Active travel minister criticises Reform Council abandoning free parking after it didn’t improve footfall; Obstructive lorries and careless driving captured on Cycleway; London TTT confirmed as Tour de France routes revealed + more on the live blog

At a certain point you get quite familiar with various claims of the importance of car-parking, often as an excuse to hold up active travel infrastructure. Who remembers the Ayrshire outrage over the loss of SIX car parking spaces for a cycle lane? Or the Greenock backlash to a cycle lane that led many drivers to block the cycle lane like it wasn’t even there, until the council decided the best way to fix the problem was to provide more spaces?

> Calls to rip out “disastrous” cycle lane always blocked by cars rejected – but council proposes extra parking spaces in concession to angry traders

These feelings are not only north of the border. Wakefield Council last year introduced free parking for two hours in a bid to attract more people to the town. The result? Reform UK, who now control the council, have voted to scrap the free parking after finding it made “no difference in footfall”.

In fact the words of Councillor Keith Anderson, responsible for transport policy, are quite interesting, as reported by the BBC:

“People don’t come because of free parking, they come because they want to do something,” he said.

“It is about what does the city offer – and by diverting money from other sources to fund parking, we deny the opportunity to spend money as a council to help the city centre.

“We have had to take money out of the budget to pay for parking that could have been used to help regeneration in our towns and cities.”

A rather interesting observation from an unlikely source. The rather bizarre and irritating thing about it though, is the criticism that has come from the town’s MP Simon Lightwood, who also happens to be the Transport minister responsible for active travel.

“This was a political choice. Labour reintroduced two hours’ free parking to support local businesses, strengthen our high streets and help residents with the cost of living. Reform have chosen to take that support away.

“Thank you to everyone who signed our petition and stood with us. This campaign doesn’t end here. We’ll keep fighting for our town centres and holding Reform accountable for the consequences of this decision.”

We’ve got a sneaking suspicion Lightwood might not be championing much active travel in his own backyard anytime soon…

Thursday Gary

“Thursday’s Gary has far to go” https://t.co/Duoc2voTKu

— Gary Imlach’s Peloton of Joy (@ImlachHair) August 27, 2026

I have a small affection for the corners of the internet solely dedicated to documenting a niche. There’s Gary Imlach’s Peloton of Joy tracking his sartorial choices, there’s the website dedicated to asking IsMilanSanremoExcitingYet, and there’s Cycleway, my arse!, an account solely dedicated to recording the infrastructure failings of one of London’s biggest pieces of active travel infrastructure.

At 21km long, Cycleway 1 is one of the longest cycle routes through the capital, and runs north-south between Waltham Cross and the City of London. You would think therefore that as a marquee piece of infrastructure it would be in pretty good nick. But, having already told you the name of the social media account we’ll be looking at today, you can probably see where this is going…

Some highlights from my ride into the office this morning on “Cycleway” 1! https://t.co/qyOEIrxhM7

— Cycleway, my arse! @issaddlethereis.bsky.social (@IsSaddleThereIs) October 20, 2026

In this edited clip of a single commute, we see a lorry blocking a protected cycle lane, pulled over vehicles on narrow streets forcing our cyclist to ride in the middle of the lane into oncoming traffic, and drivers repeatedly pulling out into the path of oncoming cyclists.

None of it is very dignified nor particularly safe-looking. Admittedly at a couple of points, our rider could have chosen not to move in front of the cars into oncoming traffic, but when the Cycleway itself is not made safe for our rider, the lack of protected infrastructure does make these close calls more likely.

It’s not exactly a commute we’ll be recommending anytime soon…

Anyone else wonder if the local authorities of Como and Clermont-Ferrand are in some kind of anti-cycling arms race?

> “Common sense” bike ban introduced in Tour de France host city, as campaigners warn cyclists are being pushed towards “unsuitable and unsafe” roads

The nights are drawing in, and soon the Halloween festivities will give way to the most wonderful time of the year: Movember.

 

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To mark the occasion a group of slightly mad Edinburgh cyclists have decided to try and break a world record for the largest piece of GPS art. Their subject? A moustache of course.

Douglas Phillips, Calum Dempster and Tom Bonnor will set off from Alicante and embark on a 3,000km voyage out west to Nazare, looping back in a facial-haired pattern if the Wahoo units don’t fail them.

They’re giving themselves 10 days to do this mission self-supported and you can’t help but wonder what they’re letting themselves in for.

“This is a seriously tough challenge”, Douglas says. “Whilst I’m comfortable with the idea of a few days like this, I have no idea how I’ll cope with 10 days. There is, however, only one way to find out.”

> “Systematic erosion”: 143 jobs lost at Cannondale as brand’s parent company closes Connecticut headquarters to restructure North American operations

“Why don’t cyclists use the bike lane?”
by
u/SpyChinchilla in
ukbike

“Lovely protected cycle lane in Bradford filled with tens of cars, many rentals for a wedding. Selfish”, our poster writes

Who would’ve guessed?

> “Our pavements are not racetracks for young foreign men,” declares Rupert Lowe as Restore Britain leader vows to “take back our streets” in bizarre new e-bike policy… that doesn’t make any sense and targets legal electric bikes

There’s something sensational about the way Christian Prudhomme pronounces Carlisle and Keswick that I can’t quite reflect in these typed words.

Anyway, the race will return to France with a loop around Cherbourg that from distance looks ripe for echelons if the sea breeze is strong.

The race then heads south to the Atlantic coast before heading east in a near straight line, featuring a 38km time trial to the stunning chateau at Chambord, before the race reaches the Alps with a summit finish up Grand Colombier on stage 9.

The following day starts from Annecy and features a brutal double ascent of the Cote de Domancy as part of a brutal mountain loop featuring four climbs, though the stage then descends into Sallanches.

Stage 11, despite being only 150km, stakes a claim for being among the race’s hardest. Climbing the Col de la Colombiere from the flag drop on the first of five brutal climbs, before a steep uphill finish to Les Saises.

The race then exits the Alps the following day via Chambery, and begins heading south west towards the Pyrenees via Montpellier.

After two likely breakaway days on the race’s third weekend, the race’s final week begins with a 33km time trial in and around Toulouse, albeit one with a short, steep climb in the middle.

After a day for the sprinters, the race enters the Pyrenees, predictably, via Pau. Stage 18 ascends both the Tourmalet and the Portet and will award both the Souvenir Henri Desgrange and the the Souvenir Jacques Godet, it’s surely the race’s queen stage.

Stage 19 is no slouch either with four tough climbs, but a long valley finish into Laruns might deter attacks, whilst stage 20 is disappointingly a sprint stage on the race’s penultimate day as the race begins its schlep back north.

Then comes, Paris, with once again three laps of the Montmartre circuit set to create a real spectacle of racing before the race finishes on the Champs-Elysses.

Well there we have it. My first thought is that, with more than 70km of time trialling for the first time in more than a decade, this might be Remco Evenepoel’s best chance to win the race., up against a still young Paul Seixas, and a Tadej Pogacar also targeting the Vuelta and World Championships. If not now, you might have to wonder when…

After halting speeches from Welsh, Scottish and UK Government ministers, as well as the big Grand Depart boss, we have the women’s route.

Stage 3 is finally confirmed and will be a Team Time Trial round all the London landmarks, finishing on Pall Mall, whilst stage four’s Calais finish might attract a few British fans across the Channel Tunnel tempted to keep the festival of cycling going that bit longer.

Stage 5 has a hilly finale, whilst stage 7 will have a summit finish atop La Loge des Gardes, a recent favourite of Paris-Nice organsiers. Stage 8 is a mountainous day before a steep descent into Clermont-Ferrand, preceding a blockbuster final day to the top of Puy de Dome.

A stunningly beautiful mountain in a nature reserve, it caps off a climactic, dramatic mountainous final stage of 170km, longer than many men’s mountain stages in recent years.

How’s that for a route? Big mountains, a first TTT and of course three British stages. I like it…

If you speak French and have a penchant for professional cyclists looking uncomfortable on a stage in normal clothes, you can watch the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes route presentation yourself…

Or you can wait for the big map I suppose.

In the meantime, it’s worth saying we already know what the first three stages of the men’s and women’s races will be, because it’s here! Three nations, six stages, and all the profiles are available here…

> “Historic day for British sport”: Leeds, Liverpool, London, and Cardiff confirmed as 2027 Tour de France host cities – as talks over free-to-air TV coverage of UK Grand Départ “ongoing”

Hell of a story this…

> “Get on the floor now!” Violent e-bike thieves stopped and tasered by police in dramatic chase after threatening cyclist with angle grinder