“Why not just paint white lines on the road?”: Locals claim £10 million cycle lane investment a “waste of money” despite previous scrapped schemes increasing cycling in the town; “Photo-finishgate” continues + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Middlesbrough moaning
Whenever Middlesbrough appears when sifting through the world of active travel news, there follows a slightly deeper breath. This is the town after all where Britain’s “most-hated” cycle lane, along Linthorpe Road, was ripped out with the cross-party support of Conservative and Labour mayors at a cost of £2.7 million despite being found to increase the popularity of cycling in the area.
The gripes? That it was depriving parking spaces for cars, and was a “clear getaway” for shoplifters and drug dealers. Using that logic we could always coat the roads with rocks and treacle, but I digress.
The strange thing is that the same authorities that ripped out those bike lanes are now set to spend quite a bit of money putting in new cycle lanes elsewhere across the town. Middlesbrough’s Local Democracy Reporter says the council is due to approve the creation of a £10.4 million “corridor”, comprising improved pedestrian facilities and a continuous cycle lane “running from the Mandale roundabout on the west side of the town, over to Marton Road, near the James Cook University Hospital”.
Funding would come from the Tees Valley Combined Authority rather than the borough council, and authorities are hopeful that, since the route passes more houses and schools than businesses, it will be less resented than the Linthorpe Road proposal. Children are the target for the infrastructure which fits with the ambitions of central government as well.
Unfortunately, public opposition remains. 64 percent of the people consulted (186 out of 288) said they didn’t support the proposal. And locals on the internet are similarly disenchanted…
“If they’re quick, I know where you can buy some second hand cycle lane furniture”
“Thought they might have learnt a lesson from the last disastrous cycle lane fiasco”
“They must be joking. Its a nightmare trying to get down green lane now without adding anymore restrictions. Cars parked on both sides already so narrowing the lanes will be a nightmare”
“Another waist [sic] of money what about fixing the pot holes”
Pleasingly, there were some dissenters including Paul Silver who pointed out, “Linthorpe Road is now more dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists with the removal of the cycle lane and the continuing blocking of pavements by “local” shopkeepers with food, trolleys, bins etc…”
Worryingly though, the most popular comment seemed to misunderstand the purpose of cycle infrastructure altogether:
“Why not just paint white lines on the road it’s cheaper and easier then when it doesn’t work you can just burn them off”
A work in progress, shall we say…
Andrew Feather's Aero Mission
Racing round-up: Pidcock denied, Fancied French deliver
Wow, having built for themselves a 30 second lead over the chasing peloton, Tom Pidcock, Jarno Widar and Matteo Jorgenson almost contrived to throw it away in the final kilometre as they all sat up and watched one another. Ultimately, the young Belgian was the one to launch his sprint first and was rewarded with his first pro win at Tre Valli Varesine after a plethora of victories at under-23 level.
What a kick! 🚀
Jarno Widar takes a huge win at Tre Valli Varesine, outsprinting Tom Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson! 👏 https://t.co/uOQhTsYFuq
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 6, 2026
In the women’s race held earlier today, Eleonora Gasparrini was victorious, outsprinting Sarah Van Dam and Noemi Ruegg.
Winning on home soil! 🔥🇮🇹
Eleonora Gasparrini takes the win at the Tre Valli Varesine Women’s Race! 👏 https://t.co/2f8InEFdj4
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 6, 2026
Over at the European Championships, the Mixed Relay Team Time Trial was something of a damp squib, with only six countries competing and few star names. France bested a Filippo Ganna-less Italy to take the title by more than a minute.
Winning moments! 🇪🇺🏅
France make it back-to-back titles in the Mixed TTT Relay at the European Championships! 👏 https://t.co/3DF7IgVUz9
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 6, 2026
And finally, the men’s and women’s Binche-Chimay-Binche took place in Belgium. Both races ended in a bunch sprint with Lotto’s Linda Riedmann surprisingly besting Charlotte Kool whilst Paul Magnier triumphed ahead of the Lotto pair of Jenno Berckmoes and Lionel Taminiaux who have either started UCI point-hunting very early, or messed up their lead-out. I’ll let you decide…
Magnier’s 12th victory this year 🤯
Paul Magnier blew his competition away at Binche-Chimay-Binche to win by multiple bike lengths. https://t.co/d2mxqETsms
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 6, 2026
Yikes!
You have to hope that there was someone else in the car holding the mechanic by the ankles…
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WATCH LIVE: Pidcock in action at Tre Valli Varesine
At the time of writing, there’s just under 60km to go and a small break’s advantage is under 2 minutes.
Team Picnic PostNL could voluntary relegate themselves
The Dutch team, who have six British and Irish riders within their ranks, have endured an utterly torrid season, with only two wins and anonymity in the biggest races. Despite being within the 18-strong WorldTour peloton, the UCI rankings currently have the team in 28th position below several second division teams reliant on wildcards.
If they weren’t already a WorldTour team, they’d also be at risk of not even being eligible for riding any Grand Tours, due to rules requiring that race organisres only invite teams in the top 30 of UCI rankings from the previous year.
So in some ways, it’s not surprising that Velo Club report the team is considering demoting themselves for 2026 to race a calendar that better reflects the strength and depth of their squad, which includes John Degenkolb and Warren Barguil as well as Brits Max Poole and James Knox. But as the ever reliable Inner Ring blog point out, a demotion also comes with its own perils…
agree… but 3 risks:
1) will the sponsors welcome it? Not obvious they get a Tour wildcard etc. Raisin wanted a Giro start too etc
2) Relies on staying among top-30 teams to be eligible and that’s not certain
3) If relegated, would riders jump? Some talk of Max Poole and Decathlon already— the Inner Ring blog (@inrng.com) 6 October 2026 at 11:07
Either way, this is a team that has suffered a dramatic fall-off in competitiveness, and there isn’t an easy solution in sight…
Cyclist hit by corner-cutting driver
Thankfully, Neil McKenna, from County Down, was uninjured, but the circumstance of the collision, and the driver’s apparent nonchalance in driving after the collision with the bike dragging along, is extraordinary.
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In the comments below the post, McKenna confirmed the driver has admitted fault and that the police have begun prosecution proceedings. Just as well…
A very sweet story
Today’s little plug of a heartwarming story from elsewhere is 96-year-old care home resident Clifford Craske, who has been reunited with his Claud Butler bike frame.
A two-time winner of the Lime Kiln Hill Climb in Cambridgeshire, Craske met his late wife Pamela through the sport in 1947. The couple were married for 73 years before her death last year, ITV report.
Craske was presented his newly restored frame by members of the Cambridge Cycling Club as well as his daughter, Alice.
“It was so unbelievable to see my Claud Butler bicycle again and to speak to the lovely people who came to see me. It brought back lovely memories.”
Pidders pootling round Monza
Whilst racing and prepping for the final monument of the season this weekend, Il Lombardia, Tom Pidcock found time to visit Monza, where he ventured onto the old oval track, perfect for some track pursuit prep if he ever fancied adding another discipline to his multi-disciplined bow.
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It should be said that Pidcock is racing as I type in Tre Valli Varesine, and we’re expecting a livestream on YouTube for the closing hour or two. I’ll pop it on the blog if you fancy it in a bit…
Railway path problems
Talk about getting bang for your buck!
From the archives...
Happy birthday to the road.cc YouTube channel, 18 today! All grown up. Does that mean we can now show drinking, swearing and clips of a Tarantino film?
In case you’re wondering our very first video, which has amassed more than a quarter of a million views, is Shimano’s Harald Troost talking about the Dura-Ace Di2. Or at least that’s what it sounds like, with about 9 pixels it’s not the easiest thing to watch…
Photogate continues
Well well well, Giulio Ciccone has managed to do something few riders can do: force a statement from a race organiser!
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We covered much of what the Italian had to say on yesterday’s live blog but in short, he wants to see an actual photo of him and Remco Evenepoel crossing the finish line of Sunday’s European Championships, rather than the images provided with a red line imposed after the fact. The implication is that the finish line might have been misaligned. Now, the European Cycling Union has released a statement:
“The Union Européenne de Cyclisme (UEC) states that the photo-finish system used at the 2026 UEC Road European Championships (EtherLynx Vision PRO X) records the finish line thousands of times per second (13,000 in the specific case of the European Championship races), making it possible to determine the order of arrival with extreme precision, even in the event of minimal differences.
“It is important to clarify that the photo-finish is not a traditional photograph. The final image is composed of the chronological sequence of recordings taken at the finish line. For this reason the horizontal axis represents time and not distance.
“This can create apparent distortions of wheels, bicycles and riders, without affecting the accuracy of the result in any way. In cycling, the decisive reference point is the foremost part (tangent) of the front wheel at the exact moment it crosses the finish line. At the European Championships, two independent photo-finish systems are used, which provide two separate images for verification of the result.
“The UEC will not issue any further statements on this matter.”
A statement of defiance, but no indication as to providing a ‘traditional’ photo-finish. Poor Giulio…
Tributes paid to Angel Arroyo
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The Spanish climber Ángel Arroyo, runner-up to Laurent Fignon in the 1983 Tour de France, has died at the age of 70.
Arroyo turned professional in 1979, with his breakthrough on General Classification coming at the 1981 Vuelta a Espana where he won a stage and finished sixth overall. The following year, he was leading the race and set for overall victory when he tested positive for the methylphenidate stimulate on stage 17. Rather than a disqualification, he was handed a 10-minute penalty (which was the style at the time) that saw him tumble out of contention.
He made his Tour de France debut the following year and began catapulting himself up on GC in the final week. After winning the Stage 15 TT up Puy de Dome, his consistent performances in the final week in the Alps catapulted him onto the podium, which would remain his best ever GC result in a Grand Tour. The following year he finished sixth overall and won a mountain stage to Morzine.
Having ridden most of his career for Reynolds, which later became Banesto, Caisse d’Epargne and now, Movistar, team boss Eusebio Unzue has written a tribute to Arroyo:
“I am deeply saddened, Ángel.
“I have always held you in special regard; you were a person of immense significance to me, both personally and in the history of this team.
“You arrived in 1982, when we were barely two years into this adventure, and you were one of those who showed us the way. That 1982 Vuelta and the podium finish in our first Tour in 1983 were pivotal in helping us realise just how far this team could go.
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“You made a lasting impression on me during those years when I was fortunate enough to share so many experiences and great moments with you. But above all, you helped lay the foundations of this team and established a philosophy of cycling that has stayed with us ever since: always being in the mix, contending for general classifications and the Grand Tours.
“Alongside our mentor, José Miguel, you played a fundamental role in those early steps and in building the foundation for everything that followed.
“We will remember you for countless details and moments, but above all, for the mark you left on all of us. You have ensured that we will never forget you, dear Ángel.
“Farewell.”
Bright lights for longer
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No justice as usual. At least we can take solace that the perp seems to have aged about 20 years in the 2 years this has taken to come to trial.
I wonder if Mavic still chuck their spares away after a while, refusing to sell them to bike shops and thereby forcing the customer to buy new wheels? Possibly that decision was a reason why they initially went bust?
Was the judge breathalysed?
@mitsky “Blood delivery driver who ran over cyclist jailed” But not for very long, and he'll clearly be released at the first possible opportunity in about 21 months. No driving ban, so he'll then be able to drive straight away. I wonder if the Police New Variant 'have to live with this for the rest of his life' Excuse (he will have to face the youths he mentors, who may well cheer him for doing it, after his version of 'mentoring') helped to get him this preferential treatment after deliberately swerving his van into a cyclist causing extremely serious injuries? Mitigation for having 8 children and just driving a van containing blood for a hospital?!! Was he simply trying to ensure a good use for the blood he was driving around? Would the offence have been viewed more seriously if he'd swerved into a cyclist of 74 with 135 donations to his credit, with 2 of the last 3 going to Liverpool University Hospital? Would it bollocks!
All the more of a reason to always wear a helmet, obviously the cyclist thought he was entitled and invincible. Now after the fracture he must wear a helmet just to walk down the road. The car driver pays vehicle tax so has the right to do whatever he wants and the law will back him right up to the hilt..
It's a bit scary to know the UK justice system let's people off with a slap on the wrist for attempted manslaughter! I don't think I'll be riding a bike if I visit your fair country! That was unbelievable!
@Terry Hutt quit with the jibba-jabba
@chrisonabike Do you have to be riding a 40kg cast iron bike to trigger them? Or will they also work with those emaciated wraiths that dance by me talking with each other on a 10% climb? I want to make the f*ckers wait until I catch up to trigger the light for them.
@mdavidford Considering the way they've absolutely declared war on them, seems more like their sworn enemy.
@mitsky As it states in the article:
10 thoughts on ““Why not just paint white lines on the road?”: Locals claim £10 million cycle lane investment a “waste of money” despite previous scrapped schemes increasing cycling in the town; “Photo-finishgate” continues + more on the live blog”
Well, no – it records whatever line it was pointed across thousands of times per second and determines the order of arrival there. If it wasn’t properly aligned to the finish line, then it won’t tell you anything about that.
That said, I’m not sure what Ciccone’s expecting – if it was misaligned then there won’t be any alternative photo of the actual finish line to show him.
@mdavidford Aligned or misaligned, that is the finishing line in the event of a photo finish being needed. Not satisfactory of course but move on Ciccone – nothing is going to change now.
Yeah – that’s kind of what I mean – it’s the only photo there is – it’s not like they have a bunch of these cameras at all different points and just chose to use the wrong one (because that would be… silly).
@mdavidford I must admit that my first reaction while watching was that Ciccone had got it.
Two things that aren’t clear are where exactly was the finish line supposed to be (along the centre of the white line) and what is the margin for error in setting up the scanner to give an unbroken beam signal / image?
It may well be that the winning time difference quoted is less than the setup variability of the system. In which case the result should be a dead heat.
Perhaps it is more important to have an absolute winner at the expense of a technically correct result?
The NIMBY’s should get the pavements in their area narrowed to 1-1.5m and separated from the road only by a white line.
I was thinking of that of course there’s a negative public reaction to the new proposal because there’s been a whole load of negative press which has led to another one being stripped out. The “Bike lane” in the photo with the two councillors looks truly crap, at best that’s a filtering space for when the road is blocked by people queuing in their cars.
So no comment from the Euros race organiser as to whether the photo-finish was aligned with the finish line. Disappointing, given previous photo-finish disputes. (I’m not taking sides with Ciccone or Evenepoel. I just believe in transparent decision-making.)
Surprised nothing posted about Valtteri Bottas riding gravel to Singapore: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DeHzaQ1y_O3/?stkn=cXFpcW1hd21uOWEy
Apologies if this was in yesterday’s live blog
Apologies noted:
Hmm – comment system is helpfully stripping off the anchor, but it’s the second item down.
Ref the mechanic leaning right out of the team car, I’m pretty sure the UCI issued an edict forbidding that sort of behaviour.