"Counter-productive war on cyclists": Anger over police enforcing 'no cycling' signs; Good news: VAT on bikes cut...Bad news: in the EU; Alt Tour jersey on Ebay; World champ's Specialized (+2022 route revealed); Cyclo-cross skills + more on the live blog

Peaty’s has released a new set of brushes with unique features and materials that are aimed at being as user-friendly and environmentally-conscious as possible, without compromising on performance. 

The brand says it found "natural fibres were either too soft, too stiff or not durable enough to last months of cleaning abuse on tough components like cassettes and spokes" and so it has attempted to source synthetic fibre bristles manufactured from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic. Due to material shortages caused by Covid though, currently only the bristles in the detail brush are made from PCR plastic, but the brand says it’s continuing to work with their suppliers to source PCR bristles for the remaining brushes in the future.

Let’s take a look at the new range…

Peaty's Bog Brush (£12.99) has 360 degree long bristles with flagged ends for “all over cleaning without clattering” and “thick foamy goodness”.

Then there’s the medium density bristled Detailer Brush (£8.99) which has a thin cylindrical shape for hard to reach areas and is for using on suspension linkages, pedals, seat rails, hubs and spokes. A soft cotton tip is designed to prevent scratching, as does the plastic coated wire core. 

The Drivetrain Brush (£8.99) has a lower centre with stiffer bristles to provide a channel for the chain to sit into. A chisel cut handle end should also help with removing gunk from jockey wheels.

Lastly, the Tyre Brush (£8.99) has durable, stiff stepped height bristles that help wrap around the tyre and maximise surface contact. The bristles also run 90 degrees to the handle for ease of cleaning.

We were expecting a flat sprint for #Wollongong2022 so Ewan could win. Instead we've got a great attack point for a puncher with 8km to go.

The three-peat for Julian is possible! pic.twitter.com/nBjilZg8U4

— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) December 10, 2021

We briefly mentioned the Worlds course had been announced while talking about Julian Alaphilippe's sparkly Spesh...

Well, here's a closer peek at the route, including an intriguing looking kicker placed at 8km to go. 1.1km @ 7.7 per cent with double digit gradients in the middle. Too hard for Caleb Ewan? Will Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Julian Alaphilippe go nuclear? Could Michael Matthews be the best hope of a home victory? So many questions we need answers to...

A new study, shared by Planetizen, found that improving cycling infrastructure could save thousands of lives each year. The Environmental Health Perspectives study modelled the "comprehensive global public health impacts of the mode shift to cycling", finding that replacing car journeys with bike trips could prevent more than 15,000 deaths per year in the US alone.

The study took into account deaths from road traffic collisions and pollution-related diseases. The study reported: "Even if just 8 percent of those new bike trips replaced journeys in a car — an extraordinarily conservative estimate, considering that in this hypothetical world, every urban area in the world would be outfitted with Amsterdam-levels of bike lanes — researchers say that 18,589 lives could be saved across the globe, 1,227 of which would be in the U.S. alone."

Ready to spin the legs around Calpe. pic.twitter.com/TjgjvzQUZi

— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) December 10, 2021

 The route of the 2022 Road World Championships was announced earlier today, so it’s only fitting that we’ve been treated to an off-season rainbow sighting.

The current king of the Worlds Julian Alaphilippe is in Calpe for his Deceuninck–Quick-Step team’s annual winter training camp. Ahead of the trip to Spain, the French superstar posted photos of his partner and former pro Marion Rousse and their six-month-old son, with the caption ‘here we go again’.

It’s the fifth year in a row that the Belgian squad (which will be known as Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl in 2022) have visited the Costa Blanca town, so Alaphilippe will be hoping that the familiar roads and sunshine act as a good omen for the upcoming season.

And with a pesky one kilometre climb included in the Worlds circuit in Wollongong, we may be seeing that rainbow-clad S-Works for a while longer yet.

We can today announce the dates and venues for the 2022 youth and junior national road calendars, including five new races 🗓

Full story 📰 https://t.co/Qs92WjSrXx pic.twitter.com/wWOjD9pLR9

— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) December 9, 2021

Five new races on the junior national road calendar is the headline here, plus the news that the junior national road and time trial championships will take place in North Yorkshire, with the circuit champs in Scarborough. All the details are over on British Cycling's website...

@wandbc waging its endless, counter-productive war on cyclists who want to keep themselves safe. @Jo_Earlsfield @willnorman pic.twitter.com/eVRihhEQvh

— Ben 🇪🇺 💙 (@benjyhere) December 9, 2021

Loads of reaction to round-up from this...mainly people not very happy to see the major crime of riding a bike where you shouldn't being punished.

Some pointed out the irony of being able to drive a bulky diesel van into a park to stop people pedalling a push bike. Others shared pictures of cars and vans parked on pavements and asked why the authorities think this is more pressing.

Ben, who shared the photo from a park in Wandsworth, called the action an "endless, counter-productive war on cyclists who want to keep themselves safe."

And while some pointed out the parks police have different powers to the regular coppers and can only deal with offences in areas under their control, it's fair to say the majority of replies couldn't understand the crackdown.

That's of course assuming this incident was definitely a 'no cycling' enforcement. Rory Meakin asked Wandsworth Police if there were any aggravating factors in the case, but only got a reply saying the parks police isn't part of the Met and is a service employed by the council.

Here's some of the reaction...

"That 20kg, 15mph bike might be a hazard to someone. This two-tonne van? Just fine."

Seriously, Wandsworth, this policy makes you look like dinosaurs.

— Angus Hewlett (@angus_f_h) December 9, 2021

Imagine punishing people who have to protect themselves because the police don't keep the roads safe.

— Jon (@Jontafkasi) December 9, 2021