I’ve never actually met a cyclist who wants to be part of this battle. So what is behind this bizarre and stubborn standoff?

Last week, I had a surprise coffee with Henk Swarttouw, head of the European Cyclists’ Federation. He used to be the Dutch ambassador, and you know what they say about diplomats – lovely manners.

We talked about how cycling had been yoked into the culture wars, totally against the wishes of any cyclist either of us had ever met. Cyclists like me are believed to be implacably against drivers, even though many of us also drive. We’ve been automatically conscripted into the woke army.