"Did a car write this?": Bizarre anti-cycling paintwork warns 'no bycles' allowed; Pineapple passion permeates peloton; Wiggo: It's f****** obvious Cav deserves a place in the peloton; Almeida OUT with covid; Photo of the year + more on the live blog

Dries De Bondt grabs the 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕 from the breakaway 🎟

The peloton was left 𝐫𝐞𝐝-𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 after miscalculating their chase 😳#Giro | @Bondteke | @AlpecinFenix pic.twitter.com/0Oz1fOf3iB

— Eurosport (@eurosport) May 26, 2022

Yesterday, Dries De Bondt was pictured carrying a pineapple up a climb, today he won from the breakaway...coincidence?

Well, Davide Formolo was snapped with some pineapple too, but alas did not win the stage. Then again, only one person can on any given day, so maybe tomorrow's Davide's day...

De Bondt beat Magnus Cort, Edoardo Affini and Davide Gabburo to the line, behind, the frustrated sprinters were led home by Alberto Dainese and Arnaud Démare. Mark Cavendish was eighth. Jai Hindley's late puncture meant he could roll across the line stress-free behind the peloton. Juan Pedro López found himself the wrong side of a split and lost 2:43 on the peloton, but remains fairly comfortably in the white jersey ahead of the final two mountain stages and final day TT.

There'll surely be pineapple on every dinner table tonight...

Yesterday // Today pic.twitter.com/pc9PxPmHx6

— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) May 26, 2022

I actually like that word. “I have 2 Bycles” has a ring to it

— Nick Archer (@NickMArcher) May 26, 2022

You know what would be really embarrassing? If while taking the piss out of someone spelling bicycle 'bycle' you spelt it 'bycycle'...yeah, really awkward...thanks for that...anyway...

 On Facebook, Keith Werrett wrote something very relatable..."I think it must have been written by somebody who was brought up with computers. The mistake is because there is no spell checker in a tin of paint or a paint brush."

Facebook always delivers to be fair. One of our less regular readers, I'd imagine, wrote this..."Perhaps it stands for Boring, Yapping, Cyclist, Lycra, Entitled, Snobs?" Glad you took time out of your day to visit us x.

"If brains were dynamite they wouldn't have enough to blow their nose," Antony Jordn commented. Torc Torr Ance added: "The days of proper English are went."

Colin Davis reckons: "It seems to me like a bunnyhop challenge - can you get enough speed up to miss just that one step?"

road.cc Oli chucked us a heads up about Peter McKinnon spouting off about cyclists, saying he's a "HUGE" YouTuber...so naturally, no offence to the photography YouTube scene, I'd never heard of him...

Having said that, he does have 5.72 million subscribers, roughly the same as the number of people who live in Denmark...

Question. Why do cyclists think they’re vehicles? 🤨

— petermckinnon (@petermckinnon) May 25, 2022

Cyclist = person
Bicycle = vehicle
Driver = person
Car = vehicle

Hope that helps.

— Elisabeth Anderson 🚲🐺 (@velobetty) May 26, 2022

Cyclists aren’t. Bicycles are. Simple.

— Orla Chennaoui (@SportsOrla) May 26, 2022

Amazing how someone simply riding a bicycle prompts so many to run their mouth on social media...go enjoy yourself (and five million subs)...nobody on a bike is going to ruin your day...

🍍 pic.twitter.com/noJFgQO6Gs

— Ivan D Moura (@Ivan_D_Moura) May 26, 2022

"The Greenways will enable walkers, cyclists, HORSE RIDERS and other non-motorised users to travel sustainably into the city" Pg74. Is this a DAFT or a draft document? Horse riding is NOT compatible with utility trips into City on foot/bike for 8-80yrs. https://t.co/5uZO9YP3vE

— Jim Chisholm (@Chisholm4Trail) May 26, 2022

One of the stranger things I've read this week...page 74 of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority's Local Transport Plan draft...

To underpin the vision for public transport within Greater Cambridge, significant investment will continue to be made in the active travel network across the sub-region. To persuade people to walk and cycle more, we need to provide safe, integrated, convenient, and high-quality routes and crossings, to segregate people from traffic and protect them at junctions. To spread Cambridge’s cycling culture further into the rural parts of South Cambridgeshire, twelve Greenways will be developed and connected to the city centre. The Greenways will enable walkers, cyclists, horse riders and other non-motorised users to travel sustainably into the city. 

Someone at the council has been playing too much Red Dead Redemption..."where you off to, love?" "Just going to nip to the shops to get some milk, I'll leave the keys here, I'm taking the pony..."

@TeamEmiratesUAE confirmed to @Gazzetta_it that @JooAlmeida98 is the only rider of The team tested positive to covid 19 today so he has to Quit @giroditalia He was sleeping alone in The room - left as forth in the overall And young leader @cycling_podcast more on our webisite

— Ciro Scognamiglio (@cirogazzetta) May 26, 2022

I missed the free pineapple climb? Did i do a different route?

— Thomas De Gendt (@DeGendtThomas) May 26, 2022

Mark Cavendish has more than enough to deserve a contract with another team in 2023, even if his time with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl looks likely to end. That's according to Sir Bradley Wiggins, who told Cyclingnews "it's fucking obvious" his former teammate can still do it at the top level.

"Until someone dislodges Cav from that top sprinter's spot, then we shouldn't even have to debate about his future. It's fucking obvious he still deserves a place in the peloton," Wiggo said.

"He's still winning stages at the Giro and races like Milano-Torino, so surely teams will want him. I'd want him in my team if I was a team manager.

"I don't understand why Patrick Lefevere doesn't say that Cav can have a contract for as long as he wants one. But if Patrick Lefevere won't give Cav a new contract, then Rod Ellingworth has to take him on at Ineos Grenadiers and give him a perfect send-off. Why not?"

WHAT IS GOING ON pic.twitter.com/NhTPOUmCNZ

— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) May 26, 2022

It seems there was a fan at the top of yesterday's final climb dishing out pineapples to deserving riders. Dries De Bondt got one, presumably to pass on to teammate Mathieu van der Poel. Maybe just maybe Mathieu's generational cycling talents are breaking down the walls of division built by non-Italians putting pineapple on pizza?

 Davide Formolo was another lucky recipient...

😂 Things are getting out of hand.

😂 Le cose ci stanno sfuggendo di mano#Giro https://t.co/4cJ6Y2u5uV

— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 26, 2022

AG2R Citroën's Lilian Calmejane later tweeted: "Thanks to the guy dressed as a chef with a cast iron pot and a pineapple who, for two days, has given me too much smile in the passes by encouraging us! This is also the magic of the great tours, of cycling, thanks to the supporters."

Thymen Arensman seemed less happy to see the chef on the stage Jan Hirt won...

pic.twitter.com/K1oBO3vaWm

— planeteMars (@delaplaneteMars) May 26, 2022

Meanwhile, Calmejane's teammate Lawrence Naesen was too busy just trying to get to the finish to notice any chef dishing out pineapples...

Why does almost every stage have to finish on a +/- 9 km climb at +/- 9% avg?
- Asking for a friend! 😜#giroditalia2022

— Lawrence Naesen (@LawrNaesen) May 25, 2022

"Standards are slipping..." deputy CEO of Sustrans, John Lauder warned...

Standards are slipping…… pic.twitter.com/TVRR9EtWkl

— John Lauder (@John_Lauder) May 25, 2022

10/10 for the ingenuity of creating a new word to fit the space available. We'd expect this to say 'NO BICYcles' in rapidly reducing font size as the 'artist' behind it realised they hadn't left enough room. But no, instead, they've just created a new word...no rgrets...

One amused onlooker suggested all that's missing is a rogue apostrophe and this masterpiece would be complete...

Did a car write this?

— Cool Bike Art 🚴 (@CoolBikeArt1) May 25, 2022

Damn! I'll leave my bycle at home and take the bicycle instead

— Dave McCraw (@david_mccraw) May 25, 2022

Trycles and Unycles welcome!

— Archduke Crimper-Dingo #FBPA 🏴‍☠️🇪🇺 (@dingopasty) May 25, 2022

I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bycle...

Is that a new perfume?

— Beatnik69 (@beatnik69) May 25, 2022

It's missing a 'NO SKATBORDS' on one of the other steps I think 🤔🤣

— Just Craig (@CB_cycles) May 25, 2022