YORKSHIRE INITIATIVE !

SKY TV are already reporting ( hourly ), the " Profitability " that will
come ther way
of the Yorkshire Traders as a result of the Grand Depart of Le Tour from Leeds at the end of June 2014 . Banks are making Money available to those that will be Feeding and housing the anticipated 1 1/2 Million expected to line the routes that the Pro Racers will travel over during the 3 days of Racing in ENGLAND!

In awarding the 101st Le Tour to the Syndicate preparing the "Grand Depart " , a Contract was signed defining WHAT could be done in association with " Amaury Sports Org. rules & reg.s " ! These R & R would be closely scrutinised to see that ASO does not miss any Profit Potential !

Media has already reported that the Syndicate has tried to recoup monies from a variety of Sources to cover expenses such as " Policing (  http://road.cc/content/news/93003-row-simmers-over-yorkshire-tour-de-france-police-funding ) & Public Utilities "! Wonder if there is any " Profit Element " to be gained from the Elementary School Lessons ? Gary Verity has been broadcast repeatedly stating that Banks are "Relaxing Lending " as well as Hyping Up other " benefits " to Yorkshire !

When i met him behind the Finish Zone in Paris at the conclusion of the 2012 Le Tour , he was keen to do all to see that the " Yorkshire Bid " was a success ! When i met him in Nice the day before the TTT of the 2013 Le Tour he was still promising that ALL we discussed was on track . In the many conversations that we had, it was uppermost in my mind , that FINALLY the PARA Community would be treated as EQUALS ! I have not seen the program of Events in Leeds on the day of the 1st Etappe , so cannot comment on whether he has been allowed to follow through ? AND YES Gary , i still want to see the Champion Para Cyclists of Europe INVITED to race the Route , whether they choose to ride , will be THEIR Decision , but how could @TTChamp ( Colin Lynch ) refuse , since he lives nearby ?

Chris Prudhomme was with France TV when we first met . He milked me for ideas about how i managed to ride the Le Tour daily in advance of the Etappe . He made " promises 2 that he wouldd do ALL HE COULD for " Paras Sport " when he became " THE MAN "! Well i have seen 2 Para Racers allowed on the ITT Course , The French National Time Trial Champion , lawrence Thioronet and the Czech European Time Trial Champion . The Czech was ALL " atwitter " before the day , not seen ANYTHING since , about HIS ride !

Both GARY & CHRIS , could if they wish , make the 101st " Le Tour ",   MEMORABLE !

ALL they need to do is PROPOSE to European Governments that CYCLING  an endangered activity be safeguarded by a change of MOTORISTS ATTITUDES !  Daily , being bullied by Vehicle drivers , is not the way NEWCOMERS to Cycling , want to lead their Life ! Politicians rarely consider the DANGERS that are posed by METAL Coffins on wheels , to those in street clothes OR EVEN Lycra , as they negotiate the Road hazards on the way to Work , Shops , Sport or other activities , on a VEHICLE  that has 2 points of contact with the road of about the size of " Postage Stamps "!  Policing Authorities file the blank " Incident/accident forms " in their " SELF SUICIDE drawer ? Great Attitude by those drawing salary for "Protecting and Serving their community " ?

WELL GUYS , here is SOME of the Ideas that YOU can put into effect :

Motoring Rules needing ATTENTION

1/   1M pass at under 30kph

2/   1 1/2M pass at higher speeds

3/   NO PASS of Cyclists in SChool Zones , on or under Bridges

4/   NO Pass of Cyclists within 100M of Road Junction ( doubt it is legal for vehicle to pass vehicle in these circumstances ?)

5/   No PASS by/of ONCOMING Vehicle when Cycle is on OTHER LANE OF ROAD

6/   SIGNALLING of Passing Manouvre and return to lane

7/   Use of Hazard lights to indicate following a Cyclist when requried to slow due to traffic

8/   ALL Large Vehicles to display a Decal depicting " Safe Pass Message "! Even larger 4 x 4 Chelsea Tractors & Tinted windowed vehicles

9/   Allow Under 16yo to ride Footpaths & Over 60yo at upto 15kph , particularly  when accompanied .

10/  Requirement for Police Officers under 35yo , to do Cycling Duties , as Plain Clothes Officers , 5 shifts each month .

11/  Advance Zone at Traffic Lights

12/  Treating Red Light as GIVE WAY on a Left hand Turn at under 20kph

13/  Acceptence of Video Camera evidence for Court proceedings

14/  Introduction of a Federal Vehicular Manslaughter Law , as in Italian Road Code

15/  Should be a prohibition of the use of the Vehicle horn at the rear of a Cyclist ( friends would tap AFter passing ?)


Used these ideas in reply to @amygillettfdn &

http://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/federal-mp-jamie-briggs-says-laws-should-force-motorists-to-leave-onemetre-gap-when-overtaking-cyclists/story-fnii5yv4-1226793989625#comments

Hopefully James will WAKE UP the P.M. tony Abbott , he doesn't reply to any contact , let alone Cycling matters ! Show pony ?


Le Tour  has a BOOK , " Livre de Route " ! In 2012 on page 7 there were RULES ( Bonne Conduit ) ! In 2013 there were a few changes , BUT , even though i wrote Chris in 2012 , there was no introduction of a "Driving Test " for ALL Acreditated Personnel ! Few seeing on the Television , a France TV Guest Van , run the Race Leaders off the Road in 2012 , would dispute the NEED for Drivers to be TESTED ? Flecha and Boogerlands being Profis had the courage to finish the Race in Paris , but WITHOUT fighting out that day's finish !

THIS YEAR A.S.O. can trumpet the ABOVE Initiatives to a WORLDWIDE Audience !  There are elements of Authority persuing SOME of the above , BUT ; WHY NOT help the Cycling Community ?

Lives could be saved ! Cyclists could be able to leave HOME with the Certainty of returning from their journey ? Even MORE people could be encouraged to use the Cycle to fulfill POLITICIANS' Desires to see Cycling " Reduce Pollution and Traffic , Improve Health and other Initiatives "!

Perhaps YOU may even choose to create an answer to this request :

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/ioc-chairman-thomas-bach-create-an-international-umbrella-cycling-safety-organisation

WHO KNOWS , the 101st Le Tour , might even make EVERYONE happy !

Addition 3rd Jan 2014 :

Those of you that follow my Tweets will know that i have been " rubbishing " SKYNews " for their " Self promo Ads " at 1620gmt which included references to the " Widow of the 7/7 bomber "! Even if they had nothing else , WHY would you give " terrorists " a platform/time of day ?  Seems that after including David Cameron in a couple of tweets , those "self promo ads " have been set aside , hopefully for EVER ! On New Years Day , SKY TV , aired a segment that included the " Gary Verity speaking about Le Tour " , as mentioned above ! Each day since at 1620GMT , just before the sport segment , i always try to watch , they NOW include a repeat of his musings on the benefit that Le Tour will bring to Yorkshire . He is particularly pleased with himself , in that Le Tour is encouraging the BANKS , to loosen the " Lending/Loan Strings ", thus allowing Small Business to invest in the Hospitality Trade in preparation for the event and the ongoing further Tourism that will be anticipated .

Further to this are the following initiatives in Cambridge and Oxford :

http://road.cc/content/news/105631-apply-grants-totalling-%C2%A320k-host-cambridge-cycling-activities-around-tour-de

http://road.cc/content/news/105549-oxford-city-council-launches-%C2%A35-training-adult-cyclists

15 yo on SAFE CYCLING !

COPIED in full from the article !

SAYs it so much better than i can !


Drivers, give teen bike riders like me a break

By Luke Allingham December 8, 2013 6:48PM

His Website : http://t.co/kxPBU8ZC8f

Dear Automobile Drivers,

I am a 15-year-old cyclist, and though I have become more experienced on my bike over the past few years, I still feel very uncomfortable when I ride on the busier traffic-filled streets of Chicago.


It’s not the potholes or confined spaces that make me uncomfortable; it’s that I don’t trust the drivers who surround me in vehicles that weigh up to several thousand pounds. I dream of changing this. I want to see the cycling community reach a day when we don’t read about multiple riders dying each week.

Whenever the problem of cyclist safety is discussed, there usually is a backlash from drivers who blame the cyclists. News reporters and government authorities, such as the police, don’t help the situation. Reporters often conclude the cyclist was at fault. Police and prosecutors, especially in the United States, often make the problem worse by failing to file charges against the driver.

I admit that not all cyclists follow the traffic laws, failing for example to obey red lights and stop signs. I also know that some cyclists who have been hit by cars caused or played a part in the collision. But there has to be shared accountability. In 2011 in the United States, 667 cyclists died in collisions with automobiles. There is plenty of misjudgment on both sides.

Without placing all blame on drivers, I still would argue that all too often you are the ones seriously endangering the lives of cyclists. Whether it’s a simple “accident” where you’re not paying close enough attention, intentionally hitting us, yelling at us or threatening us, you’re endangering us.


You cannot believe that a driver would intentionally hit a cyclist? It happens more often than you think. In May, a cyclist was killed by an automobile in downtown Los Angeles; authorities later declared that the crash was intentional. In Norfolk, England, a driver, Emma Way, hit a cyclist, Toby Hockley, with her car, and then took to Twitter to boast that she’d knocked a cyclist off his bicycle. She wrote: “Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier. I have the right of way — he doesn’t even pay road tax!” She later was convicted of a crime. Though hard to believe, some drivers do purposely attempt to hit cyclists.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. Though not well-known to the general public, there is a community I label “bike haters.” They spew hate and make threats toward cyclists on various social media sites, especially Twitter, which is popular among cyclists. The posts range from simple comments such as “I hate cyclists on the road” to the posting of video of specific cyclists and criticizing them. Get that bike off the road and on to the sidewalk, they often warn, or they’ll hit you. I wonder how many people are aware that it’s illegal in most cities and states to ride bicycles on sidewalks past a specific age. In Chicago, the age limit is 12.

There is an increased awareness that cyclists are being verbally attacked, thanks in part to cyclists who record their rides with GoPro cameras. In the last month, I’ve seen two different videos in which a citizen verbally harassed a cyclist — simply for being on a bike.

You may wonder — I hope you will wonder — how you can help. First and foremost, of course, never intentionally hit a cyclist, and if you do hit one, don’t flee the scene. Second, keep calm if a cyclist aggravates you. Everyone on the planet makes mistakes. Third, if you see a driver or citizen harassing a cyclist, attempt to break up the confrontation so it doesn’t escalate. Fourth, follow the laws of your city and state when driving near a cyclist. If there is a law requiring three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist, give us the three feet (the more room we have, the better). Lastly, please help spread awareness of this problem. Remind your family, friends and co-workers that cyclists are human beings, too, who usually want to live life safely.

We can make our roads safer. We shouldn’t have to read stories every week about another cyclist being killed.

Luke Allingham is a sophomore at Amundsen High School and lives in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood."


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This young fellow has been Tweeting and interviewing many of the current crop of Cycling Stars . Wonder if he will support this initiative :

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/ioc-chairman-thomas-bach-create-an-international-umbrella-cycling-safety-organisation

23 days and 8 have signed ! Penalties apply to those who join ? NO !

When Luke wonders why Cyclists suffer , he has to look NO FURTHER !