● Attack on cyclist Louis Garneau linked to shock jock radio talk show host.

A 58 year old Quebec City cyclist was recently attacked by two young people who threw a soft drink can at him from a passing SUV. But this wasn’t any cyclist. It was Louis Garneau, the founder and CEO of the well known bicycle clothing company that bears his name.

What make this incident even more interesting is that it comes after André Arthur, king of shock jock radio talk shows in Quebec City, made a comment suggesting that his listeners hit “idiot” cyclists who ride their bikes in the winter. These type of radio talk shows are known as “radio poubelle” (garbage radio) in Quebec. André Arthur later apologized for his comment, but the harm had already been done.

Garneau wonders if he was attacked because he had become an “idiot” cyclist in someone’s mind.

The attack on Louis Garneau occurred when he was cycling last Sunday on regional Highway 138 between Donnacona and Neuville (about 30 km west of Quebec City). The soft drink can only grazed his face and touched his shoulder, but Garneau said it could have been much more serious. Louis Garneau described that act as criminal in nature. He said he didn’t file a complaint with the police because he did not get the SUV license plate number.

Quebec City isn’t the only place where this type of radio show has targeted cyclists. A few years ago a radio station in St. Catharines, Ontario, ran an “ Eff Cyclists Campaign” which challenged people to come up with ways to deal with people on their bikes. One person suggested that motorists pull ahead of cyclists and slam on the brakes while others recommended using cyclists as “speed bumps” or throwing hot coffee in their faces. The radio station said it was all a big joke. Ha ha.

Click here for the news story (in French only) about the attack on Louis Garneau.

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