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"But cyclists!": Count the red light jumpers in this clip; Adam Tranter addresses "nonsense" talked about Highway Code changes; Second Ineos rider hospitalised in Colombia; Pro Jake Stewart offers old kit to young riders + more on the live blog

Happy Friday! It's (almost) the weekend...let's start it with the final live blog of the week with Dan Alexander...

SUMMARY

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28 January 2022, 17:30
It ain't over 'til it's over

Second time this makes an appearance today, mainly just so I can watch it again, but hey it's quite fitting for half five on a Friday...listen to Primoz..."it ain't over 'til it's over". Well, that's another week on the live blog that IS over...we'll be back on Monday, but until then enjoy your weekend on two wheels...

P.S. There was no rule six, but if there was I'm sure it would be 'go and crack open a beer'...

28 January 2022, 17:06
Egan Bernal grateful for treatment — says there was "95% chance of becoming a paraplegic"
Egan Bernal training crash (Mundo Ciclistico/Twitter)

Egan Bernal has tweeted for the first time since his crash while training on home roads in Colombia. The 2021 Giro d'Italia champion thanked his fans for their support, saying:

> Egan Bernal in intensive care following successful surgery on training crash injuries

"Having had a 95% chance of becoming a paraplegic and nearly losing my life doing what I love to do most. Today I want to thank God, the hospital, all the specialists for doing the impossible, my family and all of you for your wishes. I'm still in the ICU waiting for more surgeries but trusting in God everything will be fine."

28 January 2022, 15:58
Cycling UK: Communicating the Highway Code changes
Highway Code.PNG

With various reports circulating in the media, some deliberately misleading and spreading fake news, Cycling UK has created a simple toolkit to help everyone communicate the rule changes accurately...

Have a read here...

28 January 2022, 15:36
cYcLiStS sHoUlD bE lIcEnSeD aNd InSuReD

You may have already seen the story about the driver in his 80s, stopped by police in Nottingham, who told officers he'd never had a licence or insurance...it's doing the rounds today and is quite amusing in the context of the eternally tedious 'why don't cyclists have insurance?' line, especially in a week where Highway Code changes have got many feeling a bit insecure of their place on the road...

The Guardian reports the man was stopped by Nottinghamshire Police officers in a Tesco car park. Just a regular stop? Nope...

The driver born in 1938 soon explained he'd been driving since 1950...without insurance or a licence...

Posting on Facebook, Bulwell, Rise Park and Highbury Vale Police said: "We can't quite believe what happened next, as the driver, who was born in 1938 (!!), coughed that he had been driving with no licence and no insurance, since he was 12 (yes TWELVE) years old.....and somehow had managed to never be stopped by the police. (We'll let you do the maths!!)

"Thankfully he had never had an accident, caused anyone an injury, and never made anyone lose out financially, by hitting them whilst uninsured! Due to the increased number of ANPR camera's in Nottingham, even on the small trips, you are likely to hit a camera, so make sure your documents are in order.....because it will catch up with you.....one day....."

28 January 2022, 15:01
Canyon appoints Nicolas de Ros Wallace as new CEO
Canyon

Nicolas de Ros Wallace will step up to Canyon's top job having been appointed CEO of the brand. Winfried Rapp, who has held the role of leading the executive management on an interim basis since October 2021, will continue to be part of the senior leadership team.

De Ros Wallace has decades of experience in international management positions and worked as vice president and general manager of the Jordan brand for more than ten years.

"I am convinced of the superior value proposition offered by Canyon in the bicycle industry. Above all, there is a passionate culture and love for cycling, as well as strong entrepreneurship mindset. I look forward to working with the team to continue to build on the great track record of Canyon, in a context of a structurally growing industry," Nicolas de Ros Wallace said via a press release.

28 January 2022, 14:00
Try not to laugh challenge: UK cycling infra edition

Presumably called the road to nowhere? Or just part of an upcoming cyclo-cross race?

Better or worse than Wednesday's painfully bad piece of 'cycle lane', complete with a four-year-old's painted bike, that was knocking about on the live blog? 

Sad cycle lane (Paul Baker/Twitter)
28 January 2022, 13:55
Nothing to see here, just people getting from A to B under their own steam. No pollution, quieter roads, better health, nicer place to live, natural security for everyone on the street. It’s exactly the non story we need

Newly appointed interim commissioner of Active Travel England Chris Boardman spoke to us on the road.cc Podcast, saying ironically he has much less time to ride bicycles now because he is "trying to enable lots of people to ride a bike."

He also told us how he reluctantly came around to the world of indoor training...and that the only bike he rides regularly outside is his gravel bike...don't tell Alex Dowsett.

28 January 2022, 12:30
Primož Roglič's top tips for the Winter Olympics

I'll be thinking about this for the rest of today...

28 January 2022, 12:01
"Cycling is super expensive and I dread to think how much it is for parents to support their kids in this sport": British pro Jake Stewart's a good lad

FDJ pro Jake Stewart started the week proclaiming "cycling in the UK is doomed" after seeing some of the reaction to the Highway Code changes. He's ending it back on the blog after once again showing himself to be an all-round decent chap...

And before any of you lot try weaselling your way in for a team-issue freebie..."it ain't for you lot on full carbon set-ups"...so I guess if you ride titanium or aluminium your good? Just kidding...

28 January 2022, 11:10
Second Ineos rider hospitalised in Colombia — Brandon Rivera suffers multiple fractures
Brandon Rivera (Ineos Grenadiers)

Egan Bernal's Ineos Grenadiers teammate, and fellow member of the team's Colombia training camp group, Brandon Rivera is being treated at the same hospital as his compatriot after a crash on Thursday. The team confirmed Rivera fell three days after Bernal and suffered a fractured and dislocated elbow, and has dislocated his AC joint.

There is little information about how the crash happened, but it now means two of the seven Ineos riders preparing for the season in Colombia are now being treated at Clínica Universidad de La Sabana hospital in Bogotá.

On Tuesday, Bernal was taken to hospital after crashing his TT bike into a parked bus at a toll. The reigning Giro champion's Tour de France return has been plunged into uncertainty after doctors revealed he was operated on twice and remains in intensive care with serious injuries.

His teammate's crash prompted Tom Pidcock to yesterday claim time trial bikes now too dangerous for training on public roads.

Both crashes in Colombia came the week after a video of the group narrowly avoiding being hit by a driver overtaking on a blind bend surfaced on social media.

28 January 2022, 11:02
"There aren't actually a huge amount of changes. A lot of this just formalising basic courtesy": Adam Tranter addresses "nonsense" written about Highway Code changes
28 January 2022, 10:59
London’s rental e-scooters are all going to produce the same sound so that pedestrians can hear when they’re approaching
London e-scooters (TfL)

London’s three e-scooter operators – Tier, Lime and Dott – are working with University College London (UCL) to develop a universal sound that will alert pedestrians when the vehicles are approaching. The work could result in an industry standard, which operators across the UK could then adopt.

Read the full story over on our sister site e-biketips...

28 January 2022, 09:25
Restrap adds new colourways to Canister Bag and Tyre Boot Kit
2022 Restrap canister bag

Restrap’s Canister Bag (£44.99) for keeping tools, snacks and spare layers out of your pockets and on the bike is now available in two new colours: Olive and Orange.

Handmade in the brand’s Yorkshire workshop from 100% waterproof textured nylon with a waterproof nylon inner lining, the bag features elasticated side pockets and a Hypalon loop that offers an attachment point for hanging a front light. 

2022 Restrap tyre boot kit orange

A new Orange colour option has also been added to the Tyre Boot Kit (£8.99) which we rated as a neatly packaged, effective kit for patching tyre cuts or tears. The kit can now be more easily spotted in the dark depths of a fully-packed dry bag or frame bag. “The Orange colour will also add contrast to the black of a tyre, allowing you to easily locate the boot inside a tyre,” Restrap says.

> road.cc review: Restrap Tyre Boot Kit

28 January 2022, 09:01
"But cyclists!": Count the red light jumpers in this clip

This might be a new regular game for the live blog...count the red light jumpers.

After all, we've heard plenty from certain circles about how terrible it is for drivers to have to give priority to more vulnerable road users in certain situations, as per the new Hierarchy of Road Users in the Highway Code changes, when cyclists just race through red lights without helmets or road tax...

If you watch to the end of the clip you'll find it hard to argue, as we've heard before, 'oh, the lights must have been faulty' it's not against the Highway Code to proceed with care if that happens.

You've probably had time to have a count by now, so spoiler alert, it's four road users (not on bikes) who nip through this temporary traffic light set-up...the last of which jumps a whole seven seconds before the lights turn to yellow...always good to sit in your next traffic jam as soon as possible.

Should probably stress we're only sharing this as a thought provoker considering how often people on bikes jumping red lights is used as a stick to beat any idea that cyclists might deserve to feel safe on the road. In this week more than any other, it feels quite apt...

Dan is the road.cc news editor and has spent the past four years writing stories and features, as well as (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. Having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for the Non-League Paper, Dan joined road.cc in 2020. Come the weekend you'll find him labouring up a hill, probably with a mouth full of jelly babies, or making a bonk-induced trip to a south of England petrol station... in search of more jelly babies.

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94 comments

Avatar
mdavidford replied to chrisonabike | 2 years ago
4 likes

Some of the original work had been lost over time, but archaeologists have recently managed to reconstruct it.

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chrisonabike replied to mdavidford | 2 years ago
0 likes

Chapeau! Or sekhemty (in Egyptological...)!  You certainly don't want a green-duat-crossing god - that would make you think it was Ammit!

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SimoninSpalding replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
6 likes

Er yes, because the the offence is passing a red light, so regardless of how long it has been red (amber also means stop I believe) or how poor the drivers judgement it is an offence.

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nosferatu1001 replied to SimoninSpalding | 2 years ago
4 likes

Indeed, and the offence on amber is the same as for red; it just has a stutotry defence of "unsafe to stop". 
 

min amber time, UK wide, is 3 seconds. 
 

garage - get eating that hat. 4 people jumped the red light in just one clip. Where traffic lights are not in use they're not illuminated and have a sign stuck on them, so on the balance of probabilities, your supposition that these lights were not in legal force is below the threshold required to take it as a proven fact.  
 

every single one of those clips shows cars going through red lights far after the amber phase, so multiple seconds into the "must stop".  Why do you keep changing the parameters of your bet? Is it because, like most every day, you're caught out in yiur lies? 

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TriTaxMan replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
8 likes

Garage at Large wrote:

Er no, because they are either gambling when the lights have just changed (which as I mentioned is a frequent occurrence), or in the case of the guy next to the police car has made an error of judgement.

The second clip in the first video.... the clip starts at 15 seconds.  The lights in the cammers car are at green.  The red light jumper passes the Stop line at 19 seconds.  Also given the fact that there were vehicles already over the stop line that the cammer was approaching it means the lights had been at green for the cammer before the clip starte

Again how the f@#k is that "gambling when the lights have just changed"?

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TriTaxMan replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
8 likes

Garage at Large wrote:

Er no, because they are either gambling when the lights have just changed

Third clip in the first video starts at 34 seconds, with red light shown to cammer..... white audi passes the red light at 38 seconds.

Do me a favour and just admit you are blatantly lying

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chrisonabike replied to TriTaxMan | 2 years ago
7 likes

TriTaxMan wrote:

Garage at Large wrote:

Er no, because they are either gambling when the lights have just changed

Third clip in the first video starts at 34 seconds, with red light shown to cammer..... white audi passes the red light at 38 seconds.

Do me a favour and just admit you are blatantly lying

Go easy on Le Garage Grand - being as he's a stickler for PPE he may have an extremely large and tough plastic hat - or several to be safe - to consume...

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kinderje replied to chrisonabike | 2 years ago
4 likes

Can we all agree not to engage with LargeGarage please?

It does no good as no matter how easily you totally take apart his comments he ignores any reasoning and then makes something up, contradicts himself or starts another thread based on whatever was lying around in his brain.

If ignored it would be hilarious seeing him waiting for a response, posting more drivel to get a response and might even be an Alan Partridge in the car park moment (Dan!, Dan!, Dan!.....)

Please do not feed the troll. 

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belugabob replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
1 like
Garage at Large wrote:

More unphased, broken, irrelevant temporary traffic lights - for all we know, there might even have been a "traffic lights not in use" sign just before the video started.

Show me motorists consistently jumping permanent, unbroken traffic lights in the same way many cyclists do and I'll eat my hat.

But generally - for balance - I think motorists driving through a newly established red light (i.e. gambling on timings) should have stricter sanctions, as that is a frequent occurrence.

Separately it's good to hear transport bureaucrat Adam Tranter talk about courtesy on the roads - I think this kind of message sent out to cyclists and motorists alike will help to unite us, rather than preserve the current tribal attitudes we sadly see across much of society.

Biggin Hill, Main Road, turning right into Lebanon Gardens - every single phase

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TriTaxMan replied to belugabob | 2 years ago
6 likes

belugabob wrote:

Biggin Hill, Main Road, turning right into Lebanon Gardens - every single phase

Unfortunatley Nigel will not accept that because on every single phase the motorists will only run a red light that has "recently established" as red.

The traffic light sequence in Nigels mind for cars is 

  • Green
  • Amber
  • Recently established Red
  • Red and Amber
  • Green

Which means it is perfectly acceptable for a car to go throug on any one of the phases of the traffic lights.

But for bikes the sequence is 

  • Green
  • Red
  • Red
  • Red
  • Green

Cyclists are only allowed to proceed when green has been firmly established and they have bowed to their motoring overlords.

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iandusud replied to Lance ꜱtrongarm | 2 years ago
2 likes

Garage at Large wrote:

Show me motorists consistently jumping permanent, unbroken traffic lights in the same way many cyclists do and I'll eat my hat.

I see this all the time.

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stewcelliott | 2 years ago
6 likes

Worth bearing in mind that all that's needed to stop a car running a red light is for the car in front to be stationary, whereas a bad cyclist can filter to the front of any queue and jump the light if they choose. One wonders if cars could do similar how many more drivers would ignore reds.

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Hirsute replied to stewcelliott | 2 years ago
1 like

Dam Cam UK videos will tell you otherwise !

I see tritaxman has alrady given examples

https://youtu.be/WhhxErABoa0?t=93

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TriTaxMan replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
5 likes

hirsute wrote:

Dam Cam UK videos will tell you otherwise !

I see tritaxman has alrady given examples

https://youtu.be/WhhxErABoa0?t=93

Do you think Nigel will be a man of his word?

Garage at Large wrote:

Show me motorists consistently jumping permanent, unbroken traffic lights in the same way many cyclists do and I'll eat my hat. 

I'm waiting for him to say that he really meant that we have to provide evidence of motorists consistently jumping one set of permanent, unbroken traffic lights......

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Hirsute replied to TriTaxMan | 2 years ago
6 likes

2 of my few successes with Essex Police have been red light jumpers. They certainly didn't go along with gambling or error of judgement.

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quiff replied to stewcelliott | 2 years ago
1 like

But over the course of time, everyone will be the first driver at the lights at some point. So if the only thing stopping the majority of drivers from ignoring reds was lack of opportunity, surely we would surely already see far more RLJing.    

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mdavidford replied to quiff | 2 years ago
0 likes

quiff wrote:

But over the course of time, everyone will be the first driver at the lights at some point. So if the only thing stopping the majority of drivers from ignoring reds was lack of opportunity, surely we would surely already see far more RLJing.    

In terms of numbers of drivers who have jumped a red light, yes; in terms of instances of red light jumping, no.

I think when stewcelliot said 'how many more drivers' they probably just meant 'how much more red light jumping'.

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TriTaxMan | 2 years ago
10 likes

Just wait... Nige will be along soon to absolve the drivers for running red lights because they were frightened of the psychotic cyclist ..... because they hit the door of the porsche that was obstructing their way......

And nice touch by Dan - "If you watch to the end of the clip you'll find it hard to argue, as we've heard before, 'oh, the lights must have been faulty' it's not against the Highway Code to proceed with care if that happens." - Ahead of the Troll game already yes

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Velophaart_95 | 2 years ago
6 likes

Ah, the old 'red light jumpers' bingo. My theory is the cyclists that do this, probably do the same when they're driving.....They're just idiots full stop.

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vthejk | 2 years ago
7 likes

I wonder if the story of Imogen Cotter is going to show on the live blog today? Irish National road champ 2021, who has been seriously injured in a head-on crash by a driver overtaking someone else on the opposite side of the road. It was horrifying, man - so many people might see themselves in that story.

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brooksby replied to vthejk | 2 years ago
7 likes

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/road-race-champion-imogen-...

Quote:

“Yesterday while out riding, I was hit by a car,” the 28 year old stated via social media on Thursday. “The car was overtaking a cyclist on the other side of the road and drove head-on straight into me at high speed.

“I feel so lucky to be alive. I was taken by ambulance to hospital, where it appears I fractured my patella and broke my radius, as well as needing quite a few stitches. I had surgery late last night. I’m just so grateful to still be here to write this. It could have been so much worse.”

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vthejk replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
3 likes

Thanks for the link - bashed this together in a rush.

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SaveTheWail replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
0 likes

I really don't like it when those injured by drivers say such things as 'I fractured my patella' and 'I broke my radius' (or when anyone else referring to the incident does similarly.)  She did not break these things - someone else did it for her.  There's not even any mention of a driver in this.

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vthejk replied to SaveTheWail | 2 years ago
4 likes

SaveTheWail wrote:

I really don't like it when those injured by drivers say such things as 'I fractured my patella' and 'I broke my radius' (or when anyone else referring to the incident does similarly.)  She did not break these things - someone else did it for her.  There's not even any mention of a driver in this.

While I agree that this would be something that news editorial standards should correct in their articles, this was someone who'd literally just survived a life-changing crash and is quoted verbatim from an instagram post showing her in extreme discomfort. So maybe cut her some slack?

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brooksby | 2 years ago
2 likes

Anyone seen this one?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/28/man-driving-for-more-tha...

Quote:

A man stopped by police told officers he had been driving without a licence or insurance for more than 70 years.

Officers on a routine patrol in Nottingham said they were stunned when they pulled over the driver in his 80s in a supermarket car park.

The man, born in 1938, told them he had not had a driving licence or insurance since he was 12 years old – and had avoided being stopped by police ever since.

Nottinghamshire police officers said they just happened to pull over the man driving a three-door Mini One in a Tesco Extra car park in the market town of Bulwell on Wednesday.

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hawkinspeter replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
1 like

Someone linked to the story on the BBC on a different thread (can't remember which one)

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wycombewheeler replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
2 likes

brooksby wrote:

Anyone seen this one?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/28/man-driving-for-more-tha...

Quote:

A man stopped by police told officers he had been driving without a licence or insurance for more than 70 years.

Officers on a routine patrol in Nottingham said they were stunned when they pulled over the driver in his 80s in a supermarket car park.

The man, born in 1938, told them he had not had a driving licence or insurance since he was 12 years old – and had avoided being stopped by police ever since.

Nottinghamshire police officers said they just happened to pull over the man driving a three-door Mini One in a Tesco Extra car park in the market town of Bulwell on Wednesday.

so how did he pay his "road tax"?

Surely a driver wasn't using a car on the road without paying tax?

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SimoninSpalding replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
1 like

brooksby wrote:

The man, born in 1938, told them he had not had a driving licence or insurance since he was 12 years old – and had avoided being stopped by police ever since.

This implies he was insured and had a licence until he was 12??

 

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EK Spinner replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
9 likes

If only the vehicles had some sort of ID number so that the owner could be traced and registered, and maybe a database of which ones were insured, we could then get cameras to read the numbers and check which ones are allowed out.

Ah but cyclists .....

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Jogle replied to brooksby | 2 years ago
3 likes

In a similar vein is that story of a driver who was caught twice in the same day (and same car) driving without a license. And also being driven to pick up the car by someone who was disqualified from driving.
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/learner-drivers-car-seiz...

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