West Mercia Police are appealing for information following a break-in at Droitwich Leisure Centre. Police say the offenders broke in just after 10.30pm on Friday evening and stole 16 Technogym spin bikes. Police Constable Dean Bowen said: "We are appealing for anybody that was in the area around that time on Friday evening to think back and please get in contact with us if they saw anything suspicious.
“In particular, we would like to hear from anyone who saw a white Mercedes Luton Box van approaching the leisure centre and then leaving a short while later."
If this is Peter Sagan's plan for beating Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert in the Spring Classics next year then the UCI may have something to say. The three-time world champion took to the sky in a fighter jet and tweeted French astronaut Thomas Pesquet: "I pulled 7.9g in my recent flight in a fighter jet. It was a bumpy ride at times but I'm definitely getting better and I'll keep training. Please call me when there is a spot in a SpaceX rocket to the Space Station. You can put me in the cargo bay if needed."
Thankfully the cyclists involved in the crash in New South Wales are recovering well from the incident. Speaking on ABC, Craig Johnston, who is the rider videoed getting struck by the driver (you can see it further down the page), said: "[I'm] a bit sore and bruised but otherwise fairly okay. The scary thought was obviously if he came over another couple of inches it could have been a whole other story. I may not have been here and there would have been others that would not be here either.
"There was another rider in front of me that was on the front of the group that also got hit by the car which doesn't show up on that footage. He ended up with a larger open wound, a gash on his forearm, where I think it might have been the broken mirror that opened him right up, so he was in a bad state.
"It all just happened so quickly. Very frightening. You're always mindful of the cars but you just like to hope people are aware while they're out there driving on the roads and taking into consideration when they do see cyclists just to give us a bit of room.
"We weren't doing anything erratic, there was no crazy movement. We were just riding along as we normally do, behaving in an orderly manner and before we know it clout, and it's all over in a millisecond. Hopefully it [the video] just creates a bit of awareness to drivers about cyclists. I'm always cautious about vehicles on the road but I never thought this would happen."
Death, taxes and... Jeremy Clarkson slagging off anything to do with cycling are just facts of life, as we all know. Speaking at the press launch of the new series of The Grand Tour (not the cycling type), he bemoaned London's new pop-up cycling infrastructure.
"It took me three hours to get to where I am this morning, because the Mayor of London is an imbecile. He's just turned the whole damn city into a cycle lane. I don't mind one or two cycle lanes where it's convenient but he's put one in the Euston underpass. I mean, the man's a maniac and must be stopped," Clarkson said.
A spokesperson for Mayor Sadiq Khan responded to Clarkson: "London is facing an air quality crisis which is causing thousands of deaths per year and exacerbating the physical effects of Covid-19. Half of toxic emissions in the city are caused by road transport.
"These policies are about saving lives and Sadiq makes no apologies for the temporary emergency measures he has put in place to encourage the huge increase in cycling we've seen since the pandemic began which is also enabling social distancing on public transport. We mustn't get through one public health crisis only to face another caused by congestion and toxic air pollution."
Clarkson has a long and consistent history of taking issue with cycling. In the past he has said that "bikes can f*@% off" and that cyclists are "idiots waging war on normality."
However, it isn't all bike hating on The Grand Tour - James May loves cycling and urged Boris Johnson to "bomb us with bicycles", and even Clarkson himself lost 2st through the power of two wheels.
Designed to regulate your body temperature and keep you comfortable in all weather conditions, Velobici's new winter cycling collection aims 'to take you through the cooler months, with a style inspired by the gemstone in Campagnolo's legendary Cobalto brakeset.'
Thread:
Last week was myth busting week over on the @SheffCityRegion Active Travel channel @CyclewalkSCR
We tackled 10 common myths which I’ve collated in case you missed any 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 please share far & wide, or use to help with your own responses to discussions we all encounter https://t.co/AGi3hLtMB9
— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) November 30, 2020
This morning we shared Chris Hall's staggering achievement. Over 25 hours of riding he covered 450km with 91 ascents of Box Hill to rack up the same descending elevation as the Mariana Trench. Chris did 91 reps of the famous climb smashing his 11,034m goal and hit 11,870m by Sunday lunchtime. Cycling YouTuber Francis Cade joined Chris for the last stretch of the ride and has made the video above, documenting the challenge.
It was so great to ride with @CalebEwan@Tim_Wellens and my twoo kids #Alan#Alexandrepic.twitter.com/aqVMaCBcu4
— PHILIPPE GILBERT (@PhilippeGilbert) November 29, 2020
Shocking!
Newcastle this weekend. pic.twitter.com/jZ5rcJcV5n— Michael Tomalaris (@miketomalaris) November 29, 2020
This shocking footage of a crash in New South Wales, Australia, shows the moment a driver collides with a cyclist as they drift onto the white line while passing the group at speed. The driver does not appear to stop in the video and the impact causes multiple riders in the group to fall.
Despite the video some people have blamed the group of cyclists and not the driver. One commenter wrote: "WTF are they riding two abreast on a fast road? Cyclists are responsible for their own safety too. This is ridiculous and an accident waiting to happen."
Another added: "As a motorcyclist you are taught to read the road and get in a position away from danger. It astounds me that bicyclists keep putting themselves in harm's way. Regardless of rules, There's room to ride single file away from the road edge, so why not choose the safer option?"
Riding two abreast is perfectly legal and NSW Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident.
The BBC reports that the Kings Road segregated cycle lane in Portsmouth is to be scrapped after a three-week trial. Cycling campaigners have warned that the decision will increase congestion and pollution. It was installed earlier in November but almost 70% of 1,400 respondents to a council survey said the lane had a "negative impact" on the area.
Council transport chief Lynne Stagg said: "It is a shame that it has not worked but we are committed to continuing to work with cyclists, residents and businesses along these roads."
However, the Pompey Cycle Forum have criticised the timing of the trial and said it should not have been run in late autumn during a national lockdown. A statement said: "There was not enough time to measure real aims of the scheme, which was to enable some residents to feel safe in switching their mode of transport away from relying on private vehicles, and towards using more sustainable methods."
The Richard Freeman medical tribunal has been adjourned again. It was meant to conclude on Thursday but will now resume on January 22 when both parties will give their closing submissions before a 'facts decision' is expected to be published on March 2. The tribunal began in November 2019.
Last week the hearing heard that Shane Sutton was accused of 'absolutely lying' by a former team-mate over his denial of knowledge of doping. The fitness-to-practice case is centred around the former Team Sky doctor ordering banned testosterone patches while working for British Cycling. Freeman admits he ordered the banned patches but claims they were to treat Sutton's erectile dysfunction and not for a rider. Sutton denies this.
Cycled up and down Box Hill 91 times this weekend to help raise awareness for the alarming statistic that 91 men take their own lives each week and to fundraise for @MovemberUK.
If you’re able to support their work head here: https://t.co/OecpYwGwkupic.twitter.com/T7QPLHjftT
— Chris Hall (@chrishallrides) November 30, 2020
Get out on your bike this weekend? Chris Hall did. Trenching is like Everesting, but harder. Rather than ascending the 8,848m height of Mount Everest you descend the altitude of the deepest oceanic trench on earth. The Mariana Trench reaches a depth of 10,994m and to descend that amount of altitude, Chris knew he'd have to do a lot of reps of Box Hill. The challenge was made harder by Box's shallow 5% average gradient which made altitude gain slower than on a steeper climb.
All for the good cause of raising money for Movember he set off just before 7am on Saturday morning, rode for 25 hours and finished the challenge on Sunday afternoon. The Strava data from the ride shows he covered 451.5km and climbed 11,870m. Chris kept his average speed for the attempt comfortably above 15km/h and he burned over 13,000 calories. Chapeau.