"I missed the start of a wedding... because of LTNs"; "I was struggling": Peter Sagan reflects on first WorldTour win in 13 months; Timmy Mallett hammers the Highlands; You can't carry that by bike! + more on the live blog

Cyclist gets knocked off bike by leopard in India pic.twitter.com/zmGSgWmUGZ

— The Independent (@Independent) June 15, 2022

Are you ready for the first episode of The Next Top Mechanic? Mark June 17th on your calendar!🗓 With the help of @visma we'll go from 200 applicants to 1 winner.

📺 https://t.co/cmszcFZvRC pic.twitter.com/cpJNItEZ24

— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) June 14, 2022

What other cycling-related reality TV competitions would you like to see? Britain's best drivetrain cleaner? 10 minutes, 10 filthy drivetrains, which will be cleanest? Not feeling it? Fair enough...

The Great British Rice Cake Off? 50g of carbs, but whose riding fuel will be tastiest?

Bunny hop idol? Planet X Factor? Winter Glove Island? Big Ring Brother? 

EDIT: Apparently Ryan blogged this yesterday, so lucky you lot getting to read about it twice. Maybe I'll tell you a funny story about an events planner and LTNs later...

Dom Whiting is taking his two-wheeled rave through the streets of Sheffield this Sunday, starting at Tudor Square from 2pm...

SHEFFIELD!!

Drum & Bass On The Bike sees it’s first trip to SHEFFIELD this SUNDAY (19th) Starting at TUDOR SQUARE from 2PM.

Looking forward to this one as there’s been so much ask for it! SEE YOU SUNDAY... pic.twitter.com/sO6X6WTQTu

— Domonic (@domwhiting) June 14, 2022

Here's one that slipped through the net a couple of weeks back but is more than worth a late call-up to the live (two weeks late) blog. Those pesky Low Traffic Neighbourhoods are at it again...*checks notes*... stopping people getting to weddings!?

That's the claim of one events planner in Oxford, who seemingly failed to properly plan his events leading up to the big day, and blames the tardiness on those little wooden planters.

> Low Traffic Neighbourhood 'human bollards' step in following repeated vandalism

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Chris Jones of Boys and Girls Promotions said they were unaware the LTNs in East Oxford came into effect on the Friday night, so, when he went to pick people up he was faced with... "the perfect storm".

"On the Saturday it took an additional 15 or 20 minutes to pick people up," he told the local news site. "Then it just snowballed with not being able to turn into certain roads, the congestion on Cowley Road, and we were an hour late for a wedding.

"That has never happened in 13 years. So you've already got the stresses and strains of the bride worrying if you're coming, you are trying to set up late, guests are arriving, you know, for somebody's special day, let's say it was not good.

"It breaks my heart to receive a disappointed email from a client but we have apologised to the client, discounted their invoice, reviewed internal procedures, and apologised to our staff ..... we go again!"

He's also going to "have to think about putting our prices up" owing to the increase in travelling time.

"We know Oxford has a major air pollution problem and the town is just not built for the amount of traffic that goes through. But our company has electric minibuses and we like to think we are ahead of the game.

"The LTNs seem short-term. What's needed is a big, grown-up conversation about where we can make a city where everyone drives electric vehicles and that way we can reduce the air pollution. This is just short-term fixes."

Sir Chris Hoy is backing a new clip-on e-bike drive system where power is applied via the rear disc brake. Skarper's designers say it means a bike can be turned into an e-bike and back again in a matter of seconds.

Check out the full story on our sister site eBikeTips...

Timmy Mallett's UK tour is back on the road following a Jubilee Pageant hiatus (don't worry, he didn't have to wear one of those silly polo hats Sir Chris Hoy was scared of).

It may be burn your back hot down south, but up in the Highlands it's raining (obviously)...

"It's been seven consecutive days of rain and the forecast is...more of the same," Mallett wrote on Strava. "At home, Mrs Mallett is watering the garden!"

Here's yesterday's ride...

"I rode up the glen with the dark threatening mountains closing in and looking ominous. It's a lonely ride on the single track with these sheer dark cliffs bearing down on me," he wrote.

"All along the way the clouds got darker and moodier and seemed to reach closer.
It's as if the weather Gods live here scheming up different conditions and throwing them down.

"Then I glance across the valley and shafts of sunlight seem to lighten the clouds and laugh at me. It's a spectacular ride and once over not getting the classic Highland view I start to enjoy the way the weather changes that I see all the time."

On Monday, Mallett climbed the famous Bealach na Bà...

You can check out that ride here... 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Peter Sagan (@petosagan)

 Reflecting on a first WorldTour win since last year's Giro, Peter Sagan admitted he was struggling during his barren run and "wondered what was going on with me".

"It was not easy, the last five months," he said. "It's not easy to return after a long break without racing. I didn't race for three months, before then I was racing, but I was sick. I was struggling and wondered what was going on with me.

"I'm very happy. It feels great. I have to thank my whole team TotalEnergies for their amazing work."

13 months for win No.120. What odds win No.121 only takes a day?