Live blog: Angry letter and petition as amateur trade teams rail against UCI decision excluding them from Track World Cup; Two cyclists Chase the Sun from Thames Estuary to Bristol Channel – then ride all the way back + more

This is a decent weekend's riding by anyone's standards - two members of Kent-based Sheppey Velo, based in the town in Kent from where the annual Chase the Sun ride starts at sunrise on the longest Saturday of the year with the aim of reaching Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset by sunset, did the ride to the Bristol Channel ... then got back on their bikes the following morning to head all the way back to the start point on the Thames Estuary.

Chapeau to Steve Evans and Sean Reid and a shout-out to anyone who completed the coast-to-coast ride, which perhaps doesn't get the same attention as some other events of a similar nature when the daylight is at its longest.

Check that elevation gain, too!

With 120 bikes in its fleet available across the town of Falkirk and beyond, Forth Bike is now the biggest electric bike share scheme in Scotland. Full story on eBikeTips.  

James MacDonald's bid to set a new 24-hour distance record for riding in a velodrome came to grief on Sunday after he crashed on some water he had dropped on the boards of the Geraint Thomas Velodrome in Newport.

The British rider was on course to break the record of 941.873km currently held by Austria’s Christoph Strasser – who coincidentally has just won a record sixth Race Across America title.

MacDonald, 48 carried on riding for a further five hours but was behind the pace and was forced to abandon, reports Reuters.

He said: "Well 20 months of preparation pretty much ended on the back straight after slipping on the water I'd spilled earlier.

"Did try for the 1,000km record but after the savage pace of the 24 and the injuries it was all too much."

"I'd like to thank everyone who made this happen. Too many to list now. Need some rest. Thanks for all the amazing support both in Newport and online, it's been a mad mad day!"

What cyclists experience when a large vehicle passes them without proper distance/speed reduction...pic.twitter.com/ol0paLynK2

— Cycling Professor (@fietsprofessor) June 23, 2019

An unlikely source, but this vape cloud appears to give a pretty good idea of the turbulence felt when a big vehicle passes too close at speed. 

An iconic team of the domestic circuit with some of the kindest people I’ve met. British Cycling will miss @MadisonGenesis. Thank you for all you’ve done https://t.co/UmubnHJPVn

— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) June 24, 2019

An open letter reads: "It is with a great regret that we are announcing Madison Genesis will cease racing at the end of this season. In this open letter to everyone that has supported us over the last seven years, we want to offer an explanation and use it as an opportunity to show our gratitude to our fans and sponsors that made the dream a reality.

Who would have thought back in 2012, that an unknown team could go on to create so many incredible, lasting memories? We started out with a recently retired Roger Hammond at the helm in 2012 and achieved everything we wanted and more. With too many highlights to mention, a nod must be given to winning the Tour Series in 2015 and of course helping Connor Swift to his National Road Race title in July last year.

The team will continue to race until the end of the season, with a main goal very much being to ride at and be a force at the Tour of Britain in September. There will be plenty more opportunities to see Madison Genesis this year, not least of all the team ride out in Wales next month.

As a team, we would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for helping to make the last seven years truly unforgettable. Fans, riders, sponsors, mechanics, soigneurs, helpers, journalists, photographers, videographers and anyone in between, thank you for joining us on our journey.

See you on the road.

The Madison Genesis Team