Galway Cycling Campaign's deputy chair, Martina Callanan, told Newstalk Breakfast that they "strongly oppose mandatory laws for helmets for everyday cycling." The question was posed following the release of a new study that found only two of 26 patients with cycling-related head injuries transferred to Beaumont Hospital's national centre for treating traumatic brain injury were recorded as wearing a helmet at the time of the injury.
Callanan said: "We strongly oppose mandatory laws for helmets for every day cycling. For a person cycling, a camera is better for personal safety cause this can record road traffic offences and provide digital evidence to [the Gardaí].
"The solution to keeping people safe and feeling safe is two things: separate infrastructure for cycling - and this is being provided through the Programme for Government. And also we need to change our speed limits - we need to reduce the speed on our roads to 30 kilometers per hour in urban areas."
Thank You! It's a pleasure to make part of @polarissports🔥🔥 https://t.co/wYK1NtjPJT
— João Almeida (@JooAlmeida98) December 30, 2020
Jorge Mendes, one of the most successful agents in football, has moved into cycling with his sports marketing company Polaris Sports. João Almeida and Ruben Guerreiro are two of his first clients. The Portugese super-agent can name Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez and José Mourinho amongst his stable of footballing talent.
A press release from Polaris read: "Polaris Sports and Corso have just established a partnership agreement which aims to optimise the commercial perspectives of Portuguese athletes that work with [Corso] in an association that is expected to be fruitful and successful."
Brooks England has released a statement responding to 'misleading claims' that the saddle manufacturer is no longer selling products in the UK post-Brexit. On Sunday, Brooks suspended sales from orders made through the brand's website but confirmed on Monday that this would not affect products sold through their premium dealers. They cannot sell products in the UK through their website as the company is owned by Selle Italia and despite products being made in the UK, they are dispatched from Italy. Consequently, changes in the UK’s cross-border VAT rules, that coincided with Britain’s departure from the EU single market, led Brooks to temporarily suspend sales to the UK.
The iconic saddle brand reiterated this message this afternoon saying in a statement: "Recent news reports, stating that Brooks is no longer selling products in the United Kingdom post-Brexit, have given us the opportunity to respond to misleading claims and clarify the situation.
"Due to changes in the UK’s cross-border VAT rules, that coincided with Britain’s departure from the EU single market, we were forced, quite unfortunately, to temporarily suspend e-commerce sales to the UK as of 1 January to properly analyse the situation and react to the new changes and bureaucracy.
"Again, to avoid confusion, we would like to restate that this measure ONLY affects the owned ecommerce website brooksengland.com, not our UK distributor, shops or online sellers. Passionate cyclists across the UK can rest assured that our products will remain available during this period, as we will continue serving the UK market offline through our Brooks Premium Dealers network and online through our best partners."
On Saturday, we reported that Dutch Bike Bits, a bike parts website, had stopped shipping to the UK beacuse of the same change in VAT rules, meaning that they now ship to every country in the world except the UK.
There may have been a reason at the beginning when the law was shorter and simpler, to expand in guidance. But now law is long and complex, why diverge?
It makes communications far more difficult as ministers etc have to know two different regimes and account for differences
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) January 6, 2021
This thread from human rights barrister Adam Wagner is quite interesting. He notes the distinction in the government communications between guidance and law, and suggests both should be clearer...
This is not a new issue - in face, the exact same mistakes are being made as in March. This was the first @HumanRightsCtte report on lockdown (April 2020)i which I worked on https://t.co/iZ1EqkuUGk
The *exact same* issue pic.twitter.com/Jit076YBiu
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) January 6, 2021
The report says: "There have been significant inconsistencies in public communication about the new regulations. There are a number of different sources of information, in particular: (i) the regulations which set out the law; (ii) Government guidance that is intended to try to explain the regulations, for example to give examples of what might be a 'reasonable excuse'; and (iii) Government advice that has no relation to the regulations."
Every time I have spoken to a police officer about what powers they think they are exercising (I do this sometimes! I am weird) they cite a mishmash of guidance and law to me. Never accurate so far
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) January 6, 2021
Is this how we could use the roads in #RichmondPark?
Take a moment to ask @theroyalparks to make a park for people, and stop it being used as a rat-run. Consultation closes soon!
Photo h/t @westcountrytimhttps://t.co/wPH4bviI47pic.twitter.com/lIw9ED5Ra2— Richmond Cycling Campaign (@RichmondCycling) January 5, 2021
Rio Olympics gold medallist Callum Skinner helped deliver food to the elderly and vulnerable during lockdown last year by taking a job as a Tesco delivery driver. Skinner said that like many he found opportunities hard to find due to the pandemic but made the best of a bad situation to help those less fortunate. He originally planned to use his time to volunteer with the NHS but found opportunities scarce.
Skinner said: "I started to see if I could volunteer, seeking work with the NHS or Trussell Trust to help those most affected by COVID. Opportunities were slim. In the end, I took an opportunity working for Tesco as a delivery driver. The proposition didn't appear as satisfying as volunteering, but I found taking up a role as a key worker immensely gratifying.
"I met many elderly, vulnerable or shielding customers for whom the Tesco driver was their only face to face contact sometimes for weeks at a time. The efficiency of a large grocer meant we helped a lot of people in the day. Perhaps more than if I had loaded up my car with food parcels?"
The Scot also used the shutdown to expand his 5 Rings coffee business that he co-owns alongside fellow Olympic Champions from the track Owain Doull and Philip Hindes. In 2021, Skinner will start a new chapter at The Hut Group Ingenuity as a sales development lead having retired from cycling in 2019.
☀ Voici le parcours de la 7⃣9⃣ème édition de #ParisNice !
☀ Here is the route of the 7⃣9⃣th edition of #ParisNice! pic.twitter.com/02IIKio3wu
— Paris-Nice (@ParisNice) January 6, 2021
The Race to the Sun, Paris-Nice, will take the riders on a traditional looking route this year with a couple of windy sprint stages in northern France, one individual time trial, a summit finish at Valdeblore La Colmiane and the usual final stage in Nice. Last year's edition was shortened due to the pandemic but Nairo Quintana won at Valdeblore La Colmiane as Max Schachmann hung on to the overall lead.
This year will also see the addition of a new punchy finish on stage four. Following a day with 3,500m of climbing, the peloton will take on the ascent to Chiroubles which has two kilometres north of 10%.
📈 Chiroubles: 7,3km, 6%
⛰ L'ascension finale au cœur du vignoble n'aura rien d'une partie de plaisir !
⛰ The final climb up Chiroubles won't be one that the riders are looking forward to! #ParisNicepic.twitter.com/DjjsYQu5Fg
— Paris-Nice (@ParisNice) January 6, 2021
Some of the filters have now been moved and stacked on top of each other, proving this isn't just bored teens, but a criminal group with access to heavy machinery.
MCC MUST secure the filters now. https://t.co/pIw3ew4pwRpic.twitter.com/GX7PUKLooc
— Sam 🚴🌱🍻Ⓥ (@MCRCycleSam) January 6, 2021
The usually reliable Dutch website Wielerflits reports that Marc Hirschi is close to joining UAE Emirates following his departure from Team DSM yesterday. The 22-year-old is supposedly in contact with UAE team manager Mauro Gianetti and, according to sources close to the team, a deal is close.
A move to the team would see Hirschi join forces with Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar. The pair shared some exciting battles on the road in 2020, including on stage 9 of the Tour when Pogačar pipped Hirschi in the sprint after the Swiss rider had been in the breakaway all day.
Residents have been out again to restore filters that have been vandalised.
This evening a large truck is going round the neighbourhood ramming planters.
What are you going to do about it @ManCityCouncil? pic.twitter.com/iPkfrIS0FB
— Streets for People - Levenshulme and Burnage (@s4plb) January 6, 2021
It seems this story has a happy ending, for now. Last night, residents and the Streets for People community campaign group came together to restore the planters in Levenshulme. They also fixed the filters in other parts of the area after they were reportedly pushed off the road by a large truck. Streets for People said: "The community won't stand for vandalism, and it does your cause no good. These filters are public property, supported by the vast majority of residents. Well done to all who got these plant boxes back standing proud in a couple of hours."
Some people are going round trashing filters, others are going round improving them. pic.twitter.com/rMtxfmHoS4
— Streets for People - Levenshulme and Burnage (@s4plb) January 4, 2021
@ManCityCouncil Need to get the planters in Levenshulme active neighbourhood bolted down ASAP. Delinquents are moving them and damaging them. pic.twitter.com/UzSuFGktKS
— James Stafford (@Jamesdestafford) January 5, 2021
These planters in Levenshulme, Manchester, were only installed on Monday but have already featured on the live blog twice. Two days ago it was a video of drivers mounting the pavement to get round and today it's a driver ramming the planter off the road...This video was originally posted in a Facebook group for the area by a man claiming to be the perpetrator. It was shared with the title 'Fucking plants' and in a second post he suggests the planters on nearby Gordon Avenue are next.
Now threatening further vandalism and criminal damage.@MCCLevenshulme@basat_m@Dzidra78@bernardstone@gmptraffic will any action be taken? pic.twitter.com/zGnZafxSaQ
— Sam 🚴🌱🍻Ⓥ (@MCRCycleSam) January 5, 2021