Filippo Ganna confirms Hour Record attempt; 'Wish that van driver beeping at me would get lost... oh, it's my son...'; Does he ride a Dogma? Vatican rider to race World Championships; Reaction to British Cycling apology + more on the live blog

We'll let you decide if this is stretching the limits of what counts as 'our patch', but we have covered Belfield's YouTube pot-stirring before on the live blog, notably in November 2021 when he made a bizarre video about cancelling cyclists...anything for attention. Whether we should have given Belfield oxygen is another — very valid — question...

Alex Belfield is walking down the stairs to the cells at Nottingham Crown Court to begin his prison sentence. That concludes today's sentencing. Thanks for following along.

— George Icke (@georgeickeradio) September 16, 2022

Anyway, that video is now unavailable on YouTube, and the news came this morning that the former BBC radio presenter — found guilty of stalking four people, including Jeremy Vine — has been jailed for five and a half years at Nottingham Crown Court.

The 42-year-old was told by the judge the stalking had left one of the victims "seconds away" from committing suicide and "had serious impacts on the private lives of the complaints and had distressing effects on their physical and mental health".

The exact wording of the charges said Belfied "pursued a course of conduct that amounted to harassment" of the complainants, which "amounted to stalking" and caused them "serious alarm or distress".

In the case of Vine and another complainant, Belfield was found guilty of the alternative charge "simple" stalking, which does not require distress or serious alarm, although Vine said his stalker's actions had meant he "asked his family to watch out for you [Belfield]."

Is the Hour Record about to be put out of reach?
Filippo Ganna confirms attempt at beating Dan Bigham's 55.548km distance in Switzerland next monthhttps://t.co/BeHDMhlEtn #cycling pic.twitter.com/TpwGuOhezC

— road.cc (@roadcc) September 16, 2022

It's happening...

pic.twitter.com/kXN55ZGu3G

— John Cooper (@jfmcooper) September 16, 2022

Let's hope for better coverage than poor Dan Bigham's attempt. A clock with lap times might be a start, more than one camera angle, ideally closer than the International Space Station might help too...

Guys, amazing,.wonderful and everything else that is good.

But ease, please , please do not give us another Dan Bigham event ( poor guy )

Awful cameras and angles
No people watching
Terrible clock counter

Please give us something special that merits the hour record

— anenglishmaninspain (@AndyElche) September 16, 2022

Awesome. But I hope the TV coverage is better than Bigham’s because that was bloody awful!!! Which was a real shame

— Waiting4Train (@waitingforteain) September 16, 2022

This will be a soft porn

— Sram Benett (@peinlooo) September 16, 2022

A couple from the comments so far:

Steve K's involves cycling to every game of Crystal Palace's 2016/17 season so is the winner already...anyone who cycles hundreds of miles to watch Allardyce football deserves infinite kudos...

"(As I may have mentioned before) back in 2016/17 I cycled to and from every Crystal Palace match for a season.  Shortly after I set off for home the day after the Middlesbrough game (the first non-London away game of the season) a car beeped me.  Just as I was about to react, the window wound down and it was one of the Middlesbrough stewards who had met me at the game the day before just saying hello and wishing me the best for the journey home and the rest of the season."

PRSboy's is another from the comedy genre...

"I was overtaken and hooted at by an Audi on my way home from work and was raising my hand in the traditional coffee-bean shaking gesture when I realised it was a friend saying hi, so I had to quickly change my W4NKR! gesture to a bizarre cheery wave, which ended up looking very strange."

A bit of reaction to yesterday's British Cycling apology signalling the completion of the 'no cycling during the Queen's funeral' U-turn...

> "We’re sorry – we got this one wrong": British Cycling apologises for advising cyclists not to ride their bikes during state funeral

For a laugh I broke our own 'never read the comments' rule for certain websites, held my nose and jumped into the MailOnline's story... it's Friday, why not have a laugh? To my great surprise, rather than the usual cesspit of anti-cycling bingo classics, even the Mail commenters were baffled by British Cycling's original call...

"Not everyone will want to watch it. Let them exercise. It was so important during lockdown."

"Why would they issue any such advice at all. Are they a government organisation?"

"Why do they even feel the need to issue guidance? Let people think for themselves."

“We’re sorry – we got this one wrong”: British Cycling apologises for advising cyclists not to ride their bikes during state funeral

“The decision on whether to cycle during that time is one for individuals and clubs to take for themselves,”https://t.co/5Fvvt4KMFI #cycling

— road.cc (@roadcc) September 15, 2022

Back on road.cc, here were some of your thoughts under yesterday's story:

ride2smile said: "They, like many other organisations, could have just said nothing. Just let people decide for themselves."

Rendel Harris replied: "That hits the nail on the head I think, it was totally outside their remit to start issuing guidance either way. If there was some official guidance and they were making people aware of it, great, but to decide for themselves what constitutes 'appropriate cycling' on the day of the funeral and broadcast it was wrong."

kiwiglider commented: "Not British Cycling's finest moment. Was wondering about my membership and this prompted me to cancel it. We need a much stronger advocate that can counter all the anti-cycling rubbish and promote safety."

henryb said: "It's advice like this that reinforces the notion that cycling is just a fun, recreational activity, such as might be enjoyed by small children, rather than something that people do to get to work, because it's a normal way of getting about, or to improve their mental and physical health."

It's at this point we'd usually chuck in some comments pointing out the other side of the argument, for balance. I say usually because in this instance I cannot find a single one...anyone want to help me out?

Now that is a kit https://t.co/x4UYGu50DB

— Tim Bonville-Ginn (@TimBonvilleGinn) September 16, 2022

40-year-old Rien Schuurhuis is set to represent the Vatican at next Sunday's men's elite UCI World Championships road race, the first time in history the 121-acre city-state, home to just 453 people (in 2019), will be on the startline... and boy have they nailed the kit...