Tory councillor say Labour promoting 'anti car dogma' in Birmingham; Girl rides 1,200km carrying injured dad; Hit-and-run driver 'checked car for damage'; 'Time running out' for pop-up infra; ZZ Top frontman rides e-bike in Vegas + more on the live blog

I have today written to the Labour administration to say that it is quite wrong to use this period of national crisis to promote Labour's anti car and anti motorist dogma. Birmingham is a motor trade city; many hardworking people rely upon the motor trade to make their living.

— Cllr Meirion Jenkins (@meirionj) May 21, 2020

Councillor Meirion Jenkins, of the Sutton Mere Green ward in Birmingham, is receiving much criticism for claiming that "Labour's anti car and anti motorist dogma" is impacting on Birmingham negatively during the pandemic. Councillor Jenkins says that Birmingham is "a motor trade city", with numerous replies slamming his views. 

Dinosaur view. If you put marbles in a funnel along with sand, which will move through faster? Cities must change or nothing will move, the air will stagnate and health will worsen. More active travel + pub transport means more people out of cars leaving functional roads for all.

— marksuttonbike (@marksuttonbike) May 22, 2020

It’s not anti-car or anti-motorist. It’s pro-public transport & pro-city. Are you against reducing air pollution & tackling climate change? It’s not incompatible to support an industry with global customers while also maintaining that cars are inappropriate in the city centre.

— Jordan (@jordanbhx) May 21, 2020

As my city councillor for Mere Green I am very disappointed with your views on cycling as a means of transport. You are at odds with the majority and certainly with your own PM and Transport Secretary.

— John Kirk (@OwlFiftyEight) May 21, 2020

It's also pointed out that the Conservative government themselves have been making huge promises for sustainable transport as of late, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps recently announcing a £2 billion active travel plan with £250 million set aside for emergency infrastructure; Boris Johnson also said he hoped to herald a "new golden age of cycling" during Prime Minister's Questions earlier in May. 

According to Sporza, the Colombian Transport Minister has extended the travel ban in the country until 31st August, with all flights out of Colombia banned until after this date. With Le Tour set to begin on the 29th August, that could pose serious problems for Egan Bernal's plans to defend his Tour de France yellow jersey. Other big names who could be affected unless exceptions are made include Nairo Quintana and Rigoberto Uran. 

An amazing story about family and love. This girl in India carried her injured father 1,200km on the back of her bicycle, to bring him home. ♥️https://t.co/ajEV9N6B0T

— Jeffrey Peterson🇺🇸 (@realJeffreyP) May 22, 2020

According to various Indian news outlets, 15-year-old Jyoti Kumari has been offered a trial by The Cycling Federation of India (CFI) after they heard about her superhuman efforts to cycle her father from Gurugram to the state of Bihar​.

Her father suffered an injury that meant he couldn't work, and with no income Jyoti decided their best option was to make the journey back to their home town. The autorickshaw he used for work had to be returned to the owner, so Jyoti's best option was to sit her father on the rear side of her bike's carrier and cycle. The journey reportedly took seven days. 

Speaking to PTI, CFI chairman Onkar Singh said that if Jyoti passes the trial, she will be invited to train at India's National Cycling Academy in Dehli. He said yesterday: "We spoke to the girl this morning and we have told her that she will be called to Delhi next month as soon as the lockdown is lifted. All the expenses of her travel, lodging and other will be borne by us."

"If she needs to accompany somebody from home, we will also allow that. We will see in consultation with our Bihar state unit on how she can be brought to Delhi for a trial."​

https://t.co/QR6wcKbTt5 pic.twitter.com/eSmdc2ev7u

— Victory Chimp (@VictoryChimp) May 22, 2020

So far we think Floyd Landis is up there with the best, as are Tao Geoghegan Fart, Peter Satan and Ban Ullrich. We'll let you get creative with Alberto Contador's name yourselves... 

Seriously... Get OUTTA here, Billy Gibbons - ZZ Tops RIDES the Vegas strip! https://t.co/8JmdLdNR1E

— Stephen Hodge (@stephenhodgeaus) May 22, 2020

He's got legs and he knows how to use them etc etc... the lead singer of the legendary rock band took to the Las Vegas Strip to talk about his love of cycling. Accompanied by his wife, Gibbons was riding a Giant electric mountain bike with a ZZ Top-themed paint job, and wearing what we hope were suitably cheap sunglasses. 

He said: "Its amazing what you see on a bike, everything. You've got this 360 panorama. Things that you don't see in the car."

Unfortunately technical issues appear to have prevented us from embedding the video, but head over to the Las Vegas Review Journal to see the on-bike interview. 

Photos are being shared across social media after a woman allegedly fled the scene after knocking over a Deliveroo cyclist near London's Olympic Park. 

The witness above wrote: "Today I witnessed a woman fleeing a scene after knocking down a cyclist.

"I was just skating to the Olympic park so just instinctively chased her, she drove off to "a safe distance" where she decided to check the damage made to her car...
I just took a picture of her car and her doing her "important checks", I mean must have been a big deal to her that she didn't blink over a life she had just violated..."

This, on bookface, but you know... Cyclists n'all that. pic.twitter.com/v4rR5IU2QA

— Ramos (@SezRamos) May 22, 2020

What a repulsive human being 😡

— Tankslapper (@tankslapper) May 22, 2020

The post has ben shared widely across Facebook and Twitter. It's not clear if the incident has been reported to the police yet. 

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