“Is it drivers’ responsibility to keep cyclists safe on the roads?” asks Good Morning Britain as motorists urged to ‘think bike’; Fuming journo mistakenly buys Adidas cycling shoes (because of Rishi Sunak); Is cycling pretentious? + more on the live blog

It looks like it’s a day for divisive internet polls, then.

Because, in direct contravention of the Highway Code, ITV’s ever insightful Good Morning Britain took to X/Twitter early this morning to ask viewers, “Is it drivers’ responsibility to keep cyclists safe on the roads?”

Yep, two years on from the updated Highway Code being published, we’re still being treated to national television programmes coming up with nonsense like this.

> Changes to the Highway Code mean very little if they are not known or followed by motorists

That head scratching poll, and its accompanying segment on the show, was made in response to live blog stalwart and pedalling presenter Jeremy Vine’s backing of an AA campaign, which has just reached its 10th anniversary, to encourage motorists to place “Think Bike” stickers on their wing mirrors to remind them to keep an eye out for people on bikes – after a survey of 12,700 AA members found that 89 per cent agreed with the statement ‘it’s sometimes hard to see cyclists’.

> AA "Think Bikes" awareness campaign admits drivers don't look, suggests wing mirror stickers will remind them

“I’m so pleased to see that the AA is doing this because, if you’re on two wheels, you do feel quite vulnerable,” Vine said.

“And I always think when you’re in a car – I drive too – you don’t always see that that person on the bicycle is a mum, a sister, somebody’s son, someone’s grandfather, maybe even their great-grandfather.”

So, what did GMB do in response to Vine and the AA’s safety-focused recommendations? Launch a Twitter poll, that’s what:

Jeremy Vine has backed a new campaign urging drivers to place a safety sticker on their wing mirrors to remind them to look out for cyclists.

But is it drivers’ responsibility to keep cyclists safe on the roads?

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 9, 2024

So far, rather unsurprisingly for social media, the Highway Code vulnerability hierarchy-backed option ‘Yes’ is taking a thumping, with over 70 per cent opting for ‘No’.

And some of the responses are as equally unsurprising.

“Everyone has a responsibility!” says Craig. “Cyclists can be just as bad as anyone else in a motor vehicle.”

“If we put a sticker on the mirrors that would impede our vision even more by blocking part of the mirror itself,” Stebe said.

“Can cyclists put a sticker somewhere to remind them what a red light means!!!” exclamation mark-loving Sean the Cabbie wrote.

“It’s everyone responsibility to keep themselves safe,” added Chris. “Cyclists should stick to cycle lanes, and adhere to the rules of the road like cars and follow traffic lights. Likewise cars should not be in cycle lanes or park in them etc. Everyone has a role to play in road safety.”

While John popped up with some anti-cycling bingo classics: “Put the sticker next to the cyclist’s tax, insurance, and registration.”

“Let’s start by getting cyclists to get regular eye checks so they recognise and understand what a red traffic light actually means,” Sally added, securing a full house.

Sigh…

“Is it drivers’ responsibility to keep cyclists safe on the roads” pic.twitter.com/2kOG9dbh4U

— Cycling in London (@Cycling_In_LDN) April 9, 2024

However, not everyone was falling for the GMB social media intern’s trap.

“This isn’t up for debate, it’s in the Highway Code. 72 per cent of the voters are wrong,” noted Marc, while Sam wrote: “Anyone who chose ‘no’ has failed their driving test”.

Those answering "No" need to read The Highway Code, or hand back their licence. pic.twitter.com/yzWEHZV9qH

— Glasgow Fietser (@FietserGlasgow) April 9, 2024

“The fact that drivers need to be reminded to look out for vulnerable road users tells us everything we need to know about the standard of driving in this country,” added Tom.

Well, all that internet polling ultimately led to a short segment at the very tail end of GMB’s schedule, featuring Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder Donnachadh McCarthy and Manchester taxi driver John Consterdine.

“It’s down to all road users to use the roads safely and sanely,” McCarthy said. “However, it is only drivers who have the power to kill other road users, so the responsibility lies with the driver.

“And something like 70 per cent of drivers close pass, 50 per cent of drivers break the speed limit, and 30 per cent of drivers use mobile phones. I saw two Land Rover drivers on Sunday swanning down a lane on their mobiles. They should be looking for cyclists and the road, not their phones.”

Avid cyclist Jeremy Vine has backed a new campaign after 89% of respondents in a survey admitted that they find it difficult to spot cyclists whilst driving.

But is it drivers’ responsibility to keep cyclists safe? pic.twitter.com/R1aisjcueq

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 9, 2024

“I agree with Donnachadh to a certain extent,” replied John. “But we should have legislation that if drivers have to drive safely, cyclists should also obey the rules of the road.

“If I hit a cyclist, there’s going to be a serious accident. But if a cyclist hits me, then he just cycles away and I’m left with a damaged vehicle.”

Hmmm… Don’t worry, it gets worse.

“Shouldn’t there be training for cyclists? Or a sticker that says ‘Beware, I’m going to do something crazy’.”

> The Highway Code for cyclists — all the rules you need to know for riding on the road explained

Presenter Kate Garraway, seemingly oblivious to the Highway Code, then jumped in by saying she sees a lot of cyclists “wafting across lanes and going through red lights” in London, and questioned why there was no pressure on cyclists to act safely.

“This red light canard needs to be put to bed,” interjected McCarthy. “99 per cent of people who get killed by people breaking red lights are killed by drivers breaking the red light.

“In Holland, 70 per cent of kids cycle to school and they do it safely. It’s two per cent in Britain. We’re way behind Europe.”

And finally, Labour politician-turned-dancing enthusiast Ed Balls got involved, asking whether cycle lanes and cycling infrastructure makes it safer for motorists, before John threw in a few more chestnuts about pavement riding and e-bike speeds, and Kate asked, rather remarkably, “Is that the answer? Some kind of enforced Highway Code, like a driving test, insurance and responsibility, for cyclists?”

Now, imagine that, actually reading the Highway Code…

After Sunday’s men’s edition of Paris-Roubaix, much was made of Mathieu van der Poel’s pristine hands, after the world champion put in one of the race’s great rides, attacking with 60km to go to secure a Flanders-Roubaix double in the rainbow jersey, in what turned out to be the fastest Queen of the Classics ever.

MVDP's hands after #ParisRoubaix. As if nothing happened... 🦁

📸 Roxanne Bertels pic.twitter.com/336VKI8JhC

— Domestique (@Domestique___) April 8, 2024

And while the pre-race discourse centred on the dangers of the cobblestones, particularly in the Arenberg Forest, one rider who emulated Van der Poel on Sunday (by going gloveless that is, not destroying the field) reckoned those notorious rough roads “weren’t too bad at all”, actually.

Yorkshire-born Irish rider Patrick Casey made his debut on Sunday in the junior race for Bora-Hansgrohe development team Grenke-Auto Eder, whose young Dane Theodor Clemmensen finished fifth in that controversial sprint in the velodrome.

And despite the 18-year-old’s flyweight climber’s frame, Casey coped admirably well on the jagged cobbles of the 111km U19 race (like the women’s race, the only five-star sector missing from the juniors’ route is the fearsome Arenberg), finishing 30th, despite crashing twice in quick succession on Mons-en-Pévèle and hitting the deck again on Carrefour de l’Arbre.

That relatively smooth ride, the youngster noted, owed much to the tailwind that propelled Van der Poel to his record-breaking ride.

“It was a nice time out on my last ever Paris-Roubaix,” the 18-year-old laughed when I asked him what he thought of his debut on the Hell of the North’s cobbles.

“No, it wasn’t too bad, actually. I kind of found that only the more serious sectors, the four stars and five stars, really felt like you were racing on cobbles. I think the easier sectors, when you hit them at race speed given the tailwind today, really weren’t too bad at all.

“Especially given I wasn’t on the front much – expect on Mons-en-Pévèle, I was driving the split – when you’re on the wheels with a tailwind like that, you hit them with such speed that the gaps kind of disappear and everything smooths out.

“It was just one of those classic days at Roubaix really, a lot of carnage, not a lot of control.”

That analysis of the tailwind’s effect on the race was verified by Casey’s Grenke-Auto Eder DS and Bora’s head of scouting, Christian Schrot, who told me that the favourable gusts even made it easier for the team cars to navigate the cobbles.

Casey secured his spot on the Bora development team through the talent-spotting Red Bull Junior Brothers programme, the 2024 round of which ends on 30 April (in case you’re a budding junior looking to turn pro), but that high-powered backing doesn’t mean he’s immune to the old school discipline of European cycling.

> Bora-Hansgrohe and Red Bull launch global talent scouting programme

The Irish rider, who you can hear from in full on an upcoming episode of the road.cc Podcast, accidentally packed two right hand gloves for Roubaix – and with the team willing to instil some tough lessons in their budding pros, he was forced to ride his first Hell of the North gloveless.

“The options were one inside out, or no gloves. I tried to make some out of tape, but it hasn’t really worked,” he said, sitting on a bench overlooking the Roubaix velodrome after the race, showcasing his blistered hands.

“You’ve gone the whole Van der Poel on your first Roubaix,” I tell him.

“Does he not ride gloves? What a legend,” Casey laughed.

Of course, Casey wasn’t the only Red Bull-backed Yorkshire born rider to have his hands battered by the time he reached Roubaix.

Tom Pidcock, a winner of both the junior and U23 Paris-Roubaix, described the men’s edition as “pretty epic”, before adding that “I mean I couldn’t hold my handlebars at the end, that was my biggest problem.”

What is it with these lads and their lack of gloves? They’ll know it next time there’s a headwind…

We are more than happy to see @rogla back on his bike and smiling. He is in the best hands and we wish him a speedy recovery! #BORAhansgrohe #BandofBrothers pic.twitter.com/o9wSQLiLSq

— BORA – hansgrohe (@BORAhansgrohe) April 9, 2024

The stretch between Sunday’s Hell of the North and tomorrow’s Brabantse Pijl can feel a bit long, so luckily for us the Giro d’Abruzzo, an Italian stage race last held way back in 2007 but revived for this year, got underway today, with a chaotic sprint in Pescara which saw Bardiani’s Enrico Zanoncello beat JCL’s Matteo Malucelli in a super-tight photo finish:

Attacchi su attacchi, ma a Pescara è sprint! Il finale è da fotofinish! Rivivi l'ultimo chilometro della tappa di oggi ⤵️

Attacks everywhere, but a sprint in Pescara, and the smallest of gaps to decide the winner.

Relive the Ultimo Kilometro ⤵️#IlGirodAbruzzo | @Livigno pic.twitter.com/g9DnE3OhUx

— Il Giro d'Abruzzo (@ilGirodAbruzzo) April 9, 2024

And I’m not joking when I say it was a very close call:

🎵 So close he could almost taste it #IlGirodAbruzzo #TudorWatch pic.twitter.com/f6eUBtPTUM

— Il Giro d'Abruzzo (@ilGirodAbruzzo) April 9, 2024

Reigning two-time Tour de France Jonas Vingegaard’s participation in cycling’s biggest race remains up in the air, after Visma-Lease a Bike today confirmed that the Dane’s recovery time is currently unclear following successful collarbone surgery.

In the wake of last week’s horror crash at the Tour of the Basque Country, Vingegaard was first treated for pneumothorax, before the operations on his fractures could take place.

This morning, Visma-Lease a Bike said in a statement that the 27-year-old’s surgery on his broken collarbone was “successful”.

“He will now spend the next few weeks recovering. It is not yet clear how long this will take,” the team said.

“He is doing well and expresses his gratitude to everyone for their kind words over the past few days.”

> "I had to change four times": Florian Sénéchal blames "technical problem" with Bianchi at Paris-Roubaix

The story about the woman who threw a cap at Mathieu van der Poel, in an apparent act of sabotage as the world champion cruised to one of the most dominant Paris-Roubaix wins of all time, has taken a few more bizarre turns, after it was reported in Belgium that the ‘fan’ in question was a corporate guest at a VIP tent where various companies had invited clients.

She was also revealed to be a fan of the Dutch superstar – perhaps indicating that her actions weren’t malicious – while the company who apparently invited her to stand on the Mérignies à Avelin sector say that she plans to “turn herself in”.

Oh, and there’s also a conspiracy theory floating around claiming she’s the same woman from ‘Allez Opi-Omi’ infamy at the Tour de France. Cycling is a strange sport sometimes…

Read more: > Paris-Roubaix spectator who threw cap at Mathieu van der Poel's bike will face "action", riders' union promises

I’m not afraid to admit it, but for some reason (well, Paris-Roubaix) the whole Rishi Sunak ruining Adidas Sambas thing passed me by at the weekend.

For those of you also unaware of the PM’s latest internet-fuelled furore (okay, that might be a bit strong), last Thursday Sunak appeared in a Downing Street Instagram interview, promoting his tax policies, wearing a pair of white Sambas, “this year’s It-footwear” and the “shoe of the season” (apparently)… completely ruining their hard-fought reputation in one short, almost certainly waffling clip.

It's like if Boris Johnson showed up head to toe in Rapha in the mid-2010s. I think.

With trainer hipsters now battling to reclaim the Sambas from Britain’s least charismatic prime minister of all time, Evening Standard food and drink writer Josh Barrie decided to buy a personalised pair – only to find out that he’s accidentally bought some Velosambas, the tree-striped brand’s foray into the SPD cycling market (and which received a just okay 7/10 from road.cc reviewer George back in January).

Because Rishi Sunak ruined Adidas Sambas, I decided to buy a pair. Unfortunately I bought cycling ones by mistake. I can’t return them because I put ‘what’s for pudding’ down the side for a laugh. Rare that I’m actually annoyed. Today I am pic.twitter.com/NAsOunNsfO

— Josh Barrie (@joshbythesea) April 8, 2024

And poor Josh wasn’t happy with his purchase (especially his impulse decision to add a jokey personalised touch, rendering them null and void on the resale market).

“Because Rishi Sunak ruined Adidas Sambas, I decided to buy a pair,” he wrote.

“Unfortunately I bought cycling ones by mistake. I can’t return them because I put ‘what’s for pudding’ down the side for a laugh. Rare that I’m actually annoyed. Today I am.”

> Adidas Velosamba COLD.RDY Cycling Shoes

Despite his rather oblivious purchase (at £130 a pair, that’s a lot of money to spend on shoes without checking they have a space for cleats), Josh still resisted the urge to “reclaim the Sambas” or even take up cycling a bit more.

“Can everyone please stop telling me to start cycling,” he added later. “I enjoy it as a recreational activity on a normal bike without clippy bits for bike hooves but I’m not going to start wearing Lycra, turning up to meetings looking like a sweaty piece of road ham.”

Well it wouldn’t be a blog story without some derogatory reference to Lycra and cyclists in general, would it?

May as well buy a bike* a go for a bike ride, that’ll cheer you up.

*and some Velosamba compatible pedals.

— Lee Davies (@leejdavies) April 8, 2024

I have double sided pedals on my commuter bike, they can be used without the lycra. pic.twitter.com/nDqQia28Zw

— Halli🌳 (@HalliStein) April 8, 2024

Although as others pointed out, I think Josh missed the point of what the Velosambas are actually for. Because, as a few of our readers noted at the time, as cool as they are, they might be a bit too cool for racing…

This is where French GCSE comes in handy

— James (@LaursenB) April 9, 2024

Or as James helpfully pointed out, maybe Josh should Google what ‘velo’ means before splashing out on jazzy trainers because a doomed politician wore them… Just a thought.