“All we want is to move about safely without being run over”: Hi-vis wearing pro cyclist escapes unhurt after being “violently hit” by driver as bike snapped in two; Pogačar “is so superior it’s difficult to explain”, says Bardet + more on the live blog

Four-time Tour de France stage winner Romain Bardet has claimed that the use of a controversial carbon monoxide rebreathing technique – which dominated discussion during the second week of this year’s Tour – is “not surprising” and that cycling teams and riders will always have a desire to “look elsewhere to seek competitive advantages”.

In a lengthy interview with Eurosport, the veteran French star also suggested that the advent of carbon monoxide use in the peloton – UAE Team Emirates, Visma-Lease a Bike, and Israel-Premier Tech admitted in the summer to utilising the technique merely to test their riders’ blood levels – could explain the jump in form of certain riders over the past 18 months.

However, while Bardet admitted that, contrary to what some have claimed in recent years, that cycling’s reliance on medication has reduced over the course of his career, he nevertheless called on the UCI and the sport’s anti-doping authorities to clamp down on illegal or shady practices, arguing that the belief that riders and teams – and their “impeccable ethics” – will police themselves is “totally illusory”.

> What is carbon monoxide rebreathing and why is the entire Tour de France talking about it? Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard insist it's "nothing suspicious" and "just a simple test", but others are less convinced

During this year’s Tour de France, carbon monoxide filled the airwaves, after Escape Collective broke the news that top-level pros, namely riders on UAE Team Emirates, Visma-Lease a Bike, and Israel-Premier Tech, have access to a carbon monoxide rebreather – an expensive piece of kit that allows for precise dosing of the gas into the lungs.

So why, we all asked, are the world’s leading cyclists – including the top two teams in the world, battling it out for the yellow jersey at the Tour – using such a controversial and dangerous method?

Well, carbon monoxide testing provides an accurate means of measuring haemoglobin (a protein that facilities the movement of oxygen in red blood cells). So, for example during an altitude camp, it can be used to track a rider’s progress over a block of training.

(ASO/Charly Lopez)

The practice does not break anti-doping rules and is a technique that has been around for decades in the worlds of science and medicine. Where things get murkier however (hey, it is cycling after all), is when we take into account the method’s potential for performance enhancing misuse.

Inhaling carbon monoxide – using the same device utilised for the tests carried out at UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike altitude camps – could assist riders’ bodies to produce more red blood cells, an act that, while not currently banned by WADA, one would assume is in conflict with the anti-doping authority’s stance against artificial manipulation of blood.

> “It’s not like we’re breathing exhaust pipes every day”: Tadej Pogačar confirms use of carbon monoxide rebreather test for altitude training

However, during this year’s Tour, which he was busy bending to his will, Tadej Pogačar dismissed the practice as a “pretty simple test” and even claimed he’d never completed it.

“It’s a test in altitude camp to see how you respond to altitude. You need to do this test, it’s like a two or three-minute-long test. You breathe into a balloon for one minute and then you see the haemoglobin mass, and then you need to repeat it two weeks after,” the Slovenian said.

“But I did just the first part of the test. I never did the second part because the girl who was supposed to come after two weeks didn't come. It’s not like we’re breathing exhaust pipes every day in the cars. It’s just a pretty simple test to see how you respond to altitude training.”

Meanwhile, Jonas Vingegaard also told Danish reporters that there was “nothing suspicious” about the controversial rebreathing technique.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Speaking to Eurosport this week, Bardet – who led this year’s Tour for a day after a sensational breakaway win alongside DSM teammate Frank van den Broek on the opening day in Rimini – claimed that he only learned of the use of carbon monoxide in the peloton through the press.

“We see the studies. Anything is possible. I have never heard of anything but at the same time, I would not be surprised,” the 34-year-old, who is set to retire following next June’s Critérium du Dauphiné, said.

“There is so much research being done with the idea of ​​optimising performance. Ten years ago, there were lots of promises about altitude. Everyone was getting involved, it was a bit of a panacea. We know exactly where it can take us.

“It is not surprising that there are certain researchers, certain teams, certain cyclists who are looking elsewhere. There will always be the desire to seek competitive advantages.”

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

When asked about his own stance on these grey area techniques, the French climber said: “It is up to each rider to set their own personal standards of what seems ethical and fair in the search for the results, based on their values.

“It is like ketones, like many things, it is subject to interpretation. And unfortunately, since the rules are not clearly stated, this interpretation is left to the discretion of each person. And because we are taking part in an ultra-competitive sport where only victory counts, we should not be surprised by possible deviations.”

He continued: “Carbon monoxide could explain the trajectory of some people we didn’t know about a year, a year and a half ago, but it’s also a bit of an easy claim to make without looking at their trajectory.

“These processes are documented and it’s now up to the authorities to decide whether to ban them or not, to carry out checks. It’s totally futile, in such a competitive world with so many economic issues, to believe that it’s the goodwill and impeccable ethics of the riders and teams that will allow the sport to regulate itself healthily. It’s totally illusory.”

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

When asked about what many have described in recent years as the overt medicalisation of cycling – where a vast range of medicinal products, albeit legal ones, are used on a daily basis within teams – Bardet believes that progress has been made in that particular battle against cycling’s historic reliance on drugs of any kind.

“Culturally, I even find that cycling was in a much worse situation in terms of the use of medication when I arrived among the professionals than it is now,” he said.

“I believe that we must intensify the fight even more and have strong legal structures… to take positions which above all subject the riders and staff to what we ultimately want to do with sport.”

While Bardet is clear in his approach to cycling’s ongoing anti-doping efforts, he seems perplexed by one thing: the dominance of Tadej Pogačar.

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

The 34-year-old was one of Chris Froome’s biggest rivals at the Tour, placing second and third behind the Brit at the 2016 and 2017 races respectively.

Such is the longevity of his career, he also attempted to challenge Pogačar during the Slovenian’s epic 2024 campaign, coming in as a distant best of the rest at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, finishing ninth at the Giro, 17th at Strade Bianche, winning a stage and wearing yellow at the Tour, and placing tenth at the worlds road race in Zurich – all races at which Pogačar simply destroyed the opposition.

> Was Tadej Pogačar’s staggeringly dominant 2024 the perfect season? We rank cycling’s greatest individual years, from Burton and Coppi to Vos and Pogačar

“I don’t know what to say. I’m ignoring it,” Bardet said of the world champion’s era-defining 2024 season.

“Honestly, it’s not the same weight category. I’m surprised but, at the same time, he has put together the immense potential that we saw in him.

“Apparently, he didn’t know how to train. Now, he knows. He is so superior... It’s difficult to explain. I don’t spend much time looking for explanations. Even being a contemporary and part of the peloton, we have the feeling of not really being one of his opponents.

“I was sure he would win, off the top of my head, Strade Bianche, the Grand Prix of Montreal, and the world championships. I was convinced that without any mechanical incident or anything for him, it was settled.

“Even at the Tour de France, if we saw UAE agitating at the head of the peloton from the first kilometres to control the formation of the breakaway, that he would win the stage behind. On the Giro, the same. It happened at least ten times this season.”

(Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Reflecting on the dominance of UAE and Visma, Bardet agreed that some riders are growing tired of the monopoly at the top of the sport.

“When you are the leader of a team, you have six guys working for you and you pay them at the end with a sixth or seventh place, you ask yourself questions. Are you up to par?

“This is the path that cycling is also heading towards, aggregating talent and the biggest salaries within a handful of teams. We are heading towards a cycling where competitive interest is greatly reduced.”

 

 

 

 

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I really think it could work, because that looks epic. Just imagine Julian Alaphilippe going toe to toe with Stevie Williams up a 20 per cent gradient on a Chopper. Class.

Hold on a second… is that Robert Förstemann?

 

 

 

 

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Nah, it couldn’t be. That fella’s thighs are nowhere near big enough.

Although I’m just imagining one disgruntled motorist driving behind Paddy and Giant the Gladiator, thinking ‘Those bloody cyclists and their stupid Lycra suits…’

As he continues his recovery from an injury-ravaged 2024 season, all Wout needs to do is throw in a few steps and sling the bike over his shoulder, and he’s all good to go for the ‘cross campaign. Oh, and maybe find a bit of snow, for good measure…

Yes, that’s right – it may have originally featured a weird, 1980s arcade game-style zig-zag design, be constantly littered with Amazon delivery drivers and rogue lampposts, and boast the flimsiest bike stands known to man, but Edinburgh’s Leith Walk cycle lane appears to be doing what it set out to do: Get more people cycling.

According to new analysis of national cycle counter data in 14 locations by Cycling Scotland, Picardy Place, located at the top of the much-derided Leith Walk bike lane and connected to the city centre’s West East Link on-street cycle routes, saw the number of cycle journeys recorded between June and August increase by 31 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.

This summer, 163,678 cyclists were recorded riding their bikes in Picardy Place over a three-month spell, compared to 124,987 the previous year.

> Zig-zag corners on “moronic” Edinburgh cycleway to be replaced to improve cycle safety

Meanwhile, in the south of the city, a whopping 169 per cent year-on-year growth in cycle journeys was recorded at the junction of Gilmerton Road and the Pillars Path, where two cycle routes now meet.

The analysis, which focused on 14 locations where cycling has risen by over 30 per cent this year, also found that there has been a 39 per cent year-on-year increase at Stockingfield Bridge on the Forth and Clyde Canal route in north-west Glasgow, following on from the news that cycling now has a modal share of 13 per cent along the South City Way route after its completion to the city centre.

> Cyclists fed up with "ridiculous" lamppost blocking busy cycle lane for five months

And on Airthrey Road in Stirling – on the Stirling Station to University section of the city’s under-developed cycling network – the number of cycle journeys doubled this summer, with 10,926 people recorded cycling southbound on the route in June, July, and August, compared to 5,295 over the same period in 2023.

Which just goes to show you – when it comes to cycling infrastructure, build it and they will come. Even if it has weird zig zags in it.

It’s been in the pipeline for quite some time now, but this afternoon the Ineos Grenadiers finally announced that they have teamed up with German Continental squad Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank, who will act as the team’s ‘development partner’ from 2025.

The partnership, Ineos’ performance director Scott Drawer said today, will see promising young riders sent to the third-tier German team to build some experience before transitioning back to the World Tour, similar to the loan system used in football.

It is not yet clear, however, what riders currently on Ineos’ roster will step down to Lotto Kern-Haus, though Ineos say the partnership will supplement its existing internal ‘Ascent’ development programme, which in recent years has identified and nurtured young talent such as Josh Tarling.

The British squad also said that the Ascent programme will be expanded in 2025, and that the Lotto Kern-Haus deal will “be an important part of the work to develop and prepare young riders for racing at WorldTour level”.

> “Team Circus continues”: Tom Pidcock dropped by Ineos due to risk of bonus payout claims Brian Smith, who says there’s “no fun in numbers-driven cycling anymore” as “gagged” Steve Cummings confirms exit

However, it is notable that there has been no mention of the duration of the partnership, or whether it could lead to Ineos establishing their own junior team – after all, after 15 years in the peloton, the British squad continue to stand out as one of the few World Tour outfits without either a development or women’s team.

And while Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s move to Visma-Lease a Bike means that the number of female racers in Ineos colours has dropped from one to zero this winter, this tentative new loan-based deal could mark the start of a transition to the troubled squad’s first ever fully fledged development programme.

 (Elliot Keen/British Cycling/via SWpix.com)

“Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank provides an outstanding competitive environment which will give our youngest riders valuable racing experience,” Drawer said today in a statement.

“Key riders will be selected and placed with the Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank team while still being coached and supported by Ineos Grenadiers staff. We see this as a ‘finishing school’ for young talent before their transition to the WorldTour, akin to that of a loan club in professional football.

“The management and staff at Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank have really impressed us and we trust that this is going to be a fruitful and key partnership for the future.”

Meanwhile, Torsten Schmidt, Head of Sport at Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank, added: “One of the best jobs in cycling is to help and support young cyclists at the start of their careers.

“In my past as a Sport Director in the WorldTour, I have managed to do this several times and I still have a strong connection with many of these athletes

“The trust in our partnership is also reinforced by the meetings we have held so far, where I have been pleased to see that everyone involved shares the same perspective and motivation.”

 

 

 

 

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Ouch. And you thought Tommy Voeckler always looked like he was under pressure…

However, I’m sure the pain in Paddy’s legs subsided ever so slightly an hour or so ago, when Zoe Ball greeted him with the news that he’s already hit the million mark in donations, just three days into his Chopper-based cycle from Wrexham to Glasgow.

Although judging by his climbing form in that video, I’m not sure raising even a million quid for charity could make him look forward to the next hill around the corner…

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) has this morning launched an inquiry to explore social justice and inclusion issues related to active travel in the UK, and assess what barriers remain preventing people from all backgrounds from engaging with cycling.

The APPGCW says that the inquiry, supported by British Cycling and Leigh Day solicitors, will investigate “barriers that prevent equitable access to cycling, walking, and wheeling”, with the aim of understanding how infrastructure, policy, and social factors influence who benefits from active travel and who is excluded, and what can be done to help widen participation.

The evidence – gathered in written form from individuals and organisations with relevant experience and insights, and also during an in-person session in parliament on 9 December – will help shape recommendations the group of MPs hope will make active travel “accessible and appealing to all communities”.

> "Those who don't see themselves may feel cycling is not for them": Images of cyclists lack diversity and focus on cycling as leisure rather than transport, researchers suggest

“Despite active travel’s well-documented benefits for health, environment, and community wellbeing, disparities exist in who can fully enjoy these advantages,” the group said in a statement.

“Physical barriers, such as inaccessible footways or unsuitable cycling infrastructure, financial obstacles, and social perceptions can prevent certain groups from engaging in active travel. The APPGCW aims to address these issues and invites insights from experts, advocates, and members of the public.”

The APPGCW says the inquiry, which will include an advisory board of up to eight MPs, will seek evidence on a range of inclusion-based topics, including:

What groups are currently excluded from active travel and why;

How factors like poverty, disability, and local infrastructure impact active travel access and safety;

Examples of successful initiatives, in the UK or internationally, that have improved inclusivity in active travel;

Actions, policies, or resources that could help overcome barriers to active travel for all, whether through infrastructure, funding, or community engagement

“The many individual and societal benefits of active travel are both well documented and researched,” Fabian Hamilton MP, the APPGCW’s co-chair, said today.

“From public health to air pollution, many of the challenges that we face today could be tackled in part by seeing an increase in the number of people cycling, walking and wheeling.

“Sadly, there remain many barriers in place to ensuring that people from all backgrounds have equitable access to these methods of transport.

“This inquiry will look at why that is, and provide insight on how we can begin to remove some of those barriers. I look forward to working with a diverse and wide group of contributors to deliver this important inquiry.”

Information on how to submit evidence can be found on the APPGCW’s website.

> First ride: The new (old) roads in Zwift’s latest map update