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Rider inches from crashing into photographer at Italian stage race; Denise Welch uses archive TDF pic to claim French aren't "terrified" of pandemic; Riders forced to slide at XC race; Parents want cycling on National Curriculum + more on the live blog

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Welcome to Tuesday's live blog after the late August bank holiday, with Jack Sexty at the controls and Simon MacMichael stepping in this evening
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15:47
Photographer nearly taken out at Coppi e Bartali

In the video from stage 1 of the five-day race in Italy, a rider is forced to veer off to the side to avoid crashing into photographers, and another misses one of them by an inch. Seemingly unflustered, the cameraman proceeds to snap the rider who had peeled off to avoid a collision. 

Finish line safety has been called into question more and more since the horrific injuries suffered by Fabio Jakobsen at the opening stage of the Tour de Pologne in early August, when Dylan Groenewegen appeared to move across his line, sending him crashing into the barriers. While the UCI condemned Groenewegen's "dangerous behaviour", many noted that the narrow, downhill sprint finish and physical barriers were huge contributing factors in the incident. 

15:39
Roglic wins TDF stage 4

The Slovenian played it perfectly to claim the stage win, and it looks like Alaphilippe will keep hold of the yellow jersey after crossing the line in third. Full stage report to follow later. 

15:37
1km to go: all the big guns are together

Roglic, Alaphilippe, Pinot, Bernal etc are all primed for a big finish. 

15:18
Bristol cyclist has Boardman bike stolen after being knocked off and punched by four teenagers
riverside park bike path bristol - via google street view.PNG

The Bristol Post report that Chris Stout was riding on the Riverside Park bike path close to Bristol city centre on Friday evening, when he was attacked by four boys, all aged around 16. Mr Stout, 37, says he grappled with the attackers and managed to push one back off his bike,  but was eventually forced to let them go when a glass bottle was smashed against a wall behind him. 

He said: “Someone came out from behind some trees. I saw someone running on the grass alongside me on the path.

“At first I thought they were being stupid, trying to cause me to swerve or fall off. I turned into them slightly to force them out of the way. Then they jumped out and initiated the collision. They were punching me in the face.

“I don’t remember feeling or thinking anything, it happened so fast. One second I was cycling along, they next I’d been pulled off my bike.”

Mr Stout said the bottle smashing was enough to make him give up on trying to take back his Boardman ADV 8.9, adding: "At that point I just gave up on the bike. It’s a nice bike, but if they had one bottle they could have had more.

I couldn’t defend myself and the bike. They were there for the bike, not for me. There were three guys and then suddenly there were four. The guy I’d thrown off got back on the bike.”

An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said  an investigation had began, while Mr Stout says he has already received a Facebook message from someone who claims to have seen someone riding an identical bike in the area on Saturday, who matched the description of the attackers. 

15:13
Tour de France stage 4: Benoot back on a new bike after crashing

The Belgian clearly came out of it better than his bike, and he's now back in the peloton. 

14:30
Indoor cycling facilities get back on track as more coronavirus restrictions are lifted
Geraint Thomas - Newport Velodrome

British Cycling have announced that club and coach-led activity taking place in indoor facilities in England can resume with immediate effect, following updated guidance published today.

They say that some facility operators have already delivered sessions with reduced numbers successfully, and other clubs and coaches are being actively encouraged to resume activities. Clubs and coaches have to adhere to the rules in British Cycling's 'The Way Forward' document, which has been updated with additional guidance for facility operators.

Helen Redford-Sears, Sports & Events Manager at Derby Arena, said:
 
“Things will have to run a little differently but the welcome at Derby Arena is as warm as ever. Please take some time to familiarise yourself with the new measures, and let us know how we’re doing, so we can make this the best experience. Get your tyres pumped – we can’t wait to get you back on track!”

Indoor competition and events are not yet allowed to return, but British Cycling are hoping these can resume in England on Monday 28th September. 

14:16
Confidis rider Anthony Perez suffered collapsed lung on stage 3 crash yesterday

In an interview with L'Equipe, Perez said the pain is already better than yesterday, but he's been left with two fractured ribs, a pneumothorax, three stitches in his knee and a lot of bruising all over. After taking maximum points on an earlier breakaway, Perez would have been in the polka dot jersey if he'd have finished the stage; but the crash, which involved his own team car, ultimately meant a painful abandon. 

He added: "It happened too quickly, I didn't have time to be afraid. I felt great pain after the fall, I couldn't breathe and I understood immediately that something wasn't right, but I still tried to get back on the bike. 

"At the time of the fall I yelled “bike number 2!”. My bike was brought back to me, I recovered and put my shoe back on that come off. I got back on the bike and tried to start again, but once I was on the bike I knew it was over."

14:00
Conor McGregor is in the yellow jersey

Well, the retired MMA fighter and one-time boxer was wearing one during a recent ride anyway, and also got his nails done according to this curious Instagram post... 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tour de France Yellow Jersey! @letourdefrance @mcgregorfast

A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) on

McGregor is a fan of cycling to keep fit, and has been spotted on numerous occasions riding a custom road bike from Dublin-based FiftyOne with 24-carat gold leaf on the carbon frame. 

13:39
Sliding or riding? A tough day at the office for competitors at the Zanzenberg XCO

The extraordinary scenes were captured at this XC race in Austria, with riders forced to slide down the slippery mud slope and most not even managing to stay on their feet, let alone bikes. We'll stick with tarmac thanks!

11:37
Mind games? Quintana says he doesn't expect to be with the favourites on the final climb today

Stage 4's hilly profile looks like it would suit a prime Quintana, but the Colombian doesn't seem to think he's in contention for the win... being the clear GC contender for Arkéa–Samsic, perhaps this quote has been lost in translation a little.

With the summit finish coming at the end of a category 1 climb that averages 6.7% over 7.1km, it's probably not quite enough ramp for a rider like Quintana to settle in, and could suit more punchy riders like a certain Frenchman in yellow. 

10:53
Denise Welch posts photo of Champs-Élysées to claim the Tour didn't reflect reports of "terrified" French people over coronavirus

The actress and panellist on daytime show Loose Women has been on something of a social media crusade as of late, criticising what she perceive as negativity in the mainstream media over their reporting of the COVID-19 pandemic. To illustrate the point that France is not "terrified" about a second wave (as she suggests the media is reporting) she has cited the Tour de France as an example. 

While it's true the race is on and fans have been seen on the streets (with the vast majority of them well distanced and wearing masks), this photo of the Champs-Élysées appears to be from a previous year; Welch claims it was taken on the 29th August, but the Grand Départ that day was in Nice. 

The Tour de France has a number of measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus, making mask wearing compulsory for spectators and strictly controlling access to key climbs. Riders, their families and team staff must wear masks in hotels and buses at all times, with UCI President David Lappartient saying these rules must be "scrupulously followed."

Rules on positive tests were relaxed just ahead of the Grand Départ, with teams now having to leave the race if two riders test positive for COVID-19, not two riders or team staff as originally stated by organisers. 

10:09
Annemiek van Vleuten joins Movistar
van vleuten.PNG

The world road champion will leave Mitchelton-Scott to join the Spanish team in 2021, having signed a two-year deal 

She said: “My link with the Movistar Team goes back a long way. I got to know the team better in some high altitude concentrations in Sierra Nevada that I did in 2014, and in which I coincided with part of the men's team. One of the coaches invited me to ride one day with them and I loved the experience. For me they were like my 'Spanish family'. I felt very comfortable, they were the first team of boys to invite me to train with them on long days, and the atmosphere was very pleasant. 

"We trained quietly, they waited for me after the climbs, each one did their work and every day, after dinner, you could tell that there was good vibes in the team, they got together to stay a while longer instead of going back to their rooms ... I even played table tennis one day with Alejandro Valverde!

"I'm not the youngest in the peloton anymore, but I am super ambitious and I want to do very well with this team."

09:41
Near miss of the day, bovine edition: cyclist nearly taken out by a runaway cow in Norfolk

In the video from CCTV footage belonging to JSW Used Car Sales, we see a cyclist ride up and stop in the road... and then at around 30 seconds in, it becomes clear what has brought him to a terrifying halt. 

The cyclist avoids the raging animal by inches, before a driver in a 4x4 appears to successfully direct it off the road. 

A JSW employee told Cambridgeshire Live that three police cars were in pursuit of the cow but were a few minutes behind, adding:  "It would have done quite a bit of damage if it hit someone."

Norfolk Police said that the cow was safely contained by farmers and returned to a field later that morning. 

09:35
Cyclists hogging the road again

A couple of examples from the Bank Holiday weekend.

09:07
A new test for cycling infra: can you carry a pint while riding on it?

"Why aren't you wearing a helmet?"

"Beer."

08:29
Survey finds 82% of parents believe cycling should be added to the National Curriculum
Family cycling along the Wilmslow Road Cycleway (TfGM)

As cycling boomed during the lockdown, many families took advantage of the safer and quieter roads by bike... and a new survey from Halfords has shown that the majority believe it's time to think of riding a bike as more than just a hobby, rather a vital tool that is taught on the National Curriculum. 

Halfords' first indication of more kids cycling is their sales figures of children's bikes, bike seats and trailers, going up by 100% ahead of schools reopening. The survey revealed that almost half of all parents would consider buying a bike or scooter for their children to travel to school, and that 56% would like cycling added to the National Curriculum so that all children will be taught to cycle competently, confidently and proficiently on the roads." 60% also wanted more money pledged towards cycling and scooting safety for children, even if this was at the expense of other school resources.

The survey also shown that there is still a lot of apprehension over road safety, with only 17% of those surveyed saying they have a child who cycles to school, and 42% saying the main reason their children don't cycle to school is because the roads are too dangerous; just 12% of British families with kids under 12 have at least one family member who doesn’t know how to ride a bike, according to statistics. 

A further 27% of parents said they would welcome interactive cycling clubs at schools and in local areas, with free bike helmets given to all children.   

Halfords' Emma Dines commented: “On the back of a year when many adults have rediscovered cycling, it’s heartening to see a growing number of children taking it up too. Our research shows that parents want further cycling education to be provided to young people to ensure it can help them to cycle safely. We know how important is it to start these skill sets young and educate the next generation. Such initiatives can help fuel a lifelong interest in bikes – as well as sound cycling safety knowledge. The benefits of cycling and walking are enormous.”

11:56
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