Eastenders star thanks cycling for dramatic weight loss; Media guidelines for road collisions 'trying to ban the term Lycra lout', says DM article; Dygert on crutches 5 days after horror crash; Greipel wants Anderlass riders named + more on the live blog

The Watford goalkeeper is well known for being a huge cycling fan, and says his channel will be a place where "football and cycling collide". We're also promised more from behind the scenes in football after his first pre-season training day video, plus "crazy challenges and some down right cool stuff on the bike." 

🏆 🇨🇭 @MarcHirschi remporte la #FlecheWallonne !

🏆 🇨🇭 @MarcHirschi claims the win! pic.twitter.com/jTpWaJV4o9

— La Flèche Wallonne (@flechewallonne) September 30, 2020

After bagging a stage at the Tour de France, 22-year-old Team Sunweb rider Hirschi has backed it up with a win at the rearranged Belgian one day race. Earlier today, the newly-crowned women's road race and time trial world champion Anna van der Breggen won the women's race. 

Avon and Somerset Police are asking for witnesses or motorists who may have relevant dashcam footage following the incident on 7th September, when a cyclist was assaulted by a driver in Fishponds Road, near Royate Hill.

The male driver was in a dark vehicle, believed to be a Volkswagon Golf, when he was involved in an altercation with a cyclist. The driver then got out, approached the cyclist and assaulted him. The victim, a man in his 50s, sustained minor injuries and damage to his bike. Police say they would like to hear from a number of people who approached the victim following the assault, urging them to call 101. 

Daily Mail journalists wouldn't recognise the truth if it walked towards them carrying a sandwich board emblazoned with "I AM THE TRUTH" in foot-high illuminated letters, whilst repeating the same phrase through a megaphone.
The *real* proposals are here: https://t.co/2vri0X8RfH pic.twitter.com/FJ4oN92bk4

— Jon Owen thinks mining for coal has had its day (@anotherJon) September 30, 2020

This take on our draft guidelines by @MSN is so riddled with inaccuracies, it's hard to know where to start #RCRG pic.twitter.com/Pc9c9etcL9

— Laura Laker (@laura_laker) September 30, 2020

If ever there was a case of putting two and two together and arriving at anything but four, it's this bizarre article in today's edition of the Daily Mail. 

Referring to the recently launched Road Collision Reporting Guidelines - with road.cc contributor Laura Laker forming part of the University of Westminster Active Travel Academy team that drafted them - Simon Walters claims the 'campaigners' are "trying to ban the use of the term 'Lycra louts' to describe speeding cyclists". He also says they want to make the "abuse of cyclists a hate crime", similar to the protections offered to domestic violence victims and refugees. 

5. "Cyclists who claim they have been insulted" or indeed any road user, won't be able to make formal complaints, unless the language used amounted to dehumanisation, and therefore something that risks their safety, as we make clear

— Laura Laker (@laura_laker) September 30, 2020

As outlined by Laker above and in the proposed Road Collisions Reporting Guidelines, the team were advised by Impress, and cyclists who simply feel insulted won't be able to make formal complaints, unless their safety is at risk. The term 'Lycra lout' is not mentioned at all, and the proposed guidelines on discrimination against a group of road users outlined in Guideline 2, clause 2.3 says this: 

"A representative group, or an individual, may bring a complaint under this clause. Language that dehumanises is that which is intended to, or is likely to, provoke hatred or to put a person or group in fear. The disputed words, therefore, must be more than provocative, offensive, hurtful or objectionable: this provision includes, but is not limited to, speech that is likely to cause others to commit acts of violence against members of the group or discriminate against them, for example driving with less care, or greater aggression, towards a perceived group of road users."

Walters also claims newspapers would be "gagged from stating if an injured cyclist was not wearing a helmet or high-vis clothing"; in the same way it's best not to mention things that are irrelevant when reporting on just about anything else, then... 

Funnily enough the tabloid appear to have deleted the article from their website, but for some reason it's been copied word-for-word on msn.com so you can read all the inaccuracies for yourself. 

Don’t try this at home pic.twitter.com/gYr5irE07Y

— Keith Prince (@KeithPrinceAM) September 29, 2020

Thank god for LTNs keeping lunatics like this away from residential streets with kids trying to get to school.

— Matt Woods (@MatthewPWoods) September 29, 2020

why didn't he just go around? Would've been quicker.

— Reuben (@reubenevans) September 30, 2020

Surely it would have been faster just to take the alternative route? 

Tonight the 3 Dutch towns where the BinckBankTour would start/finish have decided to not allow a cycling race on their territory.
Therefore Wednesday's time trial has been canceled. As from Thursday, the BinckBank Tour will continue on Belgian territory with a stage to Aalter. pic.twitter.com/VyahwOupq8

— BinckBank Tour (@BinckBankTour) September 29, 2020

Yesterday, the Dutch prime minister made a raft of changes in an effort to halt a second wave of coronavirus - one of those changes was the complete banning of spectators at any sporting events. It means the upcoming BinckBank Tour will now have to skip today's time trial stage, and continue in Belgium instead. Jasper Philipsen of UAE Team Emirates won the opening stage yesterday, but he will have a government-imposed rest day before defending his lead tomorrow. 

This also puts the upcoming Amstel Gold Race into jeopardy, which is set to take place on 10th October in the Netherlands. Organiser Leo Van Vliet told Sporza that it is "not yet certain" if the race will continue, adding: "The decision is in the hands of the Security Region. They have to take the plunge. We can only do our very best to make everything as safe as possible. When the decision will be made, I don't know at the moment. Otherwise it will be very difficult for us anyway.

"Plan A has been off the table for a long time, plan B too. We are already working on plan C, so to speak."