Cycling group 'strongly oppose' making wearing a helmet mandatory; Brooks releases statement addressing 'misleading claims' about post-Brexit sales; Olympic Champion delivers Tesco shopping to the elderly; Driver rams LTN planter + more on the live blog

Galway Cycling Campaign's deputy chair, Martina Callanan, told Newstalk Breakfast that they "strongly oppose mandatory laws for helmets for everyday cycling." The question was posed following the release of a new study that found only two of 26 patients with cycling-related head injuries transferred to Beaumont Hospital's national centre for treating traumatic brain injury were recorded as wearing a helmet at the time of the injury.

Callanan said: "We strongly oppose mandatory laws for helmets for every day cycling. For a person cycling, a camera is better for personal safety cause this can record road traffic offences and provide digital evidence to [the Gardaí].

"The solution to keeping people safe and feeling safe is two things: separate infrastructure for cycling - and this is being provided through the Programme for Government. And also we need to change our speed limits - we need to reduce the speed on our roads to 30 kilometers per hour in urban areas."

Thank You! It's a pleasure to make part of @polarissports 🔥🔥 https://t.co/wYK1NtjPJT

— João Almeida (@JooAlmeida98) December 30, 2020

Jorge Mendes, one of the most successful agents in football, has moved into cycling with his sports marketing company Polaris Sports. João Almeida and Ruben Guerreiro are two of his first clients. The Portugese super-agent can name Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez and José Mourinho amongst his stable of footballing talent.

A press release from Polaris read: "Polaris Sports and Corso have just established a partnership agreement which aims to optimise the commercial perspectives of Portuguese athletes that work with [Corso] in an association that is expected to be fruitful and successful."

There may have been a reason at the beginning when the law was shorter and simpler, to expand in guidance. But now law is long and complex, why diverge?

It makes communications far more difficult as ministers etc have to know two different regimes and account for differences

— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) January 6, 2021

This thread from human rights barrister Adam Wagner is quite interesting. He notes the distinction in the government communications between guidance and law, and suggests both should be clearer...

This is not a new issue - in face, the exact same mistakes are being made as in March. This was the first @HumanRightsCtte report on lockdown (April 2020)i which I worked on https://t.co/iZ1EqkuUGk

The *exact same* issue pic.twitter.com/Jit076YBiu

— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) January 6, 2021

The report says: "There have been significant inconsistencies in public communication about the new regulations. There are a number of different sources of information, in particular: (i) the regulations which set out the law; (ii) Government guidance that is intended to try to explain the regulations, for example to give examples of what might be a 'reasonable excuse'; and (iii) Government advice that has no relation to the regulations."

Every time I have spoken to a police officer about what powers they think they are exercising (I do this sometimes! I am weird) they cite a mishmash of guidance and law to me. Never accurate so far

— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) January 6, 2021

☀ Voici le parcours de la 7⃣9⃣ème édition de #ParisNice !

☀ Here is the route of the 7⃣9⃣th edition of #ParisNice! pic.twitter.com/02IIKio3wu

— Paris-Nice (@ParisNice) January 6, 2021

The Race to the Sun, Paris-Nice, will take the riders on a traditional looking route this year with a couple of windy sprint stages in northern France, one individual time trial, a summit finish at Valdeblore La Colmiane and the usual final stage in Nice. Last year's edition was shortened due to the pandemic but Nairo Quintana won at Valdeblore La Colmiane as Max Schachmann hung on to the overall lead.

This year will also see the addition of a new punchy finish on stage four. Following a day with 3,500m of climbing, the peloton will take on the ascent to Chiroubles which has two kilometres north of 10%.

📈 Chiroubles: 7,3km, 6%

⛰ L'ascension finale au cœur du vignoble n'aura rien d'une partie de plaisir !

⛰ The final climb up Chiroubles won't be one that the riders are looking forward to! #ParisNice pic.twitter.com/DjjsYQu5Fg

— Paris-Nice (@ParisNice) January 6, 2021

The usually reliable Dutch website Wielerflits reports that Marc Hirschi is close to joining UAE Emirates following his departure from Team DSM yesterday. The 22-year-old is supposedly in contact with UAE team manager Mauro Gianetti and, according to sources close to the team, a deal is close. 

A move to the team would see Hirschi join forces with Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar. The pair shared some exciting battles on the road in 2020, including on stage 9 of the Tour when Pogačar pipped Hirschi in the sprint after the Swiss rider had been in the breakaway all day. 

@ManCityCouncil Need to get the planters in Levenshulme active neighbourhood bolted down ASAP. Delinquents are moving them and damaging them. pic.twitter.com/UzSuFGktKS

— James Stafford (@Jamesdestafford) January 5, 2021

These planters in Levenshulme, Manchester, were only installed on Monday but have already featured on the live blog twice. Two days ago it was a video of drivers mounting the pavement to get round and today it's a driver ramming the planter off the road...This video was originally posted in a Facebook group for the area by a man claiming to be the perpetrator. It was shared with the title 'Fucking plants' and in a second post he suggests the planters on nearby Gordon Avenue are next.

Now threatening further vandalism and criminal damage.@MCCLevenshulme @basat_m @Dzidra78 @bernardstone @gmptraffic will any action be taken? pic.twitter.com/zGnZafxSaQ

— Sam 🚴🌱🍻Ⓥ (@MCRCycleSam) January 5, 2021