"This is supposed to be 2023, not 1823": Cyclists slam Aldi for opening a new store with no bike parking; Primož Roglič joins Bora-Hansgrohe; Almost 20 cars line up on the cycling lane near Richmond Park during school hours + more on the live blog

Aldi's track record with cyclists hasn't been the best lately. The German supermarket chain has already been in the bad books of cyclists quite a few times this year, and it's managed to draw ire once again with the opening of a new store in Coventry yesterday.

The supermarket store in Central Six Retail Park in Coventry opened its doors yesterday, but it seemed like it was only interested in doing so to those who arrived driving a car, as it had neither any cycle parking areas, nor provisions for those with mobility aids.

> “Those are definitely middle aisle bike stands”: Cyclists raise security fears after discovering that new cycle stands at Aldi entrance can be lifted out of the ground

Local transport campaigner James Avery tagged Aldi on Twitter and wrote: "Why are you opening a new store tomorrow with no cycle parking, when it's the very first planning condition required in the approval?"

@AldiUK Why are you opening a new store tomorrow with no cycle parking, when it's the very first planning condition required in the approval? pic.twitter.com/2PKhdadjHX

— Plastic Paradise (@PlasticPlanners) October 4, 2023

He added that the planning condition stated that "the development shall only operate in accordance with the external lighting, cycle parking stands, visibility barriers to Warwick Road and entrance barriers to the car parking areas as approved under application". Except, the retail park in Coventry, located right next to the train station, doesn't have any.

Avery said that the retail park goes back to the 1990s, when no cycle parking was mandated. He said: "There are no cycle stands on this very long strip mall retail park on the edge of the city.

"So council officers appear to have assumed cycle parking was included, or thought the trolley bay included cycle parking, or they just don't care."

Avery told road.cc: "The blue routes are cycle paths or low traffic roads - the retail park itself, like most retail parks, sits inside its own defacto 'LTN', as there's only one road in and out for cars. The Starley Statue is 1 minute away by bike."

On the Twitter thread, Avery added that it is required of Aldi to provide ambulant and wheelchair-bound disabled people with suitable convenient access into and throughout the building at all times.

"Surely ambulant disabled *includes* every form of mobility aid which needs to be parked outside the store, rather than taken in - including recumbents, trikes & handcycles?

"So Aldi are opening a new store in complete contravention of Equality Act 2010, as there is no suitable parking for mobility aids outside the store. This is supposed to be 2023, not 1823."

> “It’s going to cause unspeakable damage”: Cycling campaign slams Aldi and council for putting cyclists and pedestrians in danger and “only thinking about drivers”

It's not the first time Aldi has been drawn into criticism because of poor provisions for cyclists. In June, cyclists blasted the supermarket for opening a store in Longwater, Norwich with no safe cycling and pedestrian paths and crossings in place.

Derek Williams from the Norwich Cycling Campaign told road.cc:  "It’s going to be downright dangerous, it’s going to cause unspeakable damage."

And a week later, cyclists raised security fears after discovering that new cycle stands at Aldi entrance were not even bolted to the ground and could be lifted out of the ground at the store in Leamington Spa.

Posted in a local group, someone discovered that the new @AldiUK hadn’t actually secured their bike stands into the ground and they can just be lifted out pic.twitter.com/wA1UiaVWR4

— Claire Lucas (@profclairelucas) June 28, 2023

"Cyclists are customers too, and retailers can and should do better," added one Twitter user, while David joked that "those are definitely Aldi middle aisle bike stands".

West Midlands walking and cycling commissioner Adam Tranter, who praised the facilities last year as an example of how it is "possible for supermarkets to do cycle parking right", also expressed disappointment at the pick-up-and-go bike stands, writing: "Argh! And I had such high hopes."

Me too, Adam. A shame, I wonder if Aldi would do the same sort of stuff in their native Germany...

We got this in our inbox today from a road.cc reader who wished to stay anonymous. It's the story of one Matt Jones, who since the initial COVID lock down began, has been taking bicycle donations and passing them on to frontline workers after repairing them.

Based in Swindon, and specialising in fixies, he has now changed the scheme to pass the bicycles to families struggling over Christmas.

The reader told us: "He takes donations from the public. He then cleans them, services/repairs them and then over Christmas, passes them on to families in need, for free. 

"For no recognition, or monetary awards. Just the kindness of his own heart. As I can gather, I am sure he is around or close to the 500 bicycles mark, passed on, to both frontline workers or families. Which to me, is an unbelievable number of bikes."

Chapeau Mark, we need more people like you!

Leferve Masterclass weakening Visma, Roglic lives, Visma thinks all ok we get Quickstep dudes

— Los Rosleros (@12Rosler) October 6, 2023

 

 

 

 

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In a Scotsman Comment article representing its editorial stance, the newspaper labelled the hosting of the event a "vanity project", highlighting other services and budgets that have been slashed and suggesting that now "Scottish taxpayers will have to foot the bill" for it being over budget.

> Scottish newspaper brands World Championships a "ridiculous decision" and a "vanity project"

As another transfer season specialist journalist would say, Here We Go!

Bora–Hansgrohe has announced that Giro d'Italia winner Primož Roglič will ride for the Germany-based team from the 2024 season onwards, bringing one of the biggest chapters from this year's cycling silly season saga to an end.

Welcome Primož Roglič!#borahansgrohe @rogla #procycling #newseason pic.twitter.com/f8FA43tST9

— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) October 6, 2023

The Grand Tour and Monument-winning Slovenian said: "I am looking forward to this step, even though a team change is kind of like new territory for me. The good memories of when we met years ago made the talks easy. But the decisive factor was that the team is really motivated to work with me, and that we hold the same ideas."

Meanwhile, Ralph Denk, Team Manager for BORA said: “As a cyclist and Team Manager, patience is required. It is not always the first attack that leads to success. Eight years ago, Primož almost joined us as a neo-pro. Now he comes to us as a pro with a long list of victories that very few others have achieved.

"For us, the decisive factor was not what has been achieved, but what lies ahead. Together we want to leave our mark on the big races. Primož appreciates the strength of our squad and knows the great potential of his future teammates. I am convinced that his personality will inspire the entire team, because he is a leader with the will to win, and is also a team player at the same time. Most of all, however, he really loves what he does and for me, that is the key to success."

That's an end to one chapter, now can we get some updates on Soudal-Visma please?