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MP insists route is safe for cyclists because..."I lived to tell the tale"; Poor example or fair enough? Police car stops in cycle lane; Quick-Step DS fined over crash; Amy Pieters still in coma; Wout van art?; Bike theft hotspots + more on the live blog

The sun's out, and there's just one more day until a four-day weekend...not bad for a Thursday, eh. Dan Alexander will be bringing the bank holiday home with your final live blog of the week...
Thu, Apr 14, 2022 09:01
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MP insists route is safe for cyclists because..."I lived to tell the tale"; Poor example or fair enough? Police car stops in cycle lane; Quick-Step DS fined over crash; Amy Pieters still in coma; Wout van art?; Bike theft hotspots + more on the live blogRupa Hug tweet (Rupa Hug/Twitter)
14 April 2022, 16:27
Happy bank holiday, folks!

That's the live blog done 'til Tuesday. Enjoy the weather and perhaps a beer or two. If you do stick to just the one, make it a Kwiato-sized tipple... 

14 April 2022, 16:26
The last two lines...
14 April 2022, 15:49
Pro riders hit the cobbles for Paris-Roubaix recon

Two days until women's Paris-Roubaix on Saturday. The men's race follows on Sunday. In other words, cancel your plans, and book that spot on the sofa. Here's the best of the pro peloton getting to grips with the cobbles.

And one devious plan for Saturday night. Yep, the weather forecast is saying we should have a dry Roubaix... 

Roubaix weather forecast (BBC Weather)

We couldn't possibly comment on that particular plan...

14 April 2022, 15:06
Routes revealed for inaugural three-day RideLondon Classique
Prudential RideLondon Classique (source - RideLondon on Twitter).jpg

Women's WorldTour action is returning to London this summer, this time with a three-day stage race (Friday 27 May - 29 May) as part of RideLondon's new Essex route. The two extra stages will both be in Essex before the familiar city centre finale.

Stage one is 137km starting and finishing in Maldon, and features two laps of the Abberton Resevoir near Colchester before finishing with two circuits around Maldon. Full route...

Stage two is from Chelmsford to Epping, and is the hardest of the three, with eight climbs and 1,368m of climbing. Full route...

"This stage will be suited to the climbers, especially the final circuit in and around Epping. This circuit is very tough with short, steep climbs and it’s very fast in between the climbs, so there will be very short recovery times, which could play into the hands of the General Classification riders. It’s going to be quite a different experience to Stage One and a great prelude to the final stage in London," RideLondon race director Scott Sunderland said.

Stage three is an 85.3km city centre blast, differing from previous Classique routes with a start finish on Victoria Embankment beside the River Thames. Riders will race the high-speed finale along some of London's most famous streets, including Piccadilly, Pall Mall and The Strand. Full route...

The Classique is just one element of RideLondon 2022, with four mass participation events also taking place on Sunday 29 May. An estimated 25,000 people will take part in three challenge rides, the RideLondon-Essex 100, 60 and 30. Thousands more will participate in RideLondon FreeCycle, a free event that enables people to cycle around eight miles of traffic-free roads in central London.

14 April 2022, 14:54
14 April 2022, 14:09
Good on Edinburgh Council...
14 April 2022, 14:52
14 April 2022, 13:57
Road tax meets Roubaix
14 April 2022, 13:35
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham celebrates cycle hire scheme reaching 100,000km milestone
Cycle hire 100,000km ridden graphic (press release Transport for Greater Manchester)

Andy Burnham has welcomed Greater Manchester's new cycle hire scheme hitting the 100,000km milestone since its launch in November. There have been over 39,000 journeys taken on the bikes, with over 10,400 active users.

Bikes are currently available from stations along the Oxford Road corridor, at the University of Salford and at MediaCityUK. The use of the bikes has been closely monitored since the scheme launched and learning will be fed in as the roll out continues later this year when the scheme expands and bikes become available in Trafford.

> Andy Burnham urges residents to not chuck hire bikes in canals

"We wanted to create a cycle hire scheme in GM so that more people had access to an affordable, accessible and sustainable form of transport," Burnham said.

"It’s great to see how the scheme has been received by the people of GM so far. Seeing the number of people riding around Oxford Road, the University of Salford and MediaCity on our iconic yellow bikes has been brilliant – and I’m really looking forward to more bikes becoming available in the future."

14 April 2022, 13:02
MP insists route is safe for cyclists because..."I lived to tell the tale"

I'll try not to strawman MP Rupa Huq's tweet about a road in her constituency which someone said was dangerous for cyclists...BUT the Labour MP Ealing Central and Acton seemed to argue...it's not dangerous because she wasn't killed while using it...

Here's where we began...

To which someone pointed out: "Taxi on double yellows forcing the bus to pull out. Not safe to cycle there is it?"

Drumroll please...

Needless to say there were more than a few people willing to point out that not dying isn't exactly proof of safety. Simon speculated Malcom Tucker might well be having a word later today...

Malcolm Tucker: Are You Joking? GIF

Others argued "I lived" is a strange bechmark for safe infrastructure, while many plugged in hypothetical scenarios where you didn't die, so it can't of been dangerous...survived an avalanche? Can't have been unsafe. Lived to tell the tale of that time you fell out an aeroplane without a parachute? Yeah, not dangerous.

We learned a new phrase though, so maybe something good came from this. 'Experienced cyclist bias'...

It's not the first time Rupa Huq has made an appearance on road.cc...

Last March, she made the claim that low-traffic neighbourhoods "have left women feeling unsafe". The time before that it was when she used a video of a falling tree to argue against an LTN plan...

14 April 2022, 12:21
14 April 2022, 11:17
Jumbo-Visma reveal Tour de France kit...inspired by Wout van Aert's muddy Cyclo-cross kit?

Calling your own kit 'The Masterpiece' is a recipe for some gentle online trolling...

Is it a masterpiece?

The main man will be at Roubaix on Sunday, but sports director Merijn Zeeman said he won't be there to win..."Wout had very extensive examinations before he resumed training. At the beginning of this week, the medical staff determined that he is fully fit and can continue his efforts at top sporting level.

"On the functioning of the heart, among other things. Wout's health is in excellent shape. But after a week of isolation, top form is no longer possible. His run-up to Roubaix is poor and he will miss the reconnaissance on Thursday. All in all, it is anything but an ideal preparation. However, a rider like Wout can still play a role in supporting Christophe Laporte, Mike Teunissen or Nathan Van Hooydonck."

14 April 2022, 10:53
London remains UK's bike theft hotspot
University College London bike thefts (London Cycling Campaign)

London postcodes are still the UK's bike theft hotspots, with five of the capital's areas in the top 10 postcode areas for bike theft claims in the last two years, according to Admiral Insurance.

Admiral's latest data shows that bike thefts are already 56 per cent higher in the first two months of 2022 than in 2021. The average number of bike theft claims over the last year was 25 per cent higher than the previous year and 40 per cent higher than the year before the pandemic.

The top 10 postcode areas for bike theft claims in the last two years, according to Admiral data: 

  1. South west London
  2. East London
  3. South east London
  4. Bristol
  5. Edinburgh
  6. North London
  7. Cambridge
  8. Brighton
  9. Southampton
  10. Kingston-upon-Thames
14 April 2022, 10:48
The Cycling Podcast: Our friend, Richard Moore

The Cycling Podcast has released its emotional first episode since the death of podcast stalwart Richard Moore. 

14 April 2022, 10:44
14 April 2022, 10:38
Dan Martin defends Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director: "It was also rider error, not the car's fault"

Dan Martin disagrees with the jury's verdict...

"Normally the team car asks permission to pass the race. It happens time and time again that the comms will say yes, despite it being unsafe to pass. But yes. Agree that they should have waited for a safer place," he added later.

"The driver wasn't looking where he was going in that situation. The Cofidis guy looked around and swerved into the car." 

14 April 2022, 10:31
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl DS Geert Van Bondt fined £1,600 for role in Brabantse Pijl crash which brought down world champion Julian Alaphilippe
Alaphilippe Brabantse Pijl crash

Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director Geert Van Bondt has been fined 2,000 CHF (£1,630) by the race jury for causing a crash while trying to squeeze his team's car past the peloton on the narrow finish straight at Brabantse Pijl.

Race officials reportedly waved Ineos Grenadiers' vehicle through once the gap reached one minute, with Van Bondt quickly following to support Remco Evenepoel who was also in the lead group.

Van Bondt says he too was told he could pass the peloton, and was honking his horn when Cofidis sprinter Bryan Coquard looked over his shoulder, hitting the vehicle and bringing down several riders, including the sports director's own rider — world champion Julian Alaphilippe.

"The leading group had a lead of one minute. Ineos was allowed to come forward from the jury and we also received a sign that it was allowed," Van Bondt told Sporza.

"We honked the horn to the riders at the finish and it went pretty well until one rider turned around and went a bit off his line. He hit our car and then it's no fun."

14 April 2022, 10:12
"If it's a genuine emergency, then having an emergency vehicle parked in a cycle lane is fair enough": Your thoughts on police car parked in cycle lane

 Plenty of comments and reaction to this morning's emergency services using bike lanes question...

OnYerBike said: "The police could have been dealing with an emergency, but even so it was a conscious decision to turn off the main carriageway and block the cycle track instead. They could have remained entirely on the main carriageway. They could have straddled the curb and probably wouldn't have blocked either the main carriageway or the cycle track (from the lines, the edge of the cycle track appears to be set back from the curb).

"They could have blocked the pavement (not much better than blocking the cycle lane, although there is an argument that it would have been preferable because there is no legal impediment on pedestrians using the cycle lane, where as a cyclist cannot legally continue by diverting onto the footway). Or they could have parked right up by that pizza place (the bollard on the adjacent property wouldn't seem to prevent that)."

brooksby replied: "All this really demonstrates is the police are just like everybody else. We all know that motorists will park up on the footpath, or cycle path, or anywhere rather than stay on the carriageway."

mdavidford commented: "Even if they're attending an emergency, why do they feel the need to park in the cycle provision, which is thereby completely obstructed, instead of on the main carriageway, where vehicles would have the whole other lane to use to go around it?"

More from Twitter...

And... 

Happy Thursday, everyone! 

14 April 2022, 09:36
Huge Drum & Bass On The Bike crowds

14 April 2022, 09:16
14 April 2022, 09:09
Win over 300 quid's worth of Assos gravel kit with off.road.cc's latest comp
Assos Competition April 2022 - 1 - montage

Apparently you can wear it on ungravelly surfaces as well, which is all the more reason to get your entry in! Click here to put your name in the hat, a winner will be chosen on Monday 25th April. 

14 April 2022, 09:04
Wout van art?

Next: a Mathieu van der pole or a Tom Pid...okay, I think I'll leave that there... 

14 April 2022, 08:52
"Still no clear picture": Amy Pieters remains in induced coma
Amy Pieters (licensed CC BY SA 4.0 by Nicola on Wikimedia Commons)

SD Worx sports director Danny Stam has provided an update on Amy Pieters' condition, but unfortunately confirmed there is "still no clear picture" of the Dutch cyclist's future after a training crash in Alicante in December.

Pieters remains in an induced coma in hospital in the Netherlands, following surgery to relieve pressure on her brain four months ago.

"The difficult thing about the situation is that it is still so uncertain," Stam told AD newspaper. "If she can lead a decent life, I hope she wakes up. There is still no clear picture of what we can and cannot expect. The doctors say 'as long as she doesn't do things on command, she's not awake and we can't wake her'."

14 April 2022, 08:39
14 April 2022, 08:33
Your friendly reminder to never forget to take a banana out of your jersey pocket...

I feel like this picture should come with some sort of warning...

To this day I still think about the banana which fell out my pocket a couple of summers back...I like to think it appeared to another rider in a moment of bonk-induced need, but realistically it probably just got squished by an SUV and pecked at by a crow...

Would I have turned into Tom Pidcock with the extra 25g of carbs? Probably not, but you never know...that's what I blame it on anyway...

14 April 2022, 07:44
Poor example or fair enough? Police car stops in cycle lane

There is probably more nuance to the matter than a simple good/bad question suggests: is there an emergency? How serious is the emergency? Will stopping in a bike lane cause less harm than not immediately attending an incident? Etc. Etc. BUT...

Becky Reynolds snapped this photo on Preston Road, one of the main routes in and out of Brighton. She couldn't see an emergency, obviously doesn't mean there wasn't one, and "couldn't see the police around". She said it "sets a poor example and at a point that's a bottleneck even on a good day".

I'd say we're probably safe to conclude that if there is no emergency then yes, clearly this is a bad example, but what did other riders have to say?

I guess without the context it's all speculation...were they at an emergency or enjoying a pizza lunch? I wonder if Sussex Police will comment and clear it up?

Elsewhere in Sussex...happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to...Dane Road pothole...happy birthday to you...

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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ChrisB200SX replied to OldRidgeback | 2 years ago
3 likes

OldRidgeback wrote:

If it's a genuine emergency, then having an emergency vehicle parked in a cycle lane is fair enough. But if they've stopped in a shop for a coffee, then no it's not.

Like you I go past King's College Hospital on Denmark Hill regularly and yep, a lot of police cars are parked up there whether or not there's an emergency.

I used to work there, I've never not seen a bunch of police cars parked there.
Emergency or not, parking in the very infrastructure that is there to reduce danger to cyclists, thereby increasing danger to cyclists is counter-productive, an emergency does not make that OK. It's also quicker to park in the main carriageway than to move into the cycle lane and then park. The only valid excuse is if they've had to use the cycle lane to bypass traffic in an emergency and that's where they've ended up having to leave the vehicle for expediency... this would seem like a rather rare thing though.

I've seen lazy police drivers park in cycle lanes waaay too often, too many of them clearly think the law does not apply to them and increasing danger to cyclists is fine. Prime example was Reading Road a couple of years back, massively wide road, massive spaces for leaving a vehicle between pavement and houses and loads of driveway space everywhere, yet they chose to park in the cycle lane... I saw the exact same thing in the same place a couple of weeks later, took a picture but didn't end up bothering to report it in fear of reprisals.

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