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Julian Alaphilippe taken down by crash involving his own team car; Cyclist hit by drunk driver... police say wear hi-vis; "Spoilt little brat": Remco argy-bargy doesn't go down well; Dear council, what the f%&k is this? + more on the live blog

It's Wednesday and Dan Alexander is here to take you through the middle of the week on the live blog...
Wed, Apr 13, 2022 09:12
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Julian Alaphilippe taken down by crash involving his own team car; Cyclist hit by drunk driver... police say wear hi-vis; "Spoilt little brat": Remco argy-bargy doesn't go down well; Dear council, what the f%&k is this? + more on the live blogBrabantse Pijl crash
13 April 2022, 18:14
The Empire Strikes Back: All the reaction from a whacky day of racing in Belgium

This SHOULD be the take-home image from Brabantse Pijl; the news generation of Ineos Grenadiers (aged 19, 22 and 23) ripping up a top-class one-day classic field. Yet, this will probably be what we all remember...

No word from the world champion yet, nor Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. Unless of course you're interested in snapping up a women's replica bibshort and jersey for €149.95, as they've advertised in their latest tweet...

Remco (or perhaps Remco's PR team) has taken to social media to address today's OTHER big incident. That shove. Hardly peak Mike Tsyon, I know, but for pro cycling standards that was pretty major pushing and shoving...

Speaking to the press post-race, Remco said: "It felt a bit like a cyclocross race, I thought it was a road race, but looks like a cyclocross race today. It was really slippery. I think was really hard to stay up on the bike was really a big task to stay up on the bike and don't crash. On the cobbles I wasn't really comfortable. I still felt the legs a bit.

"I wouldn't really like to do the Flemish classics, I think. There are so many cobbles. I'm already in difficulties with only two cobbled sectors, so can you only imagine the Flanders races? I think it would be really hard. 

"Ineos, what can you say. The strongest team."

Speaking of Ineos, here's what race winner Magnus Sheffield thought: "I just felt unbelievable when I found myself off the front with those last kilometres. I really didn’t expect to be able to hold on, and I really wanted to try to lead out my teammate Ben for the sprint. But I was off the front and I was able to hold on to the finish. It was really gritty out there and you just had to fight the whole way."

What were you doing at 19 years old? Keep it clean...

13 April 2022, 16:30
Oh to be a fly on the wall in the Quick-Step camp tonight

Much like Cameo allows you to pay extortionate amounts to receive a personalised message from your favourite sportsperson or actor, I reckon there should be a platform for paying (less extortionate amounts) to watch Quick-Step's nightmare day with...I don't know, let's say an outspoken team boss, perhaps? 

Go on, Patrick. Give us a comment...

13 April 2022, 15:54
13 April 2022, 15:42
Are Ineos Grenadiers the new Quick-Step? Magnus Sheffield rides away from lead group to make numerical advantage pay

After the silliness of Remco's shove and the world champion's team car crash, Magnus Sheffield made Ineos Grenadiers' three-man advantage pay, riding away to solo victory at Brabantse Pijl. Behind, defending champion Tom Pidcock and fellow Yorkshireman Ben Turner could roll across the line, ahead of a fuming Evenepoel, to celebrate the team's victory.

Benoît Cosnefroy was, like at Amstel Gold Race on Sunday, second again, with Tim Wellens third. It was Wellens who attracted the brunt of Evenepoel's finish line gesticulation, presumably due to his fellow Belgian sprinting from one side of the road to the other, cutting space for other riders to sprint. Thankfully there was no repeat of the earlier push that had Adam Blythe on commentary calling the 22-year-old a "spoilt little brat".

We'll have all the reaction from Remco, Julian Alaphilippe and Quick-Step as it comes in...

13 April 2022, 15:15
Julian Alaphilippe taken down by crash involving his own team car

World champion Julian Alaphilippe was taken down by a crash at Brabantse Pijl caused by...*checks notes*...his own team car trying to overtake the peloton and instead colliding with a Cofidis rider.

Alaphilippe fell in the pile-up at the finish line, with one lap to go, of the Belgian one-day race as his support car tried to overtake the peloton to follow Remco Evenepoel who is part of the lead group, 45 seconds ahead.

The Quick-Step car paused when the bunch started to move across the road before a Cofidis rider checked over their shoulder, presumably distracted by the following vehicle, made contact and fell, causing several riders, including the world champion, to hit the deck.

Alaphilippe Brabantse Pijl crash

 Alaphilippe clutched his shoulder but was soon back up on his bike, pedalling gingerly.

Back in the race, Evenepoel is in a group with Tom Pidcock, Tim Wellens, Ben Turner, Magnus Sheffield, Benoît Cosnefroy and Warren Barguil who have 30 seconds advantage with 5km to go.

We'll bring you the full result + any Alpaphilippe updates as we get them...

13 April 2022, 14:23
"Spoilt little brat": Remco argy-bargy doesn't go down well with Eurosport commentator Adam Blythe

10/10 for Adam Blythe's "spoilt little brat" line...

Remco has been given a warning, according to Sporza, but remains in the race. He's also up front along with the rider on the receiving end Ben Turner, Tom Pidcock, Sunday's unfortunate second Benoît Cosnefroy, Tim Wellens, Victor Campenaerts, Magnus Sheffield, Rob Stannard, Dylan Teuns and Warren Barguil.

EDIT: A few minutes later and Evenepoel has been dropped (along with Campenaerts and Barguil). Cue more Blythe magic...

"I bet he wishes Ben Turner could give him a push back on now...sorry"

Someone get Remco an ice pack for the burn...

13 April 2022, 14:10
13 April 2022, 12:58
Tributes to "an absolute belter of a lad" who died in A595 collision
Ted Southward (Cumbria Police)

Family and friends have paid tribute to a 14-year-old boy who died following a collision on the A595 in West Cumbria on Friday. Ted Southward's friends described him as: "Funny, kind, talented, fearless, legend."

A family statement said: "Ted was one in a million, loved and respected by so many. He was at his happiest covered in grease, working on engines, racing his car or driving tractors."

Ted was riding a mountain bike when he was hit by a car being driven on the A595 near Waberthwaite. Police were called at 8.06pm on Friday 8 April, Ted sadly died at the scene.

"An absolute belter of a lad, who would have grown into an amazing man. Our hearts and lives are shattered, forever and ever," the family's statement continued.

13 April 2022, 12:46
Demi Vollering wins De Brabantse Pijl

It was a first win of the season for SD Worx's Demi Vollering who ditched her attack partner Pauliena Rooijakkers to win solo and dispell the second-place Amstel blues. It's Vollering's first win of 2022, having also finished second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad behind the unstoppable Annemiek van Vleuten, and capped a fine day for SD Worx who had three riders in the top eight. Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Liane Lippert rounded out the podium.

The men's race is next up, with Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe leading the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl charge against defending champion Tom Pidcock. Evenepoel has been talking up how Brabantse Pijl, on home roads, is one of his main goals for the season...

"I know every bend, every pebble"

13 April 2022, 12:21
Durham Roads Policing Unit joins the hi-vis party

"It's a simple concept, really," Durham's Roads Policing Unit commented to a backdrop of morning hi-vis chat following Greater Manchester Police's much-criticised safety vid (on the blog earlier).

Under the live blog, one comment stood out: "It always amuses me when the police recommend hi-viz.  My brother will spend the rest of his life dealing with the effects of crushed vertebrae after he was hit while cycling by an off-duty police officer. It just so happened that he was indeed wearing hi-viz (despite it being a bright sunny day with excellent visibility anyway), but as is always the case, if the driver doesn't actually look it makes no difference what you are wearing."

TriTaxMan agreed: "No matter what you wear or what lights you use, if a driver isn't actually looking it makes no difference at all. I have had two collisions on my bike.  Both of which were at night, both times I had hi-viz and reflective clothing on, a solid state light and a flashing light on my bike and both times the driver 'Sorry I never saw you'."

JoanneH added: "My mum was knocked off while in high-viz and with lights in broad daylight by a driver who claimed she didn't see my mum. (Mum still has back problems from the injuries she sustained). I'm pretty sure there are thousands of similar stories."

13 April 2022, 11:52
13 April 2022, 10:46
A philosophical question none of the greats have yet been able to crack...
13 April 2022, 10:44
13 April 2022, 10:19
Dutch traffic deaths drop, but cycling deaths outnumber other road user numbers

National statistics office CBS has revealed the Netherlands' traffic fatality stats for last year, which saw 621 people killed on the roads — the lowest level since 2015. However, of those killed, 207 were cyclists, including 80 e-bike users and the over-55s accounted for one third of the victims.

Dutch News reports compared with 2000, the number of people killed in traffic incidents has halved. Despite this, safety research group VeiligheidNL said more cyclists are being seriously injured, with the number of seriously injured traffic incident victims rising by 18 per cent over the past 10 years. 

Two-thirds of the 110,000 people treated in hospital last year due to traffic incidents were cyclists.

13 April 2022, 09:52
Ellen van Dijk announces Hour Record attempt

Joss Lowden's Hour Record will soon be challenged by Trek-Segafredo TT machine Ellen van Dijk, who has today announced she will be attempting to beat the Brit's 48.405km distance in the same Swiss velodrome on 23 May.

> Joss Lowden’s Hour Record-breaking Argon 18 bike and Le Col kit

The 35-year-old track and road racer won a rainbow jersey on the track in 2008, backed up by two individual time trial world championships and four TTT rainbow jerseys. An Hour Record is next in her sights...

"This has been a dream of mine for a very long time. The hour record is something that I have always said I wanted to do one day and now that day is finally here. I get butterflies in my stomach when I think about doing it, a mix of excitement and nerves which is normal. You are always just on the edge with big challenges, and this is a huge challenge, so it is going to be exciting and frightening at the same time," Van Dijk said.

The Dutch rider will take on Lowden's record in the same Grenchen Velodrome that the Brit smashed Vittoria Bussi's previous distance last September.

13 April 2022, 09:49
Funny-looking bikes
13 April 2022, 09:02
Dear Wolverhampton Council, what the actual f%&k is this?

When I took a peek in our archives for our past stories about driving instructors it didn't make for great reading...

> Footballer-turned-driving instructor Ashley Neal divides opinion with use of horn in overtaking video

> Driving instructors have their say on the Highway Code – “a recipe for disaster” or “not a big deal”?

> Driving instructor who forced cyclist off the road, causing him to break his arm, loses job

So, it's nice to have been sent a message from Richard of Inclusive Driving who specialises in helping people with disabilities, and is also a cyclist. 

He was left wondering how those on bikes can take primary position, and maintain a safe distance from the kerb? 

Thoughts?

13 April 2022, 09:00
13 April 2022, 07:49
Cyclist hit by drunk driver... police say wear hi-vis so motorists see you

We've seen a few of these social media posts popping up recently as part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s '2 Wheels' campaign. On Monday, it was Bedfordshire Police's now-deleted tweet telling cyclists to try not to make "mistakes" to stay safe...

This message was accompanied by a bingo card reminder to: wear a helmet and hi-vis. Unsurprisingly this particular tweet was not the force's most popular, attracting victim-blaming accusations before unceremoniously being deleted.

Today, it's Greater Manchester Police's turn...

The headlines from this shocking story are: a cyclist in Manchester was riding on the pavement because they felt safer than on the road, a drunk driver then hit the cyclist, causing life-threatening injuries that are going to "stay with them forever".

So, what conclusion should we be taking from this? Tougher action on dangerous driving? Infrastructure that makes cyclists feel safe to use the roads, and not have to jump onto the pavement, all without the risk of being hit by a drink driver?

Well, according to GMP's #2wheeloperation vid: "So for cyclists and motorcyclists, basically to wear the protective clothing, wear the hi-vis, make yourself as visible as possible to everybody on the road." Right. Presumably the same goes for dog walkers, children and pedestrians who could have been hit by the aforementioned drunk driver?

"Being a cyclist or a motorcyclist can be even more dangerous because you've got less presence on the road. So there's less for people to see," one of the force's family liaison officers continued.

Someone go get the Surrey traffic cops...

Dan Alexander

Dan is the road.cc news editor and joined in 2020 having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Dan has been at road.cc for four years and mainly writes news and tech articles as well as the occasional feature. He has hopefully kept you entertained on the live blog too.

Never fast enough to take things on the bike too seriously, when he's not working you'll find him exploring the south of England by two wheels at a leisurely weekend pace, or enjoying his favourite Scottish roads when visiting family. Sometimes he'll even load up the bags and ride up the whole way, he's a bit strange like that.

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38 comments

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IanMK replied to mdavidford | 2 years ago
8 likes

Agreed that was my reaction.

Regardless, HC rule 153 says.

"On some roads there are features such as road humps, chicanes and narrowings which are intended to slow you down. When you approach these features reduce your speed. Allow cyclists and motorcyclists room to pass through them. Maintain a reduced speed along the whole of the stretch of road within the calming measures. Give way to oncoming road users if directed to do so by signs. You should not overtake other moving road users while in these areas."

So cyclists can stick to the road knowing that drivers will be giving cyclists priority and won't be overtaking them 

Avatar
GMBasix replied to IanMK | 2 years ago
0 likes

In any case, that Wolverhampton thing (one hesitates to call it infrasturcture) is not well marked.  In the dark, wet or foggy conditions, it needs reflective pillars and road lines that indicate the edge of the carriageway moving away from the original kerb line.  Otherwise, drivers and riders will simply plough into it.

Avatar
IanMSpencer replied to GMBasix | 2 years ago
0 likes

I've tried to debate road markings with Solihull MBC but they are fixated on minimising markings based on some policy or other and fall back on claims that their minimal markings are legal - which include zero markings on a pavement supposed to be shared use, and a wand about 2 metres from the start of a mandatory bike lane.

The last one is relevant because prior to the bollard, which has been hit many times, is a non-mandatory bike lane which SMBC claim is perfectly acceptable for motorists to drive in. I've pointed out that 2 metres of solid white line with no other warning marking is not enough to perceive that the lane has changed to compulsory. SMBC rely on the magic paint to claim that vehicles should not cross that white line so it is impossible for them to legally hit the bollard - they are not responsible for poor driving.

Note, in that image, the post is less than 6 months old, and the hihviz has completely degraded, leaving a strange metal netting on the surface and no reflection, so you have, at night, a road-coloured obstruction occupying the road with no warning. The main lane is almost wide enough to accommodate an HGV.

Avatar
chrisonabike replied to IanMSpencer | 2 years ago
2 likes

Many road scheme designers apparently can hold several mutually contradictory beliefs simultaneously eg.:

1) If there's a problem it can be fixed by putting up more signs.  Drivers definitely read and digest all of these as they go by at 37mph.

2) We shouldn't announce cycling infra too "noisily" - especially not around junctions or where there are pedestrians about.  That would be an irritation and detract from the "character" of the place.

Obviously the answer to the conundrum is (1) it only has to be fit for lawyers and (2) we don't expect any cyclists in these places.  At junctions they'll obviously be getting off to use the crossings and in non-road environments the few there might be will be well-behaved adults and children going at a maximum of 6-8 mph.

Avatar
squired | 2 years ago
18 likes

It always amuses me when the police recommend hi-viz.  My brother will spend the rest of his life dealing with the effects of crushed vertebrae after he was hit while cycling by an off duty police officer.  It just so happened that he was indeed wearing hi-viz (despite it being a bright sunny day with excellent visibility anyway), but as is always the case, if the driver doesn't actually look it makes no difference what you are wearing.

Avatar
TriTaxMan replied to squired | 2 years ago
9 likes

squired wrote:

It always amuses me when the police recommend hi-viz.  My brother will spend the rest of his life dealing with the effects of crushed vertebrae after he was hit while cycling by an off duty police officer.  It just so happened that he was indeed wearing hi-viz (despite it being a bright sunny day with excellent visibility anyway), but as is always the case, if the driver doesn't actually look it makes no difference what you are wearing.

I agree, no matter what you wear or what lights you use, if a driver isn't actually looking it makes no difference at all.

I have had two collisions on my bike.  Both of which were at night, both times I had Hi-Viz & reflective clothing on, a solid state light and a flashing light on my bike and both times the driver "Sorry I never saw you".

The one where I was stopped about a foot from the centre line of the road I was on waiting to turn right..... and a car coming towards me cuts the corner over the white line and clips my bike...... Apparently they couldn't see me in my Pro-Viz Reflect 360 jacket.....

Avatar
JoanneH replied to squired | 2 years ago
5 likes

Yeah, my mum was knocked off while in high-viz and with lights in broad daylight by a female driver who claimed she didn't see my mum. (Mum still has back problems from the injuries she sustained). I'm pretty sure there are thousands of similar stories.

Avatar
NOtotheEU replied to squired | 2 years ago
0 likes

Agreed. I was knocked off my motorbike by a police motorcyclist (supposedly the best trained road users there are) on his way to work in his private car. I was wearing hi-viz and had my lights on and his first words were . . . yep, you guessed it . . .  "sorry mate, i didn't see you". The local Commander who attended insisted I make a report and that he definitely deserved to be seriously punished. The Chief constable later decided there was no case to answer even though the officer admitted he was 100% responsible for the 'accident'.

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