Live blog: Brooklyn cyclist killed in hit and run – so NYPD ticket bike riders AGAIN, British Cycling updates disciplinary regs, video of near-naked cyclist riding backwards in Florida goes viral, Dani Rowe previews Worlds sportive route, + more

A thief in the Indian city of Delhi was arrested within 10 minutes of stealing a bicycle – because he hadn’t noticed the police logo on it.

One of the police officers who arrested the 23-year-old man said: “ was on duty near Khan Market when I spotted a man wearing plain clothes, who was on a police bicycle.

“I asked him to stop and asked him if it was his cycle. He fumbled and had no answers.

“He tried to leave the bicycle and escape but we caught him. He confessed he had stolen the bicycle.”

The Hindustan Times reports that officers who use the bikes to patrol the city’s parks and gardens have now been issued with strict orders to ensure their bikes are locked when not in use.

Four-time Olympic champion Laura Kenny believes that Great Britain can overcome a disappointing UCI Track World Championships and win medals at next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo – but has also warned that there is no room for complacency.

Kenny helped Great Britain win silver behind Australia in the team pursuit – one of just four medals won by the country in Pruszkow – but pulled out of the omnium due to illness.

She told Reuters: “I don’t think there is anything dramatic that we should be worrying about, or changing now, it’s just about moving forward as a team.

“Having said that we can’t be complacent. We can’t be like, ‘Oh well every time we go to the Olympics it comes together’ because it’s not as simple as that.

“The team has changed massively this time, not just with the riders but with the whole set-up, and there are lots of different people in different roles.”

“Everyone has to come together, that’s what has always happened.

“If we can do that the results will start coming again. In 2015 the worlds weren’t great but we were back on top in Rio. So let’s not throw everything out of the window.”

The 26-year-old, whose husband Jason Kenny has six Olympic gold medals, putting him level with Sir Chris Hoy, also revealed that motherhood had changed her perspective on life.

“I was sad [at having to withdraw from the event] but Albie is my world now whereas pre-2017 I would say cycling was everything,” she said.

“I cycle now for Albie and want him to have the experiences of going around the world watching me, but I don’t get completely wrapped up in it the same way.”

The 2019 World Road Race Championships taking place in Yorkshire,  and there’s a Sportive that runs alongside the event, taking in lots of the roads that the pros will use on race day.

To give you an idea of the route, former pro racer and Olympic gold medallist Dani Rowe went for a spin to guide us all around the beautiful Yorkshire lanes.

To find out more about the public ballot, head over to our story from the other day.

Customisation is a big thing in cycling now, from the likes of Trek’s Project One to a proliferation of independent frame sprayer catering to any creative demand. Now Belgian brand Eddy Merckx has launched MyMerckx, a new personalisation tool that offers a number of options on six models, the EM525, SanRemo76, Lavaredo68, Stockeu69, Wallers73 and Strasbourg71.

The personalisation extends to three designs and 42 colours and matt or glossy finish and is a €250 option.

The three designs include the minimalistic ‘Serene’ which fits perfectly within the current look & feel of the brand. The ‘Retro’ of the lookalike bike of Eddy himself, including Belgian ribbons and an authentic headtube logo. And the ‘Design’, based on the catalogue design in the current range.

It’s personalisation but only to a degree, they are clearly keeping it under tight control. Still, it offers a bit more choice than just the stock option most brands only offer.

You can customise your future Eddy Merckx bike here www.eddymerckx.com/my-merckx-customize

Ever fancied riding with the legend that is Fabian Cancellara? C’mon, who wouldn’t want to! And now you can, virtually at least. He’s leading a ride on Zwift and he’s inviting you all to join him. 

He’s actually hosting a series of workouts and the next one is tonight, at 6.30pm to be precise. See you there, give me a Ride On if you spot me! (I’ll be the one wearing a road.cc jersey obviously).

More details on the series here.

View this post on Instagram

SIGN UP NOW! Tomorrow at 7.30 CET the next GORE x Chasing Cancellara Group Workout on @gozwift will take place. 
Who‘s also looking forward to it? Follow the link in my bio to sign-up. @chasingcancellara #GOREwear #ChasingCancellara #AlwaysEvolve #TeamCancellara #cancellara #spartacus #competition #race #cycling #cyclist #roadbike #roadcycling #instacycling #cyclingpassion #cyclinglife #cyclingporn #ride

A post shared by Fabian Cancellara (@fabian_cancellara) on Mar 4, 2019 at 9:13am PST

Video of a near-naked cyclist riding backwards on an interstate highway in Miami has gone viral on Twitter, racking up more than a quarter of a million views since being posted on Sunday.

The footage – which includes swearing – was shot by a passenger in a car on the I-95, where cycling is illegal.

he comin’ pic.twitter.com/0muiV6cRHm

— Florida Man (@_FloridaMan) March 3, 2019

One of the occupants of the car says, “He comin’ … watch this sh*t!”

Laughing, he continues: “Oh my god. Y’all playin’ too much. Y’all play way too mother*cking much.

“Only in mother*cking Miami,” he adds, as the cyclist – who according to replies to the tweet has been spotted on the same highway before – continues on his merry way.

Last month we reported how New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had come under fire from cycling campaigners after the New York Police Department responded to the death of a bike rider in Manhattan by ticketing cyclists in the same area for minor or even non-existent offences, such as not wearing a helmet.

Well, ‘New York’s Finest’ are at it again – this time following a hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn that left 25-year-old delivery rider Aurilla Lawrence dead.

Understandably, news of the crackdown has enraged the Big Apple’s cycling community, with Streetsblog reporting that a protest ride against the policy was due to be held yesterday.

Eben Weiss – better known on social media as Bike Snob – has said of the NYPD’s approach: “There is one thing New Yorkers can pretty much count on after a driver kills someone on a bike though, and that’s an NYPD crackdown on cyclists in the vicinity of the incident for behavior that may or may not even be illegal.”

“If you ride a bike in New York City, it’s hard not to feel like the NYPD is the older sibling who occasionally grabs you by the wrists and forces you to punch yourself in the face.” 

There’s still four months to go until this year’s Tour de France, but excitement is already building in some places that will host the race – Binche, in Belgium, and Albi, near Toulouse, may be separated by more than 900 kilometres, but they are united in celebrating the arrival of the race at their annual carnivals as we move into Lent.

Carnival folklore paying tribute to the #TDF2019 in @Ville_de_Binche and @ville_albi.

Les villes d'Albi et Binche, villes étape du #TDF2019 lui rendent hommage en le mettant à l'honneur dans leur carnaval ! pic.twitter.com/RSJYRTllxS

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) March 5, 2019

British Cycling has updated its Disciplinary Regulations for Cycle Sport with effect from 1 January this year.

Among the changes publicised on the governing body’s website today are that non-payment of fines by members are now a disciplinary offence, and that spectators are now included within the scope of the regulations “in an attempt to apply [them] to those who are in and around British Cycling events, who may be in breach of the Code of Conduct or Regulations.”

British Cycling said: “It is hoped that the revision of the rules will provide greater clarity around the sanctions, and the flexibility to deal with an ever-changing sport whilst ensuring that British Cycling continues to operate with the transparency and independence expected of such an organisation.”

Find out full details of the changes here.