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"Paint won't save your life": Road cops tell cyclists to ignore dangerous door zone bike lanes; Anti-cyclist bingo: London taxi driver edition; National champs or club 10?; Cav eyes Tour; Pro rider catwalk; Hit-and-run driver + more on the live blog

Dan Alexander will be bringing you the Tour de France route, national championships, anti-cyclist bingo and loads more on Thursday's live blog ...
Thu, Oct 14, 2021 09:02
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"Paint won't save your life": Road cops tell cyclists to ignore dangerous door zone bike lanes; Anti-cyclist bingo: London taxi driver edition; National champs or club 10?; Cav eyes Tour; Pro rider catwalk; Hit-and-run driver + more on the live blogRichmond door zone cycle lane (screenshot via The Department of Parks & Recreation / Twitter)
14 October 2021, 13:25
"Paint won’t save your life - to be honest, it won’t do anything!": Surrey traffic cops tell cyclists to ignore council's dangerous door zone bike lanes

Surrey Police's now-famous Twitter account for their Roads Policing Unit was back educating road users on safe practice this morning, talking about the door zone. The cops stressed the importance to stay out of the door zone, and for drivers and passengers to use the 'Dutch Reach' to avoid wiping out anyone behind.

Given the video of that 'cycle lane' in Richmond that was doing the rounds on social media and the live blog on Tuesday, some asked how cyclists should deal with cycling infrastructure that aims to put riders within striking distance of a motorist's door. The answer was clear...

There was plenty of love for the account's work...

It's just the latest example of the force educating road users on social media. In August, they told one driver spouting Highway Code whataboutery to return their licence. That came just a couple weeks after they had called out a safe driving campaign spreading "dangerous advice" about riding two abreast. But our personal favourite has to be the time they slid into the DMs of one particularly angry motorist calling cyclists dickheads on Twitter. 

14 October 2021, 16:42
Anna Henderson crowned women's national TT champion

No Hayter sister on the startline, so Jumbo-Visma's Anna Henderson took the win in the women's event with a hugely impressive ride. The 22-year-old crossed the line 56 seconds quicker than Hour Record holder Joss Lowden, Leah Dixon took third. That concludes the day of TT action. Tomorrow night it's time for the circuit races, before the main event on Sunday.

14 October 2021, 15:54
No, really...
14 October 2021, 15:30
"It’s going to be a very hard Tour de France. There aren't as many chances for the fast men": Cav reacts to Tour route + Lefevere says contract agreement is close
Mark Cavendish after winning in Chateauroux picture credit A.S.O./Charly Lopez

Mark Cavendish has given his first thoughts on the 2022 Tour de France route. The Manx Missile was in Paris for the official presentation and said "there aren't as many chances for the fast men" on next year's route.

"It’s going to be a very hard Tour de France," Cav told Cyclingnews. "Of course, starting from Copenhagen, where I became world champion, brings back a lot of great memories, but those first days after the time trial could be really hectic."

Whether the 36-year-old will be at the race is yet to be decided. Deceuninck-Quick-Step team boss Patrick Lefevere has previously said they'll be putting all their Lidl eggs in Fabio Jakobsen's basket. Cav still hasn't even confirmed who he'll be riding for next year, but it is expected to be Quick-Step. 

Lefevere told Het Nieuwsblad today that he believes Cav will sign an extension...

"I don't know what's wrong. He postpones it, saying 'we will get there', but tomorrow everything has to be in for us at the UCI. We are not far from each other. It's actually more about things after his career.

"Will he go to the Tour again? You should never speak too early. This year Sam Bennett was undeniably our first sprinter, despite knowing he was leaving. But then everything fell apart for Mark. You never know."

14 October 2021, 15:13
That's the pic...
14 October 2021, 14:45
Chris Froome not giving up on fifth yellow jersey
Chris Froome Factor Hanzo TT - 1

Chris Froome still believes he can win a fifth Tour de France and says he is as motivated as ever to return to the top. Speaking to Italian outlet La Repubblica, Froome said he has no plans to retire just yet, "This is a very nice job...

"I like the lifestyle of a professional cyclist. Even if I don't return to my old level, it is invaluable for me to keep cycling. After my fall, I was still in the hospital of Saint-Étienne thinking about whether I should stop. I lined up what I wanted in my life, whether I wanted to keep racing or do something else. Then I discovered that I really like racing, competing, travelling, cycling in the great outdoors."

The 36-year-old suffered another disappointing season this year, finishing ninth last of the finishers at the Tour de France after soldiering on from a heavy stage one crash. Despite the setbacks, Froome admits he can't shift the idea of a fifth yellow jersey...

"I still dream of that fifth Tour victory. Seeing Alejandro Valverde and Vincenzo Nibali gives me a lot of motivation to keep training. They are respectively five years and a year older than me. But they also won races last month. That gives me courage."

But the Israel Start-Up Nation rider also accepts that the next generation, led by Tadej Pogačar, have made his challenge even harder. "I am particularly impressed with his mental condition," Froome continued. "He always has a lot of pressure on his shoulders and the way he handles it is incredible. I've never seen him do anything wrong in race.

"If he attacks, he wins. And if he doesn't win, he's in control. If nothing stops him, he can break any record. And if he wants to, he can be the first after Marco Pantani to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour in the same year."

14 October 2021, 14:06
Not a bad day for the Hayter family...Ethan and Leo crowned national TT champions

Ethan Hayter crowned a memorable year by adding a national championship to his palmares. The Ineos Grenadiers rider smashed the field, putting 37 seconds into Hour Record hero Dan Bigham and 50 seconds into third placed James Shaw. The 23-year-old adds the British stripes to an Olympic silver, a stage of the Tour of Britain and the overall at the Tour of Norway. Will he double up at the road race on Sunday?

Being Ethan's younger brother must be a tough gig...but don't feel too sorry for Leo. He won the U23 TT this morning too. Anna Shackley won the women's U23 event. All that's left is to find out who'll be the women's elite champ.

14 October 2021, 13:59
14 October 2021, 11:39
Check out all the details, stages, climbs (and cobbles) here...
14 October 2021, 11:33
Police hunt hit-and-run driver who knocked eight-year-old boy off bike
Bowbridge Crescent (Google Maps)

Police in Edinburgh have appealed for witnesses after an eight-year-old child was knocked off his bike as he cycled home from school. The boy suffered facial injuries during the hit-and-run incident at around 3.15pm on Monday at Bowbridge Crescent.

The Scottish Sun reports the child was riding home from nearby Frogston Primary School when he was hit by the driver of a car believed to be a black Mini, or something similar. 

Constable Euan McGonigal said: “The vehicle is believed to be black in colour, possibly a Mini or similar and travelled into the surrounding housing estate, away from Burdiehouse Road following the collision. We would encourage anyone with information to come forward and we would also urge the driver of the vehicle to come forward."

Information can be passed to Police Scotland via 101 quoting reference number 1840 of October 11.

14 October 2021, 11:06
Drum & Bass On The Bike in Cambridge

Surprise, surprise, Dom Whiting pulled another bumper crowd for his latest drum and bass biking experience, this time in Cambridge. Maybe it'll be the start of a new trend of musicians hosting gigs by bike. I'm thinking...Oasis reunion (cycling) tour sponsored by Santander Cycles. Liam and Noel reciting the greatest hits while trying not to (or maybe trying to would be more realistic) knock eachother off their ride. Just an idea...

14 October 2021, 10:57
2022 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift routes announced

Here's your first peek at the Tour route. We'll have a full story with a more in depth look shortly. What are the headlines? 20km of cobbles on stage five. High mountain Alpine stages. A return to Alpe d'Huez and a penultimate stage TT. 

For the women, there's a Paris start on the same day the men's race finishes. Gravel roads. A return to the vineyard tracks where Julian Alaphilippe won in 2019. And a final weekend in the Vosges mountains with a final stage summit finish at La Planche des Belles Filles. We'll have more details for you shortly...

14 October 2021, 09:43
Pro riders hit the catwalk in Paris

It's weird seeing pro riders not wearing sponsor-heavy team kits... at least Tadej Pogačar remembered his UAE Team Emirates pin badge. Disappointingly, Nairo didn't rock up in his chameleon costume... 

Even more disappointing, it seems Benoit Cosnefroy has sobered up since those legendary French team celebrations after Julian Alaphilippe defended his rainbow jersey at the World Championships...

14 October 2021, 09:40
14 October 2021, 09:09
Not thinking about THAT record, Cav? Tour de France route presentation from Paris

Two of the big dogs are suited and booted, ready for the Tour de France route presentation. We'll keep you updated with all the headline stages and big climbs...there are whispers of a return to the cobbles and Alpe d'Huez... 

We'll also shortly have the route for the women's Tour de France. And, for any of you lot keen to test yourself against one of the hardest stages of the race, L'Etape du Tour's 2022 route will also be revealed this morning. Plenty to keep an eye out for.

14 October 2021, 08:28
TT national champs or club 10? No start ramp? Anyone know where the village hall is?

British Cycling are keeping it real at the national champs up in Lincoln today. No fancy start ramp or big Tissot clock, just a simple gazebo at a nondescript junction...

It left a few people wondering if it's actually just a club 10 in disguise? Come on, you wouldn't have a gazebo at a club 10...needless to say British Cycling have been the butt of all the TT-related jokes on social media this morning. How much were entries? Do you get a cup of tea when you return your start number to the village hall?

Today will be a throwback for those pampered pros...

14 October 2021, 07:40
Anti-cyclist bingo: London taxi driver edition...featuring: red light jumping, registration plates and a lack of hand signals

It's Thursday, you're over the hump of the week, you've definitely earned a treat. A quick game of anti-cyclist bingo to get your morning going? And not just any boring old local newspaper game of anti-cyclist bingo... it's the taxi driver edition... 

The prompt for this one? TfL's Taxi & Private Hire account making the simple request that drivers, "remember to give cyclists room and check to see if there is anything coming before opening your car door." How dare they...

We're off to a flyer there. The..."any chance...[insert generic rambling about cyclists breaking rules]" is a textbook starter in this game. Obey the rule of the roads, pavement riding, red light jumping and weaving between traffic (otherwise known as filtering). Yep, that's a strong four ticked off already by the man whose bio states he's proudly one of the world-famous London cabbies.

Next up...

Highway Code and red lights. A classic duo. 

We're rattling through them now...but wait, what's that? I think we have a winner...Cabbie Ray, take it away...

I make that nine bingo favourites in one 280-character tweet — impressive stuff. I'm particularly pleased Ray is looking out for our welfare by making sure we take regular breaks so we don't get too tired. There were too many other replies to includes more than just the most entertaining.

Elsewhere, we had: cyclists need to use hand signals, "we've become a cyclist nation", more red light comments, wear bright clothing, more red light comments, "No problem I'll also give them ten pounds out the till", more red light comments, cyclists ride too fast, more red light comments, they should be in their cycle lanes...but interestingly not one helmet comment. At least nobody said anything about boat tax...

I'll leave you with this...

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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73 comments

Avatar
Global Nomad replied to lukei1 | 3 years ago
9 likes

i just hope we dont do to cabbies what we dont like being done to us - lets not tar everyone with the same brush....there are good and bad drivers and riders of all types....doesnt make headlines or generate tweets but after 40 years riding (and 30 years driving) in London its the truth....oh and lets not forget the pedestrains too...

Avatar
HarrogateSpa replied to Global Nomad | 3 years ago
4 likes

Cabbies' rhetoric on social meedja is 90% anti-cycling.

In my personal subjective experience, taxi drivers are worse than the average driver. From long hours spent on the road they learn what they can get away with (almost anything).

Avatar
Flintshire Boy replied to Global Nomad | 3 years ago
2 likes

Trying to be reasonable / strike a balance / see alternative points of view? On Road.cc?

How DARE you, Sir?!!

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Flintshire Boy | 3 years ago
4 likes

Thought about seeing Flintshire Boy posting anything BUT criticism of the site and other posters.  

HOW dare you sir?!!??{{%

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mdavidford replied to Flintshire Boy | 3 years ago
2 likes

Your sarcasm might have more bite were it not for the fact that the comment you're responding to is the equal most 'liked' on the page.

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Rendel Harris replied to Global Nomad | 3 years ago
4 likes

50kms virtually every working day in London and riding here, like you, for over forty years, and I'm afraid it is my experience that London's black cab drivers are significantly more aggressive towards and careless of cyclists than virtually any other motorised groups in the city. One particular bugbear at the moment is that the majority seem to regard ASLs as advisory only.

That's not to say that if I drove all day around town I wouldn't get pretty annoyed with the behaviours of a minority of cyclists too.

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lukei1 replied to Rendel Harris | 3 years ago
4 likes

Yup, the problem with cabbies is that they are maliciously dangerous, unlike most normal drivers who are just incompetent.

I would say 50% of the time they drift into bike boxes as well, which is just ridiculous. Lucky for them the Met don't care

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Captain Badger replied to lukei1 | 3 years ago
1 like

lukei1 wrote:

Yup, the problem with cabbies is that they are maliciously dangerous, unlike most normal drivers who are just incompetent.

I would say 50% of the time they drift into bike boxes as well, which is just ridiculous. Lucky for them the Met don't care

Some aren't. When I used to waste my time on twatter (rather than here), there was a cabbie account that I followed. They were pretty cool I remember, and gave a much needed breath of sanity to some conversations with their loony colleagues. 

You also see some pretty cool friendly interactions come on JVs thread too (as well as the idiots , natch).

Of course come to think of it I'm at risk of providing the exception that proves the rule....

 

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IanMK replied to lukei1 | 3 years ago
1 like

Most of it is just the usual ignorant nonsense but "Cyclists have to earn their respect" is particularly disappointing. Replace the C-word with any other description of a disparate out-group and see how it sounds. 

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andystow replied to IanMK | 3 years ago
5 likes

IanMK wrote:

Most of it is just the usual ignorant nonsense but "Cyclists have to earn their respect" is particularly disappointing. Replace the C-word with any other description of a disparate out-group and see how it sounds. 

Exactly. If I ride to the letter of the law for a month, or a year, have I earned enough respect? How will the taxi drivers know I'm one of the respectable ones and they shouldn't left hook me? Or do all cyclists need to conform before I get any respect?

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chrisonabike replied to andystow | 3 years ago
2 likes

andystow wrote:

Exactly. If I ride to the letter of the law for a month, or a year, have I earned enough respect? How will the taxi drivers know I'm one of the respectable ones and they shouldn't left hook me? Or do all cyclists need to conform before I get any respect?

Answers: a) No c) Yes and b) because you're driving ("I'm a cyclist myself...")

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eburtthebike replied to andystow | 3 years ago
3 likes

andystow wrote:

Or do all cyclists need to conform before I get any respect?

Yes, because no driver ever breaks the law ever.

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TheBillder replied to eburtthebike | 3 years ago
2 likes
eburtthebike wrote:

Yes, because no driver ever breaks the law ever.

You are top lawyer Nick Freeman and I claim my five pounds.

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