Met Police rider struck by driver's wing mirror during close pass op; Parking suspension shows space for infra; Forecast teases wet Paris-Roubaix; "I'm on a bike" man; Rise in bike thefts; Moose on the loose; Slow radio; Pain faces + more on the live blog

As chaotic queues at petrol stations continue, our new #BikeIsBest ad is now showing in London with one simple message:

Please cycle for short journeys and leave fuel for those who *really* need it. pic.twitter.com/ofk40PrdVI

— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) September 28, 2021

Today the team conducted a close pass operation at The Avenue, SW4.
2 x close passes, one where the plain clothes rider was struck on the elbow by the wing mirror.
Rider unhurt.
The driver will be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention. #VisionZeroLDN

— Cycle Safety Team (@MetCycleCops) September 28, 2021

Yesterday, the Met Cycle Safety Team was out on a close pass operation in Clapham, South London, when one of its plain clothes riders was struck on the elbow by a driver's wing mirror as they passed. Thankfully the rider was unhurt and the driver will be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention.

A few people joked the cops couldn't have been out for very long if they only had two close passes, but mainly the reaction was a mixture of unsurprised empathy and a touch of gratitude that the force is taking action on dangerous driving.

The story comes a week after Dame Sarah Storey, who earlier this month became GB's most successful Paralympian, joined South Yorkshire Police on a close pass operation. The ride along the A57 on a Friday afternoon led to 20 drivers being stopped for "advice purposes" from 110 overtakes.

Amusingly, Inspector Smith took more than just the satisfaction of a job well done from the operation...he joked he'd posted his best 20-minute power of the year trying to keep up with the 17-time gold medallist...

The Met launched its first close pass operation in 2017 and, at the time, insisted professional drivers and those who display particularly bad driving would be reported straight away, and not given roadside advice.

A quick lunchtime shoutout to Alex Anderson and Marion Bettsworth who made it onto BBC Radio 3's slow radio feature on Sunday with a clip of audio recorded during the Dunwich Dynamo - a through-the-night 112-mile ride from Hackney to Dunwich on the Suffolk coast. You can listen to the soothing sound of freehubs and riders zooming past on the BBC Sounds website by following the link here.

There is no shortage of "road space" to make cycling safe, accessible and enjoyable. Only a shortage of political will. https://t.co/YxVHU9OW5n

— London Cycling Campaign (@London_Cycling) September 28, 2021

The council cleaning this road in London showed its residents just how it might look without cars parked bumper to bumper...and how much room there could be for other things. The picture got people talking, not least the London Cycling Campaign who pointed out anyone claiming a shortage of road space might just be short of political will...

Another reply compared the picture to Japan, where on-street parking has been banned, barring some exceptions, since 1957...

I know I make the “well, in Japan…” comparisons a lot, but in Japanese cities it’s off-street parking or nothing. We could look to that for inspiration, no? At least starting with A roads. Plenty of room for cycle lanes then. https://t.co/UXRI4sgdpb

— Matt Stratford (@mattstratford) September 29, 2021

Imagine hedgerows, cycle lanes and play paths. Imagine parklets, with undulating meadow strips weaving round them. #reimaginestreets. @willnorman https://t.co/XDekMfFpPJ

— Daubeney Fields (@Daubeneyfields) September 29, 2021

Coshgirl said she'd sent the picture to the street's WhatsApp group with the message: "Never seen the street looking so lovely as it did this morning. Amazing how much space there is once you take away the cars..." No word on how that went down...

Newly crowned road race world champion Elisa Balsamo will make her first appearance since winning the rainbow jersey, at next week's AJ Bell Women's Tour here in the UK. The route has a strong south east feel to it, and isn't being broadcast live on TV, so to get a glimpse of the new champs in action you'll need to find your way to the roadside.

Stage one goes from Bicester to Banbury, stage two's a round trip starting and ending in Walsall. Stage three is an individual time trial in Atherstone, while stage four takes the peloton from Shoeburyness to Southend-on-Sea. Stage five is from Colchester to Clacton-on-Sea and the final stage starts in Haverhill and finishes in Felixstowe.

The race begins on Monday, and Balsamo could be joined on the startline by newly crowned TT world champ Ellen van Dijk. Former world champions Lizzie Deignan and Annemiek van Vleuten are both also on the provisional startlist.

Let the speculation begin! It's been 20 years since a wet Paris-Roubaix, which is quite a surprising statistic for a race traditionally held in April. But, the early whispers are that we could get some mud and slippery cobblestones for Sunday's October edition. That's the BBC's current forecast above - other forecasters are saying more rain, some are saying there'll be less... although one punter joked that if the BBC are going with that, it probably means it'll be 20 degrees and sunny...

For an explainer on why we're all praying for horrendous conditions, here's how the infamous Trouée d'Arenberg sector looked the last time we had a wet race...

Le dernier Paris-Roubaix couru sous la pluie (2001) / The last wet Paris-Roubaix (2001).

Traversée de la trouée d'Arenberg

📺 FranceTV 🎙️ J-R Godard / B. Thévenet#ParisRoubaix #ParisRoubaix2001 #cycling #cyclisme #roubaix #Arenberg pic.twitter.com/4zSQemVvSN

— Miroir du Cyclisme (@Miroir2Cyclisme) September 28, 2021

Wet Roubaix Fever was at an all-time high yesterday when the initial predictions showed this...

Cancel all plans on Sunday I repeat CANCEL ALL PLANS!!! pic.twitter.com/nS1i5HYer5

— Pete (@road_THEORY) September 28, 2021

 Some of the riders and all the mechanics will be pleased to see that no longer on the menu.

The inaugural women's edition this Saturday gives us a second chance at sludgy conditions. As things stand, Friday looks likely to see some heavy rainfall in the evening, but the majority of race day looks dry. However, there is a risk of light rain starting later on in the afternoon and into the evening to soften up the farm tracks nicely for the men the following day. Cross your fingers, do a rain dance, we're going to be checking forecasts a lot in the next few days.