Volunteer speed monitors accused of “spreading nonsense” after claiming “several cyclists clocked over 30mph” on 20mph street (while ignoring speeding drivers); Want a takeaway? Park in the cycle lane; Football journos on cycling + more on the live blog

It seems that the Independent Oxford Alliance’s “common sense” approach to speed monitoring – and their apparent focus on cyclists, and not the almost ubiquitous speeding on display by motorists on the same road – has sparked yet another, ahem, ‘lively’ discussion in the road.cc comments section and on social media.

“Funny how when they quote the car numbers they’re within a range that gives the possibility of the grand majority being under the speed limit but when they're quoting the bike numbers they're definitely over the ‘speed limit’... *rolls eyes*,” road.cc reader Thrawed said in the comments.

“It’s worse than that,” OnYerBike replied, “The speed limit (for motor vehicles) on that road is 20mph, so what they’re saying is that the vast majority of cars are illegally speeding, and yet the problem is a handful of cyclists (lawfully) going faster than 30mph.”

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Meanwhile, Stonojnr added: “The stupid thing is 25mph is considered acceptable or within limit on a 20mph road for cars, unless it’s camera controlled, so they’re probably just following the faulty guidance they’ve been given.

“Whether it’s sensible (careful or considerate) to cycle down a hill at 30mph in 20mph residential area is another matter.”

Offering up some invaluable local knowledge, Mdavidford said: “Calling Morrell Avenue ‘a residential street’ is rather misleading – it does have properties fronting on to it (though set well back from the road, beyond a row of trees and the armour of wall of parked cars), but it’s semi-arterial, forming a major route out to the hospitals, and is pretty lightly foot trafficked.

“They’re trying to represent this as the evergreen side street - quiet, peaceful, serene - that is until Bert cyclist hoons through it, scattering playing children in his wake, when in reality Cyril Steer has already driven everyone off it with his dastardly machines. It’s not an attractive space for people, cyclists or no cyclists.”

Finally, others pointed out the irony of focusing on the speed of cyclists constantly accused of holding up drivers on similar roads.

“There’s a 30 limit near me which is downhill and I regularly get overtaken when I’m cycling near the limit,” said Hirsute. “I’ve recorded drivers passing at speeds of 45 to 50 mph even when I’m in primary approaching a side road.”

And Richard on Facebook concluded: “99 per cent of car drivers exceed 30mph on a regular basis on residential streets.”

But, but, but… cyclists!

 

 

 

 

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“It’s been a long time coming,” an emotional Eddie Dunbar said, moments after finally, finally securing the first grand tour victory of his career at the Vuelta a España this afternoon.

In the midst of a frantic, chaotic finale fought out by the remnants of the 39-rider group that formed with 100km to go of today’s hilly stage to Cortizo Padron, the 27-year-old Irishman timed his moment to perfection, attacking with 600m to go up the right hand side of the road.

Despite a late chase by Quinten Hermans and DSM’s British youngster Max Poole, who was strong enough to still finish third after accelerating hard on the stage’s final, steep climb, Dunbar had enough in the tank to hold on for a scintillating, perfectly executed victory.

 

 

 

 

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Not only did the Jayco-AlUla rider’s win this afternoon – only the fourth of his pro career – mark a turnaround for a rider whose GC aspirations at this Vuelta were almost immediately snuffed out in the heat of central and southern Spain, it also provides some redemption after a turbulent, injury-plagued year.

“It’s weird how it goes sometimes,” Dunbar said after the stage. “I had a really bad start to the race and I lost a lot of time. I came here to ride GC and I learnt pretty quick that I didn’t have the legs to do it.

“But my preparation was really good, so we had to reassess and go for a stage. And today came an opportunity I didn’t expect, because I tried hard at the start to get in the break and I thought that was my legs gone. But then the big break went, and I thought me and Pippo [Zana] rode really smart. And here we are, I actually can’t believe it.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in a scenario like this if I’m honest, and I just used my experience. I was suffering a bit on that steep climb and then I realised everyone else was. And with Pippo up the road I was able to take a backseat.

“So I just played my cards and gambled, and backed my finish. I know in a finish like this, after a hard race, I can sprint. But I knew I had to go long, and 600m is a bit long for a sprint, but I knew I had to do that to win.”

 

 

 

 

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Those 600 metres at the front – long, difficult, but ultimately worth it - perhaps offer up a fitting metaphor for Dunbar’s entire career so far, one defined by both promised and setbacks.

Earmarked as a future star from a very young age, the man from Co. Cork endured a difficult first five years as a pro at Team Sky/Ineos, where he was consistently denied opportunities at the races that seem to suit him best – grand tours – despite his success at other stage races.

After moving to Jayco-AlUla in 2023, things initially improved. He finished seventh overall at last year’s Giro d’Italia – his first grand tour since his debut full season at Sky in 2019 – backing that up with another seventh at the Tour of Poland.

However, crashes saw him forced to abandon both the 2023 Vuelta and this year’s Giro early in the first week, a mounting set of issues Dunbar admitted today almost forced him to reconsider his place in the sport.

“Since the Vuelta last year, I’ve had seven or eight crashes, and physically that takes it toll, but mentally too,” he said.

“I’ve thought numerous times that I might not have a future in this sport because of the injuries I had. And this year after the Giro, when I injured my ACL, I thought that could be the nail in the coffin for my cycling career.

“I have incredible support around me, it’s been a long time coming, but to repay them all today means a lot.”

 

 

 

 

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Meanwhile, a few minutes behind Dunbar’s emotional, redemptive heroics, Ben O’Connor’s red jersey defence looked decidedly creakier, as the Decathlon-AG2R rider was forced to concede 37 seconds to a group of GC rivals including Primož Roglič and Enric Mas, after Roglič piled on the pressure on the 14 per cent slopes of the final climb.

Not a disaster for O’Connor by any means, but not a promising sign as we head back into the high mountains, his lead over the seemingly rejuvenated Slovenian cut do 3.16.

But away from the GC battle, the day belonged to Dunbar who, after six years of struggling and fighting, has finally made it to the top, where many had long assumed he was destined to belong.

A long time coming, indeed – but extremely worth it.

 

 

 

 

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Oh, that’s a beauty. Very jealous of Mauro Schmid there.

I may have to switch nationality, start training properly, miraculously acquire some natural talent, and win the Swiss road race championships to get my hands on one…

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Speaking of the Tour of Britain Men, one of the race’s most winningest (sorry) teams have confirmed their line-up for next week’s race, as Soudal Quick-Step (no dino-themed sponsors outside of Spain unfortunately) announced the riders who will be supporting Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel on the UK’s rough, draggy roads for six days.

Alaphilippe, of course, is returning to the race he won back in 2018, and finished third at in 2021, two weeks before taking his second straight rainbow jersey, while Evenepoel is starting his first race since his Olympic TT-road race double in Paris, which came off the back of his maiden Tour de France podium finish.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“I am looking forward to returning to racing at the Tour of Britain, after my post-Olympics break,” Evenepoel said today in a statement.

“My last period of racing was very special for me and it was great that I could recharge a little afterwards, but it’s time to pin on a number again as I look forward to the big races of this autumn. It is especially nice that I can start in Scotland, where I have the memories of winning the Worlds ITT race last summer.”

 

 

 

 

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That headline-grabbing duo will be supported by exciting 20-year-old fastman Paul Magnier, who recently finished second behind Marc Hirschi, and ahead of Magnus Cort and Arnaud De Lie, at the GP Plouay, and equally exciting GC contender Gil Gelders, a 21-year-old neo-pro with two top tens at the Tours of Slovakia and Germany already to his name.

The six-rider line-up is completed by Gianni Moscon and Martin Svrcek.

“We have a strong line-up for this race, which we are happy to do again,” sports director Klaas Lodewyck added.

“The selection will be made in the first three days, when we’ll see what Julian and Remco can do on that hilly terrain. Then, in the next three stages, we should have a bunch sprint, so we’ll support Paul, who comes here after an excellent result in Plouay. Bottom line, we are really looking forward to a week of great racing.”

The men’s edition of the revamped Tour of Britain is fast approaching and new organisers British Cycling have confirmed this morning that the country’s biggest stage race will once again be broadcast live on ITV4, with flag-to-flag coverage of all six stages.

The 2024 race will mark ITV4’s 12th year of providing free-to-air live coverage of Britain’s national tour, and the 16th year it has televised the event in total.

Coverage will get underway next Tuesday (yes, the year really has flown by) at 10.15 for the stage in the Scottish Borders, which will also be available on demand on ITVX, while ITV4’s usual one-hour highlights package will be on each evening.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

And as well as the prospect of watching Remco Evenepoel, Tom Pidcock, and Julian Alaphilippe go head-to-head on British roads, ITV4 viewers will also be treated to the channel’s Tour de France commentary A-team of Ned Boulting and David Millar.

“Bringing the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men to as many people as possible whether at the roadside or at home on television, is of huge importance to us,” Jonathan Day, Managing Director of British Cycling Events, which took over the running of the race following the demise of previous organisers SweetSpot, said today.

“We’re delighted to once again have full live free to air coverage of every stage, and with the riders announced so far we know it will be one to remember so fans can look forward to six exciting days of action.”

Kidical Mass, which organises group rides, demonstrations, school streets, and bike buses calling for safe streets for children to cycle and walk in the UK, has launched a crowdfunding appeal to purchase insurance for all its local groups across the country.

According to Reading-based Kidical Mass organiser Kat Heath, the organisation needs to raise £2,522 to cover the public liability insurance for all its UK groups for 2024 and 2025, along with cover for some of their marshals who volunteer to organise the events and help them run smoothly.

Any extra money raised, according to Kat, will be put towards purchasing flag and leaflets for the branches.

“Kidical Mass is a growing worldwide body of people with the same vision – to allow children and young people to be able to safely and independently travel by bicycle wherever they live,” Kat said.

“Their motto is ‘Kids Are Traffic Too’ and they’re looking for ‘space for the next generation’. They spread their vision by arranging local rides for all the family which highlight the demand for improved safe spaces for children to walk, scoot, wheel, and cycle in their neighbourhoods.”

The campaign, which is being held on Crowdfunder, has so far raised almost £1,800.

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