Brian Cookson
@briancookson.bsky.social
Chair @ActiveLancs. Former President of @UCI_cycling and @BritishCycling. Retired urban regenerationist. For more info, see my website www.briancookson.com. Opinions personal.
Pinned
Brian Cookson
@briancookson.bsky.social
· Apr 22
I never cease to be amazed by the people who discover cycle racing, fall in love with its unique nature, its heritage, its history, its complexity and its unpredictability, then decide it should be changed to be more like other sports. It shouldn't. It isn't like other sports. Stop this nonsense.
Hang on @tntsports you’re promising we won’t miss a minute of live coverage of @LeTour but now you’re treating us to repetitive ad breaks every few minutes, after previously providing ad-free streaming to subscribers. Maybe change your name to @pricegougingexperts?
July 5, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Hang on @tntsports you’re promising we won’t miss a minute of live coverage of @LeTour but now you’re treating us to repetitive ad breaks every few minutes, after previously providing ad-free streaming to subscribers. Maybe change your name to @pricegougingexperts?
Why on earth would Netflix release the latest series of their Tour de France Unchained, based on the 2024 race, a couple of days before the 2025 race starts? Literally a spoiler.
July 4, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Why on earth would Netflix release the latest series of their Tour de France Unchained, based on the 2024 race, a couple of days before the 2025 race starts? Literally a spoiler.
Excellent coverage of Simon Yates’ win in the Giro d’Italia.
Giro d’Italia winner Simon Yates hails ‘huge moment in my career’
Giro d’Italia winner Simon Yates hails ‘huge moment in my career’
Simon Yates said he was in disbelief after winning the Giro d’Italia, the second Grand Tour victory of his career
www.theguardian.com
June 2, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Excellent coverage of Simon Yates’ win in the Giro d’Italia.
Please will someone ask Cycling Up To Date website to stop sending out notifications that are spoilers, even when you’re watching with a few minutes delay.
May 29, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Please will someone ask Cycling Up To Date website to stop sending out notifications that are spoilers, even when you’re watching with a few minutes delay.
Tree of the Day? Maybe. Goat of the Day? Definitely. Photo taken at Pollença, Mallorca today.
May 22, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Tree of the Day? Maybe. Goat of the Day? Definitely. Photo taken at Pollença, Mallorca today.
Reposted by Brian Cookson
New AIRmail pro cycling newsletter out today …. theouterline.substack.com/p/pogacar-cont… …. Pogacar continues his dominant run; “The Athletic” weighs in on cycling’s future; Uno-X’s clever use of jerseys; Women’s cycling is more exciting these days; Cycling TV is still stuck in the past ….
https://theouterline.substack.com/p/pogacar-cont…
April 29, 2025 at 3:09 PM
New AIRmail pro cycling newsletter out today …. theouterline.substack.com/p/pogacar-cont… …. Pogacar continues his dominant run; “The Athletic” weighs in on cycling’s future; Uno-X’s clever use of jerseys; Women’s cycling is more exciting these days; Cycling TV is still stuck in the past ….
I never cease to be amazed by the people who discover cycle racing, fall in love with its unique nature, its heritage, its history, its complexity and its unpredictability, then decide it should be changed to be more like other sports. It shouldn't. It isn't like other sports. Stop this nonsense.
April 22, 2025 at 5:46 PM
I never cease to be amazed by the people who discover cycle racing, fall in love with its unique nature, its heritage, its history, its complexity and its unpredictability, then decide it should be changed to be more like other sports. It shouldn't. It isn't like other sports. Stop this nonsense.
I'm supporting this petition, and I've also emailed Ofcom Chair Lord Grade about the issue of the apparent broadcasting monopoly position of WBD/Discovery regarding cycling and other sports in the UK. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71...
Petition: Make the Tour de France a Category A event so it is free-to-air
Make the Tour de France a Category A event to ensure it remains free-to-air in the UK.
petition.parliament.uk
April 4, 2025 at 1:52 PM
I'm supporting this petition, and I've also emailed Ofcom Chair Lord Grade about the issue of the apparent broadcasting monopoly position of WBD/Discovery regarding cycling and other sports in the UK. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71...
It's exactly ten years ago since @UCI_cycling published the report of the Cycling Independent Reform Commission. Not everyone was happy with all of it, but I believe it significantly helped change the sport for better. Here's a link to the report. www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/wp-content/u...
www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com
March 10, 2025 at 11:07 AM
It's exactly ten years ago since @UCI_cycling published the report of the Cycling Independent Reform Commission. Not everyone was happy with all of it, but I believe it significantly helped change the sport for better. Here's a link to the report. www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/wp-content/u...
I heard one of the executives of @WBDsports was out shopping the other day. Went in to a department store, took a t-shirt and a pair of jeans to the till, but the assistant said "Yes, sir, fine, but you'll also have to buy an Armani suit as well. That's company policy".....
March 7, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I heard one of the executives of @WBDsports was out shopping the other day. Went in to a department store, took a t-shirt and a pair of jeans to the till, but the assistant said "Yes, sir, fine, but you'll also have to buy an Armani suit as well. That's company policy".....
Great to see a full house at the @BritishCycling National Track Championships at @N_CyclingCentre aka Manchester Velodrome last night.
February 23, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Great to see a full house at the @BritishCycling National Track Championships at @N_CyclingCentre aka Manchester Velodrome last night.
For me, Geraint Thomas represents all the best things about the golden era of British Cycling. A talented athlete spotted at an early age and given all the right support at every stage of his career, certainly. But...1/3
February 17, 2025 at 10:12 AM
For me, Geraint Thomas represents all the best things about the golden era of British Cycling. A talented athlete spotted at an early age and given all the right support at every stage of his career, certainly. But...1/3
Looking forward to the BBC investigation into how many other people’s CVs on LinkedIn have been, er, updated today. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Questions raised over Rachel Reeves’s CV and expenses after BBC investigation
The BBC has established the Chancellor left the Bank of England nine months earlier than she states in her LinkedIn profile.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 13, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Looking forward to the BBC investigation into how many other people’s CVs on LinkedIn have been, er, updated today. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
If you’re upset about WBD's decision to scrap Eurosport in the UK and Ireland, and incorporate cycling and several other sports into TNT channels, it’s quite a simple matter to make a complaint to the Competition and Markets Authority here; www.gov.uk/government/o...
Competition and Markets Authority
We help people, businesses and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. CMA is a non-ministerial department.
www.gov.uk
February 10, 2025 at 10:25 PM
If you’re upset about WBD's decision to scrap Eurosport in the UK and Ireland, and incorporate cycling and several other sports into TNT channels, it’s quite a simple matter to make a complaint to the Competition and Markets Authority here; www.gov.uk/government/o...
Following controversy over WBD's decision to scrap Eurosport in the UK and Ireland, and incorporate cycling and several other sports into TNT channels, at a 400% price increase, I wrote an op-ed piece for the Escape Collective. You can read it here;
February 5, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Following controversy over WBD's decision to scrap Eurosport in the UK and Ireland, and incorporate cycling and several other sports into TNT channels, at a 400% price increase, I wrote an op-ed piece for the Escape Collective. You can read it here;
This is worth a listen if you are interested in understanding how cycling came to be dominated by the Tour de France and its owner ASO. open.spotify.com/episode/4TEm...
How the ASO aquired the Tour de France
Overnight Success · Episode
open.spotify.com
February 2, 2025 at 8:02 PM
This is worth a listen if you are interested in understanding how cycling came to be dominated by the Tour de France and its owner ASO. open.spotify.com/episode/4TEm...
I’ve been thinking more about the WBD decision to incorporate Eurosport and Discovery+ coverage of sports including cycling, in the UK and Ireland, into new TNT channels, with a massive price increase.
Here’s an alternative way to look at this. 🧵
Here’s an alternative way to look at this. 🧵
February 1, 2025 at 5:31 PM
I’ve been thinking more about the WBD decision to incorporate Eurosport and Discovery+ coverage of sports including cycling, in the UK and Ireland, into new TNT channels, with a massive price increase.
Here’s an alternative way to look at this. 🧵
Here’s an alternative way to look at this. 🧵
What's most disappointing about this is the total misunderstanding of the asset that WBD/Disney/Eurosport have had in broadcasting/ streaming cycling. Packaging it in with other bigger sports in a "Premium" package is completely the wrong thing to do. 1/2.
escapecollective.com/tnt-blows-up...
escapecollective.com/tnt-blows-up...
TNT blows up cycling TV coverage with 443% price increase - Escape Collective
Eurosport is being shut down in the UK and Ireland, and prices are going up.
escapecollective.com
January 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
What's most disappointing about this is the total misunderstanding of the asset that WBD/Disney/Eurosport have had in broadcasting/ streaming cycling. Packaging it in with other bigger sports in a "Premium" package is completely the wrong thing to do. 1/2.
escapecollective.com/tnt-blows-up...
escapecollective.com/tnt-blows-up...
This Tree of the Day is from my walk along the River Calder at Whalley in Lancashire, UK. It’s a hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) that’s clearly seen better days, but is determinedly hanging on to the riverbank.
January 12, 2025 at 8:21 PM
This Tree of the Day is from my walk along the River Calder at Whalley in Lancashire, UK. It’s a hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) that’s clearly seen better days, but is determinedly hanging on to the riverbank.
Some important news. Today I made a Burnt Basque Cheesecake. I just thought you’d like to know. 😉
January 11, 2025 at 10:14 PM
Some important news. Today I made a Burnt Basque Cheesecake. I just thought you’d like to know. 😉
Reposted by Brian Cookson
In prepration for the announcement of this years event, we’ve moved over from X and will be deleting our account there. Please help us spread the word we’re here!🥴😂
January 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
In prepration for the announcement of this years event, we’ve moved over from X and will be deleting our account there. Please help us spread the word we’re here!🥴😂
Thought I would contribute to the debate about the future of the Olympic Games. Here’s my letter in today’s Guardian.
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/j...
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/j...
Tweaking the Olympics cycle is a champion idea | Letters
Letters: Give the Games a boost by moving indoor sports to the winter event, writes Brian Cookson, and other readers respond to an article in which Sean Ingle suggested staging the summer Games more f...
www.theguardian.com
January 2, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Thought I would contribute to the debate about the future of the Olympic Games. Here’s my letter in today’s Guardian.
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/j...
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/j...
Please someone tell @BBC News that it’s “creator” not “creater”!
December 26, 2024 at 6:46 PM
Please someone tell @BBC News that it’s “creator” not “creater”!
x.com
x.com
December 19, 2024 at 11:20 AM