After a rough couple of weeks for Team Visma | Lease a Bike that has seen the team dealt a bad hand injury-wise, can they bounce back at Amstel Gold Race?"Next Sunday, we want to show ourselves as a Dutch formation in a homegrown classic, spurred on by the Limburg audience," previews Frans Maassen i...

As part of his breakthrough Spring in 2023, Ben Healy was a star performer at the Amstel Gold Race, eventually coming home second behind Tadej Pogacar.The Irish National Champion returns this time around with hopes of going one better and standing on the top step of the podium. “It is just constant...

Ben Healy (EF Education EasyPost) may have already enjoyed significant success before his ride to 2nd place in Amstel Gold Race last April, but it was his performance in the Dutch classic that announced him as a contender for the biggest one-day races in the world. Healy dropped Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) in pursuit of […] The post Ben Healy ready for Amstel Gold return | “It’s just relentless all day” appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

Long read: After a recent backlash to cycle routes, which are still under construction in the Tallaght area, councillors have blamed the national Government, the National Transport Authority and even NGOs for cycle paths when their own policy includes promoting cycling and reducing car use. The March meeting of the Tallaght Area Committee was the third in a row where cycling was on the agenda. One councillor took issue with the use of the term “vulnerable road users”; another said that motorists are now vulnerable road users, and another claimed a road which is 600 metres long and only services a housing estate is an “arterial road”. Based on the January meeting, this website reported that a number of councillors voiced concerns against a proposed route, with only a Green Party councillor voicing support for it. While based on the February meeting, IrishCycle.com then reported how Sinn Féin and independent councillors claimed cycle lanes are making roads more dangerous. Cllr Louise Dunne (Sinn Féin), the chairperson of the local committee, said: “I’m not going to be mindful of what I say.” Shortly afterwards, she said: “I’ve kind of got lambasted for the things I’ve said in this chamber about these cycle lanes, and like I said, I don’t want to be pitting anybody against each other.” Cllr Dunne said: “I had been challenged when I was saying that we’re technically being forced to leave our cars and to go out on bikes and walk and all of that kind of stuff, and Stephen [an official] thankfully sent us over the model that they are using, it’s the hierarchy [of road users] is the model — active travel is the number one priority, public transport is second and cars have your least priority — there you go, it just confirms what I’ve been saying in the chamber and what people have been challenging on me saying that it’s not.” The hierarchy of road users is a high-level policy that prioritises safety and promotes walking, cycling, and public transport. It does not involve forcing people out of their cars, but it does aim to reduce car use. “But I don’t always get things right. I was also informed that this is a Government policy that was in place before the Greens. I’m sure the Greens have been pushing it because it’s part of their policies as well,” she said. She agreed that the Development Plan was one of the areas councillors still had reserved power over. The South Dublin County Council Development Plan 2022-2028, which was voted on by councillors in June 2022, outlines that “…investment in active travel and public transport infrastructure remains at thetop of the hierarchy…”. One of the Development Plan’s objectives, which are agreed on individually, states: “Re-balance movement priorities towards sustainable modes of travel by prioritising the development of walking and cycling facilities and encouraging a shift to active travel for people of all ages and abilities, in line with the County targets.” Another objective seeks to: “Promote a significant shift from car-based travel to public transport in line withCounty targets and facilitate the sustainable development of the County by supporting and guiding national agencies in delivering major improvements to the public transport network.” The targets in the plan — which is also agreed on by councillors — includes reducing driving’s modal share of trips from 62% to 50%. (article continues below video) Cllr Teresa Costello (Fianna Fáil) said there are “full communities feeling dismissed and unheard. Real safety concerns [are] disregarded. It is very frustrating and these section 38s they’re actually just steamrolling their way through our area, causing a huge amount of upset and upheaval in the area, and like I’m I I can’t believe how angry people are, and I can’t believe how people aren’t being heard like the amount of disruption it’s cause.” Cllr Costello said: “Every time we ask a question, we get DMURS quoted to us — I hate DMURS, I actually hate that document.” She had two motions, which were passed. The first was that the area committee “Writes to the Minister of Transport to express our concerns at the Section 38 process and the lack of input councillors have on works being carried out within the Tallaght area given the current high volume of section 38 projects happening simultaneously”. The second asked that a representative from the National Transport Authority (NTA) attend the Tallaght Area Committee to “answer questions that Local Councillors have in relation to recent and planned works and an explanation of DMURS.” The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) is a mandatory national design guidance for urban streets and roads under 60km/h. It is a joint document by the Department of Housing and the Department of Transport and is also supported by the South Dublin County Development Plan, which councillors signed off on. Cllr Mick Duff (independent) said: “The engineers are great, and they’ll come out [to look at the road], but as Cllr Costello said, they’re reading from DMURS, they’re telling us ‘there it is’.” One of the junctions which councillors focused on was the junction of Dalepark Road and Firhouse Road West. Dalepark Road links with Heatherview Road and forms a U-shape back out onto Firhouse Road West. The road serves an area of housing and circles back out into Firhouse Road West. As Dalepark Road only allows for access to houses and does not have any through-road function, it would not fit into any definition of an arterial road. However, Cllr Duff claimed: “We’re looking at a road [Dalepark Road] that would be, in our opinion, an arterial road not a small road into an estate, not a small road within an estate, and, you know, it’s even being used on the Castletymon Road which is a major distributor road, it couldn’t in any make shape or form be called the side road into anywhere but yet Section 38…” The powers under Section 38 of the Road Traffic Acts also apply to any road, and DMURS—which has been in effect for the last ten years— applies to nearly all urban roads. Cllr Patrick Holohan (independent) incorrectly claimed that the Government, which he referred to as a “bunch of brats in Leinster House”, are “able to launch a Section 38”. Only councils can use Section 38, and councillors have powers to overrule the council executive where enough councillors disagree with an action being taken by officials. Cllr Holohan said: “To be able to see that the Government can can launch a Section 38 and create the havoc that they have created out there but not only that but just jam it down your throat by people who who are funded by the Government to tell you that these things are working as well I’d like to see some of the reports of the people that are not funded by the Government on this and the setup of it because I’m no engineer but I’m not stupid.” “And common sense prevails when you look at this road, and you look at the cars, and you look at what’s going on, and then all you do is to speak to the people that are actually living in the areas so they’re all wrong every one of them is wrong, we’re all wrong, they’re all wrong, and anybody else that maybe has a piece of paper that they probably pay it to put together with a report through an NGO or through some sort of other group that’s being set up and we have to swallow that we don’t accept that,” he said. His motion, which was also agreed but is non-binding on officials, said that the “Tallaght area committee calls on SDCC to not reduce road space in the Tallaght area when installing cycle tracks”. When introducing the motion, he said, “I’m nothing against cycle tracks,” but he said he was asking officials to “leave our roads alone.” Cllr Holohan claimed a year ago that it would have been a “conspiracy theory” to say that the Green Party was trying to get drivers out of their cars, but it’s unclear what he was talking about because it is open Green Party policy to reduce car use and car dependency and get more people walking, cycling and using public transport. He also took issue with a response from council officials that said the active travel projects are addressing issues for “vulnerable road users.” The phrase “vulnerable road users” is widely used to refer to people walking and cycling because they are more vulnerable than people in cars. He said: “I think bringing the idea of vulnerable people into it to make it go forward is like another tactic of virtue basically. I’m not blaming that on the council, but I’m saying that that’s what I see as a tactic.” Cllr Kieran Mahon said: “The nature of the conversation we’re having now isn’t about a cycle lane at Firhouse Road West or wherever, it’s the lack of democracy in local government.” “The conclusion for me is why people [councillors] come in week after week, month after month, and year after year and hold up the charade by voting for every single budget that comes on front of them, voting for every single local area plan that comes in front of them, and every single development plan that comes on front of them and the stand back and say ‘Oh, nobody listens to us’,” he said. “There’s a bit of a charade being played out now because people in Firhouse Road West and other places are rightly annoyed by the disruption to their area,” he said. He added: “We can’t hide behind the fact that it’s undemocratic or that you feel you’ve been disempowered when it’s this council that’s been holding up to the structure of that since as long as anybody wants to remember.” Responding to the above point, Cllr Costello said: “I thought they [the budgets] were fair and it swung something for our area… our communities have benefited from [the funding], and that’s why I’ve always voted in favour of the [council] budget.” Cllr Cathal King (Sinn Féin) said: “What’s happening now and if you go up Whitestown Way, Aylesbury and Killinarden, the vulnerable Road users are now becoming the motorists because it’s so dangerous on certain turns and coming out of the estates, and that they are vulnerable because of so little space on the roads as a result of is.” He claimed the narrowing of the roads would result in more crashes between motorists. But international evidence shows that narrower streets result in fewer injuries and deaths from crashes. On the level of complaints councillors are receiving, he said: “It’s crazy when you think of the amount of issues with housing and homelessness and with the cost of living and all sorts of bad issues in our area and the State as a whole at the moment that this has become the largest issue generally in both Tallaght Central and Tallaght South due to the Firhouse Road West and Killinarden [cycle routes].” Cllr King said that it was Government policy that disempowered councillors. Referring to Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors, he said “People are talking out of both sides of their mouths” and he said: “Some people will get elected on this the way they fought it, but they are actually fighting against their own Government policy.” Cllr Charlie O’Connor (Fianna Fáil) talked for a few minutes about the issue of Firhouse Road West without outlining his issue with it. Cllr Vanessa Mulhall (Green Party) said: “I’m just wondering what kind of what questions like that we are asking that like our own active travel team and our own engineers can’t answer. Because like they’re they’re well versed in the strategy and the national cycle strategy.” Michael McAdam, a senior engineer with South Dublin County Council, said: “Yes, I think myself and the team would be well placed to answer most questions that arise. I think this motion arises from a policy issue rather than a technical issue, but I’m happy to send on the letter [requesting the NTA attend a meeting with councillors].” (article continues below) He said: “I don’t know whether they will attend. They attended the full council meeting in October, and they came out previously when an issue arose a few years ago and spoke to councillors directly. McAdam said that one of the “hoops” that the council has to go through is guidelines, including the National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland, on the efficient of use of the funding. He said: “It is seen by the NTA that road space relocation is an efficient way of doing it.” He said that on Whitestown Way, the original cycle track (pictured above) was used by pedestrians, and the council is now accepting that there is a demand for a footpath along the road.

Do rooftop tents tickle your fancy? Or perhaps you have one already? Are you into road trips, cool cars and outdoor adventures? Then here’s your chance: apply for our DOWNTOWN road trip adventure and test the most exciting rooftop tents with our editorial team. We’re currently testing 11 of the most interesting rooftop tents for our DOWNTOWN magazine. As a grand finale to our big rooftop comparison test, from the 8th to the 11th of May 2024 we’ll be going on an exciting road trip, which will include bikes, kayaks, BBQ and some questionable dancing. Apply now to be part of the most exciting road trip of the year! We’ll start the trip in Stuttgart, but we’re not going to tell you where we’ll be heading! One thing’s for sure: it’s going to be awesome! Just in case you don’t know DOWNTOWN yet: Whether you’re a mountain biker or roadie, a gravel hero or eMTB enthusiast, DOWNTOWN is THE magazine for everyday life. Whether you live in the suburbs or the big city, it’s the perfect read if you’re looking for something special in everyday life, if you love diversity and want some inspiration to lead a modern, outdoor-loving lifestyle. DOWNTOWN offers the best buying advice for the nicer things in life, regardless of whether you’re looking for a rooftop tent, an espresso machine, a cargo bike, an electric car or a fancy Japanese knife. The magazine is also filled with inspiration and new perspectives: we’ve been to the sex club for you, listened to an AI-generated band and held the first bike fashion photo shoot in Paris – and we’ll also explore some ways to see more of the world, without travelling. There’s so much to discover in everyday life and that’s exactly what we’re doing, so if you already enjoy our other magazines GRAN FONDO, ENDURO or E-MOUNTAINBIKE, you might like to come along for the ride with DOWNTOWN too. Jump in, fasten your seatbelt and sign up for our DT newsletter – because we’re really going to take off in 2024! Sounds awesome – what are the requirements for taking part in our road trip? Who can come along? Anyone! Whether you’re a total newbie, a weekend overlander or a seasoned vanlife veteran, everyone is welcome, and guaranteed to get their money’s worth! We have rooftop tents that can accommodate up to 6 (!) people, so you can come alone, or you can bring your family and friends. Crucially: “take it easy” is our motto – we want to have the time of our lives together. Limelight hog or shy little frog? During our road trip, we’ll be accompanied by a media team that will be taking photos and videos. In a nutshell, you’ll appear in the magazine and shouldn’t be photo-shy, but rather keen to act in front of the cameras! Of course, we’ll also give you some photos for your private album, Insta and co. once the trip is over! What type of vehicle do I need for the road trip? Whether it’s a Range Rover Classic, Fiat Panda 4X4 or Porsche Taycan, we just love unique, good-looking cars. It’s no coincidence that part of our crew will be made up of our good friends at the HEIZR Club. The route options ensure that both off-road and on-road drivers get their money’s worth. What outdoor equipment do I need to bring? No matter which car you use, there’s a few things you’ll need to bring: camping equipment and functioning outdoor equipment. The latter really depends on which activities you want to engage in: a bike (in good working order), kayak, hiking boots, trail running shoes or simply a hammock and sun screen for a relaxing nap in the warm afternoon sun All outdoor activities are optional and we’ll split up according to the current mood, so it’s not necessary to bring all your outdoor toys. Can you survive in the great outdoors? Another important detail: you should be self-sufficient, although we’re already planning to have a few cheeky BBQs and stops for fine barista coffee. And it’s entirely up to you whether you prefer to pack your precious silverware, champagne glasses and silk bed-linen, or travel light with a set of outdoor kitchenware with ultra-light cutlery, alloy mugs, carbon plates and NASA sleeping bags. Of course, it should all fit in your own boot! And that’s about it for the initial info! One thing’s for sure: get ready for some rad secret spots, a fabulously laid-back group, and maybe a few surprises along the way! Sounds good, right? Then apply now! Apply here The application deadline is at 2 pm on 17.04.2024. Der Beitrag Fancy an epic road trip? Come with us for our unique roof-top tent comparison test! erschien zuerst auf GRAN FONDO Cycling Magazine.

The Frenchman still managed to finish ninth at Milan-San Remo, miraculously

Cyclist How to watch the Amstel Gold Race 2024 The Ardennes week kicks off in flamboyant fashion this weekend at the Amstel Gold Race. Yes, the days of riding on cobblestone roads are over and done with, allowing the race calendar to turn its focus towards the green hills of Benelux. Named after the popular Amsterdam-based beer, the men’s and women’s Amstel Gold offer a tricky lasso-like profile through Netherlands’ hilliest province, Limburg. Clocking up a total of 157km for the women, and 253km for the men, the Amstel Gold will be decided by the climbs of the Cauberg, Bemmelerberg and Geulhemmerberg. Last year, as part of her spring symphony, Demi Vollering (SD Worx) took the women’s title in a rainy Valkenburg. Later in the afternoon, Tadej Pogačar faced little opposition in the Dutch hills as he cruised to victory in his debut Amstel Gold Race. Related Posts Every Mathieu van der Poel Monument performance ranked Amstel Gold Race 2024: Route, TV guide, start list and all you need to know Classics power play: Mathieu van der Poel’s incredible Amstel Gold winning power data Cycling spring Classics 2024: Race dates, Monuments, cobbles and live TV guide How to watch men’s and women’s Amstel Gold 2024 Amstel Gold Race With a stacked startlist for the women’s race and another chance to ‘witness greatness’ from Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel on the men’s side — you won’t want to miss the grand overture to the Ardennes classics on Sunday 14th April. The 2024 Amstel Gold races will be available to watch in the UK on Eurosport and Discovery+ for £6.99 per month with the basic package, which includes cycling and all other Eurosport programmes. It will also be shown on the TV channel Eurosport 1 in the UK. If it’s not being shown in your country, you may be able to watch coverage using a VPN – Virtual Private Network – which allows users to mask their IP address and watch geo-blocked content, provided they don’t need to pay for a subscription. This is also helpful for watching paid-for coverage while travelling abroad in countries without access.   One such example is ExpressVPN, which is very well reviewed, helps users to find way to watch cycling without having to pay for broadcasters services, and costs £5.36 per month, with three months free. Other options include NordVPN, Surfshark and Kapersky. Read more: How to watch cycling post-GCN Full list of broadcasters Amstel Gold Race Eurosport/Discovery: Pan-Europe (including UK), Asia-Pacific (excluding China, Australia, and New Zealand), Japan & Indian subcontinent FloSports/FloBikes: Canada, USA, Australia ESPN: Latin America & Caribbean Sky: New Zealand France TV: France RTBF & VRT: Belgium RAI: Italy, San Marino, Vatican City NOS: Netherlands TVE, TV3: Spain Czech TV: Czech Republic JOJ: Slovakia SRG-SSR: Switzerland DKTV2: Denmark TV2 Norway: Norway Supersport: Sub-Saharan Africa Amstel Gold 2024: What time does coverage start? Tornati Cycling Photography/Amstel Gold Race All times BST and subject to change by broadcasters. Women’s Eurosport 1: 12:00-13:30Discovery+: 12:00-13:35 Men’s Eurosport 1: 13:35-16:00Discovery+: 13:35-16:15 Still living the cobbles? Check out our enormous gallery from Paris-Roubaix The post How to watch the Amstel Gold Race 2024 appeared first on Cyclist.

For the first time since being badly caught up in the horror crash on stage 4 of the 2024 Itzulia Basque Country, TotalEnergies' Steff Cras has now left hospital. In the incident, the 28-year-old Belgian suffered numerous injuries including a collapsed lung, several broken ribs and two broken verteb...

'It was never my intention to offend' insists Soudal Quick-Step boss in contrite statement