Decathlon CEO apologises for bike shortages; More talk that Froome is to leave Ineos; UK’s first competitive BAME cycling team; Lachlan Morton's everesting non-record; Chris Boardman takes MP to task for cycle helmet tweet; Schrodinger's car driver + more

Brilliant to see cycling levels increase by around 70% compared to early March 🚴🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️. And really keen to ensure healthy active transport sustained, so am providing councils with funds to install urgent infrastructure to keep cyclists safe – with more of this to come soon! 🚲

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) June 18, 2020

Last week we reported how Mitchelton-Scott were to become Team Manuela Fundación for the remainder of 2020 season.

At the time it seemed one of the more curious pro sponsorship deals of recent times. The Manuela Fundacion is a pretty small Spanish non-profit funded by husband and wife team Francisco Huertas and Maria Angustias González.

The statement announcing that the deal has fallen through doesn’t really clear things up at all.

 “We felt a strong initial connection with Mr Francisco Huertas, the Manuela Fundación and their noble aims,” said team founder and principal Gerry Ryan.

“However, as the negotiations have evolved after the initial announcement on Friday, we have concluded that the relationship will not proceed. We wish Mr Francisco Huertas and the Manuela Fundación all of the best for the future."

The GreenEDGE Cycling men’s and women’s teams will return to racing next month under the Mitchelton-Scott name, with a fully supported financial and technical structure provided by Ryan.

Ryan added: “The COVID-19 global crisis has thrown up many new challenges, but our primary focus remains on our world-class athletes and support staff.

“This will include a return to full wages for all riders and staff once WorldTour racing commences in August, and a commitment to the year 2021 as we search for a suitable sponsorship.

“We believe in this team, and the people and culture that have made it so successful these past eight years. 

“Our riders have been inspiring in their commitment and motivation in what has been an uncertain season, and our staff loyal and determined to provide the best service possible in what will be a busy and challenging end to the year. 

“We can’t wait to get back on the road and start winning more races.”

Traditionally held on the Saturday night/Sunday morning nearest to the full moon in July, Dunwich Dynamo involves riding 115 miles from London Fields in Hackney to Dunwich beach on the Suffolk coast.

It tends to attract around 1,500 participants.

Patrick Field, one of the founders, told the BBC that it is not officially happening this year - although there are no official organisers.

"It happens because people do it,” he said. “It's a tradition."

Southwark Cyclists have however cancelled return coaches from Dunwich, while Dunwich Parish Meeting said it was discouraging people from undertaking the trip.

"There's no infrastructure for them waiting for when they get here," said chairman Rod Smith.

Ooh look, it’s another one of those indoor bikes associated with a series of at-home fitness classes.

You know, kind of like Peloton. (Only hopefully not too much like it, what with that firm’s famously litigious recent track record.)

Apex from Apex Rides on Vimeo.

The Apex website says the bike’s going to be on sale in John Lewis before too long.

Last month Peloton said that a cheaper version of its exercise bike – which retails for $2,245 in the US – was on its way with the firm looking to target the mass market.

Peloton can be pretty robust in its dealings with rivals.

In October 2019, the firm sued rival brand Echelon, accusing them of selling "cheap, copycat products" and patent infringement.

USA Herald reports that it’s also suing NordicTrack for its iFit leaderboard that it believes infringes on one of its patents.

They also threatened a YouTuber in 2018 because he was using the word “peloton”.

On Sunday we reported that Lachlan Morton of EF Pro Cycling had become the latest man to claim the everesting world record after appearing to take 7 hours, 32 minutes, 54 seconds to make an altitude gain of 8,848 metres.

The Australian, who is based in Boulder, Colorado, climbed Rist Canyon, near Fort Collins, Colorado, 42 times.

Unfortunately for him, Morton’s effort was checked by Hells 500 — the organisation behind the concept of everesting – and they concluded he didn’t achieve the necessary elevation gain.

Writing on Facebook, they said: “As painful as it is, we stand by our community’s decision to recategorise this as a (very large) Everesting Basecamp listing, which means Keegan Swenson is restored at the top of the Everesting leaderboard.”

So how did this happen?

Hells 500 reckon they see under- or over-reporting of data from devices in about 10 per cent of all submissions, “and this is why we will check the elevation gain from repeats of a verified Strava segment over what the head unit will show.”

However, they also check the Strava segment itself, looking for ‘saw-toothing’ in the profile which tends to suggest a poorly formed segment, and one that could give an artificially inflated figure.”

This seems to be what happened with Morton’s effort.

Hells 500 went on to say that while the concept of everesting wasn’t initially about racing, they accept that this has become a part of it.

“One thing we never anticipated when creating this challenge for our crew was that it would one day be raced by riders at the top level of the sport. In fact, ironically, this challenge was set up as the antithesis of racing!

“That said, we appreciate and respect that whilst completion is the driving factor for the vast majority of participants, the appeal of setting new records for Everesting has clearly taken hold - and so we’ll need to adapt to that.”

As for how they’ll do this, they say that they’re going to have to approve segments for record attempts in advance.

“As mapping data varies in accuracy from country to country (and indeed the exact height of Everest itself is still a matter of some debate!) we will – to the best of our ability with the resources to hand – agree on a set elevation gain prior to an attempt.”

Government plans to develop 50 ‘Garden Villages’ and ‘Garden Towns’ across England will result in 200,000 households becoming car-dependent, says a new report we reported on yesterday.

Garden villages locking-in car dependency, says report. BBC article by @RHarrabin. https://t.co/uTfF0jwW7t
Diagram: pic.twitter.com/TJzpOWhsq8

— Dave Walker (@davewalker) June 16, 2020

Many key workers are discovering the benefits of riding a bike - for happiness, health and short trips.

The #BigBikeRevival project is offering free bike loans and repairs to help even more frontline staff start cycling.

Find a centre near you: https://t.co/LnbhUcqFBb pic.twitter.com/0DiE1BhX53

— Cycling UK (@WeAreCyclingUK) June 18, 2020