“Not one single helmet…”: Motorists slam cycling “people carrier” image as “needlessly putting your family in danger”; “Why is the right at war with cyclists?” asks Guardian columnist – as GB News launches latest anti-cycling poll + more on the live blog

I know it’s not something that often needs proving, but one quick and easy way to gauge the extent to which the Netherlands’ cycling culture is much more advanced than the UK’s is to post a photo on Twitter of an everyday Dutch cyclist and their family going about their business… and sit back and enjoy (or gaze in horror) at the replies.

Well, for some reason, that’s exactly what former Hackney councillor and transport chief Jon Burke did yesterday:

Please enjoy this People Carrier…😍 pic.twitter.com/CXcB5pfvF7

— Jon Burke 🌍 (@jonburkeUK) March 25, 2024

And the response?

“Needlessly putting your family in danger,” wrote on blue-ticked Twitter user.

“Clearly not safe,” said another.

“No helmets too, how safe.”

“Looks very dangerous.”

“No helmets on the kids, an f-ing disgrace.”

“Five kids, no helmets. That person should be arrested.”

“Deathtrap.”

“Imagine going out with a bloke like this. Wet flannel comes to mind,” UKIP WAG Jo Marney helpfully added.

And finally… “No helmets and instant death if hit by anything. I’ll stick with my extremely safe SUV thanks. Which also works in the rain…”

Gammon baiting par excellence pic.twitter.com/7OL5H8JBCg

— Real Gaz on a proper bike: gazza_d [at] toot.bike (@gazza_d) March 25, 2024

Of course, away from ‘super safe’ SUV-land, others longed for a world (or country) in which that kind of photo is viewed as normal.

“Beautiful photo in a proper city,” wrote American Fietser. “Having said that, my condolences on your comment section from all the nitwit reply-guys.”

Same.

“By reading the comments I get that not many knows how cycling works in the Netherlands,” added Xorin. “This picture is not something out of the ordinary there, is the norm.”

“All cities should be safe to ride like this,” wrote CGrift.

“Meanwhile I’m dressed in high vis with flashing lights, hoping to make it home every day to my family.”

The bad luck keeps piling up for Wout van Aert ahead of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, after key Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Dylan van Baarle was ruled out of tomorrow’s Dwars door Vlaanderen – the final warm up race before De Ronde on Sunday – with illness.

Van Baarle is the latest rider added to Visma’s increasingly long classics injury and illness list, with Christophe Laporte facing a race against time to be fit for Paris-Roubaix due to a saddle sore, Tiesj Benoot injuring his ribs during the E3 Saxo Classic, Jan Tratnik crashing at Gent-Wevelgem, and Per Strand Hagenes breaking his nose in a crash at E3.

Van Aert, meanwhile, will be hoping his bad luck is confined to his untimely crash on the Paterberg at E3, which ripped up fans’ pre-race hopes of a head-to-head duel with perennial rival Mathieu van der Poel.

And with Van der Poel and Gent-Wevelgem winner Mads Pedersen in stunning form, Van Aert certainly can’t afford any more misfortune, to say the least.

> Cyclists despair as bike markings painted in door zone “without any thought”, but council claims project “carefully developed in line with guidance”

A silent vigil was held today in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, in memory of Una Brandreth, a cyclist killed in a collision with a lorry driver last week, as residents called on the local authority to make the roads safer for vulnerable road users, branding its failure to do so a “dereliction of duty”.

56-year-old mum Brandreth was riding her bike on Manse Road at around 8.10am last Tuesday when she was struck by a lorry driver, killing her.

“In the span of ten days there have been three serious traffic accidents in Bearsden involving pedestrians or cyclists being knocked down,” Angela Bellmooney, a Bearsden local who has launched a petition urging East Dunbartonshire Council to introduce increased safety measures in the wake of Una’s death, told Glasgow Live.

“On Boxing Day 2019, a family of six were mowed down on Manse Road with one person being killed. There will have no doubt been many more near misses.”

Bellmooney says that the one piece of safety infrastructure on Manse Road, a flashing warning sign instructing motorists that they are driving too fast, is covered by hedges and has not worked for two years.

She also stated that “mangled barriers” at nearby Bearsden Cross were “another reminder of dangerous driving and poor traffic management”.

“The first duty of a local council is community safety,” she says. “Parents and residents have repeatedly called on the council to take action but to date the response has been dismissive and inadequate.

“We pay our council taxes expecting better than this for our community but at the moment, our council’s inaction is simply a dereliction of duty.

“We urge East Dunbartonshire Council to take action and fully commit to making our streets and roads safer.”

An Irish police officer who was suspended for three years, and later cleared of wrongdoing, for giving an unclaimed €50 bike to a pensioner is intending to sue An Garda Síochána for damages, according to the Irish Independent.

The Independent also reports that Assistant Garda Commissioner Jonathan Roberts is currently studying a 1,000 page transcript from the recent disciplinary inquiry which eventually cleared the officer of wrongdoing, in a bid to ascertain the extent to which some members of police management changed their testimony during the investigation.

As we reported earlier this month, the unnamed Garda was cleared of five disciplinary charges, which led to a three-year suspension, at an inquiry after giving one of many unclaimed bicycles at his police station to a “vulnerable and isolated” elderly man who was struggling for transport during the Covid pandemic.

> Irish police officer suspended for three years cleared of wrongdoing having given unclaimed bicycle to "vulnerable and isolated" elderly man for transport during the pandemic

The unnamed garda faced a number of possible sanctions including reprimand, a fine, a caution, or even dismissal from the force, but received “significant support” from his colleagues, with his suspension pending investigation arising as he had not completed the necessary paperwork having given the bike to an “isolated” resident living in a rural area as a means of travelling to the shops during the pandemic.

Welcoming the decision, Garda Representative Association (GRA) General Secretary Ronan Slevin said the case had seen “good, decent community policing blown apart and relationships destroyed”.

“In essence I believe a sledgehammer of discipline was used to crack a nut and the reputation of a long serving member was damaged, his honesty questioned, and his livelihood threatened,” Slevin said.

While in London certain politicians are dismissing active travel plans as “ridiculous virtue signalling”, up in Auld Reekie, one SNP MSP has praised the positive impact cycling and walking makes on the economy and the environment, as well as on the health of his constituents.

Describing Sustrans’ recent findings that active travel generates almost £263 million for Edinburgh and its surrounding regions as “quite astounding”, Edinburgh Central MSP, and former SNP House of Commons leader, Angus Robertson also noted that “1,314 serious long-term health conditions are prevented thanks to the health benefits of walking and cycling”.

Writing in the Edinburgh Evening News, Robertson praised Edinburgh City Council’s Net Zero targets for 2030, pointing out that 160,000 cars have been taken off the road every day by people instead choosing to travel by bike or on foot.

“I fully support these efforts, which align with the legacy commitments of the Scottish Government following the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, which also added £205m to the Scottish economy,” Robertson said.

“Indeed, through the Scottish Government’s million-pound Community Cycling Fund, we are already supporting sustainable cycling projects and local events to ensure as many communities across Scotland get involved.”

After completely decimating the field at the Volta a Catalunya last week, winning four of the race’s seven stages and beating second-placed Mikel Landa by almost four minutes, Tadej Pogačar is ready to knuckle down for some hard altitude training in Sierra Nevada, in a bid to boost the already ludicrous form he’s shown in 2024.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar)

Even by his extremely lofty standards, this season has been a jaw-dropping one so far for the UAE Team Emirates leader.

Kicking off the season with that 80km solo raid for the history books at Strade Bianche, Pogačar then put on a typically attacking ride at Milan-Sanremo – foiled somewhat by his team’s poor positioning at the foot of the Poggio – before nabbing third in the sprint.

> “What the f***?” Tom Pidcock stunned and Mathieu van der Poel “scared” after Tadej Pogačar left “dead bodies everywhere” with stunning Strade Bianche attack

His week in Catalunya, meanwhile, was utterly devastating, turning the Volta’s tough mountain stages into glorified training rides and even bagging that iconic final stage in Barcelona in the sprint (while sparking a wave of social media debates on whether such domination is boring for fans).

Of the nine race days he’s started in 2024, the Slovenian’s results have been: 1, 3, 2, 1, 1, 25, 31, 1, 1 (and you can throw in the Volta’s GC and points and mountains classifications too).

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar)

And now, rather frighteningly for his rivals, Pogačar is belatedly joining the altitude party – one already attended by Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Primož Roglič this season – for some intensive training high in the mountains ahead of his next big goals: a bid to regain his crown at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a first ever crack at the Giro d’Italia, the first phase of his Giro-Tour double attempt.

> Tadej Pogačar lashes out at police motorbike rider blocking road as relentless Slovenian briefly hampered (again) by fan congestion on climb

“I’m going to Sierra Nevada today. I stay there for almost three weeks, and then to Belgium, one week of a little rest, and then after, the preparations for Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the last preparations for the Giro d’Italia itself,” the 25-year-old told RTV SLO.

“This start to the season and the performance shows that I am in great shape and on track for the Giro-Tour. I already confirmed my good form at Strade Bianche and Sanremo, but this was a very different course [in Catalunya]. Lots of climbs and descents. The whole week was extraordinary, not only for me but for the whole team.

“I’m in better shape, at least when it comes to feeling good on the bike. I’ve taken another step forward to enjoy my bike even more, and I go out every day with a smile on my face. I don't mind doing intervals. It’s not all about the numbers, it’s also about feeling really good.”

Be afraid, be very afraid…

After their brief holding page hiatus last week, Wiggle and Chain Reaction Cycles’ websites are back open for business this morning – and it turns out that Frasers wasn’t too impressed with Wiggle’s controversial green rebrand last year either…

> Wiggle website relaunched following Frasers Group takeover (and the old orange logo is back)