The X²O Badkamers Trophy kicked off today with the Koppenbergcross today, and the sparks are already flying — with none other than Eli Iserbyt in the midst of it all.
Last month, the 27-year-old Belgian CX champion had grabbed all the headlines after he rather aggressively and animatedly stamped on Fenix rider and former teammate Ryan Kamp’s rear mech as the two came together at a corner on a muddy downhill section.
And now at the Koppenbergcross, which marks the first race for the Belgian cyclocross racing series, he’s once again become the attention magnet — although this time, due to no act of his own.
As Iserbyt was making his way around the course on the second lap and looking to chase down the front of the pack with Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal teammate Michael Vanthourenhout, a spectator chucked a can of beer at him from over the barriers.
Don’t come to a bike race if you’re going to do this … #koppenbeegcross@IserbytEli pic.twitter.com/TOjmc6ZlGz
— Philippa York (@pippa_york) November 1, 2024
The incident follows a bizarre phenomenon of racegoers throwing their drinkables — and sometimes, edibles too — at the riders, making one question, “Why even attend the race?” (and perhaps also, “Why waste beer?”).
That’s the question that mountains jersey winner at the 1984 Tour de France Pippa York also seemed to ask, sharing a clip of the incident on Twitter with the caption: “Don’t come to a bike race if you’re going to do this…”
Thankfully, the TV cameras soon cut to security personnel taking away the person responsible for throwing the beer.
The race was eventually won by Lars van der Haar, who marked another victory this season after his win at the Exact Cross in Beringen (the same race where Iserbyt was disqualified), with Iserbyt himself finishing second.
After the bizarre moment where Belgian cyclocross champion Eli Iserbyt was thrown beer at by a spectator at the Koppenbergcross earlier, it’s now reported that the person was swiftly escorted away from the course by security and has now been arrested, with police drawing up a report for assault and battery.
Cheerio……. https://t.co/qJVe3k6doGpic.twitter.com/SF9ZxLZK8I
— MarkSuperprestige (@MontVentoux23) November 1, 2024
Jurgen Mettepenningen, team manager for Iserbyt’s team Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal, did not mince his words for the spectator, saying: “It’s very simple. This is crappy and marginal. People like that should stay at home. This has no place in cyclocross… cyclocross is a beautiful sport. I also think the people who react at home behind their keyboards are stupid. Support someone, but not against someone.”
Belgian news website Het Nieuwsblad also reported that Bingoal and Golazo are planning to file a joint complaint with the police. Christoph Impens from Golazo said: “This is not going to be his best day. We immediately rewound the images in the control room and sent them to our event manager downstairs. He immediately walked outside and identified the beer thrower and led him to the police. This does not belong at a cross.”
From 2026, the familiar sights of the Tour de France – the epic mountain ranges, fields of sunflowers, Tadej Pogačar riding off into the distance – will remain the same. But for many cycling fans in the UK, the sounds will be very different.
Next year’s Tour, the 25th edition of the race to be shown live on ITV, will be the final one to be broadcast on free-to-air television in the UK (for the foreseeable future at least), after it was announced last week that Warner Bros. Discovery and Eurosport have agreed a new exclusive TV rights deal for cycling’s biggest race from 2026 onwards.
“The Tour is going to go into a place where, in the UK media landscape, you normally find biathlon and hockey,” ITV’s lead cycling commentator Ned Boulting tells the road.cc Podcast...
Has anyone looked more uncomfortable than Primož Roglič for being asked to put on a kimono and do some rudimentary martial arts moves for, let’s say a decent sum of money?
Cav on the other hand, couldn’t look happier! It really feels that the Manx Missile has rediscovered his love for the sport and truly wants to stay in it now that the chip of that 35th win is off his shoulder…
Earlier this week, floating bus stops— the controversial schemes which makes the bike lanes go around a bus stop, segregating cyclists from motor traffic — made headlines as London Mayor Sadiq Khan decided to go against his own party member’s request to order a halt to the ‘bus stop bypasses’.
The request was made amidst continued pleas from many disabled charities and activities, as well as pointing out the issues this design can cause to the older populace, as pedestrians are required to make their way through a mini-crossing to go over from the pavement to the footpath.
However, Sadiq Khan has now found himself an ally in Green Party’s leader in the London Assembly, Caroline Russell, who praised the incumbent mayor for his decision to not buckle under pressure from party members, but at the same time called for more thorough research, thought and discussion — and ultimately, implementation of improved infrastructure that serves the needs for both cyclists as well as the elderly and the disabled.
Russell wrote that she had meeting with Londoners to talk about street designs in particular bus stop bypasses, including a number of organisations such as Inclusion London, Wheels for Wellbeing, Action Vision Zero, Transport for All and Guide Dog Campaigners.
“Bus stop bypasses are relatively new to London’s streets. They are being installed to protect children and less confident people on bikes from traffic danger. Some have been squeezed in without enough space and designs vary from place to place,” the Islington Borough councillor said.
“I’ve heard that unfamiliar and inconsistent street designs are confusing and can lead to disabled people fearing making everyday journeys and that’s not okay.
“Some people riding bikes are inconsiderate and that needs tackling. And so are some drivers. Is poor behaviour, by some people cycling, a reason to make children ride round buses unprotected on main roads?
“TfL were right to collect evidence about the good safety record and low risk posed by bus stop bypasses. But that’s not the whole picture. If new street layouts cause anxiety to disabled, blind and vision-impaired people that needs urgent action too.
“TfL should be able to create inclusive streets where everyone can feel confident getting on and off buses independently at bus stop bypasses AND children and unconfident Londoners on bikes are protected from traffic”
“This needs:
- early engagement and co-design with disabled and vision-impaired Londoners
- consistent designs
- clear expectations about who gives way to whom
- clarity for people on bikes about the need to pause at a bus stop bypass to let people cross the bike lane
“It also means:
- agreeing the safety purpose of vision zero projects and
- extensive communication with all Londoners so everyone is clear about how bus stop bypasses work and the need to keep each other safe as we make our daily journeys.
She concluded her Twitter thread saying: “I’m glad to see the Mayor has not given up on bus stop bypasses. I hope TfL will work to keep all Londoners safe and show that it understands the impact of unfamiliar street designs on the journeys of older, disabled, blind and vision-impaired people.”
The thread from Russell seems to have been well-received by many cyclists and cycling campaigners. London Cycling Campaign’s Head of Communications, Simon Munk, perhaps put it best: “Thoughtful, nuanced thread from an ace politician! We need more of this and not just on ‘floating’ bus stops.
“So, can floating bus stops be improved? Absolutely. Is it vital we listen to concerns/act? Yes. Does that mean ban/ moratorium/ veto/ end to inclusive cycling routes? No.”
Feel free to share your experiences with floating bus stops and what do you think about them in the comments…
Ladies and gentlemen, it's duck-watching season. And no, I don't mean to say those ducks
📍 Goeiemorgen Koppenberg! pic.twitter.com/NZgk9EdBUB
— X²O Badkamers Trofee (@X2OTrofee) November 1, 2024
LBC oft-times gets a handful of wild callers, but this time there’s one which has truly confounded us…
While on the topic of cycle lanes in London with reporter Henry Riley, cyclist Stuart had the (mis?)fortune of squaring off with Abraham, a bus driver who believed that “bikes don’t belong on the road”.
“We need to scrap cycling,” begins the caller. “We shouldn’t have cyclists on the road. They should be track-only. Honestly, look, I’m a bus driver, that’s my background. This 20mph stuff is ridiculous. Cyclists have been crossing 20mph, right?”
'We need to scrap cycling...you're putting your life at risk!'
'I'm not - I've never been involved in one accident in 35 years.'Keen cyclist Stuart debates with caller Abraham, a bus driver, who says bikes don't belong 'on the road'.
@HenryRiley1pic.twitter.com/CPbjnaI1Or— LBC (@LBC) November 1, 2024
Riles says: “Well a lot of drivers are also crossing 20mph… but you don’t seriously think we should rip up cycle lanes?”
“No I think we should… we don’t need them on the road,” Abraham replies, before responding directly to Stuart, who cycles to work every day. “Look Stuart, you’re putting your life at risk every day by cycling. You are, believe me!”
Stuart then says: “I’m not. I’ve never been involved in one accident in 35 years, so I’m not putting my life at risk… and what I wouldn’t do is put somebody else’s life at risk, which some cyclists do — the people who’re on their mobile phones — completely agree, we’re not a perfect race right? However, I’ve also seen bus drivers, taxi drivers, white van drivers who drift into cycle lanes.
“I’ve also seen some of the cycle lanes in London that how they’ve been designed [is] completely wrong. You have tourists who have to cross the cycle lanes to get to their coaches. In the last two years, I’ve probably seen six accidents where cyclists have careered into people who have to cross cycle lanes to get to their coach. So that’s a thing of planning that’s not to do with cyclists, but ill-conceived planning of cycle lanes.”
I’ll tell you what’s really spooky, replacing a worn cassette WITHOUT replacing the chain too
— David O'Doherty (@phlaimeaux) November 1, 2024
After the whole Visma-Giro time trial helmet debacle from earlier this year, I don't think I can handle one more pro cycling helmet situation... unless the new helmets are these?
The image is from the pre-race conference at the Saitama Criterium in Japan, supposed to take place tomorrow, with names like Romain Bardet, Mark Cavendish, Chris Froome, Biniam Girmay and Primož Roglič taking part. If you didn't remember, this was the race in which Tadej Pogačar won his most coveted trophy last year — a white raddish wrapped in plastic...
According to the new law, cyclists could also be sentenced to three years in prison and fined £2,500 for riding under the influence of alcohol...
Ineos Grenadiers has announced the signing of 28-year-old Australian climber Lucas Hamilton from Team Jayco-AlUla for the 2025 season, and with that, the team’s tally of total riders has gone up to 30.
Hamilton, who’s been riding at the pro level for the seven years, and even tasted victories at Coppi e Bartal along with stage wins at Tirreno-Adriatico and Czech Cycling Tour, as well as finishing fourth overall at Paris-Nice in 2021, said: “I’m incredibly excited to join the INEOS Grenadiers. For many years I have watched the team’s success from the outside, and I’ve always held a deep respect for their achievements.
“Being a part of such a prestigious organisation is a great opportunity for me and I look forward to contributing to the team’s ongoing success. I can’t wait to get started and work alongside my new teammates!”
Ineos’ Performance Director, Scott Drawer, said: “Lucas has shown what he can do in the past and we believe in his talent and potential as a bike rider. He will fit in well with fellow riders and we are confident he will respond to the support we put around him with our new coaching and performance set up.”
“A big part of what we’re working towards is not only strengthening our rider roster but also entrenching a new approach within the team. Lucas’ experience across a wide variety of races means that he slots into an important area for us where he will also be able to support our impressive crop of young and emerging talent.”
Ineos Grenadiers, 2024 Tour of Britain (Elliot Keen/British Cycling/via SWpix.com)
The British outfit struggling to return to the glory days of 2010s has been mired in controversy, with a host of its biggest riders including Tom Pidcock, Luke Rowe, Geraint Thomas and even parting rider Ethan Hayter and former Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins peeling back the layers of the troubles and tribulations rapt within the team.
The team recently announced new staff and performance structure changes after its turbulent 2024 season – but fans were quick to remark that the latest overhaul seemed more “like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic”.
Commenting on Hamilton’s signing, one person on social media said: “Not great work in the transfer market is it,” while another replied: “Pretty poor, Ratcliffe definitely winding it down.”
One can only hope that Ratcliffe’s miseries aren’t compounded with his other team, you know, the one about to hire a young, tactical mastermind from Sporting CP and lead the team back to the top…