Cycle lane + hi-vis = Driver ploughing into cyclist on roundabout (+ more social media victim blaming); Cyclists praise Deputy Lord Mayor for parking bike in ‘car’ space – but critics slam “wasted space”; Highway Code on GB News + more on the live blog

Here at the road.cc HQ, by now you would think we’d be used to the extreme lengths motorists on social media will go to defend their fellow drivers and pin the blame for any and all road collisions on cyclists.

Last month on the live blog we covered the head scratching reaction to footage released by West Midlands Police, which showed the moment a 71-year-old cyclist was left with a bleed on the brain, a broken shoulder, and a broken ankle after a driver ignored give way markings and ploughed on into her.

Despite the motorist being jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving, anti-cycling Twitter on the other hand was convinced that it was the cyclist who was “irresponsible” and “shouldn’t have been going that fast”, and that they were “probably breaking the speed limit but clearly not proceeding towards a major crossing with caution”.

>  “I love it when drivers harass me for breaking rules they made up in their head”: Motorist tells cyclist he’ll “get a ticket for being in the bus lane”… while driving an untaxed car

Last February, drivers on social media reacted to the infamous crash on a Sheffield roundabout which left broadcaster and bike helmet advocate Dan Walker feeling “glad to be alive” by accusing the Channel 5 presenter of “putting himself in danger” by “ignoring” a nearby cycle lane – described by local cyclists as “filled with broken glass”.

And over the past weekend, a clip of a Belfast driver pulling across three lanes of rush hour traffic, hitting a cyclist in the process, even led some buck eejits on social media to boldly pronounce that the female commuter had deliberately pulled into the path of the motorist to cause the crash. As you do.

> “Looks like the cyclist deliberately made contact with the car”: Driver pulls across three lanes and hits cyclist – and motorists claim cyclist was at fault

So, it’s safe to say that it takes a lot to shock us when it comes to the ever-expanding genre of anti-cycling, pro-terrible driving social media excuses.

But the baffling response to this latest clip – posted yesterday by the Warwickshire Cyclist account – even managed to raise a few eyebrows in the road.cc offices.

"Cyclists should wear Hi-Viz to be visible to drivers."

Evidence to Support.

Number 1 pic.twitter.com/6gMzfFk9Nk

— Warwickshire Cyclist (@WarksCyclist) January 29, 2024

For a start, let’s check to see if the cyclist was abiding by the holy ‘Fuming Motorist’s Arbitrary Code of Conduct for People on Bikes’.

Were they wearing hi-vis? Yes, indeed. A helmet? Check. Riding in the cycle lane? Yep.

But despite the cyclist abiding by these fundamental road safety commandments (at least in the eyes of victim blamers and more than a few police forces), the oblivious motorist still managed to pull out onto the roundabout and clip them.

> Near Miss of the Day 838: "Tell me again about hi-vis and lights!" — Cyclist narrowly avoids collision at mini roundabout

And the response on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter? Just as you’d expect, of course.

“Cyclists fault he should of been peddling faster,” said the grammatically-challenged Danny, whose understanding of road safety is right up there with his spelling and punctuation (what, too harsh?).

“I’m a cyclist... but he’s at fault here,” added FSD Bera Test Pilot, helpfully fulfilling our quota of ‘I’m a cyclist but…’ comments.

“Why was Paul the Peddler in the middle of a road for cars?” asked Andrew, failing to notice the red bike lane on the roundabout.

“Terrible cycling,” wrote Jean. “Never hug the edge in a roundabout. I believe the cyclist was in the driver’s blind spot. He didn’t yield properly, but it doesn’t help the cyclist...”

“He was riding in the red marked Cycle Lane FFS,” replied an understandably exasperated Warwickshire Cyclist, who later posted their own recommended alternative to hi-vis clothing, which they reckon would easily grab a careless driver’s attention:

Forget Hi-Viz......We need to dress like this to e seen by drivers..... pic.twitter.com/JBIYHuEHpX

— Warwickshire Cyclist (@WarksCyclist) January 29, 2024

I’ll just leave that there…

Alright, don’t panic, but I think there’s been a glitch in the matrix somewhere near the GB News studios…

Because, after yesterday’s “concerning” report that more than half of motorists surveyed by the RAC are still unsure whether the Highway Code changes have made the roads safer for vulnerable road users, two years on from their implementation, this morning GB News decided to hold a debate on the changes and their effect on cyclists – and, rather shockingly, it was a pretty balanced affair.

> More Highway Code news: RAC research suggests half of drivers still unsure if Highway Code changes have made roads any safer for pedestrians

At the start of the segment, which in classic GB News style pitted cycling instructor and director of FlightFreeUK Anna Hughes and motorising journalist Danny Kelly against each other, presenter Eamonn Holmes (who has firmly enhanced his controversialist credentials in recent years) chose to flip things completely on their head by asserting that “I think the Highway Code is a good thing”.

“I just don’t think any of us pay any attention to it,” Ruth’s husband continued. “We should all be tested on it quite regularly, we should have revision courses.”

I have to admit, Eamonn Holmes calling for Highway Code revision courses – and, even, later in the segment bringing up the possibility of mandatory driving retests – wasn’t on my January 2024 bingo card.

Even Danny Kelly admitted that he hasn’t adhered to the new guidelines on giving way to vulnerable road users on side roads – a problem shared by 25 per cent of drivers, according to the RAC’s survey – and said the Highway Code changes should have been publicised more widely through a leafleting campaign sent to all UK driving licence holders.

And, by the end, the presenters were highlighting the dangers posed on the roads to cyclists, Hughes and Kelly were agreeing that the ‘war’ on motorists was preposterous, and they all concurred that cycling, you know, wasn’t all bad.

I bet Darren Grimes is fuming…

Following Eamonn Holmes’ confession this morning that the Highway Code changes passed him by, along with the GB News presenter’s rather surprising suggestion that motorists should be subject to occasional retests, a road.cc reader (and relative newcomer to cycling) got in touch to share their views on how we can ensure that all drivers are made aware of any future changes to the Highway Code:

I read with interest an article on your site about the lack of awareness about the recent (ok, well not so recent, but also not well advertised and definitely not well adopted) changes to the Highway Code that were published two years ago, that focused on changes to make our roads safer for the most vulnerable users.

I am a newish cycler and long-time car driver in my 50s, and while I do see plenty of instances of good road safety by (the majority) of drivers while out on my bike, I also see far too much dangerous behaviour, especially by older (middle age) drivers in so called SUV and high powered vehicles and ‘professional’ drivers whose road space entitlement seriously outweighs the narrowness of their safety margins for the pedestrians and cyclists that share their (I deliberately put ‘their’ instead of ‘our’) roads with them.

I have been driving for 30 years and not once have I been required to take a licence refresher or been tested on ANY of my knowledge of the Highway Code since I passed my test. Surely there must be drivers with 40 or 50 year gaps between passing their test and yet there is still no further requirement to demonstrate how changes to safety on ever more congested roads applies to them.

My fork lift licence required a refresh every 3 years or I could not do my job. My driving licence does not.

Recently I had to update my driving licence because it was nearly 10 years old. Surely, as a condition of a new licence being issued, can’t the Minister in charge of transport add a simple on-line test to the application process, where a driver MUST be made aware of AND demonstrate knowledge of any new changes to the Highway Code?

As well as highlighting the new safety directives, it will make prosecution of bad drivers easier when drivers fail to put the new rules into action if they have to show they know the rules.

This way, eventually ALL drivers will be compelled to be aware of existing and future changes to the Highway Code, at not much cost to the Government, and we all benefit.

I do believe that as a car driver and as a cyclist that I am much more aware of the dangers that I encounter as a cyclist, that I was pretty complacent about when I was only driving.

I think it’s fair to say young Ferney Molina left everything on the road on the way to coming fifth at the U23 Colombian national time trial championships:

Uma cena marcante do Nacional Colombiano foi esta com Ferney Molina na Crono Sub23. Deu tudo e muito mais. Ele ficou em quinto. #NacionalesRuta2024 🎥 IG @mundociclismo pic.twitter.com/9zwHRsrBrB

— BikeBlz (@BikeBlz) January 29, 2024

Go get that lad a McDonald’s!

Strade Bianche’s long-held claim to be professional cycling’s sixth monument kicked up a gear today in Siena, where the race organisers revealed that this year’s edition of the Tuscan classic is set to feature more kilometres and more white gravel roads than ever before.

The men’s race, won last year by Tom Pidcock, is set to be extended by over 30km, rising from an 184km-long test with 11 gravel sectors to a 215km one with a whopping 15 sections of gruelling, ever-changing white roads.

The increased distance of the men’s Strade Bianche has now brought it considerably closer, in terms of length at least, to cycling’s five most prestigious one-day classics, which tend to range between 240km and 260km (the shortest of the monuments, Il Lombardia, clocked in at 238km last autumn).

(SWPix/Cor Vos)

Of course, Strade Bianche has long been touted as the number one contender to the ‘sixth monument’ crown, with only its shorter distance – equating, roughly, to two hours of racing – holding it back in terms of prestige. This year’s revamped route should go some way to closing the gulf to the big five, and amplifying the by-now annual clamour for it to be given a title that, in reality, holds little significance except in the minds of cycling obsessives.

Meanwhile, the women’s race – won in epic fashion in Siena by Demi Vollering over her SD Worx teammate Lotte Kopecky – will increase by one solitary kilometre to 137km, but also feature four more gravel sectors, bringing the total to 12.

Both races’ additional gravel kilometres stem from the inclusion of an extra lap before the run-in to Siena and its mythical final climb, with the often decisive climbs of Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe now set to be tackled twice.

Late January and early February mean only one thing in the cycling world – lunchtime sprint finishes!

And after a few weeks battling sleep to catch even a glimpse of the racing down under, must-watch-live viewers will be pleased to learn that the peloton has migrated to the Middle East, for some much more civilised stage finish times (apologies, Aussie cycling fans, I appreciate you have to put up with it all year round).

👀🏁 ¡𝗘𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲́𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹!

Ajustadísimo esprint para llevarse la 1ª etapa del AlUla Tour ante Groenewegen.#AlUlaTour pic.twitter.com/TO6CxPBJpv

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) January 30, 2024

On today’s opening stage of the five-day race formerly known as the Saudi Tour, DSM-Firmenich PostNL’s promising young Dutch sprinter Casper van Auden surprised the big guns, as the 22-year-old launched early and held off the vastly more experienced Dylan Groenewegen and Tim Merlier for arguably the biggest win of his career.

Van Auden has shown his promise in fast finishes before, of course, taking wins at the Tour de Normandie, and coming close at both the Tour of Britain and Milano-Torino last year, but he’s certainly started his 2024 season with one or two prestigious scalps on the first day of the AlUla Tour.

Take a note of the name.

British Cycling’s elite road racing task force, set up last August to support the governing body as it attempts to “innovate and energise” local racing in Britain, has shared a list of 16 recommendations which it hopes will breathe new life into a flagging domestic scene suffering from setback after setback in recent years.

Chaired by Ed Clancy, the task force engaged with more than 250 people across the sport in the UK to consider the composition of the elite national calendar, the challenges facing the rapidly dwindling number of domestic teams, and opportunities to grow the reach and profile of local races.

Its 16 recommendations to the governing body – which aim to help create a varied, competitive, and sustainable National Road Series, a National Circuit Series tailored for mass audiences, and ensure that Britain retains its WorldTour stage races following the recent demise of Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour organisers SweetSpot – are as follows:

Explore the creation of a centralised procurement function.

Produce a new branding, marketing and communications framework.

Undertake a full review of the digital strategy.

Develop event organiser succession plans for all national series events.

Develop a ‘Winning Pattern’ playbook based on existing successful races.

Consider a targeted sponsorship agreement for the National Series.

Review rider entry processes to stimulate early entries.

Develop best practice guidance for teams.

Undertake a full review of the National Circuit Series.

Prioritise National Circuit Series locations by audience size.

Review the entry criteria for WorldTour riders to enter the National Circuit Series.

Review the national road calendar and ensure more races are outside of the north of England.

All efforts should be made to ensure delivery of the Tour of Britain and a UCI Women’s World Tour stage race in 2024.

Explore opportunities to increase the number of UCI 1.2 and 2.2 races.

Undertake a full review of race distances and rider qualification criteria.

Consider a new range of jerseys for the National Road Series and a capped maximum entry cost.

“It’s been a real privilege to lead the Elite Road Racing Task Force through this process and I hope that the recommendations published today can help to galvanise the community and help domestic road racing to grow and flourish in the future,” Olympic champion pursuiter Clancy said in a statement yesterday.

“While the task force members have done a huge amount of work, our recommendations belong to the whole community. We’re hugely thankful to everybody who took time to engage with us through the process, and their experience and insight was vital in enabling us to paint a true picture of the current opportunities and challenges they see.

“Though this now concludes our work, the task force will continue to be a critical and supportive friend as British Cycling moves into its implementation phase, and we look forward to seeing the plans take shape.”

> How do we save UK bike racing? SweetSpot's PR Director on Women's Tour cancellation and staying positive for the future

Responding to the task force’s recommendations, British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton said: “I’d like to thank Ed and the task force members for their commitment to the process over the past four months as we collectively look to tackle a matter of real importance for our sport and our membership.

“While it is clear from the report that there are no easy answers, we have taken positive steps with our 2024 elite road calendar, and now have a clear long-term roadmap to propel our national level events towards sustainable growth in the future.

“This has been a new way of working for British Cycling, which demonstrates our commitment to openness and collaboration with our communities, and to finding solutions to our most pressing challenges. We look forward to sharing our progress over the months and years ahead.”

#BadDrivingTV #Driver plays snooker with Hi Viz #cyclist waiting at the lights with clear blue skies.#RoadSafety pic.twitter.com/Ie7WYv5f0U

— Hard Cheese! (@SonOfTheWinds) January 29, 2024

Cue the obligatory ‘but, but cyclists’ comments...