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"Cycling has just made me really happy": Jeremy Clarkson's daughter partners with Specialized; Jeremy Vine delivers a 'road tax' schooling; Chris Froome skips the Vuelta; Quads of Destiny; Marginal groins aero package + more on the live blog

Dan Alexander is here for your Thursday dose of live blog action, taking you one step closer to the weekend
05 August 2021, 16:39
Another incredible Dutch infra project

The Dutch are alright at this cycling infrastructure lark...All to avoid a 400m detour through a dark tunnel. Now compare that to the A12 in Suffolk that had us all grimacing the other week.

05 August 2021, 15:55
“…And you need to move over, so I can get past.”

It's just as well this guy got in front, he managed to save himself two seconds of not sitting in traffic time...

05 August 2021, 13:47
American rapper T.I. arrested in Amsterdam for being on his phone while cycling
T.I. rapper (image Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

T.I. shared the news on Instagram that he had been arrested in Amsterdam after being caught texting while cycling. The American rapper explained he had been on his phone when a policeman "ran into me and broke his side mirror".

"He was extremely upset. I was out having a great time. I’m still not upset. They arrested me and didn’t even put me in handcuffs. They just opened the door and invited me to the backseat. I obliged."

The rapper said he had ignored the driver at first, thinking he was just a delivery driver and only realised it was a police vehicle when the officer shouted at him to stop. NME reports that as he slowed down the driver of the van pushed against his handlebars, breaking the vehicle's wing mirror.

05 August 2021, 13:20
Sebastian Vettel just became our favourite F1 driver

From what little F1 coverage I've seen, Sebastian Vettel seems like an all round good guy. This is just extra bonus points...

05 August 2021, 13:06
Rod Ellingworth: Ineos won't spend big to keep Geraint Thomas
Geraint Thomas - via Ineos Grenadiers

Team Ineos are happy to let Geraint Thomas leave unless he takes a wage cut, team director of racing Rod Ellingworth has hinted. The 2018 Tour de France winner struggled for form in 2020 before suffering a series of crashes at big races this campaign. Thomas' Tour de France tilt was left in tatters by a stage three fall.

Reports have suggested Ineos are willing to keep the 35-year-old for a 13th season with the team and have offered Thomas a new deal on a reduced wage. However, the Welshman's career achievements are likely to demand a greater salary, making a departure the most likely outcome...

"It’s still ongoing and the ball is in his court," Ellingworth said. "There are conversations going on and I’ve tried to give him personal support, especially after the difficult time that he’s had but we’re talking to him and it’s ongoing, but if there's a massive offer then there’s no way we’d be able to keep him. We just need to be realistic.

"There’s quite a lot going on around rider recruitment, and not just for next year but also for the coming years after that. There are a few areas for us to work on."

Ineos have already announced the signing of promising Australian Luke Plapp - who won an Olympic bronze as part of his nation's team pursuit squad yesterday. Controversial Italian Gianni Moscon, Sebastian Henao, Owain Doull, Ivan Sosa, Cameron Wurf and Michal Gołas are all expected to leave the team.

05 August 2021, 12:58
Matt Walls reacts to first GB track cycling gold of Tokyo Games
Matt Walls in the omnium at Tokyo 2020 (Copyright Alex Whitehead, SWpix.com).JPG

Matt Walls earned the honour of winning Team GB's first track cycling gold medal of the Tokyo Olympic Games. The 23-year-old from Oldham, who rides for Bora-Hansgrohe on the road, held off a late charge from Elia Viviani in the final points race to win omnium gold, GB's first in the discipline.

"I came into the points race with a bit of a lead and that was nice to have a bit of breathing room. I got a gap and committed to it, it worked out I got the lap (and 20 points) and the legs were sore after that. Coming in here, everything was a bit of an unknown. The last track race I did was the European Championships last year, which is a long way away," Walls said.

"I came into the scratch race feeling good and won it. I thought then, 'I have a chance now as long as I play it smart.' I knew I had the legs and it worked out."

Before transitioning to the track, Walls was a mountain biker and also dabbled in a bit of triathlon..."Someone said about going down to the velodrome, which was close for me because of where I live. I went there, tried it and loved it. I did more and more as I grew up, got into racing and tried all sorts. I did cross, did mountain biking, track and road. I got onto the British Cycling programme when I was 15, and went on to get a pro road contract which put me in good shape for here."

05 August 2021, 10:24
"Cycling has just made me really…happy": Jeremy Clarkson's daughter partners with Specialized

Right at the top of the list of things I didn't expect to stumble across today is this news that Jeremy Clarkson's daughter, Emily Clarkson, is now partnered with Specialized, promoting the brand's e-bikes. The Instagram influencer shared the news with her 194,000 followers via a well-shot ad of Clarkson Jr and her partner going for a spin through London.

"Alex has been trying to get me cycling in London for the best part of a decade, it took until now for me to get it," Clarkson wrote on Instagram. "But I’m here. Probably because riding an electric bike is about 10 million times easier than the bikes I rode before (statistic made up by me) - although you still have to pedal it really does take the sting out of the hills. They’re fun and practical but mostly they’re just so comfortable.

"We got into central London quicker than we’d have done in the car (and didn’t have to pay congestion) and saw so much more of it than we would have done on the tube. It sounds odd but cycling has just made me really… happy, a huge thanks to Specialized for partnering with us on this, we’re loving it." I wonder what her old man thinks of that? Quicker than a car? Practical and comfortable? Making you happy? 

Jeremy Clarkson's career has been the polar opposite of his daughter's pedalling positivity. In a famous 2019 rant, Clarkson said "Bikes can f*@% off" and last year he argued the capital's segregated cycle lanes were causing congestion... 

He even managed to squeeze a pop at passing Trek-Segafredo pro Charlie Quarterman into Clarkson's Farm...

But maybe the tide is turning in the Clarkson household and we'll soon see Jeremy out and about on two wheels? Okay, probably not...But on that bombshell...

05 August 2021, 11:43
Specialized hits the nail on the head with e-bike advert

Getting Jeremy Clarkson's daughter on board was a masterstroke, and this new advert isn't too bad either... 

No Traffic. Easy Parking. Zero Emissions. Effortless Errands. No wonder Emily Clarkson loved it.

05 August 2021, 11:04
Marginal groins aero package

Where to start with this one? 

05 August 2021, 09:22
Quads of Destiny: How many watts can you thrash out?
05 August 2021, 08:45
One month to go...Could Chris Froome be at the Tour of Britain?

I'd say the Tour of Britain is my favourite race of the season. There's something about knowing the geography of the race, having visited some of the areas of the route and seeing the pros suffer on your local climbs that makes it all much more relatable. 

This year's route looks particularly great if you live in the South West, where the week-long stage race will begin with two stages in Cornwall and Devon. One man who may be on the startline is Chris Froome. The four-time Tour de France winner is going to skip the Vuelta a España and do some smaller races instead. Come on, Chris. You know you want to...

05 August 2021, 07:29
Jeremy Vine delivers a 'road tax' schooling
Highway Code.PNG

You've probably heard about the upcoming Highway Code changes by now. In short, the updated edition to be published in the autumn will introduce a hierarchy of road users, meaning those with the potential to cause the most danger to others will be deemed to have greater responsibility to those who are more vulnerable. Radical, I know...

On top of this, motorists are also to be subject to guidance on safe passing distances and speeds when overtaking riders. Cyclists will also get priority at junctions when travelling straight ahead.

This has been as well-received as you might expect by the sort of people who enjoy a spot of anti-cyclist bingo in their free time. 

Susie, for example, shared a photo of some letters in a local newspaper. Topics raised included: red light jumping, ignoring zebra crossings, pavement cycling, ignoring one way signs, riding two abreast, insurance, commuters causing congestion, number plates on bikes, hi-vis clothing and headphones...in other words, the full set.

Our old friend Jeremy Vine spotted Susie's assessment of the situation and had a smart idea...a new tax for all road users. How might that work?

Here's the notorious Surrey Roads Policing Unit's admin for their take on the whole 'road tax' kerfuffle...

Dan joined road.cc in 2020, and spent most of his first year (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. At the start of 2022 he took on the role of news editor. Before joining road.cc, Dan wrote about various sports, including football and boxing for the Daily Express, and covered the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for The Non-League Paper. Part of the generation inspired by the 2012 Olympics, Dan has been 'enjoying' life on two wheels ever since and spends his weekends making bonk-induced trips to the petrol stations of the south of England.

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58 comments

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Steve K | 2 years ago
0 likes

Of no great relevance to anything, but that Parks and Recreation video is literally two minutes from my house.

I agree that it's far from the worst overtake - but it's also not the best place to overtake given the traffic lights and the road narrowing under the bridge.  (Also - although not on this occasion - there's often a traffic jam once you come out the other side of the bridge, so often little to gain from the overtake.)

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
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Apart from MGIF

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wtjs | 2 years ago
0 likes

Easy Parking. Zero Emissions.  Easy Errands. No wonder Emily Clarkson loved it

And associated with the Clarkson name too- can it get any better?! If only there was some way to get all the above but with improved health benefits, a feeling of accomplishment and money saving, but without relying on an electric motor and being tied to mains power every day!

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wtjs | 2 years ago
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There's something funny going on here: Jeremy Vine is doing a lot of good work despite being on Radio (the horror, the horror!) 2, and Surrey Roads Policing Unit keeps coming up with sensible, worthy education and policies- but they haven't yet been shut down by the Covert Daily Mail Counter-Cyclist Squad which seems to be in control of recruitment for all those cyclist- hating forces throughout the UK. SRPU seems too good to be true- anyone experienced any actual successful prosecutions of villains at their hands? Lancashire, for instance, has never prosecuted anyone for close passing a cyclist in the absence of buckets of cyclist blood on the road.

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Hirsute | 2 years ago
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What was that parks and rec bloke on about? Driver was in the other lane to overtake !
No wonder the driver argued back so much.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
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I suspect the fact P&R mentioned "Speed", not the overtake. It was a MGIF and the arguing back also stated Parks and Rec was "in the middle of the road" (which he wasn't) which is why the car driver had to "speed" (his words before backtracking) to save 10 seconds to get to his destination. 

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Hirsute replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
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Yes, but to stop and give a lecture on supposed speeding when someone has given you a wide berth is self defeating. I suspect the driver was surprised to be lectured and should have just stuck with " I gave you loads of room stop complaining about nothing".

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
2 likes

He is lecturing on a shit bit of driving. The BMW driver decided to speed past whilst  approaching traffic lights and a narrowing of road way, and one where  he couldn't see around the corner and only did it because a cyclist was in front so MGIF. And this was after the cyclist had to move across to avoid what looked like poor road surface on that bit of junction. 

I mean look at the whole situation, first car in front slowing to turn left, other car at junction just pulled out so they couldn't overtake until that was cleared, not much room coming up and not really a clear view of the oncoming road in the split second the BMW driver decided to speed past the cyclist to then have to brake heavily again and saved himself 2-3 seconds at most. It was shit driving even if the initial pass might not have been "close".

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Steve K replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
0 likes

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

He is lecturing on a shit bit of driving. The BMW driver decided to speed past whilst  approaching traffic lights and a narrowing of road way, and one where  he couldn't see around the corner and only did it because a cyclist was in front so MGIF. And this was after the cyclist had to move across to avoid what looked like poor road surface on that bit of junction. 

I mean look at the whole situation, first car in front slowing to turn left, other car at junction just pulled out so they couldn't overtake until that was cleared, not much room coming up and not really a clear view of the oncoming road in the split second the BMW driver decided to speed past the cyclist to then have to brake heavily again and saved himself 2-3 seconds at most. It was shit driving even if the initial pass might not have been "close".

The driver will have been confident nothing was coming the other way because it's signal controlled, but I agree a completely pointless MGIF, particularly given you pretty much always hit traffic on the other side of the bridge.  I always take the lane through there - and on the other side - because I am nearly always taking the right turn after the bridge (because that's the cut through to my house!)

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Hirsute replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
0 likes

I guess we are going to disagree on this one. The driver could see the light were in his favour and the blue car was just about to go through the bridge so to me picked the best spot to overtake and gave a wide berth.

In terms of mgif that's retrospective as we don't know whether the driver intended to stop or knew that there would be traffic the other side.

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brooksby | 2 years ago
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I wonder what that rapper's frame was made of?

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Seagull2 | 2 years ago
6 likes

"meaning those with the potential to cause the most danger to others will be deemed to have greater responsibility to those who are more vulnerable. Radical, I know..."     I remember many years ago being in a car in Thailand with a Thai driver, on an on-ramp to a dual carriage-way, north of Bangkok, on a very busy Friday afternoon. Everything was crawling due to traffic volumes. And when i asked him about the rules of the road his tongue in cheek, but truthful reply was " the bigger your vehicle, the more right of way you have " . Seems that way to me quite often when i on my bike in Dublin, and reading Road.cc comments re roads in UK I think things are even more difficult for cyclists in UK, but then population much higher = much higher traffic volumes, and I certainly remember noticing the contrast between Irish roads and UK roads when i lived in Yorkshire for a few years in late 90's.  I hope the changes to the Highway Code result in safer roads for cyclists in UK , but it will of course need proper enforcement ....  

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wycombewheeler replied to Seagull2 | 2 years ago
1 like

Seagull2 wrote:

I certainly remember noticing the contrast between Irish roads and UK roads when i lived in Yorkshire for a few years in late 90's. 

LOL at those busy Yorkshire roads, trying coming to the southeast

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Flintshire Boy replied to wycombewheeler | 2 years ago
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LOL at those busy Yorkshire roads, trying coming to the southeast

Meanwhile, here in Chester, six cars at the lights constitues a traffic jam!

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hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
6 likes

Following on from the success of Clarkson's Farm, I'd like to see a Clarkson holiday-by-bike series.

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brooksby replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
4 likes

Maybe all it was, was that Clarkson hadn't realised you could make money from bicycles.  Now he knows that, maybe he'll be all in favour of them...

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hawkinspeter replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
6 likes

brooksby wrote:

Maybe all it was, was that Clarkson hadn't realised you could make money from bicycles.  Now he knows that, maybe he'll be all in favour of them...

He's made a couple of comments over the years about getting 'ordinary' people onto bikes and there was that time he was on holiday somewhere exotic where the only way he could get to the pub was by cycling 3km over a mountain. I suspect that he enjoys cycling (most people do when they give it a try) but his media persona requires a bit of cyclist bashing.

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Windy Cyclist replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
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FrankH replied to Windy Cyclist | 2 years ago
3 likes

I wonder why she doesn't ask her dad to get her a proper job so she can afford to buy a car. yes

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Joe Nation | 2 years ago
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While I generally agree with the new road user hierarchy, it sits at odds with my experience of working in a distribution warehouse - the bigger and more dangerous a vehicle, the greater priority it has. A big forklift takes a lot of skill to drive, has reduced visibility and can cause serious injury and death; a pedestrian can stop and turn in an instant and poses almost no risk to anyone but themselves.

But in my experience at least, people at work pay a lot more attention and are a lot more considerate of others, than people on the roads. So I reckon they've got it right.

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Huw Watkins replied to Joe Nation | 2 years ago
7 likes

We were one of only 3 countries in Europe (the others being Malta and Ireland) that didn't have the concept of Presumed Liability enshrined in law.  It's long overdue.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/uk-cyclings-thriving-should-even-better-health-huw-watkins/?trackingId=NXvOExNeTU2z6fEtkQRzfQ%3D%3D

 

 

 

 

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Captain Badger replied to Joe Nation | 2 years ago
1 like

Joe Nation wrote:

While I generally agree with the new road user hierarchy, it sits at odds with my experience of working in a distribution warehouse - the bigger and more dangerous a vehicle, the greater priority it has. A big forklift takes a lot of skill to drive, has reduced visibility and can cause serious injury and death; a pedestrian can stop and turn in an instant and poses almost no risk to anyone but themselves.

But in my experience at least, people at work pay a lot more attention and are a lot more considerate of others, than people on the roads. So I reckon they've got it right.

Our H&S dept is trying to reverse that convention - it's happening slowly but surely, but it's sometimes like pulling teeth. The reason it's like that is exactly what you say - you can't concentrate on being fast and being safe. The management teams bigger KPIs are about prod - MHE injuries are relatively rare, so aren't assigned as high a priority. So make the victims the ones in the wrong - it's all enshrined in the training, and management can wash their hands.

In addition, the MHE drivers and other operatives all know each other, so the drivers do tend to take care, and each driver and operative is running the same area, with the same low-speed vehicles that aren't penis extensions. Except the long forks maybe.....

 

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andystow replied to Captain Badger | 2 years ago
2 likes

Captain Badger wrote:

In addition, the MHE drivers and other operatives all know each other, so the drivers do tend to take care, and each driver and operative is running the same area, with the same low-speed vehicles that aren't penis extensions. Except the long forks maybe.....

I used to put one of these on to move rolls of carpet at a hardware store. We called it "the carpet dick."

 

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wycombewheeler replied to andystow | 2 years ago
6 likes

saw the comment without the picture, disapointed this tool is fitted to a fork lift and not worn.

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Mungecrundle replied to andystow | 2 years ago
2 likes

I'll never look at my shagpile in the same way again.

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Captain Badger replied to andystow | 2 years ago
0 likes

andystow wrote:

Captain Badger wrote:

In addition, the MHE drivers and other operatives all know each other, so the drivers do tend to take care, and each driver and operative is running the same area, with the same low-speed vehicles that aren't penis extensions. Except the long forks maybe.....

I used to put one of these on to move rolls of carpet at a hardware store. We called it "the carpet dick."

 

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Joe Nation | 2 years ago
2 likes

But that example is private property with staff told certain safety guidleines and with also flashing lights and moving sounds usually used for the vehicles to alert as well. And even then I expect the onus is still on the operator of the vehicle to ensure it is safe to action in the actual print copies of the H and S policy for the company. 

 

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Captain Badger replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
0 likes

AlsoSomniloquism wrote:

But that example is private property with staff told certain safety guidleines and with also flashing lights and moving sounds usually used for the vehicles to alert as well. And even then I expect the onus is still on the operator of the vehicle to ensure it is safe to action in the actual print copies of the H and S policy for the company. 

 

Yes, it's a (relatively) highly controlled closed environment, where everyone knows each other personally, and what they're doing. It shouldn't be seen as an exemplar for road policy, with the possible exception of being able to swiftly revoke licences, and limiting the vehicles to low speed - ours are at 6mph inside the building

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Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
2 likes

That JV tweet - the person he's addressing doesn't ask for road tax for cyclists, and I don't think the axle weight formula was ever used for private cars? Isn't now anyway so fairly ridiculous argument to make. Do sometimes wonder how much JV's tweeting is a genuine desire to promote cycling and how much a desire to boost his profile...

Disclaimer: may be biased as when I very politely once suggested that one of his close pass with a bus videos was actually at least partly his responsibility he encouraged his Twitter followers to join a pile-on (got some pretty foul DMs that day!) then when I (still politely) asked why he felt the need to do that he blocked me.

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Awavey replied to Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
3 likes

I saw JV posted a clip the other week he went sailing up the left side of a vehicle already indicating and moving across, and blamed the driver for getting in the way.

I do think he treats his twitter abit like that channel 5 show he does sometimes.

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