“Bet the principal drives an Audi”: School bans e-bikes from grounds in “nonsense” move, leaving parents “fuming”; “When’s it going to end?” Anger as two student cyclists killed by driver in US; Tour of Britain Women updates + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“Bet the principal drives an Audi”: School bans e-bikes from grounds in “nonsense” move, leaving parents “fuming”
It turns out police officers, Daily Mail editors, and Panorama presenters aren’t the only types of people confused about what constitutes an e-bike. School principals aren’t too sure, either.
Or at least one principal in Ireland isn’t, after allegedly banning both e-scooters and e-bikes from their school’s grounds ahead of the new term, in an email sent out to parents.
So, does that mean the e-cargo bike used by wee John, Penny, and their mum to ride to school every morning is outlawed? Or just high-speed, illegal models? Who does the principal work for, West Midlands Police?
“Email from son’s school today to say that e-scooters will be banned from school grounds from September (understandably) but also e-bikes!” Alan Dunne posted on BlueSky.
“E-bikes, which dozens of kids and families in that school rely on for their commute. Citing a single incident with an unspecified root cause. I am fuming.”
And other cyclists on the social media platform weren’t too happy about the ban, either.
“It’s complete horseshit driven by people who will see parents in oversized cars parked dangerously/illegally all over the place outside the school at pickup time, but would consider it rude to do anything about it,” wrote Dave.
“It’s utter nonsense,” agreed Alan. “I am mainly fuming about the fact that now I have to waste time writing and talking to them about this stupidity.”
I feel your pain, Alan. How do you think I feel when it’s my turn on the live blog?
“Ask them for a copy of the other version of the email. The one banning e-cars from the school grounds,” I Bike Dublin chipped in.
“Wouldn’t be surprised if some school staff used e-bikes to commute,” noted Alan.
And finally, Peter added: “Bet the principal drives an Audi.”
Audi school ban, anyone?
More drama as Tour of Britain stage stopped and neutralised for an hour due to car crash on route
It’s been a tough, dramatic old day at the Tour of Britain.
After this morning’s delay, due to a “blockage” along the route which forced the early part of the stage to be rerouted, the peloton was brought to a halt and neutralised over lunchtime, after what appears to be a car crash further up the route.
The incident – described by organisers as a “motor accident” – happened, it seems, before the rolling road closures were put in place.
The race was stopped with 73.5km to go, as Uno-X’s Katrine Aalerud led the race solo, 50 seconds ahead of the main bunch. With the red flag raised, the peloton was brought together and stopped along the road.
Considering the cold, wet conditions, it was no surprise to see the riders reach for their jackets, while some even opted for the silver foil in a desperate bid to keep warm.
After an interminably long half-hour wait, the riders jumped back on their bikes for a neutralised restart which led them, at a pretty slow pace behind the organiser’s car, over the Nick o’ Pendle climb and down to the intermediate sprint with 65km to go.
At that point, the bunch was stopped again to allow for Aalerud to reinstate her 50-second lead. All in all, the race was stopped for around an hour, which isn’t exactly ideal on the rainy roads of Lancashire.
We’re back racing now, thankfully, with lots of attacks currently streaming off the front, as some riders try to take advantage of their rivals’ café legs.
“When’s it going to end? It’s so sad that we live in a world where we can’t just ride our bikes in peace”: Two US university cyclists killed by driver and seven others injured in horror crash, as motorist charged with vehicular homicide
The US cycling community is in mourning today following the shocking news that two members of a university cycling team were killed by a driver and seven others injured in a horror crash in Tennessee.
11 members of the Milligan University team were on a morning training ride in Hampton, Tennessee on Wednesday when they were struck by motorist John Benfield.
In a video message, the university’s president Stephen Waers confirmed that Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers were killed in the collision. Seven other members of the team were treated in hospital for their injuries, with four currently in critical condition.
Benfield, a 69-year-old from North Carolina, was arrested and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle. Local police say the investigation into the crash is ongoing.
In May, Milligan won the men’s team time trial at the US collegiate national road championships in Wisconsin.
In a statement, the university said: “We are profoundly shocked and saddened to share that members of our cycling team were in an accident involving a vehicle this morning while cycling in Hampton, TN.
“There are no words to adequately describe this level of loss. Our prayers are with all those impacted by this tragedy. Please keep the Milligan community in your prayers.”
As the news broke, Ama Nsek, a multiple collegiate national champion and former student at Milligan took to social media to voice his anger and sadness at another fatal collision involving a driver.
“Shed a good amount of tears this morning. Kids were killed and we’re just supposed to chalk it up to another distracted or angry driver?” he wrote.
In an emotional video message, Nsek asked: “When’s it going to end? Two cyclists killed. Two kids killed, and five in the hospital.
“It’s so sad that we live in a world where we can’t just ride our bikes in peace. I’ve seen so many cyclists get killed or heavily injured by negligent drivers, and it’s just really sad. It’s really frustrating.”
Alright, that’s it, summer’s (almost) over. Time to start thinking about 2027 and those sweet, sweet deals…
No stopping Lorena Wiebes on bizarre, stop-start day at the Tour of Britain, as Dutch phenom’s explosive sprint seals second straight stage win in rainy Blackpool
A delayed start, lorries blocking the road, a car crash on the route, a lengthy, freezing neutralisation, torrential rain. Oh, and a Lorena Wiebes victory.
One of the most bizarre, unpredictable days of the 2026 season came to an entirely foreseeable conclusion in damp, cold Blackpool this afternoon: Lorena Wiebes blowing everyone else away.
No matter what you chuck at the Dutch superstar, Wiebes, let’s face it, is inevitable.
For a while, as a heavy downpour battered the riders on the run-in to the seaside town (and put the race’s 5G coverage under considerable pressure), it looked like Wiebes might have to work for this one, thanks to the attacking impetus of Uno-X and Picnic PostNL.
Hitec Products’ 19-year-old Norwegian Oda Gissinger (who’s used to wet and cold conditions, to be fair) gave a good crack at upsetting the SD Worx train, but was reeled in with 4km to go.
After that, the result was never in doubt. As rival mini-trains swarmed around her on Blackpool’s promenade, Wiebes remained as cool as a granny at the bingo, waiting patiently for a gap to open before engaging her unmatched burst of speed with 200m to go.
One acceleration and she was gone. Irish champion Lara Gillespie tried to jump on the Dutch phenom’s wheel but simply had no response, fading to finish fifth.
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A Wiebes sprint is a bit like the Big One at the Pleasure Beach – you know it’s always going to be there, it’s always exciting, and if you’re one of her rivals, you just have to hold on and hope for the best.
Human Powered Health’s Maggie Coles-Lyster was the best of the rest (though, in sprint terms, Wiebes could have finished a fish supper by the time the Canadian crossed the line), while Kim Le Court, not a pure bunch sprinter by any means, took an impressive third and some handy GC seconds in the process.
But the big news in Blackpool was Wiebes’ second win on the trot at this year’s Tour of Britain, a predictable, cosy ending to a tumultuous day. I reckon the organisers deserve a big stick of rock after that one.
“We all fully support Josh in his decision to take part in the race”: Josh Tarling named in Netcompany Ineos team for Vuelta a España, just days after brother Fin’s death at Volta a Portugal
Josh Tarling has been named as part of Netcompany Ineos’ squad for the Vuelta a España, less than a week on from the death of his brother Finlay at the Volta a Portugal last Friday.
According to the team’s director of racing, Geraint Thomas, the decision to take part in the Spanish grand tour, which starts in Monaco on Saturday, was made by Tarling.
The 22-year-old completed his first Tour de France last month and made his grand tour debut at the Vuelta in 2024.
“It goes without saying that, as a team, we all fully support Josh in his decision to take part in the race,” Thomas said in a statement issued by Netcompany Ineos this afternoon.
The squad will be led by Scottish GC rider Oscar Onley, racing his first grand tour for the team after missing this year’s Tour with a shoulder injury.
The 23-year-old raced the Vuelta for DSM back in 2023, helping the squad win the opening team time trial in Barcelona before crashing out the following day. He finished fourth at last year’s Tour, sealing a move to Netcompany Ineos in the process.
Onley will be supported by Tarling, Carlos Rodríguez, Jack Haig, Lucas Hamilton, Embret Svestad-Bårdseng, Axel Laurence, and Ben Turner, who won his first Vuelta stage last year.
“La Vuelta is a big opportunity for us to finish the Grand Tour season strongly,” Thomas said.
“I’m confident in the team we’re taking and their ability to adapt to whatever the race throws at us over the next three weeks. It’ll be a tough race, because La Vuelta always is, but the team is united and looking forward to taking it on.
“This is Oscar’s first Grand Tour riding for us and he is ambitious, excited and wants to get racing. He has had some setbacks this season, but his win in Burgos showed that he has recovered well and has good legs. We know what he is capable of so we are giving him the freedom to just go and race, and enjoy it.
“Overall, we’ve made positive strides forward this year. There have been ups and downs as there always are, but the Vuelta is an opportunity to continue to build on the progress we have made over the whole season.”
“I’m really excited to be lining up for La Vuelta and my first Grand Tour with the team,” Onley said. “We’ve got a good mix of riders giving us a lot of opportunities throughout the race. Personally I’m feeling really good just now and looking forward to testing myself in the coming weeks!”
Who’d be a race director?
On what has been a tough, tumultuous day for the organisers of the Tour of Britain, spare a thought for Alice Wood, the race’s first ever female race director.
Wood (formerly Barnes), a former British road and time trial champion who retired after a decade in the pro peloton in 2024, as appointed as the Tour of Britain Women’s race director in March, a position she described as the “perfect role for me”.
But where first two days in the job marked by complaints about drivers on the course, stage start delays, and a lengthy neutralisation caused by a car crash on the route, it’s fair to say it’s been a baptism of fire for the 31-year-old.
Writing on his Substack this afternoon, Ned Boulting said: “I feel for everyone in the race organisation, but in particular for Alice Wood, who has all the makings of a brilliant race director. She’s had a load to deal with today.”
That’s an understatement.
BBC in ‘e-motorbike’ headline shocker
Well, I never. Maybe they’re finally learning?
Is this the most shocking near miss of all time?
Tour of Britain stage start delayed due to “blockage” on race route
It turns out that we’ll get to watch the vast majority of today’s Tour of Britain stage after all, after the start in wet and rainy Clitheroe was delayed to 12pm due to what the organisers have described as a “blockage in the road on the route”.
Not the best news for the organisers after yesterday’s complaints. But at least we’re underway now, with the YouTube livestream also up and running. Let’s just hope the weather perks up by the time we reach Blackpool…
Tour of Britain stage two livestream
And we’re live!
I’ll keep this towards the top all day, to save you scrolling through the blog or having to fire up YouTube yourself (the horror). Never say I’m not good to you…
“Ten years ago, I won the Vuelta a España, and I would have liked to say goodbye there”: Nairo Quintana disappointed by Movistar’s Vuelta snub, but insists he understands the decision
I know what you’re thinking. He’s 36, he hasn’t won a grand tour for ten years, he popped that tramadol positive, remember?
And you’re right. But still, I can’t help feeling a touch sorry for Nairo Quintana, who was denied the opportunity of saying farewell to grand tour racing after being left out of Movistar’s Vuelta squad.
After all, nostalgia’s a powerful thing. The little Colombian climber, who always looked a few decades older than his actual age, was a rare bright spot of grand tour hope during the bleak Sky train years, pushing Chris Froome to the limit at times at the Tour de France and winning the Giro in 2014 (becoming the first Colombian to win a three-week race) and the Vuelta in 2016.
Things fizzled out after that, and he left Movistar under a cloud, his relationship with the team’s management strained, before enjoying a, ahem, mixed time at Arkéa-Samsic. After being left without a team following his tramadol positive, the Spanish squad offered a Quintana a lifeline in 2023, giving him the chance to end his career where it all started in 2012.
However, despite some decent results (including a stage and the overall at the Vuelta Asturias in April), the 36-year-old apparently didn’t do enough to earn himself one last three-week hurrah in Spain.
But in an interview this week on Caracol Radio, Quintana insisted that his relationship with the Spanish team remains a “good one”.
“It’s been my team all my life, I’ve raced a great deal for them, and you have to understand the decisions,” he said.
“They’ve chosen the riders who will represent them in the Vuelta and, in the end, I’ve been left out. Now it’s a case of carrying on cycling and looking ahead to the goals for the rest of this year, which is the final year of my career.”
During the interview, Quintana thanked Movistar for “all this wonderful history we’ve made together,” but noted: “Ten years ago, I won the Vuelta a España, and I would have liked to say goodbye there.”
Instead, he plans to bow out at the worlds in Montreal next month, ahead of a Gran Fondo-based farewell to his fans at home in Cartagena.
“I feel very happy because I will be able to represent my country in such an important event,” he said.
Alright, that’s enough Nairo nostalgia for one day, I promise.
Why don’t cyclists use the cycle lane? #980,721
Some classic Edinburgh parking (and weather) here:
What an absolute roaster.
@therealyplac.bsky.social @yplac.bsky.social
— Steve (@lollercake.bsky.social) August 19, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Pleasure Beach, here we come! Blackpool beckons on stage two of the Tour of Britain Women – but will Lorena Wiebes dominate proceedings on the promenade?
Get your stick of rock, fish and chips, and ballroom dancing shoes at the ready, because the Tour of Britain is heading to Blackpool!
Today’s 110km second stage of the women’s race takes the riders out of the Ribble Valley for a lumpy, attack-friendly loop around the start town of Clitheroe, featuring Waddington Fell and the iconic Nick o’ Pendle, before a long descent down to the seaside.
Yesterday’s stage winner Lorena Wiebes will have been rubbing her hands in glee this morning at the prospect of a long, promenade finish under Blackpool’s famous tower (not sure how it’ll compare to her victory in Paris at the Tour Femmes, however). But, you never know, someone could spring a surprise – maybe Lara Gillespie could be extra inspired by the sight of the Irish Sea and upset cycling’s most dominant sprinter?
The stage got underway at 11.30, though the live YouTube stream is set to start at 12.10, so we should get over two hours of racing action.
“Considering the recent devastating events in our cycling community, it’s scary to see situations like this, when we know that this can have horrific consequences, especially so soon after suffering such a tragedy”
Some worrying news from the Tour of Britain Women this morning, where one rider claimed she was almost hit by a member of the public who drove onto the course during yesterday’s stage around Cockermouth:
At the end of what has been a harrowing, painful week for professional cycling, this is the last thing we needed to hear.
Coming soon to a bike path near you?
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Speaking of e-bike confusion…
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@Rendel Harris Yes, but I think it's easy to underestimate the level of mental "change" and "risk" this represents (as a regular or even irregular adult cyclist). With e.g. cars, you just go online (was going to say "go to a dealer/garage...") and a car which will carry you and others around, carry the shopping, keep the weather off, allow you to drive at night and can be secured is not hard to find. And all your friends / relatives / contacts likely done so and are possible points of contact if you need advice (or just reassurance). Bikes? Much less (although thankfully as easy as riding a bike...). It's not like most people spent their childhood being carried around by adults on different bikes. Indeed the age most people stopped cycling (if they started) is probably getting lower. Outside of the e-(moto)(-(r)bike) riders. Of course there's more paperwork and expense for the car (optional in some areas / counties...) but so many things are familiar or guides are present. It's even simple to work out how to get to where you need. You just drive wherever you can (ideally on the roadway...). Even less thought using a satnav!
@ChrisA It's a different universe * but in NL while they have had building regulations requiring bike storage for decades, lots of the historic housing stock won't have them. As well as some creative solutions ** many people simply store their bikes outside. And indeed some of the "durability" of Dutch bikes relates to being able to withstand living outdoors in all weathers (heavier frames / more paint - but chaincase / enclosed gears and brakes also feature). Like so many things it's hard to imagine in the UK (theft and particularly vandalism). (But the number of "cycle hangers" is growing...) I hear there's plenty of theft in NL also - but with the numbers of bikes perhaps it's just like how people in the UK are used to leaving their cars parked on the street? * But also - only about half a century away to be recognisable, perhaps - especially in the few UK places where there is some passable cycle infra? ** See e.g. the BicycleDutch article "Home-side bicycle parking" on the Buurtstalling (Neighbourhood Bicycle Parking Facility). Plus of course the practice of many people effectively storing a bike at a train station as part of their commute.
@chrisonabike Some first class trolling from Callum... I love it.
I'm a big fan of Lucinda Brand, but it was a travesty to take that win from Marie Schreiber. From the overhead shot it was clear that Lucinda at no stage got alongside Schreiber, and it was clear from Lucinda's pedal strokes - which continued as they were - that she not impeded. Lucinda's own words to the jury confirmed that Marie had not impeded Lucinda, and based on that there was no reason to overturn Marie's win. It was ridiculous. A stain on the weekend.
Playing to the crowd again!
@This Wreckage I was thinking more of having space to put a bike store, which can be obtained relatively inexpensively these days, although I agree that's a fairly high level of commitment for someone who isn't certain cycling is for them. An Oxford ground anchor and a Topeak bike cover only cost £25 together so not an enormous commitment.
@chrisonabike Keeping your pride and joy, or at least a tool that you clean, maintain & use regularly, in your home is one thing. But many people who "have to" use a bike will have an old rusty boneshaker, or better, that they would, by habit, just leave outside (just look at all the shiny new kids bikes that are left lying around, which neither the children or their parents are minded to put away). Any if it is still working, rather than your rusty relic, eventually somebody is going to "borrow" it. It both depresses me that it is necessary and surprises me that people don't lock up things.
Much debate on this but the summary is the UK has one of the most toxic cyclist-hating highway cultures on the planet. Strangely lumped together with other English speaking nations; America and Australia. The media is saturated with highly obnoxious presenters who can freely suggest slicing heads off cyclists with a taut wire across a path, without any repercussions. Most drivers are broadly ignorant of the hierarchy of road users, passing distances and how VED is arrived at. The degree of arrogance on display from within 2 tonnes of potentially deadly machinery used on the public highway is widespread and police, CPS and judges' institutional bias is effectively complicit in the road rage pandemic. All bow to the Car god. The idea of sustainable transport and cycling for a healthy nation is dead in the water while this toxic culture remains so pervasive. I have no faith in the policing of dangerous driving, cycling or walking. How police resources are deployed is beyond a joke, where it is now a political weapon and jack boot on the throat of the Freedom of Speech and the Right to Protest.
@Zermattjohn This is one reason I loathe policing in our society. Illegal drugs cause no more (probably less) harm through their use than do alcohol and tobacco. The continuing war on drugs does itself cause enormous medical, social, economic and financial harms - many addicts refuse to seek help because of the real fear of being reported to the police, for example, and there might be less incentive for addicts to steal our bikes if they are enabled to manage their consumption.
@Rendel Harris How secure is it to keep a bike outside in a yard or front patio, for example? I'm not sure I'd be willing to do so, no matter how good the lock. It would mean covering the bike(s) with a waterproof material and attaching the bike securely to something solid fixed to the ground or the wall. Not ideal, and hardly an attractive prospect for people who aren't sold on cycling yet.
16 thoughts on ““Bet the principal drives an Audi”: School bans e-bikes from grounds in “nonsense” move, leaving parents “fuming”; “When’s it going to end?” Anger as two student cyclists killed by driver in US; Tour of Britain Women updates + more on the live blog”
“School bans e-bikes from grounds in “nonsense” move”
So what? I cant imagine many children are on e-bikes themselves. As for parents on e-cargo bikes, do they need to go onto the school grounds? surely they drop their kids off at the gate – where the schools jurisdiction ends.
The school’s Instagram post claims that the ban is per ‘recent legislation’ (while helpfully failing to mention what legislation they’re referring to.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DcL2Xq5l1fH/
While under 18s are no longer allowed to use escooters, there doesn’t appear to be any relevant law changes on ebikes, so one suspects they’ve hallucinated it.
Well, it’s the school principal (is that the Irish term) so can’t they just say “because I told you not to”?
They probably can. It depends whether you are trying to educate children to accept dictatorial statements without question or whether you give children the credit and courtesy of properly explaining your decisions to them.
@mdavidford This is the instagram post. All seems very reasonable to me in view of the fire risk the batteries pose and the possibility of scooters and e-bikes being ridden in a dangerous manner when it’s crowded at the start and end of the day. Children are still being encouraged to cycle to school but I’m a bit concerned that they are singling out tim for the lunch ban.
Except that it doesn’t say anything about fire risk, and unassisted bikes can just as easily be ridden in a dangerous manner (in which case, punish the offenders, not everyone else). They don’t seem to have given any particular reason* for it, apart from a vague reference to changes in the law. If they’d said “There’s a fire risk from dodgy ones and we don’t have the capacity to check which are which” then people might not be so annoyed. As it is, it just gives the impression that they’ve made an arbitrary decision without much thought or reasoning at all.
Tim, on the other hand, is just trouble, and deserves to have special measures taken against him.
[* Apparently there was a letter to parents that hasn’t been posted, but whatever the contents of that, it doesn’t seem to have made the reasoning any clearer to them, judging by the social media comments.]
@Bungle_52 Blimey, I’d be a bit concerned that a school principal could put out such an illiterate message. I make it a round dozen errors in seven sentences.
Let Tim ride free!
Free Tim!!!
It’s probably not the principal writing it themself, though. I mean, what school principal knows how to use Instagram?
Never mind inflict this kind of abuse on the account name:
Range Rover ban for school runs?
How do congratulate the BBC for not running that story with an ‘e-bike menace’ headline?
RE: e-bike ban
I’m not clear what they’re banning here?
Is it e-bikes that pupils ride to school on being stored on school grounds?
If pupils are riding e-bikes to school they should be at least 14 (in the UK).
The school I work in has told me that their buildings insurance doesn’t cover them for e-bikes unless they are stored a minimum distance from the school building – apparently our insecure bike rack with no roof isn’t far enough from the building. I keep my ebike in my classroom. If there’s a problem I’m happy to remove the battery so it’s no longer an ebike (the battery will be behind my desk, plugged into a charger).
So maybe it’s a problem with insurance if ebikes are left in the bike racks/shelter?
If they’re saying parents can’t take kids to school on e-cargo or similar bikes, they can f… off. It’s none of the school’s business what mode of transport parents choose to use – unless it’s illegal or being used illegally (such as all the SUVs stopping on the zigzags outside the gate).
It’s not in the UK – it’s Ireland, where there doesn’t seem to be any minimum age restriction.
They need to change their insurance then.
What an absolute nonsense that Women’s tour of Britain stage two was. Rubbish, cut-price stage, unbecoming of professional athletes, missing out the nice bits of the Forest of Bowland (why not do the cross of greet at the start or go over the trough?) and then didn’t even properly make it into Blackpool.
At least finish 1 km further down the road outside the Pleasure Beach if you’re going to run it, or even better pretend you’re in Paris and finish at the tower.
Re the Milligan University student deaths.
If Benfield is convicted of vehicular homicide, he can be confident that President Trump will sign off his pardon (with one of those big marker pens he writes with using his burger hand). In addition, cycling in groups will be banned because they create road conditions that are hostile to motor vehicles ie that cause drivers to look ahead and think.