"Sad day for the humble motorist": Cyclists rejoice as barriers finally installed on 'car park' bike lane; Lidl-Trek go shopping for fruit (+ swimming pools); Chris Hoy finds 31-year-old splinter in bum; Near Miss, cyclist edition + more on the live blog

Rejoice, finally!

Sad day for the humble Motorist as Belfasts most loved car park is set to close after 3 years of valiant service providing the hard working motorist with free parking since the year of our lord 2020. Let’s hope our economy can survive this monumental blow & tourism isn’t affected https://t.co/jLBg9dsJpH

— Starling3232 (@Starling3232) August 24, 2023

After months and months of motorists using this piece of dedicated "separated" cycling infrastructure on Hardcastle Street in Belfast,  as a playground to store their vehicles, a ray of sunshine has finally sprung from amidst the darkened skies.

Barriers, albeit only made out plastic, have finally been bolted down, to provide a safer, segregated route for cyclists to navigate. Rocket science, I know.

The irony is, that even in the picture posted above, there are cars still parked! I don't know if I should laugh or be sad, this is truly exceptional...

> “This is the reality of cycling in Belfast”: Cyclists blast ‘protected’ bike lane packed with parked cars and bins

I know Belfastian cyclists are rejoicing though, with Cycling UK in Northern Ireland joining in celebration and euphoria, commenting: "Great turnaround @deptinfra and thanks to @BBCMarkSimpson for supporting the campaign."

👏👏🚴‍♀️ finally! How hard has this been...

— Sustrans in Northern Ireland (@SustransNI) August 24, 2023

I know right, how hard this been? This street, which has been a regular feature on our live blogs, is finally seeing the light of day as a cycling route free from the maddening levels of car parking rampant earlier.

Back in February, Sustrans described the situation on Hardcastle Street as “disgraceful – every single day, no action”.

“This is one of Belfast's ONLY ‘separated’ cycle lanes,” the North Belfast Cycle Campaign also noted. “This is the ONLY safe route across town. How is this acceptable?”

> “It’s such an obvious solution but now they are only considering it”: Government decides to – finally – trial new bolt down barriers on cycle lane littered for years with parked cars and bins

It featured on our yesterday's blog as well, when the news broke that Northern Ireland's Department for Infrastructure at last stumbled upon a fantastical, earth-shattering solution to the longstanding issue of one of Belfast’s few ‘protected’ cycle lanes being almost constantly blocked by parked cars.

A DfI spokesperson told Belfast Live: "The Department recognises the frustration caused by inconsiderate parking on cycle lanes across the city. While the legislative process to make the pop-up cycle permanent is ongoing, in the interim the Department now intends to trial new bolt down barriers which will make the cycle lanes inaccessible to cars.

"These will be installed as soon as possible. We would encourage road users to respect everyone’s journey and think before you park."

Bolted down pic.twitter.com/aRMLSbLGFu

— David McSwiggan Artist (@maxwiggan) August 24, 2023

The admittedly belated decision follows a meeting of Northern Ireland’s All Party Cycling Group, held to outline the group’s vision for a "better cycling future". The meeting came just days after councillors in Belfast launched a scathing attack on Northern Ireland’s Stormont government and what they describe as its "joke" approach to cycling infrastructure.

> “If they can’t build cycle lanes, devolve bloody powers to us and we’ll do it”: Belfast Council slams Northern Ireland government’s “joke” delivery of cycling infrastructure – as just 2.8km of bike lanes installed in two years

At the All Party Cycling Group meeting, call were made for the DfI "to step up and build infrastructure and maintain the paltry infrastructure that does exist" to make active travel safer and more accessible, while Cycling UK emphasised the business case for installing more cycle lanes.

Cycling UK's Andrew McClean also proposed painting double yellow lines on cycle lanes in a bid to stop motorists from parking in them.

"The DfI said that’s not a bad idea... it’s such an obvious solution but now they are only considering it,” he said, before adding that the group agreed that “one of the most important things we can do is enforce existing laws".

Well, everyone involved in campaigning for this seemingly impossible act does deserve a pat on their backs!

Great work Andrew and team! First class campaigning

— Cycling UK Cymru (@CyclingUK_Wales) August 24, 2023

And after that lengthy blog post, it's time for some social media posts known as Tweets (do I still capitalise the T?)...

This is phenominal, and they're being BOLTED IN PLACE 😍

Obviously, this isn't as secure as a concrete barrier or steel bollards, but it is a sign that we are seing some form of positive direction.

Keep it going!#Belfast #Cycling https://t.co/E9safoHwqO

— Fund The NINE | Expand Northern Ireland's Railways (@FundTheNINE) August 24, 2023

Is that a parking meter where that silver car is parked?

— Belfast Cyclist (@BelfastCyclist1) August 24, 2023

If this works it could become a shrine for what the space once was...

— Belfast Cycle Campaign (@Bel_Cycle_Camp) August 24, 2023

They are! going to be some serious manoeuvers come 5pm - may have to go watch

— Belfast Cycle Campaign (@Bel_Cycle_Camp) August 24, 2023

Cheers everyone, until next time!

I know I know, no consumption under capitalism is ethical, but I'm just providing you the option to choose if you wanted to support a business that only exclusively uses cargo bikes... and fixes blocked drains. So for that reader who's looking for exactly these two things in life, here's road.cc helping you out. All the more reasons why you should be on the live blog everyday.

We’re based in Kilburn and the only drainage company trying to move to 100% cargo bikes. Focusing on serving our local community rather than driving all over London or the south east to win business. pic.twitter.com/jeW1IuuVf9

— Drain Geeks (@draingeeks) August 20, 2023

Alexander McKellar admitted culpable homicide related to the death of 63-year-old Tony Parsons, while his brother Robert was also sentenced to five years and three months in prison.

> Drink driver who killed charity cyclist and hid body jailed for 12 years

What's better than a great cycling season? A great silly season!

I jest — cycling has been a crackerjack this year, but the transfer season has seen its fair share of oohs and aahs. Yesterday evening, Escape Collective reported rumours that 2023 Giro d'Italia winner Primož Roglič could be on his way to Lidl-Trek, a team which with the arrival of a new sponsor found itself with deeper pockets.

The Slovenian will be eager to do the Giro-Vuelta double this year (the last man to do it was Chris Froome in 2018), but everyone knows that Jumbo Visma also has a two-time Tour de France winner in its roster in the form of Jonas Vingegaard, who' also doing the Vuelta which starts tomorrow.

And to make a mark and get himself a shot at Tour de France glory, there were suggestions that Roglič, who has a contract till 2024 with the Dutch team, could be inclined for a switch to Lidl-Trek.

However, Jumbo Visma has swiftly shut any such rumours down, calling it a "complete bulls*** story".

"There has been zero discussion. So I think it’s a complete bullshit story," Jumbo-Visma directeur sportif Merjin Zeeman told GCN on Friday.

"Of course we wouldn't let him go. We’re building a team for the long term and that’s the strategy. We want to make sure that these guys are under long-term contracts and we don’t give that away. Plus I saw the report and I think what his manager said is that Primož is also very happy with the team. So I think that from both sides we are committed to each other."

"Of course we wouldn't let him go."

Primož Roglič to Lidl-Trek is a "complete bullshit story," says @JumboVismaRoad.

Read more as Merjin Zeeman and Richard Plugge speak to GCN ahead of #LaVuelta23 ⤵️https://t.co/XfKhNe6uYb pic.twitter.com/SJqFpHLLuq

— GCN Racing (@GcnRacing) August 25, 2023

According to Zeeman, the discussions over Grand Tour leadership are routine with the team, and a solution for 2024 and beyond would be found over the winter months as the team looks towards next year.

"It would be the same as when I’m leading the team discussions, and that’s to approach cycling as a team sport," Zeeman said. "We include personal ambitions in there too and we always try to create a plan that reaches team goals. We just continue with that approach and we’ll continue with that over the coming years."

Team boss Richard Plugge also had a similarly emphatic response: "Primož is our king from 2016 onwards."

Well, well, well. Anyone wishing to be a fly inside the Jumbo Visma team bus at the Vuelta? Or maybe, I'll just ask Netflix to make a documentary (where they will completely miss the key storyline...).

Football and cycling crossovers are my favourite crossovers! And what better crossover than a football manager coming out as a cycling fan.

Andoni Iraola, former Basque right-back who spent 12 years playing for Bilbao and who's recently taken reins of Bournemouth FC, has told TNTSports that he's a massive cycling fan, and has already been out on his bike as he assumes the responsibility of keeping the Cherries in England's top-flight, and maybe even a respectable mid-table finish.

"It’s really nice. You see the weather we have here, so I've been lucky. The welcome has been fantastic for me and now is my moment to deliver the results," he said.

Iraola suggested cycling is much easier in Bournemouth, and although his time spent on the roads will be limited, he looks forward to having the opportunity to partake in his hobby, adding: "It’s difficult when you are a coach, you don’t have a lot of time, but whenever I find a couple of hours, I love it."

> Arsène Wenger expresses his love for the Tour, says footballers don't suffer as much as cyclists

The former Rayo Vallecano manager, who replaced Gary O'Neill on a two-year deal at the southern English side, said that he will try to have the Vuelta on in the background, and stay up to date with what's going on in the Spanish Grand Tour.

Hailing from Usurbil in the Basque Country, it is no surprise that Iraola has such a passion for cycling. He explained: "Cycling is something big in the Basque Country... other people used to go to the Pyrenees to see the mountain stages, and sometimes we are lucky that the Tour starts in some of our cities, like this year."

Basque fans at Tour de France 2023 (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

"It looks like an individual sport, but I think it’s very tactical. Your team is very important and I really love it. I love it from the tactical side. I think it’s a very hard sport."

His predictions for the race? "I think it will be almost everyone against Jumbo, with Primoz Roglic, with Vingegaard. I think almost everyone will race against them. They have a very strong team and I expect something like this," he said.

He's definitely not wrong. Teams like Soudal Quick-Step, UAE Team Emirates and INEOS Grenadiers will try to throw everything at the Dutch force of a nature team, which will be aiming to complete the Grand Tour triple for the first time in modern cycling, with Giro winner Primož Roglič and Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard both looking to do a double as well.

Jumbo-Visma sporting director Mathieu Heijboer is full of confidence for Jonas Vingegaard ahead of La Vuelta 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ivahk0htc0

— Eurosport (@eurosport) August 15, 2023

Football managers showing their affection for cycling, surprisingly happens more often than you'd imagine! Remember this video from big man Neil Warnock, who was thrusted with the immense pressure of managing the elite team of footballers who cycle, made up by road.cc...

> Footballers who cycle XI — the Premier League stars who love life on two wheels

A few years ago, ex-Man City boss (now involved in elaborate money launderings with a shell team in Abu Dhabi) Roberto Mancini, spoke about his passion for cycling that he inherited from his father, with Felice Gimondi, Francesco Moser and Marco Pantani among his heroes.

And former Swansea City manager Francesco Guidolin, who took over the struggling side in 2016, turned out to be a bit of a 'bike nut' himself, enjoying bike rides around Wales. And another wild piece of trivia: Guidolin was responsible for one of professional cycling’s most feared climbs, Monte Zoncolan, being included in the Giro d’Italia.

> Swansea City boss told 'on your bike' - and enjoy cycling the climbs of South Wales!

Just last month, former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger expressed his love for Tour de France, enjoying a trip in the race director Prudhomme's car, and even taking a dig at footballers, claiming they "don't suffer as much as cyclists". If Wenger says so, I'd be inclined to believe him.

Maybe it's time for a few new contenders for the manager role, not that I'm suggesting sacking Warnock, just a sabbatical... Erik Ten Hag, anyone?

> Erik ten bar bag: United boss bringing a touch of Dutch to the North West

.@OfficialTfGM can we get Erik Ten Hag to front our transport campaigns? Lot to love here. Active travel, those waiting for a bus behind him. pic.twitter.com/IbphNzLRaZ

— Cllr David Meller 🌹 (@cllrdavidm) February 16, 2023

New tubes, 300g lighter, than the previous version and “54 seconds per hour faster at 45km/h [28mph]”... We are full steam ahead into the bike release season!

> Trek launches “fastest and lightest Madone SL ever” with IsoFlow tech

Okay a quick PSA before you click on the link: It's not Thule like fuel, but Thule like 'too-lee'; although in the native Swedish, both syllables are as Scandi-sharp as their incredible jawlines, making it sound more like ‘Tu-leh'.

> Passion, prototypes and incredible jawlines: A visit to Thule's design and testing facility nestled in the forests of southern Sweden

This post for "a bit of fun", courtesy of Bob Sweet from Altrincham, who was riding the "very narrow Oldfield Lane" in Greater Manchester. He writes: "The road is closed to motor traffic. Early morning and a commuter rushes past, just glad I didn’t wobble into him, but I did get a good morning greeting!"