Gather round, it's the return of the white shorts in the peloton. Only the brave and the bold will survive, and Luke Plapp surely has that chutzpah in spades.
The Aussie, riding in yellow at the Paris-Nice (best race on the planet, some will say) and in control of proceedings, after an incredible showing on the summit finish of the fourth stage that left not just Remco Evenepoel, but Plapp, also shocked.
So a surprise lead in the general classification, what do you do the next day? Well of course, go full noughties, conjure the spirit of Cadel Evans, and turn up to defend your yellow jersey with white shorts!
Now, we all know how cycling fans feel about white shorts. Some will welcome it wholeheartedly, others might try to dispel it with the fervour and urgency of Father Merrin in the Exorcist. But is Plappy the chosen one, who’ll negotiate peace between the two factions and make them a believer, in the auspiciousness of white shorts?
Ah, sadly no. We did get quite close though, because the general consensus seems that the 23-year-old Australian who’s lit up the cycling scene, winning the National Championships three times in a row, has more or less managed to make the dreaded white shorts work.
Plapp asked Filippo Ganna in the Instagram comments if he’d succeeded in making the white shorts classy, and he gave him a big thumbs up, although he also shared his own rules for jersey and bib shorts combo, which goes something like: “black shorts with leader jersey, white shorts with national or worlds jersey”. Well, now that’s a logical take!
So did Adam Blythe, the former GreenEDGE rider commenting: “100% yes! YES YES YES!!”
> Mathieu van der Poel's THOSE white bib shorts at Milan-San Remo
Quite a handful seemed to agree with Ganna and Blythe in giving Plapp their online mark of approval. “Baller - UCI probably make it illegal by midnight,” wrote one fan. Another person said: “In most cases I’d say no. But it looks alright in this case,” and a third added: “Not everyone can pull that look off… but he's nailed it! Well done!”
But as usual, where there’s approval, there’s also condemnation, and some weren’t holding back on expressing it: “Where is the UCI when we need them?”, wrote one person, while another added: “White shorts are a crime”.
Hey, if it works! As one commenter wrote: “The only reason to hate white shorts is beacuse only a few are the chosen ones to pull them off nicely.” Maybe Luke Plapp is one of the chosen ones…
Jonas Vingegaard might be one of the best cyclists on the planet, but it’s well-known that the two-time Tour de France winner has somewhat of a skill issue when it comes to doing what most ten year-old cyclists wouldn’t have much difficulty in: riding without hands.
So at yesterday’s stage at the Tirreno-Adriatico, what would usually be a simple, straightforward thing for any rider in the peloton, it became a hurdle for Vingegaard to cross when he went to zip up his jacket.
It ended up being quite a comical segment from the race, with Jonas pulling up to the side of the team car and holding on to it for dear life, as a soigneur struggled to chain up his jacket — Vingegaard himself wobbling dangerously throughout the act, faced against the strong headwinds and the wet roads of southern Italy.
I’m not going to lie, it did make me feel a little better about myself. At least there’s one thing on the bike that I’m better at than the great Jonas Vingegaard.
But your live blogger’s hubris was to be quickly crushed — along with the dreams of every other cyclist in the peloton of winning the stage race — when the Dane launched one of his mighty, ferocious attacks with almost 30 kilometres to go in stage five today.
O ataque de Vingegaard hoje na #TirrenoAdriaticopic.twitter.com/LObHhGhoLe
— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) March 8, 2024
Putting all the woes and drama of opening day's time trial helmets behind, Vingegaard, who was 26 seconds behind former leader and yesterday’s race winner Jonathan Milan, has now opened up a massive lead of 54 seconds against the rest of the competition after soaring to a solo win in today’s stage, with Juan Ayuso finishing 72 seconds behind him.
The duality of Jonas Vingegaard, truly on display here…
An official report into the success of Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTNs) schemes throughout England – ordered by Rishi Sunak last year as part of his “pro-car” plan to stop local councils from installing them – which concluded that they are effective in reducing traffic and generally popular among residents was buried by Downing Street, government sources have claimed.
For all the talk about white shorts and Plapp dialling the clock back and pulling it off like a champ (in the yellow jersey nonetheless), the punchy Aussie lost almost a minute today to UAE Team Emirates' Brandon McNulty, who now takes charge of the lead of the general classification once again after finishing second behind Mattias Skjelmose, the fiery Dane from Lidl-Trek.
🇩🇰 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 🇩🇰
Mattias Skjelmose with a mammoth effort to win Stage 6 at Paris-Nice, while Brandon McNulty steals the yellow jersey ahead of the weekend 💛#ParisNice | @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/UwWo9Q78L4
— Eurosport (@eurosport) March 8, 2024
To be honest, I'm sure he'd be overjoyed anyway, having worn the yellow jersey for two stages at the best race in the world, according to some people (okay, it's Ryan). Although I do look forward to seeing Luke Plapp in the thick of action and leading more breakaways in 2024!
I'm usually quite content with Cardiff roads, but these last few weeks have laid bare the city's shortcomings and the gradually deteriorating conditions of the tarmac, first the "minor lake" on the castle cycleway last week, and now this massive hunk of a pothole, ready to wreck havoc on cyclists.
#Potholes are a big topic of conversation 💬 right now- look 👀 at the size of this one we spotted in #Cardiff on our morning 🌅 #cycling commute. If you can do better than that, share your examples of monster 👹 potholes in the comments! pic.twitter.com/rRLDffYEn9
— Cardiff Cycle City | Dinas Feicio Caerdydd (@CdffCycleCity) March 8, 2024
Happy International Women's Day everyone!
In 1896, American civil rights leader, Susan B Anthony, wrote:
"I think [the bicycle] has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a bike. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammelled womanhood."
The significance of bicycle on human history may seem frivolous to some, but the impact of this revolutionary, joyful, and profound tool has not only been on transport and commerce, but also emancipatory, considering the role it played in the suffragette movement in the 19th and 20th century.
In fact, Alice Hawkins, founder of the Leicester Women’s Suffrage and Political Union, broadened the political cause outside the upper echelons of society, bringing it to the working class women in Northern or Midland towns and rural areas. And she, and her fellow suffragettes found their icon in the bicycle.
A hundred years ago, she cycled around Leicester promoting the women's rights movement, and caused outrage by being one of the first ladies to wear pantaloons in the city.
Alice Hawkins statue, Leicester (image by Kiran Parmar on Flickr, CC BY 2.0 DEED)
It's safe to say, the bicycle has played not just a major, but also wholly vital and unforgettable role in the fight for the women’s suffrage.
To celebrate this day, London Cycling Club wrote on Twitter: "Bicycles provided women with newfound mobility, independence, and a platform to challenge societal norms. Riding bicycles became a symbol of liberation, breaking barriers and empowering women to push boundaries in a male-dominated world.
"From the suffragettes to modern-day trailblazers, women have pedaled their way to progress, one revolution at a time."
Happy International Women’s Day!
Did you know that the bicycle paved the way for women’s rights at the turn of the 20th century?
Check out this film to see how the power of bicycles has become a tool for women over the years: https://t.co/iHctYNXnb9
Credit: Corbis Historical pic.twitter.com/nebnZwqwwJ
— Dutch Cycling Embassy (@Cycling_Embassy) March 8, 2024
However, despite times having moved forward, cycling, both as a means for transport and a sport, is predominantly more populated with men, and quite significantly underrepresented when it comes to not just women, but women from ethnic minorities too.
> Cycling Twitter account criticised for sexist meme posted on International Women's Day
In January, a shocking report from London Cycling Campaign revealed the extent of abuse women still to this day face when cycling — from verbal and physical abuse, to sexual harassment and intimidation from motorists and other road users.
The report, based on a survey of 1,000 women who cycle in London, found that nine out of ten women who ride their bikes in the capital have experienced abuse, with over one in five claiming that such experiences forced them, at least temporarily, to give up cycling. And 77 per cent of said that they experience harassment and intimidation at least once a month.
"Get off the road", taunts of "bitch, "slut", unsolicited photos and sexual comments, groping or slapping when stopped at traffic lights, and even accusations of poor parenting when cycling with children were also appallingly prevalent! It's bizarre how centuries have passed and we are still continuing to fail an entire gender.
This International women's day, it's time to not only recognise the bicycle as a tool for women liberation, but also to continue forwarding and championing women cyclists' safety. So, keep riding, and keep making this world a better place, one pedal stroke at a time!
A rational and balanced response from the so-called "jokers on the internet", who'd have thought?!
I don't follow any bike racing stuff and I am a huge star wars fan. So I may not be best placed to judge an exaggerated & contorted helmet shape. But this seems bad press for bike sport when everyone is discussing who looks the silliest instead of who rides the fastest. https://t.co/fLulT0ONpM
— Roo (2 inch trials) Rider (@commuteroo) March 7, 2024
Il y a 40 ans un barrage de manifestants bloquait la route de la 5ème étape de Paris-Nice (1984)...
40 years ago a barrage of demonstrators blocked the road to the stage 5 of Paris-Nice (1984)...
📺 https://t.co/dKFMCGV9Up / 🎤 Lionel Chamoulaud#BernardHinault#Hinault… pic.twitter.com/dTwTPen16s
— Miroir du Cyclisme (@Miroir2Cyclisme) March 8, 2024
A councillor who supported the controversial reopening of a rat-run bridge to motor traffic has come under fire and faced calls to apologise from active travel and road safety campaigners after claiming that children who are struck by motorists travelling at 30mph “don’t” die, and that she’s “seen children hit by a bus and they’ve bounced up and asked for a milkshake”.
Conservative councillor Bobbie Dove’s comments – described as “reckless and flippant” by RoadPeace – were made during a recent debate at Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council concerning the proposed implementation of widespread 20mph speed limits in built-up areas throughout the conurbation.
I remember talking about how “back in the day” all the fuss in cycling would be around doping instead of the long-drawn saga of oddly-shaped helmets that we have now, in yesterday’s blog…
Well, that’s surely come to bite me back as a shocking report by Spanish news website Circlo21 reveals the potential extent of doping in the amateur circuit in the country, with 130 riders not finishing a race in Valencia last weekend after rumours of anti-doping tests at the finish line spread through the peloton.
At the Interclub Vinalopó race in Alicante, Valencia last Saturday, 182 riders left the start line. However, only 52 made it to the finish, with reports of riders who were at the front of the peloton suddenly disappearing once it became known that there would be authorities would be testing the riders for doping.
Ciclo21 reports that many riders in the peloton suspect several of their rivals who “allegedly do not respect the rules”. While punctures and abandons were cited as the main reason for the drastically low finishing percentage, but the riders said that it was impossible for so many people to not reach the finish line.
Anti-doping (CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious)
One rider, Álvaro Marzà, who is a usual rider in the regional races and finished eighth himself, called the mass drop-out a “f****** joke” in an Instagram post.
“Anti-doping control in Villena = punctures and withdrawals. It is not a mathematical formula, it is pure reality. Let's see if measures are taken because this is a f****** joke. By the way, I have passed control!,” he wrote.
Another rider who chose to stay anonymous told Ciclo21: “We all know who is and who is not [doping].
“We are fed up with these exhibitions and that when there are controls, curiously the same as always, they do not finish the races to avoid the control. Of course without evidence we cannot accuse, but everything is very evident.
He pointed fingers at one of the riders who was in the leading bunch with three other riders in the race, but then suddenly disappeared. He added that last year, one of the racers went so far as to “go off the road and through the forested mountains” to avoid entering the finish line and not be caught by the anti-doping personnel. “It’s that sad,” he said.
Race organisers issued a statement saying they were “committed to the fight against doping and believe it is essential to maintain the integrity of the sport and protect the health of cyclists”, adding that they follow the UCI rules allowing for all participants to be subject to random drug testing.
They said: “Doping is a trap that gives cyclists who use it an unfair advantage over those who compete fairly. Not only is it disrespectful to the sport and its values, but it can also have serious consequences for the health of cyclists who dope.
“We want to send a clear message to all cycling participants and fans: doping has no place in our sport. We support cyclists who compete fairly and honestly and are determined to protect the integrity of cycling.”
Chris Froome's list of misfortunes has compounded once again, with the veteran rider being forced to abandon after fracturing his wrist at Tirreno-Adriatico.
The four-time Tour de France winner suffered a nasty crash of day two of the Italian stage-race. However, initial medical reports and scans didn't show any broken bones, and he continued to race for two more days in the peloton.
This morning, Froome shared the unfortunate update on Twitter that he would be returning home for surgery after further scans revealed that he did indeed fracture his scaphoid in that crash, adding: "I can’t catch a break".
Confirmed last night that I fractured my scaphoid on stage 2 so I won’t continue today 🥴 Heading home for surgery. I can’t catch a break 😖 #tirrenoadriaticopic.twitter.com/18d1nhZvWj
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) March 8, 2024
> Chris Froome "let down" by Tour de France snub, blames "frustrating" equipment issues
This news won't do much good for the 38-year-old's Tour de France ambitions. Just before starting the second stage, he had revealed that he was aiming to fight for a place on the Tour de France line-up, after missing out on selection last year.
He had already expressed his feelings of being "let down" by his team after the selection snub in 2023, and the rift between him and Israel-Premier Tech only seemed to grow after the team's co-owner claimed that Froome has not represented “value for money” since joining the team in 2021.
“I said if he threatened me with a knife again, I’d bash him over the head with a Brompton,” one of the shop’s staff said, after managing to nab the bikes back within 60 seconds of them being stolen