"Sometimes I wonder how we achieve these levels of stupidity": Baffling Facebook photo of Trek bike built 'upside down' amuses cyclists; Questions asked of UCI's yellow card system after more sprint controversy at Tour Down Under + more on the live blog

I present to you for your entertainment and fascination... the upsidedownhill mountain bike, a new frontier for cycling...

Deary me. Once your brain works it out it's obvious there was simply just "a fork in the decision-making process", as one bemused commented suggested on Facebook where this image has been doing the rounds on various cycling pages. No, we'll stop you there before you say anything about it being a Tour Down Under edition, or the work of a certain retailer, the comments over on Facebook have already done it. Very extensively.

There's part of us that really hopes this was just some mischievous mechanic at a loose end looking to mess with the sort of people, like us, who sit and see these things on the internet. That must be the optimistic side of my brain, really hoping beyond belief that this wasn't actually the result of anything other than a joke, or asking an AI image generator to mess with cyclists. 

We're not volunteering, but we'd love (for research purposes) to see how/if it rides, maybe perched precariously near the front of the downtube and pedalling somewhere behind your back. Okay, maybe best we don't try that one. Of the non-Australia-related or *insert retailer here* gags in the comments, here's a few people trying to work it all out.

"Well, that’s fork’d."

"I had a little trouble with the instructions, they only came in a language I couldn't read…"

"Something is wrong... can't put my finger on it."

"Forget 'don't drink and drive'... don't drink and assemble."

"That ain't no bike, that's an ekib."

"That's a plum cutter model."

Now the silliness is out the way, any volunteers to try this at home and see what happens? Maybe we should send Jamie to the track to give all the YouTube subs a laugh?

York Cycling Campaign has set up a partnership to tackle bike theft in the city, bringing together North Yorkshire Police, British Transport Police, the city's council and local bike shops.

Leah Bennett from the campaign told The Press: "We aim to develop a plan that can be implemented quickly within existing budgets, helping to deter thefts through a combination of raising awareness of how to keep your bike safe, improved detection and better prevention.

"We have already had the backing of Jo Coles — York and North Yorkshire deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, and we plan to work with her and local authorities as well as police, local business and community organisations."

The campaign has already run 'pop-up supervised cycle parking' events in York city centre, notably around the Christmas Market, with members keeping lookout at designated bike parking spots. Further events are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Minister Refectory between 10am and 5pm, the campaign hoping it will deter theft and give cyclist confidence to leave their bikes.

The news comes at the end of a week when the British Transport Police admitted that bike thefts are "unlikely to ever be solved", those comments coming after a spoof sign at one West Sussex station renamed the bike parking facility a "Bicycle Redistribution Point".

Nine News was at SA District Court for the guilty plea arraignment of Rohan Dennis, in relation to his charge of one aggravated count of creating likelihood of harm in relation to the death of Melissa Hoskins.

In December, Dennis appeared in court to answer charges of dangerous driving causing death and an aggravated charge of driving without due care, charges which were dropped and replaced with the new one.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail and a five-year loss of driver's licence, judge Ian Press today adjourning proceedings until April 14, when sentencing submissions and victim impact statements will be heard.

The Evening Standard has published some big London cycle scheme news this morning, the newspaper reporting that Human Forest, one of the main players in the bike hire game, is to roll out bikes with child's seats, and others with a second seat for a passenger.

Earlier this week the shared bike operator reported it had secured £13m in new funding, investment that will boost the brand's fleet and support technology for "sustainable and responsible growth.

"Backed by this new financing, Forest will contribute significantly to widening access to shared schemes and reducing car dependency by launching ForestCargo, ForestDuo and ForestKid. With these new vehicle types, the company is aiming to achieve gender parity among its riders by 2027," a press release stated, noting a move into the cargo bike sector too.

Elsewhere in the drama of the sprint, Jhonatan Narváez was left frustrated in third place after feeling he was blocked off by an incident separate to the one that saw Laurence Pithie relegated. The Ecuadorian picked up four bonus seconds for his efforts but was, in the words of his team, "inadvertently blocked off" as stage winner Bryan Coquard and second-place Phil Bauhaus jostled for position and the shortest line.

The team has graciously admitted "the move was legal", just frustrating for their rider who believed he had the momentum to win the sprint. Narváez had raised his arm in protest after the finish, but team sports director Fabio Baldato accepted the result soon after.

"With the finish turning to the right, it is normal that the rider in front tried to take the shorter line," he said. "I have spoken to the jury and the president two or three times, and I trust them in the end. They are expert guys who I know well and it is not the case that we look to fight this decision."

Bryan Coquard emerged late into Stage 5 to take his first win of 2025 at the Tour Down Under 👏 pic.twitter.com/3GRShzcLUn

— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 24, 2025

Narváez too was ultimately content with his day's work, the four bonus seconds taking him to four seconds behind current race leader and stage four hero Javier Romo.