The Tour de Bretagne at St Catherine's. Picture: Matthew Hotton (00944008)

What a great week for cycling! No cycle registration and two days of top class cycle sport.

Quite a resounding vote against cycle registration, unlike the helmet debate, so does this mean we have a pro cycling faction in the States? I think there are a handful of members who can see the benefits, but not that many that we can expect a cycling culture anytime soon.

I’m waiting for the results of the Sustainable Transport Survey, it should be interesting to see the results and how many bothered to fill in the questionnaire.  With that in mind, bringing a bike registration scheme doesn’t really look like the work of a government that has got its heart set on sustainable transport.

I hope that you all caught a glimpse of the Tour de Bretagne. It certainly brought the excitement and atmosphere of Continental cycle racing to the Island, and I’d imagine that quite a few people enjoyed the event more than they originally expected.

I didn’t go around the course, but I understand that there were spectators along the whole length of the circuit; many had brought chairs, tables and picnics out to the roadside to make the most of the afternoon. Two people who I spoke to, who lived on the course, said that when they could hear the swish of the tyres, they knew it was time to go outside to see the riders pass.

Everyone that I spoke to thought it was marvellous, and it certainly raised the image of cycling in many people’s minds. Let’s hope it comes back next year.

Braking News

Devon County Council is the first county council to resist Royal Mail’s plans to do away with bicycles for postmen. Led by Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council has asked Royal Mail to reconsider their national bike ban.

Alexander Grosset, the  Scottish solicitor who was allegedly at the centre of the’ Tacks on the Route’ affair at last year’s Etape Caledonia sportive, has recently had his gun licence revoked. This year’s event takes place on the 16th.May.

Anyone who arrives on bikes at the WOOD festival in Oxfordshire, will be rewarded with a free pint of beer or cider. Dubbed the greenest music festival in Britain, all the electricity needed to run the event is provided by bicycle power, chip-fat powered generators and solar panels.

Log on to: http://www.thisistruck.com/about-wood-festival.aspx

Brompton Bicycle Ltd., who makes the iconic Brompton folding bike, has just been awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in both the Innovation, and International Trade categories. The company won its first International Trade category award in 1995.

In an online poll taken by the Institute of Advanced Motorists, in which 6048 people took part, 3.3% thought that compulsory helmet wearing was important and 82.46% were against cyclists having a licence or a registration process. Log on to:  http://www.iam.org.uk/iam_polls

Cycling’s stunt superstar, Danny McAskill, is visiting schools in Scotland with a view to getting more kids on their bikes. This is part of a Cycling Scotland initiative which has been directed at seven areas in the country.

The route of the Tour of Britain was unveiled earlier this week. What is billed as the ‘hardest route in seven years’ starts on the 11th September. Over the week, riders will complete eight stages, riding a total of just over 1200 kilometres and finally finishing in London on the 18th.September.Log on to:   http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/_ns_news/default.asp?news_id=86

Transworld cyclist Mark Beaumont is currently on a UK tour speaking about his Around the World ride which finishes in mid May. If you missed the TV series of his latest adventures; cycling from Canada to South America, log onto:    http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/cyclingtheamericas/

Arthur Lamy is a freelance writer and tourist guide. www.cycleinjersey.com