road.cc CANCELLED by Ineos! What happened when we tried to take pics of the new Pinarello Dogma + Does cycling policy need a reset after the election?

Oi, you there! You can’t record your podcast around here…

We’ve got a special bonus Dauphiné and election edition of the road.cc Podcast this week, because surely you didn’t think we were going to ignore that incident, involving a seemingly super top secret new Pinarello Dogma and a stubborn British team at the key pre-Tour tune-up race, did you?

So, with everyone (including a few other podcasts) talking about our tech team’s run-in at the Dauphiné with the Ineos Grenadiers – who were steadfastly obstinate about refusing to allow any filming or photography around their shiny new bikes (despite said bikes appearing on TV all this week) – we decided to go behind the scenes (or the team car, or the hedge) to discuss what really went on in France, and why pro teams continue to ‘play the game’ when it comes to new bike tech. Oh, and why white handlebar tape is back in fashion…

Meanwhile, in part two, we were joined by Cycling UK’s Sarah McMonagle to discuss that other big topic of the moment, the general election, and why cycling policy needs a reset come next month – before digging out our crystal balls to find out what active travel pledges (if any) will pop up in the major parties’ manifestos over the next few weeks.

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In case you’re scratching your head and wondering what this whole Ineos/Dauphiné kerfuffle is all about, here’s our YouTube video of Jamie’s ill-fated (and pixel-heavy) attempt to snap up some juicy new tech content in the days leading up to the French stage race:

> Ineos Grenadiers race new Pinarello Dogma at Dauphiné

That incident – one of the more dramatic moments of road.cc’s annual excursion to the Critérium du Dauphiné, a key Tour de France tune-up where new tech is often tested ahead of July’s big rendezvous (and where the biggest drama is usually confined to the quality of the local coffee) – has appeared to have raised a number of questions within the cycling community concerning the relationship between the media, teams, and the bike industry.

For starters, why are Ineos so keen to prevent pictures of their new Pinarello Dogma bikes leaking out (especially when they’ve been raced on all week, on TV, at one of the biggest races of the year)? Are bike brands such as Pinarello really averse to the publicity generated by speculation about their new bikes? And how much do cycling teams and brands ‘play the game’ when it comes to their new bikes and tech?

In part one, Jack and Ryan are joined by Jamie and Mat, fresh from their whistlestop tour of the hotels and car parks of south-east France, to answer those questions and give a blow-by-blow account of Ineos’ somewhat heavy-handed approach to bike tech secrecy.

> Trek’s new road bike: what is it and what do we know so far?

They also delve into their other favourite tech spots from the Dauphiné – including new mysterious models from Wilier and Trek (is it a Madone, an Emonda, or an Andromeda?) – the evolution of bikes and the rise of the do-it-all frame, and why white bar tape is back in vogue (hurrah!).

Meanwhile, in part two, to mark the countdown to the publication of the major parties’ manifestos ahead of next month’s general election, Ryan and Jack sat down with Sarah McMonagle, director of external affairs at Cycling UK.

With cycling and active travel conspicuous by its absence in this week’s rather chaotic leadership debate, Cycling UK has called on all candidates standing on 4 July to commit to enabling people to live happier, healthier, and greener lives through cycling.

> Is active travel in Britain heading in the wrong direction?

In the podcast, Sarah says this can be done by parties pledging to increase investment in active travel to at least 10 per cent of the total transport budget, to produce an integrated transport strategy, to improve the planning system to ensure all new homes have excellent walking and cycling networks, and to fix what the charity calls our failing traffic laws.

Sarah also argues that next month’s election provides an opportunity for cycling policy in the UK – after a few years of being caught up in the culture wars – to “reset”, preferably with a government happy to espouse the health, societal, and environmental benefits of riding a bike.

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