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Tory councillor offers to paint over cycle lane + anti-cyclist bingo; Jeremy Clarkson watches Vuelta... to laugh at dodgy farming; Vuelta a Espaniela; Perfect pass; Fighting talk; Wout van Aert confirmed for Tour of Britain debut + more on the live blog

It's Tuesday and Dan Alexander is here for another day on the live blog...
Tue, Aug 17, 2021 09:09
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Tory councillor offers to paint over cycle lane + anti-cyclist bingo; Jeremy Clarkson watches Vuelta... to laugh at dodgy farming; Vuelta a Espaniela; Perfect pass; Fighting talk; Wout van Aert confirmed for Tour of Britain debut + more on the live blogOld Shoreham cycle lane Cllr Dawn Barnett (Images Google Maps/Brighton & Hove Council)
17 August 2021, 14:34
Vuelta a Espaniela...

If only it were a spaniel then editor Jack's Vuelta a Espaniela would be challenging for a Pulitzer Prize. 

At least it saves me spending the rest of my afternoon trying to butcher greyhound into Rein Taaramäe's name...G-Rein-hound Taaramäe? Turns out it's not even a greyhound...I'll get back in my box and leave the ID-ing to others. Any other pro rider dog puns...Primoz Doglic? Do your worst...

17 August 2021, 14:08
Danish team pursuit rider involved in Olympic semi-final confrontation steps up to WorldTour with Team DSM
Danish men's pursuit team Tokyo 2020

Frederik Rodenberg Madsen was one of the Danish riders who won silver in Tokyo as part of the team pursuit squad. He was also the rider who crashed into Charlie Tanfield, before angrily confronting the Brit as he lay on the velodrome boards. The Dane's power, not diplomacy, has earned him a WorldTour contract with Team DSM.

Madsen said: "From the first talks I had with Team DSM, it was clear that both of our ambitions were closely aligned and I immediately felt like this was a team I wanted to be a part of. I think this is the perfect environment for me to develop myself in and I am really looking forward to getting stuck into the sprint and lead out train. Team DSM has so much history and experience so it will be great to learn and continue to develop myself here with them. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into that process with the best in the world."

17 August 2021, 13:40
Works removing Southampton cycle lane begin

A cycle lane described as "well-used" by local newspaper the Daily Echo has begun to be removed after the city council last week decided the temporary route would be ripped out following a 15-month trial. The lane on The Avenue, excluding the stretch from The Cowherds junction to subway underpass, is to be removed, with works starting last night. By Saturday it is expected to be fully removed.

The Cycleways of Southampton Twitter account has criticised plans to redirect cyclists down new 'quietway' routes along parallel roads. Part of the proposed new quietway includes the Lovers Walk shared-use path, a route which some have raised safety concerns about.

17 August 2021, 11:28
Jeremy Clarkson watches La Vuelta...but only to laugh at some dodgy farming

Jeremy Clarkson's a farmer now, if he hadn't already told you. His Amazon show Clarkson's Farm is full of bumbling mishaps that conveniently just so happen to also make entertaining television. Graeme Trigg wondered if the former Top Gear host had perhaps branched out into the Spanish farming scene too, based on this unconventional field of harvest spotted roadside in the final kilometres of yesterday's Vuelta stage. I'm no farmer, but I don't think you need to be to work out that's not how it should look...

Anyway, it got Clarkson's attention, although it's probably too soon to call him a cycling 'fan'. Pro cyclist Charlie Quarterman made a brief cameo in season one of the new show...but only in a short clip filmed in lockdown where Clarkson berates the Trek-Segafredo pro for being away from home...

Perhaps the presenter's daughter can win him round. Emily Clarkson is now partnered with Specialized and promotes their e-bikes via her social media accounts...

17 August 2021, 10:19
Councillor offers to paint over cycle lane lines to speed up Old Shoreham bike lane's removal
Old Shoreham Road cycle lane (Google Maps)

Believe it or not, Jeff's furious letter in the Argus was in reaction to the decision that the Old Shoreham Road cycle lane is to be removed...imagine how angry he must have been before!

Anyway, another piece of local council gold on the topic has appeared, so it seems like a great time to share. Yesterday, Brighton councillor Dawn Barnett apologised that the lane isn't being ripped out quicker and even offered to paint over the lines herself. The Conservative councillor said the council should get out there and rip out wands to "let people know it's happening."

"I’m sorry it’s not being removed quicker than that after it went in overnight. I’ve offered to go along there with a tin of black paint to cover up the white lines," she told the Argus.

“I understand highways have got to remove the high signs and burn off the white lines but I don’t want it dragging on. The council could go along there and get the posts out. It shows willing and lets people know it is happening."

The council is aiming to start works in early September after Labour and Conservative councillors voted for its removal at a meeting last Tuesday. Labour councillor Gary Wilkinson said the scheme, which was implemented last May, had been created during "challenging times" without public engagement. The Green Party's Amy Heley said the decision was "shameful".

17 August 2021, 13:20
Perennial French Grand Tour hope Thibaut Pinot hits back at critics doubting his mental strength

Thibaut Pinot is back. Having been sidelined for much of 2021 with a back injury that forced him to abandon his Grand Tour ambitions; Pinot will once again pin a race number on his back this week, for the first time since April. The French Grand Tour hope, now 31 years old, is targeting a series of one-day races to wrap up his season, finishing with Il Lombardia in October - a race he won in 2018.

Hitting back at those who doubt his mentality, the FDJ climber told l'Equipe. "I want to show I’m still here," Pinot said. "Because people have talked a lot since last year, saying I’m on holiday, enjoying life, having barbecues, that I don’t have the right mentality - loads of stupid things like that. I still have some pride, a bit of ego, and I want to show who I am.

"I’ve missed fighting for victory, and knowing why you train so hard. I’ve always said I do this sport to win races, so training for months for nothing was frustrating. The legs are pretty good, I think. Based on the quality of my training and the numbers I’m producing, I feel that things are going well."

17 August 2021, 13:08
30 per cent of drivers so worried about narrow country lanes they deliberately avoid them...27 per cent stressed out by the thought of hitting a pedestrian or cyclist
Country lane (Tony Atkin / High Banks Flanking a Country Lane / CC BY-SA 2.0)

Research from the RAC and Ageas found that one-in-three motorists deliberately avoids narrow country lanes and are prepared to take a detour of 16 miles or 25 minutes to avoid them. The study found that more than half of drivers (58 per cent) said they find using narrow country lanes stressful. For drivers who usually drive in urban areas the figure rises to 76 per cent. 58 per cent of rural drivers said it doesn't bother them, while only 21 per cent of urban drivers said the same.

Respondents to the survey said the two biggest causes of stress are squeezing past other vehicles (62 per cent) and colliding with another vehicle (61 per cent). The fear of hitting a pedestrian or cyclist was deemed stress-inducing by 27 per cent of respondents, while 22 per cent said the same for meeting a horse rider.

17 August 2021, 12:52
Jeremy Vine scores perfect van driver 10/10

Let's have some positivity after last week. Could 'best pass of the day' become Jeremy Vine's new Twitter series?

17 August 2021, 11:46
Vuelta a España Stage 4: Uphill sprint in Molina de Aragón

It should be one for the sprinters on stage four this afternoon. A tricky final 300m may swing the balance towards a punchier rider such as Michael Matthews, but at such a short distance from the line you'd expect stage two winner Jasper Philipsen, Arnaud Démare and Fabio Jakobsen to all be in the mix. 

17 August 2021, 15:42
17 August 2021, 11:40
17 August 2021, 09:26
Wout van Aert confirmed for Tour of Britain debut
Wout Van Aert on Stage 11 of 2021 Tour de France 02 A.S.O., Pauline Ballet

We knew the Tour of Britain was on Wout van Aert's radar. Today his debut at the race has been confirmed. The triple Tour de France stage winner, and one of the biggest names in pro cycling, is coming to the UK to tune up ahead of his big end of season goal - a home World Championships in Leuven. 

Van Aert's glittering palmares includes six Tour stages, Milan - San Remo, Amstel Gold, Strade Bianche, Gent-Wevelgem and an Olympic silver. He'll almost certainly start the week as a strong favourite to add the Tour of Britain's leader's jersey to that list, especially considering the lengthy TTT which suits Jumbo-Visma perfectly.

Yesterday, Mark Cavendish confirmed he will be on the startline in Penzance, Cornwall on Sunday September 5. Tell us what you make of the route and if you'll be catching the action roadside?

17 August 2021, 08:47
Brace yourselves for the comments section
oxon travel cycle lane picture 2 - via twitter.PNG

We couldn't leave Jeff's letter there. There are 35 comments under it almost certainly bursting at the seams with some more bingo points. 

Hugh Mann wrote: "Any cyclists caught running a red light should be fined £10000 and have their bikes crushed in front of them by a council steam roller." Interesting. My 2pence offered the perfect reply, "If only this applied to drivers speeding in 20mph zones then we wouldn't be in this mess, we would have no cars left on the road."

Hugh Mann went again..."Cyclists are an arrogant bunch of twits who believe themselves to be superior to others and that laws do not apply to them as they have a pushbike. I dread to think what some of them are like behind the wheel of a car." Well, they know how to safely pass cyclists, so that's a start.

How nose best commented: "When walking on a shared pavement why do cyclists feel it's ok to ring their bell to get you to move? BUT you drive up behind them in a car a toot your horn they say they are being bullied by motorists." I guess this commenter wasn't one of the pedestrians Sussex Police spoke to at their day of action where they reminded walkers that bells are used as a warning, not a challenge.

And the aptly named agreetodisagree finished us off with this wisdom: "The one thing that frustrates me is cyclists who have use of a nice, wide, most of the time EMPTY cycle lane yet still use the pavement or the road.? I mean, have they got a death wish!?"

17 August 2021, 07:52
Red light jumping, tick. Pavement cycling, tick. Highway Code, tick. Listening to music, tick. Top-tier anti-cyclist bingo letter spotted in local paper
Cyclist in Hammersmith (copyright Simon MacMichael).JPG

Is today the day anti-cyclist bingo is finally completed? A full house? Get ready to shout 'anti-cyclist bingo' at the top of your lungs and collect your prize...

If I've learnt one thing doing these live blogs it is that letters in local papers about cycling are normally to be avoided, except for bingoing purposes. This one seems to have been sent in to the Argus off the back of last week's vote for the Old Shoreham Road cycle lane to be removed...you think joyful Jeff would be pleased.

Titled: "'I never saw more than two cyclists on Old Shoreham Road." Jeff's letter begins with, "as someone who has on two occasions only narrowly avoided being struck by a cyclist riding right through a red light," woah, that's a belter, Jeff. A seriously strong start. No messing about, straight into the red light jumping. Tick it off.

After another not-so-subtle dig at those who ignore red lights, Jeff lands another big one...cyclists riding on the pavement..."again without any action by the police." Straight into, "many cyclists have no knowledge of the Highway Code." Slow down, Jeff, this will be over before we've started. I assume Jeff has read about the proposed Highway Code changes, possibly from his favourite cycling news website's story...

Back to the bingo. Next up, "using mobile phones" to listen to music or chat to friends. And, to top it off, "I know many motorists consider cyclists as at best a nuisance or more likely a blot on the landscape." Tell us how you really feel, Jeff.

A strong effort from the Hove resident. Almost a full house, but perhaps not enough attention to helmets, hi-vis and, of course, 'road tax' and insurance for that honour. He could have asked for number plates too, anyway a deserved 8/10. Give me a minute to recover and I'll dive into the comments section...

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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39 comments

Avatar
sensei replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
7 likes

Yes it's disappointing that there's so much fight back against even making subtle lifestyle changes to help reduce individual carbon footprint. The same mentality can be applied to littering (well everyone else litters, so what's the point?!). 

Avatar
Owd Big 'Ead replied to sensei | 3 years ago
6 likes

It's easy when you can blame everyone else.
It's quite noticeable that the MSM and government departments are already telling us all the things we can do to do our bit, but we are still planning to spend £27bn on new roads and a whopping £50bn on HS2 while also expanding airports and therefore flying.

So when the shit hits the fan it will be the hoi polloi' fault rather than the politicians et al lining their own pockets.

Avatar
Velophaart_95 replied to sensei | 3 years ago
4 likes

sensei wrote:

Yes it's disappointing that there's so much fight back against even making subtle lifestyle changes to help reduce individual carbon footprint. The same mentality can be applied to littering (well everyone else litters, so what's the point?!). 

 

People want everybody else to change their ways - just not themselves.....

Avatar
Kendalred replied to sensei | 3 years ago
7 likes

sensei wrote:

Yes it's disappointing that there's so much fight back against even making subtle lifestyle changes to help reduce individual carbon footprint. The same mentality can be applied to littering (well everyone else litters, so what's the point?!). 

Listening to Dr Hannah Fry on 6Music this morning, she actually put a name to this - The tragedy of the commons - essentially when everyone does something selfish (ie not being arsed to recycle plastic, taking the car for a short journey, putting the heating on in mild weather when an extra layer would be better), it might benefit the individual in the short term, but because everyone does it, then society suffers, and therefore the individual also suffers in the long term. 

The solution to this usually needs to come from the authorities, either by incentives to do the right thing or legislation against doing the wrong thing.

Avatar
IanMK replied to sensei | 3 years ago
1 like

Agreed the IPCC are quite clear: "It’s then up to the people of the world, individually and collectively, to arrive at alternatives to X through governmental, civic, corporate, personal, and diplomatic means – including processes such as the COP26 climate conference this November in Glasgow."

Whilst I welcome collective responsibility (hopefully to be decided at government level as well as through COP26) all we have at that moment individual responsibility. When people push back on this they are like Knut holding back the tide they need to move or they'll drown (in some cases literally).

Avatar
Owd Big 'Ead replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
7 likes

Considering ExxonMobil were leading research into Climate Change 50 years ago before deciding to brush their findings under the carpet 20 years later, it amazes me that we still don't have any of these new technologies available yet.

Traffic emits roughly 36bn tons of CO2 yearly, yet even the best technologies only remove approx 1m tons a year.

Either we have to scale up dramatically, or massively reduce transport usage.
Either way its going to cost a bomb in such a short time.

It would have been a damn sight cheaper if we'd started 50 years ago.

Avatar
IanMK replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
4 likes

I'm not sure why all the Gammons are not listening to their Gammon-in-chief..... "And if you are going to oppose these schemes, you must tell us what your alternative is, because trying to squeeze more cars and delivery vans on the same roads and hoping for the best is not going to work."

Avatar
Hirsute replied to sensei | 3 years ago
1 like

I think when there was a similar story before, a local commented that the argus has form with promoting this type of conflict with cyclists.

Avatar
Owd Big 'Ead replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
2 likes

I think you'll find every local news outlet likes to stoke the fires with anti-cycling diatribes. It's speaking to the majority about something that everyone has an opinion about, good and bad.

These days all that matter for local "journalism" is feeding the click-bait to appease advertisers.

News is the last thing on their minds.

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