"I'll pay the fine! You're not going to see me complaining": CyclingMikey shares footage of him accidentally riding through red light, although barrister doubts prosecution is "in the public interest"; Paris-Roubaix cobbles stolen + more on the live blog

Here's a bizarre turn of events for your Wednesday live blog. CyclingMikey, the road safety campaigner who uploads and reports videos of road users committing traffic offences, has shared his latest video, in which the road user in question is... himself?!

Having stopped at traffic lights on Eccleston Street in Westminster, one of the four lights visible soon turned green, signalling the bicycle rider to advance and cross the junction. However, with no traffic following, and the benefit of camera footage to look back on, he worked out the other three lights were red and the green light was in fact for traffic from another direction and had been twisted out of place. How the junction should look...

@TfL @CityWestminster I'd like to report this traffic light as someone has twisted it to point down the wrong road. See the video in my post above. This is what it is supposed to look like: pic.twitter.com/6fCWqTJAVD

— CyclingMikey the Unspeakable (@MikeyCycling) April 10, 2024

How it did...

Anyway, Mikey took the bold (and admirably principled) step of uploading the footage to social media and even invited any trolls who may wish to report the incident to the police, giving the time and date of the incident to assist any report.

"It's my mistake, I hold my hands up, I'm at fault there," Mikey told his YouTube video. "I missed that the other two traffic lights were still red. I realised something was wrong when the scooter rider next to me revved his engine and then stopped, so he obviously almost got caught too, but he and the other scooter rider behind me didn't follow through. That's probably the best use of video cameras that I have over the years, that I can go back and look at when there's been a point of conflict or something's gone unexpectedly and I can find out what went wrong and change my own riding as a result.

"I'm sure that some trolls would like to report me for running the red light... you're welcome to, I'll even give you the time and date! It was yesterday, the 8th April, at 13:16, I'm sure you can work out where the road is.

"If the police prosecute me, so what? I'll pay the fine, you're not going to see me complaining."

Barrister and fellow YouTuber the BlackBeltBarrister saw the footage and suggested it "ought not be in the public interest" to prosecute in this case.

"Perfect example of where the police can use discretion as this video serves as education and a show of integrity — so it ought not to be in the public interest to prosecute," he commented.

𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓲𝓻𝓮 ☝️

Benoit Cosnefroy wins the Fleche Brabanconne, outpacing everybody else in the sprint 💪

Straight on the radio to thank the team, too 📻#DBP24 | @decathlonAG2RLM pic.twitter.com/wgOE9nS26K

— Eurosport (@eurosport) April 10, 2024

No 60km solo victory? I guess that comes next week when Tadej Pogačar returns... just a good, old competitive reduced bunch sprint, Benoît  Cosnefroy the strongest of an evenly matched front group that had reeled in escapee Marijn van den Berg on the final climb to the finish.

In Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel's absence, UAE Team Emirates and Alpecin-Deceuninck had to settle for third with Tim Wellens and sixth with Quenten Hermans. See, isn't so easy without your big dogs, is it?

Shout-out to Israel-Premier Tech Brit Joseph Blackmore (who's already won three stages and three GC races this year, by the way) for a moster lead-out followed by enough strength to sprint for fourth. Did his team pick the right man for the finish?

> Paris-Roubaix spectator's lawyer insists "never any intention to harm" to Mathieu van der Poel and confirms she has contacted riders' union

UAE Team Emirates climber Jay Vine was one of the worst affected in last week's horrendous Itzulia crash, suffering several fractured vertebrae in the pile-up which also saw Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič abandon with injuries.

The Australian rider has updated fans on his condition, explaining that being able to take his first steps with a walker was "pretty emotional" considering some of the early fears about the extent of the damage.

> Jonas Vingegaard warned about descent of Basque Country horror crash months ago, but organisers "never gave an answer"

"Incredible support from everyone! Thanks so much for all the messages!" Vine wrote on Instagram. "Medical update on my end: I'm tracking as well as can be expected, I have been able to walk around my room with the aid of a walker, and taking the first step was pretty emotional after what I've been through.

"Waiting to get home to Andorra, but the folks in the hospital have been A + with the care I have received. Just can't believe that I will still be able to walk and play with my kids one day, it was pretty scary for a couple of days when we weren't sure if surgery or neurological problems might present themselves. Long road ahead for my recovery, but I am looking forward to getting the process rolling."

> "Road safety remains the biggest barrier to more people cycling": Research suggests more than two thirds of Scots think not feeling safe is main barrier to cycling