“That new dangerous cycling law can’t come soon enough”: BMW driver crashes spectacularly into bike stand on pavement, as cyclists ask, “when will Mark Harper do anything about this?”; Brand: “No regrets” over horror crash stop + more on the live blog

Go on Ineos, sign him up! 

Well, that’s it for another week on the live blog. Hope you all have a good weekend casually churning out 2,500 watts and easily reaching speeds of 50mph on flat roads. I’m off to not read the Telegraph ever again…

> Roads police chief urges stricter sentences for driving offences, warns “basic standard of driving has reduced” and puts cyclists and pedestrians at risk

And now for something completely different…

As the Giro calms down finally after all that echelon madness, about 100 miles or so to the south, in Florence – the scene of the Grand Départ of this July’s Tour de France, of course – locals are being encouraged to ditch the car for the bike with the kind of incentive we can all get behind: Money.

Yes, you read that right.

The year-long €1.2 million-funded Pedala, Firenze ti Premia (Pedal, Florence Rewards You) programme does what it says on the tin – offering residents up to €30 a month for cycling to work or university.

New cyclists can earn up to 20 cents for each kilometre they cover too on their commute (plus another 5 cents for just riding their bikes generally), while existing cyclists are being offered a slightly reduced rate of 15 cents per km, up to a maximum of €2 a day and €30 a month.

Participants can register up to two home-to-school or home-to-work routes, and will receive a Pin Bike kit, including a Bluetooth device to certify bike usage, a handlebar smartphone holder, and signal lights.

And that’s not all. The top 200 users of the scheme, meanwhile, can earn up to €200 a month by participating in events and competitions.

“It is a turning point for cycling mobility in the city and a project of which I am really proud because it introduces the idea that those who use the bike not only do themselves a favour – because they save money, time and are good for their health – but they do the whole city a favour and that’s why they will be rewarded,” Andrea Giorgio, a city councillor in Florence for the environment and ecological transition, said in a statement announcing the scheme.

“It will now be essential to involve schools, universities, and companies in the project, to broaden the number of participants and increasingly push cycling mobility.”

So, when can I move?

Just when you thought we were all set for a pan-flat, boring amble before the inevitable sprint finish in Cento on stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia, think again.

An open section of road, a strong enough crosswind, and a concerted effort by the Ineos Grenadiers has split the bunch to pieces with around 62km to go in today’s stage.

𝐈𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚

💥 El equipo británico rompe el pelotón con el viento y deja cortados a varios de los favoritos de hoy, entre ellos Jonathan Milan.

📺 Lo estás viendo en @Eurosport_ES 1 y APP.#GirodItalia | #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/zhFKG7oITI

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 17, 2024

Lidl-Trek’s purple jersey wearer, and pre-stage favourite, Jonathan Milan is the biggest name caught out, and is currently being forced into doing a lot of his own work to close the gap to the front, efforts that will certainly dull his sprint even if he reaches Cento in contention.

After Ineos’ initial surge, which has effectively killed off the early breakaway, a number of other teams, including Dani Martinez’ Bora-Hansgrohe squad and Tadej Pogačar himself (who else?), have moved to the front to keep the pressure on.

Who said today was going to be boring at the Giro?

I’m literally what the TDF: Unchained hoped for. Watched, fell in love with cycling, bought a bike, have come full circle and am now educated enough to be angry about the season 2 teaser trailer

— i cant believe we’ve done thus (@addykimzz) May 16, 2024

> Doping questions and Lefevere vs Alaphilippe centre stage as Netflix releases Tour de France Unchained trailer 

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Groupama-FDJ’s promising Kiwi sprinter Laurence Pithie has defended himself against accusations of dangerous riding at the Giro d’Italia, explaining that “everyone’s on the limit and you have to take risks” to be in the finale of stages.

Speaking to Eurosport, Israel Premier-Tech’s Hugo Hoffstetter claimed that Pithie was riding dangerously in the final kilometres of stages and called on the UCI to sanction similarly risky manoeuvres in sprints.

But the 21-year-old – who after a stunning start to the season endured a difficult injury-hampered first week at this debut grand tour, before finding some form recently with a fourth-place finish in stage 11’s sprint and a stint up the road in yesterday’s large break – has staunchly defended his riding style, while criticising Hoffstetter for calling him out publicly.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“At the end of the day it’s racing, it’s super dangerous, everyone’s on the limit and you have to take risks to be there, and everyone’s in the same boat,” Pithie told Cyclingnews.

“For sure sometimes I’m on the limit, everyone can say their thing. I could name 10 guys who did something dangerous, but I’m not going to go cry about it on live TV.”

Pithie also says he remains optimistic that he can build on his successful 2024, which includes a seventh at Paris-Roubaix, a spell in the lead at Paris-Nice, and a win at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race, with a maiden Giro win.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“I had a bit of a rough start to this Giro but thankfully things have progressively gotten better and better and now I’m feeling really good,” the 21-year-old continued.

“I had a few little injuries that popped up, nothing too serious. But in a race like this, you have to be at your best if you want to perform. I was quite worried because I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to be in the race. But I’m still here and trying to chase that win.

“We were taking it day by day but now for sure the goal is to get to the end and try and still win a stage. There are still a few opportunities for me.”

While Julian Alaphilippe was busy rolling back the clock and finishing off one of the great rides of the season so far at the Giro d’Italia, where the French star resembled his old, swashbuckling self on the way to a debut Giro victory after over 120km off the front (aided by his equally impressive Mirco Maestri), his Soudal Quick-Step boss Patrick Lefevere was busy doing what Patrick Lefevere does best.

Undermining his own riders, even when they’re pulling off epic, historic feats.

Speaking from his home in Belgium, the always outspoken Lefevere – who earlier this year publicly criticised Alaphilippe’s approach to the sport, along with the supposed influence of his partner and Tour de France Femmes organiser Marion Rousse – said he tried to follow the French star’s exploits in Italy “in between appointments”.

> Patrick Lefevere accuses Julian Alaphilippe of "too much partying and alcohol", says he threatened to fire two-time world champion "on the spot" if "you mess up one more time"

“At 96 kilometres from the finish I saw that Alaphilippe was leading alone with someone from a Pro Continental team. ‘What’s he doing now?’ That was my first thought. In the end he performs a great song as only he can. That’s Julian,” Lefevere said.

“It was a good decision to send him to the Giro. He is having fun on the bike again. He should have won that gravel stage already. Only he sprinted too big.”

After that passive-aggressive dig, the team manager continued: “Before the start of the season we made a proposal to break open his contract. We wanted to add an extra year, but at a slightly lower salary. Still a more than decent amount, certainly not an insult. His agent refused.

“Julian has apparently already told other people that he would like to stay and actually wanted to say yes to that proposal. The door is still open. It just has to be budget-feasible. If a French team comes along that is willing to continue paying him his current salary, then it will be difficult for us.”

Despite the constant negativity surrounding his place in the Belgian squad, and the pressures placed on him following a lean few years characterised by injury and bad luck, Alaphilippe told reporters after yesterday’s win that “I was never dead”.

“In every career you sometimes find yourself in a downward spiral,” he said. “This is the best answer I could give. I have always remained calm. I continued to believe in myself. This victory makes me want to extend my career again.”

Whether it will be extended with Soudal Quick-Step is, of course, another matter entirely.

In the wake of yesterday’s high-speed horror crash at the Vuelta a Burgos, Lidl-Trek’s Lucinda Brand has called on the UCI to show some compassion to riders who stop to check on stricken teammates, after the Dutch veteran lost over three minutes on GC while tending to teammate Elisa Balsamo, who collided hard with the metal barriers during the sprint for the win.

However, Brand also said she has no regrets about stopping while in sight of the line, noting that she followed her “human instinct” and not her “racing instinct” at the time.

Lotta Henttala wins!

Katrine Aalerud had a strong ride but just just couldn't hang on and Schrempf did her usual last-minute shout!

Hopefully the UAE rider is ok with the late crash#VueltaBurgos pic.twitter.com/U4upjCLEfz

— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) May 16, 2024

The sprint at the end of stage one of the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, won by EF-Education’s Lotta Henttala, saw Sofia Bertizzolo of UAE Team ADQ lose control of her bike, veering into former world champion Balsamo and sending them both smashing into the metal barriers at the side of the road.

Lidl-Trek revealed last night that Balsamo had suffered a fractured nasal bone, concussion, and a fractured second metacarpal in the shocking crash, while Bertizzolo fractured the radius in her left arm.

And last night, Balsamo’s teammate Brand took to Twitter to question the decision not to apply the 3km rule – which means any rider involved in or caught behind a crash receives the same time as the group they were in when the crash occurred – to riders who come to the aid of fallen colleagues.

Today I followed my human instinct and not my racing instinct. I stopped to check on my teammate after a nasty crash just meters from the finish. I didn't think twice about doing it and I don't regret it but, doing the right thing, lost me three minutes even with the line in view pic.twitter.com/IGXSYo5usG

— Lucinda Brand (@lucinda_brand) May 16, 2024

“Today I followed my human instinct and not my racing instinct,” the 34-year-old wrote. “I stopped to check on my teammate after a nasty crash just metres from the finish.

“I didn’t think twice about doing it and I don’t regret it, but doing the right thing lost me three minutes even with the line in view.

“If Barzi [Balsamo] had been able to finish, she would have got the same time as the group, so why should caring for others in that moment be treated any different in the eyes of the UCI?”

To be fair Lucinda, you may have to wait a while for an answer on that, the UCI are too busy measuring sock lengths at the moment…