“Sad” – Boardman verdict on KFC drive-thru queue; UCI reveals revised calendar … again; Another candidate for best cycling lockdown vid; April new car sales down 97%, Halfords report 1,500% rise in turbo sales; + more on the live blog

The Olympic champ, Boardman Bikes boss and current Walking and Cycling Commissioner for Manchester faced some criticism for describing a queue of cars for the recently reopened KFC in Colindale, north west London as 'sad' on Twitter earlier this afternoon; similar scenes were described outside KFC branches in other parts of the country.  

I get all the hate but for some it's been a tedious, awful month or more. Same meals, no getting out etc.. Maybe a little treat will pick up their spirits a bit.

— The Tone (@Tony1979) May 5, 2020

I think we should be a little more understanding. Some people will struggle to embrace change. I miss fast food 🥘

— Caroline 🚲🎧🐈🎬🔭🇪🇺🐝 (@caroline_MCR_) May 5, 2020

Boardman has clarified the comments, claiming it was not aimed at individuals but the predicament we find ourselves in that people are prepared to queue so long for fast food...

It wasn’t really a judgment of individuals, I said ‘it’s sad’ not what I was sad about.

I’m sad that this now our society, and sitting in an hour long traffic jam to eat fried chicken is now ‘a little treat’

I want more for my society, more for people to aspire to. https://t.co/FfdJgFb3pC

— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) May 5, 2020

Do you think the huge queue a depressing sign of a return to a car-fuelled normality when the lockdown fully lifts, or is it understandable that people are prepared to wait for a treat in the form of KFCc to lift their spirits?

That’s pretty....sad https://t.co/lWxxZ2TPAm

— Chris Boardman (@Chris_Boardman) May 5, 2020

As you'd have probably guessed, Manchester's Walking and Cycling Commissioner isn't amused by the sight of a ginormous queue of cars waiting for the drive-thru service at KFC's Colindale branch. 

Zipps for under a grand? You betcha, and they're not half bad either. Check out the launch article here, and our full review here. 

After the whole original 2020 UCI calendar was completely decimated by coronavirus lockdown rules worldwide, new dates for all World Tour events have now been officially confirmed.

The new dates for the Tour de France are still listed as 29th August - 20th September, even though the French Prime Minister announced last week that no mass participation sporting events in the country can resume until September. Meanwhile, the Giro d'Italia is set to start on 3rd October, a shortened Vuelta will start on 20th October (overlapping with the Giro) and Paris-Roubaix is set for 25th October.

President David Lappartient said: “We have drawn up a solid, attractive and varied new calendar that is as realistic and coherent as possible. This has been achieved as early as was practicable and in line with information available today concerning the evolution of the pandemic. Riders, teams and organisers now have the dates they need to anticipate the resumption of racing on 1st August. This is a very important step that the entire cycling community, financially impacted by the pandemic, has been waiting for to move forward. I would like to acknowledge the spirit of solidarity and responsibility shown by all players – in this respect I thank Unipublic which accepted to reduce the length of the Vuelta Ciclista a España – and the courage that the families of professional cycling have demonstrated in these difficult times."

Here are all the dates in full for the men's calendar: 

1st August: Strade Bianche (Italy)
5-9 August: Tour de Pologne (Poland)
8 August: Milano-Sanremo (Italy)
12-16 August: Critérium du Dauphiné (France)
16 August: Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic (Great Britain)
25 August: Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France (France)
29 August -20 September : Tour de France (France)
7-14 September: Tirreno-Adriatico (Italy)
11 September: Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec (Canada)
13 September: Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal (Canada)
29 September -3 October: BinckBank Tour
30 September: La Flèche Wallonne (Belgium)
3-25 October: Giro d'Italia (Italy)
4 October: Liège-Bastogne-Liège (Belgium)
10 October: Amstel Gold Race (the Netherlands)
11 October: Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields (Belgium)
14 October: A Travers la Flandre (Belgium)
15-20 October: Gree - Tour of Guangxi (China)
18 October: Tour des Flandres (Belgium)
20 October - 8 November: Vuelta Ciclista a España (Spain)
21 October: Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne (Belgium)
25 October: Paris-Roubaix (France)
31 October: Il Lombardia (Italy)

And the women's: 

1st August: Strade Bianche (Italy)
8 August: Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda West Sweden TTT (Sweden)
9 August: Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda West Sweden RR (Sweden)
13-16 August:  Ladies Tour of Norway (Norway)
26 August: GP de Plouay – Lorient Agglomération Trophée WNT (France)
29 August: La Course by Le Tour de France (France)
1-6 September: Boels Ladies Tour (the Netherlands)
11-19 September: Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile (Italy)
30 September: La Flèche Wallonne Féminine (Belgium)
4 October: Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes (Belgium)
10 October: Amstel Gold Race Ladies (the Netherlands)
11 October: Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields (Belgium)
18 October : Ronde van Vlaanderen (Belgium)
20 October: Tour of Guangxi Women’s WorldTour (China)
20 October: Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne (Belgium)
23-25 October: Tour of Chongming Island (China)
25 October: Paris-Roubaix (France)
6-8 November: Ceratizit Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta (Spain)

Comparison firm Uswitch have taken six modern tech inventions and re-imagined what the adverts would have looked like if the gadgets were invented 60 years ago... one of which is the e-bike. Full story over on eBikeTips. 

The Italian bike brand have been in lockdown for two months, and say they have been shipping bikes from Denmark and turned to making valves for breathing equipment during the worst of the pandemic. To celebrate heading back to Bergamo to resume operations, they're giving away one special edition Exploro in the colours of Harlequin (Arlecchino in Italian), the famous chequered costume-wearing servant. Why Harlequin? Because a statue of him on a roundabout is the first thing you see when you enter Bergamo...

3T say the Exploro Arlecchino is worth a cool 8,500 euros, and features the 3T DiscusPlus i28 LTD carbon wheels, SRAM Force electronic groupset and their new handbuilt Torno carbon crank arms, said to be the world's thinnest... not to mention the very unique paint job. 

To enter you just need to sign up to 3T's newsletter here, with entries open until 18th May - 3T say they chose this date to show 'support for bike stores' - as bike stores are allowed to re-open in Italy on the 18th - and then the winner will be picked on the 19th.