"A bike theft supermarket": New Bristol bike racks located outside train station panned; Crazy Hungarian bike lane divides internet; Nibali, Pantani + Coppi star in mesmerising Giro ad; Drivers "robbed of lanes", says columnist + more on the live blog

450 spaces for a main train station in a city the size of Bristol. Far from looking good it’s totally inadequate. They are also a terrible design and not secure enough. A bike theft supermarket.

A warm welcome to the latest addition of #shitfrastructure in Bristol! https://t.co/mKOzZBbC75

— Bristol Shitfrastructure (@shitfrastructur) September 7, 2020

As Network Rail Western proudly announced the opening of 450 bike parking spaces around Bristol Temple Meads train station today, many Bristolians were not enthused.

Anyone who has used the station will know there is ample parking inside after going through ticketed barriers; and many believe the new racks placed outside the station in full view of the public are simply too tempting for thieves. It's also noted that they appear to be further away from the station entrance than the car park. 

These look really insecure as they are out in the open and can easily be cut through. It's a real shame you've moved bike parking off the platform; did you consult with any cycling organisations in Bristol about this move?

— Paul N (@NewpPaul) September 7, 2020

So before you had in-station parking in a place where even the most brazen thief would think twice, especially with the BTP presence in the station, now you've moved provision outside to a far less secure location and you're asking for this to be applauded?

— Rendel Harris (@Rendel_Harris) September 7, 2020

There will be even more spare room in those racks once the local T-Leaves drop by with their bolt cutters!

— Rick Just Riding Bikes (@justridingbikes) September 7, 2020

The irony of a car park being closer to the station than the cycle storage is exquisite.

Is that the parking that's under cover by an old platform?

— Paul N (@NewpPaul) September 7, 2020

It's not clear if the new external racks are purely additional, or if they are replacing some of the bike storage space inside the station - road.cc are contacting Network Rail for comment. 

Would you use the new bike racks? 

It appears the chairman of Chesterfield's Civic Society Philip Riden isn't appreciating the benefits of temporary measures to encourage cycling and walking as Britain goes back to work, claiming that the roadblocks (for cars) are putting people off visiting Chesterfield town centre. 

In a letter submitted to Derbyshire County Council, he wrote: "Of all the wasteful, badly thought out knee-jerk actions taken by the Government in the last few months, the decision to give large amounts of taxpayers' money (£443,000 in the case of Derbyshire) to highway authorities to close or obstruct streets must rank as one of the stupidest.

"In Chesterfield it is inconceivable that the closure of South Place and Corporation Street has saved a single person from contracting Covid-19, or encouraged them to walk further. Nor has the erection of unsightly plastic and metal barriers and the dumping of large concrete blocks on other streets.

"All it has achieved is to make the town centre look hideous and to discourage people from coming to shop, eat or drink in Chesterfield. That is exactly the opposite of what the Government and local authorities should be doing.”

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council told the Derby Telegraph: “We’ve been working in partnership with district and borough councils to ensure appropriate social distancing measures are in place, but the limited amount of time we had to meet Government guidelines meant we weren’t able to consult local people or businesses about the changes.

“We’re happy to make adjustments or tweak our plans where we can and with the limited resources available as shown by the further changes we made to the area around South Place following comments from local people.”

bike lane in Körmend, Hungary from r/UrbanHell

We're not sure why or how this cycle path in the Hungarian town of Körmend ended up this way, but it's either a massive fail or a right laugh depending on your point of view. 

On the Reddit thread, one person commented: "a separate bike lane, properly striped, with changes in elevation to keep Hungarians paying attention. 10/10 would implement everywhere in the world!"

Others noted that the undulations are reminiscent of a pump track; although this cycle lane is also designed to take you somewhere, whereas pump tracks are loops if course. 

Do you have a sudden desire to hop across to Hungary and try this crazy cycle lane out, or is it just a bit silly? Let us know your thoughts as always... 

Putting the @INEOSGrenadier to work on the first rest day at #TDF2020 #BuiltOnPurpose pic.twitter.com/eOAk8Rl3yc

— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) September 7, 2020

...because it looks like they've been deployed to take lots of creative photos to plug the new Ineos Grenadier 4X4 that the team now takes its name from. Hopefully there are some super tall crew members to get the bikes on and off that roof rack...

A proposal for the 'Saints Trail' - which will provide a traffic-free link between the popular seaside towns of Perranporth and Newquay  - has garnered almost a hundred comments from both supporters and objectors to the plans. 

While many highlight that cycling on busy A-roads in the area isn't always pleasant and a traffic-free route is much needed for cyclists, others claim that Cornwall Council haven't fully considered the environmental impact. One supporter commented: "I am a cyclist who lives locally and the roads of Cornwall are extremely dangerous especially in the summer when there is a lot of traffic. This project will make exercising by cycling a lot safer.

"It will encourage more people to cycle and get fitter putting less pressure on our NHS resources. Local businesses will be enhanced by increased traffic from cyclists."

On Facebook, a local opposed to the plans said: "If you read the negative comments it is mainly around the issue that Cornwall Council are not bothering with a full environmental assessment. This is something no other developer would get away with, they are potentially pushing this plan through and going to cause an awful lot of damage to the wildlife."

The status of the application is still marked as 'awaiting decision' on the summary page. Among local organisations that were consulted, including Parish Councils, the Ramblers Association and Devon & Cornwall Police, feedback is largely positive. 

Orgoglioso di aver preso parte allo spot @RaiSport per il @giroditalia 🇮🇹
Un applauso a coloro che hanno lavorato per questa realizzazione 👏 Io sono rimasto a bocca aperta e sono certo che accadrà lo stesso a tanti altri. Grazie a #RAI che mi ha voluto in questo spot 🙏 pic.twitter.com/xD9SbDVlV2

— Vincenzo Nibali (@vincenzonibali) September 6, 2020

With a guitar hero version of the Nessun dorma playing in the background, this ad for the rescheduled Giro from Italian TV network Raisport renders Vincenzo Nibali onto a mountain pass, as he rides alongside legend after legend before a certain Marco Pantani pops up and rides away (they all regroup at the end though). 

The Giro is set to start on Saturday 3rd October, les than two after the Tour de France ends. 

J’ai perdus le contrôle, désolé à la supportrice au bord de la route 😅 https://t.co/shLzcUf0QM

— David Gaudu (@DavidGaudu) September 6, 2020

It's been said that some fans are getting too close to the riders with fears of coronavirus cases stifling the progress of the Tour... but in the case of this spectator it was no fault of his own, as the Groupama–FDJ rider loses control and crashes into him. The team aren't having much luck this year, with their star man Thibaut Pinot again succumbing to a recurring back injury that cost him over 25 minutes on the leaders during stage 8.