“People around Tom Pidcock don’t help,” says Geraint Thomas, as 2018 Tour de France winner weighs in on Ineos deselection “bull****”; Cyclocross wheel stamp response to “dirty” insults, claims Iserbyt; Subtly terrible cycle lanes + more on the live blog

With Tom Pidcock’s future at Ineos seemingly hanging in the balance, where could the former Tour de France stage winner end up before the peloton packs its bags and heads off to Mallorca in December for their pre-season training camps?

Despite being under contract at Ineos until 2027, Pidcock has cut a forlorn and outcast figure at the British squad for some time now, admitting last month that Ineos “don’t help me to perform at my best” after another up-and-down season.

And while his lengthy contractual situation means there’s no reason for either party to jump to a hasty conclusion, the deselection drama in Lombardy at the weekend confirmed that all is not well within the squad, and could well result in both Ineos and Pidcock cutting their losses and seeking a fresh start by arranging one of those still-rare birds in cycling, a transfer.

And, if that does prove the case, Pidcock certainly won’t be without potential suitors.

Among the big teams circling around the Amstel Gold winner is Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. The German team secured the services of aero guru Dan Bigham from Ineos in the summer, and Pidcock would offer them a focal point in all the spring classics, where the 25-year-old would assume leadership duties, while providing a stage-hunting (and potentially GC-aiming) alternative for the bad luck-prone Primož Roglič at the grand tours.

> Dan Bigham appointed as Head of Engineering at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, just month after quitting Ineos Grenadiers and claiming British team “should be doing things a lot better”

The Red Bull link would also certainly help matters, too (while giving the team the budget to afford another luxury star), while Pidcock could swap his Pinarello for a Specialized in the mountain bike and cyclocross worlds.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Visma-Lease a Bike, stinging from what was by their standards a subpar season on all fronts (mostly thanks to a certain Tadej Pogačar), are also rumoured to be in the running for Pidcock’s signature.

While the British rider’s stated long-term grand tour hopes would have to take a back seat, especially at the Tour de France, thanks to Jonas Vingegaard’s presence, Pidcock could actually benefit from having Wout van Aert as a teammate at Visma, where he would act an attacking foil for the Belgian at the cobbled classics, while taking the lead in the Ardennes.

However, a transfer to either Red Bull or Visma may mean that Pidcock won’t be able to bring along some of his entourage, including long-term coach Kurt Bogaerts, thanks to both squads’ rules against outside coaches and an already packed and talented internal coaching structure.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

One interested squad that Pidcock would be allowed that freedom, however, is Swiss outfit Q36.5 Pro Cycling. Despite being a second-tier team, Q36.5 are apparently confident of securing a deal for the 25-year-old, where he would be the squad’s undisputed leader in whatever race he chooses.

However, it’s on the race front where Pidcock may have doubts over joining Q36.5 – they failed to secure an invite to any of this year’s grand tours, a situation that is likely to continue next year, whether Pidcock joins or not. He should be able to race at most of the classics, however.

In any case, the writing looks on the wall for Ineos and Pidcock’s partnership, which began when the Yorkshireman turned pro in 2021.

Despite his multidisciplinary success, world titles and Olympic golds, and ability to score big wins at the Tour, Strade Bianche, and Amstel Gold, Pidcock has come in for criticism for his apparent inability to consistently challenge cycling’s biggest riders, while being one of the sport’s top earners.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Last month, that frustration at being unable to consistently leap into cycling’s top tier was publicly voiced by Pidcock in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws.

When asked by the Belgian paper for his view on the season as a whole, which saw him win Amstel Gold and the Olympic mountain bike title but struggle at the Tour, Pidcock said: “As in so many seasons, there are positive and negative things. It’s just so damn hard to win. There are only a small number of riders who win the majority of races and I want to be one of them. That is not the case now and that must change.

“After the Olympic Games I told my girlfriend that from now on I really want to focus on the road. I really want to perform there. And I’m not just talking about the rest of this season, but certainly also next year.”

The Belgian paper then asked Pidcock if he wasn’t necessarily getting the freedom to race how he wants at Ineos.

“Yes, it is true that there are currently a number of issues within the team that I have to deal with,” a hesitant Pidcock said. “And to be honest, they don’t help me to perform at my best.

“I have to think about a lot more than just performance-related things at the moment. And that means that the focus on the things that are really important, namely racing, is not ideal.

“I have a contract until the end of 2027. That's all I can say.”

Yes, it’s that time of the year, folks – the European cyclocross season kicked off in Belgium this weekend, for another winter of intense racing, spills, beer, frites, and lots and lots of mud.

And it’s fair to say it got underway with a bang.

While two-time European champion Lars van der Haar started his season in style with a win at the Exact Cross series race in Beringen on Saturday, just behind Belgian champ Eli Iserbyt appeared to let out a summers’ worth of pent-up frustration… by stamping on Ryan Kamp’s rear mech after a coming together on a corner.

After the pair crashed into the barriers on a muddy downhill section, last year’s World Cup winner Iserbyt could be seen deliberately, and rather ferociously, stamping on the rear mech of Fenix rider Kamp, his former teammate at Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal.

Kamp then grabbed the Belgian for a few choice words, before eventually finishing 22nd after grabbing a new, non-stamped upon bike at the pits.

 

 

 

 

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Iserbyt, meanwhile, was pulled by the commissaires on the sixth lap and disqualified, later picking up a 100 Swiss Francs fine for his angry stomping session.

(For comparison, Lidl-Trek’s Julien Bernard was fined 200 Swiss Francs for kissing his wife during a time trial stage on home roads at this year’s Tour de France. Ah, the UCI…)

> "UCI doing UCI things": Disbelief as Tour de France pro fined for "inappropriate behaviour" after stopping to kiss wife during time trial

Anyway, Iserbyt took to social media on Saturday evening to apologise for his actions (though notably, he failed to mention Kamp by name).

“I understand the decision of the jury to DSW me today in Beringen,” the 26-year-old wrote. “My acts after the hard crash were made in a rage of anger and don’t belong in this sport. For this I want to apologise to everyone involved. Now I’ll focus on the positive things and look forward to the next races!”

Elaborating on the spicy confrontation, and his reasons for lashing out at Kamp’s bike, Iserbyt told Het Laatste Nieuws: “That reaction was not necessary. It was in the heat of the battle. I was definitely pushed, I don’t know if that was on TV.

“My action was mainly a reaction to things he said. What? I’m not going to repeat that, but yes it was dirty.”

Iserbyt’s team boss Jurgen Mettepenningen also echoed his rider’s claim that Kamp started the whole thing with “words that are inappropriate, that are personal, and that do not belong in top-level sport”.

While the Belgian wouldn’t elaborate on what sparked the confrontation, Kamp could be heard shouting “kutkabouter” (‘f***ing dwarf’) after Iserbyt stamped on his rear mech.

“There was something simmering between us since last season,” the Belgian champion added to HLN. “He cut off at places where it was not necessary or where it simply could not be done. Since he left the team, things have happened, some discrediting of the team, but also a few incidents with Michael [Vanthourenhout].

“It was the push, the fall, his reaction, everything together. I also fell quite hard with my chin on a pole, which left me half in shock. You go for the win, you are in position and then something like this happens. Then there is frustration. But anyway, my reaction was not good."

Meanwhile, Kamp added: “The smartest thing is to say nothing. Worse things will come of it. We were next to each other in the corner, nothing more happened. There was contact, but that’s part of ‘cross, I think. I’m not going to say anything more about it. It’s fine.”

Oh, cyclocross, how we’ve missed you.

Some industry news from France now, as manufacturer Look has announced the sale of wheel specialist Corima to the company’s co-founder, the brilliantly French-named Pierre-Jean Martin, as Look aims to prioritise its bike and pedal departments.

Looks took over Corima in 2016, before fully merging the wheel manufacturer within its operations six years later.

However, the companies have now gone their separate ways, with a statement revealing that Corima co-founder Martin will take over the wheel manufacturer’s management, with all Corima-dedicated employees at Look joining him at the old/new company, which will retain its ownership of its French production facility.

“The decision to disinvest Corima allows Look Cycle to remain focused on its key segments, accelerating its strategy of innovation and growth, while continuing to offer quality service to all its clients through its subsidiaries and distributors,” a Look spokesperson said.

“We have worked closely together for eight years sharing a common vision and operating values, such as the excellence and know-how in the design and manufacturing of carbon products for the cycle industry.

“This strategy is still unchanged and allows us, Look Cycle, to prioritise two segments, pedals and bikes. At the same time Corima can adapt in a more agile and flexible way to a carbon wheel after-market segment that has evolved significantly in the past few years. The cycling industry continues to develop quickly and the vision for Look Cycle has not changed.”

Inmates at HMP Swaleside in Kent have been sent over 100 discarded and donated bikes over the past week, which they will refurbish and send back to the community as part of the local council’s bike recycling project.

The bikes, most of which were found in waste recycling sites across Kent, will be worked on by the prisoners as they build towards obtaining a City and Guilds in Bike Mechanics qualification, provided by the Canterbury Bike Project.

The revamped bikes will then be sold on for just £10 though community groups, which Swale Borough Council says will help provide “cheap and environmentally friendly transportation to locals while remaining self-funding”.

(Swale Borough Council)

The council’s Cycle-re-Cycle scheme has already seen over 100 bikes refurbished and sold to locals with the help of local charity Sheppey Matters and Faversham Town Council’s Community Bike Day.

“We are blown away by the number of bikes residents have donated to our Cycle-re-Cycle project,” Rich Lehmann, the chair of the council’s committee on the environment and climate change, said.

“Thanks to your support we will be able to continue helping inmates in the project get qualifications and provide cheap and environmentally friendly transportation to our residents.

“The more people we can get cycling the better – it keeps you active, opens up opportunities for socialising, and can save people money when getting around.”

“We are proud to be working in partnership with the local council, working together has provided valuable skills for our prisoners and essential transport for the local community,” added HMP Swaleside’s industries manager Ben Silcock.

“We have all worked hard to build a strong relationship that works towards a greener community.”

> Who needs cycling shoes anyway? The barefoot-style sock/shoes said to be ideal for bikepacking adventures, plus cool stuff from Uvex, Lezyne, Topeak + Coospo

This shows what an absolute gem @ClaudiaWinkle is. Prepared to put herself in harm's way to clean up after her dog. pic.twitter.com/tZoDcwIGtI

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) October 10, 2024

Penny Farthing world records, random encounters with Claudia Winkleman, telling Joey Barton to go get a new hobby – it’s been quite the week for classic Jeremy Vine moments.

Thankfully none of them involved cycle lane-blocking motorists or blindly reversing van drivers…

Check out this ever so subtle beauty from Manchester, posted on Twitter by local cyclist and journalist Jack Fifield:

“Why would you do the kerb like this? Surely could cause a crash... This is new infrastructure,” Jack wrote.

I suppose when new cycle lanes are only revealed to be awful, potential crash-fests upon closer inspection, that means we’re getting somewhere right?

“It’s a simple thing but… the traffic engineers who design bike infrastructure should have to ride a bike both before, during, and after through their design,” added Richard.

Is that asking too much? Anyway, better get my bunny hops in order for the next time I visit Manchester.

> Cyclists “horrified” by Iain Duncan Smith’s Telegraph column suggesting “dangerous cyclists should be driven off our roads”, as Conservative MP accused of ignoring main road safety issues in latest call for stricter legislation