“Tell drivers to get off their phones and stop driving in cycle lanes”: Police slammed for targeting cyclists on LTN one-way street; “Children more important than empty bike lanes”; No Tour for Pidcock; Cyclocross coverage “farce” + more on the live blog

Spare a thought for the poor staffer in charge of the Bournemouth Daily Echo’s inbox, having to sift through piles of anti-cycling letters every day.

Or that’s the way it seems at the moment, anyway, judging by the recent editions of the local paper’s ‘letters to the editor’ page.

Just last week, we highlighted one letter, from a certain Mr David Chapman of Ferndown, who argued that cyclists are aiming to take control of the roads… by lowering speed limits.

“We’ve seen many stories from the cycling community regarding their wishes to control the roads to have lower speed limits despite having their own purpose-built safety lanes away from traffic,” David wrote in his letter to the editor.

> Cyclists want to “control the roads” through lower speed limits, claims driver – who asks: “What right does a cyclist have to tell anyone what to do?” amid call for cycling insurance, number plates, and bike inspections

“But isn’t it time cyclists took a look at themselves before telling others how things should be? Why do we need lower speed limits on roads with cyclepaths [sic] that keep cyclists away from traffic? Should we impose speed limits on cyclepaths?

“Until cyclists have insurance, licence plates, annual vehicle [sic] inspections carried out by government officials, cycling proficiency (for children, carried out at schools) and mandatory fixed lighting, what right does a cyclist have to tell anyone what to do on the roads?”

And now, David’s claim that cyclists are mounting a takeover of the roads has been followed by another letter, this time from Bournemouth-based Ian Lawrence, who argued in a rather misguided missive to the Echo’s editor that cycle lanes are acting as a barrier to the necessary funding required to support children, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities.

Which strikes me as a very odd conflation of two very distinct issues, with two very distinct funding sources.

Not that Mr Lawrence cares, however – I suppose it’s easier to blame the cycle lanes than years, or decades, of misjudgement and bad decisions on the part of the government, after all.

“While BCP Council is on the verge insolvency, on the other hand they wasting millions on underused, unwanted cycle infrastructure and money which they assert cannot be used for urgent priorities like SEND children,” Ian said in his letter.

“Maybe there are solutions available outside the box providing opportunities for council leadership to show its initiative and problem-solving abilities.”

Ian then called on the council to work with other local authorities, and alongside parents, to lobby the government to support funding initiative for children with educational needs.

Which sounds great – but what’s it got to do with cycling again?

“Then you could all push for switching unneeded and unwanted transport funding into a pot dedicated for our children’s futures,” Ian continued.

“After all, nobody would disagree that children who should be a greater priority than empty bike lanes.”

Ah, right.

> "Not everyone has the option to drive": Council addresses backlash over controversial cycle lane projects, including row over 'driveway-blocking wands' and 'Britain's biggest bike lane'

As we’ve seen over the years, BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole) Council has been at the forefront of a series of disputes over active travel projects in the United Kingdom, with residents like Mr Lawrence outraged at what they see as expensive and under-used cycling infrastructure making their lives worse.

Last month, we reported that a petition calling for the Liberal Democrat and independent-run council to “reconsider their current local transport and infrastructure policies” was launched online, following a MailOnline article on the issue which featured the headline: ‘Our council is causing traffic chaos and spending £120m to install 50 MILES of cycle lanes – despite the ones already there barely being used’.

Steve Moody, who set up BCP and Dorset Motorists, started the petition and claimed that the “construction of extremely expensive and obviously under-utilised cycle paths, along with a huge numbers of local roadworks, all being carried out at the same time with minimal co-ordination by BCP Council are real and major issues”.

However, BCP’s cabinet member for roads, Andy Hadley, insisted the infrastructure projects benefit all road users, not just cyclists, and countered the petition’s claims by pointing out that “not everyone in our community has the option to drive”.

It was national cyclocross championships weekend in the muddy fields of Europe over the past few days, as riders across the continent fought for the right to be the one who dirties their country’s shiny champ’s jersey beyond all recognition for the next 12 months.

In Belgium, European champion Thibau Nys added to his ever-growing jersey collection, along with fellow first-time national champ Marion Norbert Riberolle, while young phenoms Puck Pieterse and Tibor del Grosso bagged that much-coveted red, white, and blue jersey at the Dutch championships.

Meanwhile, on a wintery course at the Cyclopark in Gravesend, 24-year-old Xan Crees soloed to an emotional maiden British elite title, breaking clear alongside Cat Ferguson early on before dispatching the teenage Movistar sensation on the third lap.

(Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)

After building up a solid lead, Spectra Racing rider Crees was then forced to hold off a late Ferguson surge to secure the win by five seconds, as Visma-Lease a Bike’s Imogen Wolff finished a strong third.

In the men’s race, Cameron Mason put in a dominant display to beat closest challenger Ben Chilton by over three minutes and secure his third consecutive national title, after Thomas Mein – who was putting Mason on the backfoot during the opening few laps – was forced to abandon after a fall on the steps.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Not that we could see any of the racing – unless you were actually in Gravesend, of course.

Because, while previous British ‘cross champs have been available to watch on the BBC iPlayer, this year’s event was only accessible to those at home through (officially at least) live text updates and the occasional short clip on British Cycling’s social media page.

A STACKED elite women’s field gets our afternoon racing off to a flying start! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/tyJiRdL2AO

— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) January 12, 2025

This lack of coverage was questioned in the lead-up to the events, with one fan asking under a cyclocross-themed British Cycling Instagram post: “Is the British National Championships being televised/streamed live anywhere?”

“You have to livestream it manually by going to Gravesend,” another sarcastically replied.

And that, bizarrely, was how it turned out.

After fans desperate to see the Kent-based action were warned about dodgy links purporting to be officially recognised by the governing body, up stepped a young teenage ‘cross fan named Kirstie, who filmed the race from the side of the course as part of a YouTube livestream and helpfully – and brilliantly – performed a running commentary on the racing in the process.

“Great job Kirstie, there’s nearly 350 of us watching you now. Brilliant. You are the official live stream of the British Cyclo-cross Championships!” one viewer commented on the teenager’s feed, which was uploaded to her YouTube page, ‘The World of Cycling According to Kirstie’.

In fact, Kirstie racked up a whopping 18,500 views across the two elite races for her livestream, with viewers joining all the way from the US too. So you can’t say there wasn’t a market for the coverage.

“I was super happy to do today's livestream at the National Championships and commentate on the race. It was really nice to see loads of people tuning in from all over the world,” Kirstie wrote on her YouTube channel after the race.

Nice use of the classic cycling trope ‘super happy’ too, Kirstie.

(Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)

And while the cost of broadcasting a bike race in Britain can be shockingly prohibitive – just ask the Tour of Britain – some fans felt very short-changed when it came to this year’s national ‘cross coverage.

“Just a shame there’s nowhere to watch this on a screen,” Andrew wrote under one of British Cycling’s short clips of the racing.

“BC have really dropped the ball on this,” added cycling writer Katy Madgwick.

 (Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)

“Basically we are going to be relying on a teenager to stream live from the Cyclopark,” said Alex on BlueSky.

“Well done Kirstie, all kudos to you. Farcical by BC though. Not sure how the sport is meant to ignite fires and grow if there’s no live coverage anywhere.”

Who knows, maybe Eurosport will sign Kirstie up for next year?

He may have been one of the stars of the first two series of Netflix’s fly-on-the-wall Tour de France documentary – after all, who doesn’t love a tense and moody post-stage, mid-massage debrief scene? – but Tom Pidcock won’t be heading to cycling’s biggest race in 2025, the British star confirmed in an interview with BBC Sport at the weekend.

Following his long, drawn-out transfer from the Ineos Grenadiers to second-tier Q36.5 Pro Cycling over the winter, Pidcock and his team are now reliant on wildcard invitations to WorldTour races, including the grand tours and most important classics.

And with the Tour’s final two invites set to be handed out to either breakaway-hungry Uno-X, Julian Alaphilippe’s Tudor squad, or French outfit TotalEnergies, Q36.5’s chances of making it to the start line in Lille on 5 July are somewhat slim, double Olympic champion on the books are otherwise.

Not that Pidcock, who’s had a love-hate relationship with the Tour and the pressures of riding for GC over the past few years, seems to mind that much.

(Georg Lindacher)

“We’ll have a year out from the Tour and try to get to the Tour in 2026,” the 25-year-old, who won a stage of the 2022 race atop Alpe d’Huez, told the BBC.

“I’m happy I’ve got a year out from it, a break. When I come back, it’ll be with a refreshed energy.”

While the former Amstel Gold and Strade Bianche winner is happy to sit out the Tour – where he appeared to be visibly bristling against the GC-focused demands placed upon him by Ineos at the race last year – for one year at least, he remains confident Q36.5 will secure invites to the events he’s most focused on: the one-day classics.

In fact, Pidcock is almost certain to race this year’s traditional Belgian Opening Weekend of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, with the aim of taking in a full spring campaign with the Swiss squad.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“We don’t have full control over the calendar, we have to get invited,” he added. “But in theory we should have all the races that I want to do.”

Meanwhile, at Q36.5’s media day in Calpe yesterday, Pidcock told reporters, including Daniel Benson, that his decision to break his contract with Ineos early, amid an apparent breakdown in his relationship with the British team, was “business, not personal”.

“Things were just not going how it was originally envisioned at Ineos and how I had imagined it. The solution, the mutual solution, was to end the contract, which was the best,” Pidcock said during a press conference.

The 25-year-old was sensationally dropped at the last minute from the Ineos squad for Il Lombardia in October following months of tension within the struggling squad, kicking off a protracted transfer saga that ultimately led to Pidcock leaving the team he turned pro with in 2021, and signing a three-year deal with Q36.5 in December.

But, the Yorkshire all-rounder says, there was no specific moment that hastened his departure from Ineos.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“Things were just not going how it was originally envisioned at Ineos and how I had imagined it. The solution, the mutual solution, was to end the contract, which was the best,” he said when asked why he moved teams.

“It wasn’t a specific moment. It had been going on for a while. There’s no secret that last year was difficult for me, and Ineos I guess. It was more of a gradual thing.”

Pidcock then pointed to the changes that have taken place within Ineos since he signed four years ago, including the departure of team principal Dave Brailsford.

Meanwhile, it’s also clear that he will be afforded more freedom at Q36.5, where his off-road and classics ambitions won’t be stifled by an apparent desire for further success at grand tours, which seemed to be the main, and somewhat overbearing desire, at Ineos, a team formerly dominant at cycling’s three-week races.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“To be perfectly honest with you, I’m struggling to give an answer to that question because I’ve actually moved on,” Pidcock insisted when asked again why his spell at Ineos had ended in such acrimonious fashion.

“That team was my second family and I had great memories there but it was time to change. I accepted that a long time ago and I’m fully focused here and that’s not a scripted answer, I’m just very good at putting things behind me and moving on.

“Ineos was a fantastic team. They have their motivations and goals, and how they want to achieve them but at the end of the day what happened with me was business, it wasn’t personal.

“I signed my contract with different people who run the team now and that did create some difficulties, just from what I imagined it would be like to what happened but they still gave me every support in things they wanted to achieve.

“I had a lot of people were questioning why I had come to this team and saying these are my prime years, and that I should be winning as much as possible. But it’s not all about winning. It’s about the story you write, who you write it with, and what you achieve.

“It’s not only about winning, it’s about what you build, and here I can gain more satisfaction than anywhere else.”

It’s the end of an era, after it was confirmed this afternoon that road.cc’s Fantasy Cycling game has called it quits ahead of the 2025 season.

In disappointing news for all of us who loved spending an evening stressing over whether to sub out Dylan Groenewegen for Derek Gee as the mountains loomed on the horizon, road.cc co-founder Dave Atkinson confirmed the decision to not continue Fantasy Cycling in a forum post.

“We’d like to extend our thanks to everyone that’s been a part of the game over the 12 years it’s been running, especially those of you who have helped with scoring, team transfers, and answering questions on the forum. It’s had a good run,” Dave said in the post.

“We’re sad to be closing the game, but the reality is that it runs at a loss, even with volunteers doing most of the scoring, and is built on a dated codebase that is no longer reliable. It would require significant development to update the game, and in the current commercial climate that’s not something that we can commit to.

“If you’re interested in taking on the hosting and running of the game then we’re happy to start a conversation about that: you can email us at game [at] road.cc.”

And to mark Fantasy Cycling’s closure after 12 glorious years, let’s take a moment to remember the time I finished 10th overall at the 2023 Tour de France:

Glory days, they’ll pass you by…

> Wire strung across popular bike path causes two “serious” crashes ahead of Tour Down Under, days after police chief urged “extra level of vigilance” on roads due to “abundance of cyclists” around pro races

> Bike maintenance brand criticised for “really poor taste” video linking Sir Chris Hoy’s cancer diagnosis to use of rival company’s chain lube

Elsewhere during ‘cross champs weekend, one particularly greasy corner at the slip-and-slide mud fest that was Belgium’s Zolder circuit – which had been a veritable ice rink only 24 hours before, delaying the start of the youth races – was causing all sorts of problems for the U23 men:

 

 

 

 

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Bunny-hopping a stray bike only to careen into the barriers yourself? Now that’s what I call cyclocross.