Work to connect Jacob Rees-Mogg’s favourite cycle lane delayed; Mr Loophole returns; Punchy hills await in TdF Femmes + more on the live blog

‘Whooo remembers Jacob Rees-Mogg? Eh? What was all that about?’

That’s enough Peter Kay parodying for a month at least. Today’s story centres on the town of Keynsham, which the Conservative MP used to represent as part of the North East Somerset constituency until he lost his seat in the last election.

Longer-term readers might be familiar with the town if only for the botched implementation of a cycle lane on the high street that led to injuries and calls to remove it altogether. Thankfully, the local authorities saw sense and resisted their MP’s calls to remove the lane and adjusted the kerbs.

Here are some chapters from the saga, starting with when the authorities learnt that just painting stuff doesn’t work:

> “Optical illusion” cycle lane that caused 59 injuries in a year undergoes maintenance work

> Jacob Rees-Mogg calls “optical illusion” cycle lane a “failed experiment” after 59 injuries in a year

> Safety works confirmed for “optical illusion” cycle lane behind more than 100 injuries, as infrastructure branded an “utter pantomime”

> No plans for further changes on “optical illusion” cycle lane which claimed over 100 trip victims, despite cross-party councillors’ efforts

Thankfully, all appears to have calmed down in recent years, helped by there no longer being a loud opponent of the scheme in the Commons. In fact, the new Mayor for the West of England has announced plans to join up the infrastructure to connect the cycle route to the A4 Bath Road. The only downside? It’s been delayed.

Keynsham Voice report that the planned extension of the cycle lane along Bath Hill and Bath Road has been delayed due to “a more complex scope of works than expected and a number of services, including drainage and cabling, that will now need to be diverted.” Rather than beginning this month, construction will instead get underway in January.

And, perhaps wary of some of the local opposition, the construction firm carrying out the work say they will aim to carry out road resurfacing in the evenings and employ traffic management measures during school hours.

Fingers crossed the work, when it does go ahead, goes smoother than last time…

For all the criticism thrown towards ASO and TNT for their coverage of women’s cycling, today is one of two stages of the Tour de France Femmes with full coverage from the flag-drop – minus adverts of course.

Climbing from the off, Puck Pieterse will have to get up the road if she’s keen on hanging on to the mountains jersey. Meanwhile, with Marlen Reusser not having as strong a team as other GC favourites, could this be ripe for an ambush territory. Imagine if UAE send Wlodarczyk or Blasi – actually maybe not Blasi – up the road, or anyone in the top-10 manages to sneak into a move!

Even if not, the final 35km have two properly punchy climbs, surely we should see some action there? My money’s on Kim Le Court to try something after falling a little off GC in yesterday’s TT…

Marlen REUSSER (MOVISTAR TEAM) (Image Credit: A.S.O./Gaëtan Flamme)

Ah Nick Freeman, in his own words the UK’s leading motoring lawyer, in our words the master of two-tier policing when it comes to letting the rich and famous drive seemingly with impunity…

Yesterday, he appeared on one of the Channel 5 shows that’s not Jeremy Vine but might as well be to ‘discuss’ 20mph speed limits. I would embed the video here but I quite like the fact his own YouTube video only has 9 views, and we wouldn’t want him to accidentally reach double figures.

Freeman also calls himself a road safety campaigner, although the initiatives he campaigns for don’t exactly seem designed with safety in mind.

In addition to scrapping 20mph ‘blanket’ limits, he wants bicycle ‘number plates’ and has criticised the ‘snitch society’ that sees cyclists report instances of bad driving to the police. Mind you, one of his proposals for bicycle speedometers received a rebuke from an unexpected source…

> James May slams Mr Loophole’s call for clampdown on ‘speeding’ cyclists, claiming problem is with illegal e-motorbikes and “nothing to do with cycling”

Anyway, the reason we’re talking about him is because he yesterday represented Lynda La Plante, in court after accruing 24 points on her license for several speeding offences through a 20mph zone.

Sky News report that each speeding offence occurred whilst the crime writer was driving her guard dog to a park for his daily walk. She told the court that a driving ban would likely end her career and put four people out of work. Freeman added that “driving is a vital part of who she is” and that confusing road signs in and around Kingston-upon-Thames were partly responsible.

Ultimately the judge wasn’t very sympathetic, imposing a six month driving ban on the 83-year-old and fining La Plante a total of £3,300.

It brings a slither of comfort to know that, for once, Mr Loophole was not so successful.

> The madness of L’Alpe d’Huez during the Tour de France made for the best cycling adventure I’ve ever been on