Cyclists furious at “easy, non-car disruptive” decision to “do up the one bike path we already have”, forcing riders onto busy road… instead of building new cycle lanes; Bus OK after cyclist crash, police say; Pidcock wins on debut + more on the live blog

Someone, quick, get the champagne!

Because Belfast – the antithesis of a cycling city if you’ve ever seen one, the anti-Amsterdam if you will – is set for a £580,000 investment in active travel infrastructure, Northern Ireland’s infrastructure minister John O’Dowd announced this week.

Brilliant news, I hear you cry, especially considering Belfast currently boasts just 2km of protected cycle lanes, with whole swathes of the city, particularly in the north and west, cut off from anything approaching safe – or even rudimentary – active travel infrastructure, thanks to years of underinvestment and governmental apathy.

> "I get more abuse on my bike than in my work": Cyclist death sparks MP to highlight "dire situation of underinvestment" in cycling, urges some drivers to change "irrational attitudes"

Oh wait, hold on a second…

According to O’Dowd, that half a million plus won’t actually be invested in growing Belfast’s cycling network – a project which has juddered to a halt four years since it was first announced – and will instead, bizarrely, go towards upgrading an existing 1.2km protected cycle path in the south of the city.

“This substantial investment includes reconstruction and improvement of the existing segregated cycle track and footway along the Stranmillis Embankment, between Ormeau Road and Governors Bridge,” the Sinn Féin minister said in a statement announcing the £580,000 upgrades.

“The cycle track will be one of the first schemes to benefit from new intuitive red surfacing and splayed kerbs to increase safety and usable width for cycling, while the footway reconstruction will significantly improve the pavement surface for pedestrians along the route.

“I am committed to ensuring that active travel is an attractive option for those who want to walk, wheel and cycle for many of the shorter everyday journeys. Part of this commitment includes maintaining the existing assets that we have to ensure that they remain attractive to users.”

> Allowing taxis in bus lanes over Christmas a “huge step backwards” that will “put cyclists at risk”, say cycling campaigners

However, it’s fair to say that cyclists in Belfast – where taxi drivers are being allowed to use bus lanes as part of trial scheme aiming to “ease congestion” – aren’t too pleased with the refusal to build cycle lanes elsewhere in the city, in favour of touching up a bike path already in place.

Cue the memes…

And of course the classic Star Wars one:

“There are just two miles of protected cycle lanes in all of Belfast,” the Northern Ireland branch of Sustrans posted on social media in the wake of O’Dowd’s announcement.

“Why spend more than half a million pounds in ‘improving’ this well-used foot and cycle path, when there is nothing of this standard in North and West Belfast?

“If you want to improve connection to Queen’s University and Botanic, why not build a cycle path from Dublin Rd through Botanic Gardens? What is the diversion given this will be closed until May? Why disrupt this route again after it was closed for so long while flood wall was built?”

In response to Sustrans’ questions, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said that the works were “necessary to maintain the existing Belfast Cycling Network …the footway has deteriorated due to the mature tree roots and as part of the work to improve this, kerbs will need replaced and consequently the cycle track resurfaced.”

And Sustrans’ reply? “Please build the network!”

Meanwhile, describing the announcement as “shocking”, the Belfast Cycle Campaign said: “When the pace of constructing active travel infrastructure has been GLACIAL for the past 20 years – why is the DfI improving one of the best existing cycle lanes?  We are all for cycle lane improvement... but this is ridiculous!”

“The DfI is a joke,” added Queen’s lecturer Dom Bryan. “You can’t make this stuff up. They are simply doing up the one bit of protected cycle lane we already have. Someone needs to investigate how that department runs.”

“Pioneering Industrialists DFI issue a limited edition of their seminal 1992 debut album ‘Stranmillis Cycle Lane’ featuring new cover art, liner notes by JO’Dowd, bonus tracks, and crossings,” wrote campaign group CYCUL, brilliantly.

“DFI have suffered severe create block since the debut but hope this keeps the fans happy.”

Come on lads, when’s the new album?!

> “If they can’t build cycle lanes, devolve bloody powers to us and we’ll do it”: Belfast Council slams Northern Ireland government’s “joke” delivery of cycling infrastructure – as just 2.8km of bike lanes installed in two years

“They’re doing the easy thing, repairing an existing route rather than investing in new routes and expanding the infrastructure. Useless Department,” said Brian.

“It’s an easy and non-car disruptive thing to do. Gives the impression of investment in sustainable infrastructure without being in any way effective,” agreed Phil.

And while the need for the upgrades has been widely called into question, other local cyclists have noted that the diversion put in place while the works take place leaves a lot to be desired, with Matthew describing the alternative route as “meticulously planned”:

“Predictably, DfI’s diversion amounts to a sign stating ‘cyclists dismount and use footway’. Said footway being on the other side of the busy road,” noted Gary.

“Why couldn’t they suspend on-street parking on the Lyric Theatre side and create a temporary cycle lane for the duration of the work?”

Yes, but that wouldn’t be non-car disruptive, would it, Gary?

An interesting email popped into our inbox this afternoon, from Roland Baides, the co-founder of components manufacturer Gemini.

The Barcelona-based company produces a range of high-end carbon fibre components, including €1,250 handlebars and €100 mounts – the eye-watering prices of which appear to have attracted one seemingly unsavoury complaint from a prospective customer, which in turn compelled Baides to vent his frustrations in a missive sent out to his entire mailing list.

 

 

 

 

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I’ll let you make up your own mind:

The same day, I received two emails insulting us. From two different people.

 The first one tore us apart, saying we were out of our minds with our prices, asking who we thought we were, belittling what we do… blah blah blah.

 The second one simply said: ‘You guys are bastards.’ And then continued: ‘What you just launched is absolutely insane. I’ve been waiting for this for so long, and it did not disappoint.’

 For a moment, I was tempted to reply to the first one. To try to explain everything behind what we do – the philosophy with which we approach each product, the materials, the process we’ve developed, how we push every detail beyond limits, staying true to our values and manufacturing everything ourselves.

 And then I thought... If someone takes the time to write an email full of nonsense like that, there are only two possibilities: Either they don’t have a clue what we do and haven’t even bothered to find out—so all they really want is to vent their frustration, or they do know what we do and simply lack the ability to understand the difference.

 So I didn’t even reply. I only answered the second email. And his handlebar is already being made.

 Reading those two emails back-to-back, I couldn’t help but picture this type of person writing to brands like Ferrari, Apple, or others, telling them their prices are outrageous.

 If you can’t understand everything that goes into what we create, then simply, what we do is not for you.

 My mother used to say: ‘If you want something you can’t afford right now, focus on figuring out how to get it.’

 That’s why we don’t manufacture for everyone. We don’t mass-produce. We don’t try to convince those who will never get it.

As I said, I’ll leave you to make up your own mind.

Now, that’s one way to announce yourself to your new team, lay down a marker for the season, and banish a winter of speculation and social media mutterings following your early, high-profile exit from the Ineos Grenadiers.

Tom Pidcock, in only his second day racing in Q36.5 colours since that much-discussed transfer, launched a blistering attack with 500m to go on Bir Jaydah Mountain to win stage two of the AlUla Tour and move into the overall lead – a victory the British star celebrated with a pointed reference to his new sponsor, and possibly his own racing liberation, as he crossed the line.

Before that confidence-boosting attack and victory for the mercurial all-rounder, the stage was farcically abridged due to road surface issues on the closing circuit’s main descent with 48km to go, leading to the stage being cut by 30km to go and neutralised until the bottom of the steep, final climb to the finish with 5km to go.

Once the peloton resumed racing on Bir Jaydah Mountain – the scene of the first of two GC days at the AlUla Tour – UAE Team Emirates’ Rafał Majka set a typically searing pace on the front, before Pidcock immediately took control at the front of the whittled-down group, quickly stalking a handful of tentative moves, including one from eventual second-place finisher Rainer Kepplinger of Bahrain-Victorious.

But then, with 500m left, he was gone. Despite the warning signs evident in the group, no one was able to match Pidcock’s vicious acceleration, a display of scorching power the 25-year-old was able to maintain all the way to the line, opening a four-second gap to Kepplinger, and putting seven seconds into Jayco-AlUla’s South African Alan Hatherley, and a whopping 18 seconds into Eddie Dunbar.

 

 

 

 

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Pidcock is back, and with a brand-new look, too, finally liberated – seemingly, for the moment anyway – from the shackles of Ineos and their conservative, grand tour-oriented approach.

Are we witnessing the beginnings of ‘Pidcock, Mk II: The freedom era’?

As the Italian community continues to reel from the death of 19-year-old pro cyclist Sara Piffer, killed in a collision with an overtaking driver while on a training ride with her brother on Friday, one of the country’s top chamois makers, Elastic Interface, has publicly launched its new road safety campaign, calling on motorists to “respect and look out for cyclists”.

One of the company’s vans has been emblazoned with a custom design advising drivers “Don’t pass impulsively, pass safely” – or, in the more poetic Italian version, ‘Non guidare d’istinto, ma distante’ – and to leave at least 1.5m when passing cyclists.

The van has been driven around the northern Italian province of Treviso, close to the brand’s HQ, since the start of January.

The campaign has also been promoted by the brand’s ambassador Paola Gianotti, who was hit by a distracted driver during her around-the-world cycle in 2014, inspiring her to start putting road signs up around Italy urging motorists to keep a safe distance from cyclists.

“In Italy, the topic is always relevant. In the first month of 2025 alone, in fact, several accidents, including fatal ones, have already occurred. This reminds how crucial it is to pay attention to all road users, especially those most vulnerable because they lack external protection,” Elastic Interface said in a statement.

> “The roads aren’t dangerous, drivers who don’t respect others’ lives are”: Anger and calls for road safety reform, education in “Wild West” Italy after teenage racing cyclist killed by overtaking motorist during training ride

“The lack of cycle lanes and sharing roads with other vehicles makes cyclists particularly vulnerable, especially when training. Any air turbulence created by passing vehicles can potentially be dangerous and destabilise a cyclist.

“Elastic Interface is keen to emphasise the importance of a cultural change in how we share our roads. Legislation is not enough; all road users, cyclists and motorists alike, must follow the highway code and coexist in a civilised manner.”

> “Typical left-wing council ignoring the majority vote”: 28 cycle lanes given go-ahead at council meeting disrupted by locals protesting “ludicrous” decision

Cycling Ireland has become the third national governing body to announce that it will send a reduced squad to this year’s world road race championships in Rwanda, a decision it blamed on the prohibitive costs involved, as well as the challenging, high-altitude nature of the event’s course and its proximity to the European road championships.

In November, Denmark confirmed that it won’t be sending a junior or U23 team to September’s Rwanda world championships – the first time the event will be held on the African continent in its 104-year history – while the Dutch Cycling Federation announced last week that only its elite men’s and women’s teams will compete due to budget constraints.

And now, following a consultation with the riders themselves over the past month, Ireland has duly followed in Denmark and the Netherlands’ wheel tracks, revealing this morning that a decision has been made to attend the Rwanda world championships with just the elite men’s team, likely to be led by climbing talents Ben Healy and Eddie Dunbar.

Ben Healy racing at the front during the 2024 world road race championships in Zurich (Chris Auld/SWpix.com)

According to Cycling Ireland, the Rwanda championships’ “high altitude setting”, the climbing-oriented courses on offer, and the “extremely high costs” facing national federations to attend were behind the decision.

This year’s European road championships in the Drôme-Ardèche region of France also follow hot on the heels of the world championships, starting just three days after the elite men’s road race on 28 September.

As such, Cycling Ireland says its elite women, along with both male and female U23 and male and female juniors, will take part in the European Championships – while the elite men will miss out after racing in Rwanda the previous week.

“We felt it important riders have their say. There’s nothing worse than feeling you’re on the end of a decision you haven’t been consulted on. Equally it gave us an opportunity to assess riders’ appetite for either competition,” Ireland’s high performance director Iain Dyer said in a statement this morning.

Eddie Dunbar, 2024 world race championships, Zurich (Chris Auld/SWpix.com)

“Riders know full well if they can climb in heat at altitude in a one-day championship environment or not, and we appreciated the honesty in the responses we received.

“It’s a fact of life that championships courses and environments vary massively season by season, and some years won’t be for everyone. Naturally we need to make cost effective decisions also, but it was clear that in some categories we didn’t have enough commitment for Kigali that we would have sufficient riders to fulfil our potential team size quotas.

“It is our hope now that this early decision gives our riders clarity over the championships on offer for selection and they can work towards that during their season.”

As the disgruntled, angry, and often snarky comments keep rolling in following Discovery’s seismic decision to shut down Eurosport in the UK and move cycling to £30-a-month TNT Sports – “Surprised you’re not charging us to view your Instagram page” being a personal favourite so far – some of us have already started shopping around, in a bid to get our bike racing fix for slightly cheaper.

> TNT Sports to put cycling behind £30.99-a-month paywall, as Eurosport coverage to end and future of free-to-air Tour de France remains unclear

And this morning, someone in the road.cc office spotted a rather alluring offer from mobile network and internet service provider EE, who as part of their tech winter sale are currently selling a bundle which includes a 43” Samsung TV and 24 months of TNT Sports for just a tenner a month:

While that’s a massive drop from TNT’s normal £370-a-year subscription fees (and it also includes a TV!), apparently it’s only available to current ‘consumer’ or ‘small business’ EE customers on a pay monthly phone, 12 month SIM plan, or with a tablet on a 4GEE WiFi price plan (there’s a lot more small print, but who has the time for that?).

Oh, and of course, it only runs for two years, which means you’ll either have to fork out the extra £21 a month, or just miss out on watching the 2027 edition of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad altogether.

Has anyone spotted any other potential deals that would allow them to watch some bike racing in 2025 without breaking the bank? Of course, we’ve heard there are – ahem – other ways to get the cycling on your TV or computer without the need for TNT, but we couldn’t possibly go into detail on those…

Wout van Aert may be set to make a surprise appearance at the world cyclocross championships in Lievín, after U-turning at the last minute on his winter-long refusal to battle Mathieu van der Poel for the rainbow bands, but one of the sport’s other big hitters unfortunately won’t be in northern France this weekend due to injury.

It was confirmed last night by the Dutch Cycling Federation that eight-time world cyclocross champion Marianne Vos has been forced to skip this year’s worlds after failing to fully recover in time from the calf injury she suffered in a crash at the Maasmechelen World Cup on Saturday.

Vos, who ended up finishing 13th in Maasmechelen before DNFing in Hoogerheide the following day, had shown some improvement at the start of the week, but not enough to line up at the start in Lievín, the Dutch Federation said yesterday.

 (Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)

“In order not to take any risks and because this injury makes running difficult, it was decided that Marianne will skip this World Championship,” the governing body confirmed in a statement.

“Of course, we find this incredibly unfortunate,” added national coach Gerben de Knegt. “As an eight-time world champion, we would have liked to see Marianne try for a new title, although we knew it would be difficult after her fall. We wish Marianne a speedy recovery!”

(Zubiko/SWpix.com)

While the loss of the GOAT – who will be replaced in the squad by Aniek van Alphen – is a blow for the Dutch team, it’s fair to say that they won’t be lacking in firepower in northern France, even without eight-time winner Vos.

The dominant power in women’s cyclocross, the Dutch squad includes double reigning champion Fem van Empel, 2021 world champion and this year’s World Cup winner Lucinda Brand, 2020 rainbow jersey winner Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, and all-round phenom Puck Pieterse.

There aren’t too many teams who could claim they won’t really miss Marianne Vos – but it’s fair to say the Dutch cyclocross squad is one of them. An embarrassment of riches…