Local politics is funny. Funny peculiar, not necessarily funny haha. Without ideological constraints or a hunger for high power, the politicians can be less predictable and more open-minded to doing things you couldn’t imagine the party higher-ups signing off.

Here are some highlights from the last year alone:

> Tory MP blasts Labour council’s active travel proposal… for not being ambitious enough

> Green Party councillors in Bath oppose lit, protected bike lane proposal through park

> Reform UK-led council champions multi-million pound cycling schemes in split from national party policy

Today’s bit of eyebrow-raising news comes from the latter category of the three, where we have a Reform councillor lending his support to one of the biggest single pieces of urban cycling infrastructure we can think of.

The A38 Bristol Road cycle scheme in Birmingham would see 3.7 miles of cycle lane created either on the central reservation or on the west side of the road. New junction layouts and signalling would also be installed, with it coming to a cost of £22.5 million. And George Hall, newly elected Reform UK councillor for Northfield, backs it. Writing on Facebook, Hall said, “I personally support this scheme. I believe it represents the right direction of travel towards creating modern, people centered cities, giving residents more options to travel safely and conveniently as you expect from the second city of the UK.

“Providing safe, accessible cycling infrastructure between South Birmingham and the city centre is something I believe will benefit our communities in the long term.”

Hall went on to make clear to his constituents that the £22.5 million comes from various surplus revenues and central government funds and would not make direct use of the council’s own funds. He also, perhaps bracing for criticism, included details of a local consultation indicating residents supported the infrastructure.

Thankfully, criticism was hard to find in the comments:

“Hi George, thanks for posting this its good to see a Reform Clr not jumping on the culture war bandwagon. Too often cycling is seen as a dividing line politically, and it’s often treated as a left-wing thing. That shouldn’t be the case.

“I think this A38 route is very much needed. It makes even more sense now that Lime bikes are being used so much around the city. It’s in a really good location, and running it along the central reservation means it doesn’t take anything away from the main road either. If I’m honest, I’m quite surprised more people don’t support it.”

“Get it built. I long for the day our cities are more like the Netherlands where cycling is actively promoted as the best way of getting around.”

“Refreshing to see a Reform councillor support this. I feared it would be branded as woke and anti motorist. It’s a great bit of investment that generations can use for years to come and will hopefully help people be more active and less reliant on cars.”

“It looks great in Selly Oak on the central reservation and it’ll look great here too. Hopefully it’ll make the main road safer for cyclists and traffic. That’s got to be top priority.”

And there’s a little bit of political support from local Labour MP Laurence Turner. “There’s so much disagreement in politics that it’s important to welcome agreement across party lines. I’m glad that there is local Reform backing for the A38 cycleway extension.

“It makes no sense to leave the cycling infrastructure unfinished at Selly Oak. There’s no single best way to get around – people should have access to a range of practical and pleasant options, including driving, efficient buses and trains, and walking and cycling.

“There’s a claim that goes around. You might have seen it: that the money could have been spent on other transport priorities, such as road repairs. But that isn’t the case. It is ringfenced, national grant funding, which can only be spent on walking and cycling. And again, credit where it is due – the [previous Conservative] Mayoralty under Andy Street played a role in applying for that funding, even if the local Conservatives later opposed it.”

Well there we are, some thought-provoking good news for all involved. My main takeaway is that the Department for Transport and Active Travel England have played a blinder in allocating money conditionally to councils, meaning that the infrastructure gains local champions across the country who can hail the benefits of the investment.

Compare that to the feeling it’s being ‘imposed’ from high above by politicians seen as too powerful and out of touch. It also depoliticises the good cause of cycling, which is surely something to celebrate, lest we get involved in dreaded culture wars…

The wonder of Ryan being on holiday in Lombardy is that he can snap the star everyone wants to see…

> Brutal climbs, ‘proper’ gravel, and a star-studded startlist: Here’s what to expect from the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships Down Under

The last time the final monument of the season wasn’t won by Tadej Pogacar, the race was won by Jakob Fuglsang. Remember him? There is another former winner I want to talk about but we’ll get to him.This year’s Tour of Lombardy is, dare I say, not that difficult.  The race ends in a circuit (fair enough) but still only climbs the prestigious Madonna del Ghisallo and Civiglio climbs once! With almost as much climbing in the calmer first half of the race as the second, it maybe in hindsight feels like a mistake for Mathieu van der Poel to skip the race, given the way he was climbing at the world championships, but of course it’s the end of a rather long season.

Two riders who will be lining up are Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic. Remarkably, this is the first and only time the pair will start a race as teammates, having been kept apart thus far by their Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe bosses. Both can claim to be on excellent form after each claiming glory at the European Championships and both men have podiumed this race behind Pogacar in the past, Evenepoel doing so last year. How their teamwork plays out will be great to watch.

Elsewhere, Paul Seixas brings about as strong a team as he can to support his ambitions, having finished seventh this time last year. Tiesj Benoot, Nicolas Prodhomme and Matthew Riccitello are among the riders no doubt ready to ride a hard pace they hope their 20-year-old leader can attack from.

Isaac del Toro and Brandon McNulty headline UAE’s line-up, though on any other team Adam Yates, Jan Christen and Felix Grossschartner would probably be considered leaders in their own right. Visma-Lease a Bike also bring options with Davide Piganzoli, Matteo Jorgenson and Ben Tulett all potential options for the finale.

Tom Pidcock is back, as is Ben Healy. Then there’s a point where you can just name names, Tobias Halland Johannessen, Michael Storer, Mikel Landa, Oscar Onley, Enric Mas, Giulio Ciccone in Lidl colours for the final time.

But I want to write about Bauke Mollema. And because I have the admin access to this page, I’m afraid you can’t stop me. The 39-year-old is set to hold a couple of records outright that few thought would be broken, becoming the rider with both the most starts and finishes of Il Lombardia. It’s also impressive considering he won the damn thing in 2019.

He first rode this race in 2008! George Bush was President for heaven’s sake! People had Blackberry’s and Nokia’s. In fact, 18 is a bit of a ceiling for the record number of monuments ridden. Only the great Briek Schotte, who rode and finished Paris-Roubaix a whopping 20 times, has ridden a single monument more times.

Anyway, I’m getting distracted. To mark the final race of Mollema’s career, he’s been given a special bike to mark the occasion. And in my opinion, it’s a lovely bit of kit…

I at least would like to wish Bauke a very happy retirement!

Cyclocross supremo Lucinda Brand has announced she is leaving Lidl-Trek. It’s an announcement we wouldn’t normally cover, but it’s clear there’s something bigger at play.

The two-time World Champion and four-time World Cup winner has spent the past few years riding in the winter for the Het Poetsbureau Lions, a Belgian cyclocross team before returning to her primary paymaster for the road season. Lidl-Trek offered to continue supporting Brand for the off-season, but insisted she move in house and abandon her coach, former multiple world champion Sven Nys. For Brand, that was “never really a choice.”

“Some things in life are bigger than results, contracts or opportunities. Loyalty. Trust. Family.

“Sven and this cyclocross family have always stood by me. Through the highs and lows. They gave me a place to be myself, to grow and, most importantly, to be happy. And no matter what, I would never turn my back on that.”

Brand will instead continue riding cross for the Lions, and says she’ll announce her new road team next week. The key line for us in her announcement though was this:

“On the road, I found that same passion and fire in @lguercilena73”, a reference to Luca Guercilana, the team’s long-time General Manager who left the team earlier this year to be replaced by Andy Schleck and a much more German managerial structure.

Brand is one of several riders to have paid tribute to Guercilana, who now works for Giro organiser RCS, and has hinted at dissatisfaction among several riders with the new structure that has come in.

Perhaps the best embodiment of this is Giulio Ciccone, for many years the team’s star rider who earlier this year wore the maglia rosa at the Giro. Now despite having a contract for next season, his departure was announced today, with perhaps the most curt statement possible:

“After eight seasons together, the Team and Giulio have reached the mutual decision to part ways, which means Il Lombardia will be the Italian’s final race in Lidl-Trek colours. We want to thank Giulio for all he has done for the team and wish him all the best for the future.”

Grand Tour stages, Monument podiums, one day wins and mountains jerseys. Yet nothing more than a perfunctory statement, despite Lidl-Trek authorising Ciccone’s departure. Maybe it’s nothing, and we’re reading too much into it all, but it’s clear the managerial overhaul is having some major consequences on the team.

If you’re protective of your data and whereabouts, you have some new companies you might wish to avoid…

> Teen who started out building flamethrowers creates AI micromobility camera; Deliveroo bans illegal e-bikes; wacky seven-seater e-bike unveiled in USA + more

Sadly, the women’s cycling season ends with much more of a whimper than a bang following the cancellation of the women’s Tour of Guangxi, though it’s debatable how much of a bang a race watched and cared about by very few people even is.

Consequently, the UCI enabled teams to opt out of travelling to the Tour of Chongming Island is, due to the high travel costs associated with the journey. Only 69 riders lined up on the startline, including five Women’s WorldTour teams. Not that anyone was ever likely to prevent a Lorena Wiebes sprint finish in any event…

Saves having to search the tyre for the rubbery marking…

I’ve decided I need this badly. At $55 (plus whatever shipping charge the US President decrees on a whim) it’s not exactly a cheap stocking filler mind you…

The news we were pondering yesterday is official, that Egan Bernal is seriously considering retirement despite the 29-year-old having a contract until 2029.

Here’s his quite moving statement in full:

I wanted to share some thoughts with you about the phase I am currently going through, both personally and professionally.

First of all, I have a contract with the team until the end of 2029, and for now, I intend to start the upcoming season. After so many years dedicated to cycling, I feel I have given this sport the best years of my life, both as a cyclist and as a person. I have made sacrifices I never imagined, won races that once seemed like impossible dreams, and experienced incredible moments as well as very difficult ones; yet today, I can look back with peace of mind, proud of everything I have done and achieved, with no regrets.

Over time, I have also learned that this sport isn’t just about results, victories, or sacrifices. It is also about enjoying the journey and finding the motivation to keep doing what you love.

This year, I decided to end my season after the Tour de France. I felt I needed some time for myself—to rest, to disconnect a little, and to regain the peace of mind that can sometimes slip away amidst the relentless pace of competition.

I have spoken with the team and the people around me, and we are all on the same page: I want to give myself the time and space needed to face what lies ahead with the same conviction and dedication I have always had.

I don’t know exactly what the coming years hold for me, and I don’t think I need to know everything right now, either.

What I am certain of is that, as long as I keep competing, I want to do so with the conviction that I still have a lot to offer. It isn’t simply about continuing for the sake of it, but about having the motivation, the physical and mental strength, and the drive to remain competitive and make a difference.

For now, I want to enjoy the present, live this moment calmly, and let time take its course.

It’s a slightly sad statement, to read that Bernal seems to have fallen out of love with the sport he has spent his life devoted to. Then again, there’s something heart-warming to read both that he is determined to keep competing at the top, and doesn’t want to trundle along in the peloton picking up payslips when the legs won’t deliver what they once could. His honesty is fantastic.

Incidentally, on the same day we’re processing Bernal’s announcement, we’ve received news from two cyclists who are themselves leaving the sport.

Robin Orins, a 24-year-old still on his first pro contract for Lotto-Intermarche, citing the mental health difficulties he has had in the past year.

“After months of rebuilding myself, I got back on my feet. But I realised how much energy it had taken and how difficult it was to find the old Robin again. No matter how badly I wanted it, the downs were too frequent.

“This year, I wanted to return happy instead of unhappy. I wanted to enjoy the bike, the people around me, the suffering and, above all, feel fulfilled again. But things didn’t turn out as hoped. No matter how hard I worked, my body said “no”. Now my head and heart are saying “no” too.”

At an even younger age, Louic Boussemaere, a 20-year-old riding for Decathlon CMA-CGM’s development team, announced yesterday he was quitting the sport, saying “Mentally, things have become difficult, and the love and passion for the sport are no longer the same.”

It does all suggest that the stresses and strains of modern racing are far greater than they have been in the past, that it’s become much harder to commit yourself to the job of an elite athlete than before.Simon Yates, stage 10, 2025 Tour de France (Image Credit: ASO/Billy Ceusters)

Simon Yates was maybe a canary in this particular coalmine, quitting almost as soon as he realised his head wasn’t in it anymore. Or maybe we could go further back to Tom Dumoulin, who briefly quit the sport before returning and then retiring for good at the age of 31.

Our best wishes to Robin, Louic and Egan for whatever comes next…

The online discourse of traders unwilling to accept the utilitarian functionality of cargo bikes continues!

> “A lot of businesses would be surprised by just how much modern electric cargo bikes can carry”: London Assembly member responds to mockery over comments suggesting tradespeople switch to cargo bikes

Long-term readers of this page will be aware of our semi-regular dive onto Reddit for examples of people using cargo bikes to carry all sorts. In fact, to prove a point, here’s the first thing that came up when I did a trawl on the subject…

“I have multiple near misses in this intersection due to some drivers not recognizing that the very left traffic light is for bicycle and run red occasionally, last week nearly got smashed by a scaffolding lorry and van behind it, they even have the audacity to mock me from inside when I shout to them.

“Now instead of hitting the button for cyclist I’m using the one for pedestrians as it creates windows where all of the lights are red and I can cross relatively safely, I always try to respect the red lights but this is one of the examples where actually waiting for green light can be extremely dangerous!”

> Bike helmet saved Dylan van Baarle’s life says Pauline Ferrand-Prévot after Dutchman’s collision with car driver weeks before their wedding