Welcome to your midweek live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
19/06/2019, 13:04
Sadiq Khan's letter to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea leader: a response
Regarding our coverage of Khan's letter to Elizabeth Campbell this morning, the RBKC sent this to road.cc from Councillor Johnny Thalassites, Lead Member for Planning and Transport:
“We will respond to the letter in due course, but our response will be to ask Sadiq Khan to listen to residents and the council, don't bully them. Change the approach and once the red mist has settled he might see that our door is actually open for conversations on alternative schemes that might win local support and improve the streets of Kensington for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers.
Our full statement regarding the consultation is also online."
Khan's letter to Campbell was forceful to say the least, in which he wrote: "I would like to know how many more of your residents need to be maimed or killed by motor vehicles before you accept that this is a serious problem that requires solving. Doing nothing about the safety on your roads is not an option."
19/06/2019, 12:54
Dr Ian Walker is at it again, attempting to ride from the top of Europe to the bottom in a world record time
I guess tradition demands this shot. Everything you need to cross a continent, self-supported. #TopToBottom
pic.twitter.com/ufTe4Wowwt— Ian Walker (@ianwalker) June 19, 2019
The University of Bath environmental psychologist, occasional road.cc contributor, ultra cyclist and general top bloke Dr Ian Walker is off again on the 24th June, this time attempting to break the world record for the fastest time cycled from the top of Europe to the bottom. His 6,300km journey will start in the northernmost part of the Arctic and finish in the southernmost tip of our continent at the Strait of Gibraltar, taking him through Norway, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, France and Spain.
He was trying to break the world record of 21 days, 14 hours and 23 minutes... however the new target is now 19 days, 11 hours and 5 minutes, achieved by Rob Gardiner four days ago. Best of luck to Ian, you can find out more on his Top to Bottom website here.
19/06/2019, 12:51
It's #NationalRefillDay
It's #NationalRefillDay! Join us & tell the world you've #GotTheBottle to prevent plastic pollution by switching from single-use to a reusable bottle. Together we can make plastic pollution a thing of the past https://t.co/kACANcu51a@WaterUKpic.twitter.com/ibwdn9PSsK
— Refill HQ (@Refill) June 19, 2019
...an initiative by plastic pollution campaigners City to Sea, who run the Refill app. Read all about it in our updated App of the Week article here. And download it, it's bloody useful!
19/06/2019, 12:02
Thoughts and prayers for G...
O and I lost another pair of glasses #hardtimes#sendsupplies
— Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) June 19, 2019
It's a relief this appears to be the worst thing that happened to him yesterday. Also, the first reply to his previous tweet is underrated!
Just sayin pic.twitter.com/6TCF9UZsab
— Tracey Pearce (@Trace_P1967) June 19, 2019
19/06/2019, 08:58
Furious letter from Sadiq Khan to RBKC leader on their voting down of cycle lane proposal asks: "how many more of your residents have to be maimed or killed?"
“I would like to know how many more of your residents need to be maimed or killed by motor vehicles before you accept that this is a serious problem that requires solving.” Furious letter from @SadiqKhan to @RBKC leader Elizabeth Campbell re Holland Park cycleway fiasco. pic.twitter.com/U9fKUADT5c
— Ross Lydall (@RossLydall) June 19, 2019
It's been called a "disgrace" and a "cynical political stunt" by London Cycling Commissioner Will Norman, and now London Mayor Sadiq Khan has sent a furious letter to the leader of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea leader Elizabeth Campbell over the group's refusal to support a proposed segregated cycle lane between Wood Lane and Notting Hill Gate.
In the letter, shared by Ross Lydall of the Evening Standard on Twitter, Khan writes: "These plans were developed to deal with, among other problems, these roads being unsafe for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. There have been 128 collisions over the last three years alone in the Kensington and Chelsea section of the route... The vast majority of serious injuries have been to cyclists and pedestrians. Our plans would change this, making it easier to cross busy roads with 15 new pedestrian crossings, and a segregated space for people to cycle safely.
"Eilidh Cairns was killed at Notting Hill Gate in 2009 and a ghost bike is still on the street marking her death. Had these proposals been in place at the time, it is extremely unlikely she would have been killed. I would like to know how many more of your residents need to be maimed or killed by motor vehicles before you accept that this is a serious problem that requires solving. Doing nothing about the safety on your roads is not an option."
19/06/2019, 08:52
He really is ok!
Thanks for all your messages!! Gutted to leave @tds but luckily I’m all ok. I hit my head and needed stitches above my eye, so the doctors stopped me getting back on my bike. It just means I’ll need some big training rides next week now
— Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) June 19, 2019
Geraint Thomas has updated us for the first time since coming off his bike at the Tour de Suisse yesterday, saying he's "all ok". Some big training rides look to be coming up to make sure it doesn't affect his Tour de France preparations. Full story about yesterday's worrying wobble here.