Are we ready to ditch our cars? BBC Today programme asks... (but little mention of cycling); Tom Pidcock gets a telling off from fans for launching himself off moving boat; Old but gold — bike lane-blocking edition + more on the live blog

BBC radio's Today Debate yesterday centred on car ownership, the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, electric cars, reducing emissions, implications for car ownership, and more...

On the panel was former Top Gear host (and now a member of the cycling community) James May, Conservative MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney, professor Julia King chair of the Carbon Trust, former Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer (fresh from his recent live blog appearance), and Graeme Potts of Eden Motors.

Host Mishal Husain began the debate by stating "the shift demanded by climate and clean air objectives is not however all about drivers swapping to electric cars. It is also about the need for us to drive less or, perhaps, not at all in the future — less car ownership, less private vehicle traffic, leading to better air and lower emissions".

However, the following 25 minutes seemed to largely bypass talk of alternatives to driving, instead discussing electric cars' range, growth of the charging point network, the 2030 target, the price of electric cars, cost of electric car batteries, before Husain asked May about the need to walk and cycle more...

May replied: "I do cycle a lot, I'm not just saying that to be sanctimonious, I've actually noticed recently that even Google Maps has recognised that at certain times of day it's quicker to go across London on a bicycle if you're doing the sort of journey I do, between four and eight miles.

"The car is, like everything else in society, under more scrutiny than it has ever been — how it's used, how it's made, how it's disposed of, where it's left, what speeds it does. I think that's a good thing because questioning stuff is great. And I am starting to think that in some places cars aren't very appropriate."

In reply to an earlier question, MP McCartney had said: "The prime minister and those around him see that we need to be realistic, when you get outside of London and you get further north, over 80 per cent of people use a car to get to work. That's a phenomenal amount, there's not going to be any replacement of those figures."

Graeme Potts from Eden Motors also added: "Motorists are showing over and over again that they are not ready for this alternative because it is unaffordable. They have already demonstrated over many many years, and I have been in this industry for 42 years, that modal shift as it's called is not an option for many customers. Karl [McCartney] makes a very very good point, the average person in Britain travels 18 miles to work, but the travel to work requirement for independent personal transport is as nothing compared with the lifestyle demands mum and dad as taxi drivers, or us going to our lifestyle or leisure activities.

"But if investment in public transport was different you could imagine the landscape where that starts to feel different?" host Husain suggested.

Potts' reply: "As a proportion of travel to work journeys [rail travel] is actually still very low. I don't want to be overly political, but the unreliability of the public sector means there is less likelihood of modal shift, in my view."

Here's the link to the full episode if you wish to listen, mainly to save me transcribing any more of the 45-minute-long segment...

[Pauline Ballet/SWpix.com]

Ben Wiggins, son of Bradley, will join Hagens Berman Axeon for 2024, fresh off his silver medal in the junior men's time trial at the World Championships in Stirling.

"Joining HBA was a no-brainer for me," he said about the team run by Axel Merckx that counts João Almeida, Mikkel Bjerg, Jasper Philipsen, Eddie Dunbar, Jhonatan Narváez, Neilson Powless, Tao Geoghegan Hart and Ruben Guerreiro among its alumni.

"I'd been talking to Axel for a while and I've always admired the team, knowing the history of the team, and how many guys have gone to the next level from the team. I knew straight away that it was the right place for me to develop and try to get to the World Tour. Also the opportunity to work with Axel who grew up in a very similar situation to me with our dads doing great things in the sport, I can't think of anyone better to get advice and guidance from. I can't wait to get started."

Thibaut Pinot's last pro race in France. Unfortunately DNF following crash with 90 km to go on Stage 2 of Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine. Remaining race calendar should include Slovakia, Luxembourg and then Italian autumn campaign. https://t.co/UwPhO0k5hy

— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) August 23, 2023

Utrecht is home to the largest bicycle parking facility in the world. It has not one, not two, but three floors of two-tiered racks, totaling a stunning 12,500 parking places!

Enjoy a full ride through this cycling masterpiece! pic.twitter.com/vqwkChw7uR

— De Filmende Fietser (@FilmendeFietser) August 22, 2023

> "Eyesore" cycling junction works leaving homes and cars "permanently covered in dirt and dust", claim residents

A week late on this one, but Phil Gil shared the pic of the Strava activity on his Twitter, hence us spotting it today...

Riding as close as possible to the border of Belgium's Liège province, as you do. 

"The course contained some passages in gravel to be as close as possible to the borders, so we alternated the bikes," Gilbert explained. "In the end, a little over 200 km in gravel and the rest on road bikes, with relays of maximum 10 minutes."

Front wheel flat tire?

No problem for Madis Mihkels 😆 pic.twitter.com/GWY9mo0s3L

— Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (@IntermarcheCW) August 22, 2023

First off, who can blame Tom Pidcock for having some downtime after a year packed full of Classics, mountain biking, Tour de France prep, riding said Tour de France, and a XCO mountain bike world championship. 

But, such is life as an international superstar, uploading footage of your holiday activity to Instagram, including... *checks notes*... launching yourself off a boat moving at high speeds, is always going to leave you open to the party-pooping thoughts and warnings of your half a million followers. Click through to the vid second here...

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by ᵀᴼᴹ ᴾᴵᴰᶜᴼᶜᴷ (@tompidcock)

 And while we enjoyed the person on Twitter who replied to a video of the footage saying it "looks safer than what he's doing for INEOS", a post complete with the replay of THAT Galibier descent at last year's Tour, it's hard to ignore the legions of people warning against a repeat of the boat-bombing incident...

"That's really dumb. Don't do that again"

"Your boss must s*** his pants when he sees what you get up too"

Crazy thing to do. Something you learn if you're going to be around boats....don't dive off at full throttle. Getting sucked under with the prop and all is a risk. Here's one common type. Ineos needs up their insurance on Pidders.😎 pic.twitter.com/MEDfUsLVxh

— Irene Rabinowitz 🇮🇱 (@irenerabinowitz) August 22, 2023

We also enjoyed the commenter who said it was an excellent way to get whiplash... "speaking from personal experience"... do as I say, not as I do. Join the club, Tom P... who hasn't done questionably dangerous things as a 24-year-old? At least nobody's asking why he wasn't wearing a (Red Bull-sponsored) helmet...