Did you ride your bike yesterday?; TV presenter slams “pure ugly, Soviet-era Russia” cycle lanes; Double rainbow for GB at junior worlds TTs; Speed record attempt crash; Adam Yates joins UAE; Enrique announces Spain squad – on bike + more on the live blog

It’s all gone a bit capybara crazy in the comments (the size of them!), so I’ll leave you on this fine Tuesday evening with a fantastic photo of the late two-time Tour de France winner – and diehard Partick Thistle fan – Laurent Fignon:

Larry Fignon out training in a Partick Thistle strip, of whom he was an ardent supporter. 'Allez les Jags' was his unique cry of support up at Fir Park, though he didn't get to many games. https://t.co/f5oxSzX95M

— Kenny Pryde (@Kenny_Pryde) September 19, 2022

They certainly don’t make leader’s jerseys like they used to…

And on a related note, could you please sign my annual petition to the ASO to bring back the white Paris-Nice jersey?

Seven-time world track champion François Pervis has said that he was millimetres away from being paralysed after crashing during an attempt to break the recumbent bike speed record on Friday.

The 37-year-old Frenchman, who has world titles to his name in the Keirin, sprint and kilo events on the track, as well as the kilo world record, broke a 30-year-old speed record over four kilometres by travelling at 112.47kph in San Francisco on Friday.

Later that day, Pervis was attempting to break Ted Reichart’s human-powered recumbent speed record of 144.17km/h when he crashed, due to what he says was a small pebble on the road.

Posting photos of the damaged machine and helmet on social media after the terrifying incident, Pervis wrote: “On my evening run my rear tyre blew out at 130kph. The bike and tyres were faultless, so we are thinking it was caused by a small pebble on the road.

“I had a long slide down the road before ending up with a couple of barrel rolls. Luckily for me, the path was clear and no poles or trees were in the vicinity. I was not thrown off my bike which protected me extremely well.”

Pervis was immediately transferred to hospital, where he received treatment for a pulmonary haemorrhage and a fracture in his spine.

“According to the doctor, a few millimetres more and I would have been paralysed,” he said. “But don't panic, luckily it didn’t happen and everything will get better very soon.”

Pervis, who described the incident as “more fear than harm”, returned to France today where he will continue his recovery.

Spare a thought for Pavel Novák, the 17-year-old Czech rider who turned up, ready to go, at the start ramp of the junior world time trial championships – without his bike:

Even after that late start – which couldn’t have helped the youngster's morale ahead of the 28.8km test – Novák still managed a very credible 15th, just over two minutes behind British winner Josh Tarling.

Things were even worse for Belgium’s Jens Verbrugghe, who came into the championships in Wollongong with realistic hopes for a medal after a strong season that included a silver medal in the European time trial championships.

However, Verbrugghe fell foul of the dreaded junior gearing rules, with a last-minute check from the UCI finding that the 17-year-old’s Lapierre was fitted with a 53-tooth chainring, one tooth more than the maximum gearing allowed for U18 riders.

Without a spare bike in Australia, a devastated Verbrugghe was then forced to frantically borrow a Ridley TT bike from the Belgian Cycling Federation – one that he had never ridden before – eventually finishing 2:58 behind Tarling, who passed him on the course.

Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com

“There was indeed a 53 instead of 52 sprocket on his bike”, Belgian Cycling’s technical director Frederik Broché told Het Nieuwsblad after the race. “They hadn't seen that at the UCI during the first checks and neither had we in recent days. We unpack bicycles and assemble them, but a new gear has not been set up there. The UCI finally saw that it was 15 centimetres too big, so we had to get another bike.

“They made that bike for his team, but if you’re interested in the technical aspects of cycling, you know that 52 is not made much anymore. It is the UCI that imposes: 52 and 14, or 7m93. Then 52/14 is the most logical combination, but nowadays – with the current gears – that has all become 53.

“There is a good chance that they have imposed a standard gear there. That is the end of the matter and you should already buy a 52. This will all change next year, I would like to add that as a side note.

“But it’s a mistake, he didn't know it himself. You don't do this to anyone, especially for a young guy. The Ridley bike was one of ours, he didn’t have a spare bike with him. This is often the case with juniors. And we also assume that the gears are in order, so that is not always checked.

“It’s a human error on the part of several people: rider, mechanic, the man who put his bike together, our people who didn’t see it… But I'm not going to point the finger at anyone.”

And that’s my last pun of the day, I promise…

Anyway, last week we reported that Filippo ‘Top’ Ganna (you can’t count that one, it’s too well-established) is gearing up to take on the Hour Record, currently held by the Italian’s Ineos team’s aero guru Dan Bigham, who covered an impressive 55.548km back in August.

Just like Coppi, Merckx, Moser, and Boardman before him, Ganna’s attempt on the Hour may well prove to be an era-defining ride, and one that could put the record out of sight for the foreseeable future.

> Filippo Ganna confirms Hour Record attempt

However, not everyone is buzzing about former world champion’s attempt. RCS Sport, the organisers of the Giro d’Italia, are unhappy that the date set by Ganna and Ineos – 8 October – clashes with Il Lombardia, part of RCS’s stable and one of the sport’s monument classics.

“Upon hearing the news of Filippo Ganna’s Hour record attempt on 8 October, the same day as Il Lombardia, the last monument race of the season, RCS Sport considers this coincidence inappropriate,” an RCS spokesperson told Gazzetta dello Sport at the weekend.

“Two events of international level and of great importance for professional cycling should not take place on the same date. RCS Sport hopes that an optimal solution can soon be found to allow enthusiasts and professionals to follow both these wonderful challenges.”

While RCS Sport’s concerns appear to be slightly over the top – the Hour Record is scheduled to start in Switzerland at 8pm, hours after Lombardia finishes, and could actually help to raise interest in another important Italian cycling event that day – the usually dominant Ganna may in fact welcome a last-minute change of plans after his surprisingly subdued seventh place at the Worlds time trial on Sunday.

Or he’ll just go out on 8 October and smash the Hour to pieces. I know which outcome I’d bet on…

British Juniors locking out the World Champs TT 🌈, it’s safe to say the future is bright. Big up to the Club TT scene, people joke that nobody cares about local TTs, and while it might be half true, the opportunity they give to consistently race always seems to pay dividends.

— Joe Laverick (@JoeLavo) September 20, 2022

++ Izzy Sharp finishing 10th. Josh and Zoe will take the headlines, but hats off to Izzy too. Just 15-seconds outside the medals, not bad at all.

— Joe Laverick (@JoeLavo) September 20, 2022

 There are definitely worse views in London…

Coffee stop on my way to work. Watching London commute past me. pic.twitter.com/HHlWjnoc1N

— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) September 20, 2022

My view of 20 years commuting by bike around the capital is that we are on the cusp of really significant change, if it’s not already happening. Investment has been one thing - but I think I underestimated the need for patience. Despite the urgency, patience.

— Ned Boulting (@nedboulting) September 20, 2022

Ah, morning television presenters, what are they like?

No, not Holly and Phil, I’m talking about Ireland AM presenter Muireann O’Connell, who took to Instagram this weekend – for a reason I’m yet to fully identify – to blast Ireland’s “pure ugly” cycle lanes, which she claims are turning parts of the country into “Soviet-era Russia”.

It’s not quite queue jumpgate, but we’ll take it…

O’Connell, who presents the daily morning show alongside former Ireland and British Lions rugby player Tommy Bowe (the perpetrator of the greatest Accidental Partridge moment of all time), posted a series of Instagram stories criticising Limerick’s segregated bike lanes which she described as a “blight” and “a danger to absolutely everyone”. 

But don’t worry, as she has “nothing against cyclists”.

 She wrote: “Limerick is like something out of Soviet-era Russia with these things. I don’t know how cars are meant to move in for ambulances. All for the cycling btw. These are just pure ugly.”

An hour after her initial post, O’Connell clarified to her 102,000 followers (hey, it’s over double road.cc’s number on Insta) that her issue with bike lanes is that Irish roads apparently aren’t wide enough for them.

“Hi guys, know they’re all over the country. Where I live in Dublin, they’re all knocked down as the road isn’t wide enough for them so no one could fit safely,” she explained.

“And they’re a blight. Europe manages to have cyclists and cars on the road but don’t make the place look like a kip. I was pointing out the massive raised concrete block on the road as well.

“For whatever reason, some counties’ councils have gone with these so the road can be a danger to absolutely everyone. Love that we are making the country look more manky by the day.

“I do know that plastic bollards can bend… not so much the concrete blocks that I saw a poor cyclist take a hopper off a few months back.

“Nothing against cyclists, just think Ireland [is] executing cycle lanes terribly.”

I can’t wait to hear Schofield’s take…

British cycling fans woke up to a double rainbow this morning, as Welsh wunderkinds Josh Tarling and Zoe Bäckstedt stormed to victory in the junior time trials at the UCI road world championships in Wollongong.

🎶 God Saved The King 🎶

Goosebumps today. I can’t begin to describe it 😍😩🌈

WORLD CHAMPION https://t.co/szYoSwPEc4

— Zoe Backstedt (@Backstedt_Zoe) September 20, 2022

After missing out on the junior TT title last year in Bruges, 17-year-old Bäckstedt completely decimated her rivals this time around, covering the 14.1km course in 18 minutes and 26 seconds, a massive 1.35 ahead of runner-up Justyna Czapla.

Bäckstedt’s blistering ride was so impressive that she actually reached the first time check quicker than elite world champion Ellen van Dijk managed during her gold medal winning ride on Sunday (and on junior gears too).

If Bäckstedt's ride wasn't impressive enough, she actually went quicker than Ellen van Dijk doing into the first time check today.

Obviously, Van Dijk had much further to go and Bäckstedt had a slower average speed by the end of hers, but that's still pretty impressive.

— Sadhbh O'Shea (@SadhbhOS) September 20, 2022

The Welsh star’s win means she now holds the unique distinction of being the reigning junior world champion in four different disciplines: cyclocross, track (in the Madison), the time trial and the road race, which she will defend in Wollongong on Saturday.

Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com

Bäckstedt, the daughter of Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus and former British road race champion Megan Hughes, is set to turn pro with EF Education-TIBCO-SVB next season. Today’s dominant time trial performance has only served to underline her undoubted promise as she steps into the professional ranks.

Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com

Not to be outdone, another young British – and Welsh – talent about to join the WorldTour also struck gold in the junior men’s time trial, as Ineos-bound Joshua Tarling beat Australian Hamish McKenzie by 19 seconds to earn another rainbow jersey on a sensational day for Team GB.

JOSHUA TARLING 🇬🇧 🌈

Second gold for @BritishCycling of the day as he claims the Men Junior ITT rainbow jersey!#Wollongong2022 pic.twitter.com/EHFbRzbF5Z

— UCI (@UCI_cycling) September 20, 2022

Tarling covered the 28.8km course in 34:59, ensuring heartbreak for home favourite McKenzie, an early starter who had occupied the hot seat (phone in hand) for most of the day until Tarling’s storming ride.

The 18-year-old, like Bäckstedt, avenged his silver medal from last year with an assured performance against the clock, the kind of barnstorming display that will set him up nicely for his pro debut with the Ineos Grenadiers next year.

Alex Broadway/SWpix.com

“It definitely hasn’t sunk in yet, but it just feels like a relief,” Tarling said at the finish.

“It’s been so much hard work and I was a bit annoyed after last year. I really wanted it. It’s just relief mainly… It’s been so hard. I had a bad start to the season with injuries and feeling empty. Then from half-way through the year it’s all been about this. I had some food poisoning during the Euro track championships. After that it was all about trying to bring GB another jersey after missing out.”

Lead image: Casey Gibson/SWpix.com