"Cycle lanes aren't empty — they're just efficient": Addressing a bike lane misconception; Castelli hides Remco Evenepoel's bike for Instagram post, sparking new Specialized speculation; Tour de France stage 11 updates + more on the live blog

💚💚💚💚@jasperphilipsen | @Continental_fr | #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/Zsx0lNLUER

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 12, 2023

Some reaction to Philipsen's win... alluding to a question at the stage start where he was asked whether his 'Jasper the disaster' Netflix nickname could be replaced by 'Jasper the master', the Belgian responded...

"If you say so, I said this morning if I win again then maybe, it's an incredible Tour so far. I can't realise how well it is all going. Just super proud and really happy with my shape and to get through the final without problems. That's a big challenge and we managed to do it beautifully four times in a row. So happy.

"I can also win without him! [Van der poel] But of course he makes it easier. I had to find my wheel a little bit, finding a space when it's technical is dangerous, but I was happy to find a good wheel of Groenewegen, he opened up early and I could go over.

"Maybe there could be three more sprint opportunities but there will also be guys going for a breakaway."

In a second interview, Philipsen confirmed Van der Poel's absence was due to a slight illness, plus saving himself for tomorrow's punchy stage that looks set for a breakaway battle.

Cycling Instructors have faced a 14-YEAR PAY FREEZE.

This Friday, @IWGB_CIB are striking to demand councils and training providers pay up💥💥💥

Come and join their protest ride around London:

🚲 Meet us with your bike,
🕐 at 11am,
📌 outside Lambeth Town Hall. pic.twitter.com/wSsFXE5cHh

— IWGB (@IWGBunion) July 10, 2023

The ride will stop at: Lambeth Town Hall, Cycle Confident Offices, Oval, Westminster City Hall, Southwark Council, Tooley Street, Hackney Town Hall. road.cc Simon will be on the ground for a news feature for the weekend...

No wonder Søren Wærenskjold rejected UAE Emirates, this sounds dangerous...

You can't be serious... 🙈 #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/WeMgzoe256

— Benji Naesen (@BenjiNaesen) July 12, 2023

'Jump what? Tiger... where... what... why are there crocodiles on the road in France? Is the stage neutralised? What in the Jumanji is going on?' 

🐊🐊🐊 Beware of the crocodiles... 🐊🐊🐊

🐊🐊🐊 Attention aux crocodiles... 🐊🐊🐊#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/1zx1QOFOrG

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 12, 2023

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ivan Cornell (@ivan.cornell)

Ivan completed five days along the length of France, following the Greenwich meridian as closely as possible.

"A few routeing issues meant short sections through woods and across fields but otherwise a fantastic ride through France with combine harvesters everywhere — in the fields, on the lanes & even stopped in villages for a chat.

"Slowly the maize and sunflowers gave way to the vineyards of Cognac, Bordeaux, Castillon and Armagnac, before the mountains appeared on the distant horizon ahead and the proper climbing started. Only real downside was arriving late at the first night's hotel after the staff had gone home so had to resort to bivvying on their terrace."

> Søren Wærenskjold rejected UAE Emirates contract, says "You would rather make the morally and ethically right choice"

What is it with Instagram posts including Soudal-QuickStep and Specialized this July? Last week it was Fabio Jakobsen quickly editing his post after stage four of the Tour to remove sight of his broken SL7. Now it's Castelli sparking fresh rumours of an imminent new SL8 after this genius scribbling out of Remco's bike at a Vuelta training camp in the Veneto...

'Just go on Paint and scribble it out, mate, nobody will notice...'

We're assuming the post has since been deleted, but then again it may just have passed the 24 hours it stays on Instagram stories having been from yesterday morning. A closer look doesn't show much more so perhaps I shouldn't be so dismissive of the editing...

No sight of that integrated cockpit with semi-internal cable routing Lorena Wiebes and Jakobsen were spotted using, nor the deeper headtube, thinner seatpost and seat tube and bulkier bottom bracket area that our video guru Jamie speculated we may be seeing on a new SL8 at some point in 2023.

> 2023 cycling tech predictions — Specialized Tarmac SL8, futuristic bike computers, electronic Campagnolo Ekar, another Hour Record? + more of our top cycling prophecies for next year

Castelli's Insta stories now just show pics of the team truck, Bert Van Lerberghe taking a very close look at a chamois pad and Tim Merlier with a 'next generation sprinter suit' (no bikes to be seen).

To be fair, a new SL8 is hardly going to break the cycling internet as it has been expected by many for a while. Back in the tech predictions story linked above, we gave it a likelihood percentage of 85% to happen in 2023. And while we'll admit we thought we'd see it pre-Tour, our deep dive into the bike of former world champ Julian Alaphilippe (alloy bars, a normal saddle and short stem included) is still all based around an SL7 frame.

> Julian Alaphilippe's Specialized Tarmac SL7 has alloy bars, a normal saddle and short stem — does he know something other Tour de France riders don't?

Will we see an SL8 at the World Championships in Glasgow? Or will Remco's Vuelta defence be where it breaks cover?