Questions have been asked about the UCI's concussion protocol after Jumbo-Visma rider George Bennett was allowed to continue on yesterday's second stage of Paris-Nice despite suffering a fall. The New Zealand national road race champion's helmet snapped during the crash with ex-pro David Millar describing it as "completely unacceptable" for Bennett to continue.
UCI equivalent of testing for concussion...#ParisNice#GeorgeBennettpic.twitter.com/qi2axJ6zPQ
— Colin Lynch (@FormerTTchamp) March 8, 2021
So George Bennett crashes hard, smashes helmet, clearly dizzy and not jumping back on bike BUT allowed to get back on bike with what appears to be no check from race doctor! What happened to the @UCI_cycling concussion protocol? @ParisNice
— Leda Cox (@LedaCox) March 8, 2021
Had a chat with a BBC reporter about Fishers Lane.
Even as we stood there a driver passed the restriction sign & overtook 2 children cycling there..
in a place that is supposed to be car-free!Yet if the driver is fined, that's who some feel sorry for.
How messed up is that?! pic.twitter.com/ib4k1sDLBQ
— Drew White (@drewsonix) March 7, 2021
Fisher's Lane in Chiswick is meant to only be used by cyclists and buses, however, from Drew White's thread it's clear that many motorists ignore the signs banning cars from using the cut through. In a perfect piece of timing, just as he was speaking to a BBC reporter and cameraman about the problem, a driver demonstrated his concerns for him by ignoring the no cars sign and overtaking two kids riding their bikes. Drew also highlighted that the problem goes beyond cyclists and also affects parents and children crossing the road from a playground nearby.
Last month the Chiswick Herald reported that Fisher's Lane had become one of the most profitable traffic cameras in Britain with Ealing Council issuing 3,348 PCNs for drivers ignoring the restrictions in the first eight weeks of the scheme.
The reporter asked "is it right a council can make so much money here?" - I commented that there shouldn't be all those fines to collect!
And it's not just cyclists it affects, it's parents crossing from the playground..
and, even in the report, this man trying to cross the road pic.twitter.com/wxpaZ1Nnrm— Drew White (@drewsonix) March 7, 2021
I didn't choose this as a safe cycling route, or have a say in how it was implemented or enforced.
But I should be able to use it without close-passes & tailgating.Do drivers really not see the signs?
Or just check for a camera car before deciding whether to drive through? pic.twitter.com/xlcPkVkiLB
— Drew White (@drewsonix) March 1, 2021
Sarah Hope believes she can inspire more women to get into cycling by taking on The Tour 21 event this summer. Along with former England footballer Geoff Thomas and 23 others, Sarah will take on the full Tour de France route, one week ahead of the professionals. She is the only woman on the team this year but has already inspired 29-year-old Nicole Perry from London to sign up for next year's event. The riders are hoping to raise over £1 million for blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia and will need to ride 3,384km to complete the full Tour route.
The penultimate stage of the rescheduled Women's Tour will run from Colchester to Clacton. Race organisers SweetSpot hopes the race will be able to go ahead in a revised spot on the calendar in October, with the latest stage to be announced scheduled for Friday 8 October. It will be the first time the Women's Tour has visited Colchester and will showcase the Northern Gateway Sports park, a new 76-acre multi-use venue featuring a one-mile closed-road cycling circuit. The town will also host the Grand Depart in June 2022. Clacton last hosted a stage finish at the race in 2015 when Jolien D'Hoore won the bunch sprint pictured above.
— Phil Gaimon (@philgaimon) March 8, 2021
Phil Gaimon, the former pro rider and now full-time YouTuber with a passion for hunting down Strava KOMs and Everesting records, has been providing us all with the Oprah interview memes...On Friday he predicted the big twist would be Harry admitting to using EPO...Today he's picked out the key moment we must have missed. Harry giving Oprah the full low-down on Mathieu van der Poel's Strade Bianche performance...
Team BikeExchange has become the second WorldTour team to commit to paying their female riders the same minimum salary as the men. In January, Trek-Segafredo made the same promise. New signing Teniel Campbell told The Cycling Podcast it is a positive step forward for women's cycling.
"Now I can support my family back home and I can invest in my future. It is really good. we put in the same amount of work as the guys, we are dedicated and committed just as much as the guys. We put our life on the line like them, so it's a really good thing. Hopefully, next we'll see more live broadcasts so my family can watch the races more. I think everything is heading in the right direction," she said.
"This is a private road sunshine, it belongs to Horsham District Council"pic.twitter.com/UrXMOomEn6
— James Stafford (@Jamesdestafford) March 5, 2021
It's always nice to see the "anti-social grandpa" as he's been dubbed online, get done over by some kids armed with basic facts. Also good to see it isn't just cyclists who get the 'you don't pay to ride on roads' treatment. When I say good, obviously I mean incredibly boring and incorrect...
Perhaps most bizarrely the man argues: "It is a private road sunshine it belongs to Horsham District Council" and that cyclists aren't allowed on the road either. Right on cue two cyclists roll past the man's front door...
Prominent transport journalist Carlton Reid shared the video commenting: "Anti-social grandpa wrong on everything in this vid, including the fact a car licence pays for road use. Good on the socially responsible kids."
Mark Treasure came forward to say he had a run in with this man too and that in his case he was upset about him riding on the roads. Have a read of the other baffling interaction...
Amazingly enough (or... perhaps not that amazingly) this is exactly the same man who told me off for cycling past this very same house. https://t.co/ZaO7DjCC1g
— Mark Treasure (@AsEasyAsRiding) March 6, 2021