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National champion Adam Blythe "almost ran off the road" by driver - and is made to apologise by police

Aqua Blue rider was told to say sorry to motorist for calling him a "stupid old man"...

British national road champion Adam Blythe is the latest pro cyclist to have taken to social media to protest about poor driving.

The Aqua Blue rider posted a series of three tweets this morning in which he revealed he had called the police after he was “almost ran off the road” by a motorist.

But rather than taking action against the driver, police made Blythe apologise to the couple in the car for having called the motorist a “stupid old man.”

The 27-year-old from Sheffield did not reveal whereabouts the incident happened.

The incident comes days after FDJ pro rider Davide Cimolai revealed that he had been knocked off his bike while riding near his home in Italy – where Astana’s Michele Scarponi was killed in a collision involving a van in April.

> FDJ pro’s safety plea after driver knocks him off bike in Italy

Last month, Tour de France champion Chris Froome said he had been deliberately rammed by a hit and run driver while on a training ride in the South of France.

> Chris Froome back on the bike day after being rammed by driver

The Team Sky rider was unhurt, but his Pinarello bike was written off.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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42 comments

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Skylark | 7 years ago
0 likes

That's the way they treat you in this place.

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Paul__M | 7 years ago
0 likes

I suspect Zebulebu is right that it is getting worse out there, maybe because there are more bikes on the road. Whatever, I only really go outside town on Sundays nowdays (early, as we know, is fantastic), as it's impossible to avoid the busier roads entirely. On Sunday the whole vibe is much more relaxed, (supermarket delivery vans excepted). This is in the South East, other less densely populated areas might be a different story. I guess two cameras will become normal over the coming decade.

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wycombewheeler | 7 years ago
3 likes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/40134629

when this doesn't result in prosecution for dangerous driving there is no hope. Seriously the video is clear, driver comes round the corner out if control on wrong side of road and hits vulnerable road users. Driver alertness course is an absolute disgrace. The police that offered it should be charged with perverting the course of justice.
If this is the standard the powers that be will tolerate, then using the roads becomes Russian roulette every time you step outside you wheeled steel safety cage.

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Sleekspook | 7 years ago
0 likes

Very reserved Adam. Id have asked to see him next Tuesday. 

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Jackson | 7 years ago
1 like

Bloody hell, the pensioner snowflake generation are a bit upset as usual. It was a tongue-in-cheek generalisation. Now go lighten up, find a safe space to enjoy your free money (a particularly lucrative form of participation trophy) and let us millenials get on with figuring out how we're going to pay for it all while sorting out the planet you lot wrecked! 

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grumpyoldcyclist replied to Jackson | 7 years ago
1 like
Jackson wrote:

Bloody hell, the pensioner snowflake generation are a bit upset as usual. It was a tongue-in-cheek generalisation. Now go lighten up, find a safe space to enjoy your free money (a particularly lucrative form of participation trophy) and let us millenials get on with figuring out how we're going to pay for it all while sorting out the planet you lot wrecked! 

Ha ha! Quite funny that, obviously touched a nerve there. Tells everyone to lighten up but still dishes it out, obviously can't take advice.

Seems that us lot riding our bikes have wrecked the planet. Donald, is that you?

 

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ConcordeCX replied to Jackson | 7 years ago
3 likes
Jackson wrote:

Bloody hell, the pensioner snowflake generation are a bit upset as usual. It was a tongue-in-cheek generalisation. Now go lighten up, find a safe space to enjoy your free money (a particularly lucrative form of participation trophy) and let us millenials get on with figuring out how we're going to pay for it all while sorting out the planet you lot wrecked! 

how can you expect us to lighten up when there are so many millennials to shit on, and so little time left to us in which to do it? It's very distressful.

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keirik | 7 years ago
2 likes

The most rabid anti-cyclist person I know is a Sergeant in the local police force.

He has in the past said all cyclists should be driven into and knocked off the road.

Don't expect any help and you won't be disappointed

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BikeJon | 7 years ago
0 likes

I was brought to recall this:-

https://youtu.be/kKukWdXaELA

from 07:15.

Sometimes laughing at the ridiculous is the best option. I'm glad Adam is ok. 

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J90 | 7 years ago
0 likes

People are cuuuunts.

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OnTheRopes | 7 years ago
2 likes

Adam Blythe is a professional cyclist and will therefore do the right thing to not give his sponsors bad publicity. The sensible thing to do was apologise and keep a low profile. Refusing to do so on some moral high ground risks inflaming the situation and upsetting sponsors.

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madcarew replied to OnTheRopes | 7 years ago
1 like
OnTheRopes wrote:

Adam Blythe is a professional cyclist and will therefore do the right thing to not give his sponsors bad publicity. The sensible thing to do was apologise and keep a low profile. Refusing to do so on some moral high ground risks inflaming the situation and upsetting sponsors.

I'm not sure his social media campaign for other cyclists to wave the finger at ths couple fits with your scenario.

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Jackson replied to madcarew | 7 years ago
0 likes
madcarew wrote:
OnTheRopes wrote:

Adam Blythe is a professional cyclist and will therefore do the right thing to not give his sponsors bad publicity. The sensible thing to do was apologise and keep a low profile. Refusing to do so on some moral high ground risks inflaming the situation and upsetting sponsors.

I'm not sure his social media campaign for other cyclists to wave the finger at ths couple fits with your scenario.

Though he was quick to weigh in on poor old Hayden McCormick for employing that same finger...

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psole69 | 7 years ago
7 likes

Had a very similar incident last year while cycling with my wife in Cornwall. 

We were both cycling in a narrow country lane when a car from behind accelerated very hard while holding his hand on the horn. In 20+ years of cycling it was the closest past I have ever experienced. If I hadn't dived into the head I would have been hit that is for sure. 

I knew there was a junction up ahead so decided to increase my pace to see if I could catch him up. Oddly enough the driver had chosen to pull into a turning space, sat on his mobile phone with the window down. I thought I would approach him as maybe he really didn't realise how close he was. 

His reply to my question "was it you that just overtook us back there" was, why you got a problem? To which I told him he was very very close. 

His reaction was then to get out of the car and grab a foot long spanner from the door pocket and start waving it at me shouting "you got a problem". With this my wife turned up to which it eventually settled down, after him ranting and raving. 

We took the plate and phoned the police, we both refused to cycle off while he was sat there. He even told us to phone the police. He did eventually drive off though, at speed. 

After various police phone  calls, it turned out he was known to the police and incidents with cyclists. They paid him a visit, funnily he does not remember waving a spanner at us! 

The final call we received from the police however was to basically tell us off for approaching him in an aggressive manner, and that I was really in the wrong! 

Complete joke and a waste of time! 

 

 

 

 

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Fifth Gear | 7 years ago
1 like

According to Hants Police this did not meet the threshold for careless driving. They were able to decide this without bothering to view the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OA8jKH7qhQ

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Barraob1 | 7 years ago
1 like

Wow, nearly killed but has to apologise. Great to see that tax payers money at work, useless shower.

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madcarew replied to Barraob1 | 7 years ago
0 likes
Barraob1 wrote:

Wow, nearly killed but has to apologise. Great to see that tax payers money at work, useless shower.

I can't see any evidence in the story of " nearly killed".  Presumably you'd like to see the taxpayers money at work spending  thousands on a court case with little different result. 

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stewieatb | 7 years ago
3 likes

Just for a bit of variation, I had an incident a few months ago where I was punishment passed and then threatened by the driver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LTAKLqYTUc

I did quite a lot of swearing at the time, but the police made no real comment about it after viewing the video. They took action against the driver but treated it as ASB rather than a driving issue - warning under S59 Police Reform Act.

This was Cheshire Police, BTW.

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john1967 | 7 years ago
3 likes

I too would have refused to aplologise.  If he was being stupid and if he was old and a man then it was an accurate description and not abusive.

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Yorkshire wallet | 7 years ago
13 likes

Leave off the police, there's more important areas that need policing, like Twitter and Facebook. 

I'd have told the police to sod off and asked them how they intended to take it any further. The man was old and stupid, hence stupid old man. Next factual statements will be deemed hate crimes. 

An alternative way of dealing with the problem would have been to drag the man from his car, run  him over, put the bike next to him and then it would have cost you £80. 

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Nemesis | 7 years ago
10 likes

 

Mr Blythe, make a complaint against police.

If your bike was scratched, and details weren't exchanged, (theirs not yours....) then that is a reportable damage only RTC. 

If the PC attending does not know this then he/she is negligent in their duty. 

This PC is letting down all the others who are 110% behind the Close Pass Initiative. 

Please remember, the police are broadly representative of society, and that includes dumbfucks, unfortunately 

 

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Jackson | 7 years ago
9 likes

Elderly drivers are completely oblivious on the roads. On top of that pensioners are probably the most entitled, selfish group in society. Adam Blythe's a bit of a hothead by some accounts but I certainly wouldn't have begrudged him whacking off a side mirror to wake the pair of coffin dodgers up.

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grumpyoldcyclist replied to Jackson | 7 years ago
10 likes
Jackson wrote:

Elderly drivers are completely oblivious on the roads. On top of that pensioners are probably the most entitled, selfish group in society. Adam Blythe's a bit of a hothead by some accounts but I certainly wouldn't have begrudged him whacking off a side mirror to wake the pair of coffin dodgers up.

Steady on there youngster, I get a pension and probably fall into the category of what you call elderly. I am not oblivious on the road (to other road users I presume) whether in my car or on my bike. Indeed I regularly report car drivers for close passing and mobile use to our very helpful local police force using video footage and I've confronted other cyclists for running red lights.

Based on your outburst, especially the bit about condoning criminal damage,  I might have you down as a shallow, spotty, hoody wearing, work shy teenager that needs to learn and earn some respect. However that would be jumping to conclusions and making generalisations, so I won't do it.

Have a nice day

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mike the bike replied to Jackson | 7 years ago
0 likes
Jackson wrote:

Elderly drivers are completely oblivious on the roads. On top of that pensioners are probably the most entitled, selfish group in society. 

 

All generalisations are untrue. (Including this one?)

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mike the bike replied to Jackson | 7 years ago
0 likes
Jackson wrote:

Elderly drivers are completely oblivious on the roads. On top of that pensioners are probably the most entitled, selfish group in society. 

 

All generalisations are untrue. (Including this one?)

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brooksby replied to mike the bike | 7 years ago
1 like
mike the bike wrote:
Jackson wrote:

Elderly drivers are completely oblivious on the roads. On top of that pensioners are probably the most entitled, selfish group in society. 

 

All generalisations are untrue. (Including this one?)

"We are all individuals" "Yes, we are all individuals"  "I'm not"

(I'm sorry, but someone had to say it)

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oldmixte | 7 years ago
0 likes

According to the police this doesn't meet the threshold for prosecution, so what does?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1RMtVWItNo&feature=youtu.be

Do you have to be injured before they will take action?

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R0b1et replied to oldmixte | 7 years ago
2 likes
OldMixte wrote:

Do you have to be injured before they will take action?

That's not enough. I had my shoulder reconstructed yesterday after I was hit by a van who "didn't see me" (read didn't look properly) - police taking no action.

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brooksby replied to R0b1et | 7 years ago
3 likes
R0b1et wrote:
OldMixte wrote:

Do you have to be injured before they will take action?

That's not enough. I had my shoulder reconstructed yesterday after I was hit by a van who "didn't see me" (read didn't look properly) - police taking no action.

OT but that's how I feel about the creep towards daylight running lights: if someone doesn't notice an overweight (slightly!)  six foot bloke on a bicycle then they're just *not looking*, and fluorescent clothing and DRL will not make a difference...

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Rapha Nadal replied to R0b1et | 7 years ago
6 likes
R0b1et wrote:
OldMixte wrote:

Do you have to be injured before they will take action?

That's not enough. I had my shoulder reconstructed yesterday after I was hit by a van who "didn't see me" (read didn't look properly) - police taking no action.

Shame, isn't it. I had a car pull out in front of me (he must've seen me as he stopped intially) and over the bonnet I went, straight into the curb on the other side of the road & it was lights out.

To his credit, he did ring both police & ambulance and admitted it was his fault.

However, it wasn't pursued by anybody due to a "lack of evidence" of dangerous driving.  In spite of an admission of fault, numerous injuries & me being knocked out, an attending ambulance, a hospital report & overnight stay, attending police officers, and bike broken into about 5 peices.

One does wonder what "evidence" is required for the police to actually do anything.

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