Having retired from professional football after an injury-hit spell with Real Madrid, could Chelsea legend Eden Hazard have a future career on two wheels?The 33-year-old Belgian is still clearly in a reasonably good shape despite his retirement as the 2014-15 Premier League Player of the Season rec...

Darren Raffertys performances so far in his neo pro season with EF Education-EasyPost have been rewarded with a call-up to the Word Tour teams line-up for Critrium du Dauphin. The 20-year-old will be one of only two Irish riders in the race as a returned-to-form Sam Bennett lines out for Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale and may []The post Darren Rafferty (20) gets big call-up for Critrium du Dauphin appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

Comment & Analysis: Policy manifestos are a well-used tool by political parties for a media call ahead of local election ampaigns, but very rarely are the headlines about the quality of their contents.One of the few powers remaining with city and county councils are that of road projects, and the prioritisation of users. These have become divisive issues within communities all around Ireland and each party has a slightly different approach to solving them.As we rapidly approach polling day, Sinn Fein, Fianna Fil, Fine Gael, Labour, the Green Party, and the Social Democrats, have all produced their documents, but what are the parties committing too in terms of local transport policy when asking for your number one vote?Sinn FeinThe shortest manifesto is Sinn Feins, although theyre the only party to publish fully in English and as Gaeilge. There is a dedicated page for transport, however the most interesting policy commitment is elsewhere.Utilising the NTAs Walkability Audit when reviewing footpaths and routes for resurfacing and intervention.Universal Design is an incredibly important position to approach any project from, but within local infrastructure, it can be the difference of people having their own independence. One of the most common criticisms during public consultations, is the failure to engage with Disabled Persons Organisations, or adhere to the UN Convention of Human Rights for People with Disabilities. Sinn Feins commitment to utilising the NTAs Walkability Audit, should be a great step forward for everyone, regardless of their level of mobility.Sinn Fein acknowledge one of the biggest issues for local communities in their transport section:We also recognise that many children cannot safely access school without relying on a lift from parents.Most daily commuters relish the summer months, when road congestion dramatically declines as students enjoy their well-deserved break. Achieving significant modal shift on the school run, would have a significant impact on local congestion all year-round. Sinn Fein do commit to Incorporating Safe Routes to School into all Development Plans and Local Area Plans. However they fail to make any strong commitments to prioritise active travel users over the private car, other than to develop and improve plans.Fine GaelUnlike Sinn Fein, Fine Gaels manifesto does go into some granular detail when it comes to individual policy commitments, however they do fall into the same trap, in focusing on National level policy, and what they have achieved while in Government.Disappointingly, Fine Gaels language seems to lack the leadership youd expect to see in a policy document, such as:Promote a universal design approach in active travel, safe routes to school, greenways and local transport options to improve accessibilityAnd to:Drive delivery of active travel and greenways programmes through our local authorities.The most interesting Transport commitment is actually in their public services section, which is to introduce a new Bike-to-College scheme. One of the biggest challenges with the Bike-to-Work scheme is that, in order to avail of it, you need to be in employment, which leaves those on Social Welfare, State Pensions, or Students ineligible. Bike-to-Work is a very important scheme for addressing the Transport sectors rising carbon emissions, and reducing congestion, so its very welcome to see an education version of the scheme within Fine Gaels policy commitments, albeit not something their Local Election Candidates could deliver.Fianna FilAgain, we see with Fianna Fil, national policy commitments in a local election manifesto, committing to the introduction of a dedicated police force for public transport. This is something that has been called for by various groups in the transport sector, so its very welcome to have it reflected within a party policy document, but directing the Garda Commissioner to create this policing unit would be a privilege reserved for the Minister for Justice, not local councillors.What would be achievable within their commitments is an expansion of secure bike parking, along with improved lighting and visibility at transport hubs to improve local safety.Fianna Fil also want to introduce a Safer Town Vision Zero fund to address hazardous bends, junctions and roads, which Im sure would be very welcome at a local level to tackle known danger spots for road users.Theyre also committing to a review of speed limits across the country, however its unclear if that will go further than the recently signed Roads bill that set new maximum speed limits nationally.Social DemocratsAt 71 pages, the Social Democrats local election manifesto is easily the most robust amongst all political parties. From a transport standpoint, the party is very specific about a number of policy points.Not only do they commit to implementing the Cycle Connects Network, and the Greater Dublin Area Cycle Network Plan, but they will also adhere to the Hierarchy of Road users, programme traffic lights to give cyclists head starts and invest in bicycle parking infrastructure at transit hubs.One standout point within the Social Democrats manifesto, is:We will further ensure that the National Transport Authority is more responsive to meeting requests from local authorities.Whilst this is most likely to be a directive from Dil ireann, rather than something achievable at Local Council level, should it be successfully introduced, it would be very welcomed by all Local Authorities and Councils to have increased engagement with the NTA, so they can better implement local infrastructure projects.Green PartyAs you might expect, the Green Party, who currently hold the transport portfolio under Minister Eamon Ryan, have a well-developed transport policy. However, as a Government partner, they seem to have fallen into the same habit as some others, highlighting National Policy, rather than whats achievable by local councillors.There are of course some notable policy commitments, such as the creation of shared bike schemes in large towns across the country, and rolling out bike bunkers in urban areas for sheltered, secure bike parking.Their standout policy is to re-orient the focus of parking enforcement personnel, so they are equally focused on illegal parking as much as pay-and-display. Illegal parking is rampant within some communities, vehicles often blocking footpaths to such an extent that it forces vulnerable users out onto the road. That simple change could lead to a massive cultural shift across Ireland, one where its no longer acceptable for people to selfishly block walkways and cycle paths for children going to school.LabourIts quite notable for the party whose leader is rarely seen without her bicycle, that the very first commitment in their manifesto, is an audit of active transport infrastructure. The Labour Partys transport policies stand out quite a bit from their contemporaries with similar sized documents.Walkable towns and city centres, improved pedestrian facilities, bus connects, and active travel infrastructure improvements are all items successful Labour councillors will campaign for.The most exciting policy from a local level, is the rollout of:secure bicycle storage facilities at all bus shelters and transport hubsThis is very much under the remit of local councils to deliver at bus shelters; secure cycle parking is one of the key challenges of the last-mile problem how people make that final journey between their home and transit point. If Labour councillors were able to deliver on this point, it could have a dramatic impact on local active amd public transport.What does it mean?One thing that is consistent across all party manifestos, is a commitment to increasing public and active transport priority within local communities. In reality however, many transport activists, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport users, will understand the frustration of engaging with some representatives who dont seem to align with their own party policy at a local level.The six parties that have produced these manifestos represent 75% of the current public support, so reading them, you could certainly expect a seismic shift in re-prioritisation of our transport network towards sustainable travel.The 2024 local elections take place on Friday June 7th and canvassing teams will be out in communities across the Country over the next week asking for your 1st preference vote. Asking for their commitment to their own party policy, to see these commitments to active and public transport delivered over the coming five years, would go a great way to actually see the transformative change they all claim to want.Links to local election manifestosSinn FeinFine GaelFianna FailSocial DemocratsGreen PartyLabourNote: In the interest of fairness, this article has been organised in order of current party popularity in national polls.Jason Cullen is Chairperson of the Dublin Commuter Coalition; an advocacy group devoted to improving the provision of sustainable mobility in the Greater Dublin Area.

It's been fourteen long years since last Belgian stood on the final podium of Tour de France in Paris and nearly 50 years since Lucien Van Impe's last triumph in 1976. While Van Impe probably won't find his successor in 2024,Jurgen Van den Broeck could see another compatriot finally crack the top 3...

In his first years among pros, Antonio Tiberi didn't make himself a good name. But he was offered shelter at Bahrain - Victorious. Steadily working to develop his gift from the cycling gods, he's beginning to write a new chapter in his career - one of a talented GC rider. Even if the burdens of past...

Nearly a year passed since the tragic events from Boulder, Colorado. Last July, the 17-year-old Magnus White, who was training for MTB World Championships, was run over by a car on a designated bike route in broad daylight. Yeva Smilianska, 23, was charged last December with Felony of Vehicular Homi...

Tim Merlier was back on his bike less than a week after his very successful Giro dItalia, picking up where he left off in Rome. Victorious in three stages at the Corsa Rosa, Merlier lined up to Denmark's Gravel Challenge Blaavandshuk on Saturday morning along with his teammate and good friend Bert...

A sprint stage but with few sprinters present a chance for the breakaway.The Route: 100% Saint-Pourain as the stage starts and finish in the town of Saint-Pourain-sur-Sioule and has a finishing loop based around the town.A flurry of early climbs means some will target the breakaway hoping to take the mountains jersey and if only for day its a prize and a photo opportunity. A likely sprint finish but theres 2,000m of vertical gain today to sap the sprinters. Whats also tiring is the use of dpartmentale roads today, small secondary roads that are often narrow.The Finish: a four kilometre long finishing straight and flat into town and wider. Todays finishing loop is the same as Paris-Nice used in 2015 but the finish line is earlier, theres no rise up to the line.The Contenders: a sprint at first glance. But if you like romantic notions (or force fed Wikipedia-grade symbolism) then todays finish town of Saint-Pourain is named after a freed slave so the breakaway can slip the pelotons yoke. If you like stats or just anecdotes the Dauphin opener can go to the breakaway in recent years and todays lumpy course on small roads suits escapees and there are not many sprinters with dedicated teams here. Only a handful of teams will want a sprint and they might hedge their bets by having a rider up the road in case too.Sam Bennett (Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale) is the obvious sprinter, a form pick after repeat wins in the Six Four Days of Dunkerque but he didnt face any star sprinters. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) isnt a sprinter but can win, especially on a hilly course and hes got Alex Kirsch for the leadout. Casper Pedersen (Soudal-Quickstep) can win a sprint from time to time. Milan Menten (Lotto-Dstny) is another sprinter but a rare winner and by now were into teams that might fancy placing a rider in the breakaway, likewise Hugo Page (Intermarch-Wanty), Blake Quick (Jayco) and Jensen Plowright (Alpecin-Deceuncink).Breakaway picks are more a lottery for the right move. Oier Lazkano (Movistar), Andreas Leknessund (Uno-X), Harry Sweeney (EF) and Kobe Goosens (Intermarch-Wanty) are among the archetypal picks but spin that wheel-of-fortune for more choices.Bennett, M PedersenC Pedersen, Menten, Quick, Plowright, PageWeather: a cool 16C and a good chance of rain.TV: KM0 is at 12.35 and the finish is forecast for 4.45pm CEST.Postcard from Saint-Pourain-sur-SiouleSaint-Pourain-sur-Sioule is small town, pleasant but just not famous for much, if pushed its probably known for wine in France but among oenophiles rather than famous. Paris-Nice has had a finish here when Michael Matthews won the sprint here in 2015 and the Tour de France started here before too. Its a long way from the Dauphin.The Critrium du Dauphin gets its name from Le Dauphin libr, a newspaper formed in the post-war years whose title evokes both the post-war liberation and its area. The Dauphin, a historic kingdom or principality in the Alps which, to simplify, maps onto the Isre department around the city of Grenoble.One of the founders of the newspaper was Georges Cazeneuve and like many others he decided a bike race would make a great promotional tool. But unlike many other print promoters he had his idea later, at least in 1947. It seemed to work though, the paper and race both helped each other and Le Dauphin libr saw off competition from two other nascent newsletters to become the regional newspaper of the Alps. Remember in France the local newspapers often outsell the national ones: the Dauphin has a bigger print run than Le Monde.In 2010 Tour de France organisers ASO took over the race from the newspaper and renamed it the Critrium du Dauphin. Chopping the libr name from the title made sense as the newspaper has nothing to do with the race.Should the Dauphin name be kept? Its clearly no longer a race in and around the Dauphin. Saint-Pourain is a long way from the Dauphin and its capital Grenoble. Its closer to, say, Poitiers, Tours or Orlans. The Sioule rivers water makes it way to Loire and the Atlantic rather than the Rhone and the Mediterranean. Its really become the Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes Tour, perhaps its a matter of time until its rebranded as the Aura Tour?The post Critrium du Dauphin Stage 1 Preview first appeared on The Inner Ring.

Guillaume Martin carried the Olympic flame to Mont-Saint-Michel this Friday, May 31. The Cofidis climber started the collective cycling relay organized by the French cycling federation. 8th in the Tour de France in 2021, Guillaume Martin is a local figure just like Daniel Mangeas, the voice of the T...

Ivo Oliveira crashed during the last stage of the Boucles de la Mayenne 2024, but still managed to complete the race. However subsequent tests revealed a fracture of the metacarpus of his right hand, a problem that will see him forced to undergo surgery. The Portguese will be treated near his home,...