Welcome to Friday's live blog, with Jack Sexty, Alex Bowden and the rest of the team...
20/09/2019, 16:49
Westminster could impose 20mph limit throughout borough
Borough already has 20mph limits around 39 schools and is looking to expand that.
20/09/2019, 16:12
Roval now offers lifetime warranty on carbon wheels
Ever thought about the warranty on your expensive carbon wheels? If it's something you are worried about, then you'll be interested to know that Roval is now offering a lifetime warranty on its carbon wheels. Read all about it here.
20/09/2019, 15:51
Witness appeal after Bristol cyclist was injured
We need info after a cyclist was injured on Marsh Ln nr Portbury Docks 11.30am Tues 17 Sept. She's in a critical condition in hosp with injuries consistent with a collision/fall. We want to talk to a motorcyclist seen at the time. Call 101 ref 5219217316 https://t.co/7WUvhbTHhwpic.twitter.com/jOPNBq85l5
— Avon & Somerset Police (@ASPolice) September 20, 2019
20/09/2019, 10:00
Jamie Theakston says Bradley Wiggins told him to put banana skins down his pants to stop chafing
Jamie Theakston: Wiggo says put banana skins in pants for charity ride https://t.co/x3AkRQE8ql
— ES Entertainment (@StandardEnts) September 19, 2019
We're not sure if it's a wind-up or not, but sure enough the TV and radio presenter told the Standard Online that Wiggo recommended bananas to combat chafing ahead of his 650 mile charity ride around the UK: "Bradley Wiggins suggested I put banana skins down my pants, which I’m not sure if that’s something that helped him win the Tour de France. Apparently if you want to fully protect and lubricate all the areas that otherwise would chafe, banana skins is the secret.
"Yeah I’d give it a go. I can eat the bananas, they’ll keep my energy levels up, and then I don’t have to throw away the skins."
20/09/2019, 15:42
Lizzie Deignan knows the World Championships course prettty well then
I’ve ridden the route so many times just by accident, before it was even announced as the women’s road race,” she tells the Guardian. "Every time I wheeled my bike out of my parents’ garage I turned right and I was on the worlds circuit.”
20/09/2019, 15:39
Edinburgh’s dockless bike stations close due to 'wanton destruction'
Just Eat Cycles that are parked at docking points will remain.
20/09/2019, 13:01
The numbers that it takes to ride for a Grand Tour win
Jumbo-Visma gave Primoz Roglic and Steven Kruijswijk's power meter data (major climbs) to AD. The watts that brought third place at Giro d'Italia (Roglic), third place at Tour de France (Kruijswijk) and first place at Vuelta a España (Roglic). https://t.co/rkJxlMUBr4pic.twitter.com/SSQCtIZ4sw
— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) September 20, 2019
Jumbo-Visma has just released power data from two of their Grand Tour leaders, Primoz Roglic and Steven Kruijswijk.
The data shows some pretty big w/kg numbers, but there's nothing here that looks 'extraterrestrial' to us. Diving into the data for Roglic from the Giro suggests that he was never really there on the climbs, relying more on his TT pedigree to secure a 3rd place finish behind Richard Carapaz and Vincenzo Nibali. The loss of 1kg in body weight also shows the toll that Roglic's mid-race illness had on him.
Kruijswijk's Tour de France data is a good indication of how conservative the riders have to be with the efforts on longer climbs. The comparatively short Planche de Belles Filles was completed in 20m37s by Kruijswijk at a power of 388w (6.16w/kg). Compare that to 350w (5.5w/kg) over the mammoth 51m21s climb up the Tourmalet and you can see why having strong teammates to help pace and take the wind for as long as possible is crucial. The day after the Tourmalet stage, Kruijswijk again hit over 6w/kg on the sorter climb.
Roglic's Vuelta data shows the consistency needed to win a three-week race. The steep climb of Los Machucos saw Roglic push a huge 408w (6.3w/kg) for 22m48s. He repeated this performance two days later on the 29m34s climb to Santuario del Acebo, pushing 406w. For us, this was his most impressive performance as the numerous gradient changes would have suited GC rival Valverde more. Will we be troubling the front-end of a Grand Tour? That'll be a no.
20/09/2019, 12:50
Cyclists deliver match whistle to Rugby World Cup after riding from Twickenham to Japan
Two cyclists have delivered referee Nigel Owens’ whistle for the opening game of the Rugby World Cup in Japan, having set off from Twickenham on February 2.
20/09/2019, 11:32
Bricks in the saddlebags, horsemeat and garlic before the race…
The Telegraph’s got a nice interview with Eileen Cropper, who competed in the first world championships women's race in 1958 (a mere 65 years after the inaugural men's event).
She opens by suggesting the reporter is, “only about 60 years late,” and carries on in a similar vein.
She says a number of local shops offered her a bike when they heard she was riding the world championships.
“I got three bikes out of it. I had to say to each one that I had ridden their bike in the race … but I didn’t.”
She says the race itself was “an absolute shambles” and describes rivals popping pills while they were riding.
20/09/2019, 11:04
Former Giro d'Italia director Michele Acquarone cleared of fraud
Former Giro d'Italia director Michele Acquarone has been cleared of fraud, six years after he was sacked by race organisers RCS Sport after it was discovered that some €13 million was unaccounted for.
Cycling News reports that former company accountant Laura Bertinotti has been given an eight-year and eight month sentence for misappropriation of funds.
The money was reportedly taken from various different RCS Sport event accounts between 2006 and 2013.
"Better late than never,” tweeted Acquarone. “A small joy after six years of huge pain. Thanks to everyone who has supported me over the last few years."
20/09/2019, 08:54
London Cycling Campaign to lead ride through Central London at 10.30am in support of Global Climate Strike
Climate Strike is tomorrow!
Join us riding through central London, calling for urgent action on the Climate Crisis.
Start point: 10:30, St John's Church Park, SE1 2AJ
Ride starts: 11:00
Ride finishes: ~12:00, Parliament Squarehttps://t.co/hCnjuatA3u#ClimateStrikepic.twitter.com/5yqspw4Q1V— London Cycling Campaign (@london_cycling) September 19, 2019
The LCC will support the youth climate strike movement by riding from St John's Church Park to Parliament Square, meeting at 10,30am for an 11am start. LCC say: "The climate crisis is the biggest threat facing humanity, and cycling has an important part to play in bringing about solutions. With 20% of London’s carbon emissions coming from road transport, a massive reduction in motor traffic and a rapid expansion of the network of high-quality cycling infrastructure is urgently needed.
"Fortunately, this is an entirely achievable goal. We have a roadmap for decarbonising London’s road transport, and now we just need the Mayor and Borough Council Leaders to deliver it. Doing so will create a better city for everyone - one with fewer cars, less pollution, greener streets and much, much more high-quality cycling infrastructure – while helping cut carbon emissions, helping to protect the future of the planet and millions of people."
20/09/2019, 09:29
Rural road where cyclist was killed by speeding driver "an accident waiting to happen", say Diss residents
After a man in his 40s was killed by the driver of a Vauxhall Combo on the busy B1077 Diss to Attleborough road last Friday, The Diss Mercury reports that residents who live nearby want the speed limit reduced as the road was "an accident waiting to happen."
The stretch where the limit is 60mph features a series of bends, with one resident saying the road was treated "like a racetrack" by some drivers. Local district councillor James Easter said: "At the moment we don't know why this accident happened. That needs to be looked into but it is undoubtedly true that these bends are an issue.
"An answer might be to reduce the speed limit from 60mph but whether anyone would take any notice of it is another issue."