Fabio Jakobsen heading home to Netherlands tomorrow after horror crash; Cyclists "not all Lycra louts" says Boris Johnson; Biden questioned over helmetless ride; Anger over traps laid for cyclists + more on the live blog

. . . oh well done . . . thereby officially associating wearing of lycra with being a lout. FFS!

— cycletothesea (@cycletothesea) August 11, 2020

that's my thought entirely: although not the worst think that's come out of our PM's mouth it definitely does us regular civilised cyclists who happen to wear elastene/polyester weave no favours. oh well, guess it is to be expected from a gaffe prone PM

— Alex Bonzi (@alexbonzi255) August 11, 2020

Some aren't happy that Boris chose to say 'Lycra louts' at all... do you think the PM's language was a tad clumsy? 

While his government's handling of many matters recently has proved divisive to say the least, one thing the Prime Minister often appears to make plenty of sense on is cycling... and during a visit to Hereford County Hospital today, Boris once again preached the benefits of getting more people travelling on two wheels. 

Announcing that Herefordshire had been approved for £2 million towards active travel schemes in the county, the PM was asked if such schemes were appropiate for those who live in more rural areas.  

According to the Hereford Times, the PM said: "When I was mayor of London I used to cycle 30 miles a day easily.

“I think cycling is a fantastic thing to do. We have just put another £2 million into Herefordshire to support cycling and walking schemes.

“There is much more that we want to do. Where I agree with you that there is a paradox that cycling in rural areas on often quite fast A and B road can be scarier particularly for less confident cyclists.

“We need to think as we take forward our cycling revolution how we encourage people to cycle in rural areas as well.

“Motorists have got to understand there will be cyclists on the road and they’re not all lycra louts and they need to be treated with respect and caution.

“It’s about educating motorists as well.”

A vision for the Starley Network - named after the Starley family of Coventry who are considered founding fathers of the modern bicycle  - was unveiled today at the Coventry Transport Museum. 

Transport for West Midlands say that all 493 miles of the proposed network will be dedicated to active travel, on routes that are either segregated from traffic or away from roads entirely. It will pull together "existing routes and towpaths, proposed new cycling infrastructure, and new pop-up lanes funded through the Emergency Active Travel Fund" according to TfWM, and covers most major areas in the West Midlands connurbation including Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry and Dudley. 

Over £260 million will be spent to build the network in the coming years, with highlights including a new cycle route on the A45 Coventry Road in Birmingham, a new cycle hire scheme and a series of routes along the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro tram line. More info including a full map of the proposed routes can be found here. 

Disappointing news, but not surprising. Julie has generally done a good job imho, and I wish her well for the future, but in my opinion it is vital for the next CEO of British Cycling to have detailed knowledge and experience of cycling as well as the right management background. https://t.co/7ccEzUOLBS

— Brian Cookson OBE (@BrianCooksonOBE) August 11, 2020

British Cycling say they are recruiting for "one of the best jobs in British sport", as Julie Harrington - Chief Executive Officer since 2017 - has announced her departure to take on the CEO role at the British Horseracing Authority in the new year.

The former UCI president Cookson clarified that his criteria was "a tough person specification to fill", and that he was not being critical of Harrington. 

British Cycling's Chair Frank Slevin commented: "Julie will leave with the good wishes of the Board and everyone at British Cycling.

"With Julie as Chief Executive Officer, and thanks to a strong leadership team, British Cycling has made great strides towards our ambition of becoming a world-leading governing body.

...“Like any organisation we have our challenges but, with the Prime Minister predicting ‘a golden age for cycling’, this is the best time to be joining British Cycling.”

Bikers for Biden. pic.twitter.com/DvnimU9NAk

— The Lincoln Project 🏴‍☠️ (@ProjectLincoln) August 8, 2020

You're most likely aware that Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for the upcoming general election in the United States... you might be less aware that he's partial to a bike ride, and he was collared by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy at the weekend while cycling with friends. 

Doocy asked Biden who his running mate was going to be for the upcoming election, to which Biden replied: "You!"
This delighted most Trump-adverse corners of social media; but others were a little concerned by Biden's head, or lack of something on it... 

I'm being totally serious. Wear a helmet! In our house, this would lose you scooter/bike privileges for the whole day. Of all the noggins that need protecting at the moment, the 2020 nominee is high on the list.

— Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) August 8, 2020

You should always wear a helmet if you're on a bike.

— TinyRobot (@TinyRobot6) August 8, 2020

Imagine that being your takeaway from this clip.

— Irwin M Fletcher stan account (@vgiglotti) August 9, 2020

Because he is almost certainly on a path where cars are not permitted to travel. Bicycles are not inherently dangerous. It's the cars that are dangerous.

— Colin Parent (@ColinParent) August 8, 2020

As you can see from this selection of replies, others were less bothered by Biden's bare head, and more encouraged that the 77-year-old is keeping fit and healthy on two wheels. 

Trump often refers to Biden as "sleepy Joe" on Twitter in reference to his advancing years, and often questions his cognitive abilities too. It seems there's only one way to settle this election then... 

Trump vs Biden...bike riding contest pic.twitter.com/YZE2rgWwRD

— Sam Zee (@SamZComedy) August 10, 2020

It's now confirmed by the RRA that Doug Hart and Mark Bourgeois of Ilkley Cycling Club have broken the long-standing record, riding the 388 mile journey in a time of 17 hours and 52 minutes. If it's confirmed, this will take 50 minutes off the previous mark set in 1988.  

The achievement is made all the more impressive given that Mr Bourgeois was in hospital with Covid-19 back in April according to the Ilkley Gazette. Writing on Facebook, he said he was "very happy and just a tad tired" the day after the ride.  
Mr Hart was already an experienced endurance cyclist riding solo and by tandem, having already broken the Edinburgh to York tandem record with fellow Ilkley CC member Jake Unsworth last year. 

The ride has raised plenty of cash for the Shelter From the Storm and LandAid charities so far, with the total at over £13,000 on their JustGiving page - click here to donate. 

 

 

 

 

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How continental! #roundbout #roadsignmistakes #givewaytotheleft? #youhadonejob

A post shared by Matt Woolner (@woolymatt) on Aug 11, 2020 at 2:33am PDT

Give way to your left, as the say on the continent. Not in the UK...

Chris Heaton-Harris, the Minister of State for Transport, has promised to address the public's safety fears about cycling after the survey in the government's latest Walking and Cycling statistics document found that 66% of adults in England thought that cycling on the roads was too dangerous; this is up from 61% in the previous year, but Heaton-Harris says that Boris Johnson's blueprint for "a new golden age for cycling” will be at the forefront of changing this. 

In an interview with The Guardian, Heaton-Harris said: “I know from talking to people, and looking at my very active cycling social media response, that dedicated infrastructure is essential to make people feel safe.

“One of the big parts of this investment is to try and make the streets safer for people to cycle on. I tend to believe that in cycling, it’s very much Kevin Costner, Field of Dreams territory: if you build it, they will come.”

The survey results were compiled before lockdown, and Heaton-Harris said that increases in cycling numbers when roads were quieter shows that "when people feel safe, they cycle.”

He added: “I’d like to think with this investment over the next four or five years, we can actually demonstrate and have the data to prove that when we do the things we’re talking about, we will be able to demonstrate that that has led to way more people cycling. 

“We can also show we are a healthier nation, that air quality has gone up and air pollution goes down, all of these big things lots of people have been campaigning for, are delivered by change in the modal shift towards cycling and walking, And then I think it’ll be a no-brainer for future governments.”