Dominic Cummings' wife accused of hypocrisy over anti-LTN 'war on cars' Spectator column; Parents of man killed in hit-and-run call for change; Every pub on June 21; 'Road tax' whinging; Bike theft victim's happy ending + more on the live blog

It appears just enough time has elapsed for Mary Wakefield to talk about “essential” car journeys again.

(Mary Wakefield is, if you didn’t know, married to Dominic Cummings). This piece is clearly a pop at the PM with cycling as collateral damage. pic.twitter.com/Qk4j3DrYhs

— Adam Tranter (@adamtranter) March 4, 2021

You may remember not so long ago Dominic Cummings was fielding questions about why, in the middle of a pandemic and national lockdown, he'd driven to the other end of the country with his wife, Mary Wakefield. Bicycle Mayor of Coventry, Adam Tranter has suggested that just enough time has elapsed for The Spectator journalist and wife of the PM's former Chief Adviser, to talk about essential car journeys again...

Mary Wakefield's column this morning slams "the war on cars", saying LTNs aren't fair and disadvantage the less well off, while also being "terrific if you want to get on with selling cocaine." Jon Burke was quick to point out that Wakefield lives in an LTN that has been in place since 1974.

The column comes just two days after research into recently installed low traffic neighbourhoods in London showed the schemes aren't implemented primarily in wealthier areas. In fact, according to the Census and other data, people living in the most deprived areas of Greater London were found to be nearly three times more likely to live in a new LTN than residents of the capital's least deprived areas.

From The Spectator:

‘The war on cars is backfiring’

Includes several interesting viewpoints including:

“…London simply isn’t suited to cycling.”https://t.co/mzoqwaWymE

— APPGCW (@allpartycycling) March 4, 2021

Y así 🤷‍♂️ "Ma-i-a hi, Ma-i-a hu..." 🎶🎶🎶🎶. ¿Is this clip an @OutOfCycling video? #DragosteaDinTei #Cycling pic.twitter.com/9pibxY3x7w

— iker gallastegi (@ikguallas) March 4, 2021

Movistar's new signing Miguel Ángel López says considered his future in cycling because of the stress and pressure that comes with being a leader of a team at the highest level of the sport. López is yet to make his debut for his new team and hasn't raced since his crash during the opening time trial of the Giro d'Italia last year. He said he had sympathy for a rider like Tom Dumoulin, who has taken an indefinite break from competition.

López told El Tiempo he could empathise with Dumoulin's situation. "Cycling is complicated and you start to think like Tom Dumoulin," he said. "To be honest, I have thought about leaving it and taking a step aside, because there are complex situations. The pressure, the sacrifice, the fatigue, the injuries are complicated. When you are a leader you are responsible for an entire team, but there are moments of despair and sometimes you think with hot blood. It is important to be well surrounded. Your family puts you back on the ground."

The Colombian is expected to return to the startline at Itzulia Basque County next month, before a mountainous path back to the Tour de France, where he won a memorable stage last year (pictured above). The 27-year-old will race the Tour of the Alps and Tour de Romandie before the Tour and will likely take in a second Grand Tour of the year at the Vuelta in August.

A Hit & Run driver left my son Ryan dead in the road.He hid for 36hrs & only got charged with failing to stop & report, receiving suspended sentence. #RyansLaw with mean, STOP, DIAL 999, RENDER AID until help arrives or face 10yr min sentence.Pls sign & RT pic.twitter.com/x1dmPz63IH pic.twitter.com/1nWj78DOiE

— Helen Saltern (@SalternHelen) March 3, 2021

A couple from Cornwall told Cornwall Live of their hope that the law for hit-and-run offenders can be changed to mean an automatic custodial sentence which cannot be suspended. Helen and Mark Saltern's son Ryan was killed while making his way to a party after being hit by Wayne Shilling on the B3267, who then fled the scene. The BBC reports that in court Shilling claimed he had not realised he had hit anyone, despite the collision puncturing his car's radiator. The court also heard that the driver had been drinking.

Shilling pleaded guilty to failing to report an accident and received a four-month jail sentence, suspended for a year. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months, given an evening curfew for four months and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £207 and prosecution costs. Helen and Mark said they were devastated by the outcome but it was expected due to the options available to the magistrates. They are campaigning to change the law to give hit-and-run offenders custodial sentences which cannot be suspended. 

"Our justice system is failing in many ways. At present if you hit, and kill someone and are found to be over the limit you could face 14 years in prison. However, if you hit and kill someone but carry on, wait long enough to be free of drink or drugs then the maximum you face is 6 months. How does this deter people from behaving in such a cowardly, selfish manner? The sentence given today is a mockery of justice and has to be changed," the couple said in a statement.

The Ryan's Law petition has 7,000 signatures and can be viewed here...

The Tour of Poland organisers have scrapped the finish in Katowice where Fabio Jakobsen crashed last year. Riders and fans criticised the race organisers and the UCI for allowing the fast downhill sprint, where speeds often exceed 80km/h. Feltet.dk reports that the organisers have listened to the criticism and won't return to that particular finish again. In the crash on the opening stage of last year's race, Jakobsen was nudged into the barriers by fellow Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen. The Deceuninck-Quick-Step rider was left in a medically-induced coma with extensive injuries and has not raced since.

The incident also led to questions being asked about the standard of barriers at the event, with the UCI bringing forward plans during the off-season to standardise race barriers.