulance Trust to ensure the casualty received the correct treatment and care, local police officers were not tasked to attend the incident.
“The staff involved have received feedback, enabling future learning and avoidance of any repeat. On behalf of Dyfed-Powys Police I apologise that the high level of service expected of staff was not achieved on this occasion.”
Did Remco Evenepoel cramp during UAE Tour horror show?
Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team manager Klaas Lodewyck offered his assessment of Remco Evenepoel’s UAE Tour disappointment to Sporza this afternoon and questioned if cramp was the issue.
“From what we could see in the follow-up car, Remco may have gone a bit over the limit during Gall’s attack,” he suggested. “We had discussed this: ‘Take it easy.’ But maybe he felt so good at the time that he wanted to follow. But the end result is clear.
“From what we saw in the footage, it was a brutal climb. And maybe he pushed himself too hard at the start. But there’s no doubt it was a difficult climb. No, I don’t think so [when asked about potential cramp]. Again: I haven’t spoken to him yet, and we won’t have more clarity until tonight.”
Abuse and harassment continuing to deter women from cycling, as campaigners launch new “safety audit”
Remco goes pop on Jebel Mobrah as Antonio Tiberi wins first summit finish of UAE Tour
He really earned that victory 🥵
Antonio Tiberi rides solo to victory on UAE Tour Stage 3 at the top of Jabel Mobrah and takes the race lead ahead of Isaac del Toro who finished in second 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/Xoe6r7LaWw
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) February 18, 2026
UAE Tour’s third stage was billed as the Evenepoel vs Del Toro showdown but neither of the favourites summited pro cycling’s newest leg-shredding climb with their hands in the air, Antonio Tiberi instead landing something of an upset and taking the race lead. The Italian has just three pro wins, despite some very solid GC showings built around his strong time trialling and consistent but (usually) unspectacular climbing. As such, the biggest headlines of the 24-year-old’s career came rather grimly when he shot and killed a cat belonging to San Marino’s former head of state.
After Silvan Dillier and Jonas Rickaert had formed an Alpecin-Premier Tech two-up breakaway training ride all day, the savage slopes of the climb packed enough drama to almost make watching four hours of flat, desert riding worthwhile. Isaac Del Toro was struggling, then he wasn’t. Remco Evenepoel wasn’t struggling, then he was. In the end, Del Toro found his legs and closed the gap to Tiberi to 15 seconds, Adam Yates doing his usual applause-worthy domestique duty, but it was the Bahrain Victorious rider’s day.
Remco looks to be struggling in the heat 🥵 pic.twitter.com/o9pDm84TWM
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) February 18, 2026
Evenepoel was seen hitting his legs, possibly suffering with some cramp in the heat, but the Belgian lost nearly two minutes and has almost certainly ceded any hope of a GC win this week. With the bonus seconds, Tiberi holds a 21-second advantage over Del Toro, the week featuring one more summit finish, on Saturday.
Team effort vs individual performance: As Team Visma–Lease a Bike looks to replace key riders, staff and its lead sponsor, where does this leave Jonas Vingegaard for 2026?
Driving academy deploys AI slop to ask if cyclists "have every right to be on the road"?
Define AI slop:
A Hampshire-based driving school posted this interesting image on Facebook. Where to start? The oversized signs, the road-straddling vehicles, the path that disappears 50m up the road? Actually, to be fair, the path vanishing without warning is quite realistic…
Social media marketing to attract learners for lessons or ‘discussion’, we’re not too sure what the point of this post is, but Jo spotted it on his feed this morning. There are plenty of comments so job done there, I suppose.
The pic was accompanied by a few (presumably also AI-produced) paragraphs asking: “Do you think that cyclists have every right to be on the road?!”
Even if there’s a cycle lane then cyclists have a legal right to use a public road. They are entitled to ride in the center of the lane for safety, are not required to use cycle lanes, and can ride two abreast.–Key Aspects of Cyclists’ Rights and Responsibilities:Positioning: Cyclists may use the full lane and are advised to take the center of the lane when it is safer to do so, such as in narrow traffic or to avoid hazards.–Road Usage: Apart from motorways, cyclists can use most roads. They are not legally required to use cycle lanes.Rules of the Road: Cyclists must follow the Highway Code, which includes obeying traffic signals, stop signs, and riding in the same direction as traffic.Safety and Overtaking: Motorists are required to give cyclists at least as much room as a car when overtaking (at least 1.5 meters for speeds up to 30mph).–Group Riding: Cyclists may ride two abreast, which is often safer, particularly in larger groups or with children.–Restrictions: Cyclists cannot legally ride on pavements (footways), unless it is a designated shared-use path.While cyclists have the right to be on the road, they must also act with due care and consideration for other road users.
Safety works to be carried out on “North Korean style” cycle lane after complaints of a “pilot scheme that has no pilot”
If it ain't on Strava, he'll still be the manager of our football club this weekend
Not cycling but a brief shout-out to the amusing story that new Wigan Athletic manager Gary Caldwell’s imminent departure from former club Exeter City was leaked by the club’s physio on Strava.
“Northampton (H) last one with Gary and Dave,” the physio titled his run. Fans spotted it and sure enough Caldwell was appointed The Latics’ new gaffer shortly after.
Pro cycling's new monster climb: UAE Tour to make Jebel Mobrah debut
You know it’s going to be good when the kilometre sections look like this…
What do you expect on Jebel Mobrah tomorrow? #UAETour pic.twitter.com/jhQvfZHE69
— Benji Naesen (@BenjiNaesen) February 17, 2026
Okay, I’ve cracked, my abstinence from getting too bothered about racing until Omloop is over. All it took was six kilometres at 12 per cent and maximum slopes of 16 per cent. Well done, UAE Tour, you’ve won me round.
There’s plenty of flat riding to do before that but Evenepoel, Del Toro and Co. will be in for a rude awakening when the action turns from zone two, spinning through the desert, to lung-burning, double-digit gradients in a matter of minutes.
It’s Jebel Mobrah’s first inclusion at the race, the climb shaking up the familiar formula of the week, replacing that summit finish at Jebel Jais where the shallow slopes and wind direction often meant the final kilometre felt more like a sprint lead-out than a mountain finish. In its place comes 13.2km at eight per cent, those final six kilometres looking absolutely brutal. Anyone coming in a bit undercooked this early in the season will know all about it in a couple of hours.
But nobody cycles when it's cold
The joys of winter cycling. Can I shift? No. Can I stop? Sometimes. Does it beat driving? Always.
#ROC— Adrian (@adrianmartin.bsky.social) 31 January 2026 at 02:16
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Mechanical isn't simpler. It's nostalgia. If you look objectively at a mechanical derailleur, it's an amazingly complex device. And all praise to Shimano for inventing it. It does however have many ways to go wrong, mostly due to mechanical parts stretching or bending, and isn't nearly as reliable as many make out. My experience with SRAM AXS had been much better, both for daily commuting in British weather and epic tours. Personally, I wouldn't go back to mechanical for either.
On the other hand... A few short years ago, all those pros were on skinny tyres at high pressure. So were they right then or now? Don't abuse people just because they're not experts, their opinions are just as valid.
@Rendel Harris You can also use the companion app nowadays to add a route to a todo list and then it shows up on the main screen of zwift for you to select and ride.
@Rendel Harris I'm not sure, which is why I am a bit "may" and speculative. It is used for all sorts of interesting things.
@John Emms My parents in law lived (they both died in the same year two years ago) in Croydon and as they lived to a very ripe old age I made a lot of visits there over the last couple of decades and it was noticeable that bicycle use increased considerably with these new, now removed, cycle lanes. I know it's a cliche but there is still no better sentence to sum it up than "build it and they will come".
@Rendel Harris Yes. It does rather remind me of hoons who insist on pushing through a road closed sign, just to find out half a mile later that it IS closed, and have to come back. Perhaps we need a Bikeability for Pedestrians !
@mattw I am not entirely clear on the law but I'm not sure that would work, would it, because surely once the road has been closed for the race doesn't it cease to be a public highway? I would guess that a charge of reckless endangerment would have a better chance in court, carrying as it does the element of acting with a conscious disregard for human life or safety, but one would imagine in this case it would be hard to make it stick given the fact that the lady appears to have mental health issues/dementia, so it would be hard to prove she was acting consciously, and also given the fact that the organisers had not actually provided adequate barriers/stewards/warnings to stop people entering the course.
@mattw Well, yes, but that's about as efficacious as the proverbial chocolate fireguard, isn't it? "We couldn't manage to shut off both sides but we are reducing the risk of someone walking out in front of the peloton by 50% by barriering one side" is not going to be much consolation to a rider who hits someone on the course.
@ribena They could probably get a PCN under Section 127 of the Highways Act. "Wifully obstructing a Public Highway". That's the one used for Extinction Rebellion etc aiui. I think the "wear black to make us look slimmer" crowd in Dover could potentially get the same thing, if they can be identified.
Last time I was on there, during the Tour, it was still doing this, has it changed since then? Watopia plus two guest worlds. Admittedly one can ride where one chooses for workouts, but otherwise, as far as I know, the choice is still restricted. It's one of the features (no I don't want a choice between boring Richmond and boring Yorkshire), along with the XP point restrictions (if I'm paying the same as everyone else, I want to be allowed to ride the Alpe d'Huez like everyone else) that stops me having a permanent Zwift account rather than only subscribing during periods of illness and/or bad weather. It's a shame because I feel it's undoubtedly the best platform for leisure riders (serious racers probably prefer TrainerRoad or similar) who actually want something interesting to look at whilst training.
7 thoughts on ““When your grandpa has secret watts”: Pro cyclists joined by Converse-wearing local stylishly flying up climb aboard steel beauty; But cyclists don’t ride in the cold; Pro cycling’s new monster climb + more on the live blog”
New Roads Policing Unit active in Thames Valley Area:
https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/news/thames-valley/news/2026/february/09-02-26/introduction-to-the-new-roads-policing-unit-tasking-team/
Hopefully we’ll see an increase in enforcement of road crime and a reduction in incidents of careless/dangerous driving 🤞.
So are the road-straddling vehicles forcing the oncoming cyclist into the gutter, for that matter.
The speed limit sign planted on the shared path is also not unfamiliar.
Abuse and harassment deter women (and men) from walking, running or cycling not only when it’s dark but also in broad daylight. This isn’t a sport-related issue. This is a societal problem that has gone unaddressed and underplayed for decades.
So it’s ok to sit on the wheel of pros out training now?
I don’t know about “ok”, but it’s better than trying to half-wheel them I guess?
He’s not really that close. Maybe they should have slowed down and let him pass instead of blocking the road like that.