"Please be sound and don't block cycle lanes," council politely asks drivers... only to be met with barrage of "whataboutery" and anti-cycling comments; London thief vs angle grinder-proof lock = bike stripped of everything + more on the live blog

If the aim of the game yesterday at Dublin City Council was to incense as many Twitter followers as possible, then putting up a polite message about not blocking cycle lanes was a depressingly predictable way to do it. Accompanying the picture below (showing a delivery van blocking one of the Irish capital's cycle routes), the council wrote: "Please be sound and do not block cycle lanes. Blocking cycle lanes forces older and more vulnerable cyclists out into moving traffic. Thank you." 

At the more useful end of the 100 frothing replies were the people asking genuine policy questions, raising the point that the council possibly needs to install more loading bays to enable delivery drivers more legal places to stop. Others were more sceptical about whether people would actually use the extra loading bays or just continue to prefer to stop wherever suits them.

Elsewhere in the replies it was a bumper edition of anti-cycling bingo, one commenter telling the council and cyclists to "stop whinging" and "if you can't stop, check traffic and move past an obstacle then you are a danger on the road. People and businesses need stuff delivered including bikes and Lycra."

I would argue replying with that is more whingy than a council politely asking its residents to not commit a dangerous behaviour, but then again I don't want to be accused of whinging so will move swiftly on. Right, roll the anti-cycling bingo...

"Problems can also arise for people, including older and more vulnerable ones, when others ride bicycles on footpaths and in pedestrian areas."

"Bicycle lanes shouldn’t be there if cyclists don't adhere to the lights"

"Cycle lanes are not wanted."

"What about cyclists blocking the road while the lane next to it is empty?"

"Another cycle lane not being used and blocking real people done (sic) business that keeps the country going. Reallocate the road space to cars and trucks for heaven's sake."

"How about stopping cyclists using the car lanes where cycle lanes are available or footpaths for that matter."

Told you it was a fun one. We'll finish by pointing out the council ended up getting it on two fronts, plenty of people who agree with their message questioning if the priority should instead be enforcement, traffic wardens and tickets... not just cheerful social media posts. 

"Increase fines and start towing away cars parking illegally," one person suggested, another asking the council: "Maybe enforce the law?" Tough day for whoever runs their social media accounts...

What a mess over at Bessèges. The remaining teams are out racing, but Ineos Grenadiers, Lidl-Trek, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, EF Education-EasyPost, and several other teams have long-since headed to the buses in protest at the latest near miss involving a motorist on the course and the race organisation's apparent inability to guarantee safety.

Thomas De Gendt took to social media to say he hopes the UCI "will start to listen" to riders about race safety. Otherwise "we just stay monkeys in a circus", he added.

EF boss Jonathan Vaughters also spoke out: "Happy to see the riders took the responsibility of leaving Étoile de Bessèges today over public traffic blatantly on the race course, unimpeded. If others cannot manage to safeguard the riders, I'm happy to see the riders will take action."

CPA President Adam Hansen also addressed the situation: "The CPA within SafeR will push a new deliverable for the top race organisers to help share their knowledge with the smaller organisers. We currently have the four biggest race organisers in SafeR, RCS, Unipublic, ASO, and the Flanders Classics.

"We need to help and support the smaller organisers put on races at a certain level. There should not be a difference in the organisation of race. There should only be a difference in a race route and format."

Some of your comments about the Paddington 'bike theft' picture.

Nighttrain123 reckons it might have been bolt cutters used on the lock too, not an angle grinder. "The clean cut to the plastic trim," potentially a giveaway.

It's got to have been left locked as a frame? Surely? 

Apologies for the break in blog action, I was putting something together on everyone's favourite subject...

> Warner Bros. Discovery tries to tempt disgruntled cycling fans back with half price for seven months offer sent to viewers who cancelled subscriptions

> Cyclists "don't contribute to town" and "already have all its roads to cycle on", claim businesses as controversial bike ban eased in "short-term tactical move to appease cyclists"

Good news: your angle grinder-proof lock did the business and kept your frame safe.

Bad news: they got everything else.

[Reddit/Aggressive-Celery483]

The Reddit user who spotted this at Paddington station wrote: "Well, just locked my bike (with Hiplok) up at Paddington. Clocked that the bike on the other side also had an anglegrinder-proof Hiplok D1000 that had survived an attack. Wow, impressive real world evidence they work! Unfortunately, um, not sure the owner will be delighted with the overall outcome."

Stripped? Or was it just a frame locked in the first place? If it has been taken apart, that would seem to be some pretty extensive part-stripping surgery for a busy London station's bike parking? Then again this is London bike thieves we're talking about, so maybe I shouldn't doubt their 'skills'.