“I said mountain biking looks quite easy, but of course it’s not”: Tom Pidcock endures excruciating interview with Ed Balls on Good Morning Britain after winning Olympic gold; More Olympic track cycling bell chaos + more on the live blog

This actually passed us by at the time, thanks to all the dramatic racing in circles going on in the velodrome (and my lack of interest in daytime TV), but earlier this week Tom Pidcock embarked on his mandatory post-Olympic gold medal tour of the UK’s television studios.

And, even by the alarmingly low standards of morning television hosts interviewing sportspeople, it resulted in one particularly excruciating, cringe-inducing interview on Good Morning Britain.

> Tom Pidcock recovers from puncture to win second consecutive Olympic mountain bike gold in thriller – and annoy the partisan home crowd, who boo British star across the line after late winning move

Picture the scene – Pidcock’s tired and emotionally drained from the highs and lows of a torrid Tour de France and winning one of the most dramatic mountain bike races in recent years, becoming a double Olympic champion in the process.

He’s then, amid a whirlwind of interviews and media appearances, plonked on a sofa – tracksuit top on and gold medal around his neck – facing Kate Garraway and self-referential tweeter, Gangnam Style-enthusiast (and former government minister) Ed Balls, whose knowledge of bike racing is, shall we say, minimal.

'It's my biggest goal of the year.'

Gold Medal Mountain Bike champion Tom Pidcock talks to @kategarraway and @edballs about how it felt to win a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. pic.twitter.com/QnsL0qZyTN

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) August 6, 2024

Garraway opened things up with this typically inane, but ultimately harmless question: “Has it sunk it yet, that you’re here wearing that around your neck?”

What Tom should have said: ‘What, being intently started at by Kate Garraway and Ed Balls like I’ve just done especially well in my GCSEs or progressed through to the next round of Britain’s Got Talent? No, that hasn’t sunk in yet.’

What Tom actually said: “It’s a good question, it’s always a difficult question – has it sunk in yet, what does it mean?”

Balls, interjecting: “It means that all of your life you’ll be a gold medallist.”

What Tom should have said: ‘Well, Ed, I’ve been an Olympic gold medallist for three years, already, since I won the mountain biking in Tokyo. Come on man, do your research.’

What Tom actually said: “Yeah, well this was my biggest goal of the year to win in Paris, so it’s a big relief for sure.”

All of our faces during that interview

Balls then boasted that he watched Pidcock’s winning race “live, on the TV”, before adding that “I don’t know a huge amount about mountain biking”. I’m shocked, shocked I tell ya.

“But I said last week on the show that it looks quite easy, that anyone can do it” he continued, “But of course it’s not easy.”

Patronising ignorant comments, check. Balls is on fire.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

“Someone showed me a clip of that before I came on, actually,” Pidcock laughed, finally breaking the awkward atmosphere that engulfs a room when two people interview an elite athlete like they’re a child who’s completed a nice drawing.

That was followed by a bit of muttering and mumbling from Balls, before the former Labour minister and mediocre if rather game dancer asked another poorly conceived question about how Pidcock prepares before the race in order to beat the “French guy”.

“Errr, practice laps,” Tom replied.

That’s more awkward than the time Ed’s infamous ‘Ed Balls’ tweet. Maybe he should stick to interviewing Yvette Cooper, eh?

 (Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Though it’s fair to say that some of the replies under GMB’s social media post showed as much appreciation for how hard it is to race a bike as ol’ Ed did.

“We used to do that all the time as kids, it’s hardly an achievement,” said James Dawson, who must have had some fun as a kid racing Tour de France stage winner for an hour-and-a-half around a steep forest.

“Mountain biking as a sport is questionable, but then so are many others,” John added.

Sounds like a challenge, Tom.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Meanwhile, in an altogether more prepared interview later that morning on Sky News – which actually featured quite a lot of in-depth analysis of the race’s key moments (unbelievable, I know) – Pidcock touched on the hostile, “feisty” reaction he received from the French fans at the line following his perfectly executed dive bomb around the tree to beat home favourite Victor Koretzky.

> “They didn’t boo the rock that made me puncture”: Tom Pidcock says “it’s a shame” French crowds booed epic Olympic win – as rival insists divebomb “part of racing”

“I finished and the whole crowd was booing – they were booing me while I was racing, but also at the finish,” he said. “There’s no place for that at the Olympics really. On the course I kind of understand it, but once you finish you should respect everyone and what they’ve done, and the lengths they’ve gone to prepare.

“And that’s the race, you should respect everyone. So it kind of put a dampener on there. It saddened me a little bit, as I couldn’t celebrate with the fans, as they weren’t celebrating with me.

“But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to me – I came to win the medal. And I gave them a chance, didn’t I?”

> Can 50% of Brits really not afford to buy a bike? Cycling and affordability discussed, plus how to make a new bike computer with Hammerhead

Right, now you’ve got our latest podcast episode to keep you occupied tonight, I’m off to try and get my head around what’s happening in the Omnium (that Tempo race really isn’t helping).

Bring back the Individual Pursuit, I say…

> Press regulator rules Telegraph breached Editors’ Code with inaccurate claim cyclists hit 52mph chasing London Strava segments

Beryl Bikes, along with Cornwall Council, have secured the funding required to deliver a new solar charging project, which the company says has been designed to improve the delivery and reduce the operational costs of its rural bike share schemes.

The project is the first of its kind in the UK and aims to enhance the existing Cornwall e-bike share scheme with the installation of six solar powered e-mobility charging hubs across the region.

The hubs, Beryl says, will use rubberised solar panels to power e-bike battery recharging, reducing the amount of daily battery swaps made by the company’s staff. Installation of the first hub is set to begin in the coming weeks, with all hubs expected to be installed by March 2025.

The scheme forms part of the Transport Decarbonisation Demonstrators programme and is funded by the Department for Transport.

“We’re really excited to deliver what could be a groundbreaking project for the industry, offering a blueprint for the delivery of successful e-share schemes in less densely populated rural areas,” Beryl’s Head of Policy, Patrick Donnelly, said in a statement today.

“With over 300 e-bikes spread across 870 square km, battery swapping in Cornwall can be time-consuming, costly and inefficient. The e-hubs could remove up to sixty swap jobs per day, freeing up more resources to carry out repairs and increasing the number of e-bikes available on the street by up to 15 per cent.

“Without the need for grid connection, the hubs will also reduce the scheme’s carbon footprint and operational costs, making it more feasible to expand into new areas and maximise scheme potential. Ultimately, the project will aim to increase ridership and, by boosting efficiency and reducing operational costs, the project could help generate up to 50,000 more e-bike trips across Cornwall every year.”

Sticking with delivery cyclists for a moment, as a Glasgow delivery cyclist has detailed the aggressions he has faced from motorists while doing his job, to mark the publication of a report by Sustrans examining the challenges facing cycling couriers in Scotland.

Speaking to the Glasgow Times, father-of-two and founder of Glasgow-based Velo-City Deliveries Andrew Taylor says he finds his job “great”, but admits that he has suffered verbal abuse, frequent close passes, and has had objects thrown at him.

“There is some good (active travel) infrastructure but we need joined up thinking,” the north Glasgow-based cyclist said, noting that many cycle paths in the city can be covered in leaves and water.

“A first step would be clear cycle ways to every school. We need infrastructure on the Switchback that goes through town the way you would like to commute. It can be very stressful. It is difficult and there are certain roads I would recommend not going on.

“It is about infrastructure supporting people commuting to work. Cities seem to be designed for cars, not people. If you live in Scotland, we can’t be afraid of going to the shop for a mile in the rain.”

Through his job as a cycle courier, Andrew added that he “wants to show we can have less pollution and traffic jams” by prioritising bike deliveries over those using motor vehicles.

“I’m a non-polluting delivery system,” another delivery cyclist who took part in Sustrans’ survey said. “I’m doing the job of a van but without the pollution, without the constant problems of slowing things down, pollution, nitrogen oxides, parking.”

However, despite these clear benefits, rather inevitably Andrew claims he has experienced aggression from drivers when working, and says that last month a motorists tried to force him into railings during a road rage incident, with Andrew having to cycle towards oncoming traffic to escape.

Andrew’s comments come in the wake of a new report by active travel charity Sustrans, which details the experiences of 163 delivery cyclists in Edinburgh and Scotland.

Some of the suggestions offered by those surveyed to make life easier for delivery cyclists include better-connected and wider cycle routes, segregation from traffic with clear markings, improved road maintenance, speed limit and highway code enforcement for drivers, and more ‘cycle-aware’ education for all road users.

According to respondents, cycle lanes are often blocked by parked cars and by lorries loading and offloading goods, making it difficult to navigate, especially when riding a cargo bike in a city.

The introduction of more dropped kerbs, so couriers can easily access businesses, were also suggested, as were creating cycle lanes suitable for cargo bikes with wider trailers, the removal of barriers on bike routes, and more cycle parking spaces.

The Sustrans study found that better access to toilets, more shade or shelter, and water fountains would also make the jobs of cycle couriers more comfortable. Designated hubs for riders to connect was also suggested, due to the largely independent working patterns of staff, the survey found.

“While most previous studies have focused on leisure cycling and commuting, few have investigated the needs and concerns of delivery cyclists. These findings shed more light on a growing sector which is underrepresented in research,” Karen McGregor, Scotland’s Director at Sustrans, said.

“To accommodate the growing demand for delivery cyclists, good quality travel infrastructure is essential. Their workplace is on their bikes, navigating urban roads and paths, and they are entitled to safe and pleasant working conditions, just like everybody else.”

Talk about being thrown in at the deep end.

Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye, the African continental road race champion who races for Canyon-Sram’s development team, had travelled to Paris to compete for Nigeria in Sunday’s Olympic road race, where she registered a DNF as Kristen Faulkner soloed to victory.

Or at least that’s what she thought. A last-minute call-up later, and the 25-year-old was sitting in the centre of the velodrome yesterday to take part in the women’s sprint and keirin events.

And to add another layer of panic to what must have already been a nervy situation, Ukpeseraye didn’t even have a track bike to race on, at the biggest sporting event in the world.

Special thanks 🙌 to the German track team for providing @Ese_Ukpeseraye with a track bike after she received a late call up for the Keirin and Sprint events at #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/xUj2LX7wzg

— CANYON//SRAM Racing & CANYON//SRAM Generation (@WMNcycling) August 7, 2024

Thankfully, as Canyon-Sram tweeted yesterday, the German team loaned the national champion one of their spares, enabling her to race yesterday’s keirin, where she finished fourth in yesterday’s controversial bell-less repechage won by Riyu Ohta.

“Don’t be surprised that I’m competing in the track, in the sprint and keirin,” Ukpeseraye posted on Instagram yesterday, confirming her late call-up. “It is what it is.”

And she’ll have to do it all again tomorrow during the women’s sprint qualifying, borrowed bike and all…

In more turbulent bike industry news, Evans Cycles has posted a £22.8m post-tax loss for the financial year ending April 2023, the cycling retailer blaming the “supply chain issues within the industry” for its losses spiralling from £5.3m a year earlier.

Read more: > Evans Cycles blames “supply chain issues” for £22.8m loss, as 70% sale sees bike prices slashed online

It’s been quite the week for Kristen Faulkner.

On Sunday, the American’s perfectly timed late attack saw her clinch a career-defining gold medal in the Olympic road race in Paris, beating Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky in the process.

And last night, Faulkner – a relative newbie to the track having only joined up with the US squad this year ahead of the Games – secured a rare double, as the 31-year-old, alongside Jennifer Valente, Lily Williams, and Chloe Dygert, beat favourites New Zealand to win the women’s team pursuit title in a pulsating final.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

So, how do you follow winning two gold medals in two different cycling disciplines at the same Olympic Games? By heading to the Tour de France and trying to win a stage, of course.

Yesterday, Faulkner was named as part of an attacking, aggressive EF-Oatly-Cannondale seven-rdier line-up for the Tour de France Femmes, which starts in Rotterdam on Monday, including 2023 Paris-Roubaix winner Alison Jackson, young GC hopeful Kim Cadzow, Olympic road race seventh-place finisher Noemi Rüegg, Lotta Henttala, Magdeleine Vallieres, and Clara Emond.

Despite being a two-time Giro d’Italia stage winner, Faulkner hasn’t experienced much joy at the Tour de France Femmes so far in her career, an early crash dampening her form and limiting her to an 11th place finish on stage three during the 2022 edition, while a knee injury sustained after a driver hit her ruling her out of last year’s race.

(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

But the 31-year-old is hopeful her Olympic form will translate to that elusive stage win.

“The Olympic road race showed me that my form is really good, perhaps the best it’s ever been,” she said.

“I’m excited to take that into the Tour de France Femmes and try to win some stages. I’ve won stages at the Vuelta and Giro, so the Tour is one I still want to cross off the list.

“I’m also excited to support my teammates. I have been so focused on track and Olympic preparations that I haven’t raced with my EF-Oatly-Cannondale teammates since June. I’m so excited to reunite with them. It’s been too long.”

> 13 things you didn't know about track cycling SEO articles during the Olympics