What has  Rishi got against cycling? 

PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak’s cancellation of the Manchester leg of HS2 fell short of pulling the plug on the whole wasteful multi-billion pound enterprise, critics complained last week.   And while that story from Conservative Party Conference in Manchester grabbed the headlines, we cyclists were more concerned that not a word was said about improving cycling safety in the road upgrades promised.

His speech was all a load of soundbite cobblers anyway, not even discussed with his own cabinet.

His announcement of rail plans for “Network North” in a 40-page prospectus was rustled up a hurry, according to Helen Pidd in The Guardian.  It illustrates, she says, “a significant lack of understanding of the realities of transport in the north of England.”

It also hijacked some schemes already announced, as if they were new.

His plans to do away with 20mph zones will make the roads ever more dangerous and does nothing to encourage cycling, indeed will deter people from cycling.

He has surpassed liar and conman Boris Johnson with inflated claims painting rosy pictures of the future, relaxed measures to cut back on carbon levels which will weaken Net Zero aims, and all in the hope that the electorate will grant him a stay of execution in next year’s General Election which his party is predicted to lose.

But I wouldn’t bet on that, since politics now dances to the outlandish tunes demanded of the  populist masses who gave us the chaos of Brexit in 2016.

And that's enough of this blogging about all of that.

It brings me to this week’s big question.   What is the point of a blog?

Just what are blogs about, other inflated views of the writer. Who cares?

Curious things, Blogs.

Short for log, apparently, as in a diary for the keeping of. Keeps me occupied, it’s a distraction.  .

A blog diary is visible to all, of course, via the internet. Well - available to those who bother to look.

It begs the question, why would anyone want to look at what a blogger is writing, such as this blog?

I write one because after reporting for Cycling Weekly for many years I cannot kick the habit.

I like to record my thoughts, my reaction to the news and goings on. It’s like running the Hoover over my brain. Maybe, in my subconscious, I am writing to meet a deadline, to get a story out there.

I like to hammer out stories on my laptop to the recorded background sound of the rat-a-tat of typewriter keyboards (remember that old technology?) which I play to get me in the newsroom mood. Includes the stressful strains of subs howling in protest at grammatical blunders. And shouting, from time to time…. hyphens, dear boy, hyphens. (Fond memories of Sid Saltmarsh, a really excellent sub, pouring over copy, fag stuck to his bottom lip while listening to a horse race on the radio. I well recall his anguished cry of rage as his fancied horse was overtaken. “Oh for Christ’s sake, piss off Piggott.”

And I like the idea that a few people may follow the blog.

No idea what they make of it. But it’s become obvious to me that readers prefr cheerful celebratory stories and will steer clear of doom laden stuff about, for instance, the shit about the Tory Party Conference, or Climate Change, things like that.

Or the recent blog about how DuPont, sponsors of the Tour of Luxembourg, poisoned the world with a toxic chemical found in many every day products. Very few bothered to read that.

 I’ve replaced all my Teflon pans, by the way, with pans with stickers on them proclaiming them to be PFOA free.

One of the biggest spikes recently was recorded for my observations of one of the biggest and exciting upsets in the sport when a well-liked domestique upstaged the team’s two champions in a Grand Tour.

American Sepp Kuss won the Vuelta d’Espana despite being attacked by his two teammates, Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic, both of them hot favourites and winners respectively of this year’s Tour de France and Giro d’Italia. But when Kuss took the overall lead in Spain on stage eight with a healthy overall lead that upset the applecart.

That was a great story, and we were so pleased for Kuss who has wowed us all with his powerful riding in the service of those two talented riders helping to set races up for them on countless occasions. And yet they weren’t so big as to want to return the favour. Until pulled into line by team orders.

And so Kuss won. Bravo.

That blog netted over 800 hits in one day, with close on 5000 registered that same month.

Doesn’t compare with those blogs with several thousand followers – blogs about cupcakes, knitting, mending bikes, for instance.

The dive in readers occurred the week after the “Kuss surge” when I posted the truly depressing and horrifying story of how Tour of Luxembourg sponsor DuPont had, over the years, poisoned almost everyone on the planet with a chemical they knew to be toxic but nevertheless used in the manufacture of many products you and I use, from cooking ware to shower-proof clothing.

Very few clicked on the blog to read about that.

 Clearly, people get enough depressing news across the media without being assaulted by a blog of horrors.

This is also reflected in the many posts to Facebook, which invariable are all about happy times.

And why not?

But I'm envious of those posts from people on some swell holiday, or having a great time with family at some post restaurant with photographs of the meal they are about to be stuff into their gobs.

This is the downside of Facebook for many people out there, with no family, or with issues which all but halt social activity of any sort.

I suppose we’ve all been ensnared “social media”, posting stuff and hoping for “Likes” . Has it become a drug? 

I sometimes wish I could kick the habit. But then again, Facebook groups, especially those from people all sharing caring duties can be a blessing, for shared advice and support.

This is the good bit of Facebook.

So too for those in the throes of life threatening illnesses, sharing their concerns online helps when sometimes complete strangers respond.

And there are cycling groups, specialist interest groups, all good fun, sharing information and history and photographs. 

That’s what Facebook is, or pretends to be while storing our data, it's a place to hide from the everyday shit.

But I do wish there could be more comment on current affairs, such as the utter and complete mess this country is in, courtesy of the Conservative Party. Or, if it’s a Tory supporter with his or her head up their own arse, they may like to say how wonderful the Tories are doing, how their share values in the water companies have made them rich never mind the sewage being wantonly poured directly into rivers and the sea.

Do not fear. It turns out that Rishi will be moving out of Number 10  now he has won a one-way ticket to Rwanda, the first prize in our competition Vandal of the Year.

“And away….” as comedian Bob Mortimer would say.

That is the title of his autobiography, a laugh from start to finish.  Recommended as the perfect antidote to all this nonsense. Not my blog - the goings on!

Allez.