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Had your cycle lane ripped up? Blame Lance Armstrong; Peloton instructor tells class to think of their dead relatives for motivation; Help woman with cerebral palsy find stolen bike; Jeremy Clarkson calls Sadiq Khan a 'f*******' + more on the live blog

It's Friday and Dan Alexander will be taking you through to the weekend on the live blog...
Fri, Dec 18, 2020 09:06
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Had your cycle lane ripped up? Blame Lance Armstrong; Peloton instructor tells class to think of their dead relatives for motivation; Help woman with cerebral palsy find stolen bike; Jeremy Clarkson calls Sadiq Khan a 'f*******' + more on the live blogLance
18 December 2020, 14:51
Apparently, Lance Armstrong is why we can't have cycle lanes

This is a new one on why cycle lanes are a bad idea... Anir Banbasu recalls asking RealOne Chiswick about cyclists and getting the answer that they shouldn't be trusted because of Lance Armstrong. Banbasu posted: "I asked someone about cyclists and they said 'Lance Armstrong - banned for life, stripped of all prizes from Aug 1, 1998, including 7 Tour de France and 1 Olympic medal... not to be trusted.'"

Jon Wright replied: "Wait what? i just want to take my kids to school without being hit by a distracted SUV driver, not cycle around France..."

So, is the reason some people dislike others cycling to work and school in London because of a Texan who was stripped of seven Tour de France titles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments as always, and don't go getting banned for life from anything on your weekend ride. 

18 December 2020, 16:58
James Shaw signs for Ribble Weldtite

James Shaw has secured his future in the sport by signing with British Continental team Ribble Weldtite for 2021. Shaw was without a contract after Riwal Securitas failed to attract a sponsor to keep the team running beyond this season. The 24-year-old has ridden in the WorldTour with Lotto-Soudal and was part of Team GB's squad at the World Championships this year. 

On the move he said: "I'm incredibly grateful for the last minute opportunity from the team. I fully intend on making the most of it in 2020. I know a lot of the team at Ribble Weldtite and with their support I'm looking forward to getting out there and winning bike races again to help me return to the top of the sport." 

18 December 2020, 16:10
Final call for Cycling UK's games night
18 December 2020, 15:18
18 December 2020, 14:26
Best of the Peloton reaction
18 December 2020, 14:00
Zwift Academy 2020 final on YouTube this Saturday with contracts at Canyon//SRAM and Alpecin-Fenix up for grabs

The final of the 2020 Zwift Academy will be streamed on YouTube at 7pm tomorrow evening. From 125,000 participants in the Zwift Academy Road, ten finalists have been selected with the winner being decided on Saturday. Brit Nicole Coates is one of the five women competing for a contract with women's WorldTour team Canyon//SRAM, while Damien Clayton and Oliver Moors are two of the men's finalists. The men's winner will earn a contract with Alpecin-Fenix.

18 December 2020, 13:09
18 December 2020, 13:00
End of an era for Jumbo-Visma and Bianchi

Jumbo-Visma's final season on Bianchi bikes was certainly a successful one. The team won two Monuments, Vuelta a España, Strade Bianche and eight stages of Grand Tours. This short highlights video relives the highs and lows from the Dutch squad's time on Bianchi bikes before the manufacturer moves to GreenEdge Cycling in 2021.

18 December 2020, 12:29
Two Eastbourne bike shops targeted by thieves
Evolution bike shop (Street view)

The Argus reports that two bike shops in Eastbourne have been targeted by thieves in the past week. Police officers were called to Evolution at 1am last Sunday and found that the store's front window had been smashed and an Evil Wreckoning mountain bike taken. Thieves then returned at 11.30pm, and repeated the crime this time taking a Santa Cruz Heckler electric cycle.

Two days later, Cycle Tech was targeted. A Raleigh Motor Grand Tour and a Mondraker Dusk RR29er electric mountain bike were taken from the shop in Pevensey. Police believe the two raids could be linked.

18 December 2020, 12:04
18 December 2020, 11:32
RIPeloton: Bizarre moment spin instructor asks class to climb in honour of their dead relatives

John Cullen knew something was up when his Christmas ride on Peloton was interrupted by the song 'Hallelujah'. What he didn't expect was to be asked to think of his dead relatives for motivation...

 The instructor, who John is quick to point out usually has a great music taste, pulls on the heartstrings saying: "One of the hardest parts of the holidays, is that sometimes there might be an empty chair. I know that's been a part of my journey this year, it's been a part of a lot of our journeys this year and so we're going to climb in honour of the empty chairs."

So get out the saddle, stamp on the pedals and think about everyone you've lost this year...Here's some more Peloton gold for your amusement: 

18 December 2020, 10:49
How it started... How it's going...
18 December 2020, 10:21
Static bike world record attempts

On January 7, Kate Strong will attempt to break three world records for the furthest distance covered on a static bike in one, 12 and 24 hours. To break the records, Kate will have to cover 35.3km in an hour and 348km in 12 hours. There is no current record for the 24-hour effort but considering the distances she's trying to beat for the previous two, I think we can expect an impressive marker to be put down for future challengers.

Kate was the world champion in her age group for long-distance triathlon in 2014 and the triple record attempt is all part of her training to take on the Limitless Challenge. Starting in 2022, she is hoping to become the first person to attempt the cycle Race Across America, swim the English Channel and summit Everest, all within 12 months.

The Race Across America is a 3,000-mile endurance cycling event that travels from the Pacific to the Atlantic passing through 12 states and climbing nearly 60,000m of elevation.

18 December 2020, 09:35
Jeremy Clarkson calls Sadiq Khan a 'f*******' after getting stuck in traffic again

Clarkson's Twitter bio describes himself as a 'still small voice of calm and reason', very funny Jeremy. Predictably his followers saw the picture above as an opportunity to make claims about how cyclists should pay road tax and have insurance. Last month, Clarkson called Sadiq Khan an "imbecile" for turning the "whole damn city into a cycle lane."

At the time a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "These policies are about saving lives and Sadiq makes no apologies for the temporary emergency measures he has put in place to encourage the huge increase in cycling we've seen since the pandemic."

18 December 2020, 08:46
Jeremy Vine leads Twitter response to help woman with cerebral palsy replace her stolen bike

Here's a heart-warming story from social media this morning. The response to Dani Jacobson's tweet has seen hundreds of people offer to help replace Dani's sister's bike, after it was stolen from her flat in Golders Green. Tali has cerebral palsy and her "greatest joy is cycling around on her big red trike, singing at the top of her voice." 

Lots of Twitter users, including Jeremy Vine, have offered to donate a new bike or help contribute to the cost of one. Dani explained that the bike is quite unique to Tali's needs so they're are hoping to find it. One of the retailers of the bike, RMS Limited, has offered to sort a new bike for free if it isn't recovered...

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.

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36 comments

Avatar
antigee replied to Jem PT | 3 years ago
7 likes

Yep good point a lot of the fun of cycling would be lost if you didn't have to go looking in parks for paths you may be able to ride on...in a car you would simply use the nearest road not have to work out a safe route...and if you can't use the road you want to it's the fault of cyclists and you have a right good shout about it

Avatar
FlyingPenguin replied to Jem PT | 3 years ago
6 likes

Jem PT wrote:

I'm all for cycle lanes, but even I struggle to see the sense in the north-bound Park Lane cycle lane. There is a perfectly adequate cycle lane almost parallel in Hyde Park which is far nicer to use!

If by nicer to use you mean full of pedestrians and people on Boris bikes with nowhere particular to be, with insufficient room to overtake them safely without cycling like an arse (not something I'll do), then sure, it's way more pleasant and efficient.

Personally I'll take the main road unless I genuinely have an excess of time.

Avatar
rct replied to Jem PT | 3 years ago
4 likes

That's slower and shared with vunerable pedestrians.  Have you forgotton about social distancing?

Avatar
ktache replied to Jem PT | 3 years ago
1 like

It's London, aren't there any other roads that the motor cars can get stuck on?

Avatar
PRSboy | 3 years ago
15 likes

Lovely juxtaposition of the cheering outpouring of public spiritedness to reunite the poor lady with her bike, and then Jeremy Clarkson. 

Avatar
the little onion replied to PRSboy | 3 years ago
7 likes

From the sublime to the ridiculous

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