Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to news
news

"I went too far": Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins apologises for tweet saying "someone should kill" Sadiq Khan over ULEZ; Unleashed domestique Sepp Kuss keeps hydrated... by chugging A LOT of champagne on Vuelta podium + more on the live blog

Happy Friday! Dan Alexander is on live blog duty for you as we all ride off into the weekend with one more day of cycling action
Fri, Sep 01, 2023 08:35
33

SUMMARY

No Live Blog item found.

"I went too far": Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins apologises for tweet saying "someone should kill" Sadiq Khan over ULEZ; Unleashed domestique Sepp Kuss keeps hydrated... by chugging A LOT of champagne on Vuelta podium + more on the live blogCharlie Mullins
01 September 2023, 07:52
"I went too far": Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins apologises for tweet saying "someone should kill" Sadiq Khan over ULEZ

Well, well, well...

Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins has now apologised after he was this week suspended from the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, for saying "someone should kill" Sadiq Khan over ULEZ and "it's time to dump the Muslim mayor".

> Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins suspended from Twitter after posting that "someone should kill" Sadiq Khan over ULEZ

road.cc contacted Mullins' representatives about the suspension and accusations that his posts were racially charged, but never received a reply. Instead this morning the businessman, also known for his staunch anti-cycling stance, apologised while speaking to Talk TV...

"I unreservedly apologise and withdraw my remarks. I went too far. Twitter/X is right to take the action it did," he said.

Charlie Mullins Sadiq Khan tweets
Charlie Mullins Sadiq Khan tweets 2

X suspended the 70-year-old multimillionaire businessman's account for violating the social media platform's rules. It's not the first time Mullins' thoughts on transport policy have made headlines...

> Pimlico Plumbers publish article describing "cycle fascists whining about their precious road space"

In 2020, he commissioned a Transport for London parody poster of a cyclist struggling to carry tools which said cyclists were "taking f****** liberties".

An additional blog post, shared on the company's website, then took aim at cycling infrastructure and "cycle fascists", which Mullins' PR team claimed were responsible for increasing the length of van journeys in the capital.

"I've had enough of cycle fascists whining about their precious road space when what they really want is to run all non-cycles off the road," the blog, written in the first person as if by Mullins himself, said. "And I'm also sick of the bike bureaucrats who have taken over TfL, and who as we speak are painting great swathes of Central London's roads blue, making it next to impossible to run any kind of service business.

"Businesses like mine, and many others that rely on the transport of large amounts of equipment, tools and goods about the city cannot operate on bicycles. It is a ridiculous proposition. Any fool can figure out it doesn't work. And please don't tell me to get a cargo bike because unless they are the size of a van or a lorry and can be made secure they are exactly as useful as a chocolate teapot."

The blog was later edited following a backlash, before a month later the plumbing provider posted a video on social media asking for help to track down a cyclist who allegedly kicked out a wing mirror on Mullins' Bentley.

However, a number of users called out the footage as fake, with one accusing the firm of staging a publicity stunt and a "false flag" attack to whip up resentment against bike riders.

01 September 2023, 16:06
Geoffrey Soupe wins stage seven of La Vuelta

Absolute chaos on the run into Oliva. Two crashes, one briefly inconveniencing Sepp Kuss before the American was quickly back in the peloton, the second really nasty and leaving Ineos Grenadiers' Thymen Arensman on the floor being treated by the paramedics.

The sprint wasn't any less chaotic either, without the big name sprinters and their monster lead outs it became a free-for-all, Geoffrey Soupe taking a surprise win for TotalEnergies ahead of Caja Rural's Orluis Aular. Something for the French to get excited about...

A few teams will be left licking their wounds after that one...

01 September 2023, 15:47
Man whose dog bit cyclist and "pulled her off bike" handed suspended sentence and ordered to pay almost £2,000
German Shepherd (wikimedia commons CC Att-SA 4.0 by Jakub Hałun)

> Man whose dog bit cyclist and "pulled her off bike" handed suspended sentence and ordered to pay almost £2,000

01 September 2023, 15:40
"Well this was a first..."
01 September 2023, 14:54
"Dreadful" hit-and-run driver who killed cyclist before "calmly" boarding train to London jailed for five and a half years
Smashed windscreen of car involved in hit-and-run collision which killed cyclist in Wantage (Thames Valley Police)

> "Dreadful" hit-and-run driver who killed cyclist before "calmly" boarding train to London jailed for five and a half years

01 September 2023, 14:19
Geraint Thomas crashes at La Vuelta, back on the road

A sore one for G early on today's stage, thankfully now back on his bike as the peloton meanders very leisurely towards Oliva. We've just had a helicopter close up of some dolphins at a waterpark... one of those days where the camera operators and commentary team are having to go the extra mile due to the serene nature of the racing...

01 September 2023, 11:36
Brexit, Covid, and economic uncertainty blamed as Wiggle Chain Reaction Cycles records £97 million loss
Wiggle Bike Service and Repair.jpg

> Brexit, Covid, and economic uncertainty blamed as Wiggle Chain Reaction Cycles records £97 million loss

01 September 2023, 11:12
Comment of the day
Live blog comment

Exactly the level of nitpicking pedantry we love on the live blog.

On a more general sporting discussion, Steve K reckons "it would be quite funny if, after the whole 'who is the leader, Primoz or Jonas' thing, Kuss won the GC." I agree with you there, although something tells us that 25km flat TT might be the end of that particular dream.

Lots of love for Sepp...

Miller: "Not only funny but a much more enjoyable outcome. I do wonder how Jumbo-Visma will handle the team dynamic now that Kuss, a very strong climber, has a handsome lead over his starrier team-mates. What if Kuss suddenly discovers he has an ego?"

Rendel Harris: "I may be being a bit romantic but I reckon P&J would be happy to help him have it if he could TT; it'd be great publicity for them both and superb for the team in terms of US market coverage, also guard against the possibility of Super Sepp deciding he'd like a team leadership elsewhere. Shame it's not a mountain TT."  

01 September 2023, 10:10
Alpecin-Deceuninck's Jimmy Janssens makes young fan's day at La Vuelta

Chapeau, Jimmy Janssens and Alpecin-Deceuninck, winning bunch sprints and hearts at La Vuelta... 

01 September 2023, 09:55
Thomas De Gendt's fan club helps him out

Where are these people when I'm blowing up a climb? 

01 September 2023, 08:52
Will ULEZ get more people on bikes? + Getting back on the bike after hip surgery with a cycling physio expert on the road.cc Podcast

While we're talking about ULEZ...

road.cc Podcast episode 59

> Will ULEZ get more people on bikes? + Getting back on the bike after hip surgery with a cycling physio expert on the road.cc Podcast

01 September 2023, 08:36
Reaction to Shimano announcing launch of 12-speed mechanical 105 R7100 groupset to sit alongside existing Di2

Entirely predictably it was price and lack of rim brake option that caught most people's eyes...

Russell Massey was one of those #rimbrakes4life people, while Gordon Saunders told us the pricing is "silly".

Allyson Hurst agreed, calling it "insane"... "same price as [Campagnolo] Chorus mechanical and [Sram] Rival AXS is ridiculous". Rob Taylor said he'd always been a 105 fan "but now looking at the Tiagra as the trickle down effect now makes this a decent group set without the price".

Michael Marshall said Campag's Chorus rim brake offering made him more likely to go there... although "I doubt Campy will do that forever"...

01 September 2023, 08:17
Man who slashed 42 bicycle tyres during "reckless" spree sentenced
Peterborough Crown Court (Google Maps)

[Peterborough Crown Court]

A 29-year-old man has been handed a 12-month community order after pleading guilty to 42 counts of attempted criminal damage, as well as counts of criminal damage, assault, threatening behaviour, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and theft from a shop, relating to other incidents.

Cambridgeshire Live reports Ife Bellow used a pair of scissors to slash 42 bike tyres in Cambridge at 2am on October 18 last year. His "reckless" spree took place in Drummer Street and Guildhall Street, close to where he was soon arrested by police.

CCTV operators saw him puncture the bikes' tyres before throwing scissors, which were later recovered, into a bin.

"To this day we still have no explanation for Bellow's reckless actions. He caused great inconvenience and expense to his victims and has shown himself to be a violent criminal in other areas too. I am glad we were able to bring him before the courts," PC Jack Burgess said.

01 September 2023, 07:20
Unleashed star domestique Sepp Kuss keeps hydrated by chugging A LOT of champagne on Vuelta podium

After four long months dominating the 'teammate of the year' award in professional cycling, assisting Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard to Grand Tour victories and now onto his third major tour of the season, who can blame Sepp Kuss for enjoying his day in the sun?

We like to drink with our super climbing domestique because Sepp Kuss is our mate, and when we drink with our wiry 60kg mountain goat he gets it down in eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two... oh, he's finished...

I made that 14 big gulps of the fizzy stuff, I'm sure his team provided plenty of white rice to soak that up once he returned to the team bus... "No, you're not 'just descending down to the hotel', Sepp"...

Who knew a Kuss vs Pogačar drinking showdown was the real Jumbo-Visma vs UAE Team Emirates battle we needed to see (just don't invite Pidcock)...

Marc Madiot might have something to say this morning. Groupama-FDJ's outspoken manager, during the Tour de France, told Jumbo's boss to... *checks notes*... "shut his mouth" and said that he is "small, shabby" and it's "pathetic" that Richard Plugge would speak out about seeing rival riders enjoying a rest day beer...

> "He can shut his mouth": Marc Madiot slams "small, shabby" Jumbo-Visma boss who claimed that French riders were drinking "large beers" on rest day 

Cue the memes that followed, wonderfully assisted my Madiot...

Interestingly, ahead of the Tour's third week, Plugge had said: "Alcohol is poison, and when you are already tired, it'll make you even more fatigued. At the start of the last week of the Tour, which is the most important, you have to be careful what you eat and drink. In our team nobody drinks alcohol, because that breaks you and even those who aren't riders shouldn't drink it. We open our doors, answer all the questions, but you have to look at the other side as well. Because that explains part of the differences, not only in our favour, but also against the others."

It seems La Vuelta really is the most relaxed Grand Tour...

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.

Add new comment

33 comments

Avatar
Miller replied to Steve K | 1 year ago
4 likes

Steve K wrote:

I know it won't happen, but it would be quite funny if, after the whole "who is the leader, Primoz or Jonas" thing, Kuss won the GC.

Not only funny but a much more enjoyable outcome. I do wonder how JV will handle the team dynamic now that Kuss, a very strong climber, has a handsome lead over his starrier team-mates. What if Kuss suddenly discovers he has an ego?

 

 

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to Steve K | 1 year ago
6 likes

Steve K wrote:

I know it won't happen, but it would be quite funny if, after the whole "who is the leader, Primoz or Jonas" thing, Kuss won the GC.

I may be being a bit romantic but I reckon P&J would be happy to help him have it if he could TT; it'd be great publicity for them both and superb for the team in terms of US market coverage, also guard against the possibility of Super Sepp deciding he'd like a team leadership elsewhere. Shame it's not a mountain TT.

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to Rendel Harris | 1 year ago
1 like

Rendel Harris wrote:

Steve K wrote:

I know it won't happen, but it would be quite funny if, after the whole "who is the leader, Primoz or Jonas" thing, Kuss won the GC.

I may be being a bit romantic but I reckon P&J would be happy to help him have it if he could TT; it'd be great publicity for them both and superb for the team in terms of US market coverage, also guard against the possibility of Super Sepp deciding he'd like a team leadership elsewhere. Shame it's not a mountain TT.

This is the outcome we're all rooting for.  Especially with the GC timings all over the place.

Pages

Latest Comments