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Dating app singleton called out for pretending to be Quick-Step star Remco Evenepoel; 100 miles off-road...by penny-farthing; Cyclist avoids negligent hot dog; Inbetweeners at Le Tour; Bell ends + more on the live blog

It's Tuesday and Dan Alexander will be live-blogging through the day as a distraction from the inevitable crippling disappointment of Euro 2020 this evening...
22 June 2021, 15:56
Remco, is it me you're looking for? Singleton called out for pretending to be Quick-Step star on dating app

We'd all love to be Remco Evenepoel...but not this much. Whoever 'Ollie' is thinks using the Belgian wonderkid's photos on a dating app (called Hinge, we believe) will help him find a match...too bad if their date rocks up with a home trainer and asks him to prove his generational bike riding abilities. An FTP test would be a sure-fire way to make any bad date worse. 

It's also got to be a red flag when you're pretending to be one of the hottest prospects in pro cycling while also admitting to liking cars more than bikes, and 'sometimes' enjoying the Devil's Lettuce or something harder...

 It must be a hard life being Remco...talent, fame, money, race wins, Pizza Hut sponsorship, Ollie from Warwick pretending to be you on dating apps. Whatever next for the Belgian sensation?

22 June 2021, 15:24
Riding a penny-farthing and unicycle 100 miles along the South Downs Way

Riding 100 miles on the South Downs Way would be a decent enough challenge for most...but on a unicycle or a penny-farthing? Mr Vine, you've got competition. Tom Clowes and Neil Laughton are doing exactly that, raising funds for Prostate Cancer UK by riding a unicycle and penny-farthing along the 100-mile off-road route in the south of England across three days.

The pair got off to a flying start yesterday, riding 41 miles on day one in slippery conditions.

The JustGiving page has raised more than £3,450 for their charity of choice and Tom explained the motivation for undertaking the challenge: "I have chosen to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. My father might have still been alive today if they had caught it in time. My father was a marathon runner and he always wanted to run along the length of the South Downs Way, so by doing this on one wheel will make him look down on us and smile!" Chapeau...

22 June 2021, 13:58
Alex Dowsett "devastated" at missing out on Team GB squad for Tokyo Olympics

Alex Dowsett has spoken out about his non-selection for the Olympic Games, saying he is "devastated". Speaking on his YouTube channel, Dowsett said he was told at the end of the Giro d'Italia and has struggled to accept the decision.

"Honestly. I’m devastated," he explained. "It’s been a really tough three or four weeks, coming to terms with not going to an event that has been my sole focus since July 2019. I spent a few weeks really angry – angry at myself, blaming myself. British Cycling, the people who gave me such a huge opportunity to potentially go, unfortunately they have to be the ones who tell you you’re not going. Obviously they had an argument for me not going. I could argue til the cows came home that there was a place for me in that team."

The selectors favoured climbers for the challenging road race route, choosing Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates, Simon Yates and Tao Geoghegan Hart. Thomas and Geoghegan Hart will compete in the time trial. Due to IOC selection rules, riders who compete in the time trial are also expected to ride the road race, something which has likely gone against Dowsett's chances.

"The one that really rattled me, and always has rattled me actually, is the rule that the time triallist has to come from the road team. If you were to put this in running, and you were to say to Usain Bolt, ‘yes, you can do the 100 meters and 200 metres but we’re going to need you to line up for the 1500 as well’…for me it dilutes it," Dowsett continued.

"The Olympics should be the pinnacle of everything. What I’m trying to say is there are a few time triallists sat at home watching the Olympics who should be there."

22 June 2021, 13:41
The levels of what can be carried on a bike
22 June 2021, 13:16
Chris Froome talks Tour de France

22 June 2021, 12:31
The bike path to Wigan Pier
The bike path to Wigan Pier (via Wigan Council)

Works to connect Wigan Pier with the town centre began yesterday and will involve new segregated cycle lanes and improved walking access with improved lighting and better crossings. The project imaginatively named the 'Road to Wigan Pier' after George Orwell's famous work is expected to take around 20 weeks and should be open for use later this year.

Wigan's council leader David Molyneux said: "It’s been an ambition for the council for a long time to improve connectivity and safety for all road users, which includes providing reliable alternative options if we are to encourage people to leave the car at home."

For those familiar with the area, the works will link with the cycle facilities at Saddle Junction and Miry Lane is to permanently close to vehicles.

22 June 2021, 11:05
Make that 10...Mark Donovan gets a Tour de France call up

You know how yesterday we told you there would be eight British riders lining up for the Grand Depart in Brittany this weekend? Well, ignore that. We're now up to 10 thanks to Cavendish's comeback and Mark Donovan's surprise inclusion for Team DSM. Good to see Mark come a long way since his days terrorising Will McKenzie at Rudge Park Comprehensive. Top marks for anyone who gets that reference... 

22 June 2021, 11:03
Parklet problems...Adam Tranter outfoxes the council by putting his parklet on wheels
22 June 2021, 10:47
War of words after Patrick Lefevere expresses doubts about Sam Bennett's injured knee and instead accuses his star sprinter of being scared of failure
Specialized S-Works Ares 6 Sam Bennett

Missing out on the Tour de France through injury must be a tough day at the office...made worse if your boss then publically shoots off about how he thinks you're faking it. That was the grim situation Sam Bennett faced last night after Patrick Lefevere told Sporza he believes the Irishman is scared of failure...way to kick a man when he's down, Patrick.

"When Bennett called that he was injured and that he needed care and rest, we already felt the mood that he was not going to be ready for the Tour," the Deceuninck-Quick-Step team boss said. "Three days before the Tour of Belgium, he bumped his knee against his handlebars. He didn't tell us anything about that. When he arrived, we sent him home again. Then it was a yes-no game: to train or not to train?

"I cannot prove that he does not have knee pain, but I am starting to think more and more that it is more fear of failure than just pain. If that's the case, it would say a lot about him, after all I've done for him. I've even paid advances of fines to pay his fine at Bora. If you treat me like that, it says a lot. I'm not ruling it out."

Bennett says his absence is down to a "really minor" knee injury and that it is better for him to focus on other goals later in the season. Irish legend Sean Kelly then jumped to his compatriot's defence...

"There are rumours going around that maybe Sam didn’t want to go to the Tour and with the pressure and all that but I don’t agree with any suggestion that goes that way," he told Cyclingnews.

"Coming off the performances he had last year at the Tour, this year he’s proved he can win against the fastest men. Lefevere has said himself that Sam won’t be a Quick-Step rider next year. Patrick is disappointed with that and I think Lefevere is just getting Sam back a bit with that. It’s nothing new from managers when a big rider leaves and they can’t hold onto them. These comments are made to just get a bit of revenge against the rider. It’s nothing new."

22 June 2021, 10:20
Beryl selected to deliver Manchester's cycle hire scheme
Beryl Transport for Greater Manchester

Beryl has been selected by Transport for Greater Manchester to deliver the city's new cycle hire scheme. The partnership is part of Mayor Andy Burnham's commitment to delivering Manchester's Bee Network. Phase one of the scheme will see 1,500 bikes and e-bikes made available from over 200 new cycle hire docking stations across Manchester, Trafford and Salford. More than 198,000 households will live within five minutes of a proposed docking station.

Beryl has previously brought its service to Norwich, Watford, Hereford, Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight, as well as providing key technology for Santander Cycles in London and Transport for West Midlands bikes.

Yesterday, Andy Burnham was spotted taking one of the bikes for a spin at the announcement launch and was quoted telling reporters: "We’re fully integrating our public transport system – The Bee Network – and building the UK’s largest cycling and walking network, so I am very pleased to announce that Beryl has been named as our delivery partner for cycle hire, with the first bikes going on the ground later this year. 

"Our cycle hire will be one of the largest docked systems outside London and I cannot wait to use the new bikes myself as a way to get from A to B."

22 June 2021, 09:37
Radio Tour live from the team cars at the Tour de France will be available for fans to tune in to

One for the most dedicated Tour de France fans out there. Radio Tour, the official sound of the race, will be broadcast for fans to listen in to during this year's edition so you can hear exactly when Chris Froome stops for a slash, Mark Cavendish wants a bottle or Geraint Thomas crashes. It is all part of the new Tour de France Club which will also give fans access to exclusive video content and to vote for the Antargaz Combativity Award, awarded to the most aggressive rider each day.

22 June 2021, 09:11
Wieners and bell ends...the live blog has taken a strange turn this morning...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by road.cc (@road.cc)

Talking of wieners...Canyon has a Ring Bar End Bell out that we reviewed recently. Obviously, we're taking this news very seriously and not making any silly jokes...

22 June 2021, 08:28
Trek-Segafredo win best Tour de France team announcement with this Asterix-inspired reveal

Following on from Team DSM's Giro d'Italia/Italian Job masterpiece, Trek-Segafredo have announced their Tour de France team with a bit of French popular culture in the style of the famous comic series Asterix. Will Vincenzo Nibalix win a stage? Can Jasper Stuyvenix build on his monumental Milan-San Remo? Will Julian Bernardix or Kenny Ellisondix provide a home winner?

Who did it better? Trek or DSM?

22 June 2021, 07:47
"Keep your wiener out of bike lanes": Cyclist swerves to avoid drifting Wienermobile

Seeing a Wienermobile driver drift towards a cyclist riding in the bike lane isn't a great first impression for the hot dog-inspired vehicles...did anyone know these were a thing? A bit of digging and the rider filming found a news story explaining that most of the Wienermobiles on the road today were built in 2004 and feature a custom-made fibreglass hot dog on a GM Chevrolet four-speed/W4 series chassis with a Vortec V8, 6.0L, 300hp engine...I'm not going to pretend I know why that is bad.

We'd be more inclined to have some answers from the driver behind the wheel of the Oscar Mayer vehicle.

One positive from this episode is finding out about Bike Lane Uprising, a website in the US which shared the video and allows cyclists to easily report obstructions in bike lanes, build a database of problem sites and hold offenders accountable.

More Bike Lane Uprising, less dangerous Wienermobile driving.

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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32 comments

Avatar
AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
0 likes

Re: Dowsett. He does have a point that the rules are weird for the TT people. I can only think it is because some of the countries have so few cyclists that a road race followed by the TT is what those countries athletes have to do so want to make it "fair" that everyone does. But as he mentioned, they don't expect a track athlete to compete in a both a middle distance and a sprint. 

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mdavidford replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
0 likes

As far as I understand it, it's because the IOC sets limits on how many total competitors each sport can bring to the games, and it's then up to the relevant governing body (i.e. here the UCI) to decide how to distribute those competitors among disciplines / events. Mandating that competitors in one event have to also take part in another is a way of staying within those limits without having to cut events or reduce the numbers taking part in any of them.

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Steve K | 2 years ago
3 likes

Any more news on the wiener vehicle story - I'm just trying to ketchup with the latest.

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hawkinspeter replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
2 likes

Steve K wrote:

Any more news on the wiener vehicle story - I'm just trying to ketchup with the latest.

Sounds saucepicious to me

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GMBasix replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
2 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

Steve K wrote:

Any more news on the wiener vehicle story - I'm just trying to ketchup with the latest.

Sounds saucepicious to me

Typical competitive MGIF punsters...mustard get in front.

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Mungecrundle replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
0 likes

Nothing to it really, just someone being a bit of a silly sausage.

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Jenova20 replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
0 likes

Steve K wrote:

Any more news on the wiener vehicle story - I'm just trying to ketchup with the latest.

Quit dicking about.

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Philh68 replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
1 like

Weiner rolled over when grilled by police. Said it was a bun wrap, that a sauer kraut was responsible and was a bit cheesed off and consumed with rage after being cut off. Said he wasn't satisfied and in an hour he will be hungry for more.

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RoubaixCube | 2 years ago
2 likes

I would have stay well behind that wiener. im 99% sure the driver was probably looking down at his phone and not keeping his eyes on the road, He might have even been drunk.

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mdavidford replied to RoubaixCube | 2 years ago
0 likes

RoubaixCube wrote:

I would have stay well behind that wiener. im 99% sure the driver was probably looking down at his phone and not keeping his eyes on the road, He might have even been drunk.

Probably battered.

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SaintClarence27 replied to mdavidford | 2 years ago
0 likes

Definitely pickled.

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I love my bike | 2 years ago
0 likes

Radio Tour is part of Tour de France Club: https://www.letour.fr/en/club

For signing up, location/residence is interesting, as it's ordered in french, so Germany in the 'A's, USA in the 'E's & UK in the 'R's.

Now, if only the stage profiles would show the distances to the finish, like we see on the broadcasts!

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vthejk | 2 years ago
0 likes

"Good to see Mark come a long way since his days terrorising Will McKenzie at Rudge Park Comprehensive. Top marks for anyone who gets that reference..."

As a nineties child AND a secondary school teacher, Inbetweeners references get a subtle approving nod from me. What a class show, pun completely intended.

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Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
2 likes

Time something was done about these roaddogs.

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hawkinspeter replied to Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
0 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

Time something was done about these roaddogs.

Surely the biggest problem is allowing updog on the road?

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AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
0 likes

Re: Adam Trantors Parklet. The twitter thread has people asking about MOT and VED and it is mentioned because it is over 40years old, they are exempt. Can anyone tell me why a car 3 years old needs MOT and VED is applied on polluting, but a vehicle over 40 years old doesn't need to be checked to be road worthy and doesn't get taxed on it's pollution which is probably more then newer vehicles?

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TheBillder replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
5 likes

Yep. If you have a car that old, you are deemed to be an enthusiast rather than poor. So the assumption is that you're going to keep it in good nick and know pretty well if it's safe or not. Vanishingly few accidents are caused by 40+ year old cars failing.

The pollution caused by old cars is awful at the individual car level, but so few miles are travelled in them that at any aggregate level it's trivial. When pollution checks came into the MoT, old cars wouldn't be able to pass and without an exemption they would have been legislated off the road.

I can see many sides of this. I hate pollution but I like old cars. I'm not sure if scrapping otherwise sound vehicles is the best environmental policy given the costs of making them in the first place. But I'm not going to be all that sorry to see the back of my bashed 2005 Toyota when it's legislated off Edinburgh roads next year.

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brooksby replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
3 likes

You don't have to have the vehicle MOTd, but you are still legally obliged to make sure that it is roadworthy.

My wife and I get our vehicles serviced and checked annually (a sort of equivalent to the MOT that would have been carried out) - it's in our interests to do so: don't really want the primary buffer panel falling off my gorram car while driving along...

I think John's assumption below is correct, even if it's not always true.  There are very, very few cars over forty years old still being driven regularly.

Examples: my wife's van (1973 VW microbus) is off the road until we can afford some welding work done on the floorpan.  The Beetle (1970) is back on the road, after several thousand pounds worth of welding.  Lot of new metal in there. Both vehicles are on restricted mileage insurance, because we use them so little.  My wife takes the Beetle out a couple of times a week, maybe 20 miles a week total at present, and I honestly cannot remember the last time I drove it... 

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qwerty360 replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 2 years ago
3 likes

Requirement that any MOT station can MOT any vehicle presented (within classification afaik, so they could do cars but not motorbikes/hgvs) for a fixed cost

 

Tech has changed drastically so it isn't reasonable to expect all MOT garages to be able to handle vehicles that plausibly predate an average team of mechanics careers by more than the expected vehicle lifespan. (n.b. I suspect it is probably better than it was when some of these rules were written as we figured out the best techniques, but some cut off still has to exist... Consider what will happen when mechanics have only dealt with electric cars 50 years from now if asked to look at a combustion engine...)

Combined with most vehicles of this age needing regular skilled maintenance to make it 50ft so they are unlikely to have as many safety issues... (see all the drivers who leave tyres, windscreen wipers, windscreen cracks, washer fluid etc for when the MOT is due).

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hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
11 likes

We shouldn't be surprised about poor driving from the Wienermobile - surely everyone knows that they're in-bread?

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peted76 replied to hawkinspeter | 2 years ago
0 likes

You sir are the wurst.. only joking, I've relished every pun!

 

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Rich_cb | 2 years ago
6 likes

Welsh government has just announced a moratorium on all new road building projects pending review.

Projects already in progress won't be included.

Interesting.

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ktache replied to Rich_cb | 2 years ago
3 likes

Just seen a representative of the Welsh gov on C4 news, making the point that building more roads has never stopped growing congestion, someone appears to have finally figured it out...

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Rich_cb replied to ktache | 2 years ago
2 likes

I just wished they'd figured it out before spending £100m+ thinking about building the M4 relief road!

Better late than never though and credit where it's due for being the first UK country to take this step.

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Sriracha | 2 years ago
4 likes

Cyclist sandwiched by hotdog!

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OldRidgeback replied to Sriracha | 2 years ago
2 likes

Sriracha wrote:

Cyclist sandwiched by hotdog!

Well they do say hotdogs are full of rubbish and are bad for you!

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rct replied to Sriracha | 2 years ago
8 likes

Sriracha wrote:

Cyclist sandwiched by hotdog!

 

Driver couldn't cut the mustard.

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mrwalters replied to rct | 2 years ago
9 likes

rct wrote:

Sriracha wrote:

Cyclist sandwiched by hotdog!

Driver couldn't cut the mustard.

I wouldn't relish being in that situation.

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Pyro Tim replied to mrwalters | 2 years ago
9 likes

that's the wurst

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hawkinspeter replied to mrwalters | 2 years ago
6 likes

mrwalters wrote:

rct wrote:

Sriracha wrote:

Cyclist sandwiched by hotdog!

Driver couldn't cut the mustard.

I wouldn't relish being in that situation.

Is that in heinz-sight?

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