If there were rumours of ill feeling in the Ineos camp before - particularly around the future of its star British rider Tom Pidcock - the 25-year-old has just turned them up to 11 by taking to Instagram to announce he has been "deselected" by his team ahead of the Italian monument Il Lombardia, less than 24 hours before he was expected to be on the start line.
"Just as things were on the up after a turbulent end to the year I am deselected for Lombardia tomorrow", said Pidcock.
"I am in great shape and was really looking forwarded to it! Good luck to the boys, I guess off season starts early. Thanks for everyone’s support even in the tough times".
Ineos haven't commented further, other than revealing their Il Lombardia line-up on its social media feeds. It's believed Ethan Hayter is in for Pidcock alongside the six other riders: Ben Swift, Connor Swift, Thymen Arensman, Jonathan Castroviejo, Brandon Rivera and Ben Turner.
Reactions online have been pretty scathing on the Ineos socials and sympathetic on Pidcock's, and the Yorkshireman describing his year as "turbulent" certainly won't quell rumours that he'll soon be leaving the team; particularly as, by most pro cyclists' standards, Pidcock's year has been personally very successful, having defended his Olympic mountain bike title and won the Amstel Gold Race.
Is Pidcock's time at Ineos up? It's not looking great right now...
A bit of a reaction round up to yesterday’s story about the Cycle to Work scheme, which MPs claimed is “unfair” and excludes people on low incomes from buying a bike or taking up cycling, with the Labour government has admitted that it “absolutely recognises” there are “problems”.
Of the several issues with the somewhat popular yet imperfect scheme which allows people looking to buy new bikes to commute to work to sacrifice some of their salary to pay for the bike in instalments, and thus avail tax benefits as well — perhaps the most significant one was uncovered by Sustrans last month, when the active travel charity published a report which found that 38 per cent of people in the UK on low incomes or in unemployment (or around 1.9 million people) are currently priced out of buying a bike due to the high costs and lack of discounts available.
> “Unfair” Cycle to Work scheme “problems” need to be addressed, admits government minister
Now, some road.cc readers have also expressed their thoughts about the scheme…
G7NXX:“Been saying it for years, cycling related items should be zero VAT rated. No forms, applications, income requirements etc, just a flat 20 per cent discount to encourage cycling.”
brooksby: “Cycle to Work is also hellishly complicated: Which scheme provider do you want to use? How do they deal with the application and the money? How do you deal with the application and the money?
“I recently got a new bike through a C2W scheme. I work for a small business, so my boss had to actually register with a scheme too (he hadn't had to before, as hadn't used a scheme).
“The first scheme he contacted never even got back to him.
“The second one did (obviously), but it's complicated: in my case, it was (1) decide which bike to get and from whom, (2) wait for boss to confirm he's registered, (3) get a quote from the bike provider, (4) pay their deposit and their extra 'admin fee' to cover the money they get charged by the C2W scheme provider (fair enough), (5) pass the quote to the C2W scheme provider, (6) pass the C2W scheme invoice to my boss, (7) once that has been paid, notify the bike provider, (8) bike provider gives me a gift card for the money paid, for me to pay their invoice.
“I suspect C2W might be easier if it was just one scheme run through the DfT or something…”
VIPCyclist:“As a low income person I can tell you that a 40 per cent discount on a bike still leaves me excluded and by a very large amount.”
It’s the fifth and final monument of the 2024 road cycling season tomorrow, and it’s safe to say that it wouldn’t take a pro cycling analyst to predict that it’s shaping up to be the final showdown between two cyclists who have enjoyed remarkable, historical seasons this year.
We have Remco Evenepoel on one hand, who won the Volta ao Algarve to kick the year off, finished second and third in Paris-Nice and Tour de France respectively, and then did the hallowed double at Paris Olympics, before defending his time trial rainbow jersey at the Zürich world championships.
On the other, there’s Tadej Pogačar, winner of Strade Bianchi, Volta a Catalunya, Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, road race world championship, and Giro dell’Emilia. Gone are the days when he was being touted as the next Eddy Merckx, but has instead carved out a legacy so rich and gilded for himself that some would argue that he’s even surpasses the Cannibal, and that it might be an honour for Merckx, or any other cyclist to come, to be compared to Pogačar.
Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogačar at 2024 Tour de France (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)
But as these two titans of modern cycling come to the fore tomorrow, Evenepoel has showered Pogačar with praise, while also revealing a bit of his own human side.
The 24-year-old Belgian told Sporza: “It's logical that he's the favourite, if you see how he's been riding this year. He's had nothing ahead of him, no crashes, no broken things... It's a season that may never be repeated, by him, or by anyone in general.”
He also spoke about how the injuries from the crash at Tour of Basque Country impacted his season: “It's hard to say how much is left in the tank. But I feel good to get one more good result. Then it's over.
“I also feel that it is slowly coming to an end. In some of the past races I would normally last longer or play a more important role in the final. The best seems to have faded a bit, which is only normal."
“I had the serious injury in April, then the build-up to the Tour and a longer period of top level, then also some illness... It's going with ups and downs now. But I'm hopeful that I can have a good day tomorrow and achieve a good result.”
And although he didn’t confirm it, Evenepoel also said that adding a third monument, besides Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia to his 2025 calendar could be a possibility (spoiler: it’s not the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix).
“We still have to put the puzzle together for next year. The Flemish classics might get in the way of my big goals,” he said. “If there is a classic I can add, it might be Milan-San Remo. I haven’t talked about it with the team yet.”
Police in North Yorkshire have appealed for witnesses after a cyclist suffered a broken arm when he was pushed off his bike by the passenger of a moving car, in what is fast becoming a worryingly habitual occurrence on the UK’s roads.
Proposals to install a new toucan crossing near Bedworth town centre, as part of a planned ‘Green Corridor’ for active travel connecting a park to a new leisure centre, have been dubbed a “white elephant” by one local councillor, who claims cyclists won’t be able to reach the crossing thanks to the town’s bike ban.
Cycling campaigners have also criticised the plans, arguing that the pedestrianised town centre – located just 60 metres away from the proposed shared-use route – exposes a “glaring problem” in the scheme and will mean “very few cyclists” will use the new crossing.
However, the local authority has insisted that the current restrictions on cycling will not be removed, while further plans to clamp down on “anti-social behaviour” by people on bikes in Bedworth town centre are currently being considered as part of a proposed new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), a year after a local police officer claimed that “kids wheelie-ing around” and cyclists “rifling through” town centres were “setting the wrong tone” in the borough.
AI, you know, the talk of the town, the new rage, the thing everyone's on about... So this is what it's all about!
A taxi driver who was banned from the roads for 12 months after pulling out without indicating and hitting a cyclist, leaving him with a “horrific” arm fracture, blamed the injured rider for the collision, arguing in court that if “he’d negotiated the roundabout properly I would have seen him”.
As the road cycling season nears its conclusion, cycling fans are about to treated to the cyclocross season, which is about to get underway this weekend in Beringen in Belgium.
And with new season comes new rules, with one particular rule change being particularly eye-catching and possibly even having a big impact. Bringing the rules of throwing waste such as bottles, nutrition packs and other unwanted items closer to road cycling, the UCI has announced that now CX riders will also have to stick to throwing them in “special zones”.
The UCI said: “From now on, riders are no longer allowed to throw away their waste and other materials everywhere. They may only deposit their unnecessary clothing, water bottles and other items in the designated material station or special waste zone.
“This new rule, which was previously implemented in cycling, aims at a cleaner and more sustainable sports climate. In the event of a first violation, the fine can amount to 250 Swiss francs (around €265, or £220). In the case of repeated violations, it can even lead to disqualification.”
A similar rule was implemented in road cycling in 2021, with a “bottlegate” controversy following in immediately after, when AG2R Citroën (now Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale) rider Michael Schär taking maybe a bit too much time to adapt to the new regulations and ending up tossing his bottle towards a spectator at a “non-designated” spot… and was subsequently disqualified from the Tour of Flanders.
Schär later shared a lengthy social media post addressed to “Dear UCI”, noting how he was handed a water bottle by a pro at the 1997 Tour de France when he was 11-years-old, and which sparked his dream to become a cyclist.
> Bottlegate: no automatic DQ for riders throwing water bottles as UCI softens littering penalties
He said: “I remember it as it was yesterday. My parents drove my sister and me to the 1997 Tour de France in the Jura. We drove to the parcours and waited there for hours in the middle of the crowds. Finally the publicity caravan arrived and we all catched some treats.
“Later the first police motos arrived and the helicopter was hovering aboth us. Exactly this electrifying athmosphere of the bunch approaching us was for me life changing. I was endlessly impressed by the speed and ease these riders could ride their bikes. I wanted nothing else in my life anymore than becoming a pro cyclist myself. From this moment on I was driven by a dream.
“On top of that impression I received a bottle from a Pro. This little plastic piece made my cycling addiction complete. Back home that bottle was reminding me everyday of what my dream was. I rode my yellow Team Polti bottle everyday in full pride. Everyday.
“Now I am one of these Pros who race through all of the happy spectators. During calm moments of the race I always keep my empty bottle until I see some kids next to the road. Then I throw them gently right where they can catch it safely. Two years ago I gave a bottle to a girl next to the road. Her parents told me the girl wasn’t only happy about this bottle for a day. No, she still talks about this bottle. And maybe one day she becomes a cyclist as well.
“These are moments why I love our sport. Nobody ever can take that away from us. We are the most approachable sport who gives bottles along the way. Simple as that. Simple is Cycling.”
After winning the gravel world championship in Belgium and a third-place finish at the road race championship in Zürich, Van der Poel’s has signed off the 2024 road cycling season on a high, winning two monuments, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix earlier this year.
And as he sits back and prepares to defend his title at the Ronde and the Hell of the North, there’s another title he might be interested in defending: the world cyclocross champion, which he wrote his name on Tábor in February this year.
However, there could be some doubts over the Dutch rider’s participation in the cyclocross season this year, despite “his love” for the discipline. Sporza reports that when Philip Roodhooft, Alpecin-Deceuninck boss was asked about Van der Poel’s cyclocross programme, he replied: “We don’t know yet. It’s possible in principle but we're not going to speculate on it.”
In another interview in Het Nieuwsblad, he said:"My personal feeling is that we will see him at work next winter, but we are certainly not going to impose anything on him. If he wants to approach the level from last spring to next spring, we will have to think very carefully about how we fill the winter. Cyclocross should not have a negative impact on its classic spring. However, I would like to bring this nuance: Mathieu still loves cyclocross.”
British Cycling Events, a subsidiary of British Cycling, responsible for delivering cycling events in recent years such as the UCI Track Champions League rounds in London and the Tour of Britain Women and Men, has announced a six-year strategic partnership with global sports, events and representation company, IMG, to support the long-term growth and sustainability of the federation’s events portfolio and generate new revenue to reinvest into the sport.
The British cycling calendar has been facing difficulties of late, including cancellation of races and organising issues, and the partnership hopes to improve that going forward, with IMG assisting with production, media rights distribution, commercial partnerships, digital marketing and advisory services for the Tour of Britain events.
In addition, IMG will provide strategic advisory services for British Cycling Events’ wider portfolio and operations.
British Cycling CEO, Jon Dutton, said: “IMG are renowned across the world for being at the cutting edge of sport and entertainment, and this new long-term partnership signals the scale of our ambition to grow the reach of our events and unlock the true potential of our sport.
“We’re on the cusp of an exciting new chapter in British Cycling’s history, with a renewed purpose to bring the joy of cycling to everyone, and we believe that IMG’s world-leading insight and guidance will further accelerate our progress in the years ahead.”
It is hoped that the partnership will help take the organisations’ major events, including the Tour of Britain Men’s and Women’s races, “to the next level” – improving the experience for fans, spectators, athletes, communities and partners alike.
Robbie Henchman, president of global partnerships at IMG, added: “This partnership is a unique opportunity to build upon and deliver a new purpose-led vision for British Cycling.
“The game-changing agreement with Lloyds Bank will help boost access to cycling through innovative events and concepts that have the potential to engage people of all ages in new and meaningful ways.
“Through IMG’s global network and unparalleled expertise, we have the capabilities to help further reinvigorate the sport, attract new fans and drive deeper engagement with its dedicated fan base, enabling British Cycling Events to extend its investment into cycling at all levels.”
Jonathan Day, managing director of British Cycling Events, said: “The successful delivery of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women and Tour of Britain Men, under significant time pressure, has given us real confidence in our operation and an appetite to take the events to the next level in the coming years.
“With IMG’s expertise in production, distribution, digital and beyond, we’re incredibly excited by the opportunity to take our growing portfolio of world-class events to new and bigger audiences.”
Just to be clear, the powers that be have found the will and money to build a £2bn road tunnel just down the river from here over the exact same period of time that Greenwich foot tunnel has been searching for a long term fix for its lifts for walking and cycling #Prioritieshttps://t.co/qRs4IFUBnf
— Dermot Hanney (@HanneyDP) October 10, 2024
Fancy a ride around a velodrome in your penny farthing and also keen on setting a few records and getting your name in the Guinness Book? Buckle up because I’ve got some good news for you — the Penny Farthing Guinness World Records Extravaganza kicks off today at the Herne Hill Velodrome, Dulwich Park and London Olympic Velodrome.
The organisers described the events, scheduled from 11 to 13 October, as a “once in a lifetime opportunity to celebrate the origins of the bicycle, to participate in a unique sporting occasion and to enjoy a wonderfully eccentric British Victorian weekend at some of cycling’s most iconic venues.”
The records being attempted will be the largest number of penny farthing racers in a velodrome, fastest speed and fastest mile on a penny farthing, and also some other eccentric ones such as… furthest distance on a penny farthing in one hour with 1 leg and furthest distance on a penny farthing with ‘no hands’.
Additional competitive activities will include slow riding, slalom race and 4 x 200m International relay race. And if the organisers are to be believed, “everyone participating in this Penny Farthing Extravaganza event will go home with a Guinness World Record”…
You can register for the event here.
Labour’s Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has vowed to “take back streets” for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers, after accusing the previous Conservative administration of pursuing “poisonous culture wars against road users of all descriptions”.