Don’t worry, Josh Tarling, you’re not alone.
While the British time trial phenom managed to hang onto the win – ahead of Remco Freakin’ Evenepoel – at yesterday’s Chrono des Nations, despite taking a wrong turn at a roundabout, Tarling’s mild embarrassment at his mid-race mishap can certainly be assuaged by learning that he’s now part of a proud yet humble tradition of direction-challenged time trialists.
“I was once diverted off a 25 course by triathlon marshals. I got suspicious when overtaking loads of cyclists in narrower lanes. Added a couple of miles, still wasn’t last,” wrote Exeter Wheelers vice-president under our Twitter story.
In my first 'proper' TT year, I was fast but unseeded in a 100. Got well ahead of the field and took a marshal by surprise. In panic he directed me down the wrong turning. 100 miles became 115. I didn't win.
— Howard Waller (@oranjh) October 16, 2023
Ian’s mid-25 detour was soon usurped by Howard Waller, who wrote: “In my first ‘proper’ TT year, I was fast but unseeded in a 100. Got well ahead of the field and took a marshal by surprise. In panic he directed me down the wrong turning. 100 miles became 115. I didn’t win.”
Ouch.
Even your resident live blogger isn’t immune to the perils of navigating time trial signage (I’m sure you’re all shocked).
Way back when at the Ulster junior 25 championships, I became disorientated while trying to ride the entire way around what in fairness was an absolutely massive roundabout.
Like a child stumbling off a merry-go-round, and forced into guessing what exit was the correct one, I rode in the wrong direction for a minute or so, before finally realising and swinging the bike around in the vague direction of the finish line.
Well, at least I had a decent excuse for why I was so off the pace – not that I needed one of course…
Seriously? pic.twitter.com/h5H1ri2UXp
— DalstonLTN (@DalstonLtn) October 16, 2023
The future of Oxford’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, schemes blighted by what some proponents of hyperbole have described as a “civil war” in the city since their implementation in 2021, will be decided tomorrow night at a meeting of Oxford County Council.
The council has been recommended to approve the Traffic Regulation Orders for the three East Oxford LTNs, located in the Divinity Road, St Clement’s, and St Mary’s areas, though tensions remain high concerning traffic-calming measures that have been the subject of protests, vandalism, and arson attacks, as well as a BBC Panorama episode.
> Active travel campaigners release footage of anti-LTN vandals setting bollards alight
A report into the LTNs in East Oxford found that the schemes have led to an increase in cycling numbers by 20 percent, with one boundary road even seeing the percentage of cyclists increasing by 51 percent, while car use is down by 10 percent.
While air quality has improved for the most part, the report also found that congestion has increased overall, with bus journey times towards the city centre rising.
“I would say they have been a massive success. We have seen a massive drop in air pollution,” Zuhura Plummer from Oxford Liveable Streets told ITV today.
“We have seen a big drop in accidents and collision inside the LTNs. Businesses are still thriving and we have data that shows the number of businesses that open and close in the Cowley Road is below the average.”
The bumpy, and often dangerous, issue of terrible or poorly maintained roads and bike paths for cyclists came into focus over the weekend, as we reported on two stories that highlighted the hazards of riding a bike on neglected routes.
While one cyclist criticised the council in Kent for signing off on an off-road cycle route that, just six months after its completion, is already littered with cracks and crumbling surfaces, another local authority came under scrutiny for failing to properly inspect a rural road where an 84-year-old cyclist was tragically killed after his wheel got caught in a huge pothole, just months after the lane was assessed by council workers – seemingly intent on only identifying dangers for motorists – twice.
In response to these stories from over the weekend, a cyclist on social media shared images of what is surely a contender for the prestigious, and hard-fought, title of Britain’s Worst Cycle Path…
Some pics taken in July of cycle route 63 near Peterborough, it's still exactly the same even after reporting it to our council in July, apparently it'll be resurfaced sometime, but for now it's being left like this.. pic.twitter.com/SBmp1eCMGQ
— Des@CambsCustomCycles (@CCCycles2017) October 15, 2023
The path, which forms part of National Cycle Route 63, is located on the North Bank of the River Nene near Peterborough and, judging by cyclist Des’ photos, features a series of massive cracks, a rollercoaster surface, and plenty of mid-lane vegetation.
Des says he reported the poorly maintained surface to the local council in July, and that “full resurfacing works” it will take place “sometime” in the future, which is reassuring.
“But for now it’s being left like this,” Des says. “Is this really acceptable on a popular walking and cycling route?”
Meanwhile, another local cyclist noted that the council seems to “be happy to resurface areas that don’t really need it. That stretch isn’t just crappy, it’s really dangerous too.”
“That’s awful, you could fit a full size MTB wheel in that,” one social media user added, prompting Des to reply: “You could, and it’s not lit so when the clocks go back, commuting will be ‘interesting’ riding along there.”
Let’s just hope that the council pull their finger out over the next few weeks, then.
Does Peterborough’s North Bank have a strong claim to being Britain’s worst cycle path? Or is your local route even worse? Let us know in the comments…
Cian Uijtdebroeks’ performances on the road this year may have cemented his place as one of cycling’s hottest GC prospects, but his increasingly frequent outbursts to the media have also earned him a reputation as one of the peloton’s most outspoken members.
After publicly complaining about Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Alexandr Vlasov’s tactics at the Vuelta, when it seemed as if both riders were fighting each other over seventh place, the 20-year-old Belgian – who has since been linked with a move to Lidl-Trek or the Ineos Grenadiers – has now aimed his wrath at the German squad’s attention to detail when it comes to equipment and aerodynamics.
After an issue-laden time trial at the Chrono des Nations yesterday, Uijtdebroeks declared that “it would be nice if my bikes were in order” and that the team “really needs to improve” – even hinting that he may have to leave Bora if they cannot make him “competitive in Grand Tours”.
Dave Brailsford’s ears just pricked up…
Read more: > Pro rider quick to slam Bora-Hansgrohe for “out of order” Specialized TT bikes
Josh Tarling really is quite the bike rider, isn’t he?
The 19-year-old from Aberaeron has enjoyed the neo-pro year dreams are made of, impressing throughout the year against the clock before taking his first senior British time trial championship, a feat he followed up with a bronze medal at the worlds TT in Stirling, a maiden WorldTour win at the Renewi Tour, and then last month’s jaw dropping European championships victory.
And yesterday, at the Chrono des Nations (the descendant of the fabled Grand Prix des Nations), Tarling – racing in the Euro champs jersey for the first time – put the icing on the cake of his scintillating 2023 by beating none other than world champion Remco Evenepoel by 13 seconds over the flat 45.4km course in Les Herbiers.
To put Tarling’s performance – which came just 12 months after his win at the junior Chrono des Nations – into perspective, nobody else, including TT specialists Stefan Bissegger, Rémi Cavagna, and Mikkel Bjerg, got within a minute of the European and world champions, while Bjerg finished over two minutes down in fifth.
Not even sure where to start, unbelievable day.@joshytarling wins Chrono des Nations in front of the world champion and Fin takes 2nd in the junior version. Bonkers.
Josh went the wrong way at a roundabout near the end 🤦♂️ True Joshy style!
Super proud of both of them! pic.twitter.com/bbgSS0jfAo
— Michael Tarling (@tarling_michael) October 15, 2023
And, rather incredibly, Tarling’s margin of victory over Evenepoel may have been even wider had the young Welshman not gone the wrong way at a roundabout near the end of his ride, a classic British TT mishap revealed by his father Michael on social media after the race.
Finally, I have something in common with Josh Tarling – we’ve both guilty of having taken the wrong roundabout exit during time trials (albeit mine was during the Ulster 25 mile TT championships, not against Remco Evenepoel. And I didn’t win). Though that still means we’re basically the same, doesn’t it?
It turned out to be a super day for the Tarling clan in Les Herbiers, as Josh’s 17-year-old younger brother Finlay secured second place in the junior TT, losing by just a second to Italian Davide Donati, while promising Irish rider Adam Rafferty (another younger sibling, with older brother Darren joining EF Education next year) in third.
The Tarling family are going to dominate time trials for the next decade, aren’t they?
Cycling commentators, take notes, as after what seemed like an eternity of endless but ultimately fruitless merger talks with Soudal Quick-Step, and speculation about Amazon coming on board, Jumbo-Visma have finally secured a replacement for the outgoing Dutch supermarket chain, and will be known as Visma-Lease a Bike in 2024.
Catchy.
While Jumbo were originally set to pull out of sports sponsorship at the end of 2024 in the wake of police raids and money laundering and fraud accusations, it seems like the supermarket’s involvement will now end a year early, with WielerFlits reporting that Lease a Bike – a subsidiary of existing sponsor Pon, a Dutch transport multinational and bike distributor – will step up to the role of co-title sponsor alongside Visma.
Lease a Bike, a cycle to work scheme based in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, already appears on Jumbo-Visma’s jerseys, and several sources have confirmed to WielerFlits that their investment in the team is set to increase next year. The overall budget, however, currently remains unclear, with the website speculating it to be around the €25-30 million mark.
[Zac Williams/SWpix.com]
The squad will also be on the lookout for additional investment over the next year or so, with Betcity set to step aside when the Netherlands bans sports sponsorship by online gambling companies in July 2025.
Sources are also in the dark over whether Visma and Lease a Bike would be eager to step aside if a larger sponsor such as Amazon – who recently pulled out of a smaller deal with the Dutch team at the last minute – became interested in backing the team.
Nevertheless, Visma director Anne-Grethe Thomle Karlsen reiterated the business software company’s long-term support for the team as it prepares to take over first-name sponsorship rights.
“As far as the future is concerned, we entered into this sponsorship in 2019 with a long-term perspective. As long as both parties see common value in this collaboration, that will not change,” she said.
Police in one Warwickshire town have asked the council to introduce a no cycle zone to cut out “really dangerous” cycling and “anti-social behaviour” in the shopping area, saying that “we get a lot of kids wheelie-ing through and it sets the wrong tone”.
Inspector Kris Shore of Nuneaton’s police force told a council scrutiny meeting that officers want more power to stop anti-social cycling, with “kids wheelie-ing around” and cyclists apparently “just rifling through the town”.
Ah, the temperatures are dropping, the nights are closing in, and another cyclist has been booted out of Strictly – it’s that time of the year again, folks, the cyclocross season is back!
Cross is back and so is Fem Van Empel 🥇
Women Elite victory at Round 1 in Waterloo 🇺🇸#CXWorldCuppic.twitter.com/EvPG3srDuY
— UCI Cyclocross (@UCI_CX) October 15, 2023
The World Cup of mud, fun, and stupidly steep mounds kicked off yesterday all the way over in Waterloo, Wisconsin, as world champion Fem Van Empel resumed right where she left off, capitalising on eternal rival Puck Pieterse’s early mistakes to take an impressive win.
Meanwhile, in the men’s race, a new star was born as Lidl-Trek’s Thibau Nys – son of ‘cross legend Sven – beat Eli Iserbyt to secure the first senior World Cup of his young career, demonstrating some silky bike handling skills and monstrous power in the process:
So much power😳🤯 pic.twitter.com/JiFS4LKhP1
— Cyclocross Social (@Cyclocrosss) October 15, 2023
Oof…
It appears that Cycle Route 63 in Peterborough isn’t just a source of frustration and worry for local cyclists – its horrid, rollercoaster surface is also feared by those running on it.
“Not only is that a bad cycle route, it’s a bad route for running,” Gary Woodward says on Facebook. “I’ve been using it for training and it’s horrible. Not expecting anything perfectly smooth but this is like walking on a treadmill full of Lego!”
Ouch…
Meanwhile, nominees for Britain’s Worst Cycle Path are beginning to pour in:
I'm sure there's lots of contenders for the worst cycle path.
Here's my entry... pic.twitter.com/wFaAcEPRna— Rob Leadbeater ֎ (@leadyrob) October 16, 2023
I reckon the awards committee might be here for a while…
Five Paralympic track cycling gold medals, 20 rainbow jerseys on the track, a host of gold medals in the swimming pool, and a week four exit on Strictly Come Dancing – Jody Cundy really has done it all.
Bless Jody Cundy.
Not the greatest dance but giving it absolutely everything.
Top bloke.#strictly#StrictlyComeDancing#bbcstrictly#jowita#jodycundypic.twitter.com/CgEOYwZXI0
— Andrew Jazzie (@AndrewJazzie) October 14, 2023
Unfortunately, like many of his cycling-turned-shoddily dancing forebears, the 45-year-old’s stint on the Strictly ballroom – which, remember, began just weeks after he won his 14th world kilo title in Glasgow in August – came to an early, if rather inevitable, end last night.
> From the peloton to the ballroom: cycling’s dancing sensations
After finishing bottom of the leaderboard with a rather shaky, hesitant salsa (hey, the live blog can also contain some dance analysis too, you know), the nerves appeared to get the better of Jody in the dance-off, where even pro dancer – and last year’s Strictly winner – Jowita Przystał fell to pieces following a few botched lifts, with the judges electing unanimously to save comedian Eddie Kadi.
He may have made Nico Roche look like John Travolta, but you can’t say Cundy – chest waxed, shirt open, and dealing with a series of injuries – didn’t give it a right go dancing on national TV, anyway. And there’s always Paris and another crack at Paralympic success to act as a consolation prize, right?
You’ve heard of drafting behind vehicles, and you’ve definitely heard of a sticky bottle – but what if we combined the two to ensure an easy – if not necessarily relaxing – commute to work? (Just don’t tell Vincenzo Nibali…)
Alguém contrata esse figura aqui. pic.twitter.com/rkmhdKKU4x
— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) October 15, 2023
Oh, and before anyone complains in the comments or in the Daily Mail, don’t try this at home, kids…
From post-crit punch-ups between pros in Japan and barnstorming, groundbreaking rides in the velodrome, to classic NIMBYism and an, ahem, intriguing bike-themed sculpture that doubles up as a safety campaign aiming to protect vulnerable road users, here are all the cycling stories you may have missed while out enjoying the autumnal sunshine over the weekend…
> Striking bike crash sculpture is making motorists “drive noticeably slower,” says artist
> Flying Vittoria Bussi becomes first woman to break 50km barrier as she reclaims UCI Hour Record
> Lotto Dstny pro apologises for hitting rider after reacting to “dangerous behaviour” during sprint
> The coolest custom road bike? Lina Bo's meticulously hand-painted Myway Pinarello Dogma F