In the 24 hours since this new filter was delivered, anti-LTN fanatics who absolutely cannot accept sharing the roads with all those who both use and pay for them, have stolen the bollard, defaced the signs, and snapped the trees. Degenerates, plain and simple. pic.twitter.com/X219MEjPXP
— Cllr Jon Burke (@jonburkeUK) November 24, 2020
On the same day that analysis from Transport for London in the borough of Hackney found that LTNs had not increased increased traffic levels on five nearby A and B-roads, this newly installed filter has been vandalised. Not even 24 hours had passed by the time it was graffitied with red paint covering the signs banning motor traffic.
Councillor Jon Burke was furious with the vandalism: "In the 24 hours since this new filter was delivered, anti-LTN fanatics who absolutely cannot accept sharing the roads with all those who both use and pay for them, have stolen the bollard, defaced the signs, and snapped the trees. Degenerates, plain and simple."
It's not the first time LTNs have been vandalised in the capital. In August, oil was poured on the road and planters graffitied in Ealing.
OUR SAY: In our reponse to its consultation, we’ve asked @theroyalparks to show leadership by eliminating through traffic in #RichmondPark.
Now it’s your turn! Use the survey to explain in your own words how through traffic has impacted your cycling.https://t.co/gT8F4nasZ5pic.twitter.com/iPxBlxoEiM
— RichmondParkCyclists (@RichmondPkCycle) November 23, 2020
The third and final public consultation on The Royal Parks' Movement Strategy is open for suggestions. After shutting during the first lockdown, the park reopened to rat running drivers in August with many parts now too dangerous and congested for cyclists. In the same month the park reopened to motorists, Met Police's Cycle Safety Team were forced to release a statement condoning "outrageous behaviour towards cyclists including assaults and a young girl being injured in the park."
You can respond to the consultation and give your thoughts and suggestions here...
CX Syndicate is a newly registered Cyclocross, Gravel and MTB team operating out of Peak District. Due to restrictions placed on travel, and a heavily reduced calendar, CX Syndicate will be targeting races close to home this winter, however, plans are in place to expand as a UCI Team in 2021. The team's four-rider roster is headlined by former British national champions Ian Field and Beth Crumpton as well as some younger talent. Their kit's pretty cool too...
Back on the bike together with @delorestougje on our new @iamspecialized Tarmac SL7. It has been quite a journey so far. With this post I would like to thank all the medical specialists that have helped me a long the way. pic.twitter.com/N34S9cf933
— Fabio Jakobsen (@FabioJakobsen) November 24, 2020
Fabio Jakobsen is back! Four months on from his terrible crash at the Tour of Poland, the Deceuninck-Quick Step sprinter is back on the bike for the first time. Jakobsen was put into a medically-induced coma following the crash on the opening stage of the race and required five hours of reconstructive surgery to his facial injuries, but things are starting to look more positive for the 24-year-old.
Unsurprisingly there's been no shortage of well-wishers pleased to see him back on his bike...
Bravo! So good to see this...
— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) November 24, 2020
https://t.co/2rkRztwEb1pic.twitter.com/VqfQF6YNyz
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) November 24, 2020
Former British Cycling Technical Director Shane Sutton found an empty phial of banned drug EPO in a team car at a race, the Dr Richard Freeman medical tribunal heard yesterday. The Times report that Tony Cooke, father of former Olympic road race champion Nicole Cooke, told the tribunal that the incident happened during the Five Valleys Road Race while Sutton was the national coach for Wales. This was before his involvement with British Cycling or Team Sky and Cooke explained that Sutton was "very angry" on discovering the phial.
Simon Jackson QC asked: "Your informant said Mr Sutton was very angry about this being left in the car in which he was travelling? He thought it had been left there deliberately by a rider?"
Cooke confirmed this before explaining that his own interpretation at the time was that Sutton was innocent. Jackson also asked if Cooke felt uncomfrotable that the coach was able to recognise an EPO phial.
Cooke said: "Mr Sutton was obviously able to recognise it, according to the account given to me."
Last week the tribunal heard that Sutton had raised concerns to the Team Sky hierachy about Chris Froome's relationship with Bobby Julich in 2012.
🇨🇴✍️💥 ¡Miguel Ángel López, gran refuerzo para 2021! El colombiano, podio del Giro y La Vuelta y ganador de la etapa 'reina' del #TDF2020, nuestro quinto fichaje. ¡Bienvenido! #MejorConectados
💪 @SupermanlopezN joins the Movistar Team! #RodamosJuntos→ https://t.co/KFbhmEi0Rf
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) November 24, 2020
Miguel Ángel López has left Astana and will ride for Movistar in 2021. The Colombian won Stage 17 of the Tour de France on the summit finish at Col de la Loze and finished the Tour sixth overall, 40 seconds behind Movistar leader Enric Mas. López has twice finished on the podium at Grand Tours coming third at the Giro d'Italia and La Vuelta a España in 2018 and will bolster Movistar's GC options with Alejandro Valverde approaching retirement.
We think this video is from America based on the comments on Reddit, but wherever it is we want to visit. Who knew leaves could be so fun? Riding through this looks much more enjoyable than negotiating the slippy, muddy ones that turn your local climb into an ice rink at this time of year.
Admittedly, regular users of the Stretford Road cycle land in Manchester may be wondering what all the fuss is about....
In a first for Cyclescheme, the UK's biggest provider of bikes under the Cycle to Work initiative, an annual Santander Cycles membership can now be purchased with discounts of between 32-42% depending on which tax bracket you fall in. The annual membership, which gives users unlimited access to Santander Cycles, usually costs £90 per year. With no bike-fixing overheads and rides available in hundreds of locations, Cyclescheme says the reduced rate makes the Santander Cycles annual membership one of the least expensive ways to get around the capital.
Adrian Warren, Director at Cyclescheme and Chair of the Cycle to Work Alliance, commented: “As the leading provider of cycle to work schemes, Cyclescheme is extremely excited to partner with TfL to bring this innovative cycling benefit to employees across London.
"We believe our forward-thinking approach coupled with these incredible savings demonstrate our dedication to making cycling more accessible. Cycling is becoming more prevalent in London, but many people struggle to afford a bike or to find space to store one.
"With over 22,000 employers already signed up, this new initiative will break down those barriers and help more Londoners get on their bikes.”
Deceuninck-Quick Step's Remco Evenepoel has said he's hoping to start his 2021 season "as soon as possible" and that he's "impatient" to race a Grand Tour. Evenepoel has not raced since crashing out of Il Lombardia in August where he suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured pelvis.
However, the Belgian wonderkid is confident he'll be back to his frightening best in 2021. He told Sporza: "It’s going better than we could have hoped. At first I only expected to be able to pedal by now, but I’ve already been on the bike for a month. Things came back quickly here in Spain. I’m no slower or different than before."
The 20-year-old rode 763km in his first week back on the bike, racking up 26 hours around Calpe, a popular winter training destination for the pros. Evenepoel also explained how his time off the bike has allowed him to slim down and he's now five kilograms lighter than at his last race.
He said: "I only weigh 59 to 60kg now, so I can hardly compare my wattages and values with last year, but if you weigh less, you have to push fewer watts to go as fast as you can. The muscle mass I lost in the beginning is back, but the baby fat is completely gone. When I look at my upper body, I am skin and bones.
“I always paid attention to my diet. I knew that every kilogram I gained was one kilogram too many to reach the top again. It's certainly not that I have anorexia, but it's my new lifestyle. I recognised even more the importance of a healthy diet."
In 2021 Evenepoel will likely return to racing in February at Vuelta a Valenciana before moving on to bigger targets later in the year with his Grand Tour debut on the cards.
"It doesn’t matter which one, but I want to race one. I want to start my racing season as soon as possible, so it’s likely the Vuelta a Valenciana could be my first race. The Olympic Games are on my schedule. More than anything, I want to race a Grand Tour."
Saturday's Near Miss of the Day was a bad one. Secret_squirrel, a cyclist from Oxfordshire, sent us the video of a builder's merchant HGV cutting a corner at a junction and almost flattening him in the process. The driver continued, forcing him out the way and left without giving his contact details. Today we've been told the driver has been suspended by his firm, pending further investigation.
At last. Time to launch my Kevlar and titanium Hound-Bound emergency dog lead. Only 5.3g and stows under the headset top cap. https://t.co/Y7s5CbcEhA
— 𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 (@overlandertheb1) November 24, 2020
This is one for our Christmas gifts for cyclists: presents for less than £50 next year. There were plenty of other amusing replies to Owain Doull's canine rescue mission...
Ahh that is so sweet, the Pinarello dog catcher #Goodjob
— mavis Evans (@MaveEvans) November 23, 2020
Lucky it was a dog that walks to heel 😬 If it was my pup those headphones would become airpods in no time 😅
— George Beck (@Georgebeck99) November 23, 2020
Dog is just relieved he’s on an easy Z2 day 🤣😉
— Mike Smith (@MikeSmith1973) November 23, 2020
This Edinburgh cyclist wanted to make a point about a driver who'd parked his car on zigzags and was prepared to wait. Standing in the road and forcing traffic to use the other lane to pass he waited for the driver to return. Edinburgh Evening News say the cyclist waited in the road for at least five minutes and that police passed four times during this time.
Traffic backed up along Holyrood Road and motorists blared their horns until eventually the driver returned to his car where he and the cyclist exchanged words. One witness said: "I’ve never seen anybody do anything like this before. We were a bit astonished to see the stand that the cyclist was taking by sitting in the middle of the road. This cyclist just stopped in the middle of the street. He just pulled up. He was making a point."
Top Tip of the day, if you happen to find a lost dog while out on your bike headphones double up as a great lead. Managed to get Bolt home to his farm in one piece #Parkour#Bolt#walkiespic.twitter.com/PBIzZTqLhy
— Owain Doull (@owaindoull) November 23, 2020
INEOS Grenadiers'Owain Doull was out training when he found Bolt, who had escaped from a nearby farm. Using his headphones as a makeshift lead the Welshman was able to trot the dog back to his relieved owners. In the video his Garmin shows Doull still pushing more than 200 watts with the help of his new friend. Luckily for Bolt, Doull didn't have any efforts to do...
Thanks Owain. Bolt’s exhausted and pleased to have met a new friend. 😁 pic.twitter.com/2V6xcFJdA7
— james harvey (@nwbreastsurgeon) November 23, 2020