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news
"Poor countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany?": Chris Boardman leads the way as cyclists school David Frost on claim rich countries don't use bikes; Irn-Bru paint job steals the show ahead of World Championships + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Amsterdam bike parking (CC licensed by Paul Frederickson via Flickr).jpg02 August 2023, 07:56
"Poor countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany?": Chris Boardman leads the way as cyclists school David Frost on claim rich countries don't use bikes
David Frost, eh? That's a name I'd gone without hearing for a glorious forgetful spell, until now... Boris Johnson's former chief negotiator for exiting the European Union, who later served in the same PM's cabinet in a role created just for him (that was abolished on his departure) has today got more than a few people questioning if he's ever even travelled to the continent he was negotiating our exit from...
It's not a 'problem', it's a good thing.
In poorer countries people depend on public transport & bikes. When they get richer they want cars because they bring freedom.
Public transport will *never* be good enough for a free people to move around on. https://t.co/4dtYH0iMjW
— David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) August 1, 2023
Who's going to tell him? Time for the 'Cycling Avengers' to assemble...
Poor countries like Holland, Denmark, Germany....?
This looks like freedom to me. https://t.co/0dUZVXcYqY pic.twitter.com/qTwMyImMtu— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) August 1, 2023
ITV commentator and cycling journalist Ned Boulting reckons: "Of course, as is quite often the case I fear, the truth is almost the perfect opposite of what you claim."
While CyclingMikey was keen to share the view from the Netherlands on Frost's comment: "I'm from the Netherlands, Frostie, and we're doing rather a lot better than the UK thanks. Part of that is because we don't waste as much on cars."
Jon Burke, fresh from schooling Nick Ferrari about LTNs live on LBC, was keen for some more...
Embarrassing.https://t.co/IfwVuo6n19
— Jon Burke 🌎 (@jonburkeUK) August 1, 2023
If you truly believe this I suggest you take a gander at most of Europe where they are making massive changes to their transport systems to pull people out of car dependency.
I'm sure this is because they're poor though. 😄
— Jon (@Jontafkasi) August 1, 2023
In fact, such was the response to Frost's thoughts, he got replies from people in... *deep breath*... the Netherlands, Barcelona, Ireland, Armenia, Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany all united in replies calling 'rubbish'...
When you were Ambassador in wealthy Denmark did you venture out of your Embassy? 🚴♂️
— Nicholas Davies (@MrMiniHolland) August 1, 2023
02 August 2023, 09:09
A Frosty response that conveniently avoids mention of bikes
Well, you just shifted your argument, because your first point (which in no way drew the distinction you now make) was annihilated. Regardless of that, wouldn’t it be preferable to have good public transport outside of cities? Other countries do. Rich ones.
— Ned Boulting 🏳️⚧️ (@nedboulting) August 1, 2023
Happy Wednesday, everyone...
02 August 2023, 15:28
"Locals anywhere else in the world would relish stopping to watch it": More reaction to World Championship road closures going down predictably well
Thought I'd round up some of the almost 200 comments we've got across Facebook and the website about this story...
Kevin 'Herbie' Blackburn: "Locals anywhere else in the world would relish stopping to watch it."
Susanne Reid: "Really ashamed to be a Scottish person at the moment. Scotland depends on tourism yet when it inconveniences wee Jimmy for a couple of hours locals are up in arms."
Ollie Craig: "Better headline: Local car owners who have their roads subsidized and use them for free 355 days a year whinge about momentary disruption on a single day so that other people can use the road."
Kris Jackson: "The town that takes about 15 minutes to walk from one end to another, I'm sure they'll survive."
02 August 2023, 15:10
New 'protected' contraflow cycle lane opens on one-way road – and drivers immediately begin parking in it and crashing into bollards
02 August 2023, 14:01
Alpecin-Deceuninck notified of alleged anti-doping violation concerning Robert Stannard
Australian rider Rob Stannard, who twice finished in the top ten of stages at this year's Criterium du Dauphiné, has been provisionally suspended after his Alpecin-Deceuninck team was notified of an alleged 'Anti-Doping Rule Violation' dating back to 2018 and 2019.
There will be questions about how it has taken so long to come to light, but the team says it "respects the decision" made by the UCI and noted the violation came well before Stannard joined the team.
"We respect the decision of the UCI and will conform to this. In the meanwhile, we will further inform us with the rider, his management, and the UCI," a team statement said. "Alpecin-Deceuninck will not be commenting further until we have full clarification from the three parties mentioned above."
02 August 2023, 13:10
Police Service of Northern Ireland spend nearly £50,000 on bike repairs over the past five years
The Derry Journal reports that Northern Ireland's police service spent nearly £50,000 on bike repairs in the past five years.
£47,048.99 was the exact figure between 1 April 2018 and 16 May 2023, with the cost of bike repairs for non-electric bikes during the same period at £33,737, while for e-bikes it was £13,311.99.
The figures were revealed following a Freedom of Information request.
02 August 2023, 13:31
Sausage roll power
Looks like @petosagan's bus & a Slovak National Cycling Team van have stopped for a @GreggsOfficial on the way to @CyclingWorlds
(cc @Trudgin) pic.twitter.com/b1JcJyZZkP
— James Lucas (@RabAusten) August 2, 2023
02 August 2023, 12:53
"Sad!": Biniam Girmay's Eritream teammate comments on visa denial reports
We're awaiting a comment from the Home Office about the big story of the day ahead of the World Championships. Merhawi Kudus simply wrote: "Sad!" in reply to the rumours.
Hopefully more info on this one soon...
02 August 2023, 11:36
Biniam Girmay reportedly refused UK visa, as Eritrean star pulls out of Glasgow world championships citing injury
02 August 2023, 10:33
Potholes, road rash, stray dogs, bee stings, cracked rim... Transcontinental suffering
Yesterday Christoph Strasser finished Transcontinental first having spent just 34 hours off his bike in nine days. Further back and this is the reality for the other riders, Jesko Werthern penning these words on his suffering...
Oh Albania, your roads might be the worst I've ever seen, but your people are ever so great. Every time I've done it, there was a point in the Transcontinental where I felt like the race was trying to break me. If you're stubborn enough to push through that point, you get rewarded. Today might have been that day.
The alarm goes and I cannot walk. The road rash burns like fire and makes me literally limp onto the bike after taking a painkiller and waiting another half hour. Pedalling works, most Albanian dogs are sleepy or scared, only a big one seriously chases me. In a small village the road bends downwards, a little girl waves at me from over a wall, I wave back and see the big bump in the road too late.
A badly timed bunny hop attempt, an audible crack, I look down and can immediately see that the wobble has increased. As long as it's rolling, no excuse to stop. Sketchy bridge just before CP3, bee sting, eggs with rice and onto the parcour. One happy rider found a backpack full of food.
A TCR off-road parcour is never easy, but doing that nursing a cracked rim, two seeing wounds, with barely functioning hands, while the thermometer shows 44 degrees (38 in the shadow, only there is not much shadow) and you get an experience that is definitely up there with the most insane things I've done.
It's all relative though. I meet a rider that has been walking for 41 kilometres with a failed tubeless system and Sara did the whole thing without food, because she lost her backpack... Maybe I didn't have such a bad day after all.
02 August 2023, 10:11
LEJOAP: Retired vicar takes on Land's End to John O'Groats for fourth time
Full credit to Jo for the headline, superb stuff, and a proper feel-good news story for your Wednesday...
This August, 90 year old retired vicar Peter Langford is taking on the challenge of cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats to raise money for the homeless.
To support his journey, please listen to his story, share this video and donate what you can https://t.co/zID5Lp85Ql🧡 pic.twitter.com/mdat3JtNgx
— Access Community Trust (@access_ourwork) July 26, 2023
Peter Langford, an 89-year-old retired vicar from Suffolk is hoping to become the oldest man to cycle the famous 1,100-mile route. It will be his fourth time, having completed the challenge aged 75, 80 and 85, and he'll be raising money for two homelessness charities along the way...
"I'm getting more confident that I will actually be able to manage it," he told the BBC. "Devon and Cornwall are far, far, the hardest part of the whole route — much harder than Scotland — because the hills are so steep and you get them over and over again.
"'I've been doing about 120 miles a week but recently I thought I should do a few long rides together. Last week I did 50 miles on Monday and 50 miles on Tuesday and I felt perfectly alright afterwards."
Mr Langford will set off on 22 August, four days after his 90th birthday, hoping to finish a month later on 21 September.
"You achieve these things in your head — more than with your knees and if you're darned determined."
02 August 2023, 09:19
02 August 2023, 09:22
Irn-Bru paint job steals the show ahead of World Championships
10/10 for this paint job from Fatcreations near Chichester, ready to be used by Aimi Kenyon up in Scotland at the World Championships...
02 August 2023, 08:51
Tech news: Details of the new Specialized Tarmac SL8 leaked; Money-no-object upgrades to create the ultimate featherweight bike; Demi Vollering's Tour de France-winning SL7
Loads of cool stuff up on the site at the minute from our tech team...
> Specialized Tarmac SL8: leaked details of "the world's fastest race bike" appear online
The tip over to August means hill-climbing season is just around the corner, if you've found a winning lottery ticket down the back of the sofa here's what you could do to make the ultimate featherweight bike...
And before we get all the weight and watt-saving claims from Spesh about the new SL8 it's worth remembering the SL7 is still doing alright... and by alright I mean being ridden to Tour de France victory by Demi Vollering...
Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.
Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.
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68 comments
FatAndFurious
|
1 year ago
0 likes
Could have been running one of those tyre/rim combinations where it is impossible to seat the rim without a shot from a compressor, in which case if the tyre comes off or you have to take it off, spare tube or not you're going to have to walk until you find a garage or a friendly mechanic.
Im pretty sure theres a TCR story from one of James Haydens wins where he was riding one of the parcours when he had a big nail go through tyre, tube and *RIM*, then had to fix it with a plastic £5 note and lashings of gaffa tape.
(I may have forgotten most of the details but it was one of the WTF moments that attracted me to following the TCR)
the little onion
|
1 year ago
15 likes
The conspiracy theoriest who cites 15 minute city nonsense should be hit with the ban stick. Hard. No time for that nasty crazy stuff.
(also, they should look at the history of the ghetto, as in, the original Venetian one, and what it actually meant. Then take a good hard look at themselves for making that comparison. And never say anything here again).
"When I were a lad we were lucky to have a unicycle. Who could afford two wheels?"
"You were rich, I had to make do with just a wheel."
"That's nothing, if I were lucky I got to take turns with the family inner tube..."
Inner tubes!? We had no inner tubes, only handfulls of grass and nettles that we had to wrest from starving grannies who had collected them for their one meal a week. (They still fought back, mind).
Family!? We had no family, only a monstrous bloke that hit us once every 3 minutes then left for a month with the savings jar, all three farthings of it, to join our mother at the pub where she was scavenging for cast aside fag-ends to make up another fag with toilet paper pinched from the pub netty.
ktache
|
1 year ago
4 likes
Overjoyed this morning at not getting soaked on the way to work this morning, considering what the rain radar looked like last night, small shower but mostly damp through tree rain.
Which of course got me thinking, there must be a better expression than tree rain?
And secondary prcipitation doesn't work...
They really need to make a full sugar "Premium" Irn-Bru
They really need to make a full sugar "Premium" Irn-Bru
I thought if you'd reached that stage it was straight to the Buckie?
Sugar? Check
Caffeine? Check
Alcohol? Check
Monks? Check
* Just in case - from the label "the name 'Tonic Wine' does not imply health giving or medicinal properties"
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