Lance Armstrong says he is “all too familiar” with being cancelled as he enters trans athletes row; “Just not good enough”: Buses, motorbikes, and parked cars spotted on British nationals course; Is HGV advice “victim blaming”? + more on the live blog

Alright, hands up – who had ‘Lance Armstrong says being “cancelled” makes him “uniquely positioned” to weigh in on the trans participation in sport debate’ on their bingo card for the week leading up to the Tour?

No, me neither.

But that’s what happened this weekend, as everybody’s favourite disgraced former seven-time Tour de France winner “fearlessly” (his words) decided to dive headfirst – for the sake of podcast content – into what he described as the “sensitive” and “polarising” conversation around trans athletes.

> British Cycling updates transgender policy, introduces new "Open" category

Have we really come to a time and place where spirited debate is not only frowned upon, but feared? Where people’s greatest concern is being fired, shamed or cancelled? As someone all too familiar with this phenomenon, I feel I'm uniquely positioned to have these conversations. pic.twitter.com/De7xs3PUq3

— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) June 25, 2023

“Have we really come to a time and place where spirited debate is not only frowned upon, but feared?” Big Tex tweeted yesterday, advertising a new special series of his The Forward podcast, which will include guests such as Caitlyn Jenner, among lots of typical LA-style ramblings, I presume.

“Where people’s greatest concern is being fired, shamed, or cancelled? As someone all too familiar with this phenomenon, I feel I’m uniquely positioned to have these conversations.

“Of all the controversial and polarising subjects out there today, I’m not sure there are any as heated as the topic of Trans athletes in sport.

“Is there not a world in which one can be supportive of the transgender community and curious about the fairness of Trans athletes in sport yet not be labelled a transphobe or a bigot as we ask questions? Do we yet know the answers? And do we even want to know the answers?”

Lance Armstrong is lecturing people about fairness in sports? Lance. Armstrong? Lance, Fucking, Armstrong?

— David (@uniondesign) June 25, 2023

“That was Lance Armstrong reporting on fairness in sport. Next up, we have Satan to discuss fire safety this summer.”

— Kirsty Webeck 🦈 (@KirstyWebeck) June 25, 2023

He’s uniquely positioned to have a terrible take. Someone give this man a soapbox!

— Erin Dougherty (@Grl_Food) June 25, 2023

Naturally, Armstrong’s reference to the “fairness of trans athletes in sport” has raised more than a few eyebrows on social media, prompting attorney and activist, and fellow Texan, Brian Cuban to tweet that “a guy who cheated, then tried to ruin the lives of those who spoke truthfully about his role in ‘the fairness of sports’ might not be the right mouthpiece for this discussion.”

But it’s Armstrong’s claim that he can now instigate these types of polarising culture war conversations because he too was “cancelled” – in other words, banned for doping and shunned from the sport for a relentless campaign of bullying and intimidation against anyone who spoke out against him – that has struck many as the most bizarre aspect of a frankly bizarre situation.

Not the fact check. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/uNObZ92NBL

— Ryan Shead (@RyanShead) June 26, 2023

Even Twitter, that bastion of online credibility, had to intervene over that particular claim, adding some fact-checking context to Armstrong’s tweet.

“Lance Armstrong was not ‘cancelled’,” Twitter said. “Armstrong was the most dominant and successful professional cyclist in history, until 2013 when he was found to have been doping and was stripped of his titles and awards. Armstrong himself later admitted to cheating for over a decade.”

Eddy Merckx and Marianne Vos may beg to differ over the whole ‘most dominant and successful’ part of that statement, but still, you know it’s bad when Twitter is taking you to task.

At his height, Lance Armstrong was so powerful that he could destroy the careers of journalists who were questioning whether he was cheating. He had them cancelled. And it didn’t matter that he WAS cheating and they were right. They didn’t retroactively get their careers back. https://t.co/7bsPkGleAy

— Neil Shyminsky (@neilshyminsky) June 25, 2023

“Just a reminder: Lance Armstrong wasn’t disproportionately punished because he took more drugs than everyone else,” added cycling writer Peter Flax with his own fact-checking context tweet.

“He became a pariah because he tried to destroy people who got in his way and because he has only pretended to accept responsibility for being a world-class asshole.”

Lance Armstrong (specifically) taking to Twitter (specifically) to plug his podcast (specifically) looking at “both sides” (specifically) of ‘the debate’ around “fairness” (specifically) of trans athletes (specifically) is just about the most June 2023 shit I can imagine.

— Mike Rugnetta (@mikerugnetta) June 26, 2023

However, at least it’s nice to see that Mellow Johnny appears to be taking the backlash well…

Climb down from the high horse Matthew. I'm actually not lecturing anyone rather bringing all sides to the table and inviting rational and open dialogue. And I might add, having a conversation that almost nobody dares touch. If they stream podcasts up in your rarified air, check… https://t.co/QAcHASpG7o

— Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) June 26, 2023

I for one can’t wait to hear reality TV contestant Armstrong’s next “cancelled” take on a culture war topic on his own podcast, as he publicises his latest big-money cycling trip for rich people in Mallorca.

Anything for the grift I suppose…

Check out what was on offer in Frankfurt this week (and no, we’re not talking about the beer and currywurst) at the biggest cycling trade show in Europe:

> 10 tech highlights from Eurobike 2023

As the climate change and environment activist group Just Stop Oil started their tenth week of protests in the country’s capital this morning, things came to a head when a cyclist decided to take matters into his own hands and started pushing and pulling the protestors, telling them to “f****** move” and “go and protest properly”.

However, Just Stop Oil responded to the incident by telling road.cc that “We need everyone, including cyclists, to join us on the streets”.

Read more here: > Cyclist pushes Just Stop Oil protestors off the road to make way for traffic

Ben Healy is a pretty decent bike rider, isn’t he? The 22-year-old has enjoyed a cracking 2023 so far, mixing it with the best in the world at the Ardennes Classics, before beating them at the following month’s Giro d’Italia, all while cementing his place within the current crop of swashbuckling, all-or-nothing, do-or-die long-range attackers.

And, during yesterday’s scorching hot Irish road race championships just outside Dungannon (top tip for all racegoers: always bring sunscreen, even if it’s lashing down when you leave the house), Healy underlined his newfound status as one of cycling’s most exciting solo marauders by attacking and riding clear of a group containing Sam Bennett and Ryan Mullen with 90km of the race still remaining – a scintillating move captured throughout by Mrs Mallon on the hill:

Going…

Going…

Gone.

At the finish, a bemused Mullen asked Healy – who ended up winning by over four minutes – why he attacked from so far out. He won’t be the last to ask that question, I’m sure…

With the Grand Départ set to take place in Bilbao in five days, it’s been a busy morning for Tour de France team announcements, with Ineos, Jumbo-Visma, Movistar, UAE Team Emirates, and Lidl-Trek all revealing their eight-man teams set to take on La Grande Boucle, with AG2R and Alpecin-Deceuninck’s press released scheduled for later today.

(Note to self: We should start calling it ‘Yellow Monday’. That could catch on…)

🗣️ "We’ve selected an exciting group of riders that bring a mix of skills and experience. The strength of this team will lie in the way we take on the race, and how we approach each stage."

Get the pre-#TDF2023 thoughts of Rod Ellingworth and our riders: https://t.co/rDcuyi51xN pic.twitter.com/9cXBYFAjMo

— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) June 26, 2023

The headline news is 2019 winner Egan Bernal’s return to the Tour for the first time since 2020, in what will also be the Colombian’s first grand tour since his horrific training crash last year.

The 26-year-old will be joined in the Basque Country by Ineos Grenadiers teammates Tom Pidcock, hoping to build on his Alpe d’Huez triumph last year, Tour debutantes Ben Turner and Carlos Rodriguez, and experienced heads Jonathan Castroviejo, Omar Fraile, Michal Kwiatkowski, and Dani Martinez, who will be aiming for a decent GC position.

Although let’s hope they’re not taking directions to the start from Ineos’ PR team, otherwise they might end up in Italy judging by the email sent to us…

Oops...

Meanwhile, back at the Tour, as expected Jumbo-Visma announced a strong – albeit Primož Roglič-less – team, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard set to be supported by last year’s green jersey winner Wout van Aert, Dylan van Baarle, Sepp Kuss, Tiesj Benoot, Christophe Laporte, Nathan Van Hooydonck and Wilco Kelderman.

Ready to ride their dreams. 💭

✨ Jonas Vingegaard
✨ @WoutvanAert
✨ @DylanvanBaarle
✨ @TiesjBenoot
✨ @LAPORTEChristop
✨ @seppkuss
✨ @W1lcokelderman
✨ @NVHooydonck

Voice on - the story is told by our riders. 🗣️#rideyourdreams #tdf2023 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/uaaPKbJEYZ

— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) June 26, 2023

They just couldn’t resist a fancy video, could they?

Top marks for imagination, however, go to Lidl-Trek, who brilliantly captured the essence of their new sponsorship deal by announcing their teams for the Tour and Giro Donne using a screenshot of a supermarket receipt:

Don’t forget your receipt! 🧾

We’re taking some excellent international produce @LeTour and @giro_donne 🍎 pic.twitter.com/AycdGVQuim

— Lidl-Trek (@TrekSegafredo) June 26, 2023

Brilliant stuff. Mads Pedersen AND Giulio Ciccone for a fiver? Bargain.

Onto the other big contender for the yellow jersey this July, Tadej Pogačar, who will be supported in his quest to reassert his Tour dominance by UAE Team Emirates comrades Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Großschartner, Vegard Stake Laengen, Rafał Majka, Marc Soler, Matteo Trentin, and Adam Yates.

Here we go 🇫🇷! We're excited to reveal our lineup for @LeTour #TDF2023:

🇩🇰 @mikkelbbjerg
🇦🇹 @gro_felix
🇳🇴 @VSLaengen
🇵🇱 @majkaformal
🇸🇮 @TamauPogi 🏆🏆
🇪🇸 @solermarc93
🇮🇹 @MATTEOTRENTIN
🇬🇧 @AdamYates7 #UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE pic.twitter.com/NpTSTNn5Ot

— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) June 26, 2023

And last, and probably least, if we’re honest, Movistar announced another decent line up in support of some juicy behind the scenes footage for their doc – I mean, Enric Mas’ yellow jersey bid…

🇫🇷 #TDF2023 | @letour_es
🏡 > 🗼 Bilbao - Paris, 1-23.7

🎟️ @EnricMasNicolau
🎟️ @MatteoJorg
🎟️ @Nelsoliveira89
🎟️ @pedrero_antonio
🎟️ @Rguerreiro94
🎟️ @muehlberger_94
🎟️ Gorka Izagirre
🎟️ @aranburualex

📙 https://t.co/tpGBucU3ag pic.twitter.com/2gcqlBLWDF

— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) June 26, 2023

 Here is this morning’s Tour team news in full, to help you with your Fantasy Cycling picks:

Ineos Grenadiers: Egan Bernal, Jonathan Castroviejo, Omar Fraile, Michal Kwiatkowski, Daniel Martinez, Tom Pidcock, Carlos Rodriguez, Ben Turner

Jumbo-Visma: Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert, Dylan van Baarle, Sepp Kuss, Tiesj Benoot, Christophe Laporte, Nathan Van Hooydonck, Wilco Kelderman

UAE Team Emirates: Tadej Pogačar, Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Großschartner, Vegard Stake Laengen, Rafał Majka, Marc Soler, Matteo Trentin, Adam Yates

Lidl-Trek: Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, Alex Kirsch, Juan Pedro Lopez, Giulio Ciccone, Tony Gallopin, Quinn Simmons, Mattias Skjelmose

Movistar: Enric Mas, Matteo Jorgenson, Nelson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero, Ruben Guerreiro, Gregor Mühlberger, Gorka Izagirre, Alex Aranburu

On the same weekend we reported that a lorry driver in Oxford denied causing the death of a cyclist who was killed while riding in a bus lane last year, the London Cycling Campaign divided cyclists on Twitter by issuing advice on how to stay safe while riding near HGVs.

Lorries account for half of London’s cycling deaths despite being less than 5% of motor traffic mileage.

Until we've fixed the system here's your one critical summer safety message. Do. Not. Cycle. In. The. Red. Zone. https://t.co/HomT7siRMS pic.twitter.com/JcN1TL7sCH

— London Cycling Campaign (@London_Cycling) June 25, 2023

“Lorries account for half of London’s cycling deaths despite being less than 5 percent of motor traffic mileage,” the campaign group tweeted.

“Until we’ve fixed the system here’s your one critical summer safety message. Do. Not. Cycle. In. The. Red. Zone.”

On their website, the London Cycling Campaign expanded on this advice, warning that “most serious crashes happen at junctions when a lorry is turning left and the driver has not spotted the cyclist stopped at the lights or on the inside.

“So beware of cycling into the lorry risk zone shown in the picture, especially at junctions. If a lorry driver passes you and puts you in the lorry risk zone, brake sharply to drop behind.”

Totally agree. I see quite a few cyclists do this on my morning commute and when I hang back, some behind me get v frustrated and want to get through. It’s just not worth it.

— Charlotte Baker (@charlie_baker23) June 25, 2023

The advice was praised by many cyclists on Twitter, with Gemma Champ describing the red zone warning as “one of the most important life-saving things you need to know as a cyclist”.

“If you’ve ever sat in an artic cab and seen the blind spot, you’ll never cycle down the side again,” she said.

“This is why we don’t like useless strips of paint, advance stop boxes, and bus lanes as substitutes for protected cycle tracks and junctions,” added the Newham branch of the London Cycling Campaign. “There are too many designs being built today by Transport for London that funnel those cycling into the most danger at junctions. These need to stop.”

The only problem with this tweet is it ignores the fact that as often as not, drivers place the vulnerable in their 'red zone'.

— Tofu Mikey (@MikeWat3232) June 26, 2023

However, some argued that the onus should be placed on the lorry driver to avoid placing vulnerable road users in danger.

“Unfortunately lorries don’t beam red zones onto the road surface and there’s nothing you can do if the driver – who *should* know what the zone is – decides to get close and place you there,” one said.

Others, meanwhile, claimed that the advice amounted to “victim blaming” on the part of the London Cycling Campaign.

While such vehicles present danger to *all* vulnerable road users it seems disingenuous to single out cyclist behaviour for special moaning.
These lorries should not be on our roads at all.https://t.co/N40paV4Zg2

— EricEatsPickles 🚲 (@EricEatsPickles) June 25, 2023

“It would help greatly if lorry drivers stopped putting cyclists in the red zone when they overtake, because you know the cyclist doesn’t just miraculously disappear when the lorry starts to overtake,” wrote Steve.

“Rather sounds like you’re pumping the blame onto cyclists,” wrote Barry. “How can I not cycle in the “red zone” if the truck comes up behind me?”

Lorries kill far too many cyclists on our roads.
What should @London_Cycling do about it...... I know let's blame the cyclists.

— CuriousDuck (@Wil_bike) June 25, 2023

Quite a few replies accusing LCC of victim blaming and to them I’d say:
Don’t pick a fight with an HGV.
There’s no use being right if you’re dead. https://t.co/S08DtZCdaj

— Michael Polom (@pmmikes) June 26, 2023

What do you reckon? Was the LCC’s tweet offering some “common sense” advice or did it strays dangerously close to “victim blaming”?

It turns out that Fred Wright didn’t just have to dispatch James Knox and Stevie Williams on his way to an emotional British national road race title yesterday – he also had to dodge oncoming bus drivers and motorbike riders, as well as a few parked cars, during a frantic, soaking wet finale in Saltburn-by-the-Sea.

‘Not in service’ – apart from during the race, by the looks of things…

The questionable safety conditions for British Cycling’s blue riband event come just two weeks after the Tour Féminin des Pyrénées was called off with one stage remaining following protests from a peloton concerned for its safety after motorists were seen driving on the course, metres away from the riders at times, and parked cars and trucks littered the final kilometres while spectators wandered onto the roads.

> “Cycling is wonderful, but it is a very fragile sport”: Controversial organiser says the Tour des Pyrénées “is over”, after stage race marred by safety “chaos”

The similar scenes at yesterday’s nationals were condemned by two-time British national road race champion Brian Smith, who tweeted photos of some of the incidents as Wright, Williams, and Knox made their way to the finish.

We still have room for improvement in the UK @BritishCycling

Just not good enough for modern cycling!#SafetyFirst pic.twitter.com/6bIOMtMlE3

— Brian Smith 𝕆𝕃𝕐 (@BriSmithy) June 25, 2023

“We still have room for improvement in the UK. Just not good enough for modern cycling!” the commentator wrote.

“It does look like British Cycling don’t have the influence to make sure we have a 100 percent safe course for all.”

Others were as equally unimpressed:

Thankfully near the end. Would have been a different outcome a lap or so in.

— Valley Striders CC (@StridersCC) June 26, 2023

There were countless other examples too. So small time.

— Nick (@BigNGandBertie) June 25, 2023

I did wonder when I saw the bus. I understand it can't be a fully sterile course, but these don't leave a lot of margin for error...

— @andypreston (@cockwomble12) June 25, 2023

Average day out on the bike in the UK really 😔

— Paul Thompson (@ChefPaul41) June 25, 2023

Perhaps that’s what the organisers were after – the authentic British bike riding experience?