Tom Dumoulin runs super quick 32:38 10k (sorry, Adam Yates!); Moaning motorists made miserable by segregated cycle lane; 100 miles out the saddle postponed; Stolen cycling dinosaur; No beer in Belgium; Should Pog go for the Giro? + more on the live blog

“I’ve had a blast pulling on my running shoes this off season. On Sunday I competed in my first ever trail running race. It was a pretty challenging 15km on some very hilly & technical trails."

Anyone else enjoy cross-training like Jimmy? ✋ ⬇️ #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/lwnvwue2OR

— EF Pro Cycling (@EFprocycling) November 15, 2021

Everyone's at it. Can't be long before Mathieu van der Poel pops up with a two and a half hour marathon...

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal suffered a hip injury when he fell off his bicycle this week, so he took training from a golf cart. You can’t keep a good man down. pic.twitter.com/eWgN4cekWx

— MUNDIAL (@MundialMag) November 15, 2021

Poor Louis van Gaal is feeling the pain after a fall from his bike in the build up to his nation's World Cup qualifying decider against Norway. The 70-year-old was unable to attend today's press conference in person but appeared by video link, sitting in a wheelchair. 

The former Manchester United manager was cycling near the team hotel when he fell and was taken to hospital for tests. "Physically I’m not good, but the brain is still working. I’m in a lot of pain, that’s why I was in a buggy during training. I can still do everything and have done all the preparation that I normally would have."

Captain Virgil van Dijk said the incident was "definitely a shock". Van Gaal stressed he would still be on the bench for the Netherlands' all-important final qualifier against Norway tomorrow where a point will be enough to see them qualify for next November's tournament in Qatar.

How did the rest of the team travel to training?

Tom Dumoulin ran 10 km in 32:38 in Maastricht. The pace of 3:15.8 / 1 km --- 3,677 m in the Cooper test (12 min).https://t.co/8SpjL4ghMa

— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) November 14, 2021

For any of you who dabble in some off-season running, upload your sessions to Strava, only to see four or five-minute kilometre pace, you'll know how impressive Tom Dumoulin's 10km time of 32:38 is. I honestly think it's not too far out the ballpark I'd be looking at for a 5km at the moment...

It seems running fast is this year's big winter trend in the pro peloton. Last week, Adam Yates clocked a sub-three hour effort at the Barcelona Marathon straight "off the beach". These pro riders are built different...

> Adam Yates goes running (he's pretty quick)

Dumoulin probably (possibly/maybe/maybe not) has more of a runner's build than Yates, and carried his long frame to second at the Groene Loper Run in his hometown of Maastricht, just 17 seconds off the winning time.

If Adam Yates running the Barcelona Marathon in 2:58:06 wasn't amazing enough, Tom Dumoulin did a 32:38 10K #procycling https://t.co/Cy2zZKEcPh

— Steve Royle (@clathrin) November 14, 2021

Someone with more running knowledge will have to tell me if Dumoulin's performance is more impressive than Freddy Ovett, L39ION rider and son of Steve Ovett, clocking a 2:48:55 at the Los Angeles Marathon.

Of course the greatest pro cyclist running achievement of all-time was Tom Pidcock winding up the entire running community by uploading a post claiming to have run a 13:26 5km, just five seconds slower than the British record...only for it to have been a case of dodgy GPS. 10/10 entertainment...

Maybe a future stage of a Grand Tour can include a 5km run to the bikes...hmm, on second thought this is starting to sound a bit too triathlon-y...

PR Stunt of the Day.

A man known as the “Pedalling Picasso” has created a virtual portrait of a moustached man by cycling 75 miles across London to raise money for Movember. pic.twitter.com/kOXSWwPNLj

— Andrew Bloch (@AndrewBloch) November 14, 2021

From the same Strava artist who brought you last year's best festive message...

You know you’ve married the right women when she lets you do this ! Thanks @MrsChunkie #cycling #art pic.twitter.com/dqACOJf0pe

— Tim Bailey (@chunkiebailey) November 13, 2021

RGT has simplified how riders can connect and meet up with other users on its online cycling platform with it now being available as a standalone app for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android devices and Apple TV, with no extra devices required. Basically, to take a ride, join an event or start a workout you no longer need to combine the mobile app with the screen app.

RGT also now has its Remote app which is a new, completely optional, mobile app that can be used to complement your ride on RGT, as well as control and navigate RGT when you’re not close to your main device, such as PC, Mac or Apple TV.

As well as all this, RGT launched its new site where you now create and manage events, and make changes to your account.

A Ghent Six-Day without beer? It's like running the race without the track. 😯🍺#zesdaagsegent #ghent6day

— Gregor Brown (@gregorbrown) November 15, 2021

 Some last-minute restrictions have put a dent in the plans for a Ghent Six party this week. Racing begins on Wednesday, with Cav and Deceuninck-Quick-Step teammate Iljo Keisse, amongst the big-name starters. However, there won't be beer...

An increase in Covid cases in Belgium has seen extra measures, including mandatory mask wearing and no catering or drinking inside the venue...that's not very Belgian...

Last week, Cav got back on the boards to prepare for the week. Keisse wasn't too impressed by his tinkering..."Cav changes bikes like underwear," the 38-year-old told Het Nieuwsblad. "He has decided to ride on a different frame and they're being set up and finished at the service course in Wevelgem. When he stopped after 15 laps on Monday, I thought 'here we go again'."

it's the Manx Missile's return to the event he last competed at in 2019, and won five years ago alongside a certain Sir Bradley Wiggins...

A big weekend of drama down in Cornwall...Joe the Cyclesaurus was stolen, to the outrage of the local community, only to be swiftly returned after the police got involved. 

One of the four public art dinosaurs in Camborne, Joe the Cyclesaurus went missing yesterday morning. The news was reported by BID Camborne who said they were "shocked" by the theft...

"These were installed for the children and people of the town to enjoy and were securely concreted and welded in place so are saddened that this must have been a deliberate act. The area is covered comprehensively by CCTV and we are in conversations with the police. We would ask anyone reading this who knows who took the dinosaur to private message us to arrange swift return. Any members of the public with information please also private message our page.

"We would like anyone reading this who knows who took the dinosaur to private message us to arrange a swift return," wins the 'things I didn't expect to read this morning' award...

 Locals were reportedly outraged by the news. One told Cornwall Live, "I am not surprised one little bit, we can't have anything nice someone always ruins it."

The great dino robbery didn't last long. The post was later updated with the relieving news that Joe had been returned "looking a bit worse for ware". Perhaps Joe just went for a night on the town? We need answers...

Motorists who park in a cycle lane don’t want the cycle lane to be made segregated because they then can’t park in it.
I mean, I presume that’s what they said, I can’t hear a word over the noise of passing motor vehicles!
pic.twitter.com/6g1jLGcjcl

— CycleGaz™ (@cyclegaz) November 14, 2021

Today's dose of cycle lane-bashing comes from Grimsby where this group of locals told the local press about their displeasure at plans to build a new segregated cycle lane outside their homes. Ironically drowned out by the noise of passing traffic, the resident explained they wouldn't be able to park outside their houses if the lane is built...

North East Lincolnshire Council is consulting on the scheme for the new infrastructure, but Craig Lamb told Grimsby Live the lane would make life a misery for motorists...

"It was quite a shock when the plans came out. The proposed idea will have a massive knock on effect down here. Parking is my primary concern however. As we are in a conservation area, we can't make changes [build off-street parking] to accommodate for this new cycle lane," he said.

"The idea is to put double yellow lines along the road, but that will mean nearly 200 residents will have to park elsewhere. However, these streets are already quite congested and there are two schools in the area as well. 

"I have two children who go to the schools and I often see cars flying past when I go to pick them up or drop them off. To add to that by making people park on busy streets seems simply unfeasible. It's already excessive, we don't need to be making the situation worse.

"I don't see why they can't just incorporate the cycle lane on to the paths like they have done elsewhere. I'm not against improving cycle and road safety by any means, but I find it disappointing that no one seems to have really asked us if we're okay with it."

A spokesperson for North East Lincolnshire told the local news outlet:

These are currently only proposals at this stage and we are still formulating the responses from our most recent round of engagement.

We have engaged with cyclists, residents, businesses and colleges throughout this process and have welcomed people to submit their comments via two surveys – one about the initial proposals, and most recently, about the draft design of the cycleway.

If the proposed project goes ahead, it would aim to provide a dedicated and protected space for cyclists, supporting the Government’s renewed focus on sustainable and active travel and the publication of the ‘Gear Change’ national plan which aims to transform the role cycling and walking can play in the transport system and the environment.