“It’s important to welcome agreement across party lines”: Labour MP welcomes Reform councillor’s support for £22 million cycle lane; Is racing getting too intense? Two young pros retire as Bernal confirms he might quit + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Unideological cycling?
Local politics is funny. Funny peculiar, not necessarily funny haha. Without ideological constraints or a hunger for high power, the politicians can be less predictable and more open-minded to doing things you couldn’t imagine the party higher-ups signing off.
Here are some highlights from the last year alone:
> Tory MP blasts Labour council’s active travel proposal… for not being ambitious enough
> Green Party councillors in Bath oppose lit, protected bike lane proposal through park
Today’s bit of eyebrow-raising news comes from the latter category of the three, where we have a Reform councillor lending his support to one of the biggest single pieces of urban cycling infrastructure we can think of.
The A38 Bristol Road cycle scheme in Birmingham would see 3.7 miles of cycle lane created either on the central reservation or on the west side of the road. New junction layouts and signalling would also be installed, with it coming to a cost of £22.5 million. And George Hall, newly elected Reform UK councillor for Northfield, backs it.
Writing on Facebook, Hall said, “I personally support this scheme. I believe it represents the right direction of travel towards creating modern, people centered cities, giving residents more options to travel safely and conveniently as you expect from the second city of the UK.
“Providing safe, accessible cycling infrastructure between South Birmingham and the city centre is something I believe will benefit our communities in the long term.”
Hall went on to make clear to his constituents that the £22.5 million comes from various surplus revenues and central government funds and would not make direct use of the council’s own funds. He also, perhaps bracing for criticism, included details of a local consultation indicating residents supported the infrastructure.
Thankfully, criticism was hard to find in the comments:
“Hi George, thanks for posting this its good to see a Reform Clr not jumping on the culture war bandwagon. Too often cycling is seen as a dividing line politically, and it’s often treated as a left-wing thing. That shouldn’t be the case.
“I think this A38 route is very much needed. It makes even more sense now that Lime bikes are being used so much around the city. It’s in a really good location, and running it along the central reservation means it doesn’t take anything away from the main road either. If I’m honest, I’m quite surprised more people don’t support it.”
“Get it built. I long for the day our cities are more like the Netherlands where cycling is actively promoted as the best way of getting around.”
“Refreshing to see a Reform councillor support this. I feared it would be branded as woke and anti motorist. It’s a great bit of investment that generations can use for years to come and will hopefully help people be more active and less reliant on cars.”
“It looks great in Selly Oak on the central reservation and it’ll look great here too. Hopefully it’ll make the main road safer for cyclists and traffic. That’s got to be top priority.”
And there’s a little bit of political support from local Labour MP Laurence Turner.
“There’s so much disagreement in politics that it’s important to welcome agreement across party lines. I’m glad that there is local Reform backing for the A38 cycleway extension.
“It makes no sense to leave the cycling infrastructure unfinished at Selly Oak. There’s no single best way to get around – people should have access to a range of practical and pleasant options, including driving, efficient buses and trains, and walking and cycling.
“There’s a claim that goes around. You might have seen it: that the money could have been spent on other transport priorities, such as road repairs. But that isn’t the case. It is ringfenced, national grant funding, which can only be spent on walking and cycling.
And again, credit where it is due – the [previous Conservative] Mayoralty under Andy Street played a role in applying for that funding, even if the local Conservatives later opposed it.”
Well there we are, some thought-provoking good news for all involved. My main takeaway is that the Department for Transport and Active Travel England have played a blinder in allocating money conditionally to councils, meaning that the infrastructure gains local champions across the country who can hail the benefits of the investment.
Compare that to the feeling it’s being ‘imposed’ from high above by politicians seen as too powerful and out of touch. It also depoliticises the good cause of cycling, which is surely something to celebrate, lest we get involved in dreaded culture wars…
Rog spotted!
The wonder of Ryan being on holiday in Lombardy is that he can snap the star everyone wants to see…
Gravel Worlds preview
Lombardia preview: Finally another winner!
The last time the final monument of the season wasn’t won by Tadej Pogacar, the race was won by Jakob Fuglsang. Remember him? There is another former winner I want to talk about but we’ll get to him.
This year’s Tour of Lombardy is, dare I say, not that difficult. The race ends in a circuit (fair enough) but still only climbs the prestigious Madonna del Ghisallo and Civiglio climbs once! With almost as much climbing in the calmer first half of the race as the second, it maybe in hindsight feels like a mistake for Mathieu van der Poel to skip the race, given the way he was climbing at the world championships, but of course it’s the end of a rather long season.
Two riders who will be lining up are Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic. Remarkably, this is the first and only time the pair will start a race as teammates, having been kept apart thus far by their Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe bosses. Both can claim to be on excellent form after each claiming glory at the European Championships and both men have podiumed this race behind Pogacar in the past, Evenepoel doing so last year. How their teamwork plays out will be great to watch.
Elsewhere, Paul Seixas brings about as strong a team as he can to support his ambitions, having finished seventh this time last year. Tiesj Benoot, Nicolas Prodhomme and Matthew Riccitello are among the riders no doubt ready to ride a hard pace they hope their 20-year-old leader can attack from.
Isaac del Toro and Brandon McNulty headline UAE’s line-up, though on any other team Adam Yates, Jan Christen and Felix Grossschartner would probably be considered leaders in their own right. Visma-Lease a Bike also bring options with Davide Piganzoli, Matteo Jorgenson and Ben Tulett all potential options for the finale.
Tom Pidcock is back, as is Ben Healy. Then there’s a point where you can just name names, Tobias Halland Johannessen, Michael Storer, Mikel Landa, Oscar Onley, Enric Mas, Giulio Ciccone in Lidl colours for the final time.
But I want to write about Bauke Mollema. And because I have the admin access to this page, I’m afraid you can’t stop me. The 39-year-old is set to hold a couple of records outright that few thought would be broken, becoming the rider with both the most starts and finishes of Il Lombardia. It’s also impressive considering he won the damn thing in 2019.
He first rode this race in 2008! George Bush was President for heaven’s sake! People had Blackberry’s and Nokia’s. In fact, 18 is a bit of a ceiling for the record number of monuments ridden. Only the great Briek Schotte, who rode and finished Paris-Roubaix a whopping 20 times, has ridden a single monument more times.
Anyway, I’m getting distracted. To mark the final race of Mollema’s career, he’s been given a special bike to mark the occasion. And in my opinion, it’s a lovely bit of kit…
View this post on Instagram
I at least would like to wish Bauke a very happy retirement!
Brand and Ciccone depart Lidl-Trek, hinting all is not well with new management
Cyclocross supremo Lucinda Brand has announced she is leaving Lidl-Trek. It’s an announcement we wouldn’t normally cover, but it’s clear there’s something bigger at play.
View this post on Instagram
The two-time World Champion and four-time World Cup winner has spent the past few years riding in the winter for the Het Poetsbureau Lions, a Belgian cyclocross team before returning to her primary paymaster for the road season. Lidl-Trek offered to continue supporting Brand for the off-season, but insisted she move in house and abandon her coach, former multiple world champion Sven Nys. For Brand, that was “never really a choice.”
“Some things in life are bigger than results, contracts or opportunities.
Loyalty. Trust. Family.
“Sven and this cyclocross family have always stood by me. Through the highs and lows. They gave me a place to be myself, to grow and, most importantly, to be happy. And no matter what, I would never turn my back on that.”
Brand will instead continue riding cross for the Lions, and says she’ll announce her new road team next week. The key line for us in her announcement though was this:
“On the road, I found that same passion and fire in @lguercilena73”, a reference to Luca Guercilana, the team’s long-time General Manager who left the team earlier this year to be replaced by Andy Schleck and a much more German managerial structure.
Brand is one of several riders to have paid tribute to Guercilana, who now works for Giro organiser RCS, and has hinted at dissatisfaction among several riders with the new structure that has come in.
Perhaps the best embodiment of this is Giulio Ciccone, for many years the team’s star rider who earlier this year wore the maglia rosa at the Giro. Now despite having a contract for next season, his departure was announced today, with perhaps the most curt statement possible:
“After eight seasons together, the Team and Giulio have reached the mutual decision to part ways, which means Il Lombardia will be the Italian’s final race in Lidl-Trek colours. We want to thank Giulio for all he has done for the team and wish him all the best for the future.”
Grand Tour stages, Monument podiums, one day wins and mountains jerseys. Yet nothing more than a perfunctory statement, despite Lidl-Trek authorising Ciccone’s departure. Maybe it’s nothing, and we’re reading too much into it all, but it’s clear the managerial overhaul is having some major consequences on the team.
Deliveroo e-bike surveillance, battery passports?
If you’re protective of your data and whereabouts, you have some new companies you might wish to avoid…
Racing round-up: Same as it ever was for Wiebes
Sadly, the women’s cycling season ends with much more of a whimper than a bang following the cancellation of the women’s Tour of Guangxi, though it’s debatable how much of a bang a race watched and cared about by very few people even is.
Consequently, the UCI enabled teams to opt out of travelling to the Tour of Chongming Island is, due to the high travel costs associated with the journey. Only 69 riders lined up on the startline, including five Women’s WorldTour teams. Not that anyone was ever likely to prevent a Lorena Wiebes sprint finish in any event…
‘Perfectly executed!’ 🔥 Lorena Wiebes and SD Worx-Protime dominate the sprint to win Stage 1 of the Tour of Chongming Island 👏 https://t.co/XLoS4vXagr
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 9, 2026
Surely a godsend...
Saves having to search the tyre for the rubbery marking…
Anyone putting pressure stickers by the valve during tire installs?
by
u/DNLMZRZ in
ebikemechanics
B-IKEA
I’ve decided I need this badly. At $55 (plus whatever shipping charge the US President decrees on a whim) it’s not exactly a cheap stocking filler mind you…
View this post on Instagram
Bernal confirms considerations of retirement
View this post on Instagram
The news we were pondering yesterday is official, that Egan Bernal is seriously considering retirement despite the 29-year-old having a contract until 2029.
Here’s his quite moving statement in full:
I wanted to share some thoughts with you about the phase I am currently going through, both personally and professionally.
First of all, I have a contract with the team until the end of 2029, and for now, I intend to start the upcoming season. After so many years dedicated to cycling, I feel I have given
this sport the best years of my life, both as a cyclist and as a person. I have made sacrifices I never imagined, won races that once seemed like impossible dreams, and experienced incredible moments as well as very difficult ones; yet today, I can look back with peace of mind, proud of everything I have done and achieved, with no regrets.
Over time, I have also learned that this sport isn’t just about results, victories, or sacrifices. It is also about enjoying the journey and finding the motivation to keep doing what you love.
This year, I decided to end my season after the Tour de France. I felt I needed some time for myself—to rest, to disconnect a little, and to regain the peace of mind that can sometimes slip away amidst the relentless pace of competition.
I have spoken with the team and the people around me, and we are all on the same page: I want to give myself the time and space needed to face what lies ahead with the same conviction and dedication I have always had.
I don’t know exactly what the coming years hold for me, and I don’t think I need to know everything right now, either.
What I am certain of is that, as long as I keep competing, I want to do so with the conviction that I still have a lot to offer. It isn’t simply about continuing for the sake of it, but about having the motivation, the physical and mental strength, and the drive to remain competitive and make a difference.
For now, I want to enjoy the present, live this moment calmly, and let time take its course.
It’s a slightly sad statement, to read that Bernal seems to have fallen out of love with the sport he has spent his life devoted to. Then again, there’s something heart-warming to read both that he is determined to keep competing at the top, and doesn’t want to trundle along in the peloton picking up payslips when the legs won’t deliver what they once could. His honesty is fantastic.
Incidentally, on the same day we’re processing Bernal’s announcement, we’ve received news from two cyclists who are themselves leaving the sport.
Robin Orins, a 24-year-old still on his first pro contract for Lotto-Intermarche, citing the mental health difficulties he has had in the past year.
View this post on Instagram
“After months of rebuilding myself, I got back on my feet. But I realised how much energy it had taken and how difficult it was to find the old Robin again. No matter how badly I wanted it, the downs were too frequent.
“This year, I wanted to return happy instead of unhappy. I wanted to enjoy the bike, the people around me, the suffering and, above all, feel fulfilled again. But things didn’t turn out as hoped. No matter how hard I worked, my body said “no”. Now my head and heart are saying “no” too.”
At an even younger age, Louic Boussemaere, a 20-year-old riding for Decathlon CMA-CGM’s development team, announced yesterday he was quitting the sport, saying “Mentally, things have become difficult, and the love and passion for the sport are no longer the same.”
View this post on Instagram
It does all suggest that the stresses and strains of modern racing are far greater than they have been in the past, that it’s become much harder to commit yourself to the job of an elite athlete than before.
Simon Yates, stage 10, 2025 Tour de France (Image Credit: ASO/Billy Ceusters)
Simon Yates was maybe a canary in this particular coalmine, quitting almost as soon as he realised his head wasn’t in it anymore. Or maybe we could go further back to Tom Dumoulin, who briefly quit the sport before returning and then retiring for good at the age of 31.
Our best wishes to Robin, Louic and Egan for whatever comes next…
Cargo chat
The online discourse of traders unwilling to accept the utilitarian functionality of cargo bikes continues!
Long-term readers of this page will be aware of our semi-regular dive onto Reddit for examples of people using cargo bikes to carry all sorts. In fact, to prove a point, here’s the first thing that came up when I did a trawl on the subject…
Paint's not enough Exhibit No. 1784
Dangerous intersection
by
u/dangling_pointer0x00 in
londoncycling
“I have multiple near misses in this intersection due to some drivers not recognizing that the very left traffic light is for bicycle and run red occasionally, last week nearly got smashed by a scaffolding lorry and van behind it, they even have the audacity to mock me from inside when I shout to them.
“Now instead of hitting the button for cyclist I’m using the one for pedestrians as it creates windows where all of the lights are red and I can cross relatively safely, I always try to respect the red lights but this is one of the examples where actually waiting for green light can be extremely dangerous!”
Helmet discourse...
Help us to bring you the best cycling content
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £2.49. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
17 Comments
Read more...
Read more...
Read more...
Latest Comments
@Accessibility for all Reducing the speeds wouldn't have helped in this case as the driver was reported doing 65 in a 40 zone on the approach to the junction, his driving described by the witnesses as erratic and evidently had no intention to stop to give way even though he had been warned by the passenger who apparently shouted "bike" three times just before the collision. He would have likely flown through that junction even if it was traffic light controlled with a red light for him at the time. In my own experience the entire area i.e. east of Lymm towards Warburton and along Dunham Road all the way up to Altrincham and past into Hale Barns, all those wealthy, posh settlements around Manchester Airport are best avoided by road cyclists. A disproportionally high number of psycho drivers must for some reason live in that area because every single time I went there on my road bike in the past, I either got harassed myself or witnessed proper dickhead driving - speeding, close passes, overtaking into oncoming traffic or round a blind bend, accelerating towards pedestrians already crossing the road, you name it. I gave up road cycling in that area years ago and only use the local TPT these days.
In respect of the murder charge: based on him hitting Mr Mullins and making no attempt to help him (this killing him), how would the case compare to a hit and run driver who seriously injures or kills a cyclist, knowingly, and flees the scene without helping? Would this make the cut for a murder charge? Or is there something very different going on here that I’m missing? Genuinely curious because I don’t recall there being a murder charge before for this kind of thing unless it was premeditated. In fact, in my experience most cases like this seem to go the opposite way - where the driver can merely say the sun was in their eyes and get away with a slap on the hands.
@Rendel Harris...and there was me dishing out the praise!
@polainm He must also be an already hardened criminal. It wasn't mentioned during the court proceedings to avoid influencing the jurors and ensuring he had a fair trial, but he had been released from prison shortly before this incident and was couch surfing at his cousin's house days before. Just look at his face, he's only 35, but looks older than his victim who was 56. Must have spent half his adult life in prison.
@jaymack They did offer him manslaughter though but he declined to plead guilty. Without wanting to seem curmudgeonly, yes great that they preferred the most serious charges but hard to see how they could have done differently considering that Richardson got out of the car, saw Mr Mullins was stuck underneath and then got back in and carried on. That clearly moved it above anything that falls under death by dangerous driving.
@thrawed Agree - the UK winters are utterly grim; grey, wet & windy. Not the type of weather you really want to go out and ride. Everything get covered in filth, and takes time to clean it after a ride. Oh for colder, drier & crisper days which can be enjoyable to be out in.
@ymm In my view, lax sentencing of dangerous drivers, especially where cyclists are involved, makes the judge, jury and CPS complicit in UK driver culture. This driver is a sociopath.
@Mr Blackbird i reckon the libido is a bit overrated. I'd let that go rather than a limb or a nice bike.
There are a number of armchair prosecutors on this site who happily heap criticism on the CPS for the decisions they make, sometimes deservedly so. I note that none of them have so far applauded the over worked, under paid specialist prosecutor at the regional Complex Casework Unit who successfully took this to trial. It would have been easy to accept guilty plea to a lesser charge, but she didn't - thank you.
The force also noted that almost all of these serious collisions occurred in 30mph zones where, police claim, “drivers feel most comfortable and familiar in their local area”. Yes, my neighbourhood is a 30mph zone, and the residents have become so comfortable and familiar with it that they feel comfortable with exceeding the limit with regular aplomb, parking in the most ridiculous of places and overtaking parked cars into the path of oncoming vehicles (despite those vehicle having bright lights) 🙄
17 thoughts on ““It’s important to welcome agreement across party lines”: Labour MP welcomes Reform councillor’s support for £22 million cycle lane; Is racing getting too intense? Two young pros retire as Bernal confirms he might quit + more on the live blog”
That clip showing the drivers going through red when the cyclist light is green…
Should the council add a filter/side cover/flap on the right side of the green cycle light to hide it from driver’s eye view thus helping prevent confusion?
@mitsky No, because it’s nothing to do with ‘confusion’. The drivers are deliberately going through on red because it’s a left turn, because it’s only a cyclist waiting there and because they know the b*****d police will do nothing about it.
@mitsky shurely it was at most one driver, because the red was not “established” before then…?
@chrisonabike Mercedes was acceptable, but the second one (old Toyota people carrier/ex-taxi) was a prosecutable offence.
@Nigel Garage The Mercedes driver drove through the light three seconds after it turned amber. Official government text: “AMBER means STOP. You may go on only if the amber appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident.” Three seconds is more than enough time to stop safely at the speed the Mercedes was going so the driver was breaking the law and therefore committing a prosecutable offence. Deliberately putting others at risk and breaking the law is not “acceptable” and if you saw a cyclist running a red in those circumstances you would rightly condemn it. Is there anything you can’t be completely wrong about?
@Rendel Harris I’m surprised that they still have site access privileges given the racist comments about an MP the other day
Hats off to George Hall. Great to see some inter party concord. So much resource is wasted by infighting and disagreement in UK politics.
I hope he doesn’t get reprimanded by the comical Reform UK central leadership when they get to hear about this shocking act of cooperation, support and putting the wellbeing of the public above party idealism.
@Mr Blackbird Hats off to George Hall
My hat’s not coming off- despite this touch of cycleway-washing, Hall still bears the Mark of Cain, until he repudiates his party altogether
@wtjs Fair enough.
Bernal’s statement: I didn’t realise he had a background in corporate communications.
Seriously, though, he burned bright. It’s strange now to think that back in 2019 we thought he would dominate the sport for years.
@lesterama Not sure he burned that bright, he won his sole tour by default, not by merit, and would probably have been mown down by the Pog/Ving double act since
@SecretSam 2019 Tour (don’t see anyone else putting their hand up to say they won it), 2021 Giro, 2019 Paris-Nice, 2019 Tour de Suisse, 2018 Tour of California.
So I’d say Lesterama is about right with his burned bright comment.
@SecretSam That’s not really fair, in fact not fair at all. It wasn’t his fault that the last two mountain stages were shortened and on the first one he had dropped everyone and was a minute clear as he summitted the Iseran when the stage was neutralised, and on the second he stayed with or dropped all the other GC contenders. You seem to have forgotten his Giro win as well as Paris Nice and the Tour de Suisse. Only the fourth rider to have won the Tour and Giro before the age of twenty-five. Yes he probably couldn’t have stayed with Pogacar even if he hadn’t had the awful crash, and probably nor could any other rider in history except perhaps Merckx.
@lesterama Bernal has had two whammys. His crash, which he has probably never fully recovered from and Ineos taking a nosedive. They have no focus and no identity.
“Over 1,000 dockless bikes seized in Westminster
The authority said the bikes would continue to be removed where they caused an obstruction, with operators charged for their return.”
Would love to know how many motor vehicles were removed (and their “operators” charged for their return) for the same reason.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c84g1x0g0d42o
… and we still had apostrophe rationing.
@mdavidford Clearly the end of the sentence got deleted by mistake and it’s meant to finish “…devices in their pockets.”