Live blog: Friends of Richmond Park rethink cyclist/deer comment; "We broke his f**king hour record didn't we?" Victor Campenaerts puzzled by Wiggo suggestion; Memo to Clarkson: London cycleway will actually result in MORE trees; Polite notice +more

Benedetti takes win for Bora-Hansgrohe.

Stage report here.

On yesterday’s live blog, we reported how Olympian Stuart Hayes had been hit by a deer in Richmond Park.

Further down this page, we revealed that the triathlete suffered a broken pelvis in the collision.

Friends of Richmond Park initially reported the incident as, “cyclist learns the hard way that deer are wild animals and therefore unpredictable.”

Very, disappointed that, after someone shatters his pelvis in an accident in #RichmondPark, @FRPTweets describes it as 'cyclist learns the hard way'.

I can't quite believe that a body devoted to the enjoyment of the park is quite so callous. pic.twitter.com/FaC9PYFN8O

— Tim Lennon (@lucullus) May 23, 2019

They’ve since had a rethink and edited that.

They've accused executives and investors of ‘getting fat off NHS contracts’ at their expense.

Full story here.

We've waited 12 days... but finally we're in the mountain! #Giro102 pic.twitter.com/BcJst9Delx

— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) May 23, 2019

On Wiggins' latest podcast, he claimed that Victor Campenaerts would be better off moving to a team like Ineos from Lotto Soudal to get the best out of himself. Wiggins said: "He's in a Belgian team, the biggest Belgian team (Lotto Soudal, although we'd argue Deceuninck-Quick Step might dispute that) that's still acting like it's 1974.  

"If he went to Sky (meaning Team Ineos), he'd see the difference. What will happen is that they will offer him loads of money, he'll sign for three years and he'll stay there. It's like you could be so much more, Victor!"

In an interview with Sporza yesterday, Campenaerts admitted he was puzzled by Wiggins' comments, particularly as he's yet to sign anything for next season with Lotto Soudal:

"I don’t know anything about this, I’ll have to discuss that with John (Lelangue, the team manager)."

"Well, I’ve obviously just read and seen it, what can I say. He doesn’t seem to understand the workings of our team. We’ve fucking broke his hour record haven't we?

"They (Lotto Soudal) might appear to be more like a traditional team, however there’s a lot of progress been made when it comes to time trials. Since I’ve arrived and with Kevin de Weert we’ve made big advances. Not only for me but for the whole team and the hour record is proof of this.

The interviewer then asked Campenaerts specifically what he thought of Wiggins' belief that he has more success in him: "I hope that this is effectively true and I’ll try to get more out of myself. But I think that what I’ve shown thus far has been very promising. If you compare this to the other riders, with the exception of Roglič, it’s been good. And performing like this I can see myself winning against him."

Campenaerts added that there would be time for contract talks later in the year, and for now he's simply focussed on the upcoming Giro d'Italia time trial in Verona. 

*A huge thanks to Dutch-speaking road.cc readers Jeroen Geut and Elmar Becker for translating the Sporza interview for us!

Painkiller had been blamed for crashes in the peloton.

Full story here.

...but good enough for our David? He's been getting to grips with Sportful's new Bomber 111 Suit, an aero one-piece garment that helped Peter Sagan to win Paris-Roubaix last year. But will it make David faster? Find out here.

Stage 12 | Tappa 12
 23 May | 23 maggio
 Cuneo - Pinerolo
 158 km
 Start: 1.10 PM CEST
 Finish: 5.15 PM ca CEST
 https://t.co/uas5SGJsWD#Giro pic.twitter.com/SOzzOTeXnh

— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 23, 2019

Peak hour urban traffic does not have to be dismal.
It can be relaxing and smooth, even with high intensities.
As long as it is human-powered!

(~Utrecht by @Streetfilms)pic.twitter.com/5PohWbcSUO

— Cycling Professor (@fietsprofessor) May 22, 2019

Yesterday, Jeremy Clarkson was among those suggesting that a planned cycleway on Holland Park Avenue in London would see a number of trees chopped down.

A lot of people think this. There’s a ‘save the trees’ petition on change.org.

London’s cycling commissioner, Will Norman, concedes that two big trees will be chopped down – “neither in good condition” – but says that more trees will be planted than will be taken out.

So much #fakenews about Holland Park Ave. WE ARE NOT REMOVING ALL THE TREES. 2 big trees, neither in a good condition, are proposed to be taken out, along with a small number of small trees at Notting Hill Gate. WE'LL PLANT MORE NEW TREES IN THE AREA THAN WE TAKE OUT. pic.twitter.com/ZBnzkkwKS3

— Will Norman (@willnorman) May 22, 2019

Then there’s the whole ‘making the area a bit safer’ aspect on top of that.

There were 128 collisions in last 3 years on this stretch of road. It is dangerous for people walking & cycling. Our plans make busy roads easier & safer to cross, remove through traffic on some residential roads and provide a space for people to cycle in safety. pic.twitter.com/rKRjRJbEHX

— Will Norman (@willnorman) May 22, 2019