Live blog: Tie your shoelaces tight – Latest cycle safety advice from the US; Spitting distance… is too close – nasty Manchester close pass vid; NYPD ticketing cyclists AGAIN after another rider is killed; Best TdF rider announcement ever? + more

Oh, and wear a helmet and arm and knee pads.

Advice comes courtesy of Ross Gullickson, the chief of police in North Mankato, Minnesota, who says: “The singular biggest thing that people can do to protect themselves is wear a helmet, wear pads on the knees and elbows and tie their shoe laces tight.”

Glad we got that one straight.

In case you don't know how to tie-up shoelaces properly, here's an educational TED Talk  on the subject.

Or maybe just buy slip-on shoes or ones with a Velcro closure ... ?

“It is not appropriate for any retaliation, be that physical or verbal,” says GMP.

Follow-up to our story from Friday, read the full article here.

With ULEZ now enforced in Central London, are e-cargo deliveries set to boom? Full story on ebikeTips. 

ok mate calm down pic.twitter.com/jFMdrhTdeR

— matthew (@handsblinx) June 25, 2019

One wonders what happened to this cyclist to make him want to adopt full body armour on the morning commute... 

I am disturbed by reports of a NYPD crackdown on cyclists near the intersection where cyclist Robyn Hightman was killed yesterday by traffic violence. Trucks and cars are the cause of the overwhelming number of traffic fatalities in our city. https://t.co/w3zPRPqCQD

— NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson (@NYCSpeakerCoJo) June 25, 2019

20-year-old Robyn Hightman became the 12th cyclist killed in New York City this year on Monday, hit by a truck driver who drove off unaware before returning to the scene shortly afterwards after being informed by a witness, according to CBS New York. The Gothamist reports that police in the area where Hightman was killed were found to be looking for cyclists committing minor traffic violations instead of ticketing drivers breaking the rules. Officer Carlos Negron told the Gothamist: 

"Our unit is specifically the bicycle unit—whenever there's a pedestrian struck or a bicyclist struck, anything that involves a bike, we try to respond to it.

"As far as the female who passed away unfortunately, yesterday, I believe she was riding off the bike lane, you know. It's sad, but it's sad that she was off the bike lane, you know? Maybe if she had been on the bike lane, maybe she'd still be alive."

It's not illegal for cyclists in New York to ride out of a bike lane if there are surface hazards or obstructions in front such as vehicles or pedestrians. 

20-year-old Hightman ran a cycle courier company, and was an ambassador for the Hagens Berman Supermint team while riding competitively for Spin Peaks. A vigil was held in New York yesterday, and the Supermint team have also left a lengthy tribute on their Instagram page. 

#robynhightman, killed by a speeding trucker this morning. The driver fled, came back, and the police sent him on his way. #VisionZero @NYC_SafeStreets @TransAlt @SpinPeaksRacing pic.twitter.com/HG5GxT9dy9

— Blythe Austin (@bblytherss) June 24, 2019

if.com reports that the feature-length documentary, called 'Phil Liggett: The Voice of Cycling', will get a premiere in October 2020 and a cinema release shortly afterwards. It will folow the commentator around some of the biggest events on the cycling calendar, including the Tour de France. 

Backed by Demand Film and produced by Nickolas Bird and Eleanor Sharpe, this will be their follow-up to the popular 'MAMIL' documentary. Liggett said: “As we have been filming in secret at various locations and scanning the archive I was not aware how full my life has been and how privileged I have been to be a part of this wonderful sport and pastime of cycling.

“Demand Film did a great job with MAMIL and I know that they can be trusted to handle my story and share it with the world.”