Live blog: Bus shelter built in cycle lane still there six months on; Rare Fausto Coppi jersey sold for €20k; Silca launch $30 titanium drinking straws with "better strength-to-weight ratio"; Jeremy Vine accused of joining "bullying" Cycleway thread +more

It's Fri-yay, so what better way to spend it than by spewing sweet vitriol on road.cc's YouTube channel? Here are a selection of favourites from our most recent video, where Mr David Arthur talks us through his time riding Rotor's 13 Speed hydraulic groupset... 

P.s... many thanks to all our faithful YouTube followers, and feel free to say what you like. We reserve the right to post your comments here and take the pee out of them a bit from time to time though. 

been handed the tribunal's 22-page annex re decision to include Sutton evidence. Panel says there was "an objective and understandable basis to warrant Mr Sutton forming the perception" of "unfairness and bullying" on part of O'Rourke due to comments made b4 he entered room...

— Tom Cary (@tomcary_tel) December 6, 2019

The former Team Sky doctor's lawyer Mary O'Rourke QC has questioned the panel's words, with an afternoon session currently taking place. 

Dr Freeman is accused of "knowing or believing" that the testogel he ordered in 2011 was specifically for the purposes of doping British Cycling athletes; he's already admitted to making the order and lying to cover it up. 

We'll have a full story on the site later today with all the latest updates on the tribunal.   

If a local councillor claims that bidirectional cycle tracks are not safe, and that children would be safer cycling in bus lanes, please do remember that they are lying to you pic.twitter.com/wEm0eVeglg

— Hackney Cyclist (@Hackneycyclist) December 6, 2019

We suspect this may be in reference to the opposition to CS9 through Chiswick, which was debated on social media this morning (see further down this page). 

How about a stainless steel coffee capsule? Compatible with Nespresso machines (there are other versions for Dolce Gusto and Virtuo) Evergreen say their reusable capsules could save you up to 65% over buying single use capsules; and theirs is better for the planet because they claim only 24% of Nespresso capsules are recycled to produce energy. 

They're also dishwasher-safe and available at half-price for £23.65 until 10pm this evening - click here to check them out. 

The Mouvement Pour un Cyclisme Crédible (Movement For Credible Cycling, or MPCC for short) sent a letter to David Lappartient this week calling for an increase in the number of blood tests, more timely collection of blood samples and saying that riders should be checked for plastic in their blood following the Operation Aderlass scandal. 

The UCI have defended their anti-doping controls, telling Cycling News: "The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), whose commitment to the fight against doping is regularly acknowledged by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and other organisations in this domain, fully shares the concerns of the MPCC, which also wishes to see a more effective battle for a clean sport.

"In particular, the Aderlass affair – legitimate source of concern for all concerned parties - has convinced the UCI to explore new avenues to reinforce the anti-doping fight in cycling. This reflection englobes, for example, the discussion launched with the International Testing Agency (ITA) to study the potential advantages of a future collaboration. 

"The UCI wishes to underline that, as part of the Aderlass operation, it has sanctioned several individuals, most of them active at the highest level, thanks to the sharing of information with the authorities in charge of the investigation."

The Independent have compiled some extracts from the new book (which we'll be reviewing in full soon) focussing on the story of Bicicletas Ositto, the bicycle manufacturer owned by Pablo Escobar’s older brother Roberto. 

Roberto was a serious cyclist in the 60's - claiming stage wins at the Vuelta and the RCN - and although Pablo was never in shape to compete, he was known to be a big cycling enthusiast. He bought the Bicicletas Ositto factory when Roberto retired, and the Ositto cycling team was born after making its debut in the Vuelta a Colombia in 1980. Pablo and Roberto used to ride the course on a Vespa scooter supporting their team, or by helicopter if the stage was too far away for them to get to; Pablo even had a private velodrome built for him in Medellin, with Roberto recruiting top Colombian cyclists to race around it while him and his entourage made huge bets on the winner. ​

Check back for our full review of The Big Climb in the new year - if you're sold already you can pick it up on Amazon here. 

Let’s get this show on the road! Super excited https://t.co/80u9B2bZuq

— Vicky Williamson (@VicsWilliamson) December 5, 2019

Vicky Williamson - who won a bronze medal in the team sprint at the 2012 world track championships - has today announced her plans to switch from cycling to bobsleigh, having already got some cool runnings in with the GB bobsleigh team and completed her first training camp.  

Williamson made her comeback at the 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships following a horrific crash in January 2016 which saw her break her neck and back and dislocating her pelvis amongst other injuries. In a statement on her career change she said: “Cycling has been a big part of my life since I was a teenager back when I came through the Girls 4 Gold Talent ID programme. In a way I’m sad to be moving on from it but equally I’m excited about what could happen in my bobsleigh career. My crash in 2016 changed my life, and although I would say it has inhibited my ability to excel to the top of the sport again, my athletic capability has still allowed me to continue in elite sport. I couldn’t have got through it without the support I received from British Cycling who funded my rehab and supported my return - I will always be thankful.”

In a statement she said: