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news
Leavers vs Remainers? Labour vs Tories? Nope. Radio host calls on UK to unite against cyclists; Video DPD driver knocks penny farthing rider off bike; cyclist could be jailed after allegedly pushing child out of way + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
London cyclists at traffic lights (copyright Britishcycling.org_.uk).jpg29 December 2020, 19:11
Who’s next on the hitlist now Brexit is ‘done’? Cyclists, says Talk Radio host
If you're on social media, you don't even need to follow certain media outlets, or their columnists or presenters, to know that "cyclists" - that catch-all group spanning kids riding to school to the likes of AA president Edmund King - are blamed for all kinds of ills.
And with cycle lanes and low traffic neighbourhoods apparently becoming the latest front line in the so-called culture wars, it's hardly a surprise that a certain breed of 'shock jock' might target people who choose to undertake certain journeys by bike.
Step forward and take a bow, Talk Radio's Cristos Foufas, who tweeted this seasonal message over Christmas:
Listen up.
It’s been stressful for a while. Labour versus Tory, Remain versus Leave, deal versus no deal, even lockdown versus everything open.
Now we’re approaching 2021, can’t we all just unite and do all we can against the one common enemy we can all agree on?
Cyclists.
He was quickly called out on the tweet on social media, with one user flagging it up to Edmund King and asking if the AA was happy advertising on Talk Radio.
Hi @AAPresident just wanted to check, as @TheAA_UK is an advertiser with @talkRADIO, is this the kind of message your OK to associate with for our roads?
98 cyclist were killed on our roads last year. @theJeremyVine
@London_Cycling pic.twitter.com/EKhiID3a07— Damian Clark (@dclarkuk1) December 27, 2020
He's subsequently said that he does not see “all cyclists as the enemy,” which begs the question, why lump all “cyclists” in the same group in the first place, as he did?
Foufas has insisted he was joking, which has echoes of The Sunday Times insisting that Rod Liddle's column earlier this year in which he said he was tempted to stretch piano wire across roads at head height to target cyclists was not meant to be taken seriously.
The problem, however, is that such comments DO fuel anti-cycling rhetoric, and DO encourage aggression against people riding bikes (most of whom, on other days, or for other journeys, might be using a car).
29 December 2020, 15:59
Colombian UCI WorldTour pro Winner Anacona sustains facial injuries in mountain bike crash
Pro cyclist Winner Anacona has undergone an operation for facial injuries after coming off his mountain bike at the weekend while training in his native Colombia.
French sports daily L’Equipe reports that the Colombian rider’s Arkea-Samsic team said in a statement: “Our rider underwent an operation on his face, with aesthetic stitches inserted on the outside of his eyelid.”
According to the statement, Anacona did not lose consciousness, although it added that he also needed stitches inserted in his left knee.
“Practical examinations also revealed lesions between the ribs, as well as a contusion to the kidney, which caused a temporary haematuria as a result of the impact.”
Anacona has been a key support rider for Nairo Quintana for several years, joining his compatriot at Movistar in 2015 and moving with him to Arkea Samsic at the start of 2020.
He made his UCI WorldTour debut with Lamore-ISD in 2012 and two years later landed a stage win at the Vuelta a Espana.
His other professional victory came with Movistar at the 2019 Vuelta a San Juan Internacional in Argentina, where he won a stage as well as the overall title.
29 December 2020, 15:14
E-scooter rider arrested in Hyde Park for drunk-driving
An e-scooter rider was arrested in London's Hyde Park on suspicion of drunk-driving after he fell off, according to a tweet from the Metropolitan Police Service's team that polices the Royal Parks.
The tweet added that the scooter rider had been carrying his dog, which sustained a broken leg in the incident, and was said to be recovering after being taken to a vet for treatment.
Rider of e scooter came off in Hyde Park last night. Had been drinking and was carrying his dog. The dog suffered a broken leg. Rider arrested drink driving and the dog was taken to the vet. Rider charged drink driving and no insurance. The dog is recovering.
— Royal Parks Police (@MPSRoyal_Parks) December 27, 2020
While a number of towns and cities throughout the UK are trialling e-scooters for public hire and subject to strict rules under a government pilot scheme, privately-owned e-scooters are not legal for road use here.
29 December 2020, 13:57
90-year-old Korea veteran’s e-bike stolen – for second time
An electric bike belonging to a 90-year-old who served in Korea has been stolen from outside an Asda supermarket in Totton in Hampshire – the second time the owner has suffered such a theft.
The Freego Hawk bike, similar to the model pictured above but in white with black panniers, was taken from the bike shed in the store’s car park at around midday on Wednesday 23 December, reports the Advertiser & Times.
Six years ago, an identical model had been stolen from Derek Stevens, for whom it was his main form of transport since losing his driving licence due to poor eyesight.
Hi son Derek, who has done the main shopping for his parents during the pandemic, with his father doing smaller, top-up trips, told the newspaper: “It brings a tear to your eye because it’s so bloody sad to have it happen again.
“He’s got a lock for the bike, knows how to use it and used it. But that’s not much of a deterrent these days for someone with an angle grinder in their rucksack,” he added. “He’s not able to walk very far so his only alternative is buses or taxis, but in this situation with Covid you don’t want to get too close to anyone.”
He says his father, who served in Korea and Egypt in the 1950s and later became a scoutmaster, has managed to obtain a replacement bike to enable him to travel independently again.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact should contact Hampshire Police on 101, quoting crime reference number 44200484209, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
29 December 2020, 13:10
France makes security marking mandatory in bid to halt bike theft
A law coming into force in France on 1 January will make it compulsory for all new bicycles to be security marked with a unique number that links them with their rightful owners, in a bid to halt bike theft.
Bikes being sold second-hand, including through online marketplaces such as Bon Coin, will also need to have a number engraved on the frame from 1 July next year so that details of the new owner can be lodged, reports France 3.
Details of the type, make, model and colour of the bicycle, as well as the name of the owner and their telephone number and email address, will be held on a central database, enabling the Gendarmerie to trace ownership of stolen bikes.
Bikes sold prior to the end of this year will be exempt from the new laws, as will children’s bicycles with wheels with a diameter of 16 inches or less.
However, France’s national bike users’ federation is urging people who previously had their bikes security marked to update their details in line with the new system.
More than 400,000 bicycles are reported stolen in France each year, with a further 150,000 found abandoned, but the lack of security marking means that only 2 or 3 per cent ever find their way back to their owners – hence, the new system that aims to trace ownership and, ultimately, thwart the thieves by making it more difficult to sell on stolen bikes.
29 December 2020, 11:51
Cycling bridge installation timelapse video
Infrastructure projects often lend themsleves to timelapse filming treatment, and here's a cool one from California of a $21.4-million cycling and walking bridge being put in place.
The website For Construction Pros reports that workers spent three days operating round the clock to put the bridge in place while minimising disruption to the busy rail corridor that runs beneath it.
Planned since the 1980s, the bridge is in Emeryville, which lies between Berkeley and Oakland on San Francisco Bay, and is home to Pixar Animation Studios.
29 December 2020, 10:58
DPD driver filmed knocking penny farthing rider from bike
A DPD delivery driver has been filmed knocking a penny farthing rider from his bike in Stoke Newington, north London, with the video posted to Instagram.
The footage was also shared to the London Cycling page on Facebook by Matthew Trott, owner of The Ordinary Bicycle Co., which supplies handmade penny farthing bikes.
He said: “I have been informed by the person that shot the video that the van stopped and details were exchanged.
“I have identified the bike as one that I manufactured and am now in the process of contacting my customers to find out who the rider was.”
29 December 2020, 10:21
Video: Cyclist could face jail after allegedly using knee to push child out of his way
A cyclist in Belgium who allegedly used his knee to knock a five-year old child out of his way on a snow-covered path could face up to one year in prison, according to a report in Het Nieuwsblad.
The newspaper’s report contains video of the incident, which happened on Christmas Day, shot by the child’s father and posted to Facebook, although it subsequently appears to have been removed from the social network.
The incident reportedly happened close to the Baraque Michel inn near Liege, with the surrounding countryside being a popular tourist destination and one of the highest points of the country.
The video shows the girl, named Neïa and wearing a red snowsuit, walking with her mother and another child when a cyclist on a cyclo-cross bike appears from behind them and shouts a warning, his left knee apparently moving out as he passes the child, who is knocked to the ground.
The rider, aged 61, presented himself to police on Sunday following a witness appeal and reportedly faces up to a year in jail for intentional assault and battery to a minor.
Prosecutor Vanessa Clérin said: “He was interrogated and subsequently received a summons to appear before the correctional court in February.”
When interviewed by police, he insisted that he had not pushed the child out of the way on purpose and indeed had been unaware he had hit her, Clérin said.
Het Nieuwsblad said that the cyclist called Neïa’s parents to give his version of events and urge them to retract their complaint.
The girl’s father, Patrick Mpasa, a soldier, said: “He asked us to withdraw the complaint, but showed no regret for what he did.
“What's more, he accused me of being aggressive. He claimed that he had not seen that Neïa had fallen, that he would otherwise have stopped … I have the impression that he thinks it is normal.”
He continued: “A lot of people tell me that I should have beat up that cyclist, but I didn't want to heat things up even more in front of my children, in front of the other passers-by. I don't want a witch hunt, just an apology.”
He said that the fall had resulted in Neïa experiencing pain in her back and wrists.
“She fell on her forearms,” her father said. “At first we were afraid that she had broken something, but fortunately that is not the case. She does ask herself questions: she said that this man is a bad guy. Why did he do that?”
The cyclist has been summonsed to appear before a criminal court in February.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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59 comments
Making threats to kill, maim or otherwise harm cyclists is accepted as normal by people like these. We remember the haggard fashion journalist recently declaring a desire to kill cyclists, or maybe it was all cyclists, in order to please their equally dimwitted readers- they generally retreat into 'if you can't take a joke, why don't you stay off the roads and leave them to respectable humour-laden motorists and their hilarious close-passing japes?'. Our problem is that the police feel this way as well, which is why action is never taken against the offenders. The point has been well made in a related thread that any otherwise identical comment with 'Jew, black, Muslim etc' replacing cyclist would soon be removed. This is one case where 'a word' from the police which was then posted would be valuable.
F++K, looks like I'm the 'enemy of the people'. Again. That's another 10 years (or more) of bullshit lies, misinformation, thick, ignorant attitudes to try and ignore and work around.
The crass comments of Cristo are the latest in a seemingly endless series of public figures attacking cycling, and there are plenty more idiotic comments on his twitter feed. Possibly his was a late entry for the most crass, stupid, imbecilic, misinformed, ignorant, utterly indefensible comment of 2020, but it's gone straight in at No 1. Replace cyclist with black, gay or lesbian and he'd be in jail.
I've just sent a message to Talk Radio, pointing out that as a sometime listener, I certainly won't be any more. You can call them, text them, email them or send them a tweet too https://talkradio.co.uk/
EDIT; just been suspended from twitter for pointing out the shortcomings of Cristo the cretin. I've just appealed as I don't think my post violated their rules "You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease."
Or maybe being a cretin is a disability?
Thanks for the link. I have also taken the time to give my feedback to the station, see below:
I was appalled to read comments made on social media by one of your presenters. Cristos Foufas, as someone with a larger public audience than most, must understand the reaction his comments could cause. Quote:
"Listen up.
It’s been stressful for a while. Labour versus Tory, Remain versus Leave, deal versus no deal, even lockdown versus everything open.
Now we’re approaching 2021, can’t we all just unite and do all we can against the one common enemy we can all agree on?
Cyclists."
He might state this was only a joke, but it has real consequences for real people. People act out on these so called 'jokes'.
I sincerely hope that he does not represent the values of your radio station. I will no longer be a listener. He is a disgrace.
They may get you on that. Cretinism is actually a medical term (although now archaic in this country at least I believe) denoting congenital hypothyroidism, caused by iodine deficiency at during pregnancy. It's a condition that leads to physical and mental disabilities. It's not common in the developed world, not least because the treatment even after birth can be quite effective, but is not unheard of by any means.
Here's a Wiki on it
Thanks, but is he really a medical cretin? It would only break their rules if he was.
Not sure bout that. It's the use of the word as a pejorative that will be seen as an issue. My mum was in the NHS all her working life, she hated its use as an insult (and she was no fan of political correctness) as she saw first hand its effects. I suppose it's similar to calling folk retards or cripples.
Also there are other words that I would guess you'd get banned if using as a pejorative - gay for example - which would be perfectly acceptable if used objectively to describe a point of fact.
Unlikely - it's easy to treat within four weeks or so of birth so you're only likely to find sufferers in areas without access to medical expertise or levothyroxine.
People with an agenda of oppression often seek to galvanise “us” i.e. mass support / followers by focusing on a minority “them”.
The repression of said minorities then follows the same depressing patterns - stir up popular hatred towards them, disrupt their lives: tell them where and when they can go out, destroy the things that matter to them, make them wear distinctive items, deny them access to justice, injure and kill them.
I hope you succeed in your Twitter appeal.
Message Cristo on Twitter. I did. I think he's in retreat mode at the moment. Though he's still coming up with excuses like, "I'm a cyclist myself" or "It was a joke."
He's not quite in full retreat mode - he's making out that he's the injured party at the moment.
Have just read through some of his feed. What a horrible individual he is....
If no-one has actually accused him of murdering children, is that grounds for a complaint to twitter?
Snowflake's gonna snowflake I guess.
Thanks for the link, likewise:
Hello
It was with great disappointment that I read one of your presenters' comments on social media.
Christo Foufas posted the following:
"Listen up.
It’s been stressful for a while. Labour versus Tory, Remain versus Leave, deal versus no deal, even lockdown versus everything open.
Now we’re approaching 2021, can’t we all just unite and do all we can against the one common enemy we can all agree on?
Cyclists."
Whereas it is irresponsible to stoke any division, it is particularly inappropriate to encourage the singling out and demonisation of a group of people who are in a vulnerable position on the roads.
As people who cycle come from all walks of society (including children, women, the differently-abled, the elderly, those that can't afford motor cars to name a few), it is difficult to see how it is acceptable to label them "the common enemy", or to encourage his followers to "unite against" them.
Inflammatory language such as this has real-world consequences, as any person who regularly rides a bike in the UK will tell you. Intimidating, bullying and dangerous behaviour around people on bikes is endemic on British roads, and contributory to the 100 or so people killed and over 3000 serious injured annually whilst doing nothing worse than getting from A to B.
I hope that this doesn't reflect how Talk Radio sees it's role in the UK, and that you will be taking appropriate action.
Yours
Say you meant Cretan, he has a Greek name.
Blessed are the Greeks.....
There is a reason that what we just call a bicycle was originally the 'safety bicycle.' Yes DPD was a dick, but PF was inevitably going to come a cropper.
Eh? If the van driver had not been reckless, there would not have been any collision. Nothing "inevitably" about it.
Granted there are safer bicycles. But none of us is safe unless the rules of the road are followed.
Re DPD driver/penny farthing collision. The driver was clearly 100% at fault. Nevertheless, any competent cyclist on a 'normal' bike would have been easily able to avoid that collision. It does not seem wise to ride a vehicle like a pennyfarthing on a public road (let alone in a big city) given their pitiful handling and very poor braking capacity. It may be legal to do so, but methinks it unwise. That is not victim blaming, but a simple statment of fact.
Re Belgian cyclist. That seemed v clearly intentional - his knee clearly moved out for no obvious reason in order to make contact with the child. He could easily have passed her, though it would still have been safer to stop. What sort of man deliberately assaults a 5 year old child for being in his way (or for any reason)?!
Reminds me of a friend who cherished his classic Morris Minor. Then one day I was stunned to learn he'd sold it. Reason, he said, was too many scary moments - he realised the Moggy just did not have the reflexes to cut it in modern traffic, where everyone else assumed you could stop!
Whatever transportation you use, you have to act defensively when using the roads. Even on shanks' pony I'll put a foot on a zebra crossing but will make sure the driver is decelerating before continuing.
Morry Minors brakes are fine for modern traffic if they're kept in good condition. Sure they don't have ABS but they have enough power for good stopping especially on radial tyres.
Says someone from where it is still the second most popular vehicle on the roads after the Sheep Transporter.
Of course ABS doesn't improve stopping distance significantly, but does allow for steering without skidding during hard braking. ABS only engages during wheel lock - if that's happening frequently then the operator's driving style is more of a concern than the vehicle hardware....
Not sure why the 'cyclist' decided to actively steer into the back of the van? The van had started the move before the 'cyclist' had even attempted to turn left so why bother to have the accident, why not just go straight on?
Didn't even look like he was anywhere near making the corner anyway.
Falls into the category of just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.
Can't wait for DPD driver knocks off hobby horse rider
https://m.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20201228_94281333
Doesn't bode well for this 'ungentleman' - undeniably looking intensional - will take a biased judge/court to clear him or administer just a soft penalty, as is the case with many dangerous crash drivers, and the victim's of whom often denied appropriate justice.
It's a natural instinct to avoid endangering a child but seems to be lacking in this person.
Unfortunately, the video also shows the adjacent elder, seeminly in care of the child, being alerted but just froze still and the poor child ended up in harms way.
Ah Totton. Such a lovely town.
Dick move by the Belgian who knocked over the kid. If I was feeling charitable I would say the knee was for balance as the front wheel goes wide during/after. It's going to be easy to argue it was deliberate though. If he didn't feel that contact and stop he wasn't paying enough attention either.
Regardless he's still a dick for trying to close pass a small child. It would have cost him nothing to stop beforehand.
Agreed, totally out of order. If not deliberate it shows exactly why you shouldn't be pushing past peds, particularly small kids. I can't help thinking it was deliberate though.....
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