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Il Pirata

Tour de France 2019

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13 minutes ago, NWC said:

That happened on a Sportive around my way a couple of years ago (North Wales) - should be charged with criminal damage at least!

**** it, give them attempted murder. Utter pond water s(um.

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2 hours ago, lake district canary said:

The only thing worth watching cycling for is the scenery, when the camera ever accidentally shows it instead of the rear end of some lycra covered drug filled cyclist.  They have several "tour" races up here every year....it closes roads and stops people going about their daily business and causes annoyance to many.    "Spoilsport" they say....well that could apply to the myriad of cyclists who ride around up here who show no road sense, no common sense, no hand signals, no courtesy to other road uses, no marbles.....and the girl/woman I saw on a bike the other day who rode straight across a busy junction texting and not even looking where she was going is lucky to be alive.....if she still is. 

I could go on....ok, I will....I was in Pately Bridge in Yorkshire the other week (where cycling is a religion thaa knows) and was about to cross a busy main street only to witness a cyclist hurtling down a hill at what must have been well over 30 miles an hour and who was yelling at everyone to get out of his way....plainly out of control and making no attempt to slow down....what a t*sser.....sums up many cyclists unfortunately.  Maybe the few let the majority down, I don't know, but it is amazing how often you see a cyclist and they are doing something careless, ignorant or just plain stupid.

 

Zzzzzzz.... whats your view on drug fuelled Boxers, or Footballers, or Tennis players, or Track and Field athletes.....etc, etc?

I rode the Fred Whitton sportive in the Lake District last year. A fantastic event on closed roads which was unbelievably well supported by thousands of locals all around the route. You possibly may live in the wrong place to dislike cycling? 

Anyway this is a topic about the TDF.  It was pretty obvious posters in this thread would like cycling. Your post was clearly an attempt to incite anger, which is quite frankly inappropriate and a little childish. 

 

 

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58 minutes ago, Il Pirata said:

Zzzzzzz.... whats your view on drug fuelled Boxers, or Footballers, or Tennis players, or Track and Field athletes.....etc, etc?

I rode the Fred Whitton sportive in the Lake District last year. A fantastic event on closed roads which was unbelievably well supported by thousands of locals all around the route. You possibly may live in the wrong place to dislike cycling? 

Anyway this is a topic about the TDF.  It was pretty obvious posters in this thread would like cycling. Your post was clearly an attempt to incite anger, which is quite frankly inappropriate and a little childish. 

 

Good effort - that's too tough for me!!!

 

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3 hours ago, Il Pirata said:

I rode the Fred Whitton sportive in the Lake District last year. A fantastic event on closed roads which was unbelievably well supported by thousands of locals all around the route. You possibly may live in the wrong place to dislike cycling? 

Anyway this is a topic about the TDF.  It was pretty obvious posters in this thread would like cycling. Your post was clearly an attempt to incite anger, which is quite frankly inappropriate and a little childish.

It's not just the lake district. The proliferation of cycling events around the country and the closing of roads, is becoming so common place that it is getting ridiculous. In the New Forest where I visit family regularly, the roads are constantly clogged with cycling events, groups of cyclists riding together, right across the road, even when there are cycle lanes designed for cyclists. 

Cyclists are a danger to themselves and others. I was driving in the dark one evening, when rounding a corner I was totally dis-orientated by dazzling lights, moving seemingly all over the place and I literally had to do an emergency stop as I could not see the road in front of me or judge where the road was. Badly adjusted super strong bike lights and helmet spotlights causing a huge problem for other road users. A few weeks later a car overturned and went off the road one evening for precisely the same reason.

Last year, I witnessed a complete idiot weaving through traffic at stupid speed through Keswick and his stupidity caused an accident where he ended up going over the bonnet of a car....no doubt he would have blamed the car for being there, but it was totally his own fault. 

I could go on....but I'll leave the thread to those who think cycling is wonderful.

As for inciting anger, my first post on this thread was a result of reading Lapps post about cyclists all over the road in Magadelen Street....so blame him for changing the thread, not me! 😋

 

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 I was driving in the dark one evening, when rounding a corner I was totally dis-orientated by dazzling lights, moving seemingly all over the place and I literally had to do an emergency stop as I could not see the road in front of me or judge where the road was. Badly adjusted super strong bike lights and helmet spotlights causing a huge problem for other road users. A few weeks later a car overturned and went off the road one evening for precisely the same reason.

 

Your not fooling me Lakey. This is the prequel to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. 

And a car overturning because of your helmet spotlight is another matter altogether and I suggest immediate medical attention.

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32 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

It's not just the lake district. The proliferation of cycling events around the country and the closing of roads, is becoming so common place that it is getting ridiculous. In the New Forest where I visit family regularly, the roads are constantly clogged with cycling events, groups of cyclists riding together, right across the road, even when there are cycle lanes designed for cyclists. 

Cyclists are a danger to themselves and others. I was driving in the dark one evening, when rounding a corner I was totally dis-orientated by dazzling lights, moving seemingly all over the place and I literally had to do an emergency stop as I could not see the road in front of me or judge where the road was. Badly adjusted super strong bike lights and helmet spotlights causing a huge problem for other road users. A few weeks later a car overturned and went off the road one evening for precisely the same reason.

Last year, I witnessed a complete idiot weaving through traffic at stupid speed through Keswick and his stupidity caused an accident where he ended up going over the bonnet of a car....no doubt he would have blamed the car for being there, but it was totally his own fault. 

I could go on....but I'll leave the thread to those who think cycling is wonderful.

As for inciting anger, my first post on this thread was a result of reading Lapps post about cyclists all over the road in Magadelen Street....so blame him for changing the thread, not me! 😋

 

Please do, you speak a lot of nonsense. The key thing most non cyclists forget is that the majority of cyclists drive cars too, therefore have a good appreciation for both sides of the debate. You sit on one side and have absolutely zero experience of the other, making your views biased and lacking in credibility, IMO. 

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33 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

A few weeks later a car overturned and went off the road one evening for precisely the same reason.

Any other stories from things that didn't happen but are conveniently made up to back up a ridiculous position? 

I'll make one up too, the stigmatising of cyclists is preventing many willing bike users from getting on the saddle due to a misplaced anger based on false perceptions and illogical sentiment. As a consequence, those people prepared to cycle get behind the wheel and clog up the roads (not sure your cognitive dissonance let's you see it but cars take up substantially more road than bikes) and dirty the air as we go through a climate emergency. Oh, and if more people who drove biked there would be fewer deaths on the road, based on actual statistics rather than misplaced perceptions and made up stories. 

Oh, wait. I'm not making any if that up, am I... 

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36 minutes ago, canarydan23 said:

Any other stories from things that didn't happen but are conveniently made up to back up a ridiculous position? 

I'll make one up too, the stigmatising of cyclists is preventing many willing bike users from getting on the saddle due to a misplaced anger based on false perceptions and illogical sentiment. As a consequence, those people prepared to cycle get behind the wheel and clog up the roads (not sure your cognitive dissonance let's you see it but cars take up substantially more road than bikes) and dirty the air as we go through a climate emergency. Oh, and if more people who drove biked there would be fewer deaths on the road, based on actual statistics rather than misplaced perceptions and made up stories. 

Oh, wait. I'm not making any if that up, am I... 

*awaits another six-paragraph diatribe from Lakey about why he's not wrong*

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44 minutes ago, Il Pirata said:

Please do, you speak a lot of nonsense. The key thing most non cyclists forget is that the majority of cyclists drive cars too, therefore have a good appreciation for both sides of the debate. You sit on one side and have absolutely zero experience of the other, making your views biased and lacking in credibility, IMO. 

Amazing assumption there. I have been a cyclist all my life. I use hand signals, I don't cycle where I shouldn't, I don't ride in groups which ride in such a way that holds the traffic up - if I ride with others I make sure there is enough of a gap that cars can overtake one at a time rather than have to wait for a long stretch of road. The problem is the denial amongst cyclists that a good proportion of cyclists are a law unto themselves and who don't apply the same rules when cycling as when they drive.

The sheer lack of awareness shown by many cyclists riding around is staggering, not least by those that also where earphones listening to music while they are cycling.

And if you think my "stories" are made up or exagerated then you are wrong.

 

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7 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

Amazing assumption there. I have been a cyclist all my life. I use hand signals, I don't cycle where I shouldn't, I don't ride in groups which ride in such a way that holds the traffic up - if I ride with others I make sure there is enough of a gap that cars can overtake one at a time rather than have to wait for a long stretch of road. The problem is the denial amongst cyclists that a good proportion of cyclists are a law unto themselves and who don't apply the same rules when cycling as when they drive.

The sheer lack of awareness shown by many cyclists riding around is staggering, not least by those that also where earphones listening to music while they are cycling.

And if you think my "stories" are made up or exagerated then you are wrong.

This thread is about the Tour de France, though. Why would you come on here to gob off about how irresponsible you find cyclists unless you were looking for an argument?

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9 minutes ago, Feedthewolf said:

This thread is about the Tour de France, though. Why would you come on here to gob off about how irresponsible you find cyclists unless you were looking for an argument?

If you look back, I was not the first to talk about the riding behaviour of cyclists.

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27 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

And if you think my "stories" are made up or exagerated then you are wrong.

I suppose you have a link to a local news organisation reporting this car that overturned because of a cyclist's overly bright light? 

You're opinions are not based on reality and your spreading your prejudice contributes to a damaging perception; one that indirectly harms the environment, people and traffic congestion levels.

That you're doing all this with blatantly made up anecdotes in a thread titled Tour de France says a great deal about you as a person. 

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12 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

If you look back, I was not the first to talk about the riding behaviour of cyclists.

Yep! One single throwaway sentence from Lapps, pretty much in jest too, knowing Lapps. Kinda took it to the next level in pursuit of some attention, though, didn't you?

Come on, stop being a contrarian and looking for arguments. This is exactly the kind of behaviour you used to cry foul at you-know-who for. Back down for once in your life.

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40 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

If you look back, I was not the first to talk about the riding behaviour of cyclists.

you are a miserable, useless, bell end of a 'man' though. There's little point having a reasoned debate with you - it's not worth the effort

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1 hour ago, canarydan23 said:

I suppose you have a link to a local news organisation reporting this car that overturned because of a cyclist's overly bright light? 

You're opinions are not based on reality and your spreading your prejudice contributes to a damaging perception; one that indirectly harms the environment, people and traffic congestion levels.

That you're doing all this with blatantly made up anecdotes in a thread titled Tour de France says a great deal about you as a person. 

These are not made up stories, I do not have time to waste making things up. I am all for cycling as a way of lessening damage to the environment, it is just a shame so many cyclists are clueless how to behave on the road and to other road users - and pedestrians for that matter.  Cyclists can be a real pain - not all - but there is a good percentage who do not care about the way they cycle as long as they are enjoying themselves, even if it is at others' expense. 

Call me misery guts if you like, but the amount of cyclists on the road is rising and the types of incidents I have mentioned are going to happen more and more. I have more incidents I could mention, but I don't want to be the cause any more rubbish responses.

Cyclists SHOULD be a boon to the environment, to lessen traffic congestion and good for society generally. Unfortunately, the public perception of cyclists is damaged by those few/some/many (delete where applicable) who behave badly - and tbh, those that are in denial about it.

 

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1 hour ago, Feedthewolf said:

Yep! One single throwaway sentence from Lapps, pretty much in jest too, knowing Lapps. Kinda took it to the next level in pursuit of some attention, though, didn't you?

Come on, stop being a contrarian and looking for arguments. This is exactly the kind of behaviour you used to cry foul at you-know-who for. Back down for once in your life.

Nope, thought not.

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8 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

but the amount of cyclists on the road is rising and the types of incidents I have mentioned are going to happen more and more. I have more incidents I could mention, but I don't want to be the cause any more rubbish responses.

Made up incidents can happen as many times as you make up. 

And the perception is what stops more people cycling and it's peddled by idiotic attitudes that have no basis in reality. 

Saw a cyclist run a red light light? ALL CYCLISTS ARE A MENACE!!! 

See a motorist cut someone up? That individual is an idiot. 

See the difference? I doubt it. 

And you moan about road closures?! What percentage of road closures are caused by cycling events? It's a figure lower than your analytical ability on a scale of one to ten. So if you're real concern is road closures, look at the main cause of them. It's for roadworks to remedy damage caused predominantly by four-wheeled vehicles. And the second biggest cause if accidents involving four-wheeled vehicles. 

Any ideas how to prevent road damage caused by vehicles weighing a tonne plus or reduce accidents (including fatalities) on the road? Encourage drivers to cycle more often. 

How do you encourage that? By changing the culture and investing in infrastructure, but the latter won't be seen as acceptable until strides are made with the former. 

And publicly peddling nonsensical ideas and fictional anecdotes won't help. 

And please, don't give me any bullsh*t about how you "do not have time to waste to make up stories". You have the time to click on and read a thread titled Tour de France and talk utter drivel about cycling when you admit you cannot stand the sport anyway. 

I thought the EU thread was a good magnet to attract all the stupid; looks like LDC wants to spread the stupid even further. 

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1 hour ago, canarydan23 said:

I suppose you have a link to a local news organisation reporting this car that overturned because of a cyclist's overly bright light? 

This was not one cyclist. It was one of a group of cyclists, who regularly come down off an evening off-road mountain jaunt on to a main road, in my case it was in April last year, about ten cyclists in the dark on a main road, each with a headlight and a helmet light - that's around twenty dazzling lights in your face as you go round a bend in the dark with no possibility of your vision adjusting in time to fathom out what is going on.  I've been there, I've seen it and it has caused at least one accident on that road and complaints have been made to the Cumbria Cycling association.
 

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Funny how you're making such a fuss about accidents caused by cyclists-ever wondered how many accidents are caused by people who break the speed limit in their car?

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28 minutes ago, lake district canary said:

in my case it was in April last year, about ten cyclists in the dark on a main road, each with a headlight and a helmet light - that's around twenty dazzling lights in your face as you go round a bend in the dark with no possibility of your vision adjusting in time to fathom out what is going on.  I've been there, I've seen it 

Why not make it twenty cyclists and forty lights? If you're going to make it up go big. 

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Christ, this is escalating! 

Anyway back to Le Tour. A few stages now for the breakaway as the race makes its way towards the Pyrenees. 

Any chance Steve Cummings can find some legs for one last hurrah? Unlikely. 

 

 

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17 minutes ago, Il Pirata said:

Christ, this is escalating! 

Anyway back to Le Tour. A few stages now for the breakaway as the race makes its way towards the Pyrenees. 

Any chance Steve Cummings can find some legs for one last hurrah? Unlikely. 

You've met Lakey, right?

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10 hours ago, Mello Yello said:

I cycled down POW Road yesterday afternoon and there was actually a group of well over 3 dozen people ringing cow bells and shouting 'Oi oi oi oi oi' at me as I cycled past them......well weird......Merckx me wonder what it was all about?......

Ok......regarding blatantly made up anecdotes in a thread titled Tour de France. Well, I must confess I did exaggerate an ickle bit regarding my cycling down Prince O' Wales Road and the 3 dozen people ringing cow bells and shouting 'Oi oi oi oi oi' at me as I cycled past them......I was actually walking down POW road and there sat in a club doorway a homeless chap rattled a tin with a few coins in it to attract my attention.....I ignored him and breezed past him......He did shout 'Oi!' but I carried on walking and ignored him......I'm sorry, and I haven't even got a bike.....Please forgive me..... 😞 and I've never been King of the Mountains.....But that was gonna be another story......

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54 minutes ago, Il Pirata said:

Any chance Steve ****s can find some legs for one last hurrah? Unlikely. 

Nope, as much as I love Steve Cummings his inclusion is a joke. F*ck Doug Ryder and the horse he ride in on and f*ck Dimension Sara. Here's hoping for the winless tour Ryder deserves. 

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I did long distance running and now have taken the step back to cycling. And while I use signals and don't kerb creep or white line creep, I do realise that in many of the Cornish roads, I am holding up traffic. And when I did the Football to Amsterdam ride, we were told not to ride any more than single file and in no more groups of six, about the length of a bus, to prevent cars from overtaking.

I acknowledge that many of the groups that go out do not heed this advice and do their own thing. It isn't good and it isn't fair. In fact I have seen individual time trials up the A30 dual carriageway in Cornwall and want to scream at them that this particular road wasn't laid for this purpose but to shunt people in and out of Cornwall as quick as possible.

But neither is the motorist, yawning before he drinks his cup of coffee, turning on to a main road, and rushing because he is too stupid to get up early enough for work, and consequently either doesn't see or ignores me riding along a main road.

Quid Pro Quo.

We were a nation of cyclists for necessity at one time but it is now more likely to be for leisure. And leisure cycling needs as much concentration as commuting on a bike.

But motorists must accept that it is a popular past time and be as much on their guard, and tolerance, as they would a motorcycle or even pedestrians.

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Back to the Tour.

I hope Thomas isn't jinxed this year. Two crashes, while not tour ending, have given him a bit of work to do. I think other teams have watched the SKY trains in the past and have adopted the same tactic and Ineos aren't having it all their own way at the front.

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30 minutes ago, keelansgrandad said:

Back to the Tour.

I hope Thomas isn't jinxed this year. Two crashes, while not tour ending, have given him a bit of work to do. I think other teams have watched the SKY trains in the past and have adopted the same tactic and Ineos aren't having it all their own way at the front.

True, but they've not needed to yet either. I expect things to change in the mountains. Kwiatkowski and Poels are effectively super domestiques who'd be team leaders in their own right at other teams. 

G certainly seems to find himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both crashes we're not his fault, but we seem to be saying that at every Grand Tour. Bar the crash(s), he looks strong. Great on the Planche des Belles Filles, and just as impressive getting back on after his crash with Woods. I think G has shown enough that he is the one to beat. You look at the other GC contenders, and most have already lost a minute or two to G and Bernal (and far more in some cases) which is a sign Ineos are riding well. They just don't lose silly seconds here and there like the others do. 

Pinot's current lead is the direct result of G's crash on stage 8 which he took full 'advantage' of. More should have done the same. 

 

 

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