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Muc-Off making sanitisers and donating anti-bac products to NHS; Piers Morgan slams "moron cyclist"; Bardet against lockdown exception for pros; Paris outdoor exercise ban; Ineos hosting Zwift ride on Sunday; Froome joins Tik Tok + more on the live blog

Welcome to Wednesday's live blog, with Jack Sexty in charge and Simon MacMichael adding some pearls of wisdom later this evening...
08 April 2020, 14:05
Muc-Off now making sanitisers and donate anti-bacterial products to the NHS
fighting-banner

To help out with the fight against coronavirus, Muc-Off, who usually makes pink bike cleaning products, has switched some of their production over to sanitisers. They've also pledged to provide 100,000 anti-bacterial products to the NHS and frontline workers.

To speed up production, Muc-Off is using product packaging for its existing lines. So your hand sanitiser will arrive in a chain lube bottle while hand and surface sprays will use bottles normally used for their bike and chain cleaners.

They have also donated unused bottles from their high-performance chain lube line to other companies who were experiencing a shortfall.

You can buy products from the anti-bacterial range here, with 10% of the profits going to the World Health Organisations COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

08 April 2020, 16:01
The Royal Parks is reportedly discussing with media organisations the issue of how cyclists riding there are portrayed
08 April 2020, 14:07
Contador auctions 2011 Giro/TdF race bike for charity

Spanish former pro, Alberto Contador is actioning the bike on which he won* the 2011 Giro d'Italia and rode to 5th* place at the Tour de France that same year.

The GC specialist, who rode for SaxoBank-Sunguard at the time was subsequently stripped of these results due to a backdated ban for a positive test.

The bike is a Specialized S-Works Tarmac with Zipp wheels, a Sram Red groupset and a Specialized crankset.

It's certainly a bike that has seen some attacking riding and the money raised will go to the Spanish Red Cross to support their work against coronavirus.

Currently, bids sit just above €12,000

08 April 2020, 14:21
Lionel Sanders wins his first e-sports race

"You have an opportunity right now to race a World Champion, and you're hmmming and harrring over it? So here I am..."

If you haven't heard of Lionel, he's a triathlete. A very good one. And he just beat World Cyclocross Champion and cycling superstar, Matthieu Van der Poel, in the Ronde van Zwift. 

Here is his vlog from the day.

08 April 2020, 11:22
Piers Morgan berates "moron cyclist" in background as he interviews Health Minister on Good Morning Britain

The Good Morning Britain presenter appeared angry that the youngster on the bike appeared to be ignoring social distancing rules as he rode into the background behind Health Minister Edward Argar, who was being interviewed live. 

Morgan said to Argar via video link: "I want to apologise for the complete moron that was cycling right up next to you with his phone during that interview.

"You may not have even been aware of it. He was ignoring all social distancing rules, trying to - I guess - make a little celebrity of himself.

"Morons like that are literally costing lives and I just want to say how sorry I am that that idiot did that to you in the interview."

08 April 2020, 13:07
The organisation said that it was forced to make the decision for financial reasons as it faces a drop in income of up to £4 million in the coming months due to the cancellation of events - full story below
08 April 2020, 11:04
Chris Froome has took boredom to a new level and joined Tik Tok

@chrisfroome

Crazy times at the Tour de France! Not one of my finest moments 😆 ##omg ##cycling ##tourdefrance ##throwback ##chrisfroome

♬ OMG!! - VA

The first person over the age of 16 to join the video-sharing app happens to be a four-time Tour de France winner, as Froome lets us in on his life in the most meme-tastic way possible... running up the Ventoux with a dubstep soundtrack anyone?

08 April 2020, 10:44
Real or photoshopped? Crazy shot of Chris Froome in mid-air at Tour de Yorkshire

Most in the comments are saying it's real, while Chris Froome has retweeted but not shed any light... what do you reckon?

08 April 2020, 08:53
"This is not the time for selfishness": Romain Bardet against pros getting exemptions to continue riding outside through the lockdown

As his country's capital has further tightened their restrictions,  AG2R's Romain Bardet has told Le Monde that he is against pro cyclists getting special dispensation to continue training outside: 

"There is no urgency to have the right to ride on the road (requested by the French Cyclist's Union according to the article). This will only be important when we have a recovery schedule. 

"Right now it would be comfort and a personal pleasure, but everyone is tired of confinement. If pros are going to ride, amateurs will want to do it too. And while there is talk of a drop in respect for the rules, the message would not be positive. This is not the time for selfishness."

Bardet also says that he hasn't quite got to grips with online racing, catching up on the virtual Tour of Flanders on Sunday but saying it "didn't attract" him.

08 April 2020, 08:16
Paris bans outdoor exercise
Paris Mobike (CC licensed by Claudius Dorenrof via Flickr)

After surpassing 10,000 coronavirus deaths, France's capital has further tightened its restrictions by banning outdoor exercise between 10am and 7pm and making face masks compulsory. 

Reuters report that the ban will come into effect today, and is in response to concerns iver seeing too many people outside getting exercise and congregating on busy streets. Mayor Anne Hidalgo - who recently launched a hugely ambitious cycling infrastructure scheme for Paris - is in favour citizens getting exercise, but only after 7pm to reduce numbers. 

Countrywide, the French are only allowed out for an hour and aren't supposed to go more than 1km away from their homes. 395,000 fines have already been given out by French police for flouting the rules, according to Forbes

Is the UK heading the same way? 

08 April 2020, 08:26
Ineos are hosting a Zwift group ride on Easter Sunday, and also facing off in a pro race afterwards

Chris Froome and co are inviting you to burn off the Easter eggs at 3pm on Sunday with a ride of approximately 40 minutes in length on Zwift. You can also watch Ineos riders (well their avatars) competing in their own race at 5pm. 

You can sign up here

08 April 2020, 08:43
"Cyclists are putting an extra burden on the NHS": oh wait....
08 April 2020, 08:14
G gets a fresh chop

Speculation in the comments that it isn't head hair... and who knows, because we haven't seen the results of the home haircut yet!

08 April 2020, 08:12
Caught on camera: the father and son riding round town dressed as Batman and Robin to 'cheer people up'

We reported on Steve Smart and his buy's daily rides dressed as the superheroes on Friday... and now it appears some footage has been tracked down. Mr Smart says they will continue doing the rounds in Trowbridge during the pandemic while they're getting their daily exercise in an effort to bring a smile to those feeling the effects of lockdown. 

Jack has been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of the website including tech, news and video, and also contributed to eBikeTips before being named Editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master's degree in print journalism and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it's a long story). 

Add new comment

35 comments

Avatar
Rome73 | 4 years ago
0 likes

That Batman and Robin - they are not 'getting their daily exercise' the child is being dragged along. He looks as if he's hanging on. 

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

One of the bridleways I ride in the southern Chilterns was surrounded by hundreds if not thousands of bluebells today, they weren't there yesterday.

And 2 days ago I heard a woodpecker.

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to ktache | 4 years ago
2 likes

Brilliant isn't it. It almost feels like we're being deafened by birdsong. I was out for a run this morning and heard a woodpecker, I stopped, and after some looking in the tree found him - greater spotted I think. I waited and then he pecked. Amazing to see.

Avatar
srchar replied to Captain Badger | 4 years ago
4 likes

 

It's great. I live in North London and am now being woken up by the "dawn chorus". Lockdown brings many challenges, but it's important to enjoy the positives that it brings, while we can.

Avatar
Sriracha | 4 years ago
4 likes

"To help out with the fight against coronavirus, Muc-Off, who usually makes pink bike cleaning products, has switched some of their production over to anti-bacterial products."

Avatar
srchar replied to Sriracha | 4 years ago
3 likes

Underrated reply. It's amazing that the public don't seem to understand the difference between a bacterium and a virus - and the media don't seem willing or able to teach it.

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to Sriracha | 4 years ago
0 likes

Indeed. Hopefully this catch all "Anti-Bacterial" branding doesn't extend into their actual product development program. I'd hate to think that Muc-Off will end up marketing the clinical equivalent of car bomb detectors

Avatar
Sriracha | 4 years ago
2 likes

To be fair to Piers Morgan, he said "the complete moron that was cycling". That is not the same as "moron cyclist".

Avatar
Sniffer replied to Sriracha | 4 years ago
6 likes

Why should we be fair to Piers Morgan?

There are lots of people he isn't fair to.

Though I do like the idea of claiming higher moral ground.

Avatar
Stratman replied to Sriracha | 4 years ago
6 likes

Not many sentences start with "To be fair to Piers Morgan..."

Avatar
jasecd replied to Sriracha | 4 years ago
2 likes

I think that's an important distinction - to the anti-cycling brigade "cyclist" is a pejorative term, mostly used to associate us all with some arsehole who just happens to ride a bike. 

For the record I think he's a prick for many other reasons but Morgan actually got the language right here.

Avatar
srchar replied to jasecd | 4 years ago
2 likes

Whenever I engage with a mouth-breathing "fackin cyclists" type, I'm always at pains to use the term "person who happens to be riding a bike", for that very reason.

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mdavidford | 4 years ago
2 likes

People pratting around in the backgroud while things are being filmed are certainly tiresome, but it doesn't look like he was actually close enough to be breaking distancing guidelines. Unless he's very tiny.

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to mdavidford | 4 years ago
4 likes

Small.... Far away....

Aaah forget it!

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

And in other not at all Covid news

World's steepest street: Harlech loses title to New Zealand

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52215151

Avatar
NZ Vegan Rider replied to ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

As someone who comes from Dunedin - Yay!!! I never doubted it.

I've ridden my motorbike  up and down it but when

I took my wife there in dad's '67 Beetle I

decided (wisely, even now) that it wouldn't

make the turn at the top without toppling over!

Avatar
cdamian | 4 years ago
6 likes

People are jumping to the conclusion that this is not the real Batman and sidekick.

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jaymack | 4 years ago
3 likes

Piers Morgan - a man who is to civilised conversation what David Irving is to historical evidence

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srchar replied to jaymack | 4 years ago
0 likes

When even Jeremy Clarkson lamps you in the jaw, you need to have a serious word with yourself.

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
2 likes

Was there any reason why the Health Minister Edward Argar was in Westminster giving interviews, surely his office would be in Whitehall, shouldn't he be working there and giving interviews by video link.  Or indeed working remotely from home, and still giving interviews over videolink.

Has anyone else been obsrving qualities of bookshelves behind various talking heads, or bits of art.  There was someone, probably on newsnight, could have been David Livington, about being May's stand in, and he'd really not thought about it, high angle on the laptop camera, head obscuring small bookcase, but showing good views of a bad ceiling fault and a naked light bulb.

Avatar
ktache replied to ktache | 4 years ago
0 likes

Compare this to the previous videolink, showing a very impressive bookcase, with an equally impressive collection of books,

Avatar
ktache replied to ktache | 4 years ago
0 likes

And even earlier IDS, and I don't know about anyone else, but this is more of a display peice, and he doesn't look as though he's read those, unlike the very practical Jonathon Powell's shelves filled with books that look as though he's read them all.  All from the same edition of Newsnight too.

Avatar
CygnusX1 replied to ktache | 4 years ago
1 like

Having a nosey at bookshelves / picture frames has also become one of my lockdown pastimes when I'm not touring Watopia.

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Captain Badger | 4 years ago
4 likes

"This is quite the piece of live television. Health Minister Edward Argar on Good Morning Britain pestered by a lad swooping behind him on a bike, before police officer follows in pursuit

Pursuit??

No wonder the rozzers never catch anyone...

Avatar
Captain Badger | 4 years ago
4 likes

Morgan said to Argar via video link: "I want to apologise for the complete moron that was cycling right up next to you with his phone during that interview.

"You may not have even been aware of it. He was ignoring all social distancing rules, trying to - I guess - make a little celebrity of himself."

What a tosser! Eh, Piers....

Avatar
Bentrider | 4 years ago
1 like

The hitch on that trailer-bike looks a bit loose.

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to Bentrider | 4 years ago
0 likes

We had one of those trail-gators, and they always tilt. The centre of mass of the child is above the towbar, so there is a turning moment twisting the bar. The linkages don't have the torsional stiffness to keep things perpendicular. 

However they enable you take your kids riding for miles, cos when they get tired you just hitch them back up and tow them. Only worry is if they fall asleep..... I even took mine on one of the trails at Dalby Forest

Avatar
Secret_squirrel replied to Captain Badger | 4 years ago
0 likes

They dont always do that.  Just require lots of fettling to get them to stop it.   Having a seat post you dont give a damn about helps too.

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to Secret_squirrel | 4 years ago
0 likes

Squirrels are always better fettlers than badgers. It's the size of the claws.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Captain Badger | 4 years ago
2 likes

Captain Badger wrote:

Squirrels are always better fettlers than badgers. It's the size of the claws.

.

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