“Sports broadcaster moans about people doing sport. You couldn’t make it up”: ESPN presenter slammed for filming group of cyclists while driving and claiming “these monsters must be stopped”; Eddy Merckx jersey sold for £16,000 + more on the live blog

Ever heard of Randy Scott?

No, I hadn’t either. But apparently, he’s an American sports broadcaster and the current anchor of ESPN’s flagship morning news programme SportsCenter – who, incidentally, wrote off his car after crashing into a concrete barrier on his way to work last June, escaping unharmed.

And over the last day or so, Scott has come under fire after he posted a video on Twitter of a group of cyclists riding single file on the road alongside the caption “These monsters must be stopped”.

In the video, which Scott appears to have filmed on his phone while driving behind the group, the ESPN host says: “15mph behind this sad suburban peloton. Everyone just has to adjust their day, while they’re out doing their midlife crisis. And now we’re doing 10mph! Now we’re doing 10. Thanks fellas, appreciate it.”

These monsters must be stopped 🚲 ❌ pic.twitter.com/0vLd9EnGPp

— Randy Scott (@RandyScottESPN) March 31, 2025

It’s fair to say that Scott’s at the wheel running commentary of a local group ride hasn’t gone down too well in the comments. Not that the broadcaster was willing to take any constructive criticism on the chin, however.

“Oh no. You had to share the road,” replied Matt De Lancey, prompting Scott to hit back: “What share, friend? It’s a total box out.”

“Let’s hate on dudes who aren’t using the entire road, trying to better themselves, and enjoying fellowship with their friends all because it costs Randy five to ten extra minutes,” noted OTC.

“Keep up with traffic while they better themselves and enjoy fellowship. Not too much to ask, friend,” Scott responded, with what I assume he imagined was a coherent, logical argument.

“We have adequate infrastructure for bicycles in Europe, named cycle lanes,” Pinkman suggested this morning. “Maybe it’s the road infrastructure that's the problem. What do you want them to do? They are outside doing sports.”

“Just travel at least half the speed limit, that’s all,” Scott replied, again demonstrating his clear lack of cycling knowledge. “And you’re right, they’re not breaking any laws.”

“God forbid you have to wait for 30 seconds until it’s safe to pass,” added Dave.

“They are allowed to use the road you petulant dipshit,” said Maddox. “You know what isn’t allowed? Using your cell phone while driving. Maybe put the phone away and pass them like you would any other car, dumbass.”

But when another user told Scott to “put the phone away while driving”, he claimed that he wasn’t holding the phone and – once again, bizarrely – replied: “Could you not see the speedometer, friend? My vehicle was travelling 10mph because of the Tour de Suburbia holding up traffic.”

“Good job on using your platform to encourage aggressive driving around cyclists, Randy. Stupid post,” concluded Ron.

Meanwhile, others were also dismayed at the notion of a sports broadcaster taking to Twitter to disparage people taking part in a sport.

“A sports broadcaster moans about people doing sport. You couldn’t make it up,” wrote the Yeah But Cyclist account.

“Sports broadcasters aren’t keen on increasing participation, only perpetuating the same tired discussions for sofa fans,” agreed Dan.

I wonder whether he’ll keep up his belligerent stance on cycling during his Monday morning show if Matteo Jorgenson manages to win the Tour of Flanders this weekend?

Or maybe by “monsters” needing be stopped, he’s actually referring to Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar? It all makes sense now…

Now that’s how you make a statement ahead of the Tour of Flanders.

Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini, aiming for her third Ronde title on Sunday, looked in sparkling form at Dwars door Vlaanderen, securing her 50th victory with a stunning long-range solo attack.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by TNT Sports Cycling (@tntsportscycling)

The UAE Team ADQ rider blew the bunch to bits on the Doorn and Hulsepontweg sectors of cobbles with around 30km to go in the Belgian semi-classic, first seeing off the threat of former teammate Ellen van Dijk and 2024 Tour de France winner Kasia Niewiadoma, before bridging across and then almost immediately dropping early attackers Marlen Reusser and Amber Kraak.

A late flurry of attacks provoked by Fenix-Deceuninck’s Puck Pieterse and Christina Schweinberger narrowed the gap slightly in the closing 10km, but due to a lack of coherence in the chase, Longo Borghini was never really troubled.

By the finish in Waregem, the Italian champ was free to soak in her landmark win, thirty seconds ahead of a group led home by Lotte Kopecky ahead of Elisa Balsamo, one of the rare signs of form on what had been until that point a frustrating day for the world champion.

Roll on Sunday…

While watching Dwars door Vlaanderen this afternoon on your TV, you may have noticed Endura’s name pop up on the screen at the beginning and end of each ad break.

Well, that’s because the Scottish cyclewear manufacturer – which posted a £14m loss at the end of 2024 – has become the “first ever sponsor” of TNT Sports’ cycling coverage, after its parent company Pentland Brands agreed a three-month deal with the channel and Warner Bros. Discovery.

> Endura posts huge £14m loss after “large reduction in sales” and inventory “impairment” – first time Scottish cycling brand has been in the red since 2019

According to a statement issued by Pentland yesterday, six of the company’s brands will appear on TNT’s coverage, including Mitre (football), Canterbury (rugby), Ellesse (tennis), Speedo (swimming), Berghaus (hiking), and Endura with cycling.

Each brand will be featured, Pentland says, “with tailored straplines aligning each brand to its sporting passion”, which basically means we’ll be told during breaks that TNT Sports’ cycling coverage is “powered by Endura”.

The deal with Warner Bros. Discovery will see Endura included in TNT’s ‘fandents’ (which, I think, are short clips showcasing the sport’s spectators), 20-second ads which will run during prime sports programming on TV, and social media posts.

> Has the UCI sold cycling’s soul to Warner Bros. Discovery?

Announcing the deal, which is the first time any of these brands have been involved with a channel sponsorship, Pentland Brands’ chief marketing officer Penny Herriman said: “We’re incredibly excited to be the first business to sponsor TNT Sports. Our pioneering brands have a rich legacy in the world of sports and strive to see people move more.

“This partnership places our brands across premium, exclusive content that resonates with an engaged, relevant audience of sports fans and consumers. It will drive visibility and connect with them where consideration is high and has impact.

“This is the first deal of its kind for Pentland Brands, and I look forward to working in partnership with TNT to power our brands and drive fandom.”

So, does this sponsorship deal mean the price of our TNT subscription will go down? Oh, wait…

It was all kicking off in Glasgow at the weekend, apparently, after Police Scotland posted on social media that a cyclist was reported for dangerous cycling – after being chased down by a rapid traffic cop who spotted them riding through a red light.

“Glasgow Roads Police spotted a cyclist running a red light in the city centre,” the Greater Glasgow branch of Police Scotland tweeted following the incident on Sunday.

“Then they went down the one-way street the wrong way. They cycled on pavements to get away but didn’t bank on our 100m sprinter catching up with them.

“One cyclist reported for dangerous cycling.”

> "Justice needs to provide protection": Cyclist close passed by wife of ex-Scotland footballer, before filming driver use phone and run red light, criticises Scottish courts' "very obvious issues" after "ludicrously lenient" punishment

While the post prompted the usual remarks about cycling licences and “empty” bike lanes – as well as calls for the fleet-footed officer to take part in the Police Olympics – some questioned whether the cyclist’s indiscretion was worth the effort (while some were even convinced the post was a poorly timed April Fool or the work of a parody account).

“Good to know you are busy keeping our roads safer for all, must have made a big dent in the daily statistics of all those killed and seriously injured by motor vehicles,” replied Keith in the comments.

“Wow, really focusing on real, serious crime in the city, taxpayers’ money well spent,” wrote Aidan.

“Now do cars,” added Johnston.

To be fair, if the officer is as quick as they say he is, I’m sure he could catch a few drivers if he put his mind to it.

Visma-Lease a Bike aren’t messing around this afternoon.

Propelled by a brutal acceleration in the crosswinds by Edoardo Affini, Wout van Aert, defending champion Matteo Jorgenson, and Tiesj Benoot have all stormed clear of the chasing bunch.

That big name trio have since forged a dangerous, yellow-clad team time trialling unit at the front of the race as we approach the closing stages, broken up only by the not so insubstantial presence of EF’s Neilson Poweless.

 

 

 

 

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That leading quartet are currently half a minute or so ahead of a chasing group animated by the on-fire Mads Pedersen, though that gap looks set to expand thanks to the constant pressure exerted by the TTT unit up front.

And if they do stay clear, the big question remains: Can Neilson Powless ‘do an Ian Stannard’ and mug the Visma trio at the finish? Stranger things have happened in bike racing.

The countdown to the Tour of Flanders is well and truly on, as this afternoon sees the peloton’s classics stars take on Dwars door Vlaanderen, Flemish Holy Week’s final tune-up race before the big one on Sunday.

But one rider missing from today’s start list is defending Dwars door Vlaanderen champion Marianne Vos, after her Visma-Lease a Bike team confirmed this morning that the three-time world champion wasn’t “fit enough” to race.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

“Unfortunately, Marianne isn’t fit enough to start today in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Wishing you a speedy recovery, Marianne!” the Dutch team posted.

37-year-old Vos has started the season in fine form, finishing fourth at the Trofeo Alfredo Binda before sprinting to second behind Lorena Wiebes at Milan-Sanremo.

With Visma offering scant detail about the reasons behind Vos’s absence, it is currently unclear whether she will be fit enough to race this Sunday’s Ronde or the following week’s Paris-Roubaix.

Geraint Thomas may be retiring at the end of the year – after racing the Tour of Britain, I’ll add, for anyone fooled by his 1 April Vuelta announcement yesterday – but it might not be too long before another Thomas is tearing up the boards and roads of Europe.

This morning, the 2018 Tour de France winner visited his old stomping grounds, Cardiff’s iconic Maindy Velodrome, where he was accompanied by his Macsen, who tested out his new Frog bike on the historic track:

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Geraint Thomas (@geraintthomas86)

“No better place to try out his new Frog bike. Loved it,” the Ineos rider wrote on Instagram today.

That second-generation Cavendish/Thomas Madison team of the 2040s is going to be something else.

Speaking of heritage, in January we reported that the Maindy Velodrome, where Thomas and other top Welsh talent such as Elinor Barker, Owain Doull, and Ella MacLean-Howell all cut their teeth, was now “less likely to be lost” after plans to build a new facility elsewhere in Cardiff were scuppered.

The velodrome, built in 1958, looked set to be lost, as Cathays High School expanded onto the land that hosts the cycle track and a new velodrome was earmarked to be built at the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay.

However, plans for the new velodrome fell through earlier this year, with a golf attraction instead set for the site, meaning campaigners are now more optimistic Maindy can be saved.

Following the news, the co-chairman of the club based at the velodrome, Maindy Flyers, suggested the loss of the velodrome now “looks less likely”, something the club is understandably “delighted” about.

“We were never opposed to a new velodrome in the bay,” Alan Davis said. “Our opposition was to the loss of Maindy. That loss now looks less likely and we are delighted about that.”

The weird and wonderful things that pop up in your feed when you’re into cycling:

What on earth have we just watched?

Well, in case you didn’t know, Fabrício André Bernard Di Paolo – or Lord Vinheteiro, as he’s known on YouTube – is a Brazilian musician, best known for his piano covers of everything from classical music to video game themes, which have garnered him over 7.3 million (million!) subscribers on the platform.

And apparently, he can also play classic rock songs on drums and an out of tune guitar while riding a bike on a turbo trainer. Fair enough.

That’s one way to liven up your winter training…

We’re now deep into Belgian cycling’s annual holy week, so it’s only fair that one of the sport’s holy relics has made the headlines, after selling for an eye-watering sum of money at auction.

AZ Auction, a Brussels-based auctioneer, announced yesterday that a world champion’s rainbow jersey, worn by Eddy Merckx in 1971 and signed by the legendary Belgian, was sold for a whopping €19,200 (around £16,000).

In 1971, Merckx, then at the height of his imperial period, won his second world title, outsprinting Felice Gimondi at the finish in Mendrisio after forging clear with the Italian on the hilly Swiss circuit.

That world championships win capped off another stunning year for the Belgian, following his third Tour de France win and victories at Paris-Nice, Milan-Sanremo, Omloop, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Dauphiné Libéré, and later that autumn at the Tour of Lombardy.

The rainbow jersey put up for auction this week was worn by Merckx, then riding for Molteni, following his worlds win and, according to the auctioneer, was originally acquired during a charity auction in 1990 by “another great Belgian champion” and contemporary of the Cannibal, who wished to remain anonymous.

The jersey was originally slated to sell for somewhere between €1,000 and €2,000 – but this is Belgium and Eddy Merckx after all, and a bidding war between two sports club presidents saw the price soar to an astronomical €19,200 before the hammer fell.

As much as I’d love to hang that beauty up on the wall of the spare room, I think I would bowed out of that one pretty quickly.