Dating app singleton called out for pretending to be Quick-Step star Remco Evenepoel; 100 miles off-road...by penny-farthing; Cyclist avoids negligent hot dog; Inbetweeners at Le Tour; Bell ends + more on the live blog

2 brave souls are riding a unicycle and a Penny Farthing the whole 100 miles of the #SouthDownsWay to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK. They started yesterday and aim to finish tomorrow. Good Luck to Tom Clowes and Neil Laughton. @NationalTrails @sdnpa https://t.co/hdQXmkhVt0 pic.twitter.com/Sol3nlEe15

— South Downs Way (@SouthDownsWayNT) June 22, 2021

Riding 100 miles on the South Downs Way would be a decent enough challenge for most...but on a unicycle or a penny-farthing? Mr Vine, you've got competition. Tom Clowes and Neil Laughton are doing exactly that, raising funds for Prostate Cancer UK by riding a unicycle and penny-farthing along the 100-mile off-road route in the south of England across three days.

The pair got off to a flying start yesterday, riding 41 miles on day one in slippery conditions.

The JustGiving page has raised more than £3,450 for their charity of choice and Tom explained the motivation for undertaking the challenge: "I have chosen to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. My father might have still been alive today if they had caught it in time. My father was a marathon runner and he always wanted to run along the length of the South Downs Way, so by doing this on one wheel will make him look down on us and smile!" Chapeau...

Firstly and sincerely, congratulations and best of luck to everyone selected for the Olympics 💪
•
Unfortunately I wasn’t selected & I think it’s an important thing to talk about as an athlete, not everyone can go and not everyone can win 👇
•https://t.co/TLUBdthTBj

— Alex Dowsett (@alexdowsett) June 21, 2021

Alex Dowsett has spoken out about his non-selection for the Olympic Games, saying he is "devastated". Speaking on his YouTube channel, Dowsett said he was told at the end of the Giro d'Italia and has struggled to accept the decision.

"Honestly. I’m devastated," he explained. "It’s been a really tough three or four weeks, coming to terms with not going to an event that has been my sole focus since July 2019. I spent a few weeks really angry – angry at myself, blaming myself. British Cycling, the people who gave me such a huge opportunity to potentially go, unfortunately they have to be the ones who tell you you’re not going. Obviously they had an argument for me not going. I could argue til the cows came home that there was a place for me in that team."

The selectors favoured climbers for the challenging road race route, choosing Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates, Simon Yates and Tao Geoghegan Hart. Thomas and Geoghegan Hart will compete in the time trial. Due to IOC selection rules, riders who compete in the time trial are also expected to ride the road race, something which has likely gone against Dowsett's chances.

"The one that really rattled me, and always has rattled me actually, is the rule that the time triallist has to come from the road team. If you were to put this in running, and you were to say to Usain Bolt, ‘yes, you can do the 100 meters and 200 metres but we’re going to need you to line up for the 1500 as well’…for me it dilutes it," Dowsett continued.

"The Olympics should be the pinnacle of everything. What I’m trying to say is there are a few time triallists sat at home watching the Olympics who should be there."

#carryshitolympics

— honor elliott (@honorelliott_) June 22, 2021

Works to connect Wigan Pier with the town centre began yesterday and will involve new segregated cycle lanes and improved walking access with improved lighting and better crossings. The project imaginatively named the 'Road to Wigan Pier' after George Orwell's famous work is expected to take around 20 weeks and should be open for use later this year.

Wigan's council leader David Molyneux said: "It’s been an ambition for the council for a long time to improve connectivity and safety for all road users, which includes providing reliable alternative options if we are to encourage people to leave the car at home."

For those familiar with the area, the works will link with the cycle facilities at Saddle Junction and Miry Lane is to permanently close to vehicles.

𝘼𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 WhatsApp group...💬 but this time, make it @LeTour 🇫🇷#KeepChallenging #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/RXORhEfZPQ

— Team DSM (@TeamDSM) June 22, 2021

You know how yesterday we told you there would be eight British riders lining up for the Grand Depart in Brittany this weekend? Well, ignore that. We're now up to 10 thanks to Cavendish's comeback and Mark Donovan's surprise inclusion for Team DSM. Good to see Mark come a long way since his days terrorising Will McKenzie at Rudge Park Comprehensive. Top marks for anyone who gets that reference... 

Missing out on the Tour de France through injury must be a tough day at the office...made worse if your boss then publically shoots off about how he thinks you're faking it. That was the grim situation Sam Bennett faced last night after Patrick Lefevere told Sporza he believes the Irishman is scared of failure...way to kick a man when he's down, Patrick.

"When Bennett called that he was injured and that he needed care and rest, we already felt the mood that he was not going to be ready for the Tour," the Deceuninck-Quick-Step team boss said. "Three days before the Tour of Belgium, he bumped his knee against his handlebars. He didn't tell us anything about that. When he arrived, we sent him home again. Then it was a yes-no game: to train or not to train?

"I cannot prove that he does not have knee pain, but I am starting to think more and more that it is more fear of failure than just pain. If that's the case, it would say a lot about him, after all I've done for him. I've even paid advances of fines to pay his fine at Bora. If you treat me like that, it says a lot. I'm not ruling it out."

Bennett says his absence is down to a "really minor" knee injury and that it is better for him to focus on other goals later in the season. Irish legend Sean Kelly then jumped to his compatriot's defence...

"There are rumours going around that maybe Sam didn’t want to go to the Tour and with the pressure and all that but I don’t agree with any suggestion that goes that way," he told Cyclingnews.

"Coming off the performances he had last year at the Tour, this year he’s proved he can win against the fastest men. Lefevere has said himself that Sam won’t be a Quick-Step rider next year. Patrick is disappointed with that and I think Lefevere is just getting Sam back a bit with that. It’s nothing new from managers when a big rider leaves and they can’t hold onto them. These comments are made to just get a bit of revenge against the rider. It’s nothing new."

A small first, this year Radio Tour will be broadcast online, the race radio from the official car that reports incidents etc in 🇫🇷+🇬🇧 https://t.co/eQ0rrGPQop We'll have to find out how it works, if there's no delay then it'll be faster than TV or Twitter

— the Inner Ring (@inrng) June 21, 2021

One for the most dedicated Tour de France fans out there. Radio Tour, the official sound of the race, will be broadcast for fans to listen in to during this year's edition so you can hear exactly when Chris Froome stops for a slash, Mark Cavendish wants a bottle or Geraint Thomas crashes. It is all part of the new Tour de France Club which will also give fans access to exclusive video content and to vote for the Antargaz Combativity Award, awarded to the most aggressive rider each day.

Our chosen 8 are ready for their next adventure! 🗺 #TDF2021

🇫🇷 Bernardix
🇫🇷 Ellisondix
🇳🇱 Mollemix
🇮🇹 Nibalix
🇩🇰 Pedersix
🇱🇻 Skujix
🇧🇪 Stuyvix
🇧🇪 Theunix pic.twitter.com/3pba6wKVeD

— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) June 22, 2021

Following on from Team DSM's Giro d'Italia/Italian Job masterpiece, Trek-Segafredo have announced their Tour de France team with a bit of French popular culture in the style of the famous comic series Asterix. Will Vincenzo Nibalix win a stage? Can Jasper Stuyvenix build on his monumental Milan-San Remo? Will Julian Bernardix or Kenny Ellisondix provide a home winner?

Who did it better? Trek or DSM?

🗣“You're only supposed to...ride a lap of Italy!”

Team DSM - 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙅𝙤𝙗 🎬#Giro! Coming 🔜 to a screen near you 🍿

🔗 https://t.co/9nnKOt5Vkt pic.twitter.com/JWtlLvHmPL

— Team DSM (@TeamDSM) April 14, 2021