Dear future winner of the Tour de France in 2026,

First, let me congratulate you on your bike handling expertise, tactical racing intelligence, climbing technique, mental resilience and time trial proficiency, all of which were on full display this morning in the Dundas Street bike lane in Toronto.

Well, not quite “in” the Dundas – do we still call it “Dundas” or has city council finally changed it to “Lord Fentanyl Avenue” – bike lane, as you spent most of your time popping in and out as you passed one slower cyclist after another.

Tour de France winners all have nicknames. Belgian Eddy Merckx, who dominated the 1970s, was “The Cannibal.” Spanish star Miguel Indurain, who won five consecutively in the 1990s, was “Big Mig.” Italian legend of the 1940s and 50s Fausto Coppi was “Il Campionissimo.”

I guess if I had to give you a nickname, it would be “The King of Pop” because all you do is pop in and out of the bike lane and into traffic with dangerous manoeuvres to “best” normal, well-adjusted people trying to commute to work.

You’re not the first lane-popping cyclist I’ve encountered. Just the most aggressive. I’ve decried the phenomenon. Poppers vault out of the bike lane to pass a slower rider. From what I’ve witnessed, they usually don’t signal to either vehicles or to the cyclist being passed.

Legally, drivers need to give at least one metre of distance between their vehicles and cyclists. How is a driver supposed to do that when a cyclist pops out of the bike lane right next to them? Today, you left me (and all the other drivers you popped next to) around a foot of space. How is this safe?

Why do you feel compelled to use the bike lane as if it was a racing lane? You realize that no one is impressed. right?

Look, if you want to occupy the “car lane” then occupy it. Place yourself in the centre. You have that right and that is the safe thing to do, you are visible there and drivers can give you the appropriate amount of space. Popping next to automobiles travelling at speed reduces not only the distance but the amount of reaction time available to the driver. That’s how tragedies happen. I know it’s important for you to pass the guy in front of you but is it worth the risk?

I’m not absolving drivers of their responsibility to look out for cyclists. This is absolute. I am keenly aware of the risks and I religiously give space and priority to cyclists. I lost a friend who was a diehard cyclist to an 18-wheeler. I know what’s at stake.

You and I both know that drivers can be terrible. They speed, drink and drive, are distracted by their mobile devices or by the coffee they are drinking. Do you really want to add to that?

Here’s an idea: What if you ride like a normal commuter during rush hour and you feed your need for speed by participating in amateur racing and cycling events. Cycling Canada has a list. This is an excellent option. Who knows, maybe someone will pass you?

I like it a lot better than the possibility that one day calamity meets opportunity. The day you pop out of the bike lane into traffic without signalling and those precious seconds of reaction time aren’t there, and you wind up underneath an SUV.

You know what they say, “Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul.” Enough with the lane-popping. Let’s keep you moving.