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Passers-by lift car off injured Wirral cyclist; Ethan Hayter signs for Team Ineos; Argon 18 and Astana part ways; Velolife wins Cycling Café award; Goldsmith on Hammersmith Bridge closure; Stevenage cycling crackdown + more on the live blog

All today's news from the site and beyond.....
UPDATED Fri, Nov 29, 2019 00:27
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Passers-by lift car off injured Wirral cyclist; Ethan Hayter signs for Team Ineos; Argon 18 and Astana part ways; Velolife wins Cycling Café award; Goldsmith on Hammersmith Bridge closure; Stevenage cycling crackdown + more on the live blogStation Road roundabout, Hoylake (via Google Street View).PNG
27 November 2019, 20:25
Passers-by lift bike off injured Wirral cyclist

Passers-by today lifted a car off an injured Wirral cyclist after he became trapped under the vehicle following a road traffic collision in Hoylake.

The male cyclist, whom the Liverpool Echo said was given CPR at the scene, was taken to Aintree Hospital where he is said to be in a “critical condition.”

One local resident said: “I looked out of my window and saw that somebody had been knocked down at the roundabout and trapped under a car.

“I saw about six people lift the car up and put it on its side to free the man. The air ambulance came and landed on the golf course.

“The paramedics put screens up while they treated him. It looked really serious.”

Merseyside Fire & Rescue said: “Firefighters were called to Station Road in Hoylake on Wednesday 27th November following reports that a car had been in a collision with a cyclist.

“Crews were alerted at 1.58pm and on scene at 2.05pm. Two fire engines attended as well as the search and rescue appliance.

“Firefighters made the scene safe and provided first aid alongside members of the public until North West Ambulance Service arrived. The air ambulance was also in attendance.

“The person was taken to hospital for further treatment. Fire crews left the scene at 3.35pm.”

27 November 2019, 19:05
GB prospect Ethan Hayter signs for Team Ineos

One of Great Britain's top up-and-coming prospects in cycling, Ethan Hayter, has signed for Team Ineos on a three-year contract.

The 21-year-old was previously a stagiaire at Team Sky at the end of the 2018 season and this year, riding for Great Britain, won stages of the Tour de l'Avenir and the Baby Giro.

Ethan Hayter (picture credit Alex Whitehead SWpix.com)

His greatest successes to date have come on the track. He has won numerous titles at national level and above, and last year helped Great Britain win the team oursuit at the world championships, and also won the omnium at the European championships.

“It’s the best place for me to begin my career as a professional road rider and the best place for me to be with the Olympics coming up next year too," he said. "This team has lots of riders for me to take inspiration from and there’s so much young talent in the team as this season has shown."

He added: “The Baby Giro and Tour de l’Avenir are the biggest races at Under 23 level and I won stages in both of them so that was a massive confidence boost heading into the new season.

“At the Baby Giro I was sixth on one of the mountain stages so I was right up there on the climbs and the sprints, so I will have to discover which type of race suits me best. It means I can look at most race profiles and still have a go.”

Team principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: “Ethan is an exciting, young rider who has already had significant success at a more junior level. His signing is a further commitment to our long term-future as Team INEOS.

“We now have a really exciting group of young riders who all have the chance to compete and train with more senior and experienced teammates – and who can learn from them what it takes to win. Ethan is at a key stage of his professional development and we are all excited about what lies ahead for him as part of the Team.”

27 November 2019, 18:44
Express delivery, Deceuninc-Quick Step style ...
27 November 2019, 16:43
Wout van Aert: "Justice has been done"

Van Aert took to Twitter to speak of his relief at winning a court battle over alleged breach of contract from his former team. Van Aert left Verandas Willems-Crelan for Jumbo-Visma, but the former's team manager Nick Nuyens said van Aert was contracted to them until the end of 2019; however, van Aert maintained he made the move while the team were negotiating a merger with Dutch team Rompoot. 

The tweet translates to: "Justice has been done. What a relief! It gives me a huge boost to continue working on my comeback and to be able to concentrate 100% on this. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me."

Van Aert will avoid having to pay the 1.1 million euros demanded by Nuyens, and the Nuyens camp will now have to foot the legaal bill. 

 

 

27 November 2019, 16:51
Why don't cyclists use the cycle lane, part 5,374

To be fair, One Traffford have now responded to say the sign has now been moved to allow access to the cycle lane. 

27 November 2019, 16:25
Astana and Argon 18 part ways
jakob fuglsang argon notrogen

The Canadian brand Argon 18 will no longer be the bike sponsor for Kazakh team Astana, with the partnership ending by 'mutual agreement'. Astana general manager Alexandr Vinokurov said: "It was a great pleasure and honour for us to work with Argon 18. We have spent three fantastic years, full of success and high sports achievements. I would like to thank Argon 18 for the sponsorship, support and contribution to the development of Astana Pro Team. After these three years of close collaboration we part as good friends. I wish Argon 18 all the best in the future and I am sure that the company with see more beautiful successes in their current new projects."

27 November 2019, 16:05
Round-the-world cyclist Josh Quigley finally heads back to Australia to finish his ride

The tireless 25-year-old will continue with his mission to finally complete the final three legs of his round-the-world cycle - which will see him ride from Adelaide to Brisbane, then LA to New York and finally Paris to Edinburgh.

Quigley has suffered a catalogue of misfortune in his previous six attempts to cycle the world, such as rendering his passport void in Australia due to back sweat smudging out his photo, and getting his bike stolen in London. Quigley - who aims to raise mental health awareness after surviving a suicide attempt in 2015 - had to fly back to Scotland to get his passport renewed because he wasn't allowed to fly to the US on a temporary passport. He's promised to finish his journey before Christmas... 

27 November 2019, 15:16
Sofie De Vuyst suspended after positive doping test for banned steroid
Sofie De Vuyst 2018_UEC_European_Road_Cycling_Championships - wikipedia

The 32-year-old Belgian, who rides for Team Parkhotel Valkenburg, has been suspended by the team after testing positive for exogenous steroids during an out-of-competition test back in September. De Vuyst has strongly denied any wrongdoing, and according to Nieuwsblad she posted on her Facebook page: “Ethical and responsible 'clean' exercise has always been paramount. I am therefore completely in the dark as to how this could have happened. I am completely devastated, the worst possible nightmare has happened to me. People who know me well know how I feel about doping and cheating. I now scream my innocence. I'm going to do everything in my power to clear my name." 

The national Belgian cycling coach Ludwig Willems also expressed his surprise: "Sofie is the last person I would expect this from", he commented. 

 

 

27 November 2019, 15:37
Velolife say thanks for award nominations

The staff have "created a very special cafe and it would not be possible without them", tweeted Velolife.

27 November 2019, 13:07
Velolife wins People's Choice in Cycling UK's Cyclist Café of the Year awards

Your good news for the day comes from Cycling UK HQ, who have just announced that Velolife has won the People's Choice category in their Cycling Café of the Year Awards. 

It's fair to say it's been a rough year for the Berkshire establishment, who have spent months fighting against an injunction brought by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead that would have stopped Velolife from using their café as a 'meeting place' for cyclists, following alleged complaint(s) from residents. 

Finally RBWM withdrew its application two weeks ago, which was hailed as a “victory for common sense” by Chris Bordman and an "insane waste of public money” in the first place by British Cycling. 

The Cycling UK  Cyclist Café awards are now in their second year, and invited cyclists throughout the UK to choose their favourite coffee and cake haunts. Other categories were chosen by an expert panel including Celebrity Masterchef winner and cycling enthusiast Angellica Bell, with the new People's Choice category being won convincingly by Velolife - receiving 20% of all votes. 

It's the icing on the cake for Velolife after a tough few months as owner Lee Goodwin explained: “We have been through a lot this year and to be a part of such an amazing community, that is so much bigger than us, is amazing! It’s an honour to serve such an incredible community and we are very proud to be chosen for the People’s Choice Award! Thank you.”  

 

 

 

 

Other winning cafés included The Feed Station in Somerset, The Auction Room in Derry, Lanterne Rouge in East Lothian and Pedal Power in Wales, with South Yorkshire's Bank View Café winning the Lifetime Achievement award. 

 

27 November 2019, 12:13
Zac Goldsmith talks about proposals for temporary bridge and impact of its 'closure'... as plenty of people cycle past

We think what Goldsmith means is that the bridge is closed to motor traffic, which many residents have welcomed as it's currently much quieter and safer for cyclists and pedestrians. 

Goldsmith, the Conservative candidate for Richmond and North Kingston, has been campaigning for a temporary bridge while the main one is repaired; however many have argued this would be a waste of cash, and there have been counter-campaigns to turn Hammersmith Bridge into a permanent cycling and walking bridge. 

The irony of Goldsmith and fellow Conservative Nusrat Ghani discussing the bridge's 'three year closure' as people happily cycled past appeared to be lost on them... 

27 November 2019, 12:03
Farming business capture tailgating cyclist on camera

Whoever is behind the RM & JF Seed twitter account said the tailgating was "extremely dangerous", and continued in another post: "This must be highlighted and discouraged, very irresponsible. As farmers, we are often blamed by cyclists for large machinery on roads, etc. This is probably the most reckless road use I have ever seen."

We can think of more reckless road use examples, but even so the rider's actions are definitely on the daft side. 

27 November 2019, 11:20
Brooks launch new Cambium colourways
brooks cambium_octane

More product news in the run up to crimbo, and you can now get Brooks' classic Cambium saddle in Octane or Bronze Orange colourways to match up with the bar tape, grips and backpacks in the Natural Reflections range.

brooks c17_bronze_orange_-_main

All are available to buy on the Brooks website now, with the Cambium C17 priced at £110. 

27 November 2019, 11:11
GT Bicycles Partners with Gary and Craig Turner on Limited Edition ’79 BMX Cruiser
GT-Bicycles-BMX-Gary-Craig-Turner-limited-edition-bike-8

GT Bicycles recently released a modern version of the iconic 1979 26” BMX Cruiser frameset to celebrate the brand’s new partnership with original GT Bicycles founder Gary Turner and his son Craig. There will only be 100 of the limited edition bikes on sale, off-road.cc have all the details here. 

GT Bicycles Partners with Gary and Craig Turner on Limited Edition ’79 BMX Cruiser
27 November 2019, 10:55
One Pro Nutrition launch vegan protein bars
one pro vegan

One Pro was launched in 2018 by former England cricketer Matt Prior and the now defunct One Pro Cycling team, and their latest creation is a vegan protein bar. Each one contains 17g of pea protein isolate and pea protein crispies with 14g of fibre to help you feel full. The vegan chocolate used is also said to have a lower GI than standard chocolate meaning there’s a slower rise in blood glucose. 

The bars are £2.59 each or £29.99 for a box of 12, and come in raspberry and chocolate or peanut and cacao flavours. The website is here. 

27 November 2019, 09:20
Police crackdown on dangerous cycling in Stevenage

Stevenage is the latest town to launch a 'crackdown' on dangerous cycling, stopping anyone "riding a bike where they shouldn't be" between the hours of 9am and 3pm. Officers from the Stevenage Safer Neighbourhood Team joined forces with the Stevenage Borough Council Town Centre Warden to tackle what they said was 'anti-social cycling' in Stevenage town centre, and insisted that Stevenage is still "cycle friendly". Neighbourhood Inspector Simon Tabert said: “Stevenage is a very cycle friendly town and a vast number of residents use the cycle ways to get around in an environmentally friendly way. However a small percentage of cyclists insist on riding through the pedestrian areas of the town centre where cycling is banned.

“This understandably results in a large number of complaints to us. Cycling in pedestrian only areas is extremely dangerous and we are committed to tackling the issue. We will continue to monitor the town centre in this way.”

Meanwhile in Oxford, the Oxford Mail report that the city council still say cycling is banned on Cornmarket Street and Queen Street, but a public space protection order which would have allowed them to fine rule breakers expired in January. 

Nigel Chapman said: “Oxfordshire County Council’s Traffic Management Order governing cycling is still in place in Queen Street and Cornmarket Street.

“The County Council remains responsible for enforcement.”

Are dangerous cycling crackdowns a sensible use of police resources? Let us know your thoughts... 

27 November 2019, 09:14
Another for the 'bloody cyclists jumping red lights' file
27 November 2019, 09:13
Dutch cycling stats
Jack Sexty

Jack has been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of the website including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named Editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master's degree in print journalism and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it's a long story). 

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37 comments

Avatar
dobbo996 replied to danhopgood | 5 years ago
1 like
danhopgood wrote:

 

"Trouble is, too many people believe his rubbish."   

Dobbo996,

How pedestrians think of those cycling irresponsibly in pedestrianised areas is a bit like being close passed by traffic when on a bike.  I haven't been hit by a close passing car (yet) but feel threatened regularly..... how things are perceived matters.

Read my piece again. I was making a point about rhetoric being used to convince people into believing a danger that doesn't really exist. He does it because there's something about bicycles that riles up his fanboys. He likes causing conflict. Think Clarkson.     

Avatar
dobbo996 | 5 years ago
8 likes

"Extremely dangerous". My arse. I'm not in favour of adults riding on narrow pavements or in busy pedestrianised areas, but this type of not-backed-up-by-reality, over-the-top rhetoric just helps drive a wedge between those who use bicycles and those who do not. How would I describe it? "A bit inconsiderate".    

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
8 likes

"A striking 80% of Dutch youth (age 12-17) cycle to places (school, park, shop, friend’s) at least three days per week."

Anyone know the figure for the UK?  I imagine it's slightly less, like maybe 2%.  A testament to our fantastic transport, health, climate change and community policies.

Avatar
growingvegtables replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
3 likes
burtthebike wrote:

Anyone know the figure for the UK?  I imagine it's slightly less, like maybe 2%.  ... 

And probably a damned sight lower, if you exclude the kids cycling on the pavement.  And that's NOT criticising the kids!

Not a day goes past when I DON'T see a kid cycling to/from school "treated" to terrifyingly aggressive driving ... FFS, no way should kids be expected to have the confidence and competence of a long-time, 50+ years, cyclist . 

Avatar
CyclingInBeastMode replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
0 likes
burtthebike wrote:

"A striking 80% of Dutch youth (age 12-17) cycle to places (school, park, shop, friend’s) at least three days per week."

Anyone know the figure for the UK?  I imagine it's slightly less, like maybe 2%.  A testament to our fantastic transport, health, climate change and community policies.

Firstly the Dutch figures are from at the least 5 years ago and as far back as 9 years as the survey data is from 2010-2014. I take the stats re cycling from DCE with a pinch of salt, the Dutch government released data that tells us that cycling has increased in km by circa 11% (but not journeys) over the last 9 years, at the same time motoring km have increased by a similar number (NL population increased by approx 5%). Modal share of cycling has not increased in over a decade despite the huge numbers of e-bikes in the last few years and many added thousands of km of cycle lanes. Strange how these numbers never seem to add up to more cycling yet the picture is portrayed completely differently!

Also according to that PDF and in the paragraph next to the cherry picked data is this.

"Data from TNO show that the percentage of children and youth meeting the Dutch Physical Activity Guideline (NNGB; to be at least moderately active for at least 60 minutes every day4) show a declining trend for the period between 2006 and 2014.5 For the 4-11 year olds the number of children who are meeting the NNGB has decreased by approximately 10 percent during this period. Furthermore, it seems that the Dutch adolescents are getting more inactive. For example, there was an increasing trend in the percentage of inactive (when a child is at most moderately physically active for 60 minutes in the span of only 2 days5) 12-17 year olds from 2010 (11%) to 2014 (15%).5 These numbers show the increment of the inactivity crisis among Dutch youth. This is a worrying development because of the negative health effects of being physically inactive.

And:

"Although Dutch children accumulate a lot of daily physical activity through cycling, it is not enough to meet the current national physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. Even though cycling is an important component to the amount of daily physical activity, Dutch youth are not cycling to health."

Less than a third of Dutch kids are meeting the daily physical threshold of 60 mins of moderate activity, children living in urban areas perform worse because the distance they travel by cycle is insufficient to get anywhere near the 60mins of physical activity.

To compare, the % of UK kids getting 60 mins moderate active exercise is 23%boys/20%girls so roughly 21.5% which is 6.5% less than the Dutch despite all these Dutch kids cycling loads, they much all be sitting playing playstations even more than out kids given how much cycling they do

Would we benefit more from allowing kids to cycle places without fear of getting smashed, yup, would the nation be healthier, absolutely, but let's not start cherry picking stats put up for the Dutch every time as a comparison when their underlying issues are the same as ours and aren't actually getting better despite their attempts to get more people cycling and the billions € which has failed massively.

Avatar
burtthebike | 5 years ago
18 likes

“This understandably results in a large number of complaints to us. Cycling in pedestrian only areas is extremely dangerous...."

Great, so he'll be able to tell us how many complaints and how many people have been killed or seriously injured.

Edit:

Just read this fb post which sums the situation up brilliantly:

"Jeff Wagstaff  Yeah, just think of all the lives that will be saved. Or is it the life. No, hang on, just think of all the minor annoyances that will be saved. I'm sure if it prevents one person from tutting, it'll be worth it."
 

Avatar
Legin replied to burtthebike | 5 years ago
5 likes
burtthebike wrote:

“This understandably results in a large number of complaints to us. Cycling in pedestrian only areas is extremely dangerous...."

Great, so he'll be able to tell us how many complaints and how many people have been killed or seriously injured.

 

If it's similar to the Velolife Cafe debacle, it will be one complaint, no record of numbers or a definition of what "extremely dangerous" is. Followed by a a group of NIMBY councillors who once got held up behind a club run taking vengence as only people with nothing else in their sorry lives can do.

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