We'd love to not have to bring you yet another Royal Parks story, but the charity behind London's parks just keeps on giving on that front. This has been a long-running saga, the most recent update that a few weeks ago the Royal Parks told cyclists to slow down and launched a new cycling code of conduct.
The charity has also called for new laws to prosecute riders who exceed the 20mph speed limit for motor traffic. For context, the Royal Parks manages eight of London's open, green spaces, two of which – Richmond Park and Regent's Park – are popular with the capital's cyclists and attract a large number of two-wheeled visitors throughout the year.
The Royal Parks' approach to road safety, namely appearing to focus most time and resource on two-wheeled visitors, has attracted widespread criticism, many people pointing out how few serious collisions and casualties are caused by cyclists compared with the drivers of vehicles. This approach is made even more controversial, in the eyes of some, by the fact that the Royal Parks continues to allow hundreds or thousands of drivers to use Richmond Park as a cut-through every day.
So, with that rather lengthy context out the way we arrive at the latest development. A cyclist, who goes by the Chaponabike name online, in the absence of a 'code of conduct for motorists' edited the cyclists' code of conduct to make it relevant to drivers who travel through the Royal Parks...
There. I’ve fixed it. pic.twitter.com/KaPJNFamnX
— Chapona Bike (@ChaponaBike123) May 12, 2025
To which the Royal Parks felt the need to post a full statement in reply, accusing Chaponabike of "misuse of brand" and again saying it has "no plans" to introduce a code of conduct for driving in its parks. The full statement follows...
The response has been criticised online and has reignited the discussion about the charity's approach to road safety.
Chaponabike told us he found the statement "most interesting" and accused the Royal Parks of being "more concerned about improper use of their 'brand' than they are about spreading the message about considerate driving".
"Whilst motor vehicles do indeed need to comply with the RTA 1988, so do cyclists. So why single out cyclists for a Cycling Code of Conduct? Do the Royal Parks not think the RTA 1988 applies to cyclists? It applies to ALL road traffic. Pedestrians, horses, cyclists, cars, vans, motorbikes, HGVs, the lot.
"More people have died from heart attacks in the Royal Parks than they have at the hands of 'rogue cyclists', so why not use the money to install defibrillators and raise heart attack awareness?
"Loads of cyclists use the parks and of course should behave considerately and within the confines of the RTA 1988. No doubt about that. But whilst cars get clocked at 56mph in Richmond Park, does one really think that cyclists are the problem?"
The replies to the charity's statement include people calling it "a terrible response" and another calling it "appalling".
"Your response is pretty pathetic," one reply said. "Your actions are even worse. Cars are the danger in your parks. Sort them out first, then, when the cars stop destroying themselves and others, you can move onto cyclists."
Another reply included four images of serious incidents that occurred at Richmond Park...
Parody is a thing. Give your heads a shake. https://t.co/G2NS2Xl2PB
— Black Country Ste (@CCSteV) May 13, 2025
Someone else asked: "How many incidents have there been with motorists compared to with cyclists? What's been the impact of those incidents? Are you doing anything at all about 'considerate and safe' driving? And why the hell are you allowing people to drive *through* parks at all?"
Something tells us this won't be the last Royal Parks story on road.cc...
He just keeps on winning...
Mads Pedersen, fresh from committing the rest of his career to Lidl-Trek, won his third stage of this year's Giro d'Italia, this time on the uphill finish in stunning Matera. The city, perched upon a rocky outcrop, may have been familiar to viewers from the James Bond film No Time to Die. Get your Bond puns in the comments.
Pedersen is the man with the golden sprint at this year's race, this time holding off Tom Pidcock and a fast-finishing Edoardo Zambanini to take his third win in five stages and add the bonus seconds to his grip on the maglia rosa.
The profile didn't do the final 50km of the stage justice, numerous sprinters dropped on the lumps towards the finish. When the race reached Matera, Pedersen was briefly distanced from the front of the bunch and slipped back 20 or 30 places on a brief stretch of double-digit gradient. However, by the final bend he was back in the wheel of teammate Mathias Vacek at the head of the peloton, the Dane managing his effort perfectly to roll back to the front for the moment that mattered most.
Once he got there Pedersen had just about enough of an advantage to hold off the faster-finishing riders behind. Tomorrow should be a sprint in Napoli, a city where Pedersen has won before, although the first 150km of the 225km stage includes around 2,000m of climbing, so perhaps we'll see a strong breakaway make things difficult for Lidl-Trek?
INCHES FROM DISASTER 😱
TWO riders almost wiped out by someone crossing a roundabout during the race 🫣 pic.twitter.com/EoJlIjOcbv
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) May 14, 2025
We're down to 13km to go to Matera on stage five and things are hotting up nicely. A deceptively tricky profile has seen plenty of the sprinters dropped, with Tom Pidcock's Q36.5 troops near the front? Could we see another British win shortly?
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Tour de France's first finish on the Champs-Élysées, the race is changing things up for this year's final stage. ASO has released a statement this morning explaining the Montmartre climb, which passes below Sacré-Cœur, will be included in the final stage this July. This follows on from the success of the road races at last year's Olympic Games.
ASO said: "To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this iconic moment, an exceptional route has been designed, inspired by the course of the 2024 Olympic road race, which drew over 500,000 spectators last August. Riders will climb the Montmartre hill and pass beneath the Sacré-Cœur before battling it out on a stage that may break from the traditions established over the past 50 years in the heart of the capital. The full details of the route will be revealed during a press conference on May 21."
It remains to be seen how far from the finish the ascent will be and if it will have any impact on the now-familiar sprint. We'll have more details after next week's press conference.
We've spoken to Matt this morning about the pothole incident and will contact Lincolnshire County Council shortly. Matt explained how "all sorts of bad outcomes" flashed before his eyes and he's just grateful the extent of the damage was a written-off wheelset.
He explained how he's got an "old school preference for clinchers" and won't be arguing with Thomas De Gendt's assessment that a tubeless set-up might have seen the tyre pulled off the rim.
"My comment referencing tubeless tyres is probably based more on old school preferences of clinchers and bad personal experiences with tubeless on the very few occasions I've tried to run them," he explained. "I use tubs on the track, but then pretty much everyone does. It is only my view (and maybe TDG's as well) that a tubeless tyre could have pulled clean off the rim. Who am I to argue with Thomas De Gendt?!
"There are also a lot of bad comments about carbon wheels but in my opinion at 106 kg and travelling at speed those wheels should've disintegrated hitting a pothole that size and depth, but in fact although being a total right off they 100 per cent held their shape and actually kept me on the bike."
Speaking of stage five, here's what's on the menu today. Quite a short stage at 150km but backloaded with climbing. That final third could be deceptively hard and get rid of a few sprinters.
Like so much of this Giro so far it's been a tale of the route being perfect for Wout van Aert if he could find some form. With the Belgian struggling and seemingly playing catch up from pre-Giro illness, Pedersen starts as the clear favourite. Kaden Groves, Corbin Strong and perhaps even Tom Pidcock and Primož Roglič could be up there too, depending on how difficult the stage turns out...
It's been some week for Mads Pedersen and Lidl-Trek, the Dane taking the maglia rosa in Albania, reclaiming it with another win on stage three and now agreeing a deal to stay with the team for the remainder of his career. Lidl-Trek announced the news this morning, ahead of stage five (which looks like another opportunity for victory) and said they were "making it official that Pedersen will remain with Lidl-Trek for the rest of his professional career".
The 29-year-old has been with the team since 2017, this his ninth year riding for the team which was known as Trek-Segafredo when he joined but now races under the Lidl-Trek banner. In that time he's become world champion in Harrogate, won stages of all three Grand Tours, finished second at the Tour of Flanders, won Gent-Wevelgem, and racked up wins all over Europe.
Speaking about the decision to commit the rest of his career to Lidl-Trek, Pedersen said it was ultimately an "easy" choice. He said: "I always had full commitment from the team and they always had confidence in what I was doing, and had confidence in me being the best I can be. When you get that belief from a team manager and the performance group and staff and so on, it's easy to make the decision to remain with this team.
"And now we ended up in a situation where I stay here for my whole WorldTour career. That's obviously something I'm really proud of — making a bit of history with Trek. It's such an honour to have the team's backing to do this. This team has become like a second family to me, and every time I show up for a race, a training camp, or any team activity, I feel genuinely at home.
"My hope for my next years of my career is for sure to win this Monument I keep fighting for, and I really believe, with the support from this team, it will be possible within the upcoming years before my career ends. So, that's definitely one of my biggest goals for the next years, and in general I just want to win as much as possible, but at the same time I want to be a good leader and try to help new riders who are on the way up."
Motivated to win as much as possible? Wearing pink? Full support of his team? Sprint stage with some lumps in the final 30km? There's every chance we don't have to wait very long at all for Mads' next victory...
An absolute belter of the 'pro cyclists doing adverts' genre for you this morning...
As grim as seeing a pothole write off your Roval wheelset is, decorated track rider Matt Chunk Meanwell is grateful this shocker wasn't "so much worse" and that he somehow managed to keep things rubber side down after hitting a pothole hidden in the shadows from the trees. Click the vid below to watch what happened...
Sharing the video on Instagram, Matt wrote: "Held it up though...
"Another reason I don't ride on the road much any more. Full Roval wheelset destroyed coming back from Navenby. Somehow kept it rubber down but could have been so much worse if there was oncoming traffic.
"You can see I'm looking up. The damage was under the dappled light of the trees and you just don't see the very faded spray paint until you're on top of it. Be careful out there."
There was certainly very little warning even when watching the video back and fully expecting a giant pothole to appear out of nowhere. Thankfully, as Matt explained, the damage didn't bring him down and he was able to carefully ride it out until he came to a stop.
One follower said the incident is just the latest example of the "disgraceful" state of roads in the UK and suggested: "Unfortunately the council will say that no action is required".
Another added: "Those shadows from the trees make potholes almost impossible to see, glad you were not hurt physically, and I hope you get compensated from the council."
Thomas De Gendt got involved too, asking if Matt was using tubeless? He wasn't and explained how the rear tyre didn't blow despite the damage to the rim.
"I wouldn't use it again but it stayed up despite the wheel damage," he added.
De Gendt reckons "the inner tube saved you" and a tubeless set-up would have seen "the tyre come off". We've contacted Matt for some more about the whole scary episode and plan to contact the council too to try to get that pothole fixed... wish us luck...