Live blog: Call to ban “menace” rush-hour cyclists from towpaths; Shared path pushchair etiquette; TdF withdrawal? Watch ‘Best of … ‘ vid; Thick as thieves – ram-raiders steal e-bike … without charger + more

It's a bit of a comedown after three weeks of hectic racing ... hopefully the official Best of ... video of this year's race will stop you going completely cold turkey.

Number five in the seven weeks of challenges to mark Cycle to Work Day on 8th August is all about celebrating a group of people who help make cycling possible – local bike shop staff! Your LBS heroes help riders gear up, get the lowdown on cycling in the
local area and spread the message of everyday cycling for everyone. This challenge is all
about recognising your local bike store, plus bagging yourself the chance to win a new e-bike too. 
For the chance to win a Cube Touring Hybrid e-bike worth £1,999, riders need to log a ride
on the Cyclescheme Love to Ride community and upload a selfie taken outside your local
bike store, all before the 4th August.

Here's the Love to Ride link again just in case, and you can also find out more on Cyclescheme's website. 

A Guardian journalist has called for “menace” cyclists to be banned from canal towpaths at rush hours, saying they are unsustainable as commuting routes due to speeding riders and narrow paths making them unsuitable for sharing with people on foot.

Mark Townsend, the newspaper’s home affairs editor, admits “racing” along towpaths and “swerving past mothers with prams or cutting up small dogs” in his haste to get to work, saying his “desire to reach the office on time was patently causing misery to others.”

He switched to a longer route by road, which “was profoundly more dangerous, but felt liberating.”

Townsend admits many cyclists ride on towpaths because of the lack of safe infrastructure elsewhere, but insists that “canals, particularly in rush hour, have become the domain of bicycles, the trucks of the towpath.”

He continues: “These waterways should be calm spaces where people seek solace. In our cities, their value is obvious as green spaces, linear escapes from the stresses of urban life,” rather than routes for fast-moving commuters.

He adds that codes of conduct are ignored by many, and is calling for a rush-hour ban on cyclists, with transgressors fined – and that money going towards investing in cycling infrastructure.

What do you think? Should all cyclists be banned from towpaths at certain times because of the actions of some riders? Or should other ways be found that can help reduce conflict on the towpath? Let us know in the comments below.

Counting down the days
Just need to get over the small hurdle of being able to pedal with my right leg #TDF2020 https://t.co/J2XS7QFVRv

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) July 29, 2019

Or instead we can just hope Froome is back on the road pedalling with both his legs soon. Though clearly sad about missing out this year, he was full of praise and very happy for young teammate Egan Bernal on his first Tour de France victory in a tweet last night. 

Congratulations @Eganbernal & @TeamINEOS #TDF2019 @LeTour pic.twitter.com/wPB0fCDnKz

— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) July 28, 2019

BREAKING.

Björn Lenhard has scratched at #TCRNo7.
More to come.#TCRNo7⁠#TCRNo7riders#TCRNo7cap3#fizikofficial⁠@fizikofficial
Will Armitage pic.twitter.com/I9ABIVRNOD

— The Transcontinental (@transconrace) July 29, 2019

He gave his leader's cap to then-female leader Fiona Kolbinger last night in a show of respect, however in a cruel twist of irony Björn Lenhard's own Transcon is now over. More updates as we get them. 

From the heroics of Julian Alaphillipe, to the crazy breakaways to the epic stages, this year's Tour has had plenty of high drama and has certainly been one of the best in living memory for many of us... but is it the best ever? Those who are old enough may point to the madness of 1989 when Greg Lemond triumphed on the final day's time trial to win by eight seconds. Some might say Lance Armstrong's toughest Tour victory in 2003 is up there, although according to the official results it now technically never happened. 

What do you think? Cast your votes and do feel free to expand on your choice in the comments... 

Champagne for @TeamINEOS ! ... And @petosagan!

Champagne pour l'équipe Ineos ! ... Et Peter Sagan ! pic.twitter.com/itkJ2j3iJ5

— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 28, 2019

Although he hasn't been quite so prominent at this Tour while still managing to retain his green jersey, Peter Sagan couldn't help grabbing a bit of the limelight as Team Ineos had their photocall to celebrate Egan Bernal's overall victory. Never change Peter... 

pic.twitter.com/4oKHKSZ01r

— Brad Wiggins (@SirWiggo) July 28, 2019

Another highlight from a memorable tour for many has been the wight of Wiggo on the back of a motorcycle giving his pearls of wisdom on Eurosport's coverage - and here it seems he'd been taking advantage of the champagne being dished out by the team cars on stage 21. 

He also described his experience as on-bike commentator as his best tour experience, high praise indeed. 

"It's been the highlight of my life in cycling if I'm honest"@SirWiggo has loved every second of covering the 2019 Tour de France for Eurosport#TDF2019 #HomeOfCycling pic.twitter.com/QCgBOcM8ft

— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) July 28, 2019