“Some infrastructure is actually worse than nothing”: £6m active travel scheme scrapped over fears “narrow route” could put cyclists into conflict with pedestrians and “leave little room for HGVs”; Vollering saves a goat; Cav '25? + more on the live blog

Plans to create a new active travel path in Guildford have been thrown out after councillors and campaigners raised concerns that cyclists could potentially endanger pedestrians on the shared-use path, which some claimed would also create “pinch points” on the road and make it too narrow in places for lorry drivers.

The proposed protected cycling and pedestrian path on London Road, which was to be funded by Active Travel England, was also set to include improvements to the existing footways, five new bus stops and shelters, a new toucan crossing, and the creation of parallel pedestrian and cyclist crossings.

A consultation carried out last year found that half of the 995 respondents believed that the scheme would contribute to the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users, while 31 per cent disagreed.

London Road, Guildford 

At a meeting of Surrey County Council last week, residents urged the local authority to “seize the opportunity” to create a greener Guildford, while local children spoke of how they have been forced off the roads, with some involved in collisions with drivers while cycling to school, Surrey World reports.

“We have to do something and this is the chance we have if we want to save the planet,” one pupil said, adding that the new cycleway would enable hundreds of children to ride their bikes to school in the area.

Meanwhile, Guildford’s Liberal Democrat MP Zoe Franklin, along with various ward councillors, argued that the take-it-or-leave-it project, though not 100 per cent perfect, was a considerable improvement on the present layout.

“This is the best scheme possible given the restraints of the route,” councillor George Potter said.

> Cyclists in Guildford breathe in more polluted air than motorists, finds study

Others, however, such as councillor Terry Newman told the meeting that data suggesting the road was dangerous was erroneous and based on “selective statistics”.

“Some infrastructure is actually worse than nothing as it promises novice cyclists some protection then abandons them when it’s most needed,” Newman said.

Fiona Davidson argued that not only was the scheme “unsafe” for pedestrians, but – despite the results of the consultation – it also lacked public support, claiming that residents told her that “it will make it less safe for most road users, including cyclists”.

“Do we really want to invest millions and take on that sort of risk?” she asked.

Yasmin Broome, a member of the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People, also told the meeting that cyclists continued to travel too fast and chaotically along London Road, and urged the local authority to “please, please keep our disabled community safe and stop these proposals”.

Confirming the scheme’s rejection, after a six to three vote in the cabinet, Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver said: “I don’t think that this is safe. We have to be absolutely sure the new scheme is safer than what is there.”

“For every car that cuts in to a cycle path there is a bicycle sailing through a red light.”

If you read the above quote out of context, you’d probably assume it was uttered by Nick ‘Mr Loophole’ Freeman, a Telegraph columnist, or some eejit off GB News.

You probably wouldn’t have guessed it was attributed to the co-founder of an ultra-low emissions cargo bike courier company in Oxford, however.

But, in an interview with the Oxford Mail this week, Velocity Cycle Couriers’ director Jake Swinhoe claimed that the current pitiful state of the city’s roads – which he says are currently contested between “warring factions” of cyclists and drivers – could be at least partly improved by people on bikes endeavouring “to be visible, and not fly through red lights, and be courteous to motorists”.

Velocity Cycle Couriers, Oxford

“There will come a day when motorists and cyclists amble along together, happily sharing the roadways with a friendly smile and a wave to acknowledge each other as fellow travellers with equal rights,” Swinhoe told the newspaper.

“Sadly the streets of Oxford paint a far more divided picture with warring factions shaking angry fists and hurling expletives at each other.

“For every car that cuts in to a cycle path there is a bicycle sailing through a red light. For every truck that pulls out without thinking once, thinking twice, then thinking bike, there is a cyclist with no lights at night and no helmet.

“Cargo bikes are becoming more and more common on our streets and the debate goes on about unlicensed, uninsured, and irresponsible riders who don’t pay road tax and think they own the roads, but is this the case from the point of view of a professional commercial cycle courier company?”

> Camera to fine rule-breaking drivers as safety measure introduced after cyclist's death still being ignored

Velocity Cycle Couriers was established in 2022 – the same year cyclist Dr Ling Felce was killed at Oxford’s notorious Plain roundabout by an unlicensed, uninsured driver of a 32-tonne tipper truck, who was under the influence of cocaine at the time – and currently works with 80 local businesses with the aim of cutting emissions and air pollution in the city.

“Our riders will be out in all weather – rain, snow, frost and high winds – but are trained to obey the rules of the road and always consider other road users,” Swinhoe continued, arguing that there are “good and bad road users”.

“If an absent-minded tourist steps into the road with their face in a mobile phone we try to swerve past, give a jaunty ring on the bell and a cheery ‘hello’, even though this can be testing.

“Velocity have been on the streets of Oxford for more than two-and-a-half years and have learned a great deal about how to get around our city and how to best get along with fellow road users.

> “Is the focus road safety?” Volunteer speed watchers accused of “spreading nonsense” after claiming “several cyclists clocked over 30mph” on 20mph street, while dismissing drivers’ speeds as “on average 25-35mph”

“In that time there have been two accidents involving cargo bikes – one where a delivery van reversed into our bike and an amicable resolution of buying us a new mudguard was agreed, the other had a car shunt a stationary cargo bike, causing some damage and then speeding off before our rider knew what happened.

“Luckily this has meant us not having to trouble the extremely expensive insurance policies we have for our bikes and riders or cause any damage to other road users, pedestrians, or brick walls.

“I personally am a bike rider and a motorist – I am conscious that a car or van does a lot more damage to a bike rider than a bike to a car so try to give cyclists a safe distance and a stress-free ride when I am on four wheels.

“Though equally when on a bike I endeavour to be visible, and not fly through red lights, and be courteous to motorists.”

Alright everyone, get your GOAT puns at the ready…

In news that will likely cause some consternation among her new employers at FDJ-Suez, Demi Vollering appears to be ignoring the traditional cycling memo that the off-season is about relaxing and doing as little as possible – by spending at least part of it rescuing an actual goat from a well in Greece.

Yes, you read that night. The 2023 Tour de France Femmes winner, who on Monday confirmed her long-awaited move to the French squad from SD Worx, is currently on holiday in Turkey with her partner and manager (and by the looks of the following Instagram post, her personal videographer) Jan de Voogd.

But during a mountain hike in neighbouring Greece, the Dutch pro stumbled across a stricken goat, which appeared to be trapped inside a stone well on the mountain.

So what did Vollering – famed for her lack of caution on the bike – do? She jumped in and lifted the goat up to safety herself, of course (while De Voogd made sure to film the whole thing, for some reason).

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Demi Vollering (@demivollering)

“While we were hiking, we came across this well. Some goats jumped away, which scared me, but the well also caught my attention because there were so many flies hanging above it,” Vollering said, in captions accompanying the video.

“I was so afraid to look over and find something dead, but suddenly I heard movement. We found this young goat helpless, it looked skinny and scared.”

In the video, Vollering can be heard saying in Dutch: “Shall I help you? It’s really dirty here. He's very weak, poor animal. This hole is f***ing disgusting”, while Jan helpfully adds: “A few others have already kicked the bucket here”.

Which is a helpful thing to say to one of the best cyclists in the world before she jumps in to help the poor animal.

“So I jumped in to get him out,” Vollering continued. “He didn’t weigh anything and was very weak. As I took him out I expected him to run away, but he fell down in an awkward position, and for a second I thought he would die.

“Luckily, he got up quickly, and ran away back to his friends. The well was very disgusting, a lot of flies, dust, and leftovers from other animals.

“We realised that we should have given him some water, so I tried to call him back. That was not a nice place to be stuck in – probably not the first time a goat was stuck in there.”

Hiking and rescuing scared animals – that’s one way to decompress after a stressful season, Demi.

Well, it looks like Mark Cavendish’s coy, noncommittal remarks at yesterday’s Tour de France route presentation have opened the floodgates for speculation about the Manx Missile’s future as a professional cyclist.

“Like everyone who has ridden the Tour de France or the Tour de France Femmes, you finish it and you think: ‘I’ll never do that again’, then a couple of days later, you miss it and you long for the buzz the year after,” the 39-year-old said on stage in Paris yesterday, sending the cycling world in yet another frenzy.

When asked what he felt about another tilt at the Tour, and a possible record-extending 36th stage win, beyond his 40th birthday next year, Cavendish cheekily replied: “We’ll see.”

While Sir Cav – who hasn’t raced since crossing the line in Nice in July – could merely be attempting to drum up interest in what will almost certainly be his last appearance as a pro at ASO’s Tour-themed crits in Singapore in November (albeit one that won’t involve any proper ‘racing’), that hasn’t stopped fans and pundits speculating that Comeback 3.0 (or is it 4.0?) could be on the cards.

Even Jens Voigt, everyone’s favourite over-the-top breakaway merchant-turned-excitable pundit, has got in on the act, pointing out that there are plenty of chances in next year’s Tour route for Cav to add to his tally of 35 stage wins.

“We have nine more or less flat stages until the first really tough stage [10, in the Massif Central],” the Jensie told Eurosport today.

“That does invite Mark Cavendish to go one more time, to try to win more stages and try to hold off the chasing stage hunter Tadej Pogačar!

“I see at least a 50/50 chance for that.”

Although not everyone is excited about the prospect of a 40-year-old Cavendish rocking up in Lille for an encore, after all the excitement of this year’s record-breaking Tour.

“Oh, just let the man retire in peace, FFS,” cycling social media producer Dan Deakins wrote in response to Voigt’s latest Cav call.

Hear, hear. Or more to the point: Shut up, Jens.

For some more info on what may be lurking behind all those pixels, our tech team had all the admittedly blurry details last week, following a few cheeky online leaks:

> New Wahoo bike computer leaked that appears to have a built-in wind sensor

The Santa lists are filling up across the continent at the sight of the second-best cycling-related cuddly toy ever released… (with first spot going to the Highland cow from the Glasgow world championships, naturally.)

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Ethias On Tour (@ethiasontour)

The unflattering badger-like hair, nose, the skinny arms and legs – it’s a masterpiece.

Hey, and at least anyone who nabs a ‘Mini Wout’ can enjoy it a good deal more than the Belgian’s old NFT range, anyway.

With Ineos currently in the midst of another huge sporting decision – first the Pidcock transfer saga, now the United gig, it’s been a busy few weeks – it was only fitting that Sky Sports happened upon a cyclist who was passing by Old Trafford this morning, and decided to seek out his views on who should be the next poor soul doomed to sit in that poisoned dugout:

'Amorim... or if not Neil Warnock or pay the big money for Ian Holloway from Swindon.' 🤣🤣

I still don't know if this guy was on a wind up, but a good sport either way. @SkySportsNews #mufc 🔴 pic.twitter.com/RjptFosF4f

— Sanny Rudravajhala (@Sanny_Rudra) October 30, 2024

And it was even more fitting (and somewhat bizarre) that the cyclist chosen for this particular vox pop decided to back another lover of all things two wheels, and the current co-manager of the road.cc Premier League Cycling XI, for the vacant managerial post at Old Trafford – the one, the only Neil Warnock!

Tell Jim and Dave we’re expecting at least £10m in compensation if they decide to poach our Colin.

Though thankfully there’s another coach/cyclist who’s all of a sudden got a lot of free time on his hands this week, who could be the ideal replacement if Warnock does decide to leave road.cc Road for the bright lights of the Europa League…

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Rebecca Laurel (@rebeccalaurel06)

B+ for effort for this 69-mile Leicester-based cycling ‘art’, and a C at best for execution.

If we’re honest, it looks like the kind of decades-old plastic skeleton that’s stuffed in a box in the attic, and was only brought down at Halloween because your five-year-old begged for it. Which adds to the creepy vibes, I suppose.